*Delivery review (pizza is probably better fresh from the oven). I really wanted to love this pizza, it looked delicious sounded delicious, but was not delicious. With all the toppings, the only bite with flavor was those with the cherry tomatoes. The mozzarella cheese was rubbery and the pesto ricotta lacked salt and pepper. I would have rated them 3 stars, but My husband liked his even less, which is a huge bummer because he never wants pizza, but decided to give it a try. We actually thought maybe it would taste better cold (it arrived luke warm), So we tried it again after an hour in the fridge... nope didn't help. $55 for two pizzas that mostly ended up in trash. Just proves that food that looks good doesn't always taste good. (See picture looks amazing!) I still want to give it a try in the restaurant... it has to be better fresh from the coal oven! read more

Coalfire Pizza - Spinach pizza with olives - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

AWFUL. How can you get pizza wrong? I didn't think it were possible. Costco. Pizza Hut. Dominos -- all better. I haven't left a review on Yelp in years. But I got on just to leave this review. So shocked. Pizza was tasteless and dry. We got pepperoni. We got sobrasada. Not either of the 2 were good. Lou Malnati's is even better, and it's not that good. Go to Pequod's for phenomenal pizza. read more

If you're in the mood for thin crust pizza and great service, this is the place for you! The pepperoni and whipped ricotta pizza is really good, and the one pizza was enough to feed two people plus leftovers. Service was quick, and since we came early to beat the crowds we were in and out in under an hour! read more

Coalfire Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am only rating based off of my delivery experience. The toppings were great but the crust was soggy.

It can be hard to predict on any given day if there will be a wait here, but don't be surprised if there's a wait on weekends and at night, especially for parties of more than 4 people. The drink menu contains a good variety of beers, especially for a pizzeria (pizza pubs don't count!). The house salad is standard, but I would recommend getting the Caesar salad which goes along with the pizza better. The salads are priced around $9 +/-, while the pies range from $17 to $20. The pizzas are very tasty and are LOADED with whatever toppings you order. They come out of an 800° oven, so of course they're too hot to touch right away but the pies cool down quickly thanks to the thinness of the crust. The thin crust also helps the cheese, sauce, and toppings to really shine. Just know that depending on the toppings, you may find some of the pizzas to be a bit salty - in my case it was the sausage stracciatella. This put me on the fence on whether or not to subtract one star from the rating, but on second thought I do appreciate the place being generous with their toppings, especially considering that the pies are on the pricier side. Thus I am giving Coalfire 4.5 out of 5 stars, which rounds up to 5 stars. Note that according to the menu, one pie is recommended to feed two people, but I believe that this recommendation was made based on the assumption that you will also order some salad and dessert. Otherwise half of a pie per person won't be enough to fill up an average stomach. read more

Coalfire Pizza - Top: Stracciatella & Sausage with chiles, red onions, and basil. Bottom: Pepperoni & Whipped Ricotta with garlic and basil. - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I take my thin crust pizza pretty seriously. I was beginning to think a good slice of thin crust was beginning to be a myth in Chicago. Until my boyfriend suggested going to Coalfire. I read a few reviews and saw some pictures and it totally won me over. I cam in with high expectations. They have a selection of a few wine bottles for a great price and they repurpose their tomato cans into wine chillers and pie holders (very adorable). We ordered the lasagna pizza because reading the reviews I saw we had to order something with the whipped ricotta. Believe me you NEED to order a pizza with the whipped ricotta or at least have it as an add on it's unbelievable! It definitely elevates the pizza. The pie was cooked perfectly as well. I'm usually not the type to eat meat on my pizza but my boyfriend and I loved it so much. We can't wait to go back to get another kind of pie! The prices for their bottles of wine are also exceptional. This won't break the bank. I came in a little late on a Friday but it wasn't crazy busy at all there were still a few seats. The waiters are super nice as well! This place will probably be my go to pizza in Chicago! read more

