The best thin pizza I have ever had. All the ingredients are authentic and very high-quality. The restaurant is small and very cozy. For the money I have never had any pizza anywhere else in the country that comes close. Real Neapolitan style thin pizza. Not the pizza where they put tons of cheese just to hide the taste. It's pizza the way it was meant to be. The perfect crUst With just the right amount of cheese and toppings that will have you coming back time and again. I've traveled and have pizza all over the place But in a place where a lot of people are partial to the deep dish this is a homerun every time. This is a must try for anyone Who knows what could Pizza is all about. read more

My SO and I came here on a Saturday around 5 to try to avoid the lines as we heard it gets pretty crazy around peak times. We lucked out. We were seated immediately, and got our pizza ridiculously fast after ordering it! The reason the pizzas can come out so fast is that they are baked in a coal fire oven. The thin dough get charred and delicious in just a few short minutes. Their differentiator is the dollops of whipped ricotta that they put on top of the pizza once it's out of the oven. This pizza is really delicious and the ricotta adds a nice creaminess and interesting texture combo to the top. We both really liked the pepperoni and whipped ricotta pizza we ordered and would definitely come back. This pizza isn't piled high with toppings and cheese like some other pizza places, but the charred dough, thick cut pepperoni, and whipped ricotta make this a strong contender in Chicago's super competitive pizza scene. read more

Great pizza, eat there and order a couple, it comes out real fast and use the red pepper oil on everything.

Coalfire Pizza is our family favorite. We live in the suburbs but whenever we're in the city we get pizzas at Coalfire. In addition to the tasty pizzas their salads are very good and great prices on beers too. Dave Bonomi, the owner, is an entertaining person unto himself. read more

Great coal fired pizza. We have tried takeout, but because the pizza is so thin it doesn't travel as well as other pizza; however, dine in arriving at your table straight from the oven, it is outstanding! I love their caprese salad, only wish that was a year round offering, but their other dishes are good too. Staff is always friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Good grief, people. This place does not serve "thin crust" pizza. It ABSOLUTELY doesn't serve "cracker crust" pizza. When was the last time you folded a cracker in half before eating it? Coalfire, just like other greats Spacca Napoli and Great Lake, serves Neapolitan pizza. Neapolitan - Naples - The Italian countryside...I can picture it now! Any other name does not do this pizza justice - the amount of time spent on the dough and the high quality toppings puts it among the very best in the city. Super friendly staff, usually not crazy busy (unlike Spacca Napoli or Great Lake), and decent amount of street parking makes it really enjoyable to stop by here for a pizza. I haven't been real recently and I understand the place is under new ownership, and the menu has been revamped to be a little more exotic and interesting, in terms of toppings. My only minor quibble was that their topps were all pretty standard - now it sounds like that has changed, and I am super excited to go back. If you want thin crust, go to Vito and Nick's. If you want deep dish, go to Malnati's or Pequods. Coalfire and their Neapolitan pizzas are an entirely different animal...a tasty, tasty animal. read more

Coalfire ain't no stagecoachin', caravan'ing rootin' tootin' goldrush type place, even though all those things were uber trendy when coal was chic. But listen here. Coalfire is the bomb diggity, from start to finish. Despite the cavernous, stereophonic crazy ass loud acoustics, everything abut Coaly is crazy cool. We'd just finished a lengthy walk with Leo and Kindle at the Mutt Hutt. Bitches wore us out (tru, tru), and so we needed some food. Butterfly Sushi? Sure, but we hadn't planned ahead and a bottle of white would have been mighty fine there. Zutalo, Coalfire! I let the hubs work his magic on the toppings while I handled the vino. And developed a small girl crush on Tonya (pron. Tone-yah, like Tone Loc. Get it done, girl!). Her bleach blond bobbed self thought we might be virgins and escorted us as such, with TLC. We ordered a prosciutto pie and went ahead and ordered a bottle of the suggested white. I know, right? A white? With pizza? At first we tried for the red, but it got all coy on us and disappeared. Tonya instead suggested we try their replacement for that fine bottle by pouring us a rather hefty complimentary glass. All from Perman's down the way on Washington. Big ups for supporting the locals, Coalfire. Good woman. Damn fine woman. And so it went. Sure, our pie went to another table, but then Tone-Loc brought us a complimentary caeser salad. Fit for two, it wasn't shrouded in mayo, rather a light, lemony dressing that made the homemade croutons simply glide as opposed to float. It was bright and perfect. Pizza came without too much delay and, ravenous or not, we were moaning with delight. It's such a treat to find a place (even after 140 odd reviews) that gets your neck hair standing on end. The sauce is killer. Absolutely tomatoey, parmesany, righteous killer. And the big black bubbles on the crust, yes please! Even the cheese had flavor. Each little bite was topographical and detailed and ripe and gooey. All of this for $35. Buzzed and blissed out, we stumbled onto Grand with smiles and giddiness. I told Dave, the manager, I was Yelping it 5 stars. And he gave me a five-finger, full hand high one! We're totally part of the family. Coalfires?! IGNITE! read more

