Pizza West

Thursday, July 26, 2019

Pizza West

124040 McDermott Plz., La Vista, NE

Where we went:

Today we found ourselves out west around dinner time. We weren’t planning to eat anywhere for this blog, but then we discovered we were right by Pizza West, so hey, we are always up for pizza! Pizza West is a local pizza joint with two locations, the one we went, which is technically down in La Vista, and a second location up on Maple Street in west Omaha.

What We Ate:

When our drink order was taken, the waitress asked us if we wanted an appetizer, we weren’t super hungry, so we weren't planning to get any. But then she told us about the mozzarella sticks, made with their own special breading. Well, we had to try this!

There were lots of tasty options on the menu at Pizza West, we couldn't just choose one, so we chose to order by the slice to facilitate some variety. Kyle chose to try the Taco Pizza and then something quite unique, the Crab Rangoon Pizza, YES Crab Rangoon!, Pizza with Cream Cheese, Green Onion and Crab meat! Wow.

Eric will leap at any excuse to put pineapple on pizza, so he had to try the Flyin’ Hawaiian. However, even though he enjoys a bit of spice, he opted out of the jalapenos that typically come on this pizza. For his second slice, Eric went with the Omnivore, to try as wide a variety of toppings as possible!

The Food:

We expected Pizza West to be good, but we were surprised at how good it actually was! The in house mozzarella sticks were amazing! The seasonings and breading they used really took the concept of fried cheese to a whole new level of deliciousness.

Kyle’s Taco Pizza was topped with the freshest vegetables and had a distinct taco taste, a little spicier then Kyle normally likes, but still very good. The Crab Rangoon pizza, wow! It was strange at first, but quickly grew on Kyle. Such an interesting combination of flavors on a pizza! He was hooked.

Eric’s Flyin’ Hawaiian still had a little bit of a kick to it, even without the jalapenos, so we was definitely glad he kept them off. The BBQ sauce base was unique and delicious, and the cream cheese added some nice variety. It was definitely one of his top versions of Hawaiian pizza he’s ever had. Eric’s Omnivore pizza was also good, but didn’t particularly stand out in any way. It was a bit heavier on the onions than he expected, so he started plucking them off, but other than that, the meats were tasty, the crust and sauce were tasty. It was still a very good slice of pizza.

The Atmosphere:

Being in a strip mall in the farthest western reach of Omaha metro area, the atmosphere isn’t anything special. Pizza West has a traditional sports bar feel to it, but there are a few nice touches that makes a visit memorable. First, a chandelier made of cheese graders hang above the front door, this unique touch caught Kyle’s eye right away. Each table also has a downward facing wall light that give each table a feel of being in their own little world. There’s also a decent sized party room off in the corner for more personal gatherings.

Service:

The service at Pizza West was fine, nothing special.We were seated right away, the food came out fast and hot. The waitress’s suggestion to try the mozzarella sticks, saying they were here favorite item on the menu, was particularly helpful and lead us to one of the best parts of our visit. The most memorable part of the service, though, came several minutes after our food arrived. The waitress was checking on us for refills, when she jokingly asked if we were mystery shoppers or something who were going to give a report on her performance, and she wanted to make sure she didn’t do anything wrong to warrant us getting her in trouble. (We’re guessing she must have seen Kyle taking pictures of the dining area or something) But we assured her that we just like documenting our trips to new local places and that we were having a great visit. This was the first time anyone has asked us about this, so kudos to her being so observant!

In the End:

We were really impressed by our visit. The outside looks like just a simple strip mall place, but we were pleasantly surprised by just how much variety they have in their pizzas, and how high quality everything was. The location may be far out west, but the area is quickly being developed. In fact, Pizza West is actually really close by to the Alamo Drafthouse, making it the perfect place to grab a bite before (or after) a show.