LYLE'S PIZZERIA

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★★

District: Dundee

Cozy pizza shop & wine bar

Standout Dishes: Pepperoni Pizza, Tre Carne Pizza; Bianco Pizza; Mozzarella & Pesto Roll

Crust is the bedrock to any pizza. No matter how fantastic the ingredients are on top, it’s my belief that you simply cannot have a great pizza without an outstanding crust. It’s the foundation upon which everything else is built upon.

That’s what makes Lyle’s Pizzeria such a valuable addition to the Omaha food scene. There’s nothing quite like this crust in the city, and that amazing base and the thoughtful toppings immediately vaulted it near the top of my favorite pizza spots in Omaha.

Lyle’s aims to be a neighborhood pizzeria and wine bar with craft cocktails and delicate care afforded to each dish. The space is small and intimate, with an open kitchen exposing the brilliant deck oven. There’s a long bar serving all kinds of wines and spirits along the right wall, and the atmosphere is a blend of high end and casual.

But the main focus is on the food, a small menu of salads, snacks, and, of course, pizza.

Lyle’s offers seven pizzas, all of which can be ordered in 12″ or 16″ sizes. The former is a perfect personal pizza size, while the latter is best for sharing.

The brilliance of these pizzas starts with the dough. Its quick date in the extremely hot oven produces an interior that’s thin and crispy with incredibly structure; the slices stand up on their own with absolutely no droopage. And yet, when you reach the outer crust, it becomes bubbly and airy.

The brick oven creates “leoparding” (dots of char) for both texture and a slight bitter flavor. But what really sets the dough apart is the slight tang the sourdough applies. It’s different, but in the best way.

With a base this good, Lyle’s could slap a bunch of grocery store toppings on top and have a standout pie. But that’s not their way; not only do they use great products, but they put serious thought into how they’ll work together to create some unique, delicious pizzas.

Among what you’ll find on the menu:

Pepperoni Pizza: Shown in the header above, this pizza is simplicity at its finest. The pepperoni cups curl up into charred grease bowls during the cook, giving extra saltiness and crunch.
Margerhita Pizza: Sometimes the brilliance is in simplicity, and that’s the case with this pizza. The tangy sourdough crust is topped with a fresh, sweet tomato sauce and gobs of fior di latte mozzarella, which unleash their milky creaminess into nearly every bite.

Tre Carne Pizza: Those crispy pepperonis are present again, only now joined by a slightly spicy sausage and hunks of delicately sweet prosciutto. Just when the meats threaten to make the pizza too salty, the sweet, acidic tomato sauce tamps down the salinity and brings balance.
Potato Pesto Pizza: The star is the nutty, garlicky kale & walnut pesto, which adds an oily, herbaceous flavor to each bite. The tender potatoes are sliced thin, and cloves of roasted garlic add a touch of sweetness.

Bianco Pizza: With three types of cheese (fontina, fior di latte mozzarella, goat cheese) and olive oil, this pizza has a rich, creaminess to it. The cheeses balance each other well, while the sweet, pungent basil rounds things out.
Sausage Pizza: creamy goat cheese and a liberal drizzle of hot honey cool down the heat of the peppery fennel sausage and pepperoncini peppers.

It’s not all about pizza at Lyle’s, though. The restaurant is connected with Lola’s, which serves some of the finest breads and baked goods in Omaha, so you can’t pass up the Mozzarella & Pesto Roll. This massive bun showcases baking mastery; it’s airy and chewy, and the exterior is brushed with herb butter for a welcome application of fat. Imagine a cinnamon roll, but replace the sugar and cinnamon with copious amount of cheese, then top it with incredible pesto.

The service at Lyle’s is friendly and helpful, and the food delivery is prompt; appetizers arrive minutes after ordering, and the brick ovens ensure that pizzas don’t require long to cook.

There are two things that make Lyle’s stand out: its phenomenal dough, and the deft balance of ingredients. Lyle’s carefully selects flavors that would pair well together to brilliant effect, and one bite is all you need to know that you’re experiencing something different. From the moment it opened, Lyle’s loudly announced it’s arrival and quickly solidified its place among Omaha’s best pizza spots.