Gusano's Chicago-Style Pizzeria — Restaurant in Bella Vista

Ok, why? Why is everyone obsessed with this place and it's often packed? We've tried a few times and given them chances, wanting them to succeed and hit it out of the park and they are a disappointment EVERY TIME! The pizza's are way overpriced for what it is, and it doesn't strike me as deep dish, it's just a tall outer crust, the pizza itself is relatively flat and not very filling. My wife and I ordered one to share and we polished it off without an issue and she's not a big eater. More disappointing was the kids meal, my son has (suddenly) become obsessed with spaghetti and meatballs... so that's what he ordered and he even asks "how many meatballs," because he wants them ALL lol - well, she said "one, HUGE meatball" - which sounded enticing. Ok, what is Huge? It was maybe 1.5" diameter, so definitely NOT huge! And it was OVERCOOKED, like it came from frozen and they threw it in the microwave?? Not sure, but it was like a rock that would kill a person if you threw it. Our waitress, NO WHERE to be found! She never checked in and that tells you something when they don't ask how the food is! Maybe they figure you'll just deal with it and move on and pay. BULL! We finally waved her down and it took them about 10 mins to bring out a single meatball, and it wasn't much better (wasn't burnt, but wasn't big and wasn't that great). My dad made better meatballs and wasn't italian by far! You guys are a shame and way too expensive. There were about 30 people working there and the service was absolutely terrible! No attention and no one even sees you (i.e. they check on a table and turn right around and run, no awareness of their surroundings and no one saw us trying to get SOMEONE'S attention when things weren't right! Even when things weren't right, they gave no extra accommodation (remember the days they've discount your ticket or give you a free desert at restaurants?). We won't be back, they don't care...

New to BV as of 4 months so getting to know all the local restaurants. I’m a pizza lover, having owned a couple myself. But for those that know me, I rate based on dining experience, so overall have to go with a 3 here. Let’s break it down Customer Service - 4 stars. First impression was a 3 because there was no one greeting us and I honestly didn’t know who to talk to about getting a table. Our server was polite and attentive but appetizer came out about 5 min after our pizza. Very strange. Again, apologetic server but seemed robotic. Food Quality - 2.5 stars. Pizza was average temp while the appetizer was scalding (burnt my mouth). More cheese than needed on a pizza but I like more thin crust NY Neapolitan style. Crust lacked flavor and you could tell was cooking at 575 degrees for about 15 min. Little to cardboard my friend me. Sad to say but my favorite thing was the large soda cups - AWESOME. Ambiance - 3 Stars. They get a good turn out but not sure if it is because of convenience or the vibe. Hard to move around in the dining area as tables are uniquely placed. Family behind us had a toddler that must not have been having a good day so a lot of screaming towards the end of our meal. I get it, we have four kids but didn’t appear to be much effort by the parents to console the child so that didn’t help the dining experience. Cleanliness - 3 stars. It’s average but the bathrooms definitely need some attention. Overall - Some simple adjustments could help it stand out. I wasn’t dying to have leftovers the next day which is...

It was now many years back, we drove in for one of our regular visits to Bella Vista and we were shocked and very happy to see this pizza place at the bottom of the hill from our timeshare. When we tried it we were even more shocked, the pizza was terrific. Over the years Much has changed in NWA. We now live just up the hill from Gusano’s and we still love it. We enjoy both the thin or traditional crust and THEIR version of Chicago style. (It is their version not yours to the haters. Go read the Wikipedia page on Chicago style pizza, your “it has to have two crusts” claim is off base) The sandwiches and Chicago dogs are good too with only the Italian Beef being a disappointment. No one is more demanding of a restaurant than me. I’m a diehard foodie with a lifetime of restaurant knowledge. I’m not claiming Gusano’s to be the best pizza on the planet or that they have the best service or atmosphere but you have to take into account where you are. Most of the staff is young and inexperienced, guess what, they will make mistakes. (This is the available workforce in BV. For the most part I think they do quite well.) Yep there’s a bar and sooner or later someone will act stupid. Back in the day you had to drive to Missouri to get alcohol. Parking can be a challenge evenings and weekends. Gusano’s and JJ’s pack out. They didn’t see this coming when this plaza was built and Bella Vista was literally one third the...