The service here was great. The atmosphere was relaxing and welcoming. I enjoyed my pizza but the real seller here are the folks that work there. I'll be back! read more

I'm a big fan of the "fired crust" pizza thanks to a lovely month spent in Roma...it's pretty much all I ate, and once I found the best place in my 'hood, I had thighs of steel due to the walking up and down the hill to get there and back (however, the cheesy belly epidemic from the amounts of cheese and gelato I consumed made for an interesting physique post-Europe study abroad summer.) Clearly, my favorite (and cheapest) place was Pizza Art Cafe...it truly was like the Monte Mario place, minus the boisterous Italian atmosphere. However, new neighborhood means new 'za joints, and Coalfire came highly recommended. So we started with the caprese, a safe bet, and a good judge for anything claiming to be Italian. Here, it was fabu...perfect chunks of mozzarella drizzled flavorful olive oil atop tomatoes (which were OK, but I've just come off a stock pile of home-grown tomatoes and those are hard to top.) All tomato snobbery aside, the caprese was a great start, and plentiful for two hungry peeps. We tried the sausage pizza, which was very lovely. I loved the sauce, it was zesty and not-too-sweet, which I feel can be the trouble with a lot of pizzas. Good crust, perfectly not-perfect shaped, and heavenly aromas. Friendly service, which is hilarious because we got seated shortly after a party of 30 and only saw our server once...thankfully, there was some SERIOUS team work going on and we were very well attended to. Bravo. One caprese, one pizza, two Peronis = about $35 (before tip). Not bad at all. I noticed that Tuesdays are half-priced wine nights. Gotta love a recession-friendly special. I'll be back when I'm craving my pizza di Roma, sans hills of course. My thighs are no longer steel and my gut is shrinking, but I still love my fired pizza. read more

Ugh. So. Full. So. Happy. So very very happy. Pizza is a rarity in my life. I eat it maybe once every few months, but when I do, I try and make sure I do it right. I try a new place. Savor every bite. Indulge myself a little. Perhaps make sure I get a second so I have left overs. When I realized I was going to be home tonight, I thought about getting pizza. Then when I got four hours of sleep last night and I was massively exhausted, I decided there was no way I was going to cook and I needed an escape plan, I called, I walked over and got some Coalfire. The place is larger than I thought but certainly hopping with families in the early hours of the evening. It took about 30 minutes from call to having the actual product in my hands, just what I was quoted on the phone. The gentleman behind the counter was friendly and helpful when I asked for a slight modification on one of my pizza. I briskly walked home, slightly dazed, woozy, not all with it, partly due to lack of slumber, but I think the smells that were emanating from these two boxes were not helping revive me. Then I opened them up and got a full whiff. Sniff. Twinges of glee poured across my face. Pavlov would have been proud of all the saliva that was pouring from my mouth at the sight of what was laid out before me. Oh my. Maybe Homer Simpson would be beaming with more pride. In one box, their pesto pizza, with ricotta and black olives. Over on the other side, my modified four cheese pizza with some very lean, very tasty prosciutto. Oh me oh my back the hell away or so help me you may get your fingers bitten, I've got some eating to do! Yes. It is a slightly burned crust. I don't care, it was tasty. It was damn tasty. Slightly chewy, slightly crunchy, but oh so good. The consistency of the crust is what got me, it was just so good. Just chewy enough. The red sauce? Slightly sweet, slightly tart, just balanced, just right. The pesto pizza, slightly salty, had a kick to it and made me rest assure that no vampires were going to visiting me this night. I wish the prosciutto was just a little more crunchy but really minor mood point. Its not like it stopped me from eating a good chunk of each pizza. The pizza has a fair price, the pizza is great, the place is conveniently located to me. Oh crap. I might have to rethink this once every few months rule.... read more

