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So I was craving pasta and I wasn't sure where to go so my BF suggested Oregano's.
The wait, the wait! I hate the wait. We will go at 8 and maybe avoid the wait?
We got lucky because there were people leaving and we had to wait 5 minutes and got to sit at the bar.
We ordered a bellini for me and beer for my BF. Enjoyed that bellini!
We started with chicken wings that were so delicious. They were flavored with ginger and some other stuff. Very good!
I ordered the zany ziti and BF ordered the bollopasta. We left happy and full and with leftovers.
Service was good. I like this place from time to time.
Not authentic Italian, but if you want really good Italian for cheap prices in Tucson you need to go to Oreganos. My recommendation for a 4-Course Dinner:
Boom Dip
Golden Wings
Alfredo the Dark
White Chocolate Macadamia Pizookie
4
67
The restaurant is very popular so you'll have to contend with a wait for your table and a staff that's trying to keep up on a regular basis.
I realize the place bills itself as a "Pizza Bistro," but I've never gotten the pizza and I don't think it's why they are popular. Rather, I think it's the pasta dishes that really do it for this place. They tend to be very rich and many of them feature a tinge of Southwestern flavors and spiciness which livens up what at other similar places is pretty predictable fare.
The portions are huge and the place seems to have a pleasant personality (these sorts of chain restaurant themes can get surreal and nauseating - think Applebee's - but Oregano's pulls theirs off pretty well). I've always enjoyed my meal and would easily choose this over an Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill.
Have to say, this place for Tucson is pretty great. Pizza is good, pizzcookie is phenomenal. The place gets really packed, expect to wait 45 mins or more on a weekend night.
Food has always been great, service is a hit or miss. They are either really attentive or just plain horrible. It seems like they also discriminate on who they hire as waiters and waitresses.
Food is also really reasonably priced. If you are willing to put up with a long wait and sometimes horrible service, this place is overall great. I am not a big fan of thin crust pizza but this place is really good. You have to save room for dessert.
I've been eating here since it opened, and never wrote a review? What is wrong with me? I love the salads here, and the personal lunch pizzas are FANTASTIC! I have not ever gone here and not waited at least 10 minutes. Today, go in for lunch. I think 11:20 should be early enough! NO NO NO!!! ! ALMOST HAD TO PARK IN THE STREET AND TAKE THE BUS IN TO EAT! I dropped the Wife off to scout the table, and to reserve our favorite server "ANTHONY THE GREAT" to bring us our meal. Another super meal, and better service. Always good, and super friendly. I think I could almost live here!
For those of you west coasters not familiar with the mini chain of pizza places called Oregano's, let me fill you in. I guess there are some AZ people too who have passed on this place because of the usually long ass wait, so this review is for them too.
Oregano's is a chain of about 5, and it has quite a good reputation in both Tucson and Phoenix. It's one of the places I usually look forward to eating at when I head east of the California state line. I have been to several locations, and in general, you can expect decent food, strong ass drinks, hearty portions, a long wait (but not as long as Bianco's), the biggest f'in menu (size wise not selection wise), and a friendly staff.
On Saturday, a group of 7 of us rolled into the parking lot around 1 PM expecting there to be a wait because A) We were a big party and B)There's always a wait. Much to our surprise, we were seated right away on the patio (which involved wrestling with umbrellas for most of the meal). We ordered 3 apps.
Fried Ravioli-Good but not amazing
Warm Asparagus Dip-I hate to quote Rachel Ray, but "Yummo!"
and
Bruschetta-again good but not amazing
We had 2 pizzas:
Pepperoni and Chicken Pesto
Both were served on that thin crust that is more of a cracker or lavash type of bread than an actual doughy bread. Not really my favorite, but that's their schtick, so be it. The sauce was minimal both in quantity and quality, and the cheese was a bit over cooked so that it almost had a crust on it. There were ample toppings on both.
Oregano's has an amazing deep dish hot cookie dessert served with ice cream and fudge sauce that we couldn't resist ordering and splitting between the 7 of us.
Oregano's didn't seem to be as delicious as I remember, yet it is still a good destination for old friends. I continue to think to my self that it would be great if they opened up a location here on the west coat, and I'm pretty sure they would make a killing. Will they? I doubt it. Would I patronize them if the did? Definately.
Again...Tucson....Why are you talking the place up like it's the next Gordon Ramsay restaurant.
I was disappointed with Oregano's and surprised that there was even a wait.
Basically take Old Chicago, supersize the portions, half ass the quality and name it your own chain. Presto!! You've got Oregano's!
Blah.
Go to this place to have good food and have some fun with friends, its really not meant to be "fine dinning"! Put simply is that it is great food for the price. The kids love to play with the dough balls (just ask for them) and its a fun relaxed environment. Like others have said, it is packed! I suggest a lunch, when they are a lot less busy. I have had their pasta dishes as well as the sandwiches (try the meatball!) and all have been great.
Loved the thin wheat crust. Loved the deep dish my son had as well. For a family that loves Chicago-style pizza, we dug what they were serving.
