Food+Drink

The Ice Is Fake, the Pizza Is Real

Geno’s combines tasty pizzas, summertime skating

Steve Freuhauf, Andrea Paulseth |

CONFIDENCE IS KEY. Geno’s Slice N’ Ice Pizza Shack features artificial ice (top) and also claims to have the best pizza in town (their official website is eauclairesbestpizza.com). Try their signature sausage pie and see for yourself.
CONFIDENCE IS KEY. Geno’s Slice N’ Ice Pizza Shack features artificial ice (above) and also claims to have the best pizza in town (their official website is eauclairesbestpizza.com). Try their signature sausage pie (below) and see for yourself.

Interested in a good-sized pizza for a reasonable price? If so, Eau Claire’s newest joint, Geno’s Slice N’ Ice Pizza Shack, should fall near the top of the list. Featuring all fresh, local ingredients and a killer homemade sausage recipe, the menu might as well promote doggy bags because customers won’t be leaving with just one.

Open since June, Geno’s doesn’t only claim to have “the best pizza in Eau Claire,” but it’s also a great spot for some ice skating and arcade rampaging. The huge space is literally next to all of the action, located at 5110 Fairview Drive adjacent to Action City and the Metropolis Resort & Conference Center.

But with little promoting thus far, it seems Geno’s may currently be Eau Claire’s best-kept secret, although owner Kevin Burzynski said that’s quickly changing for his budding restaurant.

“A lot of it’s going to be word of mouth,” Burzynski said. “We’ve got really good pizza and everyone who’s had it is telling other people and we consistently have people coming back on a weekly basis, which is great. A lot of places get people to come back every six months or something like that, but my goal is to have people come back every week because it’s that good and it’s a good value, too.”

The menu features Geno’s signature sausage pizza, a main selling point, featuring close to a pound of sausage and a pound of cheese. Other early customer favorites are the jumbo shrimp and pepperoni pizzas. Burzynski said it’s highly unlikely anyone will find a pizza with more bang for the buck in all of Eau Claire. “When we put our toppings on, you can hardly see our sauce,” Burzynski boasts of the restaurant’s authentic Chicago-style pies. “It’s a thin crust, but our four-meat pizza weighs about four and a half pounds, so we put a lot of meat on it. … You don’t have to worry about taking a bite and not hitting a topping.”

If that isn’t enough, the year-round, outdoor artificial ice rink attached to the restaurant is another great reason for customers to stop by. The 65’-by-125’ space is self-lubricating and free to customers from 2-6 pm for the rest of August. Burzynski said those who try it out will not be disappointed. He said he plans on beginning some more promotions for the rink in the next couple of weeks and hopes it serves as an alternative spot for kids to get some ice time if other places are occupied.

“I think this is the biggest outdoor rink like this – from what I understand – the only one in the United States this size, outdoors,” he said. “It’s about the size of the Hughes rink down at Hobbs (Municipal Ice Center), the smaller rink down at Hobbs. We are going to try and get some leagues put together; maybe some learn-to-skate-type programs.”

If looking for a healthy amount of food and some much-needed fun, Geno’s Slice N’ Ice Pizza Shack should be your next stop. Don’t forget to try their cheesy bread and eight-inch cookies as well! They won’t disappoint.

Geno’s Slice N’ Ice Pizza Shack, 5110 Fairview Drive, Eau Claire • Mon.-Thurs., 11am-10pm; Fri.-Sat., 11am-11pm; closed Sun. • (715) 835-2000 • www.eauclairesbestpizza.com