Yia Yia's is a Yes

Yia Yia's Pizzeria won your votes by a landslide!  We took a nice Wednesday evening stroll down 'O' Street and grabbed a few slices of one of Lincoln's specialties.

Sarah's Rankings

Food - 9

I had only been to Yia Yia’s one other time, and I actually wasn’t very impressed the last time I went.  However, this time, I was absolutely blown away.  I started with a little side salad and before I was even finished, Anna and I heard our names being called over the speaker to let us know that our pizza was ready.  It was that fast.  We got a piece of bread with our pizza and the bread was a little bit stale.  I’m sure, though, during peak business times on the weekend, the bread would be much more fresh.  The pizza was better than amazing so the stale bread didn’t take away from my dinner at all.  I ordered a pepperoni and cream cheese piece of pizza.  What I loved about it most was that it was different than traditional pepperoni and cream cheese pizzas: the cream cheese was in a spread and not in clumps.

Price - 10

Bigger than a face!

$6.76 is what I paid for for a GIGANTIC slice of pizza (see photo, it was literally bigger than my face), a salad, a piece of bread with butter, and a drink.  Seriously, it seems like sometimes I can’t even go to a fast food restaurant and order that much food.  And as I type, nearly 6 hours after our meal, I’m still extremely full.  10/10 for sure on price for this meal!

Service - 9

While I was ordering, I wasn’t entirely confident on what exactly I was ordering.  The person taking our order was very knowledgeable in the different dressings that they offered for the side salad, the types of cheese and sauce I could put on my create-your-own slice of pizza, and he patiently waited while I dug out several pennies to pay my order in exact change.  Even though they didn’t bring our pizza right to our table, I didn’t mind walking up to the counter and grabbing my slice after they called Anna and I’s names over the loudspeaker.  

Atmosphere - 8

I’m not the biggest fan of crowded bars and loud music when I’m trying to enjoy my dinner.  I felt as though the music was a little loud, which caused other diners in the restaurant to talk louder, making it a little difficult to have a conversation.  Once we had our food, though, not much conversation was happening -- the food was too good to put down to speak.  We also had the option to eat outside, which was a great alternative.  I felt as though the restaurant was fairly clean, too, which I appreciated.

Convenience of Location - 9

Literally sitting between 14th and Centennial Mall on O Street, this restaurant took between 7 and 10 minutes for Anna and I to walk from campus.  It was great.  Because parking downtown is a pain, anyone that’s a student could easily park in their campus spot and take a little stroll to the heart of downtown Lincoln.  Depending on the day of the week, after a nice slice of pizza, hitting up any bar that is just across the street is also totally an option.  

Anna's Mediterranean Pizza

Anna's Rankings

Food - 10

Anna's Salad

I broke my own rule here.  I told myself when Sarah and I started this blog, if I ate at restaurants I had already been to, I would always get something I’ve never had before.  But at Yia Yia’s I got the same thing I order every time.  The Mediterranean pizza is the type of food you break rules for:  thin crust pizza with pesto sauce topped with sun-dried tomatoes, onions, chicken, almonds, green olives, and feta cheese.  It’s so creative that you know you’re never going to find exactly the same thing anywhere else, which is why I always get it.  The pizza comes with a slice of bread, but it’s more of a filler next to this massive slice of pizza.  I also had a salad, which had spring greens, red onions, dried cranberries, and a raspberry vinaigrette.

Price - 10

You’re probably thinking, “Wow, food that sounds that good can’t be cheap.”  Wrong.  It was a steal.  I paid just over seven bucks for a the specialty slice of pizza, salad, bread, and a pop.  My college budget is happy, ate something healthier than fast food (for about the same price), and left feeling full.

Service - 8

At Yia Yia’s you order your food at the bar, then they call your name to pick it up from the kitchen window.  I hadn’t even finished my salad (which they gave to me immediately when I ordered) when our names were called.  Ridiculously fast.  If they brought the food to us, I would rank it higher.  I always feel a little weird leaving all of my stuff behind at the table when I go to pick up my pizza, but that’s a pretty minor--and lazy--complaint.

Atmosphere - 10

I love the feel of this place.  The bar filled with their huge selection of drinks is the focal point of the restaurant.  The large french posters fill up the walls with color and make an otherwise dark restaurant feel happy.  Yia Yia’s is the kind of place where you can go in just a t-shirt or dress up.

Convenience of Location - 9

I parked on campus and it only took me about five minutes to get there.  It doesn’t get more convenient than that.  For those who don’t park on campus, there’s plenty of street parking and a few garages nearby.

Overall Ranking: 92/100