Coalfire Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Every time I visit Chicago, I make this a dinner stop. They consistently change out their pizza options by season and on this visit we were fortunate to have the heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad appetizer. The tomatoes were rich with flavor and the mozzarella was firm without being stingy or over worked. We had the Vodka Meatball pizza and the toppings were disbursed evenly, the crust was cooked with a thin crisp crust and the basil was very fresh. I always enjoy the adventure of new Neapolitan style pizza when I visit this location. read more

Coalfire Pizza - Vodka Meatball pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The pizza is made then placed in a coal fire oven for 90 sec. Authentic neapolitan style thin crust large pizzas. Fresh ingredients I had the pepperoni with ricotta cheese. It was good, but probably would X out the ricotta next time crust was on point. 100% recommend! read more

Coalfire Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great taste, not a lot to the pizza and p expensive. But still, tastes great. My last pizza was too burnt and tasted too much like the coal. read more

Alright, the top part of the pizza ( so the toppings) are great. The crust is soggy thin and not New York style if that what is expected. On top of that the bottom of the crust always comes out burnt. Its literally burnt, meaning its either sitting in the over too long or the oven is not clean. It should not have charred burnt taste. Pizza is flavorful, ingredients great but crust is too thin and burnt. read more

DELICIOUS pizza! EXCELLENT and FAST service! 10/10 would recommend! Similar to a brick oven pizza. So delicious! read more

Coalfire Pizza - Margherita Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good stuff - ordered to go & am excited about getting to eat it live. Will make an effort to get into the shop soon

Simply put: the BEST in Chicago! The Arugula-Tomato pizza is single-handedly the best decision that you can make here! read more

You can't go wrong with Coalfire. It's our go-to pizza joint. Get any pizza with whipped ricotta or stracciatella and you'll be fine.

Heard soooo many good things about this place. just moved to the neighborhood last weekend and walked up to get take out margarita and house salad. Margarita: something must be wrong with the brick oven. the charred parts ( which i LOVE) tasted like burned plastic or something was burned onto the surface that the pizza cooked on. it even smelled like something unnatural was burned on the pizza. not edible. super soggy and floppy. texture like the pizza had sat out for an hour before i arrived (was ~20mins from placing order to picking up). bizarre and bad experience - will try again bc i've heard such good things but this was bad. Salad: very good very fresh. read more

Cold night, hot calzone. Supposedly that coal-fired oven is 800 degrees, and they made every last one count. My dinner was PIPING hot, and thank goodness, because I huddled close to it for warmth due to sitting within ten feet of the front door. I've been waiting about eighteen months to come here for their calzone, and I'm glad that I did. I strongly dislike ricotta cheese, so I was somewhat apprehensive about their mix of ricotta, romano, and mozzarella. I was also skeptical about combining both salami and pepperoni in the same calzone. Mostly wrong on both counts: I removed some of the bigger chunks of ricotta, and the taste was a bit on the salty side, but on the whole, it was a very good calzone. I loved the crust--perfect thickness, slightly chewy, a bit charred in spots from that demonic oven, served with a cup of excellent marinara on the side. I will go A- on the calzone. I started the meal with a nice caprese salad. They do not skimp on the basil here--each leaf completely covered the mozarella slice--but for some sad reason it lacked pungency. Feeble crop of winter basil? Too bad, but in general it was a nice offering. Tip: This thing is meant to be shared. You get seven little tomato/mozzarella/basil towers, and I was starting to feel full even before my calzone arrived. I tried my friend's white pizza and found it bland, but when I dressed it up with some of my marinara and meat from the calzone and sprinkled it with oregano, it was a damn good slice of pizza! The crust is their particular strength, it seems. Plentiful parking nearby; reasonable prices; prompt and friendly, if often oddly entertaining, service; and of course a solid calzone...no reason that I wouldn't be happy to return. Here's to deleting my second-oldest Yelp bookmark, and it was worth the wait. read more

Great place. Went on a bitter cold Sunday night. No waiting and free street parking. Coalfire is not your standard Chicago pizza place. The crust is thinner and more delicate. The cheese is not overwhelming. The menu is both creative and traditional. Traditional like pepperoni and mozzarella, different like honey and ricotta. We tried a pepperoni and a white pizza. The white pizza was delicious, filling but not heavy and overwhelming. I pretty much like anything with basil on it. We shared a crème brule dessert. It was worth it! Cost was reasonable. read more

