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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
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Oh, Adriatico's! Yum! Such a little place, but it makes such great pizza! It's a little pizza shop right in the middle of campus, so if you're a student, it's ideal because it's delicious and very close to you! I used to live a block or two away, so that was awesome. It's located right on the corner of Neil and 11th.
But for those of you who aren't already on campus, the location kinda sucks. Navigating campus in your car is never fun. It's not so easy to get though all of the students and once you get down there, it's hard to find a place to park. There are metered spots on the surrounding streets and there is a small lot in the back. But be careful about parking around campus because they are really ticket-happy over there.
It's in a cute little brick building. If you go inside you'll see that Adriatico's sure isn't much to look at. It's really small in there, so it's just a place to come in and pick up your order. No eating here! Every time I've gone in here to pick up a pizza it hasn't been done yet and I've had to wait around. But I would just advise anyone who wants Adriatico's to get delivery. That way you don't have to deal with all these hassles.
When you order a pizza here it takes a long time. So if you're hungry and want food right away, not the best choice. Once my roommates and I were being lazy and we ordered a pizza even though we lived right down the street. It took a little over an hour to have our pizza delivered. I guess perfection takes a while. But they are probably also quite swamped. It's easy to see why Adriatico's would be so popular.
Because that's what the pizza tastes like! It's so good! Definitely the best pizza on campus. You don't have to be drunk to enjoy it. I love the crust - especially the thick crust. And the sauce is slightly sweet and garlicy. They also have subs and salads and stuff like that, but go for the pizza. I always feel like Adriatico's puts a load of cheese on their pizzas and that's part of the reason I like them so much. They really don't skimp on the toppings. If you get toppings on your pizza, there will be plenty. Yum! Side note, the pizza is cut into squares and it's a rectangle shape. I know some people are picky about the shape of their slices. Also, since the pizza comes so equipped with toppings and cheese, it can be very filling.
It's great if you're drunk and hungry late at night. They aren't open as late as some places, but it's late enough to cater to the campus crowd, especially on weekends. As a side note, I'm not sure about their hours when students aren't in school, like in the summertime or during holiday breaks. I think they're still open, but they may have shorter hours since must of their customers are students. If they are open when the students are gone, that might be an ideal time to head over there and grab a pizza.
For big parties, you should order their signature Buckeye pizza. It's huge and will feed quite a few people. They have really good options on the sizes, since you can go so big and you can go all the way down to personal sized pies. I prefer to get a bigger one so I'll have leftovers the next day. It's definitely not as good reheated the next day, but it is good cold. And I don't like cold pizza.
The reason I'm knocking off a star is because of the price. Yes, the pizza is delicious, but you're paying for it. It's a lot more expensive than the other places on campus, but it's so much better. It is worth it, but when I was a student I just simply couldn't afford to go here all that much. At least, not as much as I would have liked to. It isn't very practical for the student budget. But if my roommates and I were all hungry and we split the cost it wasn't so bad.
I really miss living so close to this place. It was so nice, even when I wasn't eating here, just to walk past the pizza shop. The whole block smells like their pizza and it's intoxicating. Every time I'd walk to and from class I'd get a big whiff of that fresh just-cooked pizza smell and my stomach would grumble. It smelled so good! The smell alone lured me in there to place in order on more than one occasion. I think that smell is all the advertising they need.
It's such great pizza. If you haven't tried it, you're missing out. But if you live in the area and they'll deliver to you, go that route. It'll save you the driving through campus traffic and trying to avoid running over students and the difficulty of parking. But if you are ever driving down Neil Avenue through campus, open your windows as you drive by and smell that wonderful pizza smell. Then just try not to go in and order one!
It was a very sad realization for me when I left Columbus and, consequently, left Adriatico's behind. This is the only restaurant that has ever earned a saved spot in my phone.
Yep, they're slow. You need to call and order before you even get hungry if you want to get it before you're starved.
Yep, they're greasy. But not in the drip drop onto your lap kinda way. The crusts are too thick for that. =)
Their sauce is perfect -- not too spicy, not too sweet. And their deep dish!!! Nothing compares. It's even better cold the next morning. It's true that two slices will fill you up, but it's so good that I'll still go back again and again for more.
