PrintLaRosa's: A Tradition Cincinnatians Should Not Be Proud Of
Serious Eats contributor Daniel Zemans, our man in Chicago, checks in with another piece of intel from the road, this time in Cincinnati. —The Mgmt.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria
417 Madison Road, Covington KY 41011 (map); 773-275-7080; larosas.com
Pizza Style: Traditional (thin), hand-tossed (medium), and crispy pan (thick)
Oven Type: Gas
The Skinny: Popular Cincinnati chain's success is baffling, as this is just not good pizza
Price: Large thin crust, one topping, $14.04; large focaccia-style pie, $17.14.
As with religion and sports teams, I think it’s safe to say that most people are loyal to the type of pizza on which they were raised. Given the lifelong ties so many have to their favorite pizzeria as well as my love of virtually every pizzalike food, I try to find the good in whatever pizza I try. When I planned my recent trip to Cincinnati, I did some research and learned that the 'Nati’s quintessential pizza can be found at LaRosa’s Pizzeria, which has been a local institution since 1954. While it may not be every Queen City resident's favorite, it does have an incredibly large and loyal following. LaRosa’s has grown from one shop on the city's west side to become a chain with more than 60 locations in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, so I assumed they were doing something right.
I visited the Covington, Kentucky, location late Saturday night, where I picked up the pizzas and then took them to my hotel (the dining rooms close at 10 p.m., but delivery and to-go orders are available until 11 p.m.). To order a pizza for carry-out or delivery, everyone calls the same phone number no matter which LaRosa’s they are ordering from. The pizza dispatcher takes the order and coordinates with the local pizzeria. When calling, people have the option of ordering right then or having their pizza ready at a particular time, a convenience I took advantage of. The guy I talked to, who was at the end of a long shift, could not have been more helpful in walking me through the various options (I had forgotten the online menu I'd printed out). Unfortunately, the customer service was the only thing about my LaRosa’s experience that was above average. Simply put, while Cincinnatians have plenty of food to be proud of, LaRosa's pizza is not in that category.
LaRosa’s offers pizza on three different crusts: Traditional (thin), hand-tossed (medium) and crispy pan (thick). I tried the traditional and the crispy pan. Up first was the traditional with sausage. The pizza looked promising: It had a nice thin crust, was amply topped with cheese and sausage, and had a generous layer of sauce. It does not affect the flavor, but I appreciated that it was cut in squares. I was starving and could not wait to try a piece. After one bite, I won’t say I lost my appetite, but I certainly lost all of my excitement for LaRosa’s.
The first thing I noticed was the cheese, which at first I thought was tasteless “pizza cheese” but later learned was remarkably bland provolone. The layer of cheese was about as thick as the crust, which is normally a good thing, but here not so much. In addition to the lack of flavor, the cheese was also hurt by its congealed nature. In fairness, about 15 minutes had passed between the time we picked up the pizzas and when we ate them, but even taking that delay into account, the texture was not appetizing.
The sausage may have been worse than the cheese. The chunks did not look like preformed factory-produced sausage pellets that should never be eaten, but the flavor was not far from it. The pork seemed to have no seasoning whatsoever added to it. The crust, while not terrible, was unmemorable. It held up well to the large quantities of cheese, sausage and sauce, but it added nothing to the flavor of the pizza. As for the texture, there was a little chew and no crisp—it basically served no function other than being a mediocre base for a mediocre chain-quality pizza.
The one part of the pizza that I did enjoy was the sauce, which was thick, well-seasoned, and very much involved in every bite of the pizza. To the extent that the seasoning from the sauce was capable of adding some zestiness to the rest of the pie, the traditional LaRosa’s pizza is not terrible.
While the sauce was able to slightly salvage the traditional pie, my second pizza, the Roma focaccia, did not have any of LaRosa’s regular sauce on it, and the pizza suffered because of it. LaRosa’s focaccia-style pizzas are crispy pan pies topped with a three-cheese blend, spices, and a "focaccia sauce." The Roma focaccia comes with pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, and capocolla (more commonly spelled cappicola). The ground beef was indistinguishable from the sausage, which is to say that it, too, was stunningly bland. The pepperoni was standard Hormel-quality pepperoni, which is to say it adds little more than extra salt to the pizza. The capocolla was not served in thin slices across the pizza but rather was chopped into particularly chewy little bits that were spread atop the pie. The flavor of the capocolla was, I thought, the best of the four meats, but that was not saying much.
