This is not an ad; I just really like Davanni’s

I just wanted to take this moment to write about my one of my favorite local pizzerias, Davanni’s.

Our closest Davanni’s is actually the local chain’s first of 21 pizza shops which opened in 1975.

I’m not even sure what type of pizza Davanni’s serves. It’s not New York-style and it’s not exactly Minnesota-style pizza. The crust choices include thin, traditional, and deep dish.

The deep dish (above) might not taste exactly like the classics from Chicago, but it’s something we crave from time to time. The traditional crust is my favorite.

I’m not going to claim that Davanni’s serves the best pizza in Minnesota. What I will say is that Davanni’s is like an old friend. It serves some of my favorite pizza and the pizza is always consistent.

Now that Davanni’s is our neighbor we eat there a lot.


Growing-up, we ordered pizza frequently. Back in the nineties, this meant redeeming personal pan pizzas at Pizza Hut as part of the Book It! reading program. We ordered Dominos and ate plenty of Little Caesar’s Crazy Bread. Davanni’s was special pizza. Trips here were a treat. The cheese was chewier and the crust tasted better.

Our church sold Davanni’s by the slice before confirmation classes on Wednesdays. Volunteers sold slices for the dollar on a flimsy paper plates. I loved it.

If you’re not in the mood for pizza, there’s pasta dishes, calzones and hoagies. My favorite calzone is the Hawaiian that’s filled with Canadian bacon, pineapple, white sauce, and a lot of mozzarella cheese. Add jalapeños (trust me) and dunk in the red sauce cup.

Both of us grew up eating Davanni’s hoagies. We typically order the classic meatball or Assorted (ham, smoked ham & salami) hoagie. What makes the deli meat and cheese hoagies taste so special is that they’re served on a toasted bun spread with garlic butter  and topped with melted mozzarella, shredded lettuce, shaved onion slices, tomato, mayo and Italian dressing.

Here are some final things that I appreciate about Davanni’s:

  • They offer delivery.
  • At our location (at least), the employees are very friendly and orders are prepared quickly. There’s also a daily happy hour in their small bar area offering tap beers, wine, and discounted food.
  • Their little cups of ranch are actually really good. You’d think these little pre-packaged cups of “light” ranch would taste like that terrible shelf-stable stuff, but the dressing tastes homemade. Once when I asked for a side of ranch I received a small box of ranch cups. I was thrilled.
  • Davanni’s offers a reward program where you earn points from sales that you can redeem for coupons.
  • Subscribing to their email list isn’t terrible. They typically don’t bug you unless they have a coupon or new offer.
  • There’s usually a coupon floating around. Check the ads that come in your mail. From time to time we find an ad with coupon codes. We’ve also seen gift card packages at Costco.

Whether I need a quick dinner after a long day at work, to feed people watching a Vikings game, or a meal after a colossal spring blizzard, something from Davanni’s hits the spot.

Like a good neighbor. . .

9 Comments

  1. katie

    Yum! I honestly don’t know if I’ve had davanni’s, but their deep dish might hit the spot some day!

    • Jeni

      It’s tasty! Don’t expect authentic Chicago deep dish, but we think it tastes good.

  2. Mike McGuinness

    I grew up with the original location and miss but don’t miss the buttered crust they had with all their pizzas back in the 70’s, I loved it but just too darn rich!
    Also love your blog and shared with my FB Group.
    Keep up the Great work!
    Mike

    • Jeni

      That does sound super rich! Thanks for sharing and reading!

  3. Beth Ann Chiles

    Looks amazing. We actually have really good pizza at our clubhouse. Can not wait for renovations to be done so we can order pizza again! I remember the boys getting free personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut – brought back memories.

  4. Josh

    That pizza looks good. I know what you mean about this post. I feel the same way about Sammy’s Pizza in Ftown… Not great pizza, there are certainly better pizza’s in Ftown, but there’s a certain amount of nostalgia that makes me go there from time to time if in the hood.

  5. Feisty Eats

    Sounds like a tasty & reliable friend!

  6. Brett

    Love it, Jen. We were once Davanni’s neighbors, and you’re right, the pizzas were consistently delicious. Italian sausage and mushroom , trad crust, was my fix. Now it’s doctored Jack’s from the Cenex….

  7. Will @ Road Tips

    The assorted whole with double meat is a standard order for me. Well, was a standard order before I went on a pretty restrictive diet. I love those sandwiches, but the meats are way too salty. And after all these years I’ve never had a pizza at a Davanni’s, but they always look – and smell – good if someone gets one when I’ve been there.

Leave a Reply to Jeni Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© 2024 Jeni Eats

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑

Twitter
Visit Us
Follow Me
INSTAGRAM