The Oldest Operating LaRosa's In Ohio Has Been Serving Mouthwatering Pizzas And Calzones For Over 70 Years
By Sarah McCosham|Updated on May 04, 2024(Originally published October 12, 2022)
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Here in Ohio, we might be best known for our Cincinnati-style chili and Graeter’s ice cream, but the Buckeye State also has quite the Italian culinary repertoire. LaRosa’s was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1954 by Donald “Buddy” LaRosa, its flagship restaurant located at Boudinot Avenue. Over 70 years later, the original LaRosa’s location in Ohio still stands, serving delicious pizzas and calzones to the fine folks in town. Read on to find out more about this iconic gem, and one of the best restaurants in Ohio, if we may say so.
What does "Italian food" mean to you? In Ohio, "Italian food" is synonymous with one restaurant: LaRosa's.
LaRosa's Pizza Boudinot, 2411 Boudinot Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45238, USA
In 1954, LaRosa's opened its doors on Boudinot Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio, offering a taste of the Old Country in a city best known for German fare and brews.
Everything on the original menu was inspired by Buddy's family recipes. His Sicilian-born father didn't think the concept would take off, but Buddy had a vision *and* heart, two ingredients essential to a longstanding restaurant.
From pizzas and calzones to spaghetti and minestrone, the menu at LaRosa's is all about classic Italian comfort food. It's love on a plate. Ohioans loved LaRosa's then, but today, it's become a bona fide Buckeye State icon.
While the restaurant has since become so much larger than Buddy LaRosa could have ever imagined, the original location at Boudinot Avenue remains -- and it's a fan favorite.
Inside this charming and long-standing restaurant, you'll find rustic booths, tables topped with parmesan and red pepper shakers, and classic pizzeria decor.
This is what Buddy envisioned when he opened his first restaurant on Boudinot Avenue: a place where families and friends could gather and enjoy food and fellowship.