I don't get the hype. I first learned of Coalfire on an episode of "Check Please" and couldn't wait to try it out. I love this type of pizza and prefer a thin, crisp crust over deep dish any day of the week. The boyfriend and I ordered 2 pizzas: a white pie (our favorite) and an 'Nduja pie (salami, mozzarella, basil). Not gonna lie, the crust was pretty good. It definitely wasn't on the same level as Grimaldi's in NYC but it was decent. Unfortunately, the pizzas didn't have much flavor. The white pie was pretty boring and the only thing that saved the 'Nduja pie was the spicy salami. On a side note, we also tried their cupcakes (courtesy of Chicago Cupcake). Take my advice and skip it! I'm not sure if all the flavors are the same but the one we tried was more like a pie than a cake. It was super heavy and sweet -- definitely not my style. read more

Coalfire Pizza - White pie - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wowza!! First time for me here....my son lives nearby and frequents the place...he ordered and he chose wisely!! The server girl was attentive, kind and full of knowledge of the menu! We had a Caesar salad and split it three ways between all of us and then our pizzas arrived and wowza we could not get it in out mouths fast enough!!!ha ha!!! read more

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FIrst off, let me say that the service was OUTSTANDING! When that's the first thing that comes to mind about a place, it says a lot about how much they care. It was attentive without being overbearing. The waitress was friendly, helpful, prompt, pleasant, and even tolerated my joking around. She brought our beers right away (extra points!) and was a masterful server. Just like bad service can ruin an experience, good service leaves such an "I wanna go back" feeling. This is such a place. But let's talk about the food. I've wanted to try coal fired pizza for some time now so I was delighted to go along with this recommendation. Great Yelp reviews added to my excitement. I was NOT disappointed! This pizza is remarkable. I love thin crust pizza and the coal fired oven cooks them in just a couple of minutes at a very high temperature. The result is amazing. We ordered two pizzas for the four of us - the Nduja pizza with the superb sausage was a giant hit. Thin, crispy (not burnt), great sauce, was a pure delight. We also went the "build your own" option and it was loaded with red onions, spinach and sausage. Man, it was to die for! While this isn't a big place, it's comfortable enough. And the pizza? Don't wait. Don't hesitate. This is the way pizza is meant to be! Awesome! read more

This review is completely based on the food, not on the service or ambiance as it was a delivery order. After trying this pizza and calzone I am so surprised by the high ratings. I am someone who likes a thin crust pizza but this crust is extremely thin and I felt like I was eating cardboard. It was also burnt and burnt flavor was the main flavor of the pizza. To top it off it was also quite greasy. The calzone I didn't even finish. It had an extremely hard crust and no flavor. read more

It took two years but I finally got to try this pizza. I am one of those who people who completely believe that coal fire is the best way to cook a pizza. So I walked in on a Saturday afternoon A's the restaurant was maybe half full. I was seated promptly and promptly got a glass of ice water. However, they also told me there was no iced tea. That's a major disappointment for me. Even though I didn't plan on drinking, I knew I wasn't having dogs, so I asked for a beer suggestion. The waitress came back with a bottle of rogue dead guy ale from Oregon. It was a nice medium bodied, golden color beer. Definitely a good recommendation. I ordered the sausage and straciella, which had Berkshire sausage, red onion, Calabrian chiles, fresh basil, two kinds of mozzarella, and a little tomato sauce. For $19, it was about sixteen inches in diameter. I like my pizzas with a good sauce flavor, but I don't like them soggy and wet on the bottom. That's a fine line to walk. The crust was definitely crispy all the way through, a definite plus. When I bit into it, the crust had that smoky flavor that I love in my pizzas. The sausage was an incredible quality, great spice and flavor in it. But I could've used just a little more sauce especially with the extra cheese and the peppers. That would probably be my only criticism. The total was $27 for a large pizza, beer, and tax. Not too bad for Chicago. I would likely return if I was in the area, but I still have to say there's a certain New Haven style place on North Avenue that is still my go to. read more