In Columbus we are spoiled with pizza, but Adriatico's is that mom and pop shop that (the instant you open the door) memories flood back to you from childhood.
Anyone who's ever lived near campus knows the place, but once you get outside of that OSU-sphere, it's the best kept dirty-little-secret in the city. The menu is pretty standard pizza shop fair. Nothing fancy, nothing remotely non-pizza centered. The food tastes like it's made with love, not by market analysis.
Everyone I know gets the craving for their pies once a month (mostly the Sicilian with pepperoni... seriously? Does a plain pepperoni get any better?), and who doesn't need a little provolone-smothered comfort food every now and then?
Adriatico's makes a BOMB Chicago deepdish pizza, which is strange for a place that calls themselves a New York Style Pizza place. But there is nothing New York about those pies. I've been to New York a few times but never have I seen anything that looked like that called a New York style pizza. I'll tell you what, I'm going to be in the Big Apple next week and I will make it a personal quest to get to the bottom of this. I see a pizza list in the near future...
Anyways, I digress... Whatever you want to call those deliciously huge and garlic-y squares of goodness, they are tasty. I have been mowing Adriatico's for the better part of a decade now, first in Cincinnati (and yes, the MONSTER pizza down there IS called the Bearcat) and then here at OSU. Thankfully they have quite an extensive off-campus delivery service that reaches all the way to me on 3rd ave. so I don't have to venture into campus unless I absolutely want too. Dirt cheap specials on giant pizzas on mondays and tuesdays.
Really, South Campus? I mean, really?
Okay, so, yeah, Adriatico's isn't supremely horrible pizza. It's just not all that spectacular, either. I think they get a lot of passes because they're within walking distance of basically every dorm on south campus- an admirable trait to be sure from the perspective of a dorm citizen, I suppose, but that's about the extent of it.
I'd suggest going with the pasta or the calzones. Both are better than the pizza, especially the Buckeye pizza or whatever it is: huge, square, bland. But, edible.
The real sucker punch of it all is that Adriatico's smells damned good all the time. I've no lie eaten at Adriatico's just because I was walking by and smelled the smell and thought maybe I should give it one more go.
I don't ever quite regret it, but I always try to avoid walking by for a few weeks.
MY FAVORITE!!!! So, lucky me that when I was a freshman at Ohio State...cough-cough...a few years ago, my dorm was directly across the street from Adriatico's. That's where the obsession began.
If you're having a party, do it right, order the Buckeye. It is sized as "huge" and only comes in the thick crust, Sicilian style. If the large is 16", I would estimate the Buckeye to be about 24" and costs $24.95.
The sauce is nearly orgasmic. Do you like it spicy? If so, you're in pizza heaven. This sauce, oh this sauce is the on the spicier side of tomato sweet and pepper spice. Order extra sauce on the side, and if you order the twisted bread-sticks, which I think you should! get more sauce AND the garlic butter. Please, do it for mankind! Toss the calorie chart out the window for this one. Taste, savor and walk away satisfied...and ready for a nap.
When i lived around campus this was one of my favs cause it was so filling. but now i gotta say the nay no to Adriaticos its over priced salty and reheats horribly. Not enough sauce either. I dunno its a campus kinda pizza i guess. I'd rather cook up a Freschetta
The staff has been notoriously rude and parking is a pain too.
-s
Good pizza, it is a bit small, but their thick crust pizza is quite good, and it is amazingly filling. It is great pizza but not a place that I would want to eat day in and day out. I wish I could give this place 4.5/5 but I can't do a half star... so 4/5 it is.
A mediocre thick pizza that gets good reviews based on location.....not only is there better in almost any American city the size of Cbus (and larger,) there are far better options in Cbus. The cheese is oily, the prices are high, and they legitimately add salt to the pizza (look at the mushrooms next time, salt crystals!)
The Italian scene in Columbus is awful and a single restaurant 1/10th the quality of Babbo in NYC or 3/4 the quality of even Ciao in Toledo would be the 'best of' in Cbus. The fact that many consider Adriatico's entirely un-New York style pizza to be the best is a sad sad statement indeed.
Bexley Pizza Plus, Spagio, Figlio, and even Catfish Biffs do it better. So does Whole Foods.