The three-cheese blend consisted primarily of provolone, with some cheddar and a little ricotta. The cheddar added a little flavor to the blend, but I did not notice the ricotta until I basically did an autopsy on a slice as I tried to figure out where the flavor was coming from since I could not see any sauce. From what I could tell after I took the cheese and toppings off one of the long rectangular slices, the "focaccia sauce" is less a sauce and more a spicy oil. There was some substance to it—I noticed a few fennel seeds—but the sauce seemed to be little more than a mild liquid heat. The crust on the Roma focaccia, was supposed to be crisp. It was definitely thicker than the traditional pizza, but the texture was not noticeably different; the crispy pan crust was, in fact, not crisp.
In fairness to LaRosa’s and the people of Cincinnati who think their local chain serves up good pies, I will offer a couple caveats to my story. For one, I got the pizza late at night—I picked it up about ten minutes before they closed so it’s possible the guy making the pizzas was tired and off his game. Second, after picking up the pizza, we drove to our hotel, which added about 15 minutes to the time the pizza spent out of the oven before I ate it. But even if both of those detracted from the pizza, they would have affected the texture and not the flavor. Four hungry guys split the two large pizzas, and three of us are quite capable of overeating when the occasion calls for it. The biggest indictment I can give of LaRosa’s is that we did not come close to finishing our pies.
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40 Comments:
from the people who brought you skyline chili...this does not come as a surprise. next time go for the ribs at montgomery inn or better yet, head a couple hours east to columbus.
gastronomeg at 11:23AM on 06/10/09
I have to agree with this review. LaRosa's is nothing special and I can't figure out why it's so popular. When I'm in town I'll usually go for Dewey's if I want a pie.
Also... don't go to Montgomery Inn unless you like BBQ that's not actually smoked. And Columbus is North of Cincinnati, btw.
deeoh1 at 11:44AM on 06/10/09
It is not popular around here to not love La Rosas, but I don't. There, I said it. The sauce is not nearly enough to make those pizzas as popular as they are; I just don't get it. Same goes for Marions Pizza in Dayton....flavorless toppings on cardboard crust....as far as I can tell, most of their flavor is derived from the disgusting trays they are baked on.
Cary at 11:58AM on 06/10/09
I agree that LaRosa's is terribly disappointing. I went to the one in Norwood where I was staying at a nearby hotel for a conference after reading rave reviews. But I found it bland. Columbus, where I live, does have better pizza. Check out Joseppi's on the Westside if you want thin crust.
kuhlimuh at 12:11PM on 06/10/09
I've lived here 33 years, and grew up on LaRosas. Used to love it, but it's gone downhill in quality, and up in price in the past couple years. Now, we usually avoid it. :(
jknepfle at 12:12PM on 06/10/09
I'm a Clevelander who went to college in Cincinnati. Never understood the love for LaRosa's pizza. I remember very much enjoying their calzones, however, which featured a lot of the two things you liked (the sauce and the ricotta). Their pizza was always quite mind bogglingly terrible. It is still a city favorite, though.
painaxl at 12:24PM on 06/10/09
I have to agree on LaRosa's that it is relatively bland and the only benefit is the sauce. My grandma dearly loves it but I can barely stand it.
I will agree as well that the pizza that a person grows up on is the one that they pretty much will go to bat for almost any time. Which is why I am such a die hard fan of Marion's in Dayton.
@Cary I am a devotee of the Marion's kind. There is just something delicious about their pepperoni with the thin cracker like crust. It may not be the best pizza ever, but I think it is the best that Dayton has to offer.
FrostyGhost at 12:56PM on 06/10/09
I moved to Cincinnati a year and a half ago, and agree with the group that La Rosa's is pretty terrible. Dewey's is definitely the way to go if you want pizza around here.
What's the deal with cutting a round pizza into squares, though? Our reviewer seemed to think it a plus... I think it gets in the way of the good crust-to-slice ratio.
