Marchese's Olive Pit

Passing through Milwaukee, I stopped here on a whim. I saw that they have happy hour specials from 3-6pm, so I couldn't pass it up. I took full advantage and got a $3 draft beer and a half priced pizza.

The decor is warm and trying to be retro/modern, with a long bar, modern tables and a back room complete with a fireplace. Several flat screen tvs were playing various movies and animal shows which didn't seem to fit with everything else that was going on in the restaurant. Perhaps some old Fred Astaire or James Dean flicks would have been better.

The pizza was pretty good--standard rectangular thin crust with flavorful toppings. It helps that it was half off too!

They have a huge wine selection, which I didn't try since there were beer specials. The staff was friendly and helpful, but not too in-your-face. I expect this place will do well once they get a few regulars from the neighborhood and it becomes more lived-in.

$5.00 for a slice of pizza? I don't give a damn how good it is, that's BS. This is Milwaukee. Hellooooo? The best pizza slices in the world in first class cities cost WAY LESS (and taste better, too).

Nonsense, really.

OK, so I'm a snob. So what.

Ugh god. OK, lets just start off.. the food was very good (please take that to heart before reading on) but we don't think we can ever go back .. maybe for take out....?

We went in with a large party... which turned out to be a mistake because it was the worst service we have had in a long time. To be fair "A" has been here several times and the service was always fine. ... and this was echoed by multiple people... so we are not saying don't go here...

The place has a nice vibe with a large bar and just a handful of tables. Off the main room there is a second room that has one large table and a few couches and smaller tables. Its a nice layout because the room feels private but you are still very much a part of the main area. The menu has a few salads and spreads for apps but other than that it is all thin crust pizza (with a good list of specialty pizzas and of course you can build your own).

So on to the saga....We went with a group of about 10 for a friends birthday, she pre ordered pizzas with the idea that this would get the group started and we could build from there. The pizzas were supposed to be out at 830 (and we knew because it said it on the bill), but hey didn't come till 9:15 why this was we don't know..no one bothered to tell us.

Were just going to list the problems with the service:
A drink was spilled on one of us, three of us didn't get to order, (no one was asked if we wanted to order more than the pre- ordered things) and were told, "when i get a second,"
after the second time we asked to order, "K" did manage to order, and yes, even though it was a special order (just toppings on a plate...not hard), it wasn't put in because the server thought, "we didn't want it" (and there was a picture drawn on it for better explanation!)
the water was never refilled,
drinks took an exceptionally long time, and there wasn't enough of a crowd there to make the drink times that long,

BUT the main thing is that there were no apologies. no sorry. not once.

SO, lets just leave it at that the food is great, there are options for no matter what your preference is; meat, veggies, or vegan, but dear god... its hard to shake the experience. We are giving them 2 stars but we would consider adding a star or two if we found out that server was gone.

This place had always intrigued me as I drove by. At first I didn't know if it was a martini bar or a pizza place. I finally decided to give it a try last night.

It's located on 1st street in the Walker's Point area. We didn't have a problem finding parking on the street. The inside of the restaurant is quaint, with a large bar to your left as you enter. We were seated and brought menus. I tried out their Chartreuse Green drink with club soda. It was a tad too sweet for me, but I was happy they offered something a bit different. My wife had a martini made with Rehorst, which was HUGE! I've only seen martinis that big at a couple other places. They focus on serving Great Lakes distillery products, which is great for supporting the local products.

The pizzas listed are pretty standard, with a couple interesting ones thrown in. For example, the Ty's 'All-In' pizza is a double-decker pepperoni. They do have vegan options, which was a plus for my wife. We decided to get the Big Daddy antipasto and a red sauce pizza with artichokes, raw onions and vegan cheese.

The antipasto took a while to come out and arrived about 5 minutes before the pizza did, which made the small table a bit crowded. The antipasto plate itself was a little underwhelming. The menu described it as "a mini Italian buffet" served with meats, vegetables, cheeses olives served over a small garden salad with tomato slices. The amount of food was okay, but the garden salad was nothing but a bed of spinach leaves. I will say that the prosciutto served was very good. The olives came in their own little cup, but the rest of the selection lacked feeling. There were some pepperoni slices, a ball of fresh mozzarella, a couple pepper slices, two anchovy fillets and a deli slice of provolone. It was served with their bread and a balsamic vinegar dressing. The menu calls it their famous fresh bread, but I don't know...it was just bread. There was nothing that really stood out about it.

As for the pizza, its strong point is definitely the cracker-thin crust. It's the type of crust that would stay crispy even if you got a double pepperoni pizza dripping with grease. The red sauce was also pretty good, but I think I could have done without the vegan cheese, which is obviously not the restaurant's fault. Some vegan cheeses are better than others.

While I wasn't unhappy eating there, something tells me that I won't be going back anytime soon. It's not so much the food as it is the atmosphere. They have those cool stainless steel chairs, but they sure are uncomfortable to sit in and the place felt really cold. And although the restaurant wasn't even half full, it felt cramped. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend this place if someone asked me about it. It's just that when I think about my meal here I simply say, "meh."

OK, I've been here many many times....I'd love to give more Olive Pit more stars, but I agree with lots of other reviewers. Service is not that great. The pizza is really really good, but order the second you sit down if you want to be in and out in 1 hour. If you are cool with lounging around, take your time then.

I've also learned to be forward about asking for more water, another drink or rearranging tables.....if you don't take initiative, they won't or it will take the server forever to get it done.

I know most people go out to get waited on hand and foot, but with pizza and lots of friends, it's a cheap dinner so I can handle a little less service.

Try Olive Pit out. Just go with an open mind,some time to spare and relax.

I agree with the other comment about Dan's Vegan Pizza.
I stopped in last fall, I think, and we were worried about the vegan cheese so we asked for it only on half.
It was great with or without it but it was very likely the best vegan cheese I ever had in my life.

This review comes from a vegan point of view. I think I have a new favorite pizzeria in Milwaukee. I went to Marchese's Olive Pit last night for the first time and I have to say I was absolutely floored by how delicious their vegan pizza is. We ordered two pizzas, Dan's Vegan (an Olive Pit original pizza) and Doc's Garden with vegan cheese. The former is a pizza with olive oil, garlic and oil brushed on the crust then topped with soy cheese, kalamata olives and serrano peppers. It is on the no red sauce section of their menu. The latter is a pizza with delicious red sauce, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, and cheese. Normally, it comes with dairy cheese, but we ordered it with vegan cheese. The service and atmosphere were both great.

All of the pizzas have a fairly thin crust, and the no red sauce ones come out a little crispier than the red sauce ones. If you go with a group of people, I suggest getting one of each because they're both good in their respective ways.

I now understand why there's often a wait for a table at this restaurant. The food, service, and atmosphere are all top notch. I will be returning very soon.

good food and service

I love the smell of pizza

smells like victory

I'm going to start with a disclaimer that I've only had lunch here. And for that, they've got an off-the-beaten-path list of interesting pizzas on their menu both as pies AND slices -- and slices are such a deal if you're looking to stop in for a quick workday lunch.

My one qualm is that everything errs a bit on the greasier side, and tastes, well, just OK. But they do a respectable job holding their ground given that they've got some stiff competition from other pizza spots in the area (ahem, Transfers).

I was very impressed with Marchese's - the staff was friendly and helpful, the pizza was delicious and made with high-quality ingredients and they had a decent-sized beer and wine list.

After dinner, stay for a cocktail at the gorgeous, copper-topped bar.

They offer free WiFi and serve pizza by the slice for lunch (or until it runs out).