Pompeii Pizzeria

My wife and I finally had the opportunity to enjoy lunch together at Pompeii, a experience that I had previously shared with friends and colleagues. I appreciate their unique approach to wood-fired pizza. We indulged in the Mediterranean pizza and the Chicken Gorgonzola salad during our visit. The only issue we encountered was the noise level, which was elevated by a group of 10 ladies seated nearby.

Where's the pepperoni? I ordered two traditional pizzas that you really can't mess up. I wanted to get a good taste for their brick oven pizza. I saw people's reviews so I tried calling them to place an order. After connecting with their answering machine four times, I waited a few more minutes to call back. Wow, they must be so busy that they can't get to the phone, I thought. This place must be great. Again, I was excited to try a traditional pepperoni pizza and a sausage and onion pizza. I was surprised when the guy said that they would be ready in ten minutes. Maybe they are not that busy, I thought. I waited at the counter to have my pizzas boxed up. The guy kept reinserting them into the oven, which I thought was strange. I watched him poor some wine for a lady at the til. And, then repoored it again before he stepped away and told another employee my name and asked him to take care of my order. This guy walks up, diggs his hand into the tip jar and removes all of its contents right in front of me. I'm thinking, that is tacky, and please don't touch my food now. He returns to the counter and asks me if he can take my order for here or to go. I pointed to my two pizzas and told him those are mine. Finally, I get home and look forward to some 4Plus star pizza. I'm looking at them and thinking "not very appitizing." There was very little toppings on the pepperoni and I was not sure what to think of the mound of onions on the other with some very pale looking sausage placed around. I grabbed a slice of the sausage/onion and the edge was fine, but the center was a soggy, floppy mess. All of the topping slid off of the slimy, drooping slice. Next, I searched the pepperoni pizza for a piece that I could actually find a slice of pepperoni on it. This pizza was not as soggy and would have scored higher if there was a slice of pepperoni on each piece. I don't think I will make an effort to try this establishment again. Sorry.

Absolutely one of the best pizza places in the state of Minnesota! All menu items are delicious and made with high-quality ingredients, but their seasonal items take it to a whole new level. And don't forget about their salad. They're fresh, crunchy, flavorful, and absolutely packed with seasonal ingredients. The staff are great, and the atmosphere is comfortable and unique. On top of that, it's in downtown Elk River, so there's a lot of fun stuff going on nearby.

So my wife and I went to our local dealership that was having an event, and there was a food truck serving wood-fired pizzas. When we arrived, they were no longer there, and since we were craving pizza, we decided to look on Google to see where we could go to get some brick oven pizza. We found Pompeii, so we decided to ride the motorcycle over and see what this place had to offer. When we first got there, the GPS took us to the back, and we didn't see a sign or anything letting us know it was Pompeii. However, as we got closer, we saw a smaller sign letting us know we were at the right place. There was plenty of parking, which was a plus. Also, when we walked in, we were greeted by two gentlemen, and they took our order. My wife ordered the Taste of Italy, and I ordered the Pompeii Margherita pizza with two fountain drinks. They brought the pizzas to us, and they smelled delicious. Once we took a slice of pizza, it was game over. The pizza was very flavorful and quite different from any other Margherita pizza I've ever had. My wife was also pleasantly surprised with her pizza. The decor wasn't anything fancy but was nice and not over the top. There was one hiccup, but Aaron and the staff made it right. We will definitely return to see if we can have service without any hiccups.

Pompeii has excellent non traditional woodfired pizza definitely one of the best around. Salad also great flavors.

Have been coming here for about 12 years now. Always excellent pizza with innovative seasonal menu in addition to excellent standards (Francessca Glaze!) A few years ago something changed in management and service suffered but in recent years they've made huge improvements for the better. Fast, friendly, and CORRECT orders again! Hallelujah! So nice to have a great pizza place

Absolutely phenomenal! Brick oven pizza at it's finest, we ordered the artichoke dip, the Napa and the Shroomi. The artichoke dip was creamy and flavorful, amazing served as a topping, the red sauce on the Shroomi was vibrant and extremely well balanced, and the toppings on the Napa were very well compiled. Truly outstanding pizza, I was thoroughly impressed.

