LA CASA PIZZERIA
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑
District: Dundee; Village Pointe
Old-School Neapolitan-Style Pizza
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Drinks; Takeout
Standout Dishes: Cudduruni; Hamburger Pizza; Onion Rings
There are two things La Casa Pizzeria is well known for. The first is its history; La Casa has fed millions of Omahans since opening its original location on Leavenworth St in 1953, and its popularity has led to two more locations and a food truck.
The second defining characteristic of La Casa is its thin Neapolitan pizzas, and the hamburger version in particular. The pie has developed a cult status and is the first thing most diners think of when La Casa enters their minds.
While the focus on La Casa’s historic standing in Omaha is well-deserved, its reputation as a one-trick pony is not. Because while the hamburger pizza is a fan favorite for a reason, there’s a lot more going on at this restaurant than this one pie.
La Casa’s menu offers salads, sandwiches, pasta, lasagna, multiple versions of cheese bread, and more. But it’s best known for its unique thin-crust pizzas and liberal application of ingredients.
La Casa’s homemade dough is stretched thin over rectangular pans. The resulting flavor in the crust is tremendous, as it takes on a buttery flakiness, almost like a crispy biscuit. And the perfect bake gives it a solid crunch and great structure.
That strength is necessary because La Casa does not mess around with the toppings. After ladling on either a red (created in house with real crushed tomatoes) or white sauce, La Casa covers the entire pie in a blanket of toppings, enshrouding the crust and sauce under an eclipse of meat, cheese, and vegetables.
This is where the iconic Classic Hamburger Pizza attains its fame. Sourced from local farms, ground very finely, and spiced with a secret blend of seasonings, the hamburger is excellent. And there’s so much of it, describing it as a topping is inaccurate—rather, it, along with crust, cheese, and sauce, simply becomes a fourth “layer” of the pizza.
But what really sets this pizza apart—aside from the craveable crust—is its combination of mozzarella and romano cheeses. The latter adds a distinct dry saltiness to match the sweet, creamy mozzarella. It’s a unique combination that is a bit divisive, but fans will go to war for it.
But La Casa deserves to be known for more than this one pizza. Its dedication to locally-sourced ingredients and making nearly everything that goes into your meal on the premises results in an excellent final product, regardless of which pizza you order.
The La Casa Nostra is one of the best examples of this. This pizza features savory, spicy housemade crumbled sausage alongside pepperoni and sweet, salty prosciutto. What brings everything together is the sharp, nutty romano cheese, which is bold enough to make its presence known without overwhelming the other ingredients.
But, for all the love La Casa’s Neapolitan pizzas get, the best might be overshadowed: the colossal Cudduruni.
Double-crust pizzas are a staple of Italian cuisine, and this pizza will show you why. At first, this doughy semicircle looks like a calzone, but it feels much lighter. That same buttery flaky dough is present, only now there’s twice as much of it. And the edge pieces where the dough is folded aren’t dissimilar to eating a crispy, rich breadstick.
Stuffed with sauce, meat, cheese, and potatoes (definitely add potatoes), this is among the better pizzas I’ve had in Omaha.
As mentioned above, however, La Casa is more than just pizza. The Onion Rings, sliced and breaded in the restaurant, are crispy and well-salted, among Omaha’s better options. And the pasta, which is cooked to a tender texture, is accented by a house made tomato sauce that balances sweetness with oregano and garlic.
La Casa’s locations offer unique experiences. The newest, located near 168th and Pacific, is sleek and modern, with orders placed at the counter and delivered to the table minutes later. The original location on Leavenworth, meanwhile, is more of a classic sit-down restaurant that encourages diners to linger and enjoy their meal.
Regardless of which location you visit, you can guarantee you’ll be met with friendly service and the type of meal a nonna would be proud to serve. I’ve worked a few hours in the La Casa kitchen, and I’ve observed how much work goes into every pizza: how the dough is formed and stretched, how the pasta sauce is cooked down over multiple hours, how the pizzas are baked to order. When you visit La Casa, you get to see how a lot of “little” touches make a big difference.
By all means, feast on the renowned Hamburger Pizza if you so desire; it’s delicious. But don’t be afraid to branch out and experience all the goodness La Casa has to offer.
Only the West location has chicken and tomatoes. We went to the 84th Street location and were so bummed to not be able to order those.
Also, so glad to be reading your reviews. Your top are also my top, so looking forward to trying those we have not been to yet.
Thanks for sharing!
Ah, I thought that pizza was available at all locations. I apologize if I got you excited.
And thank you so much for reading! Keep commenting as you visit more places! I love the conversation.