4. Restaurants

Vesuvius Wood-Fired Pizza

1620 S Kellogg, Ames, IA, 50010
  • (515) 233-7183
  • Store is closed

Vesuvius Wood-Fired Pizza Menu

  • Salads
  • Wood- Fired Pizzas
  • Build-Your-Own Pizza Toppings
  • Kids' Menu
  • Beverages

Healthy Meal suggestions for Vesuvius Wood-Fired Pizza

  • Salads
  • Wood- Fired Pizzas
  • Build-Your-Own Pizza Toppings
  • Kids' Menu
  • Beverages

Visit below restaurant in Ames for healthy meals suggestion.

Applebee’s ( 105 Chestnut St )
Burger King ( 209 Lincoln Way )
Arby’s ( 409 S Duff Ave )

  • Sue T.

    The pizzas here are pretty good, with an authentic chewy, thin crust, Naples-style, and a great selection of fresh toppings. I tried a basic Margherita with artichokes added. A couple of things I would have liked better: the fresh basil was applied as giant whole leaves, last, so the leaves stuck up and got burned in the oven. The sauce was good, but didn't extend close enough to the edge, leaving a large expanse of dry crust. Also the pizzas came with added finishing salt that wasn't necessary. Especially on my friend's pizza which had kalamata olives, the added salt was too much. It would be easy enough to ask them to omit it. Prices are reasonable.

    (3)

  • Melissa M.

    Disclaimer: I'm a complete pizza snob. My standards are extremely high for Neapolitan-style pizza, so keep that in mind when reading my review. Vesuvius was extremely "meh" in my book. I had high hopes, but immediately upon walking in to find the restaurant akin to Noodles and Co in setup, those hopes took a drastic plummet. Yes, they have a great wood-fired oven. Yes, they have many unique pizzas. But what separates "ok" pizza from truly awesome pizza are these things: 1. Toppings. Vesuvius uses some of the most mediocre and disappointing-quality toppings - roasted red peppers seem to have come straight from a jar, sausage was greasy and tasteless, and the pepperoni was a conglomerate of the two aforementioned descriptions. Very disappointing considering the vast opportunity to obtain fresh, locally sourced ingredients in town. 2. Crust. Ok, this one baffled me. How they got their dough to be a perfect circle after forming it by hand is just beyond me, but props if they do it completely without aide. The dough itself was rather lacking in my opinion - not much flavor, but still had good chew. The wood-fire does help the charring flavor finish, but the middle of the pizza inevitably collapsed with the thinness of the dough. 3. Overall flavor. For small-town Iowa, I guess this is a pretty good attempt at decent pizza. However, if you've experienced good pizza elsewhere in big cities, I assure you that Vesuvius will not impress you. Will I be back? Depends how long I end up living here and therefore deprived of much better pizza - but not likely.

    (2)

  • Marisa R.

    Love this place. Kid friendly and prices fair. Love that they have a small size pizza.

    (5)

  • Jeff L.

    Fast, friendly service. Best pizza we've had in a long time! We'll definitely be back when we go through town!

    (5)

  • Deb P.

    Average pizza. .nothing oustanding. Employees were not friendly. Only 3 other tables full when we walked in with 6 people. The only large table was dirty and it took employees about 10 min . to clean it. No welcome...no one spoke to us. We will not be going back.

    (1)

  • Miguel D.

    Excellent! I just went in for lunch and they had a pizza and soft drink special for $6.50. Hard to beat for wood fired pizza that tastes amazing.

    (5)

  • Megan N.

    Pizza is my absolute favorite!! Price is reasonable, closest thing I've found that compares to Italy pizza!

    (5)

  • Greg W.

    Disappointed! Two gentlemen running the shop were great! Service did not match food quality. Very poor execution of an amazingly good product. Atmosphere was uninviting. Would never have a beer here, ever! Felt more like a papa Murphy's than a decent, local brick oven pizza joint. Pizza was very light too. I asked for more cheese and they kindly obliged but should I really have to ask? They could easily put in a nice bar and double toppings... Pizza would fly out of there!