CEBakes at 1:06PM on 06/10/09
WHERE ARE THE LAROSA'S DEFENDERS? Who will champion the LaRosa's name?
Adam Kuban at 1:10PM on 06/10/09
I love La Rosa's for sentimental reasons, but really, Snappy Tomato is my preferred Northern KY pie. It wasn't a junior high slumber party without a Beast delivery.
katkinsman at 1:25PM on 06/10/09
@gastromeg. @deeoh1 -- you're both right/wrong! columbus is NORTHEAST of Cincinnati!
@CEBakes -- good question. can a pizza expert here explain the origins of cutting thin crust round pies into squares?
anysuchname at 1:32PM on 06/10/09
@Frosty: I don't usually leave such all-negative comments....I know a lot of people love something about it. I'm just cranky 'cause the husband has on a low fat, no flour, no sugar diet......and no matter how I try, I can't make pizza fit into that! Not good pizza anyway....
Cary at 1:42PM on 06/10/09
LaRosa's isnt bad per se but it is very expensive for what you get.
@gastronomeg If you go to Skyline you deserve bad food. Everyone knows Gold Star is way better!!
jkloeker at 2:05PM on 06/10/09
I sat behind someone eating LaRosa's at the zoo, and all I could smell was the odor of feet. Dewey's was really disappointing to me, but maybe people who grew up on LaRosa's would find it amazing.
Adriatico's however is some of the best pizza I've had. I can't compare it with the true New York pizzas some of you will know, but highly recommend it to anyone needing pizza in Cincinnati.
gschaefer at 2:59PM on 06/10/09
@gschaefer: the zoo larosa's is not a representative of larosa's at large. yes, it smells/tastes like feet.
besides, this whole article is misguided: you went to Cincinnati and you ate pizza? while cheap and a generally reliable standby, pizza is a 'lowest common denominator' and when chains are involved (i.e. LaRosa's), the focus will always be more on cost cutting than knee-weakening taste. Cincinnati offers all manner of unbelievable things to eat. Next time, I suggest staying away from chain restaurants, no matter how iconic they appear.
If you didn't eat goetta the next morning with breakfast, I'm afraid I can't help you.
adrian_lamo at 3:42PM on 06/10/09
@FrostyGhost.. You - Me a large Deluxe Marions.. name the piazza. 8-)
Born in the Dayton area, and Cassanos (on a good night) or Marion's is my favorite. "Cracker with a stain" as my husband calls it, but I've brought him around, at least he goes there without whining now -- close enough for me.
I also believe "favorite" has a lot to do with what Pizza first got it's hooks into you! I've loved others before and will again, but Marions / Cassanos cracker crust and square cut (especially the burnt edges!) are still my favorites.
I will admit to loving LaRosa on occasion, but we eat IN .. i'm not a fan of that one once it's cold. Love their sauce.
TeriN at 3:49PM on 06/10/09
good thing it isn't la Russa's cause then Tony would be suing them for trademark infringement too like twitter hahaha!
pizzaexpert at 4:17PM on 06/10/09
I'm born and raised in Cincinnati, 40 years now. Grew up west side, now live east side. LaRosas is an affront to the very idea of pizza. Bland, doughy, substandard ingredients. The sauce, which the author liked, is like sweet thick tomato paste. Awful.
The reason LaRosas is so successful is that until recently there really wasn't much of any sort of alternative. Various Angilo's restaurants make better but not fantastic pies. Deweys, I will agree, is a good pizza, but there is nothing at all in town like the pies I've had up in Connecticut. The average corner shop there makes a pizza orders of magnitude better than anything here, and Modern Apizza in East Haven was a revelation.
Here on the east side we have a small family mini chain called Grammas Pizza. Note the lack of an apostrophe. I was amazed to find out it was for the Grammas family, not Gramma's or Grandma's pizza. Flavorful sauce, good cheese, thin enough crust (though I like a bit more bite) and they brush the edge of the pizza with garlic butter when they pull it out. They converted me from a "How many kinds of meat can you put on there?" guy to a "Plain with Extra Cheese" guy.
