“I Wanna Go Back to Ohio State, to Old Columbus Town...”
Ohio State's campus is full of legendary bars, restaurants and campus spots – and we visit all of them. In this week's article we talked to Jameson Wagner, the general manager at Adriatico's New York Style Pizza, to learn about the history and tradition of this fantastic pizza store.
History of Adriatico's
Adriatico's was founded in Cincinnati, but expanded to Columbus in 1986. Since then, they have also moved to their current location on Neil Avenue on South Campus.
This pizza place quickly became a fan favorite, as their food and environment are too good not to check out if in town.
How Campus Changed
Jameson was quick to point out how fast everything on campus and the surrounding area are changing.
"You want to talk about construction, almost every building has been torn down or redone at some point," Jameson said.
Jameson also noted that this growth, while great, has hurt many local businesses and how some of the nostalgia of Campus has disappeared.
"There has been a removal of a lot of small businesses, and a lot of Alumni come in and talk about how much everything has changed," Jameson notes.
Best Buckeye Memory
As a business, watching the 2014 National Championship victory over Oregon was the best memory Jameson remembers.
"Getting to watch the National Championship in Adriatico's is a memory I will always look back on," Jameson said.
Building Buckeye Community
Being located right on campus, in the middle of many dorm buildings, naturally Adriatico's is a favorite for the students. With Campus food getting old over time, many students are able to treat themselves to some cheesy New York style pizza.
"We feed a ton of students, we always do large catering orders for Ohio State," Jameson said. "We have become a staple for Ohio State."
Due to the pandemic, this presence has lessened with less meetings, but Jameson is optimistic that things are changing for the better.
Menu Must-Haves
The Buckeye Pizza is a famous dish at Adriatico's due to the size of the pie. In general, all the pizza is known for the size at Adriatico's.
"Not many places make a pizza that big," Jameson jokes.
Recently, Adriatico's has become more known for its Italian Gelato. This is a new trend for the pizza shop, but one it is proud of.
"Every day, we have a group of students come in and get a few scoops of gelato," Jameson said.
Craziest Memory
As one of the best pizza shops in town, Adriatico's has plenty of stories with athletes and celebrities coming in.
"Urban Meyer used to come in and do a lot of meetings or eat with recruits here, and everyone would love to stop and take pictures with him," Jameson says.
Another unmistakable athlete that would come into Adriatico's was Greg Oden.
"I remember seeing Greg Oden come through the door, that's someone you can't miss," Jameson jokes.
Adriatico's is open every day, serving fresh food in a lovely environment.
Recently, Adriatico's has added wings to their menu and they feel they compete with the best. Jameson hopes to see Buckeye Nation continue to support Adriatico's as a campus favorite.
