Uno's Pizza

Uno's recently opened a very pretty location just out of Knoxville. I have not visited the site and I was planning to do dinner there this evening.

Can anyone share with me the quality of their food and operation.

http://www.pizzeriauno.com/

Thanks
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

They started the concept of deep dish pizza in Chicago many years ago, and now are franchised across the country. Deep dish pizza is an acquired taste-for me, it is like Chinese food. You eat two slices and are stuffed. Two hours later, you are hungry again.

Give me New York Style pizza instead!!!

I saw something about food on the Travel Channel the other night. They had Chicago firefighters eat NY style pizza, and NY firefighters eat Chicago style. Only about 10% of the Chicago people liked NY style, and 100% of New Yorkers stayed with their home type. Because it was practically a draw, they went to LA to have a group of firefighters try both. It was about 70/30 New York to Chicago.

Uno's is the genuine article when it comes to Chicago style deep dish pizza. I don't care for it as it is too bland for my taste.

As jm199 says, Chicago pizza is a style unto itself. It's my experience that Uno's in Chicago is far better than any of the franchises ... but that might just be my own home-town chauvinism.

This ain't got nothing to do with nothing, but they got a pretty store.

It appears they have a large menu for a pizza place.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

My first Uno Experience was in Chicago---Four Cheese Pizza. It was just TOO much. We ended up getting half of it wrapped---and I gave it to a homeless man, he seemed appreciative. I hoped that we didn't make him sick with it.

Then...years later we hit an UNO by the hotel in Revere, MA (by Boston) and had a wonderful sausage deep dish pie. I've ordered it once or twice since at the local Uno and it's been pretty good (but not THAT good again).

IMHO, the best Deep Dish was in Chi Town at Giordano's by the Art Institute.

Quick Poll. Which chain pizza would you choose?

• UNO's
• Bertucci's

---------------------------------

I put Bertucci's as the first vote

NEITHER!!!

And trailing both of those is that 90s themed California Pizza Kitchen!!!

The franchise Uno's technically have nothing to do with the original Chicago Uno, outside of the name. Having had the original and the franchise, the franchise is close, and works for me as I don't get to Chicago much anymore. I'll agree the original Uno's doesn't have the best deep dish, but its still pretty good.

The franchise has an expanded menu to compete with all those other chains out there. I believe the original sells pizza, salad and beer (could be wrong).

quote:

Originally posted by Stephen Rushmore Jr.

Quick Poll. Which chain pizza would you choose?

• UNO's
• Bertucci's

---------------------------------

I put Bertucci's as the first vote

DEFINITELY Bertucci's. Ever have their Noli? (I don't know if that's the right spelling, but that's what it sounds like). It has a creamy white sauce (instead of tomato) with prosciutto and carmelized onions. They took it off the menu, but they will make it for you if you ask.

We have franchised Uno's here in Cincinnati, but the Chicago style pizzas there are awful - dry and tasteless.

On the other hand, on a recent business trip to Chicago, I had a stuffed pie at Giordanos, and it was absolutely delicious.

While I wasn't able to make it to the orginal Uno's in Chicago, I rather suspect they serve a much, much better pie than the franchised locations, at least those here in Cincinnati

The Uno's chain is a weak approximation of the original Uno's in its Chicago location. That said, the original Uno's pizza is overrated and not that great. In the summer in Chicago, there are long lines and waits to get into Uno's; then again, there are long lines for immunizations, hurricane evacuations, and unemployment.

Hey Saps: Great sarcastic comment. It was nice and pithy and sums up Chain restaurant Pizza (and for that part, most chain restaurants!)

The Sundancer originally posted this thread and as usual, the majority is correct. I visited the beautiful Uno's in Maryville the other evening and I have to say that I was dissapointed.

My friend got a pizza and it was OK and I got a steak. I know it is a pizza place but due to Atkins, I wanted protein. I order the steak medium and I got it well and hard. I could hardly cut it. I told the nice waitress that I did not want it. She took it back and the manager came over. He was nice and did not charge me which he should not anyway, but he was nice about it.

I do not think I will go back. The place was pretty though.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Yea, when I want to eat pound cake with Chef Boyardee topping, I go to Uno's. Cheeze, folks, get a grip. I'm amazed that this topic event made it to Roadfood, it is so mundane.

Ace in CT, which is serious pizza country

Uno's pizza makes you bloated after only 2 slices.its very filling and makes me sick.
they have great burgers and sirloin tips though.
Had a burger there last night and it was awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by Ace Holleran

[blue]Cheeze, folks, get a grip. I'm amazed that this topic event made it to Roadfood, it is so mundane.

Ace in CT, which is serious pizza country

I think your post was a bit mean spirited and unnecessary.

While it is arguably true that posting about a chain Pizza joint is not relevant to Roadfood's general intent/aim/theme, it is true that a number of posters here happen to eat at non-roadfood establishments on occasion. Ergo, we do share a bit of information on the quality of establishments that are not truly Roadfood, like this one. How can an honest exchange of information about restaurants not be worthwhile in this context?

I'll add that the original UNO's may in ffact qualify as a quality roadfood joint. I can't say it for sure, ergo my use of the word 'may'. Nonetheless, a good deal of the conversation here has been on the differences between the original and the franchises, which means this thread is very much so on-topic.

I do hear good things about pizza in Connecticut. Yes indeed I do. But you almost seem to imply that a conversation about any pizza other than found in CT isn't worth having. If so, allow me to add here that you are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I believe most of us enjoy discussing many different regional pizzas, including but not limited to Chicago style.