Aw, man. Apart Pizza is right in my 'hood, nice and close. I loved it, it was comfortable. But I was growing a little weary of their combinations, as I seem to have sampled all their offerings. Enter Coalfire. Two friends and I went here tonight and mannnnn . . . now I'm going to have to go all the way down Grand for the most delicious pizza in Chicago. 1/2 price bottles of wine on Tuesdays made our poor hearts happy. The pizza was so good, I felt like I was cheating on Apart. We got one prosciutto pizza and one pesto and goat cheese for the veggie chick in our midst. The two carnivores loved the pesto as well. Super crispy crust, but chewy in the middle, mmmmm, the way that Neapolitan pizza oughta be. The pizzas came out of the oven PIPING HOT and took a bit to prepare 'cos they are cooked to order. Apart, you're still my local nookie. But Coalfire is my new long distance relationship. read more

What a great little place to grab a pizza and a beer! And what a pizza it is! Coalfire has been on my list for a couple of years. Open for 3 years, the location of this restaurant is a little understated as I have driven by here many times but have not noticed it. What I should have noticed is some great thin crust Neapolitan style pizza baked in an 800 degree coal fire. A great way to have pizza as the crust is the not event- merely the carrier to all the great toppings that they have. We got there a little before they closed and had the place pretty much to ourselves. Our server, Lyra, was great. She steered us toward her favorite pizza (salami and red peppers- sounds odd but it was great!) The salami tasted a bit like pepperoni without all the grease and the peppers were sliced thin which made not only a delicious pizza but one that was pretty to look at as well.. We also had a caprese salad to start which was fresh and wonderful. Beer and wine is also on the menu and wine is half priced on Tuesdays. Parking is pretty easy in this area and if you pay by cash- you will get a 10% discount applied to your bill. Dinner for two with drinks ran about $36 so it is really reasonable as well. If you love Neapolitan style pizza with great toppings, Coalfire should be on your list to try. Now I just can't wait to go back! read more

Wowzaaa Get the nduja pizza! You wont regret it. Chicago isnt all about the deep dish. The thin crusted here is amazing. The servers are super nice and organized. Go go go! read more

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Wow, Coalfire Pizza in Chicago is soooo delicious! Do yourself a huge favor and order the 'NDuja - who cares if you can't pronounce it? Just point to it on the menu and order it! Probably the tastiest sausage to top a pizza ever and their crust with that nice crispy char from the coal fired 800 degree oven is ridiculously good. Coalfire will add garlic to any pizza free - take advantage of this because who doesn't need more garlic? We've decided the perfect thing to do is get one 'NDuja & build one pizza with our own toppings. They recommend not getting more than 2-3 toppings because their Neapolitan crust is thin. They also have some really interesting beer selections and service has always been spectacular. The oven is really hot and the restaurant can get toasty inside, even on a cold Chicago winter night. When you feel the heat in there, you begin to understand why your pizza comes out so quickly. I haven't been here during a heat wave so no clue what that's like, but I'd guess that takeout during the summer could be a good idea. I've had coal fired oven pizza in Pittsburgh where I live, too. Not even in the same league as the Chicago Coalfire! read more

Had the pepperoni and ricotta pizza with the pistachio pesto. Loved both! Next time I would just order the pesto one with less honey because it was a bit too sweet for my tasting but definitely a unique flavor I've never had before on a pizza which is great. If you like think crust pizza this is definitely a must go. read more