Woe to the person who goes to Coal Fire during their first week of operation. For that person will spend a good part of their night waiting, waiting, waiting, whilst the owner and his staff try to work out the kinks. And there are a lot of kinks...from checks out of sequence, to lost orders, to a system that isn't quite...right. Here's the scene: walk up and place an order for your pizza at the counter with the friendly counter guy. If you come during meal times, you will get in line and wait and wait. After placing your order, find a table. If it is a good night, you will find a clean table. If it is a bad night, not only will there not be a table, but you will notice that the other diners are not yet eating - their orders have been lost in the queue. Bring yourself a beer or a bottle of wine. Coal Fire is BYOB. You'll need it to kill time. They do have a corkscrew, but the night I was there two staff members searched the dining room until they located it at a table. Oops. If the kitchen hasn't planned well, you will notice that they are slicing cheese instead of filling orders. This causes the orders to back up. If things get really bad, the owner will abandon his post at the oven and jump on the pizza prep station. This slows down baking. If you get lucky, somehow your pizza will jump the line and be ready almost the moment you sit down. Other diners, waiting for far longer than you, will glare. I saw this happen. If you order takeout, you are taking your life into your own hands. I ordered my pizza to go (a margherita, priced 13.16 with tax, I think...or was it 14.16 with tax...well, the menu price is $12.99). They never called my name when my pizza was ready, but I suspected the abandoned box on the counter was mine. I was right. More glares all around, especially from the other woman waiting with me, who had been there nearly an hour, waiting for two pizzas. A few diners glared at me as well. Hey, I can help what the kitchen does. The pizza itself was good, although it could have used at least another 30 seconds in the oven, which happens to be heated with wood - I didn't see the coal when I was there, but I'll admit that I wasn't looking. The dough could have used the tiniest increase in salt - so tiny, it would be hardly detectable...so it was pretty close to excellent. Chewy, not too yeasty, simple. The sauce was tasty, but the cheese wasn't impressive at all -- tasted like typical pizza restaurant low moisture mozz. It was very salty (Pizza mozz, minus water = saltier flavor). It did contrast with the less salty crust. On the margherita, the basil is added just after the pizza comes ouot of the oven. So it tastes like...basil. The pizza reminded me of what I used to have at Pizzaria Regina in Boston's North End. I recommend waiting before you try Coal Fire. There are a lot of kinks to work out. And you don't want to let down your friends. read more

Staff was friendly, but maybe a little too chatty. I think she was nervous. I'll give her a pass because she was trying, but the pizza...fail. And if you look at my rating distribution you will see I am typically very forgiving. Not this time. A brief anecdote may assist in understanding the problem: about a year ago, I was reheating some Indian food in the microwave, and I had a little Greek yogurt on the side of the dish (to cut the spices). I put the dish in the microwave without thinking. The yogurt kind of drained and hardened into a white, porous, chewy little ball. I tasted it; I know the flavor and consistency. This is the flavor and consistency of Coalfire's "fresh mozzarella". I kid you not, just try it at home. Microwave some Fage or Oikos yogurt (I think it was even the 0% fat kind), drain the water off of it, and take a bite. This is Coalfire pizza cheese. I was shocked when I was mentally transported back to my microwave mistake upon my first taste of the pizza. And this "cheese" is on top of a chewy, soggy crust. Expect to chew a lot at Coalfire. I won't mention that they forgot to put basil on the pizza. Yeah... As if bad pizza (what?!?) isn't shocking enough; this experience had to happen on my special someone's birthday. The man does not ask for much and is so easy-going and didn't complain, and pizza is like, his favorite thing in the entire world. I was so disappointed and saddened this was his birthday pizza. He makes better pizza at home with stuff he buys at Jewel! Anyway, having to give a 1 star review is especially irritating if you were the dumbass that suggested that we go to Coalfire rather than Spacca Napoli. The fact that he didn't even once say "I told you so" makes me want to cry for messing up his birthday. So now I owe him Spacca Napoli, they better be ready. read more

