Great mission, mediocre pizza. Â That's how I would summarize this pizza shop. Â It's a not-for-profit business run by Power Inspires Progress, which provides "meaningful work opportunities for adults with employment barriers". Â I think these kinds of programs are important, which is why I still get pizza from here every once in a while.
That said... their pizza reminds me of the greasy slices you can buy from the concession stand at a second-rate sporting venue. Â At least VoV's slices are cheaper than what you would pay at said concession stand. Â It also takes them a long time to reheat the slices that you order. Â I work in OTR, and getting take-out from VoV seems to be almost as slow as ordering from a restaurant like Taste of Belgium, Lavomatic, or Bakersfield. Â You will pay more for a meal from one of those restaurants, but you're also more likely to enjoy it.
Venice on Vine is a non-profit that works to give people jobs and education, who would otherwise have a hard time to get those because of their history. And the pizza is good too. It isn't the best out there, but better than the "average" Cincinnati pizza. And I like to see the money I spend go to a good place.
I guess I'd say I go there because of the purpose of the place, in addition, the food is pretty good too. If you're looking for a night out at a "nicer" place then obviously you'd go down the street to A Tavola, but if you're just looking for a low key dinner on your own or with a few friends, I would definitely choose Venice on Vine. They are accommodating to big groups too, especially if you call in advance.
Looking for lunch in downtown Cincinnati? Check this place out. I eat here so often that they know me and my order walking in. The food and service never disappoints. VOV is a non-profit like a lot of other reviews have stated, which makes it all that much easier to give them my business.
My favorite is the lunch deal they offer with a Sammie, chips and a drink. Do yourselves a favor and try the Royal. It wont disappoint. And their sweet tea is pretty good too. Exactly how I like it-sweet enough to rot my teeth! :)
If you're ever on Vine Street in time for lunch, stop in, you wont be sorry.
The concept is cool. I love that they are purely non-profit... but the pizza really isn't very good at all. I had a slice of pepperoni and it tasted just like every overly greasy, buttery crusted Pizza Hut slice I've ever had... and always regretted eating.
I think people are right to commend Venice on Vine for its charity work, but if the review is strictly with regards to the pizza then they can't possibly get more than three stars. The slices are small and greasy and the pieces of pepperoni looked like that cheap sh*t that would come in a pizza lunchable for a five year old. Â
You're right down the street from OTR's wanna be dining mecca and within a hundred feet of A Tavola. Are you sure mediocre pizza is the answer to your question? If not, try something else.
Stopped in on a Saturday for lunch. Awesome and eclectic atmosphere (love the wooden-wall). The staff was really awesome and made us feel super welcome.
Ordered three slices (two for me, one for the wife) of pepperoni, a 20oz. drink and a water. Under $8, so that doesn't suck.
The pizza was pretty good. I'd say it's in my top5 pizza-list in Cincinnati. It was really greasy, but still amazing. It's not the first pizza I've eaten with a fork, so that doesn't really bother me at all.
I'd definitely recommend it.
Venice on Vine is one of my favorite pizza places. Â The pizza is pretty good and the staff is very friendly. Â I love the fact that it is a non-profit working to provide jobs and mentoring programs to people from the neighborhood. Â This is how a business truly invests in the community. Â Everyone should come support this great establishment!
Review Source:This place rocks!!!
Just don't expect a perfect pizza each time. If your pizza "isn't quite right" that's because a lot of love went into it.
Venice is a non-profit that gives people jobs, free tutoring, and restaurant experience. They have a high turnover rate because that is how they help more people. As someone progresses, they get the GED, or other training and find a permanent job.
That being said, their pizza is very good and I never miss an excuse to check them out. Their salads (if you get the regular size) are HUGE yet their side salads are tiny.
All in all this place is great. Pizza + Non-Profit goodness.
The quest for pizza best continues!
As mentioned in every review of a pizza place in Cincy, the pizza in this town leaves much to be desired. Â I have to say I give the pizza here at Venice on Vine a positive rating, though it still hasn't met my extremely high standards for the "best" pizza accolades it has apparently received by some misguided citywide publication.