As to the chilli, it's an acquired taste. I've had it since I was in utero, so I love it. The people that hate it I swear if they'd not heard the word "chili" they wouldn't have any preconceived notion. If someone said "Here, have some of this Greek Meat Sauce" they'd have an open mind.
Oh, and for the record, Skyline has better 3/4/5-way and Gold Star has better Coneys.
As to Montgomery Inn, yes, they're not smoked. That doesn't mean they aren't good. I always get a jumbo slab and chips with extra sauce. It's delicious. It's not texas style pit BBQ ribs any more than the Chili is texas style Chile Con Carne. If you want smoked ribs, find a City Barbecue restaurant, though honestly, skipping the brisket for the ribs would be a shame.
Chris Thompson at 4:23PM on 06/10/09
jkloeker: perhaps my comment was too nuanced for you- i'm not surprised that larosa's review sucked b/c skyline chili sucks too. frankly, i think montgomery inn ribs also blow, but not as much compared to the chili or this pizza joint apparently.
and thanks, i do know where columbus is in relation to cincinnati. granted, it is slightly north, but you still hop on 70 east to get here. crikes. i was speaking in generalities here.
gastronomeg at 4:34PM on 06/10/09
@gschaefer: Adriatico's was better than Dewey's (the two places Lil and I visited on our one trip to Cincinnati), but calling it New York Style is a bit of a stretch. Dewey's reminds me of DiGiorno's, which is the best frozen pizza, but I wouldn't leave the house for it.
passion4pizza at 4:47PM on 06/10/09
@gastronmeg "granted, it is slightly north, but you still hop on 70 east to get here."
Sorry...nope...it's up I-71, which goes North East to South West...
Sure, you could take 70 east....AFTER going north on 75 for about an hour or hour and a half.
jknepfle at 4:53PM on 06/10/09
@TeriN: Yes, Cassanos, square cut, slightly well done, salty crust....yum.
Cary at 5:40PM on 06/10/09
@adrian_lamo: I think you're sort of asking the wrong question here on Slice when you ask Daniel why he tried pizza in Cincinnati. It's our civic-slicey duty to try pizza in whatever city we're visiting. LaRosa's is a Cincy favorite, so it was the natural pick. I had heard a lot about it and am happy to see this come across the Slice Reviews Desk.
Thanks, Daniel!
Adam Kuban at 7:35PM on 06/10/09
Okay, I'll do my best to defend LaRosa's. I'm originally from Cincinnati, but I went to college a skip away from Arthur Ave. in the Bronx, so I've been jaded by some darn good pizza from Full Moon and other NYC institutions the past few years. That being said, letting LaRosa's sit for fifteen minutes before eating it completely changes the consistency of the pie in a way which I've yet to experience with other pizzas. Since they use a provolone-based blend, it quickly congeals into a dried glue unlike a stringy-mozzarella when not eaten immediately from the oven. When I order LaRosa's, I make an effort to either dine in at the parlor or pick it up asap and rush home. If a LaRosa's pizza is cooked right (warning: some restaurants in the chain are better than others) it can be an enjoyable experience.
Why do people love LaRosa's in Cincinnati? My best guess is that it does a fantastic job in marketing and advertising. From having one phone number you can dial anywhere in the city, to the fact that the company has been extremely philanthropic towards youth sports and charitable programs, they know how to get people to buy their product. Additionally, they sell "buy one pizza, get one free" cards that can be used up to 10 times for only $10 making it a great deal for groups or large families. If you're going to a birthday party or a get together where pizza is being served in Cincinnati, chances are that you're going to be eating LaRosa's. Of course, since people associate the food they eat with the fond memories they have of events, LaRosa's practically creates a Pavlovian response for Cincinnatians.
I eat LaRosa's when I'm in Cincinnati for no better reason than I enjoy the sauce and I can't really get it anywhere else. The crust isn't always consistent and the toppings are skimpy, but they can turn out a good pie most of the time.
As for the other parlors in Cincinnati, it's a mixed bag. Donato's has it's own unique qualities, the most significant of which is a spicy sauce and a crust that is thinner than matzah. Dewey's is more of a traditional pie, but nothing that sets it apart from anyplace else in the country. If someone wants a pie that actually resembles NYC pizza, the closest is a place called Fratelli's out in the suburbs near West Chester.
