New Knox Restaurant Serves Up Delicious Pies In a Family-Friendly Atmosphere
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
Greg Wireman, owner of the recently opened Momma’s Pizzeria 10 N. Main Street, Knox, Indiana, is ready to serve you the food he loved when he was growing up.
“I purchased Momma’s Pizzeria from the Thayer family, who ran it for the past 13 years as Mikey’s Pizza Pit Stop,” Wireman says. “In the run-up to the opening, we did some interior remodeling to the current sports theme, where the Thayers, who are a racing family, had it decorated mainly with racing memorabilia. So we took about a month and added updated lighting and a brick look to the interior. It was important for me to have our guests feel the whole experience of an old Italian pizzeria.”
Growing up, Wireman’s mother cooked almost daily for his family and worked alongside his dad in their family business, which was a trucking company.
“Even with a hectic schedule, my mother was from the south, and I am not sure if you have had the opportunity to eat real authentic Southern cooking, but if you have, you’ll appreciate what I am saying,” Wireman says. “I grew up on garden vegetables, biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, you name it, and when family holidays came around the food was a hit. Whether they were family or friends, people would always say to me, ‘Greg, no one can beat your momma’s cooking,’ so when I explored a restaurant of my own, naming it Momma’s Pizzeria was a no-brainer.”
Wireman always knew he wanted to open a pizzeria.
“I knew that if this was the direction I was going to take, (opening) a pizzeria, I knew it would be the best,” he says. “Pizza seems to bring us all together. I wanted to create an environment where the best pizza you could buy would be enjoyed in a pizzeria setting that offered not only a great pie but seven big-screen televisions to enjoy your favorite sports and a relaxing environment that allowed tranquility and yet made you feel at home.”
Momma’s Pizzeria doesn’t know strangers.
“In fact, as you enter the front door, it’s not unusual to hear a welcome from several staff, from servers to cooks, to myself, welcoming you to our pizzeria,” Wireman says. “That’s just the beginning of what makes Momma’s such a wonderful experience.”
Wireman notes that the pride, the service and the quality that goes into every single pie they make, sets them apart from other pizzerias.
“It is important to us that you leave full, happy and eager to return,” Wireman says. “This will sound cliché, but we don’t sell a bad choice of pizza, or for that matter, any of our other dishes. Everything is made fresh. Our sandwiches are made with fresh bread daily, too.”
One of Wireman’s personal favorites is “The Big Pepperoni.”
“The name says it all,” Wireman says. “This pie is loaded with our spicy pepperoni and the best mozzarella cheese you can find to put on a pie. It’s a hit, but most importantly, ‘The Deep Dish’ will be the defining dish for Momma’s. The reviews from the few lucky who have tried it are those that we expect from a Momma’s pizza. This thing will not only be everything a deep dish should be but even more.”
While you’re eating some of Momma’s great creations, the restaurant serves draft beer, wine and craft beer supplied from local breweries.
“I would be excluding another hit if I didn’t tell you about our ‘Award-Winning Wings,’ available in a number of sauces,” Wireman says. “I will stand behind these wings as the best anywhere, and our customers will back me up on that one.”
The interior of Momma’s Pizzeria gives guests an Italian Pizzeria feel, and that was Wireman’s goal.
“I get great satisfaction talking with guests as they look around, they make the comment to me, ‘This looks like a real pizzeria.’ I say to myself, ‘mission accomplished,’” Wireman says.
Momma’s Pizzeria is located in the heart of downtown Knox, which was by design.
“We are surrounded by history,” Wireman says. “Some of the buildings were built in the late 1800s. They still stand today and represent the resiliency of this little town. I look ahead at the possibilities of expanding our pizzeria and serving to not only reshape but hopefully revitalize the downtown area.”
Momma’s Pizzeria is located at 10 N. Main Street in Knox. You can give them a call at 574-772-5888 or visit them online at mommaspizzeria.com for more information.