The sauce is good, though as you eat piece after piece it loses some zip. Â The dough is surprisingly good, and perhaps the hallmark of this pizza. Â This might be the best dough I've had in town. Â A friend and I split a meat-lovers and let me tell you, this puppy was oh-so greasy. Â Like pizza hut greasy. Â I definitely took a napkin to this guy to save a few years on my life expectancy. Â I think that was definitely the biggest drawback of this pizza.
It took a while for us to get our large meat lover, so don't expect a pizza to just be handed to you ready-made.
The interior of Venice on Vine is pretty cool. Â Definitely an interesting palette of materials: tile, wood, bottle bottom signage. Â I dig it. Â I can also get behind the mission and wouldn't mind stopping here for a slice once again.
Went to Venice on Vine for a Yelp charity event and was impressed by the work that gets done here. I didn't really realize this was a charity when I walked by beforehand, so it was interesting to hear how this place offers tutorships to help people get ready to get a job.
It is also a restaurant so after 2 hours of work we ate here as well. I liked the pepperoni pizza a lot and actually enjoyed the thick crust. I also tried the one with pepperoni and other meat, but preferred the pepperoni. There was an accompanying salad which was ok but nothing exceptional. The freshly baked chocolate chip cookies came straight from the oven and I had to restrain myself not to take a second one - very yummy!
I will definitely be back as it's so good to know that you are supporting a great cause by just coming for pizza here. Half of the money this place needs comes from pizza sales & catering and the other half from using volunteers etc.
So try it all out and support Venice on Vine!
as a founder of an nfp and a board member of a couple - i have to, objectively, say that venice on vine is one of the most effiecient, effective and laudable nfps in the area. Â they help folks turn their lives around - folks who, otherwise, would have nobody advocating for them. Â what's more - their product, the food, is AWESOME. Â venice has the sole catering rights to every mike moroski party and i am very happy to call the principle parties behind this venture my good friends.
viva la venice!
Venice on Vine is much more than just a good pizza restaurant. Â It is a job training program which allows some of the unemployed in the area to gain work experience to move on to a steady job. Â It is helping some of the homeless in the area to work themselves out of poverty. Â When we have to wait to get into all the hot new restaurants, I like to stop by here to get a little bit to eat while we wait. Â It is always empty and it's such a shame. Â I wish others would support Venice on Vine more. Â As OTR is changing and new businesses and upscale apartments arise, it's a good reminder of the others that share the neighborhood and a great way to support those that are trying to get back on their feet.. Â
The restaurant has a modern contemporary design. Â The staff is very friendly and work very hard. Â We went for an all you can eat charity night and ate outside. Â The staff brought out pizza for us to try and made sure our drinks were full. Â I was very impressed with the service and professionalism. Â The staff seems well trained. Â The food is pretty average. Â The pizza was good. Â Similar to Lucy Blues style. Â The food is priced cheap as well. Â It allows anyone to be able to get food here.
I hope that this program continues to get support and business. Â It's a great way to support the community.
Eat good, do good! Â This place is a front for do gooders, don't let the restaurant fool you, it does more than serve tasty sandwiches, it has a cause, and I love that! Â The royal was delicious, the heat unlocking the flavors of the spiced meats they use, Â i should have gotten the large, the 6 inch feels a little small ... (that's what yelp said) Â i wanted to try everything on the menu, can't wait to go back, the staff was super cool. And I love supporting good causes that feed me well.
Review Source:We've been meaning to check out this place for several months now, but every time we wanted to go it was Sunday and they were closed. We finally got a chance to check them out today, and I'm glad we did. The food was good - not excellent but still good - but the mission behind this restaurant is what will make me return. My husband and I both had hoagies - I had the sausage and he had the royal hoagie. I definitely liked the royal better than the sausage. I've heard amazing things about their pizza but I just wasn't in a pizza mood. Also their sweet tea is delicious - can't go wrong with some homemade sweet tea :)
Review Source:This is my second trip to Venice on Vine. I was much more impressed this time around than the last (at least a year or so ago). The mission and set up of this is quite unique and in my opinion, totally worth supporting, almost regardless of the food. But the food is good as well, so it's win/win.