Service and cupcakes at Coalfire are better than the pizza...I'd go back, but it's not my first choice. Our group of six came in last night and ordered three pies: margherita, pesto, and sausage. It's rare that I think this, but the plain margherita was the best of the three by a large margin; a little spicy, light but not limp, tasty thin crust. The sausage was strangely light on meat; it was basically a margherita with onions and one piece of italian sausage per slice. The pesto was the best-looking girl at the party but when you talked to her, she asked about your job and said nothing interesting...the pesto was met with oohs and aahs when it arrived at the table, but the mozzarella/ricotta cheeses were surprisingly bland. Also, I made a mistake...for the first time in my 38 years on Earth, I tried Rolling Rock, and now I know why no one serves Rolling Rock at parties. However, the server we had last night was excellent, the food was served crazy fast, the manager/owner (the guy that appeared to be in charge) was very accommodating and smiled at our table both times I was looking for our server, and the server really sold us on our best part of the meal: the cupcakes. Which brings up an interesting point: the cupcakes are provided by Chicago Cupcake, so maybe next time, I just order pizza somewhere else and buy the 'cakes at CC instead?? We had the red velvet and the chocolate chip cookie dough...both were incredible, if a little expensive at $4/pop. (I'm used to spending less for better at Georgetown Cupcake back in DC, but I digress.) I would probably go back to Coalfire with friends if someone else was meeting there, or if I lived closer. As is, it's tough to have average pizza in Pizzatown, USA. read more

I get food obsessed with certain items - hot chocolate, croissants, and right now, thin crust pizza! I looooooooved their pesto-ricotta pizza as well as margarita! Amazing crust, just the right amount of toppings, and everything tastes so fresh! Loved it!! read more

I've been trying to get to Coalfire Pizza for about a month and today I finally made it there. I have to say that the service was top notch! Our server (I forgot his name, but I know he said he's been working there for 6 months) was awesome. He knew the menu, gave us his recommendation on which pizza we should try and had a good personality. Now on to the pizza. We decided to go with our server's recommendation and got the pepperoni and ricotta pizza. The pizza was good and flavorful, but didn't knock my socks off like I was expecting. My dining buddy mentioned that she wish there was less crust on the pizza (she wanted more sauce, cheese, meat). I recommend giving Coalfire because the pizza was good and the service was great. However, if you really love think crust pizza, you may want to hit up a couple other places in Chicago that have AMAZING think crust. read more

Coalfire Pizza - pepperoni and ricotta cheese - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came, I saw, I ate. I like Coalfire. We did the Early Bird Special to avoid the long wait...I think we were there at like 630 on a Friday night. HA! Service was great. Our server was on top of the game. We had the NDUJA-good, but I was expecting more spice and flavor. Only a small single salami on each piece White pizza-it was decent if you ate it as is. It was delish if you put salt on it Sausage pizza-pretty damn good! Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Creme Brulee, and the Red Velvet cupcakes. The cupcakes were yummy. Red velvet was a little too sweet. The "cake" of the cupcakes is more like a cross between a cake pop and cheesecake...SO GOOD! I have to admit, I judge the cupcakes at first look...they look small and just kind of ok. Do it...you wont be disappointed! read more

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Just Wow. From the service we (family of four plus a senior citizen) received from our server Emma (who was great not just with the kids, but with walking us through the menu) to the pizza itself (literally takes longer to order the pizza than it does to get a delicious pie back) it's almost unfair just how happy we were with our dining experience. Emma suggested getting a mini sausage for our two little ones who devoured the whole thing. Beer only in bottles, but good mix of suds ... yes, we will be back ... the only reason we left is because we own a home; otherwise may have stayed for breakfast (no, they don't serve breakfast ... although a breakfast pizza here would be killer) read more

Coalfire Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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3.5 stars for the pizza. Rounding up because of the dessert and non-food aspects. Seated right away on a Friday evening, friendly waitress, cozy interior. We had the prosciutto pizza ($18ish) and it was pretty good. Not among my top 10, but good. For dessert, we had the red velvet cupcake from Chicago Cupcakes. Rich & moist, thick frosting, chocolate graham crust. If I get a pizza craving, I'd probably crave Pequod's or Lou Malnati's tbh. But I wouldn't be averse to trying more from Coalfire's menu. read more

Coalfire Pizza - Prosciutto ($18ish) - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great pizza, great atmosphere and great service! Came on a night where we were going to show at the UC afterwards and had to wait a little bit. Turned out the guy outside in the cold taking names is the owner and he couldn't have been cooler. Made great conversation and sent some wine out for my wife and I and the other couples waiting for tables. Then made sure our order was taken right away and our food came out quickly so we wouldn't be late for the show (we weren't!). Food-wise we had the Pepperoni & Ricotta and the Honey & Salami pizzas. Both delicious and plenty big for us to eat half of each for dinner and the rest for lunch the next day. Highly recommend and will be back! read more

