Published November 13, 2024 | Updated July 28, 2026

While working on his family farm as a boy, Bernie Drassall had a dream of opening his own restaurant. He did just that when he opened Bernie’s Pizza, which became a Millard landmark.

The Drassall family sold the farm in 1952 and within two years, Bernie found himself in Omaha. At 33 he realized his dream and opened Bernie’s Pizza in 1970 alongside his mother, Berna.

Located at 136th and Q Street 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 pies and not the interior, which had dark wood paneling, a drop ceiling, and 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. The crust was prepared in the same mixer and pressed using the exact same pans. Despite closing, the Drassall 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’s Original Pizza using the original recipes. Branch 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 Avenue. Bernie got to witness the rebirth of his lifelong passion before he passed away in 2023.

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

More pictures

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.