@Chris: Now, when it comes to chili, I agree that Skyline's 3-ways are better than GoldStar. However, I think both chains pale in comparison to Camp Washington Chili.
CabbyRam at 10:38PM on 06/10/09
I can only remember eating a La Rosa's pizza at King's Island, and that was La Rosa's recipe (what the different is, I have no clue...)
It works as something to eat at the amusement park.
If I'm in Cinci wanting pizza, I go for Donato's, which is still technically a factory/chain pizza, but tastes so much better. But then, I could get Donato's in Columbus (when I lived there, which also meant more time in Cinci!).
Now when my wife graduated college, we were eating at a bunch of German restaurants that I know I can't remember (I'm sure she still does...), and those were absolute heaven.
Last time I was in the area (CVG), I had the choice of Gold Star or Max and Erma's. I went to M&Es for the burger and tortilla soup for my craving, my wife had Gold Star, which was good for getting that craving fixed for her. We don't get back up north often enough.
bytehead at 11:06PM on 06/10/09
i used to work at larosas.
-a lot of the meat comes from jtm, which i think is patently disgusting. i've been told by some others who have worked there for a lot longer that it never used to be this way-- the beef products used for the meatball and steak hoagies were true sirloin and quite tasty. nowadays, the meatball will fall off your sandwich and bounce from your kitchen table. this happened to me, i've never eaten it since. as far as meat goes, i think the turkey and cappocola are safe choices (a.k.a. not jtm products) but stay away from the sausage, beef, pepperoni, link sausage, and "steak" as they're essentially filler, salt and a small amount of actual meat. that's probably true for a lot of places though.
-the crust can also be hit or miss when you're dealing with pan style. it's supposed to be kept a certain way and it needs to be poked several times while in the pan (we used a barbeque fork) to keep from getting bubbles, before sauce and toppings are applied. there is an ungodly amount of oil used in the pans, which also detracts from the crust imho. the taste of vegetable oil is distracting once you notice it. it also seems to vary a lot in thickness. from the cross section it looks like you got a really disappointing pan crust... maybe even a hand tossed crust on accident.
-whoever said it smells like feet is right. after a short shift, my clothes reek of hot sauce. i personally really dislike the sauce when it's hot. much better served cold or lukewarm. it is relatively sweet which is also a turn off to many. the cheese is a rather unremarkable variety of provolone and does turn pretty rubbery if it's been sitting out for more than about 5 minutes. three cheese blend used to be my favorite thing about larosas but the ratio has been altered and it has a lot less ricotta.
all in all, the best best is to order a three cheese calzone--three pizza toppings and a side of (cold) pizza sauce to dip it in.
christin at 1:26AM on 06/11/09
I, too, worked at Larosa's in college. It is definitely subpar. Skyline, however...dreamy.
PDXbiker at 1:38AM on 06/11/09
LaRosa's isn't the best stuff ever but you really didn't order very well. It also doesn't help that each location can have a huge variation in quality.
@CabbyRam Camp Washington Chili might be my favorite thing about Cincinnati. I didn't grow up here, so Cincinnati chili was a huge hurdle for me. But I absolutely love that place. No boil in a bag chili at Skyline/Goldstar for me!
conundrum at 7:04AM on 06/11/09
Love the Skline chili. Hate LaRosa's. It really sucks. They sell it at Kings Island and it is terrible.
kirkharrod at 8:55AM on 06/11/09
I'll go hungry before I'll eat a LaRosa's pizza. The Cincinnati area abounds in "resting on our laurels" restaurants, which I don't think could stay in business in many other cities. People patronize them because it's where they ate 30 years ago when they were in high school. I agree with others who've said Dewey's is the best pizza in the area. And sometimes my hubby and I drive all the way out to Fairfield to eat at an indy joint called Richard's. NYPD in Northside isn't bad, and it's cheap. But LaRosa's is so bad I'll even eat Papa Johns first.
