Red Vespa

Wow, I love this place. The pizza is authentic italian wood-​fired pizza, with cool, unique toppings. The interior décor is nicer (for IA standards), but it has a homey, comfortable feel. We went as a group of 4 (+baby), and it was a fun atmosphere. We had to wait about 30 min for a table, but it went quick because we ordered some drinks at the bar while we waited. I don’t know if this is an everyday occurrence, but sometimes (or always?) the bartenders will invent their own cocktails to experiment with. I wish I could remember what we ordered, but there were 4 choices that all sounded amazing, and the 2 I got were really good.
The sweet corn pizza was really good, and so was the brussel sprout pizza (it was the nightly special). The crust was thin and chewy, like italian pizzas usually are, not like a cracker from being over-​baked, and had amazing flavor. The only thing that would have made it better was if they had honey on the tables to eat with the leftover crust. (Beau Jo’s anyone??)

The food is amazing. The service… from the teenage+ server, not so much. My husband asked about a beer from Hawaii that he ordered the last time we were in, the waiter told us he didn’t think they had anything like that, but offered to show us his list of draft beers. Sure enough, there it was, a Kona beer. We told him that was the Hawaiian beef he had previously. The kid said he’d never had it (he looked 18, so not really a surprise), but that it was a «medium» beer, not too dark or too light. I wish I was kidding. Drinks ordered… then appetizers ordered. Then the waiter disappeared for a while. Drinks finally came. Appetizers one and two came (not by our waiter), menus taken (order for main course still not placed). Finally our waiter came back and we ordered. We asked for two spoons for the appetizers (meatballs and risotto balls with sauces), which never came. Our waiter said something offhandedly about how our burrata caprese would be out soon… I told him that is not what we ordered. I told him what we HAD ordered and he told me he calls all the caprice’s burrata, then overheard him tell the kitchen that we actually ordered the Vespa Carprese. About 10 minutes later it came out with 4 tiny pieces of bread. Our meals came out shortly after the salad and everything was delicious. Several times the older lady I presumed to be the owner came over and asked how things were. The food was delicious, as usual, but the teenagers or barely out of teen year servers they have were not so great. For the money we paid (over $ 100 for 3 appetizers, 3 drinks and 3 meals) I expect better service than that.

Authentic Neapolitan pizza!
While I am a fan of Italian pizza, my tastes are more suited to pizza from le Midi. This was more than made up for by having a proper French rosé on the wine list and relatively plump, flavorful anchovies (salt packed?).
Seemed like they had plenty of other options for any variety of tastes. The setting was very comfortable and inviting, while maintaining it’s emphasis on historical architecture.
I will definitely go out of my way to visit this establishment as much as possible.

Food was good, service not so much. Believe the owner or manager actually took over our table mid-​meal. Came wanting a couple drinks and some pizza, had one drink because it took a half hour to get a drink in a half empty establishment. So while the food was pretty good, I don’t see myself making the drive from Iowa City to Solon again anytime soon. Went into it thinking it would be a little higher end place that might be great for a date night sometime. I wouldn’t take a date here. Considering there was a kids birthday party or something going on right in the middle of the establishment with kids running all around, I was obviously wrong. I also think this might be the reason we had poor service.
It’s also not cheap, you are paying for quality of ingredients, so you basically pay $ 14 for a pizza the size of that of a Jacks frozen pizza, you will not be sharing a pizza amongst a party of 4. But it’s a great opportunity to order a couple different pizzas and try out their offerings.
I always come off critical of service, but if you are going to charge me $ 15 for a pizza thats basically personal size, I expect there to be decent service, I shouldn’t have to sit there for 20 minutes wondering if my server is ever going to show back up because I have nothing to drink. Invest in those glass water pictures that the nicer restaurants use and leave at your table so you can refill your own water. It’s a nice, classy touch. Also, a lot of money is made from diners looking to order a beer or glass of wine, and its like they don’t want to serve you drinks here. They do however get your pizza to you in about 5 minutes flat, so we where able to snag our pizza quick and go elsewhere for a drink afterwards!
If I want a brick oven pizza and a beer i’ll just goto Back Pocket. But I do recommend that if you’re in Solon, give this place a shot, I just don’t think I would drive out of my way again for it.

We started with the Meatball app. It arrived in under 10 mins we were both blown away with the meatballs and sauce. Had to get extra bread to bet all the sauce. Wife even asked what was in it and she rarely does that. They made her a pepperoni Pizza and I had the bee sting. Tried to save some to bring home but couldn’t stop. Finished with tiramasu that was perfect. Thanks for a great meal!

Was a bit disappointed when we are here. I’m all about texture when it comes to food (which is part of the reason I’m not a huge fan of leftovers because we can never get it back to the original texture sometimes). The taste was great. Unique Flavors and interesting combinations (we had the burrata margherita pizza, sweet corn, and bee sting). Sweet corn was alright, but when compared to the stronger Flavors of the bee sting and margherita, it lost since its flavor was more subtle. The burrata margherita pizza had pesto in it, which took over most of the taste. I love pesto, so this was really good, and had strong flavors from the tomatoes. The bee sting had a very unique flavor… sweet and a tiny bit of spice for some added zang to it.
Texture wise, the crust was way too soft. For every slice we picked up for all three pizzas, the pizza dropped right away and all the ingredients slipped off. I’m a fan of crispy crusts, so maybe it’s just a preference. The crust at the back end where you hold was super soft and doughy as well. I might give this place close to 5 stars if their crust was much better, but it totally ruined the experience for me. I wonder if you could just ask for the crust to be crispy though, and maybe that could solve all my problems with this place.

