The true definition of a hidden gem, Cosmo’s Snack Bar is a new pizza, drinks and more restaurant in the Wells Avenue area. If you drive too quickly down Arroyo Street, you might miss it.
My best advice is to set the GPS and park when it says you’ve arrived. Among the houses, there’s a door marked Cosmo’s, but it’s set back from the street a bit so keep your eyes peeled.
Inside, the smell of fresh pizza dough wafts around the quaint dining space and bar. Grab a table, or sidle up to the bar and order a drink. All orders are taken at the counter, and food is delivered as it comes out of the oven, nice and warm.
The menu here is short and sweet but the collection of Italian-American treats is sure to impress.
The focus is on pizza with a small selection of pies on the menu. Cosmo’s may be best known for its specialty pizza, made with a base of Calabrian cream sauce before it’s topped with a generous layer of mozzarella and finished with bacon, broccolini, mushrooms and fresh basil. There are also a few classic options—red pizza (cheese with red sauce), white pizza (olive oil and garlic with cheese) and Margherita (red sauce, basil, olive oil and cheese).
While pizza may be the main attraction, it’s not even my favorite dish on the menu. (Not to say it isn’t good—it is.) The broccolini plate is a stand-out. A side of delicious, tender broccolini served alongside a mound of creamy burrata topped with salsa verde and Maldon salt is best ordered with a side of housemade bread so you can build your own burrata bites.
There are also warm olives, tin fish (sardines served with harissa, lemons and saltines), and carrots—another creative vegetable plate this time featuring wood-fired carrots, labneh, herbs and agave, plus harissa for flavor and spice.
Open at 4 p.m. six days a week—Cosmo’s is closed on Tuesdays—come in for dinner or wait for a late evening meal before closing time at 9 or 10 p.m.
Regardless of what time you come in, the full bar is open, serving local beers, natural wines, spritzes and mixed drinks. There’s even a negroni on draft that pleases even the stiffest of connoisseurs. There are also daily specials. On Mondays, a bottle of Peroni and a shot of draft negroni is just $7. On Wednesdays, a bottle of Lambrusco (a traditional Italian red wine) and a two-topping pizza are $50. On Thursdays, spritzes cost $10 all day. The best deal, however, may be on Sundays when pizzas are buy-one-get-one 50% off.
I recommend dining in because the minimalist, modern space feels inviting on a chilly night. And I get the impression that if you come often enough, the staff will know your name—and your order—by heart.
Take-out orders are also available and ordering online is easy. Don’t forget to add a Mexican Coke and an Affogato before checking out.
More
- https://www.cosmosreno.com/
- 253 E. Arroyo St.
- Reno, NV 89502