Wait time loooooonnnnnnnnggg. Service totally choppy and inconsistent. Waited a long time for food, because we had 2 different servers taking care of us and had pre-ordered the deep dish. The deep dish came out not too long after we sat down, but then we waited a loonng time for our appetizer of chicken wings and then a looooonnnng time for the rest of our food. It cut into the first 20 minutes of the latest episode arc of Lost!! AAAAGGGH
I think our 'assigned' waitress is not going to be long in this job. But reading the other reviews, maybe her quality of service is standard for this location.
Place is too loud.
It has been a while since I first reviewed Oregano's, and since then, I've really started to get frustrated with their service, or lack thereof. Still pretty tasty food, but expect Denny's-like service.
Great salads and appetizers. Some of the normal dishes are quite good as well. The pizza's aren't… Read more »
WINNER: Most Overrated Restaurant in Tucson
For some reason this (and P. F. Chang's, double gag) was my colleagues' favorite place for birthday/graduation celebrations. With or without reservations, we always suffered an obscene wait for our table, and then there was the lengthy pizza cooking time on top of it. I finally learned to eat immediately before leaving for the restaurant; otherwise I was gnawing on the chair back for nutrients by the time the food got to the table.
The real confusion for me: what is the draw? The pizza is very, very average--on par with what you can get in 10 minutes at Brooklyn Pizza. (Not to mention that Rocco's, Frog & Firkin, No Anchovies, and Magpies all have great to excellent pies. Hell, I'd even prefer to risk food poisoning at Zachary's than have to wait that long for a fking table.) The salads are nice, but there are plenty of places to get something similar. People rave about the Pizookie, but it's nothing you can't throw together in your own kitchen in 5 minutes with instant cookie dough and ice cream.
Really, Tucson...WTF???
This really wasn't very good, both food and service. It was obvious the waitress was upselling constantly, and the food came out so fast it was clear they wanted us out of there. We hadn't even gotten half-way through one appetizer (three of us) before the entrees were there. Really annoying. The corkscrew shrimp dish was bland. The big rigatoni was pretty tasty though. Drinks were pretty expensive @ $23 for glass of wine, a beer, and a martini. It was more than the food! Likely to get $ from the college crowd. Wouldn't go back again.
I went on a Wednesday recently and there was very little wait.
Pizzookie.
the pizzookie is worth traveling from Seattle for.
The pizza is better than you would imagine, and the golden wings stain your fingers for days.
This place surprises me everytime with how good the food is, despite the enormous and rediculous proportions.
Huge salads... HUGE! Great pizza! Better Lasagna! and great starters. Some beers on tap. Expect to wait! I mean it expect to wait! Tucson should open another Oregano's it has more than proven it's staying power. Scottsdale and Tempe also have locations 100 plus miles north so no reason not to have another one of this great chain open in Tucson.
All my sisters love this place, but I don't. The portions are big. The food is overly spiced. The service is fast.
Consistently good food. Love the deep dish and the thin crust. The bazookie for dessert is a must. The pablo piccaso salad is out of this world. For an app. the guacatoni is great. Good prices. The wait can be long if you go during the regular rush times but they accept call in orders, problem solved.
Long wait, ok server, bland food. Good place for quick "italian", but not good if you are looking to be impressed!
Its pizza is actually not that bad. Good sausage. I like the Southwestern Shrimp Caesar a lot. Service has always been good. I only gave it two stars because I loathe the wait. My wife loves the place especially the hot cookie for desert but it is pure torture to wait so long for anything especially pizza.
Large crowds at times, it seems quite popular now. I went when it first opened, and I enjoyed all the selections that we shared. Menu includes salad, sandwiches, burgers and pasta. I ate caesar salad and loved it. I found the seating uncomfy - high bar stools at the smallish tables. They do offer a patio area, which I have not tried.
the sandwiches are quite remarkable
as well as the pizza cookies
good for lunch or dinner
but beware of crowds
Awesome pizza and very comfortable atmosphere. Always a wait...ALWAYS... but it is worth it.
I love the sandwiches and pasta, and be sure to have the giant cookie dessert.
I wouldn't say they are known for their pizza- it's certainly not bad, but not what I would go there for.
They have some creative sandwiches and the servings of pasta are huge. Nice bar and atmosphere too, though the wait for a table is often rather painful.
Flaky service: we were told that a set of customers was just about to leave, and we could get the table after them. Then these customers got their appetizers. Then we couldn't find the hostess, even though other tables were opening up. So we just took one. Our server was sort of odd, and would ignore our table for long stretches of time, even though it was late and the restaurant wasn't very busy.
The food was average, certainly nothing special.
Oregano's is a pleasant surprise. VERY large portions and a great value for what they charge. The menu has tons of selections, the seating choices are great (we tend to sit outside under the trees) and the staff has always been friendly. I am not big on pizza places, but the variety and freshness of this place plus good prices earns it a strong recommendation from me. The only drawback is the parking is hard to find and the place is always packed.
this is a place to have a good time. the servers manage to be cheerful, the food is opulent, decadent, bad for you and just perfect for that night when you just can't stand it anymore. I take visitors here and they are in heaven. It is so casual and laid back you could be in your best place, college?? high school?? I love it and will go back at every opportunity.
Tucson, AZ
Category: Pizza
Tucson, AZ
Category: Pizza
Tucson, AZ
Category: Pizza
Tucson, AZ
Category: Pizza
Tucson, AZ
Category: Latin American
I consider myself a bit of an east coast Italian…
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