Latest visit: Dec 2022
First visit: Aug 1994
We go from a familiar chain to the ultimate Colorado Springs' Regular Joe Guide kinda place: Roman Villa Pizza. This is one of many restaurants that inspired the creation of this blog from the onset. The sign alone just slays me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, they have both spaghetti and ravioli! Oh my heart be still. Since 1959. Oh stop it! It's just too much for the RJG to handle. Heaven as I see it. It's such a small little place too and it's as cozy as it looks. But honestly that small size has indeed kept me away for most of these years. Went only once with a record collecting friend in my original tour of duty here, and now this is only the second time Mrs. RJG and I have stepped foot in the friendly confines of Roman Villa. They open at 4, and it was a Saturday night, so you better know that it will be crowded fast. We got here at 4:30 and it was already filling up. It's not a solo dining kind of place. No bar stools or anything like that. So you'd feel uncomfortable hogging a table for yourself. If you are wanting to try it on your own, just get it to-go. On our last visit 4 years ago, we settled on Italian food. I have to be honest and state it's not the greatest. Their red sauce is just too bitter. And one has to be very careful with Mrs. RJG and the "homemade noodle". She hates it - too doughy. But we promised to "come back soon" and try their pizza. Four and a half years later we finally kept that promise.
There really is no better place to be than Roman Villa on a freezing winter night. For those that still wear their masks while driving solo in the car, I would highly suggest you do not step foot in here. It's close and cozy alright. I've been in subways in New York City that had more room. We ordered a 12 inch Italian sausage pizza and two house salads. Their salad is basic: Iceberg lettuce with pepperoncini's and their homemade Italian dressing. Cold and crisp, and the dressing is tasty. Not an awesome salad, but does the needful. Now - after 28 years of knowing about Roman Villa, how is their pizza anyway? Oh my goodness, it's absolutely delicious! Cheese - that's the key. Cheese. Thick and gooey with just the right amount of sauce. And we both enjoyed their pizza sauce much better than their pasta variation. And it was thin and slightly crispy, just the way Mrs. RJG likes it! Pizza dinner with the Mrs. is always asking for trouble, but we have a new convert! Looks like I may not have to wait 4+ years to come back. She's already wanting to try other dishes, while we order a pizza on the side. Looks like we'll be back next year for sure. Also worth mentioning that their Italian sausage is homemade and rolled, which reminds me of Pantaleone's in Denver (though a bit smaller in size). Oh - one more thing - this was the cheapest dinner Mrs. RJG and I have had in a loooong time. True, we eschewed alcohol and stuck with water, but still our bill was a reminder of our NE Tarrant heyday going to Thai and Italian restaurants that had BYOB.
As an aside, there used to be a second Roman Villa location in Parker, where we lived at the time. They opened around 1999 or so and we were regulars for the next 2-3 years. We later turned Rude Dante onto it. It was a favorite of his family and they went often as well. By the time we picked up the Denver summer townhome in 2009, they were gone. It was never clear to me how closely related that restaurant was to the one here in Colorado Springs. The menu was much different. The restaurant was large and modern. They had a baked Italian Sausage dish that was the best I'd ever had. And that stays true today. I sure would like to have that meal again.
8/6/94; 6/20/18; 12/18/22 (new entry)
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