With over 60 locations primarily in Cincinnati and neighboring cities, LaRosa’s Pizza is a neighborhood pizza place making quality craft pies. There are a lot of different kinds of pizza in Cincinnati, but once you give LaRosa’s a try, you’ll definitely taste the difference. They’re going for higher quality, more filling, delicious pizzas. While the prices may be higher than the average place, the distinct toppings and flavors you sample here will quickly reel you in and keep you coming back. Cincinnati is where I was born, and LaRosa’s has a special place in my heart.
The traditional pizza here is served on a thick “signature” crust and a very sweet sauce. There are of course thick and thin crust variants, but the simplest version of the pizza is the one that LaRosa’s does best. The crust is moist and flaky. The secret here, though, is in the ingredients. The succulent variety of meats make for delicious meat lovers’ pies, while tasty vegetables make a healthier pizza taste just as delicious.
Some of the pizzas to try:
- Meat Lover’s Pizza: Bacon, sausage, pepperoni, ham, all the best toppings together on one! One slice is huge. Bring a massive appetite for this one, with those mountains of red meat and cheese.
- Roasted Garlic: A lighter option if you like, this one instead favors big cloves of garlic, onion, spinach and is overall a bit lighter on the cheese, though certainly a bit from being healthy.
- Florentine Focaccia Pizza: This one is a healthier pie; mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes & green olives. Topped with a cheese blend and oregano, the end result is a pie with a stronger herbal flavor.
- Spaghetti: One of the classic Italian dishes available here; that nice sweet sauce atop some thick pasta. Good if you want a change-up from pizza.
- Salad: It kind of looks like they pulled up a whole garden and dumped it on your plate, but yes, this salad (and the vinegary house Italian dressing) are fantastic.
There are a few different kinds of LaRosa’s restaurant; most are kind of built like a typical dine-in pizza place, but there are also a few LaRosa’s places (such as the Centerville location in Dayton) which are built almost like 1950’s diners; a different feel and with greater emphasis on the other Italian dishes on the menu. Personally, I think they do the pizza best, but of course pizza does get boring sometimes.
Service at LaRosa’s is pretty good. It’s getting up there in chain size so it’s hard to generalize, but I can say I’ve been to many locations, many times over many years and I can’t recall ever having a bad experience with a delivery guy, waitress, or hostess. The people are generally pretty friendly across the board. Generally the restaurants seem to be managed well.
Prices are a little above average, as I said, as LaRosa’s seems focused on making quality pizzas instead of cheap, forgettable ones. At the same time, there are coupons everywhere; they seem to invest heavily in mail-in campaigns as well as newspapers and online. I even found one on a Kroger receipt. Neat how Cincinnati-centered businesses stick together like that.
LaRosa’s is another delicious and unique business that Cincinnati should be proud to call its own. For native Cincinnatians, it’s just a cornerstone of life in the city. If you’re lucky enough to pass through a town with a LaRosa’s, definitely consider giving it a try.
Recommendations
- There are actually a few different kinds of restaurants in this chain; most are built like modern casual dining but others have an older, classier feel.
- As a consequence, the menus are different depending on the locations. You might want to check out the handy website feature LaRosa’s has that lays out the menu for each location.
- Keep on the lookout for coupons, LaRosa’s aggressively markets them all over the place in the area.
Kettering: 
Blue Ash: 
Another Food Critic 
very nice post, i certainly love this website, keep on it
Too funny! I write a Cincinnati food blog, too, and I complain about Larosa’s incessantly! 🙂