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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.

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.

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 ;)

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

@TeriN: Yes, Cassanos, square cut, slightly well done, salty crust....yum.

@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.

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.

@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.