Papa Gino’s: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Papa Gino’s works well if you eat dairy. The thin-crust dough skips milk and eggs, and the tomato sauce is just tomatoes, spices, and garlic powder, so pizza and pasta both start from a vegetarian base. Vegans have a tighter path here, since the three-cheese blend leans on real dairy with no substitute on offer. Stick with the classics and you’ll eat fine either way.

What to order at Papa Gino’s

Start with the Build-Your-Own Veggie Pizza, loaded with peppers, onions, mushrooms, black olives, or roasted garlic. The Super Veggie Pizza and Cheese Pizza both work if you’re fine with dairy. Barilla pasta is egg-free, so the Spaghetti or Penne Marinara are safe vegetarian picks, and close to vegan if you skip added butter. The Vegetarian Sub, grilled peppers, onions, and mushrooms with cheese, rounds out a real meal, and the Garden Salad with oil and vinegar works for vegans too.

What to watch out for

The cheese blend includes a romano made with sheep’s milk and animal rennet, so a cheese pizza isn’t guaranteed rennet-free even though the mozzarella itself may use microbial enzymes. If you’re strict about rennet, ask before you order. Vegans should request no butter on the pasta and skip the cheese entirely on any pizza, since there’s no dairy-free alternative on the menu. Cheese Breadsticks and Mozzarella Sticks both carry cross-contact warnings, so check with the counter if that matters to you.