Ava Rae's Pizzeria & Pub

Ava Rae’s Pizzeria & Pub is a locally owned pizzeria and pub at 11168 S. Lone Elm Road in Olathe, Kansas, opened in 2025 by first-time restaurateur Darrin DeBok. Family- and community-focused, it pairs from-scratch pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and salads with a 67-foot bar and a deep craft-beer, whiskey and bourbon list. The restaurant is named for DeBok’s daughter, Ava Rae, and her dog, Dexter, who appear in the logo.¹²

Description

Ava Rae’s Pizzeria & Pub is a from-scratch pizzeria and full-service pub occupying a long-vacant storefront just off College Boulevard and South Lone Elm Road in Olathe, near Austin’s Bar & Grill and Dutch Bros.¹ The menu centers on craft pizzas — with gluten-free and dairy-free options — alongside pastas, sandwiches, salads, and homemade soups in winter, with weekend brunch items such as breakfast pizza and coffee cake.¹ The bar runs 67 feet and is marketed as the longest in Johnson County, carrying 100-plus craft beers plus a whiskey and bourbon selection the business describes as the largest in the county.¹³ Items are made fresh in-house daily.³

Ownership and history

The restaurant is the first venture of owner Darrin DeBok, a local resident whose daughter, Ava Rae, gives the business its name; she and her dog, Dexter, appear in the logo.¹ The day-to-day operation is managed by Lindsay Rutten, DeBok’s partner, who brings more than 25 years of restaurant-industry experience from Kansas and Chicago.¹ DeBok positioned the concept around “family and community,” planning discounts for Olathe Public Schools employees, fire and police departments, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s office; the site sits across from Olathe Northwest High School, where his daughter is a student.¹ The business filled a long-vacant Olathe storefront and was reported in January 2025 as targeting a mid-February 2025 opening.¹

Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-17 · Source: Ava Rae’s official online ordering menu (via aggregator) + Johnson County Post · URL(s): https://www.avaraespizzeriapub.com/menu · https://ava-raes-pizzeria-pub.res-pick.com/ · https://johnsoncountypost.com/2025/01/22/ava-raes-olathe-251459/ · Confidence: Medium (signature/specialty pizzas captured item-by-item from the live ordering menu; appetizer, salad, sandwich and pasta lines are confirmed as categories but individual item names beyond those noted, and all prices, were not retrievable — official site blocks direct fetch.)

Everything is made from scratch in-house daily; gluten-free and dairy-free pizza options are available.¹³

Signature & specialty pizzas

• Ava Rae’s Special — the namesake house pie, built with sausage, pepperoni and fresh vegetables⁴
• Spicy Italian — spicy sausage and banana peppers for heat⁴
• Cheesy Bianca — olive oil, garlic, ricotta, grated Parmesan and fresh mozzarella, garnished with parsley (white/no-red-sauce)⁵
• Spicy Chicken Alfredo — Alfredo sauce, shredded mozzarella, cream cheese, shredded chicken, jalapeño and bacon⁵
• Supreme — red sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, beef, sausage, red onion, mushrooms, green pepper and black olives⁵
• BBQ Chicken — BBQ sauce, shredded mozzarella, chicken, bacon and jalapeño, garnished with cilantro⁵
• Meat — red sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, shredded Canadian bacon, sausage, beef and andouille sausage⁵
• Spicy Pepperoni — red sauce, Frank’s RedHot, shredded mozzarella and pepperoni, topped with fresh Parmesan and parsley⁵
• Farmers Market — pesto, fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomato and tomato, topped with fresh arugula and a balsamic drizzle⁵
• Veggie — red sauce, shredded mozzarella, mushroom, red onion, green pepper, tomato, artichoke and spinach⁵

Starters, salads, pasta & pub food

• Appetizers / pub starters — full pub-style appetizer selection (individual items)¹⁵
• Salads — freshly made salads with a variety of dressing options (specific salads)¹⁵
• Sandwiches — house sandwiches alongside the pizza and pasta menu¹⁵
• Chicken Parmesan — served over pasta and topped with a generous amount of mozzarella⁵
• Pasta — from-scratch pasta dishes (additional items)¹
• Soups — homemade soups offered in winter¹

Weekend brunch

• Breakfast pizza and coffee cake, among weekend brunch items¹

Bar program

• 67-foot bar marketed as the longest in Johnson County, with 100+ (reported up to 130+) craft beers plus a whiskey and bourbon list the business describes as the county’s largest¹³

Links

• Official site: https://www.avaraespizzeriapub.com/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ava-raes-pizzeria-and-pub-olathe
• Online ordering (ChowNow): https://direct.chownow.com/order/41384/locations/62674

Sources

• Status verified active 2026-06-23 via Yelp — Ava Rae’s Pizzeria & Pub, Olathe (updated May 2026) (accessed 2026-06-23). Listing active with current posted hours; address 11168 S Lone Elm Rd, Olathe, KS 66061 confirmed.

Disputes

None recorded.

Footnotes

1. Locally-owned Ava Rae’s Pizzeria and Pub opening soon in Olathe — Johnson County Post, Jan 22, 2025 — asserts: owner Darrin DeBok (first restaurant); manager/partner Lindsay Rutten (25+ years’ experience); named for daughter Ava Rae and dog Dexter; address 11168 S. Lone Elm Rd near College Blvd; mid-Feb 2025 target opening; long-vacant storefront; craft pizzas (GF), pastas, sandwiches, salads, soups, weekend brunch; 67-foot bar / 100+ craft beers; family-and-community focus; school/first-responder discounts; across from Olathe Northwest HS. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶

2. Ava Rae’s Pizzeria & Pub — Yelp (Updated May 2026, 78 reviews) — asserts: currently open; address 11168 S Lone Elm Rd, Olathe, KS 66061; posted hours; active reviews/photos through May 2026. ↩

3. Ava Rae’s Pizzeria & Pub in Olathe, KS — Reviews, Hours, and Contact Details (Yahoo Local) — asserts: address and phone (913) 391-4700; made-fresh-in-house daily, GF/dairy-free options; 130+ craft beers; largest whiskey/bourbon selection and longest bar in Johnson County. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

4. Locally-owned Ava Rae’s Pizzeria and Pub opening soon in Olathe — Johnson County Post, Jan 22, 2025 — asserts (menu): signature pies including the “Ava Rae’s Special” (sausage, pepperoni, fresh vegetables) and the “Spicy Italian” (spicy sausage, banana peppers). ↩ ↩²

5. Ava Rae’s Pizzeria & Pub — Menu / online ordering (item descriptions captured via menu aggregator https://ava-raes-pizzeria-pub.res-pick.com/, verified 2026-06-17) — asserts (menu): specialty pizzas Cheesy Bianca, Spicy Chicken Alfredo, Supreme, BBQ Chicken, Veggie, Farmers Market, Meat, Spicy Pepperoni (with ingredient descriptions as listed); categories appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, salads (variety of dressings), pasta; Chicken Parmesan over pasta with mozzarella. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²