Big Fred's (117th and Pacific)

[nebugeater]

I've never been a huge fan of Big Fred's (I'm not from Omaha, originally). But it sits on the outside of my neighborhood so I'm keenly aware of how packed it is pretty much ALL day and night. But for the last several months the parking lot has barely been 1/3 full and that's when they're busy. Does anyone know why the sudden HUGE drop off in their business? We got pizza from there the other night and the toppings were much less generous than usual. But that's hardly a good reason for business to have dropped off like it has. What gives?

Streets magic worked & they are busier than ever...just that everyone walked there.  The cars are just to show how people used to get there.  

Walkable, baby, walkable.

Now if the first post is truly from someone new and not someone that has looked here a bunch without registering you have them totally confused.

[Brad]

May be people got confused when they took the Awnings down for a couple weeks?  

I don't think the food has changed too much in the past year or two?  Service at lunch can be very hit or miss.

[LorieJ]

I've never been a huge fan of Big Fred's (I'm not from Omaha, originally). But it sits on the outside of my neighborhood so I'm keenly aware of how packed it is pretty much ALL day and night. But for the last several months the parking lot has barely been 1/3 full and that's when they're busy. Does anyone know why the sudden HUGE drop off in their business? We got pizza from there the other night and the toppings were much less generous than usual. But that's hardly a good reason for business to have dropped off like it has. What gives?

Streets magic worked & they are busier than ever...just that everyone walked there.  The cars are just to show how people used to get there.  

Walkable, baby, walkable.

Now if the first post is truly from someone new and not someone that has looked here a bunch without registering you have them totally confused.

Ha! The first post is from someone new and I am totally confused. But hey, I'll roll with it!

[nebugeater]

I've never been a huge fan of Big Fred's (I'm not from Omaha, originally). But it sits on the outside of my neighborhood so I'm keenly aware of how packed it is pretty much ALL day and night. But for the last several months the parking lot has barely been 1/3 full and that's when they're busy. Does anyone know why the sudden HUGE drop off in their business? We got pizza from there the other night and the toppings were much less generous than usual. But that's hardly a good reason for business to have dropped off like it has. What gives?

Streets magic worked & they are busier than ever...just that everyone walked there.  The cars are just to show how people used to get there.  

Walkable, baby, walkable.

Now if the first post is truly from someone new and not someone that has looked here a bunch without registering you have them totally confused.

Ha! The first post is from someone new and I am totally confused. But hey, I'll roll with it!

Well welcome then,   Come on in and join in.  There is a nice mix of people that are here a lot, here a little, post a lot and post a little. Join in at whatever ever level you want.


As for Big Fred's.   Amazingly that is one place I have never been too!

[OmahaJaysCU]

I eat there for lunch once a month, its always packed when I'm there.

[Linkin5]

Never understood why this place is popular, not bad pizza but just mediocre.

[Brad]

Never understood why this place is popular, not bad pizza but just mediocre.

I am a little too young to remember, but I think may be "Fred" was part of the draw?  Did I hear he was a cop and new lots of people in Omaha?

For me, I go there for lunch because its right up the street from me.

[Coyote]

But do you walk there?  :;):

[Brad]

But do you walk there?  :;):

Nope.  1 or 2 min drive or a 15 min walk...

[S33]

I noticed an immediate change a couple years back under the new ownership. The square pizzas were round, and the service had really gone downhill. Haven't been back in a while, but maybe that has changed again.

[Big E]

Not new ownership.  Fred died and his son, Phil, took over.  I believe Fred's widow, Rosie, is still heavily involved.

To my knowledge they've never had square pizzas...?  To my knowledge it's always been round pizzas with the slices cut into squares.

[Brad]

She runs the register right?

I have never seen a square pizza at Big Fred's

[S33]

Hmm, not sure why I remember square pizzas. Regardless, the Pizza was good last time I was there, which is all that matters. My first picks are still Zio's and La Casa, though.

[mr. omaha]

Orsi's pizza is where it's at.

Two turntables and a microphone.

[jessep28]

Hmm, not sure why I remember square pizzas. Regardless, the Pizza was good last time I was there, which is all that matters. My first picks are still Zio's and La Casa, though.

Maybe you were thinking of Mama's?

[TechnicalDisaster]

Hmm, not sure why I remember square pizzas. Regardless, the Pizza was good last time I was there, which is all that matters. My first picks are still Zio's and La Casa, though.

aybe you were thinking of Mama's?

I don't think Mama's does square pizza's either.  Only one I know that does square pizza is LaCasa's.  

Best Pizza in Omaha is Oscar's.  It's a travesty that they are only located out west.

[Big E]

Only one I know that does square pizza is LaCasa's.

Orsi's does squares, although they also do rectangles.

[mgmlot93]

Honestly, I have never been a fan of Big Freds. I'll take Orsi, Sortinos or Mamas anyday over BF.

[bigredmed]

Only one I know that does square pizza is LaCasa's.

Orsi's does squares, although they also do rectangles.

Mamas cuts their large into squares and they will do so in the smaller sizes if you ask.   Love square pizza.

[bbinks]

Things seemed to change after Bruening passed away.  The kids do not run the place the same way.  I've had some bad food and service since they took over.

[LorieJ]

Things seemed to change after Bruening passed away.  The kids do not run the place the same way.  I've had some bad food and service since they took over.