If you're claustrophobic, don't don't in. I was literally running my back against the lady behind me due to close quarters. Service was great. Pizza was okay. They focus on personal pizzas. And mostly on fancy stuff. Sausage pizza was okay, but not for me. Unlikely to come back.

So my wife and I went to our local dealership that was having an event, and there was a food truck serving wood-fired pizzas. When we arrived, they were no longer there, and since we were craving pizza, we decided to look on Google to see where we could go to get some brick oven pizza. We found Pompeii, so we decided to ride the motorcycle over and see what this place had to offer. When we first got there, the GPS took us to the back, and we didn't see a sign or anything letting us know it was Pompeii. However, as we got closer, we saw a smaller sign letting us know we were at the right place. There was plenty of parking, which was a plus. Also, when we walked in, we were greeted by two gentlemen, and they took our order. My wife ordered the Taste of Italy, and I ordered the Pompeii Margherita pizza with two fountain drinks. They brought the pizzas to us, and they smelled delicious. Once we took a slice of pizza, it was game over. The pizza was very flavorful and quite different from any other Margherita pizza I've ever had. My wife was also pleasantly surprised with her pizza. The decor wasn't anything fancy but was nice and not over the top. There was one hiccup, but Aaron and the staff made it right. We will definitely return to see if we can have service without any hiccups.

An Elk River MUST! Visited Pompeii Pizzeria after five years of living out of state! I was impressed with the cleanliness of the restaurant and we were immediately greeted by the two gentlemen working behind the counter. I went ahead and order their classic pepperoni Pompeii Margherita as well as one of their seasonal pizzas called Mele Gorgonzola. This pizza has Creme fraiche topped with Italian seasoning, gorgonzola cheese, prosciutto, pears, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Finished with a balsamic glaze The absolute perfect mix of sweet and savory! While dining, staffed checked in on us and later asked if we wanted any to go boxes. Super friendly and great service! Will absolutely recommend this pizzeria to friends and family and can't wait to stop in again to try another delicious pizza!

It's a pizza, that's about it Prices are a little high in my opinion Good location easy to park and pick up on the way home

Trying a lot of local eateries as we visit town and this was a good one! We got takeaway and pizzas were hot, accurately made, and flavorful. The margherita and cheese pizza are essentially the same with/without basil. Artichoke dip pizza and flatbread were family favorites! Drizzled balsamic glaze on both and it was spectacular! Would definitely try again. :)

Having been here several times recently I continue to think that this is some of the best Neapolitan pizza in The Cities. The crusts are crispy and smokey, the toppings are interesting and both authentic and unusual, take your pick. A shout out to the salads as well. They have unusual and interesting flavor combos and are very fresh. Ask for them to be light on the dressing, sometimes they go a little crazy. Wine pours go to the top of the glass and almost require you to take a sip without lifting the glass up.

Small little spot with counter service, but some really solid pizza. I'd say what really stands out to me here is the unique variations they have on top of more traditional styles. For instance, I loved the hot honey which is a staple nowadays, but the peach pizza was completely unexpected. Never seen anything like it and it was totally enjoyable. Will return to keep trying some of their already unique menu items, but also to try some of their seasonal variations which keep it even more interesting!

Had an overall lackluster lunch at Pompeii Pizzeria. You order at the counter. Beverages and silverware are self serve at the counter. We ordered the Fresh Chard pizza, a Hot Honey pizza and a Cesar salad. I'd order the food again, though I thought the hot honey pizza could have been cooked longer. The main issue was how dirty the restaurant was. Tables weren't cleaned quickly between customers. And even then only plates were picked up. We were also given dirty plates. It's not an overly large restaurant. Any party over four I would recommend takeout.

I have read a number of good reviews about Pompeii and have been extremely excited to try it out. It, unfortunately, didn't quite live up to my expectations. Maybe I overhyped myself a little. Located in downtown Elk River, it has a quaint, nice small town feel to it. Nice little dining area in the front with the pizza oven in the back. We walked up to the counter to order and were greeted in an awkward manner and the entire ordering experience stayed that way. Awkward. The kid seemed annoyed by our business and not thrilled to be taking our order. We went with a salad and two pizzas. The salad was good. Would have been lights out if the lettuce wasn't so wilty and soggy. The vinaigrette dressing was excellent in my opinion but not for the weak hearted. Both pizzas were just okay. They both were just slightly undercooked in my opinion and a little doughy. These are cooked in a gas over, not wood fired, leaving the pizza with a weird undercarriage and a slight gas taste. I really wanted to love this place but it fell a little short. There are a ton of pizza options on the menu and they all sound excellent. Unfortunately I think they will always fall short with the gas oven.

