Picture it: Oxford, Mississippi, 2002. I was sitting in a quaint little Italian restaurant on the square, eating lasagna bolognese that rivals anything an old Italian lady would cook in her own kitchen, and enjoying some fresh baked rosemary bread with olive oil and herbs for dipping. Seriously, the lasagna was the best Italian food I have ever put in my mouth. Sometimes I never even made it upstairs to the Burgundy Room. Back then, OVPC was a 5 star restaurant, without a doubt. Those were the good ole days. Unfortunately, it seems that when the additional locations opened, the quality of the food changed. The lasagna definitely changed, and now the rosemary bread seems to be a thing of the past as well. If I had never had the original recipes, I might not be as disappointed every time I eat there. What do they have going for them? They bring complimentary barely-leavened breadsticks to the table with the dipping oil. The new lasagna recipe is decent. The daddy crawdaddy pizza is still pretty good. They have a nice selection of unique pastas and sandwiches. The crawfish soup is quite impressive. This place is still a good little lunch spot. Pizza and a salad, or sandwich and soup or salad, for less than $10, is hard to beat. The service is great, and they have a nice little patio. No, it's certainly not what it used to be, but hey, I'm a lot older, chubbier, and more wrinkled than I was back then. Who am I to judge?? read more

I like going to Old Venice because it is: 1) Close to my home, 2)Has a patio and 3) has some good drink specials during the week. The food is just OK, however. If you're not getting a Pizza, you're pretty limited with the food selections. I judge Italian food by the quality and taste of the Marinara sauce used. If a restaurant can put out a tasty marinara, then you can be sure that most of the food will be good. Unfortunately, OVPC doesn't have the best marinara. I will say that they have some good salads and the new Flatbreads on their Appetizers list are gaining favor with me. All in all a decent place with good atmosphere, just don't expect the most authentic Italian experience. read more

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I went to this place to check it out before making reservations for a large group. Normally when I check out a restaurant I would visit the restroom because its a tell tell sign of the care and overall cleanliness of the restaurant. But on this occasion I made a to-go order first. Ok! here is the bad. As I walked down the dark hall way to the ladies room, I could smell the restroom before I got to it. The ladies room was scary! It was dark, dusty and smelly. It needs a thorough cleaning from top to bottom. I felt like I was in a scary gas station restroom. I blame management. Now the good. As I waited for my order, I purposely checked out the dinning and bar areas. The hostess and bartender were neat and clean and was most helpful and welcoming. The dinning area was neat and clean, although the bar and bar area tables could use some detailed cleaning. I ordered two pizzas that were YUMMY. The crust was fresh, thin and crispy and held all the ingredients. I expected the sauce to be bland but surprisingly it was full of flavor and YUMMY. The veggies were fresh and the sausage, ham, pepperoni, and beef was also full of flavor. I would give this restaurant another visit to see if they have improved on the house keeping before making a group reservation. I took two stars away for obvious reasons. If I was grading the food alone, I would have given 5 stars. read more

Venice Kitchen - Pizza Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Eating here years ago, and then coming back recently in the last month or so, I've changed my mind on this place. 1. Parking sucks, it's very dark in the back of the building, and if you drive a large vehicle, forget it. 2. Music is just way too loud for a group of people at a large round table to have conversation while waiting on your meal. 3. Service is questionable now. One person brings your drinks, someone else goes to refill, and you get the wrong drink. 4. The pizza isn't as good anymore. Their crusts are dry and overcooked, and the toppings are skimmed down so much it's not worth the cost. The overall feel of the place is not the same, and I used to recommend people try it out, but not anymore. Marginally good pizza for an inflated price, and poor service, no thanks... read more

My favorite new Italian place ! Their pasta I have Dreams about and I just discovered the long bread came with the spinach artichoke dip ! We need one in midtown ! But I'll drive to u I don't care it's worth it read more

Not many people know about Venice Kitchen (people think it's still old Venice pizza) but here I am to tell you that you MUST go! Their pizza is honestly some of the best I've ever had (I typically get the great white- holy YUM.) I also love love their pasta. There's not many good Italian spots in Memphis for pasta! It's also great because you can BYO (build your own) pizza or pasta! Venice kitchen is also such a nice & cute atmosphere, so it's perfect for if you just wanted to grab a few drinks and an appetizer (Their spinach & artichoke dip with bruschetta is to die for!!!!) read more

Venice Kitchen - Creole Delight Pasta - Pizza Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