Venice on Vine is connected with a group called, Power Inspires Progress (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powerinspiresprogress.com%2F&s=ceab6fee9c716d71b8a96dd9d1fdcd350b20922743693b69ad0c886459547927" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.powerinspires…</a>) whose mission is to, "...operate small businesses in the inner city to provide positive, meaningful work opportunities for adults with employment barriers. We teach basic education, life skills, work ethics and personal responsibility. Trainees gain the knowledge and experience to be successful in the workforce." In addition to job training with customers (there appears to be a supervisor around if needed) the day we were there having lunch, the employees were also learning how to make a lasagna and later going to talk about nutrition, health, and exercise.
I'll recognize my privilege here and say at first it seemed like a very basic or even condescending activity for adults, but again...if one didn't learn about this or has just generally had to be concerned about other things in life than how to cook and stay healthy, there is a real need for such a lesson. It's never to late in this respect... Once class started, the employees seemed to be enjoying it and I'm sure it doubles as on the job training since lasagna is certainly on their menu (if catering only, for now).
Speaking of catering, I had an interesting, and largely uninterested conversation with catering after hearing from my boss that their food was great at her niece's wedding. The person who I talked to was brusk (bad day?), didn't take much meaningful information to help me (instead referred me to the website I already looked at to call in the first place) and said, in regard to tasting catering food (not what is in the store) she could, "Set a blob aside from me after their next job if I wanted to come pick it up". Oh, really? I don't need table service and I'd both pay and pick up food to taste it for catering purpose, but no self respecting business person should refer to this process as, "setting a blob aside". I'm hoping it was a just a REALLY bad day as that type of service doesn't make for sustainable business (a tragedy if it really is good).
Needless to say, I didn't pursue their services any longer, only in part because of contract specifications at my venue. I'd have had a hard time overcoming "the blob" if allowed to work with them, so I guess it all worked out in the end. I'd like to note, actually STRESS, that I don't think they have a trainee answering the catering line. I think it's someone in a supervisory or training position. This criticism reflects that level of interaction, and not my feelings about the restaurant, or mission, in general.
Getting back to the restaurant experience, we had steak hoagys and pizza bread, but I hear the pizza is good as well. Our bill was under $15 with drinks, and the server very friendly and personable.
I think the food here is solid and a great deal for the money, but the real value is in a business and organization working to help people with barriers that may or may not be surmountable without an extra hand. I'm all for this kind of set up and encourage you to give them a try as well.
You can't beat the price for this place, it's so reasonable for what you can get. I went here with a big group of co-workers and we had great service! It's such a wonderful cause and the decor is really cool, it's a really wonderful representation of what can happen through effective collaboration in this city! I would give it 5 stars if the pizza was a little bit better, don't get me wrong it's pretty good pizza (and they have amazing  local gilato), but it's not spectacular.
Review Source:Venice on Vine has great, what I would call "classic" pizza. I guess I'm not sure what the definition of classic is for everyone but it's not trying to be something fancy, artistic or foodie. This is just some good, solid pizza.
Plus, it's a job-training program so it's for a great cause. I'm all for things for a good cause, especially when the product is good, too! The service is also good and the staff were very friendly. It's a great addition to the Gateway Quarter since it's got a totally different vibe than anything else there.
The pizza itself is a 2. Â Below average.
I've eaten here 3 times (convenience), and the crust is consistently soggy to the point where you can not pick up a slice of their 15" pie. Â They do well with toppings, but a pie you can't pick up just can't count as decent.
I do love that they are helping the community and their mission is fantastic, but the food just doesn't cut it. Â 3 stars to be nice for the rankings, but the food is honestly a 2.
When the Moon hits your eye like a big Pizza Pie, that's amore.
I am in love with Venice on Vine in every way. Â Honestly one of the best all around institutions in the Queen City.
