Omaha Exploration

Before opening his iconic Millard pizza joint, Bernie Drassal was born on a farm in Verdigre, NE in 1937. The family sold the farm in 1952 and by 1954 made its way to Omaha. At the age 33, Bernie realized his dream of opening his own restaurant in 1970 alongside his mother Berna. 

Located at 136th and Q Streets when Millard was a town in its own right, Bernie’s Pizza was an instant hit. The crust which drew comparisons to Godfather’s Pizza and its sauce were homemade in-house. The meat and vegetables were fresh. Its beer mugs were frozen so that the beer would be ice cold when it was served.

Bernie’s was a no-frills kind of pizza joint that put the emphasis on its pie’s and not the interior which had dark wood paneling, drop ceiling, wall sconces that provided dim lighting. The pizza was delivered on trays with styrofoam plates. It was the kind of old-school establishment that you don’t see anymore. 

His pizza parlor remained a fixture in the community even after Berna passed away in 1997. With the development of the Lumberyard District, however, Millard was beginning to change. That change would result in Bernie’s property being purchased by a developer in 2014. The new owner had a desire to renovate the building which would have caused Bernie’s rent to more than double. As a result, he chose to retire two years earlier than planned but hoped to sell it to one of his employees. That never came to fruition, so he closed the business in 2015.

From what I’ve heard, Bernie’s pizza was identical when it closed 45 years later as it was the day it first opened in 1970. Its doughy crust was made in the same mixer and pressed into the same pans. Despite closing, the Drassal family retained all the original recipes but sold the equipment to the landlord who proceeded to reopen Bernie’s one month later. While it operated under the same name, the recipes and menu were changed. Instead of its familiar thick crust, the pizza had a thin crust. By 2019 Bernie’s Pizza had closed once again. 

Later that year, Gene Branch opened Bernie’ Original Pizza using the original recipes. Gene was quite familiar with the restaurant that his uncle opened in 1970 as he worked there as a teenager. Today the family-owned business operates out of a new building at 13522 Cottner Street, one block south of Millard Ave. Bernie got to witness the rebirth of his lifelong passion before he passed away in 2023.

Bernie’s announced that it is closing in July 2025.

I’d love to hear what you have to say so please feel free to comment. Until next time, keep exploring!

Omaha Exploration is sponsored by

Click here to contact me if you’re interested in sponsoring OE.