My friends RAVE about Adriatico's, but I guess I just don't get it. I've been there at least a dozen times and all I can say is "Meh. I've experienced better." I'd rather have Hound Dog's or Tommy's or Donato's.
If you and a friend are looking for a quick way to satisfy a pizza jones, Adriatico's might be the last pizza joint found in The Saver (an OSU coupon mag) that I would recommend. Delivery is clearly not their priority, and you'll find out why as soon as you step foot in their tiny south campus digs.
What Adriatico's is excellent for is a place for you and a group of friends to huddle around one of their oversized Buckeye pizza's, order a pitcher or two, and spend the next hour in complete silence while you inhale slice after slice of thick, chewy, garlicky goodness, only taking breaks to wash it down with a plastic cup of Budweiser. There are no frills here, but judging from the fact that they've been in business for over 20 years, they get by just fine without them.
My one gripe with Adriatico's is their complete lack of interest in catering to the 2,000+ drunk undergrads (80% of which are freshman) that crawl back to their dorms across the street on a nightly basis. If they knocked a hole in the wall behind the register and sold pizza by the slice, the line would be snaked all the way down to the oval by 3 AM. Combined with their snail's pace takeout and delivery service, rule this place out of your late-night eating options immediately. The pizza sure is good, but it's rarely worth the $15 and the hour you spent on it
Awesome pizza. Perhaps the best pizza that I've ever had. Read the other reviews and go and try Adriatico's. You won't be disappointed. The down-side? The parking is virtually non-existant here. If you drive, go as a tag team and have someone circle around a couple of times while you go in for the pizza.
Adriatico's smells good. Really really good. You'll walk past it on a brisk fall afternoon on campus and you'll think "Wow that smells good. Let's get some pizza, watch some football, and shout 'GO BUCKS!' at the top of our lungs".
Stop. Do not go in. Just savor the smell.
I had the pleasure of living across from Adriatico's for 3 years while I lived in the dorms on campus. I smelled that pizza every day and it made my mouth water. But whenever someone suggests "Hey, wanna get some pizza?" I steer clear from this little pizza joint.
Sure it seems like the perfect college tradition. Small pizza place, packed on game days, beer and TV, pizza, pasta and subs. What more could you want? How about some flavor?
The dough for the pizza is absolutely the worst pizza dough I've ever tasted. It's so thick and flavorless; you'll need a lot of water or soda to wash down one slice. Do not be fooled by those that say Adriatico's 'Buckeye' is a great pizza to get. Measuring at around 18 inches, this pizza is the quintessential party pizza. You'll fill up on two square slices of this pizza just on dough, unable to enjoy the toppings. Speaking of toppings, the sauce and pepperoni is about the only saving grace for Adriatico's. The pizza sauce is sweet, with a hint of roasted garlic. The pepperoni is spicy and large, and actually fairly unique. If you must order pizza from Adriatico's, I suggest going for the thin crust.
The pasta dishes are bland and uneventful. Their calzones suffer from the same 'too doughy' problem of the pizza. Adriatico's subs are generic, but at least you know what you're getting.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend Adriatico's as a premier pizza place in Columbus. You're better off just opening their front door, breathing in deep, and then continuing on your way.
Love the spicy sauce, the hole-in-the-wall atmosphere, the cheesy calzones... ok really, I love it all, and I miss it like crazy. I still try to stop by every time I'm in town.
The beginning of my affair with Adriaticos was in 1996, and I've been loving the place ever since. In fact, I'm reasonably sure that not much has changed since at least the mid-80s (or earlier), and that's OK with me. If you don't like eating inside (aka the cave), grab your 'zoni and take it over to the Mirror Lake amphitheatre, or to the lake to watch the ducks. Just don't forget to get extra sauce.
Like most college students who went to OSU, I have some fond memories of Adriatico's. The building is nothing much to speak of; it's tiny and cramped. The inside is not really decorated. A TV flashes images of sports and sitcoms in the corner. It does, however, loudly say "Home Grown"! For a dive pizza place in the OSU campus area, Adriatico's is pretty decent. It's greasy, like most other pizzas, but not overtly. And the quality of the bread, cheese, meat and veggies is good.