If you didn't know Venice on Vine is a non-profit restaurant that trains people who are out of work or down on their luck in restaurant skills. Â What a great cause!
They also sell some mighty tasty pizza by the slice for... 1.50!!!! Â And this isn't cafetreia pizza mind you, this is a decent sized slice that is actually pretty good. Â There is a fair amount of gooey grease, but this is a must if you are getting it by the slice.
The only downside is that it might take awhile to get your order in. Â It is not the most efficient place, but for the prices and its mission, its well worth the wait.
If you are not craving pizza they have a great selection of hoggies, greasy Italian subs, cookies, and yes even coffee and gelato. Â
And it gets better, one time we ordered a pizza and went to the Lackman across the street to have a drink while we waited. Â Before we finished our drink, a gentleman from Venice on Vine showed up in the doorway of the bar with pizza in hand and said "Sirs, your pizza is served." Â YES!!!
Again a great slice of pizza for a great cause. Â Now that's amore.
Stopped by Venice on Vine for some pizza by the slice. You can pick a simple cheese or pepperoni slice, or you can add as many toppings as you'd like to either. I'm not a plain woman, so I ordered slices of cheese with black olives, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The cheese was gooey and the vegetables freshly cut. But the crust... the crust was horrible!
I don't care for thin crust to begin with, but this tasted like it had come straight from the freezer. My assumptions were confirmed when I saw a cook open the deep freeze behind the counter and lift out an entire 16" crust, hard as a rock. The staff was doing a stellar job with cooking everything else, it would be great if they could bake up some fresh dough too.
Aside from the crust, the concept of Venice on Vine is five stars. The restaurant employs people who have difficulty finding work, folks who have fallen on hard times or are held down from a fresh start by a criminal record. You can watch the employees hard at work in the open kitchen.
I'd love to eat here more to give my dining money to this worthy cause. Perhaps next time I'll try one of the sandwiches or non-pizza items.
I went to Venice on Vine with a friend for lunch. I'd heard great things about it, and the food lives up to the hype. This charming pizza parlor has a very admirable mission. It's a Power Inspires Progress business, meaning that it gives work opportunities to young adults who may have trouble finding jobs. That alone is reason to go there.
The menu includes various pizzas, hoagies, appetizers, soups, and even pizza by the slice. I ordered pizza bread: Thick hoagie-style Italian bread served hot and fresh with the right combination of tomato sauce and cheese. My friend ordered a hoagie with homemade grilled Italian sausage & peppers, served on thick Italian bread. We were both thrilled with our food.
The staff are friendly, but the service was slow and disorganized. We weren't in a hurry, so it wasn't a big deal. And great food for a great cause is worth the wait!
Bottom line: The food is fresh, delicious, and very reasonably priced. Try it if you haven't already!
I dropped in here figuring I could get a quick lunch with 5 of my coworkers and I had a craving for pizza. Â I was wrong. Â Once I was in the door, the super friendly staff sold me on a hoagie with homemade sausage. Â That sausage was delish. Â In fact, the whole sandwich was delicious. Â So often, you get a sandwich at a shop and the bread is just flurfy and tasteless. Â This hoagie greatly exceeded expectations (of course, it didn't hurt that they brushed it with garlic butter before toasting it). Â My coworkers' steak patty and Italian hoagie looked great too - which they confirmed. Â The meats on the Italian had actually been griddled! Â Another coworker's pizza look quite nice and cheesy. Â She preferred a saucier pizza, which the staff were only too happy to comply with by providing an extra little cup of marinara. Anyways, I only paid $7.50 for an excellent 8" sub and a soda, which I felt was a good deal. Â However, we had missed the special - 6" sub, side, and drink for $5. Â How can they afford that? Â I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Â Anyways, definitely an excellent deal if you don't mind a little extra grease that goes into the sandwiches. Â Also, around the noon lunch rush, the service got a little slow, but that's avoidable and basically required of any good lunch spot near downtown.
