Jaymie Banti
I traveled 3.5 hours to experience this restaurant. I was unable to make a reservation in advance and was put on the wait list upon arrival. It took a little over 3 hours for a table to be ready (and the wait list was at to 4 hours by the time I was seated).
The service here was great. Our server was very attentive and the food was brought out very quickly after ordering. We ordered the Mediterranean Bread and the Italian Festa salad to start with. This was so incredibly tasty, the dressings that came with the salad were some of the best I've had in a long time. I understand why they sell these separately as well for you to take home.
Then it was time for our main course, the Pizza Pot Pie. Honestly, it was a bit disappointing given the hype surrounding it. The cheese and sauce were great, but the crust was lackluster. I'm not quite sure what could have been done to improve it, but if I were to return, I'd probably try one of their grinders.
To end our meal, we got the Tortoni. This was an incredible blend of flavors and was an absolute delight to finish off the night.
Overall, this is a location worth visiting. There are a lot of great choices and the service is exemplary. Just be prepared to wait.
Icela Stopa
Great service. Drinks are delicious. Staff is friendly. A bit cramped in the booth, but the staff helps clear the tables often to free room on the table. Food is top notch. Anytime I visit Chicago, I have to stop by this gem. Please note that this is a cash only place so make sure you have cash. Parking is tough but valet is reasonable I believe $14. Overall wonderful experience.
The Murf Murf
To start this off we reserved a table. Our waiter was amazing. We got the 3 popular things and they were great. The pizza pot pie sauce on the inside was so good. The ice cream was one of a kind. This place is an absolute must try. I don't think you will make it a normal continuous thing....but you need to at least have this once
Mandi Kikta
I am from Florida and saw this restaurant on YouTube several years ago. So when I came to Chicago for a conference I had to go try the famous pizza pot pie. It did not disappoint. The place has a friendly feel. The service was on point. And the food was amazing! We didn't make reservations but do recommend that you do. 4 of us had the pizza pot pie and 2 had the Italian combination grinder. Everything was perfect.
karina k
What a fun experience! The food servings are huge (especially the Grinder sandwich so you have to try this), the food is good, the tortoni (ice cream) is smooth and rum infused w flakes of graham cracker. And the mozzarella cheese is good and chewy and fresh. The bread for the grinder was tasty and soft and fluffy with sprinkled Italian like seasoning and cheese. The only thing was the bread got soggy with the sauce being in there when it was baked lightly crisp. The upside down pizza pot pie was fun to watch the waitress uncover it to cut in half. The 1/2 pound was enough for one hungry person but it didn’t have much filling in it but some cheese so I was a little disappointed as we got the meat sauce one and there were barely any meat pieces but the large mushrooms were good. It was loaded w cheese and the dough was fluffy and good. But I personally liked the grinder the best bc it had so much stuff and it was filling and I had 1/2 the grinder leftover for the next day. The vegetarian grinder was amazing. I would def return. Plus the food was not salty. I like that a lot.
WHITE KNIGHT
Wow, Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company truly left an impression on me! The pizza there has such a unique twist, and don't even get me started on the salad – that dressing is simply divine. What really elevated the entire dining experience was the attentive and friendly staff. They ensured everything was just right, from keeping our table tidy to making sure our drinks were always full. Dining here felt as though we were with friends who genuinely cared about making our evening memorable. This place is more than just a meal; it's a heartwarming experience I eagerly anticipate reliving. A sincere thank you to the dedicated team there. I'm certainly looking forward to our next visit!
Aaron M
We had an afternoon off while visiting family in DuPage County for the weekend and decided to try to visit Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders, which had been recommended by a friend. We knew we were going to order too much food, but it was so good I ate twice as much as I should have.
Reviews recommended the Mediterranean bread, which comes with a poppy seed sauce and a sour cream garlic sauce. Our server recommended we mix the sauces. Wow, so good. The dough was delicate, light, and well seasoned. Our big fat Greek salad (the small portion, which was huge) complemented it well. All very fresh. We also had to have the one-pound pizza pot pie. It was a delight. The marinara meat sauce was well-seasoned and flavorful enough to hold its own against the dough and a river of molten cheese.
Excellent atmosphere. The space, just off Lincoln Park, is small but arranged well to hold a number of booths as well as a full bar with seating and a window nook, where we were seated. The window nook is airy and bright with a nice view of the street; the rest of the restaurant has a cozy, old-school tavern atmosphere.
Service was top-notch. Our server, Alex (I hope I caught her name correctly) was friendly and efficient, fielding all our questions and stopped by frequently to top off our sauces, give us napkins, etc, without us having to ask and even as she was handling a number of tables.
Michelle Nestler
I haven’t been here in 20 years and it’s just like I remembered. The other diner had never been here and thought it was spectacular too. Pizza was worth the wait and salad was quite tasty. I recommend making reservations, even on a Sunday for lunch it filled quickly. Note - cash only! Fun area with a lot of history too. We opted for valet parking after searching for a few minutes.
Joseph D.