But, the fond memories came from going there with friends and taking up ninety percent of the place by pushing together a couple tables. We'd be sitting around the table, laughing and stuffing our faces with pizza. Typically, we'd order the Buckeye and split the cost among us. The Buckeye is pricey and so I recommend having people chip in, whether you order at Adriatico's or pick it up. If you're going with others and plan to get something as hefty as the Buckeye, ask that your friends be sure to carry cash. That shouldn't be too hard since there is a Chase bank right next door, as well as other banks nearby.
Every week, dinner at Adriatico's. My standing date with over a dozen people. Tuesday night special on the Buckeye Pizza. Sometimes, two Buckeyes. Enormous. Delicious. After dividing the price, we got all we could eat at around $4 per person, gratuity included.
If you love the sauce, try the breadsticks. (I love the sauce.)
Best pizza in Columbus, hands down. And this is from a girl who prides herself on her pizza intake; I consumed over 650 pieces of pizza in one year and have attended the past two Columbus Pizza Challenges... And I've come to the conclusion that no one's better than Adriatico's!
You can choose from thick or thin crust (if you don't specify they're likely to give you the thick). A good selection of toppings; the tomatos are acutally large tomato slices instead of the little choppings, and the pepperonis are huge! The pizza is greasy, filling, and perfect to eat with beer (luckily they have a couple of beers on tap).
If you're not in the mood for pizza, the breadsticks are great! They have lasagna which is good as well (though I've heard it's only Stouffer's packaged lasagna). The salads are pretty weak, but not bad if you like banana peppers and tomatos.
The servers are good; they go through a lot of bullshit though so be kind and tip well if you have the money :)
Adriatico's is my favorite pizza place in Columbus, but pizza is so subjective. They do a really great thick crust pizza. My boyfriend orders extra sauce on his half because they use relatively little. I opt for the fresh tomatoes since too much of their sauce can be quite spicy. The crust has a really nice taste and consistency. They also have thin crust, but I haven't tried it. They only deliver to campus and take-out will take half an hour. There are some parking spots behind the building, but most are marked for apartments nearby.
My wife and I had a quest to find our favorite pizza in Columbus. This is it. We love the thick-crust pies. Big pepperoni and sometimes sausage complete it. It's very, very bad for you, though, so we don't do it so often. It fills you up though, and we love it for left-overs.
Monday nights they have a good deal on large pizzas. They deliver too, though I'm not sure how far out they go. We don't have a problem with them getting to the Short North area.
Best pizza in Columbus. It's true that it doesn't reheat well but it's almost better, and certainly more filling, cold. Don't eat (a few days) before a date, possibly not before you're married or settled down. Thick slices, delicious cheese, loaded with toppings.
Yummy pizza in a tiny building, right on the OSU campus. The location is great for OSU students and employees, less so for everyone else. The "Big Buckeye" will easily feed 6 very hungry people or "8 to 12 adults," and who doesn't love a pizza that big? They deliver, they serve basic domestic beers and soda, and I read online that the crust is vegan, so a cheeseless pizza can be vegan. I'm not a huge pizza fan generally, but I rarely turn down a trip to Adriatico's, and I don't think I'm alone.
I agree with Lisa - I am just not impressed by Adriatico's pizza. The dough is too thick, the sauce is too spicy (and I love spicy food), the toppings are unimpressive, and the middle crustless slices are just a mess to eat. I'm so tired of hearing, "Oh, you went to OSU, you must love Adriatico's pizza!" Donato's or (for far less money) Flying Pizza are both great alternatives with far more flavor.
Would be the perfect place if I could get delivery on the west coast. I miss this place so much, I have dreams about it. Their pizza and breadsticks are my all-time favorite. The sauce is spicy, the dough is chewy and rich, the cheese is perfect (provolone, I think). The atmosphere is still the same as when I was in college, and the place is still clean with good service. I try to make the trip over every time I'm in Columbus, which will never be enough.
This pizza is not bad, and it's definitely edible. But don't be deceived by the name...it is NOT NY style. The crust is too thick, there is too much sauce, and not enough grease.
lisa is crazy... adriatico's is one of my favorite pizza spots on campus by far! there is truth when she says two pieces will fill you up... but it is delicious. i love their sauce and their mushrooms are superb!
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Category: Pizza
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