Bottom Line: I'll be back - for sure - even if I can't get the amazing deal of a $5 lunch special.
My friend and I were having drinks at Lackman last week when we decided that we were in the mood for pizza. Â We were really hoping to try A Tavola, but we were in the middle of a crazy thunderstorm, and Venice on Vine was closer (yes, probably only by a few yards... but in that kind of downpour, we just didn't feel like making the extra effort), so we headed across the street to Venice on Vine. Â I had been told about VoV by the Queen City Underground Tour guide, who recommended it for both the excellent pizza and the fact that it helps people (who may not otherwise have the opportunity) to prepare for jobs in the food services industry. Â
The menu is actually fairly extensive, and you can order pizzas by the slice or whole, as well as hoagies, soups and salads. Â My friend and I both ordered two slices of the Hawaiian, which was the daily special. Â They didn't have any already made, but they were happy to make one fresh and bake it while we waited. Â It only took about 10 minutes, and the pizza was delicious! Â We ordered waters as well, and our total bill was $9.00. Â The service was very friendly, and they checked on us a couple of times to make sure everything was fine with our meal. Â I would definitely go back!
I think it's important to recognize and review this place. Â I stumbled across it while walking around Over-The-Rhine in search of a quick lunch while parked nearby. Â I was in the mood for pizza already, so when I saw this place, I headed over. Â I immediately noticed the sign "Good Food for a Good Cause", which intrigued me.
I quickly ascertained that this place was more than just a pizza joint. Â It serves to employ persons in the local community who are looking for on-the-job training and personal betterment.
The place looked immaculate, very fun, funky design inside, and a number of cute tables in the sun outside. Â The employees could not have been nicer. Â They engaged me in conversation and the young man who brought me my drink and my pizza was extremely polite and friendly.
I ordered an 8" personal pizza. Â It took a bit longer than I expected, but it's because it was apparent it had been made completely from scratch before going into the pizza oven. Â Very, very tasty pizza. Â A tad greasy, but that's probably because it was a meat lovers'... I do enjoy my meaty pizzas.
Anyway, I got to thinking about this place as I was eating and the kind of value it can bring to its employees, customers, and neighborhood. Â I love the idea of the place, and if they can keep executing it with such great service and tasty food, this will hopefully become a fixture on Vine St. Â The place was pretty empty when I went in for a late lunch at 1:15. Â Get out and support this place!
Venice on Vine may be the tastiest pizza in Cincinnati.
Now, I say this with bias, since I went and got my slices and brought them over to the Lackman bar right next door and ate pizza and drank beer and it was as pretty close to a perfect moment as perfect moments get.
Venice on Vine is a great spot for a few reasons. First of all, it provides damn tasty pizza to OtR. The crust is sweet, the toppings fresh and delicious and everything is cheap and tasty. I really loved it,
They also provide jobs to people having a tough time finding jobs - maybe they have criminal records or just can't find work for another reason - and train them for employment. It's a great cause and a great slice of pizza. Literally, fantastic.
Plus the building is great to sit in and eat if you want. It's big and there's plenty of seating - plus, I believe it's a very old historical building (but let's be fair, what one in OtR isn't?) so they're keeping it alive through that.
I loved this and can't wait to go back ... maybe today. It may happen today.
Venice's pizzas have a thin, crispy, delicious crust. Â Everyone there is really friendly and the service is quick. Â I was also pleasantly surprised that they have vegan offerings.
These are really all the reasons you need to support this local business. Â But just in case I haven't persuaded you, Venice is a member of PIP, which offers job training to members of the community.
I just wish they were open on the weekends!
Please support this business! The owners hire people who have a hard time finding employment (criminal history, lack of job experience, etc) and give them excellent job training. What a great way to support the community and also to eat a yummy meal!
