Dining & Entertainment: Restaurants & Bars

Davanni's Pizza & Hoagies

Davanni's is Uptown's resident quick-casual pizza and hoagie place. Look over their extensive menu before you order at the counter and wait for your order to be called. Whether its their notoriously good deep dish, or a cracker-like thin-crust pizza, or one of the many different hoagies, Davanni's suits all taste buds. In addition to pizza and hoagies, Davanni's has pasta, calzones, salads, and garlic cheese toast.

First known as Pontillo's, opened its Uptown location in January 1981. It was the fifth Pontillo's and unlike some of the other Pontillo locations, did not offer pizza at first. After two months new ovens allowed for their popular pizza. Fresh-cut curly fries and Buffalo, New York style hot chicken wings were two early offerings that Roger Schelper, co-founder, described as fabulous but "too far ahead of the curve." Pontillo's became Davanni's in July of 1983.

Davanni's is located on the north side of Lake Street between Hennepin Avenue and Girard Avenue, adjacent Juut and the alley.

Parking: Off-street parking is available behind Cowboy Slims, accessible from Girard Avenue (hourly rates apply) or in the Calhoun Square parking ramp accessed off of Girard Avenue at Lake Street or 31st Street (hourly rates apply). On-street metered parking is available on Lake Street, Lagoon Avenue, and Girard Avenue.

Transit: Bus route 6, 12, 17, 21, and 53 provide regular service in the area.

Testimonial - Thatcher Imboden

Around 1985, my parents began a tradition that lives to this date. Once a week, our family would walk the six blocks from our home to Davanni's in Uptown. Davanni's was an affordable way to feed the entire family of four and not long after going there, five. I remember many winters hoping snow bank to snow bank on the way up there and sometimes having to wait when we got there because too many people packed the small restaurant.

Back then we almost always got a large, traditional with extra cheese on the whole thing and half green pepper. Our frequency and standard order made us easy to identify and soon the staff would ask us if we wanted the usual. The hospitality Davanni's has extended towards us has helped to make it feel like family, and one reason why we've been devoted customers.

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