ChloeA at 9:44AM on 06/11/09
I lived in Hamilton, a suburb of Cincinnati for almost 5 years. In my time there I tried LaRosa's not really impressed. BUT Hamilton had 3 local family run shops Chester's, Mililo's (SP?), and Richard's. Richard's was borderline OK. Chester's and Mililo's you could tell were family run and delicious. I believe Chester's had won the AOL Cincinnati CitySearch Award. All three of Hamilton's homegrown shops have been there for 50+ years.
tonecapo at 11:14AM on 06/11/09
i think if you're born in a place you are more disposed to love the food from that place. up here in dayton, ohio, there is a chain called Marion's pizza. people from dayton are just as loyal to Marion's as most cincinnatians are to larosa's. being from toledo, i used to think Gino's was the best. we live in little old germantown, ohio, now (pop. 5K) and are lucky to have three hometown, non-chain pizza places.
kathie lucas at 3:36PM on 06/11/09
@christin: Thanks for the inside info! As I said in the review, I thought the cappocola was the best meat I had at LaRosa's. Very interesting that it comes from a different supplier than the rest. As for your comments on the pan crust, you might be right that they did not give me the correct crust - that would explain a lot.
@everyone who suggested other foods: this is a pizza blog so that's all I wrote about here. My quick thoughts on other food in Cincinnati: I am a big fan of the chili and think the differences between Skyline and Goldstar are overblown; I can't comment on Camp Washington because their failure to open on Sundays has stopped me from trying it both times it would have been possible. Montgomery Inn does not smoke their ribs and the sauce is really sweet and overpowers the meat. They're not bad, but they're not worth the hefty price tag nor worthy of their reputation. Graeter's remains one of the best ice creams I've ever had.
@CabbyRam: Thanks for sticking up for LaRosa's. I do wonder how they deal with the congealing cheese problem with their deliveries. Or do you think some people don't mind it?
Daniel Zemans at 6:50PM on 06/11/09
it's a shame you never got a chance to hit flying pizza. uber-nice NYC style - not in in the same park as larosas. talking major league vs class a
briterian at 10:16PM on 06/11/09
The pretentious snobbery is downright commical. Who, honestly, eats pizza and critiques it like its a fine wine??? (and I'm referring to the comments not the review)...
If I want something local I eat LaRosas.
If I want something cheap and quick I order Papa John's
If I want to go out and eat a pie I get the family together and we go to Dewey's...
I eat them all, they all taste good...to sit here and complain about the amount of seasoning in a piece of sausage that's swimming in cheese and sauce is, well, typical east side cincinnati d-bag mentallity.
Archie45 at 1:00PM on 06/12/09
lol @ archie45
I lived in Cincinnati for 5 years and was never really impressed with most food from there. I will say though, I've had La Rosa's a few times that it was actually really good. If they would stop serving it at Kings Island and The Zoo where it sucks royally, it might not gross me out as much now. Either way, I learned to except mediocrity out of most things from Cincinnati. Sorry guys, I still love you but Louisville is so much better. haha ;)
Shamefree at 2:33PM on 06/12/09
I think a lot of the loyalty you see for LaRosa's is just based on tradition. It's always been their family's favorite, so there you go. But the quality has gone seriously downhill in recent years. Someone needs to come in and revive the brand.
Cupajo at 4:30PM on 06/13/09
But there sure is a lot of big city snobbery in this thread. I guess people living in New York, L.A. and Chicago have access to great food, but the rest of us (you know, all us little people down here in fly-over country), will be content with Cheese-Whiz on Ritz crackers and Hamburger Helper. And when *we* drink Pabst Blue Ribbon, we're not being ironic hipsters.
Cupajo at 4:41PM on 06/13/09
La Rosas sucks.
Romundo's in Mt. Lookout square is the best in Cincinnasti
Ramundo's Pizzeria
3166 Linwood AveCincinnati,OH45208-2955
Local: 513-321-0978
vudutu at 9:22AM on 06/15/09
Re: LaRosa's marketing--is it still 347-1111? I only lived in Cincy for 4 years and moved away 15 years ago! La Rosa's was our go to, but last time I had it, I was 15.
I will admit though that I was very close to ordering LaRosa's pizza kit online when the order form came with my box of Montgomery Inn sauce. I think I may just buy a whole slew of Mett's. Can't go wrong there, can ya?
Oh..and Goldstar over Skyline any day.
jcrisco at 1:46PM on 06/15/09