    (2)

  • Emily T.

    Truly, one of the best pizzas my husband and I have ever had. We are not fans of chain restaurants, so shame on you if you chose to dine at Old Chicago vs this wonderful establishment. The ingredients are fresh and from local sources and I don't mind paying $ for quality. They have an awesome selection of all sorts of pizza combos (plus make your own) and they are made individually. We were shocked out how quickly they were done. So, double bonus, if you want a quick bite and are in the area, this is definitely worth the stop. I wasn't even finished with my salad when our pizza was done - under 5 minutes? I am telling you - this IS as good as it gets and you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't give it a try. The only downside is that we don't live in the area, so we won't get to frequent it as much as we would like. Pizza is one of our favorite foods to dine on. We will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Jessa M.

    The pizza itself was great. It is a counter service concept, which doesn't bother me, and makes for a cheap lunch. I had the number five, their vegetarian pizza. The pizza itself was very good. I thought there was a good ratio of sauce, cheese, and toppings. The only thing I didn't like about the pizza was the fact that the crust was salted. I felt that it was just too much salt and times and it was baked in so I couldn't take it off. I generally had a good experience and will be back. Next time I will try to ask for no salt on the crust.

    (3)

  • Lisa D.

    Great thin crust pizza! Just the right amount of sauce on my pepperoni & mushroom masterpiece. No doughy crust - light and crispy. Paired with a side salad, I didn't feel like I was blowing my diet...too badly!

    (5)

  • Miss B.

    I've been very happy with previous visits here but tonight I'm wondering if I will be willing to eat here again. The place was too crowded for the family to get a table so we ordered to go. Arrived home with 3 boxed pizzas. One was inedible undercooked glop. So I'm still hungry and out $10 plus have dishes to clear. NOT ACCEPTABLE. If they can't handle the crowds, they don't need my money.

    (2)

  • Jim K.

    First time here. Had their vegetarian pizza! Very yummy. Crust is excellent, ingredients fresh! Friendly service. Great value. Will eat here again and recommend it to all!

    (5)

  • Katie P.

    Very good! The pizza was delicious and they had a wide variety of options. You get a lot of pizza for your money. Each pizza is around $8-10 and serves one person. My boyfriend and I had to get to go boxes! Staff was very friendly.

    (5)

  • Sarah K.

    This is probably one of the best pizzerias I've ever been to. I've never seen such unique, fresh blends of toppings for a truly unique experience. The create your own option is great for people who aren't feeling as adventurous or would prefer more "traditional" pizza, so everyone can really get an experience they love. I have never been a marinara fan, and their marinara was AMAZING. It was very mild, and didn't have that overly pizza sauce taste that I think tends to ruin food like breadsticks. You could taste how fresh it was! I was skeptical at first about the nature of the crust, as I am not a fan of thin crust. But it was light, crunch on the outside and chewy on the inside. Absolutely divine. Everything is incredibly well priced (the make your own can get a little pricey if you get many ingredients) and the experience is incredibly unique. They have a very neat punch card where you get a punch each time you try a new specialty pizza. And I will definitely be going back to try them all. No more Old Chicago, Dominos, Pizza Hut and, dare I say it, Jeff's Pizza for me!

    (5)

  • S F.

    Really REALLY good thin crust pizza. It's just as well I don't live close...I'd probably gain weight and go broke eating there for every dinner. One tiny little complaint... They have NO salt so bring your own if you want your pizza saltier.

    (5)

  • Diane L.

    Loved the vegetarian pizza with garlic white sauce and fresh basil leaves! One of the best pizzas and crusts we have ever had. The decor was utilitarian, the staff helpful and cheerful. Give it a go. You won't be sorry!

    (5)

  • Sarah G.