For a place that has the word "pizza" in their name, you expect them to get one thing right...take a guess...Pizza. The verdict? Eh, it's ok. I've had the Margarita pizza in the past, have done a build-your-own, and this time I tried the crawfish with Cajun seasoning. I was expecting it to be flavorful, but instead it just tasted like pizza with some stuff on it (didn't taste any crawfish seasoning). You know that feeling when you're like "OMG, I'm totally craving pizza" and then you eat it and you're like "Yes, this was EXACTLY what I wanted!". I never walk out of here with that feeling, but I also never walk out of there saying "man, that was terrible". One big bonus is that their side salads are a good portion and they are cheap! Adding a protein on top is pricey, but their salads are always fresh. If you're looking for a place with a lively atmosphere that is clean and has a decent drink menu, I would go here. If one of you wants pizza and the others want to eat just regular food, I would go here (the menu is pretty extensive with non-pizza food items). If you're looking for "I'm craving pizza" food, there are better places to go in Memphis. read more

Get the crawfish rolls. Modern atmosphere. Good drinks. You can come alone with family or for date night. I'll be back!

I'd say most of this is pretty standard stuff, and I was a little disappointed when they didn't have all the calzones on the menu that they have at the Oxford location. But never fear, because that led me to the discovery of one of my all-time favorite dishes: the Roasted Veggie pizza, which I have dreams about. I have to eat one of these at least once a month. I am not usually an order-the-same-thing-every-time kinda girl, but I would never even CONSIDER ordering something other than this pizza. Let me tell you about it. You should definitely get your pizza thin crust so that the veggies really make an impact--it is topped with zucchini, squash, red peppers, green peppers, and portobello mushrooms (of course I leave the mushrooms off because mushrooms are stupid). Instead of marinara sauce there is pesto. GENIUS, I declare. Also, the best part? A balsamic reduction sauce that is sweet and tangy and absolutely perfect on this pizza. Another standout on the menu is their spinach artichoke dip--the dip itself is covered in cheese and then baked golden brown, and it's served with triangles of buttery flatbread goodness. YUM. The dip is very filling though so be forewarned. read more

My wife and I have been to Old Venice many times through the years - both by ourselves and with friends. Today we went for the Brunch Buffet and once again had terrific food. The buffet is great - and you can get custom order omelets and waffles as well. The food is always fresh and delicious. Many times I have had the pizzas and had to take some home for later (still good later too). If you enjoy good Italian food - for Brunch, Lunch or Dinner - you need to check out Old Venice. Take some friends with you so you can all have some good food - and good memories. read more

I just had a make your own pizza with pepperoni, beef, onion and green peppers. I have to say, the pizza was much much better before the name change and overhaul. Wish they'd go back to how they made their pizza before. This had an odd flavor to it, and it was just so-so. read more

This place gets a solid meh. I've visited it four times over the years and years it's been open cause people keep telling me the menu is changed and they get better. it's true, the menu keeps changing, but I'm not impressed. The one very good pizza they used to have on the menu is no longer available. When I tried to eat anything other than pizza it was truly horrible Italianish food. Drinks are weak. read more

The Venice Kitchen is new and improved with a light and open modern interior and revamped menu. Friendly service and shareable plates made for a fun group dinner. We shared the meatballs and each had a corn crab chowder which was amazingly delicious and served piping hot. Entrees were a cheese burger, cabbage and steak salad with ginger dressing, small filet with potato and pesto veggie pizza. I had the pizza and there was plenty to share. The crust was crispy with a great chew. The balsamic drizzle on top was tasty and complimented the mushrooms and pesto nicely. We want to return to try other items on the menu. Venice staff were helpful and happy without rushing us. I'm still thinking of how wonderful the chowder was!! read more

I'm married to an Italian, so this is about the only Italian place he willingly goes. We don't eat Italian out much as he cooks it so well himself . . . but, when we are in the area, we tend to go to Old Venice because it's pretty consistant. Things have changed over time, though . . . They used to give you a big loaf of bread, or at least some big rolls with butter, etc., but now, it's pizza crust with herbs sprinkled on it. Ok, even a fast food joint can do this! What happened to your Calzones??? That was the ONE thing I could get here that was special, but no longer on the menu! You serve Lobster Egg Rolls . . . since when is this Italian??? So, I'm assuming these are frozen and you fry them up and sell them 1 at a time which makes you a TON of profit. I feel SO USED! The fried Mozzarella sticks were cooked WAY TOO HOT - they were almost burned on the outside, but not all the way melted on the inside. This is something SONIC does to their Cheddar Peppers and I can expect this for a $3 appetizer, but not in an indoor seating restaurant! Turn the heat down and cook them 1 minute longer! Really? You haven't discovered this yet? My daughters liked their meals, and my pizza was alright, thus the 3rd star. Seems like this size and type of restaurant would have some hand-made items and boast about it. read more