I've tried the:
COD FISH HOAGIE- my favorite, thought it rivaled Alabama Fish
SAUSAGE HOAGIE- good, but not a big meat-eater so will stick with cod in the future
THREE MEAT PIZZA- the 2 guys i went with wanted it, i didn't like it (bc of the overload of meat) but they loved it
STEAK HOAGIE- mmm not that great
VEG QUICHE- good, but i fancy myself to be a pretty good quiche chef so prob will stick to cooking rather than buying quiche in the future
Overall, it's a great environment with good, solid food. Sometimes the food takes a while because most, if not everything is homemade. They offer a lunch special: $5 for a sandwich, side dish, and drink, i forgot how much the pizza special is.. but either way, it's a great deal.
The service is great. The workers and owners are super friendly, patient, and considerate. They also offer a bunch of pre-made options that you can bring home to cook (which is how i ate the quiche)
Fact: Dayton and Cincinnati Ohio have amazing pizza. It is Midwest pizza, not Chicago deep dish, not NY style slices, but unique, delicious, and deserving of deference for what it represents.
And what does it represent? A unique ability to change and evolve based on the subculture in which the pizzeria is located. From the Marion's chain in Dayton, to the Dewey's chain throughout the region, to Lucy Blue's late night windows throughout Cinci, pizza in our wonderful city has adapted to the tastes and demands of the people.
Venice on Vine fulfills 3 immediate expectations for Over The Rhine residents, and likely many more subtle requests.
1) It re-purposed a historical building (Heuck's Opera House) into a well designed, simple, comfortable restaurant setting.
2) It fills the bellies of OTR residents or anyone else passing through craving some 'za.
3) Perhaps most importantly, and the reason I will return again and again with my business; VoV is a partner of "Power Inspires Progress". Â The mission of the business is to train city residents who have barriers to finding employment, providing them meaningful work experience.
As far as my food experience there, I asked for vegan pizza and ate the entire 15" of it. It was speedy, coming out of the oven less than 15 minutes from my order. The vegan Daiya cheese has a strong taste, but it was an excellent balance with VoV's vegan whole wheat crust.
The ambiance is relaxed. Local musicians' cds are on display as well as the stereo, providing a soft music to accompany the warm meal. Add in the smell of the pizza, sights of Vine st. activity, and you have a full sensory experience!
Venice on Vine is a job training program cleverly disguised as a delicious pizza parlor. That's right, you can eat good (and cheap!) food AND help support a good cause, all at the same time.
The pizza is good, the hoagies are good, they have vegetarian and vegan options, it's open until 8pm so you can eat dinner without having to shell out for something expensive, and everyone who works there is super nice. Not only that, but they play local music on their stereo and their space was designed by UC and Miami students. Talk about a win.
Yes, sometimes the service can be a little spotty because, again, it is a job training program and some people are further along than other, but the food is good, and it's all made to order. Also, the sweet tea is delicious, as are the desserts, and they cater! What else do you want?
Great social business in the heart of over the rhine! Â As consumers more of us need to support this local non profit that hires ex-felons and tutors them to obtain their GED's and move on to better places. Â
Even though it is a job training program, the service is great, the employees are very friendly. Â Every once and a while the service can be a little slow, but still the pizza is great and the hoagies are amazing!
My only experience with Venice on Vine was with a large group. We gave them a hunk of vegan cheese to make a vegan pizza for us. It was amazing that they agreed and made us some really delicious pizzas with it!
I do plan on updating this review when I go back to try some of their house specialties, but just with my brief tasting of what they can do, I am already pretty pleased with this place!
We wound up here while looking for a quick bite before going to Music Hall. Â The emphasis was definitely on quick, and since the place was all but empty in the late evening and our stomachs were growling, this was the spot.
We discovered that it's a place designed to provide experience and training to empower people on welfare or in other financial straits. Â You might expect that this means the employees are incompetent or surly, but they were very helpful and kind. Â And quick, which was all we really needed.
This place is not just about the food, which satisfied our growling stomachs but not much more. Â The pizza was typical pizza, overloaded with cheese and uninspiring sauce. Â The banana peppers and sausage did provide ample kick, though. Â They have salads and hoagies as well. Â The mission of Venice on Vine makes it an establishment well worth patronizing, especially if you're in the need for a quick snack.
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