    Quick lunch options that are open past 2pm are a little hard to come by, and wood-fired neapolitan style pizza is always a welcome option. I settled on the #10 signature pizza: prosciutto and roasted garlic, topped (very literally) with a salad. It does say 'post-fire' but I obviously didn't read that part. Never had a salad on top of a pizza before, but I can't say it was a bad idea... "You have to eat all of your salad before you can eat the pizza!" This aforementioned salad was comprised of baby greens, toasted pine nuts and sweet onions. And I did eat all of it before diving into the pizza. I enjoyed mine just fine, but the slice one of my coworkers shared with me was slightly more enjoyable. Will return for more trials and tribulations - and I'd hope not on a work trip so I can get into the beer selection too.

    (3)

  • Julie R.

    Great pizzas individually made. The taste is like no other you will get at a pizza place in Ames! A little pricey but the fresh taste is worth it. They also have take out and this is a local business.

    (5)

  • Denny B.

    Okay pizza, pretty bland cheese sticks, very good Caprese salad, very bland greeting and welcome. Glad we tried it but won't be back.

    (3)

  • Haley R.

    Vesuvius hand tosses its dough in an open kitchen, creating a sort of dinner-and-a-show experience. The dough makes a perfect wood-fired crust, perfectly thin and crispy, though far too salty. Minus the salt, this kind of crust is perfect for margherita pizza, so you can imagine my disappointment when my pizza arrived with three tiny leaves of basil. Three tiny leaves of basil does not a margherita pizza make. Three tiny leaves of basil makes a cheese pizza with garnish. This is something that could be easily remedied on my part; next time I could simply order my margherita pizza with extra basil (even though I shouldn't have to) or I could order something else entirely. Or I could not go back, and while there's nothing WRONG with Vesuvius, I'm not in any hurry to try it again. It's the only place in town serving this type of pizza, and I wish it were done better. Making the crust less salty would be a good place to start.

    (2)

  • Mike T.

    Fresh dough and ingredients baked in wood fired oven. Best pizza in Ames.

    (5)

  • Matt E.

    This is the gold standard of artisan quality restaurants in the Ames area. Ames has a lot of options for pizza, but this one is truly unparalleled. I've been a fan of Neapolitan pizza for a very long time, so I naturally gravitated to Vesuvius when I heard they were open. There's something about that magical "black dust" that is exclusive to the high-temp pizza ovens that completes the pizza experience for me. The restaurant itself is spartan and very functional. Not a lot of frills, or comfy seating here. The kitchen is basic, the wood oven at the back dominates the establishment. Clearly the intention of the owners is to focus on the pizza. And each one is a work of art. Each pizza is a personal sized one measuring about 10-inches in diameter. For me the pizza was satisfying, and then some. Pizzas range from $7-$10. I knew I was in for a real treat when I noticed that they feature La Quercia meats on their pies. This is what clearly separated Vesuvius from Red Rossa or other similarly themed restaurants. These people are serious about what they do. La Quercia is out of Norwalk, Iowa and has built a national reputation for producing the best Italian cured meats. I would have ever expected to see them featured at an inexpensive "quick-service" pizza restaurant. They are expensive, difficult to obtain and absolutely sublime. The owners of Vesuvius are clearly in the know about superior ingredients and providing them from local producers. I had the #10. It was expertly prepared and had an amazing fresh taste of tomatoes, and leafy greens with high quality balsamic. It was the most enjoyable tomato pie I have had in years. It was a real treat discovering the lightly sea-salted crust. I have a new found zeal for pizza bones! There are a lot of pizza restaurants in Ames each with their own unique character. I would recommend Vesuvius be your first choice if you are looking to be wowed. Restaurateurs and businesses should look to Vesuvius as a leader in delivering what Ames needs. Locally owned restaurants delivering artisan quality products assembled with local foods. Bravo, Vesuvius!

