LaRocca's Topeka — Restaurant in Topeka

We were super hungry by the time we rolled into LaRocca's, so that may skew this review a tiny, tiny bit, but it was some of the best pizza I have had in a while. We ordered the small special which is two 10" 2 topping pizzas with an order of 4 buttery garlic rolls. Thankfully, the waitress recognized our ravenous, drooling maws and brought the garlic rolls right away, with their marinara sauce to dip. They were perfection! Light, buttery, super hot and fresh and just perfect for an appetizer. The marinara sauce is some of the best in town. You could tell it was super fresh. It may not be from fresh tomatoes (didn't ask, don't know for sure) but at the very least, they used HIGH quality crushed tomatoes or pulsed whole tomatoes for the sauce. It was acidic and bright and it was a nice bright red as well. You could tell it hadn't been simmered to death or overspiced. It was tops! Then, came the pizza. 10" is a lot bigger than I remember (that's what she said). They were practically medium-size pizzas. I got mine with double the mushrooms and my husband partook of mushroom and italian sausage. The crust is so good, nice chew, like a pan pizza is supposed to be, without so much butter and oil that's all you can taste. The cheese had great pull and the toppings were plentiful. I tried my husband's and his was the better of the two. I don't typically like italian sausage, but this was the sweeter, more mild version and paired with that sauce was magnificent. We were extremely happy with our food, our very attentive service, and our 2nd favorite pizza in town firmly ensconced itself back in #1 for me. Located at 31st-ish on Gage, in the old Spanky's. Go in, relax, and let them show you what...

I use to love this place. We ate at LaRocca’s nearly three to four times a month! When Vince sold the business, we noticed a change but we stayed loyal. A couple months ago, I ordered my pizza without sauce and a side of marinara. Well, I tried to eat it but the sauce was too heavy. We moved farther away from the restaurant so I decided I wouldn’t bother. I should have taken it back! I slept on it and I called the next day and told the lady manager about what happened and I could bring it back to prove I didn’t eat it. She said no she can’t because of Covid. I said I just want to prove I didn’t eat it and why. She said, you can’t bring it back—what am I going to do with it‼️ Her tone was so condescending and I heard smirks from other employees. I was so humiliated, I hung up and called back asking for manager. She said she is the manager! Smirks were in the background—other employees I’m sure. I told her that the customer service she gave me was very unprofessional. I have been a customer for years, Vince knows me by name and my husband’s. I did not deserve how I was being treated. Instead of apologizing, she said ok so where you want to go from here!!! I told her nowhere—she’s rude and I hung up. I felt very saddened by this treatment. People who know me knows I do not cause trouble. PLEASE KNOW I STILL LOVE LAROCCA’S AND THE SAUCE IS GREAT BUT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PREFERENCE TO HAVE SAUCELESS PIZZA!!!! I know it’s been a while since this happened. It’s just one of those days I wish I could have it but do not want the...

We had such a fantastic meal here, and I can’t say enough about how delicious everything was. But more than the food, I really want to highlight the amazing people who work there.

First, my daughter absolutely loved the garlic bread. At one point, she needed to go to the bathroom but refused because she was afraid someone at the table would eat the last piece while she was gone. Just then, our waitress walked by, overheard, and with a laugh promised she would “stand guard.” To our surprise, she actually did stand by the table until my daughter came back—our whole table couldn’t stop laughing!

Later that evening, when we got home, my youngest (8 years old) realized she couldn’t find her softball championship ring. She was in tears. I called the restaurant expecting to leave a message since they were already closed. But less than an hour later, the owner personally called me back. She told me she had gone to check the security tapes and saw my daughter wearing her ring earlier. That clue helped me look again, and sure enough, we found it under the car seat. I was floored by the care and kindness the owner showed us!

We cannot wait to return and support this restaurant again. I hope others see this and consider supporting them too—the food is wonderful, but the people are truly...