Excellent staff, space and and food. Sweet corn pizza is awesome and unique. Bee Sting is a must do along with the homemade meetballs. Wine selection is beyond good.
Come and join us at this little taste of Italy in Solon

This place was absolutely amazing. I had a group of about 16 on a Friday night, and we had plans to go elsewhere in Solon. Well, the place we wanted to go said that there would be a 1.5 hour wait. Freaking out, I called Red Vespa and told them the situation, and they immediately got to work preparing for us. The staff and owners were so gracious and accommodating.
The atmosphere was wonderful, and took me by complete surprise. The cocktails were excellent (and reasonably priced). Excellent wine selection. The food was superb — my girlfriend got the Mediterranean Neapolitan pizza, and I got the Bucatini alla Amatriciana, and we both loved it. The menu is small but mighty, and available on their Facebook page. Overall, an excellent experience, and I’ll be back later this month (just the two of us this time, though).

Pros:
1. Amazing brick oven pizza. Unique flavor combinations on the menu and they have rotating specials. One example is the special I had, pistachio paste for the sauce with Italian cheeses and meats. The crust is really good as well, crisp outside with soft somewhat doughy inside. Exquisite.
2. Ambiance is excellent as well. They have two bars, one by the pizza oven and the other by the drinks. They also have ample sit down seating ranging from booths to high top tables.
3. Friendly and helpful staff. They understand you may not know what some of the Italian meat or cheeses are and are very helpful when asked questions
4. Decent tap beer selection, but they make up for it with many mixed drink and wine selections. Next time I plan to try one of those.
Cons:
None so far!

Skip the burnt paper tasting brick oven crap of pizza crust and get a real pizza from The Sanctuary or Wig-​n-​Pen. Waitress was also barely out of diapers, brought me a Diet Pepsi instead Pepsi, and when I asked for cracked black pepper for my salad which we got ahead of the pizza (2^nd salad option because at dinner time on a Saturday they were out of my 1^st salad option) she brought me a shaker of pizza peppers! Too much vinegar in dressing, unimagineative bagged salad. The sliced grape tomatoes were only thing that was good. But as for the pizza, will never have again because the crust was horrendous and where it browned too much it tasted like burnt paper, I guess, bland canned sauce.
Should get a 0 for that experience, will give a 1 for nice ambiance. And they need to just get rid of the one television, let people enjoy their company and surroundings.
The sub from Jimmy John’s that I had to pick up on drive back in to Iowa City didn’t disappoint.

The Genuine Neapolitan pizza oven is perhaps the cherry on top but the décor is a refreshingly modern Euro American blend, making for a pleasant outing. Pizzas have that unmistakable smoky authenticity that makes you finish your crusts and come in an imaginative variety of kinds. Good luck with this venture Aziz! We will be back for more!

Okay guys, I’m really ashamed I didn’t try this place sooner because it’s awesome.
Great pizza, but I’m even more crazy about their Burrata options. Made in-​house and so delicious. I ordered the Beet Burrata and it was awesome.
The staff is great too. The evening I was there the chefs were showing kids how to roll out pizza dough and teaching them how the brick oven works. It was adorable.
You have to go! Especially if you love traditional pizza but hate waiting for eternity to eat at Lincoln Wine Bar (even though I love that place).
Do it.

My fiancé and I set out to explore a new restaurant on Valentine’s Day weekend and ended up at Red Vespa. We were immediately sat at the kitchen counter (highly recommend sitting here) which oversaw the heart of the restaurant, the pizza oven!
We started with Burrata Caprese. Whoa… awesome! Homemade cheese and the cherry tomatoes were perfectly ripe! Next up was a bowl of Tomato Basil Soup… yum! The most important part followed, Sweetcorn Pizza! This pizza was highly suggested by many employees and we thought it was like the Iowa version of Italy. The pizza has a crème fraîche sauce, which is delectable! Our meal ended with an out of this world Tiramisu, which I will forever dream about.
We highly enjoyed observing the action of the kitchen. The staff was beyond friendly and engaged in conversation with us throughout the night. We were also honored to meet the owner, who stopped by, making sure we were enjoying our experience.
I am anxious to return and try their Margherita pizza. If theirs can match my love for Lincoln Wine Bars, I will immediately change this review to five stars.

Small town pizza place that defies the expectations. Pizza oven from Italy, cooks the perfect pie. Fresh as helll ingredients, eclectic choices. Sweet corn pizza, who would have thought that? Get here soon, worth the trip.