    (5)

  • K M.

    You cannot go wrong with Vesuvius! The people who work there are always super nice, and the food is never bad. The consistency in quality is awesome. This pizza isn't really like normal pizza, its better.

    (5)

  • Lindsay H.

    Vesuvius serves really great wood fired pizza lightening fast. You have to know what you're in for when you go here - this isn't your standard American pizza fare. If you want puddles of grease, pounds of cheese, texas toast garlic bread, go somewhere else, this place isn't for you. If you like quality over quantity, food made from fresh ingredients, salads tossed with homemade dressing, and thin, chewy, delicately charred crust pizza, go here now and thank me later. I usually get the vegetarian special. The toppings are light but any other way would overwhelm the pizza. I have seen other specials that are more generously topped, and you can add more or additional toppings for $1. I've made special requests in the past and it's never been a problem. There isn't a lot of sauce but it's a tangy unadulterated tomato sauce and there doesn't need to be more. Also one or more of the employees really love New Wave, so bonus points from me.

    (5)

  • Aaron L.

    Really gets 3.5 but I went with 3, here's why... Naples-style... yes. The best I've had... no, but good still. I will go back when I'm in town. The Good... Salted crust, very nice Somewhat chewy - not as chewy as it should be IMO The Not So Good (but not really bad either)... Not a huge topping selection Not enough toppings on the pizza... for the price, there should be a bit more prosciutto and cut it up to put it around the pizza so each bit gets some.

    (3)

  • Megan H.

    Wow. I'm so impressed with this place - brand new in town and it's already my favorite place for lunch. Lots of locally sourced ingredients (like the fabulous La Quercia prosciutto I enjoyed on my pizza), a wonderfully tasty and perfectly salted crust, and really quick service considering each pizza is made to order. Best of all, the signature pizzas are all $10 or less, which is pretty incredible for the quality and taste you get. If I had to find something to complain about, I will say that the beverage selection is on the meager side - a few kinds of soda, no iced tea. Supposedly beer and wine are (going to be?) available, but as much as I would like to have a beer over my lunch break, I think I'd better stick to the iced tea. Or water, as the case may be. For a brand-new restaurant, this is a terrific concept and it's solidly executed. The pizza is amazing... I can't wait to go back.

    (4)

  • Amira A.

    I wanted this place to be amazing. I'm new to the town, and authentic Naples-style pizza is probably my favorite food. This was naturally one of the first restaurants I wanted to try. Maybe the problem was that I got it for take out. Wood-fired pizza is really meant to be eaten immediately from the oven. But the lack of toppings man... I got a signature pizza, vegetarian, and there were perhaps four vegetables on the whole thing. At first I was excited about the reasonable prices, but the serious absence of "stuff" made it not even worth what we paid. The dough was right, but that was about all there was to the whole thing. The dough was strangely salty though, as some others have said. That was a bit of a turn off. Anyway, maybe my hopes were too high, but there is just much, much better Naples style pizza out there in the world. I'll try it again, this time eating in, but I really am not thinking it'll change my rating.

    (2)

  • Anastasia B.

    Best pizza ever. Every detail is perfect, from the crispy crust with the salty edges to the delicately placed high-quality toppings. Salads are abundant and delicious. Portion sizes are just right, leaving you full but not stuffed. Note for vegetarians - they have field roast as a topping but only if you ask. It's soooo delicious on pizza. The tiramisu is fabulous as well. I can't say enough good things about this place. It is the closest you are going to get to an Italian pizzeria anywhere outside of Italy. If you want a big greasy American pizza, go to Pizza Hut. On a more personal note - I wrote a significant portion of my thesis at Vesuvius. The staff was super nice, letting me plug in my laptop and slowly enjoy a salad and a pizza over hours (sometimes for lunch and then for dinner on the same day - without leaving). I don't know what it was about the atmosphere, the food, the people - but I was more productive there than anywhere else. Thank you, staff of Vesuvius. I've moved to Virginia but I will never forget you.