I went here with an East Coaster and he was pleased, so I say that's +1 for Chicago. Those East Coasters, god love 'em, but damn! are they ever picky about their pizza and bagels! We went on a Saturday night, three days after Time Out featured them on the cover of their "best pizza" issue. So, it was not surprising when one of the waiters took our name and told us it'd be an hour at least. We asked if it was ok to leave and come back, then scampered across the way to Twisted Spoke for beers. The place was PACKED, but our salad and 2 pizzas took less than 20 minutes from order to arrival. That was impressive. The waiter kept our water glasses filled, also impressive in such a hopping pizza joint. We ordered 2 pies, 1 with goat cheese and black olives and the other with fresh basil leaves and mozzarella. YUM-Me The crust was the most satisfying part. It was thin, flavorful, slightly charred on the bottom and edges to give crisp, but still chewy. Finally, a REAL thin crust pizza in Chicago. Very nice indeed. read more

After hearing about their Nduja pizza, I knew I had to try this place and so glad I did. First off, they carry 3F's Gumballhead, which always makes me a happy camper. It wasn't even listed on their beer list, but luckily we saw an empty bottle on one of their shelves and asked. Since they cook their pizzas in a blazing hot coal fire oven, it's a matter of minutes before an order is ready. I love their thin crust - crisp with a right amount of chewyness - just like it should be. The Nduja pizza is pretty new on their menu, as I didn't see it listed on their website or take-out menus. It's basically a margherita pizza, with the addition of some spicy calabrian pork sausage from Publican Quality Meats. The soft slices of sausage oozes red chili oil, which packs tons of flavor with every bite. We also tried the White pizza, which was good, but paled in comparison. Great service and tasty pizza. Looking forward to trying their other toppings next time. read more

Coalfire is our favorite place to order pizza in the neighborhood. My department often works late hours and weekends and we get pizza from here regularly. Coalfire is not Little Caesars cheap but damn, their pizza is delicious! I'm in charge of ordering food and when it comes to pizza, my coworkers always want Coalfire. I get the traditional Margherita and they get the Meat Lovers (not on the menu). The sausage is actually quite spicy! The crust is perfectly and lightly charred but chewy. The sauce is on point. The folks who work there are extremely friendly. I was missing a receipt from an order made weeks ago for a weekly expense report and they were very kind and patient enough to create a new one. Keep in mind that this restaurant gets mad busy on weekends. It's a great, cozy date place! The kitchen is open so you can watch them do their magic. Highly recommended! read more

Delicious, delicate, tasty, fresh, Orgasmic even? These are all words I would use to describe Coalfire Pizza, yes Orgasmic, it is that fantastic. I stepped in with low expectations and left a huge fan. Actually I have been craving Coalfire's deliciousness since the first time I was lucky enough to experience Chicago's best thin crust pizza. I wouldn't label myself a Pizza aficionado; I would however give myself the title of Pizza Lover. If I didn't gain tons of weight from eating cheese and my body digested it correctly I would be happy eating good Pizza everyday of the week! Yes, Coalfire Pizza is that good. I ordered the Four Cheese Pizza and the Caesar salad. I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty the Caesar dressing was. And the pizza was to die for. I think I might break my diet and eat there this weekend. read more

When my friend was hosting a pizza party, I thought I was being super original by bringing a pizza from Coalfire. The party was all the way in Lincoln Park, so Coalfire isn't a frequent destination for my friend, it's not that typical Chicago deep dish that you normally think of bringing (thank god), and really, what is the chance of two people bringing a pizza from the same place? Apparently, greater than I thought since I wasn't the only one who brought a Coalfire pizza. But both the pizzas were so good that I'm glad we had two from such an awesome place. The pizzas here are amazing and so reasonably priced. I've both dined in and taken out, and the pizzas are stellar regardless which option you choose. My favorites on the menu are the Stracciatella & Sausage and the Pepperoni & Whipped Ricotta. Yummmm. The Stracciatella & Sausage pizza packs in a lot of heat and spice so WARNING for you faint of the heart. But the combination of that sausage and chile is so delicious. It's my absolute favorite. For those of you wanting to go a more traditional route, I would suggest the Pepperoni & Whipped Ricotta. How can you say no to cheese on top of cheese? And pepperoni? Sign me up. read more