No question the service is consistently bad, no matter what time of day. If you want to sit at the bar and eat you have to flag down a waitress rather than order from the bartender. And the waitresses usually aren't interested in helping bar customers. The only thing worse than the table service is the service you get at the cash register when you place a to go order. Seriously? How is that actually possible? All you have to do is take my name, find my order and be pleasant. The find my order and be pleasant parts seem to be too much of a stretch for the counter staff every time I go in there. I understand why I don't like the place, I just don't understand why, all of a sudden, no one else seems to like it either. It just seems like such a huge swing in popular opinion.

[bbinks]

Its actually been over a year since I was there.   Added it to my list of places to not patronize.   The last visit -- the pizza order took nearly 45 mins to come out.  One pizza, piping hot, the other, barely warm.  So they re-made one that was likely made wrong and let the other get cold is all I can think of.  The right thing to do would have been to remake both, or bring one out while the other is remade.   Customers should not have to flag a waitress for tea and pop refills either.   The visit before that,  I made a carry-out order there.  They made the pizza, and forgot I was there waiting.  Another warm pizza.    

They really need to get their poop together.

[OmahaJaysCU]

Never understood why this place is popular, not bad pizza but just mediocre.

Prime Rib lunch special and/or their lunch sandwiches...er...maybe thats just me...

[Omababe]

Never understood why this place is popular, not bad pizza but just mediocre.

I would sure choose a place like Big Fred's (or La Casa or ...) over, say, Pizza Hut or Olive Garden.

[HskrFanMike]

Are the onion rings still good?  I have to admit that it's been a few years since I had Fred's...but I loved their rings.  The reports that it's gone downhill have kept me away, but one of these days, I'll have to get back...

[anonymous 2]

Actually I heard John Mutante will be the new owner of Big Fred's.

[Brad]

According to Grow Omaha, Big Fred's will be remodeling this spring and be finished by June.

I posted in a different thread a while back that the sign seemed to be having some issues, but it was working again the other day.

[bbinks]

It needed a remodel 10 years ago. Good for them at any rate.

[BPHusker]

Is it going to be closed during the remodel?

[Brad]

Friends. We are pleased to announce the start of a major restoration project at the restaurant. Improvements will include the complete demolition and rebuilding of our bathrooms, the installation of tap beer (our most frequent request!), installation of sliding doors in our south room to allow for private party reservations, relocation of the office and storage space and much more. We will remain open through the entirety of the project which we expect to last about four months. We are happy to answer any questions you have about the project. Come in and watch the progress!

[nativeomahan]

You have to remodel a restaurant in order to have tap beer?

And by the way, Big Fred's is at 119th and Pacific. Two blocks east is purely residential.

[GRANDPASMUCKER]

We bought a large hamburger, mushroom and black olive pizza at Big Freds the other day. It tasted Ok but was very unimpressive. Talk about stingy. You could hardly find any mushrooms or black olives and the cheese covering was thin. Not worth the $26 bucks just for the pizza alone. We were not surprised as we already knew that Big Freds as we once knew it has been gone for 25 years. I would take Godfathers over this pizza and its cheaper. I could see Big Freds being so stingy with the toppings if they were charging $10 bucks for the pizza but for for $26 the customer deserves a lot better then what they are serving. I had not been there for a year or so and I think it might be 2 or 3 years before I go back again unless someone drags me there.

[NEDodger]

I've never understood the fascination so many people have with this place. For the type of pizza/atmosphere, Mama's is way superior.

[nativeomahan]

We used to frequent Big Fred's monthly, back in the Stone Age when I was a kid. I remember attending birthday parties for elementary school classmates, back in the 1960s and 1970s. The place was unique in Omaha back then (believe it or not there weren't many locally owned pizzerias in Omaha in those years).
And over the decades we still ordered take out every Christmas Eve. Then one year we all just had one of those V-8 moments and realized that the pizzas were more greasy than good, and we're super expensive for what you got. So we switched to Valentino's, which, while no longer the best pizza in town, wasn't as expensive, or as greasy, and we were able to order pasta casseroles along with our pizza.
I have no idea whether Big Fred's is still busy on week nights, like it used to be. I don't think I have eaten there in about ten years.

[bigredmed]

I live near there and it is still busy. I haven't been there in about 8 years, so I can't comment on the food. Was never a fan. It's big boost was that in the 60-70's, it was the only game in town west of 680 except for a crappy place in Millard. It basically had Millard for a fan base and it had only Sortinos place in 66 as competition. Once that started, they could roll with the repeat business.

Same with Val's. They had no competition in Lincoln, and even though their pizza is just awful, they made money at it and rolled with repeat business from families that knew no better.

[Coyote]

I was last in Big Fred's with a friend last December and hardly any around us ordered pizza. I had their Prime Rib Sandwich, which we were told they only had one left, and she had their Pasta Mostaccioli with Pork Tenderloin Cutlets. Their Onion Rings were subpar and their beer selection was horrible, a Michelob Amberbock was their 'craft beer'. I can't remember the last time I thought of going there for pizza, but I'm a La Casa and Mama's fan.

[RNcyanide]

I've only had their pizza once. All of the toppings were stuck to the lid of the box.

[Linkin5]

I've only had their pizza once. All of the toppings were stuck to the lid of the box.

Did that feature cost extra?

[BPHusker]

The only thing I ever get there anymore is the pasta and prime rib sandwiches. The pizza is terrible and I'd rather go to Oscars or PizzaWest.

[Omababe]

Pizza is something that is soooo subjective! Not everyone can ever agree on what is good or bad.

The place does a good business at least when I've been in there recently.