    (5)

  • Jennifer O.

    So, the first time I ordered pizza from here I was really excited. The menu sounded delicious and I ordered three pizzas for three people, expecting there to be delicious leftovers. The pizza was, in fact, delicious, but also seriously lacking in toppings. I could eat a whole one by myself. And then probably another half of one. Their 10 inch pizzas range from $7-10 each. Just not worth it for the price. The only other time I ordered from here was after I bought two $20 Groupons for $10 each. Again, delicious, but there just needed to be twice as many toppings.

    (3)

  • Mike R.

    So, I'm writing this review about five minutes after I finished my first Vesuvius Wood-Fired Pizza because I thought it was so good. I'm currently visiting Ames, so this was my dinner tonight. Absolutely no complaints from me. I took the pizza to go, but wish I would have eaten there because I would have probably gotten another one. The interior was totally fitting for the business and I liked it a lot. The pizza I had was awesome. I liked the pizza so much I would suggest the owners come to downtown Chicago and open up a place near me. I know it's deep dish central, but It would probably be the death of me... So good.

    (5)

  • James W.

    Nice to see a place in town that cares about pizza. Good food but a little pricy for what you get. I also agree with other reviewers....WOW thats a lot of salt. I am going to be up all night drinking water.

    (3)

  • Bergen B.

    After I finally tried this place, I couldn't believe I'd been going to Mongolian Buffet (next door) for so long when I could've been having this pizza, maybe the best pizza I've ever consumed in Iowa, the whole time. If you like pizza, check it out. The menu is full of "classics" including a really great Margherita pizza. They also have a more modern section of pizza options, like Hawaiian and Buffalo. The ingredients are all fresh. You can watch the employees make your pizza and put it in the oven. The crust is the perfect amount of crispy and bubbly, sith a sprinkle of surprise sea salt. I can't rave about this restaurant enough. It is highly overlooked, but don't make the mistake doing so yourself!

    (5)

  • Karan V.

    good pizza! great pizza sauce! but if i have ordered multiple topping pizza please fill the pizza. total of 2 chicken pieces on entire pizza. disappointed.

    (2)

  • Shannon G.

    We were intrigued by Vesuvius and were excited to give it a try. The menu consists of individual 10" wood fired pizzas, several specialties, and build your own, all on their handmade dough. Atmosphere was okay. High ceilings, cafe tables, few decorations. Music was loud making conversation difficult. I ordered the house Italian sausage with roasted red peppers, roasted garlic and rosemary. Hubby ordered a pie featuring La Quercia prosciutto, caramelized onions, & fresh basil w/ garlic cream sauce. The crust was excellent from a texture standpoint - perfectly crisp and sturdy. It was pretty basic as far as flavor and in fact was a tad charred tasting from the woodfire process - not altogether unexpected. However, as good as the crust was, when all the toppings are piled in the middle of it, leaving 2+ inches of barely flavored crust, it is a sad day for pizza. The combination on my pie was hohum, with the rosemary not really melding into the dish. The whole roasted garlic cloves were a bit bitter. Hubby's pie was tasty, mellow but not boring. Both pies needed more toppings extending to the edge of the pizza. Might be worth trying some of their more American pies to see if they reserve more toppings for those. But we were disappointed.

    (2)

  • Phillip W.

    Read the reviews and we decided to try Vesuvius out. The positives: it was empty (so no long wait), it has a nice interior, the staff was fine, and the food was out fast. The negatives: it's pricey, the bottom of the crust was burnt, dipping sauce was very watery and had an odd taste. Overall the pizza taste was just ok, but expected more for the price. Vesuvius goes down as a been there, done that, and don't plan on going back.

    (2)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch, Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : No
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : No
    Caters : No

Categories

Pizza

Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.

Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.

Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.

Vesuvius Wood-Fired Pizza

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