I know I'm on a review spree (food sabbatical, if you will). But it's disrespectful that I haven't review this place. I love pizza so the barrier to satisfaction is fairly easy to hit. And there aren't many barriers to being with. But man. Coalfire is the truth. One my favorite pizza ever is the Pepperoni & Whipped Ricotta. Or is it the Vodka Meatball? Maybe the White Pizza? Ahhh screw it, I don't think any of their pizzas are bad. But let me talk about that Pepperoni & Whipped Ricotta... I don't get surprised by pizza toppings but this was a crazy good surprise. In fact, I was anticipating a different pizza and this one stole the show. I spread that ricotta super generously. And if I do take out, I get extra ricotta and basil all the time. And if the Pepperoni & Whipped is 1a...the Vodka Meatball is 1b. I seriously could eat both these by myself. read more

I rarely go out of my way to eat pizza. Don't get me wrong, I like pizza as much as the next person, I think of it more as a lunch thing. Coalfire Pizza is an exception to this. I just love everything about this place; from it's brick, coal powered ovens firing up 800 degrees Fahrenheit of doughy, saucy, cheesy, delectable goodness to it's well lit, wooden floored, partially exposed brick interior. I normally don't eat the crust, but then again I normally don't have coal-fired pizza. The thin crust is crispy on the outside, peppered with scorch marks, and is soft and chewy inside. Mmmmm. New Yorkers will feel right at home here. Angelo's anyone? It's not open on Mondays, and they are no longer BYOB (beer and wine is served). So do yourself a favor and grab that special someone or some old friends you have not seen in a while, order a round of Stella's and give the Fiorentino a try. read more

Items selected: Margherita with Mortadella Chicago Cupcakes - Red Velvet, Turtle, Cookie Dough, Pumpkin Unable to fathom a trip to Chicago without pizza but realistic enough to know deep dish was not a logical option for a snack with family following Fat Rice it was at the suggestion of my sister's fiancé that we found ourselves at well-regarded West Side staple Coalfire just prior to 10pm on Black Friday for a late night pie. Decidedly dark and expectedly trendy with a straight forward menu and smiling service it was without much effort that we agreed on a simple Margherita topped with house cured Mortadella and watching each step of the process from stretching of the dough to a final drizzle of olive oil from our seats I had little doubt the results would shine, the end product supple and lightly charred with a slightly open crumb more than capable of holding up to the ample toppings with a slight fold and outperforming any New York slice I've encountered to date, coal fired or not. Clearly a 'do one thing and do it well' sort of place with a focus on the pizzas while sweets are outsourced it was admittedly with caution that we placed trust in our waitress that the $4 cupcakes from locally owned "Chicago Cupcakes" were worth the price and selected four of the six daily options but true to her word each filled and frosted choice was excellent, the cookie dough particularly impressive with top notes of vanilla and cinnamon plus dark chocolate chips adding a bitter, crunchy finish. read more

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Now I usually don't write reviews, however after my experience tonight, I feel as though I am obligated. Here's what happened: After a previous visit to Coalfire, my girlfriend and I decided that we needed some more. I unintelligently placed an order for pick-up (they don't deliver) around 5:15ish (middle of rush hour). To make a long story short, it took us a good 45 minutes to get to Coalfire. Once I arrived, I went inside to pick up my pie (Meat Pizza - sausage, pepperoni, and sopressata). The manager (Nikolai - quite possibly once of the nicest individuals currently working in the service industry) told me that my pizza was ready an hour ago, and that it was cold. He then INSISTED that he make us another free of charge; his reason, he couldn't bear serving us a pie that wasn't perfect. Best of all, he let us keep the original cold pizza (my lunch/dinner for tomorrow) AND gave me a free beer while I wait for my new fresh pizza, hot out of the the beautiful coal-fired oven. It is safe to say that after this experience, Coalfire Pizza has gain a lifelong loyal customer in me. I will never order another thin-crust pizza from anywhere else. It also helps that everything that they serve is absolutely delicious and made from fresh ingredients. The service industry as a whole should take a note from Nikolai and the rest of the crew at Coalfire. This is the way it should be done. read more

