Oregano’s Italian Restaurant Review – The Best Pizookie you will ever try!
Oregano’s Italian Restaurant Locations
Oregano’s is an authentic Italian chain restaurant located primarily in Arizona. They do have two Colorado locations, in the suburbs of Denver. My favorite locations is in the Northern part of Arizona, in the small college town of Flagstaff. Most of Oregano’s locations are open daily for lunch and dinner 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM.
Type of Restaurant
Oregano’s is an Italian restaurant invented by a Chicago family, the Gibbilini’s. In the 1950s, Mark Russel’s grandmother taught her son the family Italian cooking traditions and recipes. From there, he put his own spin on these family recipes with fresh vegetables and spices. The entire Gibbilini family was involved in preparing dinners on the weekends to entertain friends and family.
“The key to happiness is friends, good food, and music.”
– Oregano’s Italian Restaurant
Aesthetics
Don’t let the chain branding fool you, Oregano’s restaurant captures a warm and authentic dining experience with eclectic décor and Frank Sinatra music. There are small boxed televisions located throughout the restaurant that run old black and white sitcoms. Oregano’s does not miss a beat on aesthetics, all locations are decorated identically and with such great detail.
Oregano’s Italian Restaurant Menu
Oregano’s serves up Italian family classic meals from pizza to pasta, to large salads, and everything in between. The deep-dish pizzas are sinfully delicious and ooze with cheesy goodness. Wanting a salad to pair with your pasta or pizza dish? Order one for the whole table to share because they are massive! I think the best dinner entrees are located in the pasta category. There are plenty of pasta dishes to chose from. Mixed in with the Italian classics are some new and infused creations like the El Diablo Shrimp Pasta with a chipotle cream sauce and cotija cheese. My all-time favorite pasta dishes are the Mom’s Sausage and Peppers and the Italian Flag Lasagna.
We cannot forget about dessert. Oregano’s is home to the famous PIZOOKIE. What is pizookie you ask? Pizza + cookie = Pizookie, a half-baked cookie that is topped with three scoops of ice cream. You cannot go to oregano’s and not order one of these amazing desserts!
Affordable Price
Oregano’s is a well-priced restaurant at most entrée dishes costing around $10 – $15. This is a great price for some delicious food and massive portions. All pasta dishes come with a long piece of garlic bread. You are really getting two meals for the price of one. You will not leave this restaurant hungry!
What I Ordered
Mom’s Sausage & Peppers – $12.99
The Mom’s Sausage and Peppers is an Italian classic meal. A large pile of perfectly cooked al dente ziti pasta is tossed with marinara sauce and topped with all the goodies. Oreganos uses their own Italian sausage and mixes it with a trio of bell peppers and yellow onions. The peppers add great acidity and sweetness to this dish. The Italian Sausage is cut on a bias and adds the perfect amount of spice to this indulgent dish. The Mom’s Sausage and Peppers is full of flavor and a great meal.
The Coop de Ville Jumbo Chicken Parm – $13.99
Talk about some serious cheese pulls! A pile of fettuccine is topped with Oregano’s classic marinara sauce and two huge all-natural chicken breasts. The chicken breasts are breaded and baked to perfection. Next comes more marinara sauce and a handful of provolone and cheese blend. The cheese is broiled on top to create an ooey-gooey consistency. This is an Italian classic done right!
Pizookie – $5.99 MUST ORDER!
My all-time favorite dessert – the Pizookie! Pizookie is a cross between a cookie and a pizza. A thick layer of cookie dough, of your choosing, is half baked in a deep-dish pizza pan. Once it is out of the oven, three scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream are plopped on top of the warm gooey cookie. You can order just one flavor or you can change it up and get half and half to marry two decadent cookies together. My favorite combination is the White Chocolate Macadamia and Peanut Butter Chip! This is such a sinfully delicious dessert!