Have a nice day, and enjoy your pizza, whatever pizza it happens to be.

quote:

Originally posted by Ace Holleran

Yea, when I want to eat pound cake with Chef Boyardee topping, I go to Uno's. Cheeze, folks, get a grip. I'm amazed that this topic event made it to Roadfood, it is so mundane.

Ace in CT, which is serious pizza country

Okay, unknot them boxers. I wasn't tring to offend anyone except P. U. I still maintain that chain eateries are, in general, not what Roadfood should be about, IMHO. By the by, I've had great apizz' in many places, including Nick + Vito's in Chicago.

Ace in CT

I'm down with commando, as long as I can avoid the dreaded zipper.

Ace- Vito and Nick's is a great place. Haven't had the opportunity to have any CT pizza yet. I've been to New Haven several times and have eaten right near Frank Pepe's and seen the long lines, but I can't get my sales rep to wait for a pizza.

Every time I've eaten at Uno's in the last 5 years, I've gotten a stomach ache. There's just something wrong with that place. I've had good deep-dish pizza elsewhere (Sicilia's in Providence, for example) that was stomach-ache free.

quote:

Originally posted by clothier

It's food right? The place sits on or near a road, right? Then it's a topic.

Perfectly and succinctly stated.

Thankee

As a former Chicagoan, let me add my 2 cents here. The original owner of Pizzeria Uno's sold the franchise name and the resulting restaurants around the country have little in common with the original restaurant in Chicago, or its brother restaurant, Pizzeria Due.

That is why the pizza at an Uno's in Tennessee is never as good as, or similar to, the pizza in Chicago.

A true chicago stuffed pizza, which I have YET to find outside of Chi-town, is very filling. One or two pieces and you're stuffed (pun intended). Deep dish pizza is different. Its not layered like a stuffed pizza.

Good luck and enjoy it when you can.
Elisabeth

I will say here that a local chain (maybe 5-6 locations, Cincinnati only) here in Cincinnati, Mio's, makes a stuffed pizza that I think is very nearly as good as the one I had recently at Giordano's in Chicago.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

We have franchised Uno's here in Cincinnati, but the Chicago style pizzas there are awful - dry and tasteless.

Kind of like our radio, eh? I think it has a lot to do with which of the places you choose. The Beechmont and Clifton locations are hit and miss, but the one downtown by the Aranoff is excellent. There's also a location up off of I-75, but we have yet to try it. For years Uno's was where I chose to go for my birthday, and I always get a Sea Delico and a Four Cheese or Chicago's Famous. That way I get to have some for breakfast in the morning. Uno's can be a risky proposition outside of Chicago, but I enjoy it, especially with a tall Sam Adams draft.

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

I will say here that a local chain (maybe 5-6 locations, Cincinnati only) here in Cincinnati, Mio's, makes a stuffed pizza that I think is very nearly as good as the one I had recently at Giordano's in Chicago.

Ft. Thomas has been mourning the loss of it's Mio's for several years. I don't think the management is anything to talk about. They've had several of their stores close their doors recently, but the one in Mt. Washington luckily keeps buzzing along. The only bad thing about Mio's is finding one. I know of Mt. Washington and Hyde Park, but where else are they hiding?

quote:

Originally posted by TJ Jackson

quote:

Originally posted by Ace Holleran
Cheeze, folks, get a grip. I'm amazed that this topic event made it to Roadfood, it is so mundane.
Ace in CT, which is serious pizza country.

I think your post was a bit mean spirited and unnecessary.

Hey, TJ, let's give Ace a break. Not that I necessarily disagree, but we were all newbies and positive of our opinions once, weren't we?

Rick: no problem, but that note was written a couple of months ago.

Wallyum: Good to hear from another Cincinnatian. Mio's lists their locations on the main page of their website, at http://www.miospizza.com/.

Here's the rundown on Pizzeria Uno. It was started by a man named Ike Sewell in 1946. Like many soldiers returning from WWII, he acquired a taste for pizza while in Italy during the war. He invented the Chicago style of making the pizza in a high sided pan and putting the sauce on top of the cheese instead of the cheese on the sauce, etc. Uno was so popular, Sewell opened Pizzeria Due a block away from Uno.

Sewell received many offers to buy him out or franchise Uno and he always refused, not believing the quality could be maintained. After Sewell passed away (I think sometime around 1990), his widow kept on running things. Finally, after a few years, she decided to accept one of the offers to sell from a restaurant corporation based in Boston. The Boston corp pledged not to alter the original Uno and Due in Chicago. However, when the Boston corp started opening branches all over the USA, it made the regretable decision to alter the recipe at each location according to "local tastes."

I have eaten at the original Uno and Due since the Boston corp took over and as far as I can tell, they kept their pledge the pizzas tasted right ... at least on the days I've been there. ALL other Uno locations are only loathsome pale shadows of the original Uno pizza.

Some reliable Chicago pizzerias that carry on the tradition of true Chicago pan pizza are Malnati's (started by Lou Malnati, who used to bartend at the original Uno/Due), Giordano's, Gino's, Edwardo's. IMHO, Malnati's comes closest to the original Uno, but all of them are good.

I say forget their pizza it makes me sick. Try the Pizza Skins they are the best. They are mashed potatoes on a pizza crust with chedder cheese melted on top. Also try the Oreo cheesecake, very good!