5 days in and the situation is barely better. We ordered 4 pies on Sunday and ended up with half a our left-overs given to the owners of Matchbox because Jay ran out of dough after serving 46 pies at 8:30pm. No joke. The restaurant was to remain open until 11pm but by 9 customers there were no customers. chaulk it up to the first freaky Sunday in Coalfire's nascent life. no worries tho, we chowed. we chowed and we saw. we saw randomly recognizable foodies, we saw Juicy's owner, we saw serious local wine buyers. we saw mediocre pizza being churned out by a kitchen that's understaffed. the margherita and the fiorenze (spicy capicola? or was it salami?) were both very underwhelming. both pies came out lukewarm (same prob as Lindley's to-go pie?) with the center of the pie undercooked and still doughy. the fiorenze pie at $15ish was a complete rip with scarcely a trace of meat toppings. the third and fourth pies were big improvements with the "Meat" pie being the best of the nite and the "White" pie (4 cheese) following close second. The White pie had the crustiest crust, but was a bit try, needing an extra shot of olive oil. Restaraunt was indeed packed the whole time, but with proper staggering of pie ordering, we did not go hungry for (with a help of 2 bottles of barbarescos i normally cannot afford on my own). This restaurant was 2 years in the making but within 2 hours, I knew I would never come back. Coalfire (according to owner, an amalgam of NYC and Neapolitan style), Spaca N, Sapore Napoli and the likes are great efforts in diverting this City's retarded obsession with deep dish pizza and for that I applaud them. But otherwise, a pie at Noli's is still the closest thing to a NY slice for me in this city. read more

So I read an article in Travel and Leisure magazine that named Coalfire as one of the best Neapolitan style pizzas in the city. They listed it next to places like Burt's place for best deep dish and Pizzeria de Nella which I have yet to try. So instantly, I was intrigued and I convinced my bf to go with me. We got here at 8pm on a Thursday and there was only about two tables open so we were glad we snagged one. I ordered the prosciutto/arugula pizza for about $18, the ends of the pizza were super burnt but the combination tasted well. I would by no means say this is one of the best pizzas in town (I've had a better prosciutto/arugula at Davanti) but it wasn't the worst. My bf got the margarita and he wasn't impressed either. This place is way overpriced for mediocre pizza. read more

Second time to try this pizzeria- First time was during winter and there was a long wait to get a table but nonetheless the enduja was worth it. This time around, we tried the meatballs and it too was great. I would probably come back but it isn't in my neighborhood and there are a lot more neopolitan, new haven pizzas out there to try. read more

Not overwhelmingly impressed. Unlike the other reviews before me, we were able to find a table, albeit the last one. However, I noticed the tables were turning over pretty well. On the service end, seems like they're working things out. They only had one official waitperson. However, when necessary one of the guys from the kitchen area would run out and bus a table and drop off the pizza's as they came out. We were also asked if we needed anything else and how are food was more than once. We ordered a house salad, that was 7.50, they only have it with the house dressing, a vinegar & oil type. It was so lightly applied that the salad tasted dry. For the pizza we got the four cheese, and had them put basil on it. This was also, just okay. Minimal sauce, one little half inch basil piece per slice of pizza. So if you like basil, maybe they put more on the pizza's that have it listed as an ingredient. I would hope so. I agree with the one review that said it could of used a little more time in the oven. Was a bit soggy. I guess because they were busy, they were pushing them out quicker. I would of gladly waited. As for the coal fired part of this, if you like to eat your pizza with your hands, watch out. I rubbed my face and ended up looking like a coal miner. Dust all over my face, you will see it on your hands also. We'll give it another try, maybe when they're not as busy, perhaps with a crisper crust it will taste better Lastly, the noise level is intense. They need to add some elements of design to absorb the noise. We barley spoke, since the noise was drowning us out. read more