So I don't really get the bad reviews...I'm not saying Old Venice is authentic italian by any stretch of the imagination but it has a varitey of offerings. I'm a big fan of their pizzas...the individual pizza maybe too much for me to finish on my own in one sitting but it tastes great leftover. One I had recently was the Banscueccio--strange, unpronouncable name, but very tasty. It's a chicken pizza made with cream cheese and mozarrella so it's super creamy and they add red onions and jalapenos, with a swirl of tomato sauce--all those flavors together just work! They also have "make your own" option if you prefer to style a pizza yourself. They have house wines on the list--and if they're running a special you can get a glass for just $3. Try to come during happy hour to make the most of it. read more

Been here twice, once for brunch and then for dinner. Great little atmosphere. Food is good, although presentation could use a little work. Service has always been efficient, but not warm or memorable. In other words, a bit pricey for what you're getting. I think with a bit of staff training & refining across the board, this place could be a 5 star spot. read more

Ummmmmmmm BRUNCH AMAZING...$14.95...Me and my mom might just make this a new thing to do every other Sunday ;) They had alittle bit of everything.... Omelette Station, Belgian waffles, pasta, brisket, veggies, shrimp, dessert and more!!! OH and there Pizza is good too lunch or brunch read more

Amazing service! The staff & food are all on point. The owner Ben is very kind. We ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger pizza and it was amazing. The desert is absolutely delicious. Will be back!! read more

Not impressed at all, apparently they have changed the name and changed the menu. The service was not good at all, the food was just passable. This is definitely not on my go-to again list. read more

We had a group dinner in the private room and the greet staff could not have been nicer. Our server was mostly efficient but definitely not a warm personality. After one dinner was at least five minutes later than all the others, her comment was a very bland "sorry about that". What really surprised us however was that they do not have decaf coffee. Come on! We had 13 people and over half wanted decaf - so no coffee or dessert for anyone. Get a Mr Coffee and a bag of decaf for when you have requests - our order would have paid for your investment! That said, the food was delicious! The spinach artichoke dip is some of the best I've ever had, my chicken parm was cooked perfectly, their chowder is yummy and their pizzas are always good. Just a Few glitches kept this from being five stars - we visit regularly for lunch so we will be back! read more

The food here is always pretty good. I have tried just about everything here. I had the margherita pizza with shrimp and crawfish added. I was very surprised that I liked it. Drinks are also good here. The Carribean Queen is very refreshing (pineapple juice and champagne ). read more

Venice Kitchen - Carribean queen - Pizza Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

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I visited Old Venice to pickup a catering order. The staff was courteous, prompt and attentive. The food has always exceeded my expectations. This time it wasn't for me, a neighbor lost her son and we just wanted to help during this rough time and the family was very pleased with the meal we provided. read more

Hummmm......Interesting. I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews on Old Venice from my fellow Yelpers. Well here's my two cents. This may not be my top choice for Italian, but there are some things here I like very much. First of all, they have an nice bar area and it's a really good place to go for after work drinks. They have some creative cocktails on the menu that are quite tasty - such as the Wedding Cake Martini and the Old Venice Typhoon. I don't care that much for most of the entrees here, but I do actually love their pizza. My sons love them too. My favorite is the Tuscan Sun, which comes with chicken, spinach, goat cheese, basil and an olive oil base. Very yummy. The prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is nice - can get loud during peak hours. read more

Last night was our first night visiting Venice Kitchen. Our server, Nayshka, was SO sweet, I loved her!!! I was impressed with the size of an individual pie. We had the S5 and were very pleased, and also the Creole Delight which I loved!!!...added mushrooms to it with no problem. The cheesesticks as the appetizer were very good. Overall, our experience was wonderful. My daughter devoured the shoestring fries as well as my Creme Brulee. Pizza even reheated amazingly this morning and was just as good as last night. I can't say I wasn't saddened by the Loster Filled Ravioli with Crab not being on the menu...I was SO looking forward to it. And I must say, I'm not a big lemon fan so I was skeptical at first,...BUT that Lemon Herb Vinaigrette hit the green salad prefectly. Thank you all at Venice Kitchen for a great first experience! read more