I wanted to try this place for YEARS after watching a YouTube video about it. It did not disappoint. The pizza pot pie was amazing! If I lived in Chicago I'd find my way there regularly.
As for everything else, the salad was really good. That dressing they serve in separate bowls but you're supposed to mix was surprisingly delicious. The portions are large as well. You definitely won't leave hungry.
The atmosphere was...very tightly knit. It's a small place and there isn't much room to get around. I'm a big guy and although I had to maneuver a bit, it wasn't as bad as I'd read. Definitely ask for a table if you're more on the hefty side 😂.
Our server was great and the service overall was very attentive.
Karina Kim
What a fun experience! The food servings are huge (especially the Grinder sandwich so you have to try this), the food is good, the tortoni (ice cream) is smooth and rum infused w flakes of macaroons. And the mozzarella cheese is good and chewy and fresh. The bread for the grinder was tasty and soft and fluffy with sprinkled Italian like seasoning and cheese. The only thing was the bread got soggy with the sauce being in there when it was baked lightly crisp. The upside down pizza pot pie was fun to watch the waitress uncover it to cut in half. The 1/2 pound was enough for one hungry person but it didn’t have much filling in it but some cheese so I was a little disappointed as we got the meat sauce one and there were barely any meat pieces but the large mushrooms were good. It was loaded w cheese and the dough was fluffy and good. But I personally liked the grinder the best bc it had so much stuff and it was filling and I had 1/2 the grinder leftover for the next day. The vegetarian grinder was amazing. I would def return. Plus the food was not salty. I like that a lot.
TLC 2
The Mediterranean bread is excellent. The half pound pizza pot pie was good too. It is enough for 2 average eaters. Also got the Italian grinder. The grinder was just ok. We didn’t get a salad, but they looked AMAZING. Big enough to feed 4 people. It was a cool place to go to for something different. I wouldn’t come here often, but it’s fun to visit once in a while. They do have valet parking bc it can be difficult to find a spot on the road, but we got lucky and found a spot across the street. CASH ONLY
Stephen Hemphill
The old school charm of eating in a neighborhood bar/restaurant. The friendliness of it being YOUR neighborhood.. even if you are an out if towner like us. 👍
My mother loved it soooo much she asked the waiter Omar (great guy by the way) to kiss the chef for her.
Ummmmm.... yeah it is that good soooo good that your mama will ask the waiter to kiss the chef!
Imagine just imagine how good it must be.
Paige Torres
Kathy the manager was amazing! defiantly made us out of towners feel like we were at home. Alex our server was amazing as well. She had a great attitude and very detailed to everything. And well the food…. AMAZING!!! We will defiantly be back! Best Pizza I have ever had!
Sunset Sunrise
Our service here was the absolute best, friendly, attentive, and inviting even when we came in as a party of 12 right before closing.
The food was incredible (festa salad large, flat bread, and 3x 1lb pizza pies that fed all of us perfectly) the whole place has a classic vibe with welcome and awesome energy.
Thank you oven Grindr for the kindness on our wedding celebration. We split family style.
Aaron G.
The food here is absolutely amazing. We split a one-pound pot pie between three people and shared a sausage sub on top of that. We were pretty hungry after walking around the city for half a day, but we weren't able to finish our food simply because of how massive the servings were. You're certainly getting your money's worth. The only thing is, since these dishes are freshly made, they take a while to come out of the kitchen. Our orders took around 40 mins to be prepared. Either way, I highly recommend this spot if you're looking for something outside the usual deep-dish experience in Chicago!
Kriti Anand
CASH ONLY - Pizza Speakeasy
They do have an ATM inside.
Parking is a problem. Valet is $14.
Pizza is amazing. Will definitely recommend.
Mediterranean bread- Oh My God! This was AMMMMAAAAZIIIING. I got extra packed because I loved it so much.
It worth experiencing the pizza and the story of this place.
Definitely would recommend reserving before going- we walked in and had to wait 40 minutes on a weekday for 2 people.
Kurt Almeida
Had an awesome lunch here and then went to the Lincoln Park zoo right after. I was a bit skeptical about this pizza pot pie but it was so delicious. I definitely would recommend and would make time to come here again on my next trip. We split the half pound pizza and had a chef salad to share. Everything was amazing! The meat sauce was so good, perfect, savory and filling. My wife described it as “it was like eating a cloud of pizza.” We’ve never had a pizza like this and after this experience we’ve now found one of our all time favorite pizzas places.
Note: Cash only
Artoni Gashi
What an amazing place! Love the story and history. Service was very very good. Love the coziness of the place. The Mediterranean bread was amazing!!!! The oven grinder was good but would be way better if the seasoned the crust with the seasoning from the Mediterranean bread. The sauce had great flavor but too runny for me. Overall with the visit for the experience!
Bill Messner
We came from Jackson, Michigan just for the pot pie. Was NOT disappointed! Bit of a wait but still totally worth it. My wife and I shared a flat bread and salad and had our pot pies, the cost was actually reasonable compared to what we would have spent anywhere else. Can’t wait to comeback and have some more!
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