It’s family pizza night on Friday. You and your family have have tried  JT’s, Vitales, Jet’s, and anything else there is to offer on 28th Street.  However, near Rosa Parks Circle on Ottawa Avenue resides a pizza parlor unlike no other: Big O’ Cafe, or simply put, O’s.

With the choice to sit wherever desired, O’s has a small, yet welcoming atmosphere, consisting of red plaid tablecloths, red colored walls, and a bar that holds approximately five chairs. It has a vintage Frank Sinatra vibe.  O’s is situation below street level and is accessed down a ramp that leads into the restaurant off  Ottawa Avenue.

With many different variations of pizza O’s has to offer, O’s also provides subs, burgers, wraps, soups, and salads. O’s also offers a variety of appetizers, including antipasto, garlic knots, cheesy stuffed breadsticks, quesadillas, and tostones.

Big O’s Cafe delivers orders with the purchase of $15, which is a unique aspect, considering O’s is located in downtown Grand Rapids.  With about a five minute walk to McKay Tower located across Rosa Parks Circle, this convenience is very viable to those who work or live there or for those who work on Monroe Avenue or anywhere else nearby.

When ordering, pizzas come in two sizes: 12 inches or 16 inches.  Considering we were a family of four, we ordered a 16 inch pizza, half cheese, half Special Supreme.  The second half of our pizza consisted of many toppings ranging from pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage, onions, green olives, and several others.

Service at Big O’ Cafe was average.  The staff is very kind and welcoming to all; however, there was nothing exceptional other than what is normally expected.

Fresh out of the oven, we were served our special ordered pizza.  It was steaming hot and visually appealing. The taste, however, truly says it all.

The combination of crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings are very proportionally ideal.  Not a single part of the pizza overpowered another.  However, O’s pizza could be considered slightly greasy, which may not appeal to everyone.

In my opinion, Big O’ Cafe’s pizza redefines quality compared to other local pizza parlors in Ada and Cascade, such as Vitale’s, Little Caesar’s, or Jet’s. O’s is far from average, and provides exceptional flavor with little to no room for improvement.

If you happen to be in the downtown Grand Rapids area, it is more than suggested to dine at Big O’ Cafe.  Your favorite pizza parlor may change after just one visit.