Cute restaurant, super great pizza! We got the mozzarella sticks, the Chipotle chicken and avocado sandwich with fries, and the S7 pizza. The mozz sticks and the pizza were super good, the sandwich was just good. read more

I went here the other night with a friend. I'd been telling people about this place and encouraging them to go. They really made me wish I'd kept my mouth shut. I will note that it was half-price wine Wednesday, so they were really busy, but that's not an excuse for this experience in my book. First, parking is extremely limited when they're busy, so we had to park across the street. This isn't a huge deal, but considering the rest of the experience, it was the horrible cherry on top of an already awful sundae. When we walked in, the bar was standing room only so I asked the hostesses if they had happy hour and specials in the whole restaurant or just in the bar. She told me it was everywhere so they sat us in the dining room. My friend and I sat down and waited while we watched the servers check on and server everyone around us. Finally, when I was about to leave, this guy came over and helped us. I've already commented in a past review on their food, and the food was fine, but the service was awful. He informed us that happy hour was only in the bar. We stayed anyway. After my first glass, I ordered one of their more expensive bottles of wine instead of opting for the half price wine. He either had no idea how to open a bottle without destroying the cork, or didn't care enough to try. He just threw the busted cork on the table and walked away. I even had to ask for a fresh glass so he didn't just pour the wine in with the half-price wine. The whole night it felt like he just didn't care as much about our table as much as the other tables, and was trying to push us out the door. I HATE to say it because I can't stand it when people play this card, but it felt like the bad service was because my friend was the only African-American person in the restaurant. Will I go back? Maybe. If I do go back, it will only be because I have had some other decent experiences, and I WILL NOT sit in the dining room. read more

Not a good place to go if you intend to talk with people in your party. It is SO LOUD you may have a really hard time hearing anybody. Now I know why the waitress was shouting at me--she's deaf from her job. OSHA! The entree was really disappointing. I chose Veal picatta over angel hair pasta. The veal was basically like 3 day old cold fish sticks. Yuk! Sorry. Hate to have to write such a bad review but aye! read more

This is going to be two reviews in one. First for regular dining and the other for Sunday brunch. We have dined here numerous times over the years and the food has been consistently good, the pizza, sandwiches, salads and pasta...we've tried much of what's of offer and have mostly good things to say about it. So I definitely would recommend them for dinner. Now on to brunch. I have been hearing they have a brunch for a few months now and we decided to give it a shot. First impression was that it's fairly close to the free breakfast buffets at most chain hotels. With the addition of some unusual options (Cordon Bleu lasagna, an omelet bar and a few different pasta dishes). We ate and thought it was okay, not great. Husband says he probably wouldn't do brunch here again. This is all before we get our check. No where I can see is it posted how much this brunch costs. I assumed at most we were looking at $15 per person and we even thought that would be too much. The only seafood on the buffet was salmon. It costs $21.99. It's not worth $21.99 until they throw some shrimp cocktail out there, add crawfish to the jambalaya, lobster to the Mac &cheese. We can go to Eat Well buffet for about that price and eat all the sashimi, sushi and shrimp tempera our hearts can desire. There is only so much eggs and pasta a person can eat and it certainly doesn't come close to justifying $21.99. Go for dinner, but stay home and cook your own omelet. You could put an entire lobster in it and feed the entire family with it for about the price we paid for one of us to eat here. read more

First time here, had a craving for pizza. Never coming back, horrible service. Waitress never check up on us, had to keep flagging down three different servers. No silverware or napkins on the table. No one seemed to notice it even after our food was brought to us. Had to keep asking for refills. Overpriced mediocre pizza, not worth the $38.00 bill. I should've just picked up a $7.00 Dominos. Lesson learned. read more

BEST PIZZA IN MEMPHIS! We had a post-Thanksgiving pizza night and ordered through Uber Eats for delivery. We've never eaten in person at Venice Kitchen, however, we are certainly going to dine in person after trying their pizza. We had the margherita pizza with an additional topping of pepperoni. The crust was perfect....thin & crispy, yet still chewy. There was just the right amount of sauce, without making the pizza too heavy and soggy. The fresh tomatoes added beautifully to the taste and appearance. Great job to the pizza maker! We will be ordering again! Also, a shout out to our Uber Eats delivery guy, Darryl! It was still hot when he got it here. read more