Coalfire Pizza is super good!! I've tried several of the pizzas and they are all good choices! Anything with whipped ricotta is a must try! I've also ordered pies to go and the whipped ricotta just comes on the side so it won't be a curdled mess by the time you start eating. The pizza is 5 stars for sure. Service is definitely where Coalfire could improve. The grand location is small so there's long waits. I get that can be overwhelming, but the hostess/lady outside taking names was just straight up rude. She was yelling at her coworker to write down our phone number even though she was holding the pen and clipboard and was standing right next to him. She also said something to which I nervously chuckled in response and then she snapped back at me saying it's actually not funny! The Southport location has long waits too, but I'd advise going to that Coalfire for a better experience. There's also more bars and shops to peruse while waiting for a table over in the Southport Corridor. Definitely order the pizza to take home or check out the other location! read more

Love the pizza here, particularly the one with the soft, spreadable 'nduja sausage. Lead time is wonderful--by the time we walk the one block from our home on Grand to Coalfire, our pickup order's ready. My "beef" with Coalfire has nothing to do with its excellent pizza; rather, I've got a gripe about the house salad. Billed as "bibb lettuce tossed with radish, parsley, and chives," the last couple of salads we've picked up consisted of lettuce and a few slivers of radish and nothing more. Sure, it's a pizza place and veggies are not why people go there, but c'mon, take a lesson from Malnati's Malnati Salad. Give your fans their eight bucks o' salad! read more

Being a Chicagoan doesn't mean that you only eat pizza that is deep dish, it means that you are a pizza snob and only great pizza can satisfy your cravings. Thick or thin, a true Chicagoan appreciates excellent pizza in any form. It's why Coal Fire Pizza in West Town with their thin crust pizza has the full approval and support of locals. Cooked at high temperatures using coal, this pizza is unlike any other kind of pizza offered in Chicago. The thin, charred, and chewy crust is reminiscent of New York and East Coast pizza. You might have had something similar at Eataly or Spacca Napoli but pizza cooked using coals makes all the difference. You can't get this type of crust anywhere in the city and it is amazing. Pro tip: order one pizza at a time. Since the pizza is thin and cooked at high temperatures, you need to finish the pie quickly before it starts getting cold to enjoy it at its peak. read more

Coalfire Pizza - Neopolitan style pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Definitely a sucker for that burnt, cracker crust with flavorful toppings and fresh herb... and Coalfire knows how. Not sure why, but wasn't impressed the first time but when we went back, oh my. Cozy, out of the way pizza joints closer to the SOUTH SYDEEEE are always welcome and this place is a definitely a gem. Casual and mostly lit by daylight works and the staff is friendly and quick. Could definitely go for a few more slices after writing this. :p read more

Coalfire was OK for me. The service was kind of hit or miss. Everyone was pretty pleasant, but I just felt like we had to ask for a every little thing, as opposed to getting some service. First, we had to ask for napkins... literally none on the table. Then we had to ask separately for silverware. For refills, she would come by and check on us, but never offered to refill my glass. Until I asked for it after she didn't. The pizza itself was good. Pretty light and had a kind of fresh taste to it. Better than the pizza, was the calzone, in my opinion. Overall the food was good. read more

I've been going to Coalfire for a number of years getting pizzas to go every few months. I know that doesn't sound like a lot but it just depends when I work in the area. The pizza has always been good and I am a big fan of this style of pizza vs the normal Chicago thin or Deep. One thing that makes this pizza so great for me is the chewy crust that can hold out for the ride home to the burbs. It takes me 45-75 minutes to get home and a 10-15 min warmup in the oven brings it back to a satisfying eat. Just remember to get it uncut!! The staff has always been friendly and is happy to serve you a beer while waiting for the pie to cook... read more

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