Phenomenal pizza!!! So happy with our visit and stop here today to celebrate a birthday!

There's all kinds of pizza places out there, but not many like Pompeii. It's a bit pricey, but ya get what ya pay for. This place has amazing pizzas! It's usually very busy, so plan it out. It's a small place, so it fills up fast.

First time eating there tonight. I ordered the "Shroomi". Kind of a bummer because there were not many mushrooms on it at all ton of garlic though. With a description titled that I would expect many more mushrooms. A was disappointed but the pizza crust and sauce was delicious!

Ordered our food and the pizza came out in 5 minutes! Service was great food was amazing! I ordered the hot honey pizza and it was great. if you like honey you should definitely get this. The classic was great too! There is pepper flakes on the table too to add some flavor which is perfect. Definitely would come back if I have the chance.

Elk River doesn't have much, but what it does have, is the best Napoli-style pizza in the northern Twin Cities suburbs. My family and I have been here multiple times and each time we are impressed/blown away by their topping combinations and crust. For me, pizza crust is the unsung hero that should always be the main act. But in most places, it's billed as the supporting actor. HERE the crust is the pizza art canvas. Creating edible cheesy masterpieces. My ONE complaint is that they don't have any pineapple pizza toppings. Oh boo hoo, pizza purists! Pineapple on pizza is like a rebellious ray of sunshine in a world of traditional toppings. Live a little! ...and it's my way of tricking myself into thinking I'm making healthy choices. Check them out!

Our family loves this place. The pizza is amazing. The salads are too. The variety means everyone is happy and I personally think the seasonal menu is creative and always delicious. The dining area is small but works. You order and pay at the counter. They will bring your food out when prepared. This family of 5 highly recommends you stop and give it a try.

If you're in town and hungry for pizza this place is a must! The pizza here is so good and it's made over a fire oven! The employees here are helpful and nice! This is a nice local business you definitely can see how much dedication they put in!

Wow - first class pizza in old downtown Elk River - thumbs up! I don't dish out many 5 star reviews but this place deserves it. I definitely had a 5 star experience. I'm usually not a big fan of Neopolitan Style pizza but these people rock it out and made me a believer! I tried the Bruschetta, a small Napoli Pizza, a Pila Alta sandwich to go, and an order of 2 Canoli. And I washed it all down with a Surly Furious, on tap. They have a huge selection of interesting specialty pizzas. They also have a list of seasonal specialty pizzas. Very cool! Every mouthful of food I had was wonderful. I wouldn't hesitate to go back again...and again...and again! I saw a few reviews that complained about slow service. I didn't experience that problem. My food came out lightning fast. Thanks, Pompeii Pizzeria! -Daddy Maxx Retro

This is a great addition to Elk River...Heck, these guys would be a great addition to any community! This is a wonderful, fresh, Neapolitan style pizza place! We have eaten here several times and it's the perfect "covid" solution, what better to pick up and bring home for dinner! I will say, all the past visits have been a solid 4 Star pie...with my daughter trying the Napa Chicken pizza I decided to try the same sort of thing but with a buffalo sauce! This was one of the best Chicken pizzas I have ever had and the reason for the 5 Star review! The chicken on this pizza, the spice in the sauce was very good! The white sauce that was on it and the cheese were dang near perfect! So, so good!! I would always recommend this place to anyone I meet, now with this chicken pizza it is even more likely...a must try! KT

Pompeii Pizzeria has been a staple to one of my favorite pizzerias for the better of 10 plus years now. The Francesca's Glace is my all-time favorite since they released it as a seasonal pizza, but once it became a standard on the menu, I've gotten it every time. Great service, and perfect small town ambiance with outdoor seating. Must try!