Amazing pizza. And you can order any of their pizza or pasta gluten free! Definitely recommend their Sunday brunch (they just released a new menu) and mimosas are half off YAS read more

Visited for the first time last night and it was just average. I've definitely had better lasagna. The service was good, nice atmosphere and the spinach dip was really good. Don't know if I will jump to go back but the experience was pleasant enough. I tried my friend's baked manicotti and it was not that great. Believe it or not I've gotten better Italian from Fazoli's. read more

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I almost never go to Old Venice. That is not meant to be an insult to the restaurant, it is just not in an area of town that I frequent. That being said, I have never had a bad food experience there. Notice I said food experience. The service at Old Venice has never been spectacular for me. It has been passable, it has been decent, but that is it. Other times it has been abysmal. The food is delicious, but the appetizers do not get high marks for me. They are inconsistent. Take the calamari for instance. They are great, but sometimes when you order them you get like six pieces. Other times the plate is mounded with them. Last time I ordered them (to share) I was actually embarrassed by the tiny portion. I should have said something, but our server seemed new and I didn't want to give him a heart attack. He was nervous enough already. The pizza at Old Venice is delicious. It is not my favorite (oh just wait for that review, friends) but it is very good. They have one pizza with this balsamic that is just lip smacking delightful and another with cream cheese, chicken, and jalapeno that I just can't resist getting. You might be doubting me about that cream cheese, but once you try that pizza you will change your tune. You can't go wrong with either of those pizzas. To be fair I have not tried much other than the pizzas and the appetizers. Overall, however, Old Venice is definitely worth your time if you are in the Laurelwood area and craving some tasty pie. read more

This is a great restaurant and one of my favorites for good pizza. Although customer service isn't what it use to be with some of the servers, I still give it 4 stars for their effort and the good pizza and bread. This visit started a little rocky as our server stated they were out of the bread they normally serve. The manager even confirmed it but we were later brought some bread. My last visit I was charged a to-go fee when I asked for my dessert to go. Unfortunately I had management take the dessert and fee off my ticket after the male manager refused to take the fee off of my bill. read more

Venice Kitchen - Hawaiian Hottie Pizza and Build Your Own: Alfredo sauce, andouille sausage, spinach, black olives & portobello mushrooms. YUMMY! - Pizza Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Easy to duck into for a predictable dinner. The staff was friendly and attentive, but not overbearing. Getting there before 7pm, on a weeknight, gets you discounted drinks, if you are into that. Otherwise the prices on drinks have a good bit of margin built in. Tonight's meal was two salads and a pizza. The Greek salad is a good choice and the Caesar is a decently safe bet. The pizza is a tasty combo of crunchy, chewy goodness with excellent toppings! The atmosphere is a little funky, but it's not annoying. If nothing else the old adage still holds true: location, location, location. This is super accessible and consistent restaurant and I've always come away happy. read more

I love this place. The food is always good and the we staff is very friendly. The waitress was very helpful with us choosing our food. We will definitely be back. read more

Venice Kitchen - Pizza Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee

Fantastic pizza. The crab chowder was so light and delicious. The only critique is the shrimp was really salty and had too much peppercorns on them. I will most definitely be returning. read more

My friend asked me where I want to go to eat for a quick bite before the movie for my birthday.. So I chose old Venice because it's close to where we work.. I was scared there will be a long wait so I was surprised when they seat us right away.. The service was awesome.. I ordered the lasagna and my friends ordered pasta.. Their foods came out first so the waitress said the manager took the lasagna of the check; which is really nice but really unnecessary because the lasagna came out literally like 2 minutes later. The waitress was very sincere about me getting my foods later than my friends which made me feel really bad because I don't really mind. The foods and services were good as always.. I'm really glad I chose old Venice; made my rough day a lot better. read more

This is one of my favorite places to eat in Memphis. I've not had a bad experience yet. If you like spicy food, go for The Godfather. read more

Absolutely love this place ! Amazing food ! Good service. Nice environment! Everything in here smells amazing ! I wanna just order everything lol. I always order the salmon. I need to start trying something different. And not to mention their mimosa are the best in the city ! My fav is the red ruby ! read more

Venice Kitchen - The blackened salmon ! Amazing !!! Simply delicious - Pizza Near Me - Memphis, Tennessee