I been to five different Oregano's in the Valley and although I've had bizarre experiences at three of them, some of it was due to the company I was with and not the actual restaurant itself.
As a native northeasterner who appreciates traditional NY style Neopolitan pizza, I'm not a big thick crust/pan pizza guy. Oregano's pan pizza is different though.
Their smallest pie can fill up two people and unlike Pizza Hut (not that I actually eat there), the crust is never greasy and with topping choices like cajun chicken or sundried tomatoes, who can complain?
Their house salad is great with lettuce options more exotic than your standard iceberg and excellent dressings. Chicken wings are also very good with a mustard flavor that tastes a lot better than it sounds.
Most customers hate surprises. At Oregano's they avoid surprises by telling you the wait time for a table or that pan pizzas take 35-40 minutes to cook.
I was at the Mesa restaurant on a weekday and our pizza was taking forever. We began dozing off at the table when our server came to us and told us the cooks forgot about us and there will be no charge for the whole meal (including salad we ate earlier) and did we still want to eat the pizza here or take it to go?
It was after 11 pm on a Wed. Following that a manager came to us and told us how he felt when a restaurant when he's in a restaurant and things go wrong and how he reacts to the staff (keep in mind we never complained or even asked about when our pizza was coming). He gives his apologies and tells us a desert cookie will be made for us while our pizza is being finished. That was also going to be free.
After eating our pizza and sharing the only desert they serve (a large homemade cookie served in the pan it was cooked in with lumps of ice cream on top) we tried to leave a tip on our zero balance bill that the waitress didn't even seem interested in accepting.
Despite the wait, it was a pleasant experience that someone could realize something was wrong and do something about it without you having to tell them.
I've also eaten at the North Scotts location, Old Town, Camelback and University in Tempe. All are pretty standard in quality.
If I have some criticism it is that I like my pizza toppings on top of my pizza. At Oreganos they go under the cheese, which makes it hard to get crispy.
This sometimes prevents me from ordering meats like pepperoni or ground beef. That's okay though, because I like the vegetable options too.
Also, I've waited nearly an hour on multiple occasions at the Mesa location to get a pan pizza. Other locations are usually closer to their 35 minute estimation.