Amazing food, service and atmosphere! First timers trying it out! We let our child choose his own topping... honestly I thought he wouldn't eat it! He ate 1/2 the pizza! Which is a lot for him!! They are allergy friendly and took great care to make sure my pizza was done correctly. I would highly recommend !

A small cafe style restaurant with wooden booths. You order at the counter and they bring the food out to you when it's done, which is fast! The pizzas are cooked in a hot hot oven and are done within 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn your mouth! The pizzas are personal size. I had the Cortina. I couldn't really taste the goat cheese flavor much, but overall it was tasty. Hubby had a build your own starting with margarita base and he said the sauce was outstanding. The crusts on both were thin and crispy. My daughter had the Roman which she really enjoyed. She said it had just a slight zing in the sausage which she enjoyed. My son in law had the Molto Picante and he said it was very good. The crusts on theirs were a little more soft, especially in the middle, than the other two probably because they had more ingredients on their pizzas. In all, everyone enjoyed their pizzas!

I got the pepperoni and hot honey pizza and also the lime cucumber w feta pizza. Both are seasonal. The pepperoni was amazing! I am craving it as I type!!! The lime was just not good! They put solid lime slices on the pizza.... What? The flavor was good but I spent 5 mins picking limes off the pizza... it made no sense. Maybe it was made wrong?

I tried a new pizza place today. Looking on their website, they do have some interesting and unique pizzas. Just check out the seasonal offerings on their website! Maybe you'll find a new pizza to try that you've never even heard of. I tried the Bleu Moon pizza which includes créme fraiche, prosciutto, chicken, and gorgonzola. The pizza comes in a personal size with 6 slices. You could share with 2 people but I would recommend getting 1 pizza per person and sharing to try multiple kinds (or keeping one all to yourself because it is pretty good). The pizza was made fairly quick and comes in a small sturdy box for pickup. The crust was a good thickness and had a little bit of char *insert chef kiss here*. The toppings were well represented for a personal size, just perfect. The only downsize was the middle did fall apart a little bit upon picking it up to eat. I would definitely visit again for the same pizza and to try something new!

Have been coming here for years. Food gets better and better. Service was lacking with the previous owners but we overlooked it since the pizzas were so good. Hoping service comes around with the new ownership.

t Elk River would have such good pizza! The staff was wonderful... The pizza was wonderful AND you can get gluten free pizza dough!

Pompeii pizza is one of theee top pizza places in the Twin Cities. Their margarita pizza is to die for. Plus their service is second to no one. My only complaint is I wish they were in a bigger restaurant. That way I could have bigger parties there.

The staff make or break a business... we had the rudest man take our order. He literally flung the number plaque at us - hard across the counter. Not in a funny type of movement but really almost aggressive. My mouth dropped. My husband flung it back at him. It was a very strange/ unpleasant encounter. Our pizza crust was very over proofed. Not anything like we've had before. This used to one of our favorite spots in town.

Wonderful pizza baked in this Super hot oven in our little downtown Elk River. It's a close reminder of the little restaurants In France...I adore this pizza ..always reminds me of France and the wonderful times we had there.the flavors,smells,and sounds...

Our family love's Pompeii! We have been at least 20 times - probably more. The pizza's are great! Neapolitan pizzas baked in the stone oven with quality ingredients. The Cortina is my go to pizza! The crispy, chewy crust with a perfect balance of flavors from the prosciutto, goat cheese, cracked red peppers, and garlic. You will not be disappointed by the pizza. Now the service - that is hit of miss. Miss usually. The place is poorly managed. They do not answer the phone. The tables don't get cleaned as customers come and go. But we keep coming back. The pizza is worth the lack of service - and any other short-coming that exists.

Amazing fire baked pizza and great staff!! Self serve. Beer & wine. They also have a small outdoor sitting area.

My favorite type of pizza is Neapolitan style, and this is definitely up there with some of the best! Delicious toppings, and cooked perfectly in the fired grill. The cannoli was just okay, nothing special and the tables on the back patio were pretty dirty. We chose this place because they were dog friendly, and we don't regret it though. Tucked away from the city, but amazing pizza! This is worth the stop if you are in the area.

I love the seasoning. I love the variety of Pizzas I can choose from. I appreciate the texture of the crust on my Pizza. In the future I plan to buy a Pizza from Your restaurant.