Slow service
Corn pizza doughy and not done with very few toppings
Pricey for pizza
Forgot bread with soup
Were told they were out of tiramisu, so agreed to another desert only to see couple next to us brought out 2 pieces 5 minutes after we were told they were out

I’m updating my review of the Red Vespa since my prior review was placed in the «Not Recommended» status for… some reason? If you want to see that first review, please select it under that section and you can get the full «flavor» for why I continue to rave about and recommend this restaurant.
My wife and I have indeed made trips to this fine establishment a weekly event and it continues to impress us with each visit. I have to restate that we lived in Naples, Italy for three years while I was serving in the Army and it is one of the key reasons we first decided to visit this little piece of Napoli in Solon, IA. That and we live in the same area so convenience is a plus.
Simply put, if you want to experience some authentic Italian-​style pizza and other cuisine that is prepared with true attention to fresh ingredients and flavor, the Red Vespa delivers, consistently!

Beautifully renovated and appointed Pizzeria. Excellent service and the owners made their way around to the tables to inquire about the experience. It is evident that they pride themselves on the quality of food, service, and atmosphere.
I ordered the sweet corn pizza. It was delicious. The corn was sprinkled over the pizza, just the right amount to have corn in every bite, but not overloaded.
My date ordered the bee sting. He is a pizza enthusiast, so thoroughly enjoyed the hint of honey.
My drink was a Vespa Lemonade. I didn’t realize that Sambuca tasted like black licorice. If you like the flavor, this is the drink for you. I think next time I’ll steer away from the Vespa Lemonade (pun intended).

Easily some of the best pizza in Johnson County.
Service was incredibly fast for a Saturday night.
My table shared the following pizzas:
Pork Love– Meaty, the house-​made sausage added a good fennel flavor throughout
Bee Sting– sweet and spicy. Very creative combination that works very well.
Sweet Corn– crème fraîche with prosciutto makes for a well-​rounded pizza.
Margherita– simple and delicious, the way it should be.
My only gripe: our appetizers came the same time as our pizza.

This is one of the best restaurants in Iowa. An authentic Italian pizzeria with very high quality ingredients and a ton of effort to establish themselves as something different. They import some ingredients from Italy and you can tell the difference.
We had they meatballs to start, they are large, full of flavor, and topped with an amazing red sauce. Also had the burrata plate which comes with dried meat, a mozzarella type cheese, jam, and garlic bread. It’s a great starter, all the items were fresh and delicious.
The pizza as I mentioned before is one of the best, we got the sausage style pizza. It’s made in a special oven that it cooks in about two minutes. It’s really fun to watch the process. When done, the flavor of all of the pizza ingredients come to life: the sauce that is so rich, the cheese that is so fresh and pure, and the dough is perfect. All together you get one delicious pizza pie that you won’t find in many places you try. They nailed it here.
If you are in the area and love pizza please do make a trip here, it is really worth it. I have had a lot of pizza and this is one of the best that I’ve ever had. The owner is super nice and passionate about his craft. Great place that I look forward to trying again.

After a friend told us this place had just opened and with the prospect of another legit place in Solon, we moseyed on over to try our luck. Running with the current thin crust brick oven theme, Red Vespa hit things right on the money and has likely worked their way into our go to rotation. My better half and I were talking about how Solon is forever in our hearts given it’s small, but inviting stature and the fact that two of our favorite places are a block apart here!
I’m not sure what used to be housed here, but regardless, it’s made for a really solid restaurant. The exposed brick along with what I assume is the original ceiling make for a really cool ambiance. The bar is solid and while the beer selection is good, there are a lack of local options — seriously probably the only place they could improve.
The place has plenty of seating including a back deck with spots for 20 or so people. Bar seating, booths, counter height tables as well as «chef’s table» type seating — read — seating by the brick oven, give plenty of options for even the most pretentious seating patrons.
We started with the Burrata Caprese — effectively a fresh Italian cheese ball. THIS WAS AWESOME! Imagine a mozzarella ball hollowed out and filled with more delicious fresh and soft cheese. Drizzle said masterpiece with olive oil and top with a couple roasted tomatoes — Winning. Made for a great starter and as things mix, it made for a killer topping for our crust. Serve this with a crust to dip and you’ve got something incredible!
The pizza is neapolitan style and baked in a brick oven. A dozen different kinds are available from standard to fun. We had the sweet corn and the bee sting. Best pizza we’ve had in a really long time! The sweet corn, as it’s name implies, had corn, crème fresh, garlic oil, prosciutto and mozzarella — It was unreal good. After giving our 14 month old a taste, he grabbed a piece and went to town on it. The bee sting was equally excellent — honey, spicy soppressata (like pepperoni) and some chili oil — not as hot as we were expected, but every bit as delicious as we wanted!
There were half a dozen others we were interested in trying and as previously stated, we full on plan to go back here soon.
The kiddos can order their own pizza and get to «design» it before it goes in the oven. This includes the dough coming out on a wooden paddle with all the fixins available for them to decorate with. It comes with a cookie too!
Little on the pricey side, but all said and done, we felt it was totally worth it.
All in all, this place is an absolute winner. There are plenty of places to get good pizza around the area, but red vespa gets our vote for the best we’ve had in a long time. A must for anyone who’s loves the Za or, realistically anyone who’s ever heard of Solon. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed!