Last summer my wife, mother, 6-year old daughter and I visited Oak Ridge, my first visit in 49 years, since I spent five years growing up there in the late 40's and early 50's. When we were hungry for supper the first night of our visit, we happened to stop in at Big Ed's Pizza. My wife, daughter and I are natives of New York City these days, and I'll admit to being a little snooty about pizza. I just think very few places outside of New York can fix one that compares to what we can find in the City. I don't know why, but New Yorkers just know how to put one together.

But then I tasted a pizza at Big Ed's. And I've got to admit I've never tasted better. Everything was extremely fresh, especially the tomato sauce, the crust was just right, and the overall flavor was just exactly the way a pizza out to taste.

Add to that that the staff was extremely friendly and, when I told them it was the first time I'd been back to Oak Ridge in 49 years, they wouldn't let me pay for anything.

I really can't say enough about how much we all enjoyed the place and appreciate the hospitality of the people who run it. Oak Ridge is very, very lucky to have Big Ed's.    [23 Apr 2002 13:38:13]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: pizza

     ­Ed Sala   fishr42 at yahoo dot com

Big Ed's Pizza and Big Screw Ups and Poor Customer Service
On September 13th, 2002 my husband and I went in to have pizza at Big Ed's. We got waited on by a young lady who asked us what we wanted. We proceeded to say we wanted soft drinks and an Ed's special pizza without ham. We saw the young lady write down our order.

After waiting 45 minutes and the waitress never coming back to our table, we flagged her down. You also need to know that the establishment wasn't very busy either, there were only four tables with people sitting at them. Not a huge crowd in this place. We asked her where our pizza was and she came back saying she lost the order. She said she was sorry, but a waitress only having four tables to wait on should have noticed that we never got any food. You would think after waiting that long she would of asked us for refills on our drinks. None of that happened. After we were told that, my husband and I left because he had no time left on his lunch break. He had to get back to work.

After dropping my husband off, I called Big Ed's Pizza and asked to speak to a manager. I was told I was speaking to a gentleman named, "Dave".

I got the impression from Dave that he didn't really care what happened. He basically scolded me that we didn't say something before we left the establishment. I already told him in the first sentence that we had to leave because my husband had to get back to work. Basically, I told him that I was unhappy with the service. He also made the mistake of saying he knew where we were sitting. I said if you knew, why didn't you do something about it. He said that it wasn't his job. I am sorry, but when your a manager of an establishment you should make it your responsibility to make sure your customer's are happy. He then asked me arrogantly what I wanted from him and that everyone makes mistakes. I told him that most good establishments would have offered the meal free the next time they came in. You would think he would have offered that himself and say that normally our establishment has good service and to give us another try. Instead he said, I guess we could do that for you. To me, he made me feel like I was the criminal for complaining.

I am sure when Mr. Neusel was alive, I am sure I won't have been treated like this.

Sincerely,

A very unsatisfied customer

P.S. - Please note that my husband has used this establishment for parties at work (ORNL) and will never use them again since this is the second time they have screwed up an order with him.    [13 Sep 2002 21:58:23]

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     ­Very Dissatified Customer   

Response to Reviewer
"Nothing significant about this place or its food.” I love that quote by the restaurant reviewer. I would have to say that "nothing significant about this place or its food” would capture the essence of what makes Big Ed’s great. Big Ed’s captures what is at the heart of East Tennessee. Blue collar, loud, smoky, rough around the edges, hot out of the oven, cold from the tap and sometimes down right rude, in the "unsatisfied customers" case. Big Ed’s is not Mellow Mushroom. It isn’t Dominos or Pizza Hut or Papa John’s or even local favorites Tomato Head or Stefano’s. Big Ed’s is Oak Ridge. It is East TN. And by God, it is good!    [07 Dec 2002 13:39:43]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: scrape off the cheese and toppings and eat them seperate from the crust

     ­Anonymous   

I've never completely understood the attraction of this place. I guess it's the ambiance -- the combination of the old building with high ceilings, the decor, the crowds, the thin pizza, the floppy paper plates, the teenage help, etc.

The pizza is OK, but it's hardly wonderful, and almost every time I've been there the service has been glacially slow. However, many people love it.    [19 Apr 2003 22:00:24]

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Recommended Dishes: pizza

     ­orlady   

Far away from My Home...
Nothing to say about the menu : basic crust and cheese and whatever you want!

If you do not enjoy pizza (and big ones) please keep out.
I was there yesterday evening, and it was a really amazing diner. I will never go again for a pizza without thinking about this Oak Ridge Institution and its friendly flavour. We could suggest to the Michelin guide to add a special chapter for such a place.    [08 May 2003 18:11:12]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: 14 inch pizza, beer

     ­Tof   c dot lievin at libertysurf dot fr

The Best
Of all the pizza places I have eaten in my life, Big Ed's is the most delicious and unique I have ever had.

I would recommend that everyone and their family go to Big Ed's. The food is wonderful because it isn't the typical Papa Johns or Pizza Hut dish and it is fresh out of the oven.

The atmosphere is awesome too. The decor is massive...covering all of the walls and the juke box is always jammin'. This is a wonderful place to hang out and enjoy time with friends or family. Some may say the service is slow...but what can you expect from a place that is so popular for its wonderful food? I love this place and would hope everyone else does, too.

Advice: bring your own bigger plates.    [03 Aug 2003 22:11:57]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: lite sauce, special sub, pep for mushrooms

     ­409   

An ET Classic
As a Knoxville native, I've been going to Big Ed's literally since birth. The 20-minute drive from West Knoxville is completely worth it. Domino's is OK if you want something fast, but Big Ed's is where to go if you want real pizza.

It's dark, it's smoky, the jukebox is older than I am, but it has a real sense of history and community in the decor and people chain restaurants can't touch - right down to the portrait of Big Ed himself. I've never had a bad experience with the staff; East Tennessee has a reputation for being friendly and most of the Big Ed's employees are exactly that.

The menu is somewhat limited - no salads, no calzones, just pizza. But you don't go to Big Ed's if you don't want pizza. Every time I come home (I live in North Carolina now) I try to make a trip to Oak Ridge. (Plus, you get a free T-shirt on your birthday.)    [07 Aug 2003 10:38:38]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Big Ed's special

     ­Anonymous   

Anybody Here from SW Ohio?
I'd heard rave reviews of this place for a few months now and finally ate there yesterday. The pizza was excellent!

One thing to note however... Anybody that went to Miami University in Oxford Ohio will recognize this pizza as Bruno's Pizza. I'm not suggesting one of them ripped off the other, I'm just trying to say that good cheap pizza is good cheap pizza. When I was in college at Miami, Bruno's was 50 cents a slice and open till 4am. Good drunk food.

Big Ed's was excellent and brought back fond memories. I'll be eating there often.    [03 Sep 2003 10:13:27]

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Recommended Dishes: pizza

     ­Paul   

Nothin' Like It
As a native Oak Ridger, I have dined at Big Ed's for years. Never have I had a complaint to voice. There is a sense of local history that familiarizes you with this town the second you step through the metal framed glass door. The pizza is great. The ambiance is unique. The service has always been impeccable.

I recommend this to all who visit Oak Ridge, or the Knoxville area. Big Ed's makes one thing...pizza, and no one makes it like this!    [10 Dec 2003 12:24:41]

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Recommended Dishes: pizza

     ­Barry Alton   

The Best Pizza Ever
I grew up in Sweetwater, TN and now live in Atlanta, GA. Every time I come home my family and I have to go to Big Ed's. Pizza is my favorite food ever. I eat it once a week. Nothing compares to Big Ed's. On Thanksgiving weekend I took my husband (we were just married). He has heard me talk of Big Ed's for years. When we left he agreed there has never been a better pizza. It is worth the drive from anywhere and worth the wait. Truly a delightful experience!    [23 Dec 2003 09:16:11]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: pepperoni pizza

     ­Anonymous