Still on hold. Hmm Voicemail says they will be next in line and continues to state they are open. THAN it hangs up after a few rounds. We decide to Stop over to location and the business is closed Whatt?? July 3-5 Great for employees BUT how about informing the public at large about your changes??? Please use technology to assist the people who try to continue to keep you in business. We miss ypur pizza.

I'll make it short and simple- this place has the BEST pizza and the WORST service. We drive way out of our way to come here because we love the pizza that much. The teenagers that work here are kind. The man child that manages it is terribly unprofessional. I'm horrified he's still employed there because he just puts a horrible taste in my mouth. I'd like to speak with the owner regarding this matter because it's just not acceptable. We love this place so much, but this manager needs to go. He's grumpy, has a bad attitude, hung up on me tonight (and was rude when he picked up.) He's gossiped, rolled his eyes, etc in front of me and my spouse. We laugh at how grumpy he is. Dear owner, please do something about this. Forgot to mention when we came here for Valentine's Day I called ahead to make a reservation and see if we could order pizza rather than their really fancy courses (looks amazing btw) and this same manager guy said yes, we could make reservations for pizza for that day. We got there on Valentine's Day, sat down, and let them know we wanted to order some pizza. They said they couldn't serve us and that we could do takeout, but in all honesty after having a reservation, I wanted to sit down and enjoy my meal. The manager denied our conversation when his colleague asked him about it. He barely even raised his head. We left and went somewhere else for Valentine's Day. What the heck is going on with this place? Please step up.

I've worked in the restaurant industry all my life in some pretty fancy places and I'm self consciously a bit of a food snob. At the risk of sounding pretentious, "I've had better" is a thought that enters my mind more often than not when eating out. The pizza here is SO dang good. Amazing. Like, ethereal. This is undoubtedly my new benchmark for what great pizza really should be like. From now on, every time I'll eat pizza somewhere else, I can gratefully think of Pompeii and honestly say, "I've had better". Sometimes, I go out and the food is pretty good but its just so rare that I get blown away like I did my first time at Pompeii. You guys, I applaud your dominance at your craft!

Service was TERRIBLE. I went here with my friend on a Friday night, so we understood why the wait was a bit long. What was ridiculous was that we waited over THIRTY MINUTES and only received half our food. Isaac at the counter didn't seem to have enough training and told both me and my friend that they did not have something available, but then changed his mind. He did not ring up my drink or my friend's FOOD. The caprese sandwich was alright but I wasn't expecting it to be cold. I've heard a lot of good reviews from friends but my own experience makes me not want to come back. Disappointed.

The pizza is decent for Elk River but their customer service is the worst. If they get too busy they take the phone off the hook & make up a story about it not being able to charge. The pizza was the best in town with the original owner but no longer. They don't care if you are wearing a mask or not. They do not have online ordering, hello 2021! I would skip this and go to Minneapolis or up to Princeton to The Alpha & Omega pizza Farm where you get excellent customer service and delicious pizza. Save your money! This restaurant has the worst customer service I have ever experienced.

Tried this one again...still mixed results. Wish a small, local restaurant would be a better experience. A panini should be a warm, smashed sandwich, not a cold (chicken pieces still frozen) disaster with shredded cheese that literally won't stay in the thin pita bread. Really annoyed at the price and the fact that they wouldn't either specify this is a COLD sandwich, or that they wouldn't stick it into the Oven for a couple of min to let the cheese melt and the chicken thaw out.

Edges of the pizza were burned and the middle was soggy. Ambiance was so so, not Romantic nor family oriented.

Absolutely amazing pizza. My favorite pizza place. Top tier in all their ingredients. The crust is insane. They are also very quick with your food and have fun seasonal items!

Okay here's the thing, I have to give this 3 stars because the pizza is AMAZING. Hands down my favorite. It has to be though otherwise there is NO WAY this place would still be open! It's got a cute little location in downtown Elk River but it's not very clean or well maintained and the customer service is ATROCIOUS. I'm not sure how they manage to keep making such amazing food with such poorly managed staffing but they do. It's a pizza miracle!! I have never been there where I haven't seen at least 2 justifiably angry customers and we pretty much just assume that part of our order will be forgotten every time. We really only eat here anymore when we just can't fight the craving for their pizza any longer. One time we were there and two senior staff members were visibly humiliating a younger staff member for his poor performance, RIGHT IN THE MAIN DINING AREA IN FRONT OF THE CUSTOMERS. From the conversation I then had with the crying 15 year old boy it was apparent that he wanted to succeed and was trying but had not received any adequate training. The following conversation I then had with his manager indicated the same issue. (Yes, yes I know this all probably constitutes "Karen" behavior but when I witness two grown men in at least their 30's making a 15 year old child cry, there is no way this Momma is going to sit there and do nothing) This seems to be the overall problem. There's no professionalism. Staff doesn't seem to understand they're at work. It's kind of like a bunch of random people wandered in to hang out and just happened to start making pizza. The facility isn't maintained, they can't complete an order correctly to save their lives, and they don't know how to interact with customers. Even if the staff serving tables manages to talk to you, which they almost never do, they won't make eye contact. Truthfully I feel bad for the staff, like the misbehaving child who is obviously the victim of bad parenting, the staff members here seem like good people and I'm fairly certain there are good employees buried in there somewhere. They have just not been given a single thing they need to succeed. That's on ownership/management. With different management and guidance this restaurant has potential to be a real gem. In the meantime if you go in with about the same expectations and patience you would have for your 4th grader making you dinner, the atmosphere and service shouldn't bother you too much, and if/when the food gets to you it will be DELICIOUS.

Used to live this place. Thought it was a gem. Last three times they haven't gotten one thing right on the order. Can't call to ask them to fix it because they always have their phone off the hook. One time got a hold of someone at open to explain the mess up on the order from the night before and was told they would refund me and send a gift card. Well... it's been 8 months and nothing ever showed up. After 8 months we decided we would give them one more shot. BIG MISTAKE! They still haven't quite figured out how their phones work. Haven't figured out that they tend to do better business when the manager is sober. And they sure haven't figured out how to read the tickets and make an order correctly. I would save your time and money and skip on this place. You're not missing out. Estimation: place will be closed in less than a year.

Very good food, unique pairings and very great staff. Although I think they need a larger place, always packed I feel like!:)

I loved the crust. The rest...was surprisingly lacking in flavor. I ordered the Napoli - a red onion, sausage, and salami pizza on their classic oregano sauce. Perhaps it needed a bit more sauce, or I should have gone with the margherita or white sauce. I can't explain the lack of flavor. Their Neapolitan pizzas are great. They cook up quickly and have that light char that you like in a pizza. The crust in the middle was a bit soggy, but I really liked the flavor, crispness, and seasoning of the crust. Next time, I think I'd try a white sauce with some different toppings to get some more flavor. The eatery is small, but has tables both in the front and the back. It's a quaint little shop that deserves your patronage. If you like Neapolitan-style pizza with fresh toppings - and toppings you won't find at a lot of pizza shops, then do yourself a favor and visit this place.

This place is amazing. Stellar service and great pizza. I had the Rueben and my wife had something with Gorgonzola. Both were mind blowng. Absolutely fantastic.

I love this place. I love the pizza. We try to get by as often as possible. But tonight Pompeii earns a single star and that's being generous. Stood 15 minutes before we even ordered. With only three people before us and four people behind the counter working. The order taking was inefficient. I almost walked out. Well be back but won't give you many more chances to improve. Very disappointed tonight.

Made in a brick oven and I love this place. It has excellent pizza! I like the crust and many topping options. Checks all the boxes for me.

A must try if your in the town of Minnesota, roman pizza with pepperoni amazing flavor

yesterday I was there for lunch and a half hour later I went up to the cash register to ask a young man when my food will be ready he said 20 to 30 minutes and I said very nicely I've been waiting a half hour already and the guy that was making the pizza chimes in very rude and disrespectful and told me it's not exactly slow in here,go get an application! I said that wasn't very nice of you. About five minutes later my food was ready and no apology. I was very embarrassed and upset. I called talk to the owner this morning and and he apologized but there was no empathy. Alec the owner didn't care. I will never go to this place again and no one should be treated this way.

Have only been there a couple times, but they have fire cooked pizzas and have heard that their cheese cake is creamy and delicious!