If you have ever eaten pizza in Italy you are aware that it is indeed different than pizza in America and infinitely better because you don't go into a food coma immediately after eating it. Don't get me wrong, I love a good deep dish every once in a while but after eating it I feel a little, actually a LOt, sick from carb over load. But I digress. AH, Coalfire. You brought back memories of cobblestone streets with smartly dressed Italian men young and old walking arm and arm with women wearing totally inappropriate shoes but who were hopelessly graceful who dined at the simplest outdoor cafes that stayed open far too late for my then American dining views. BREATHE, Laura. Breathe. And then, another deep breath, they have sopressata. For to put on pizza. I die. All that fatty goodness baked into the cheese and the thin crust. It all balances out, right? Splurge, it is totally worth it. Everyone needs sausage in their life every now and then. (Don't say it, dirty mind.) read more

Come in out of the cold and enjoy a contemporary pizza straight from the coals! On this blistery evening, I joined two fellow Yelpers (and close friends) at Coalfire. Having heard solid praise, the restaurant had a lot to live up to... and thankfully, it delivered. I ordered the White Pizza, which was a blend of several white cheeses, including ricotta. I worried that the ricotta, which received top billing both in the menu and in presentation on the pizza, would overpower the pizza. I was pleased that it did not. I also had a slice of the Pesto Pizza which one of our trio ordered. It was a little heavy on the pesto for my particular palette but I can see how pesto lovers would rejoice at this concoction. Both pizzas offered an extremely thin, crackly crust that won me over the moment I slid it onto my plate. Yum! The restaurant itself was very nice. I enjoyed the fact that it felt more like a small restaurant dining area than a pizzeria. There were no obnoxious signage boasting delivery or take-out options. Instead the walls are painted in contemporary warm tones and there is authentic artwork adorning the walls. From my understanding, they don't deliver but do have guests that order take-out. If that is true, I didn't see a single to-go order fumble past our table. So either that business is pretty limited or they did a stellar job at making it unknown to other diners. Our server was a bit quirky but it didn't ruin the meal. Instead it just made for a couple odd interactions. But when it counted, she did provide the service required to make it an enjoyable dining experience. read more

YUM! This might be my favorite thin crust oven roasted pizza to date. NDUJA is the bomb.com, the mini pepperonis are amazing too. Pretty much can't go wrong with anything that has the whipped ricotta on top, including their pepperoni pizza. Calzones are big and delicious, pizza is made fast both for dining in and take out. WILL BE BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN, everyone should experience the goodness! :) read more

I visited Coal Fire Pizza for the first time recently before a show at Redmoon Theater, wasn't sure if I'd like it after hearing stories of bumpy/awkward service & mixed reviews of the pizzas themselves, but overall the experience exceeded my expectations on most levels. The place was almost empty at 5:30-ish on a Saturday, though by 7:00 most tables were filled. The waiter came by promptly to take our orders (I guess you are no longer required to walk to the counter to place your order?) and the pizzas were ready in just a matter of minutes. The pizzas have a thin crust which is somewhat delicate, yet just strong enough to let you pick up a slice and roll it up NY-style, if that's the way you prefer to consume your pizza. They have several varieties of pie that generally each contain just a simple variety of ingredients. You can also "make your own" pizza with your choice of toppings, though I'd advise against going overboard & trying to build a super-supreme with loads of stuff. Each pizza is about 14 inches in diameter, but they are light enough that one very hungry person could almost consume an entire pie by themselves. It's a nice place to visit if you are with a small to moderate size group, then you can order several pies to share. I'm surprised to read reviews that gush about the pizzas here being the "best in Chicago", "best in America", "best in the known universe", etc, etc. They are very very good, but Spacca Napoli's pies are still the standard against which I judge all thin crust pizza. It also seems that they don't have anything to offer in terms of desserts, we were done dining in less than half the time we had budgeted for dinner, and it would have been nice to linger for a while over espresso & tiramisu or something similar. In summary - I'd probably not plan to go too far out of my way to dine again at Coal Fire, but if you happen to be in the area or passing through, it would be a very fine choice for a simple BYOB dinner. read more

One bite, and you know: best pizza in Chicago. Snappy crust, flavorful sauces, inventive signature pies, and a make-your-own option all comprise the simple menu. Order glass of wine and a starter salad and you're set. The friendly service and food that comes out fast rounds out the night, making it a great spot to gather with friends and family. Two tips: 1) Gets busy after 7pm. 2) Save room for a dessert cupcake, which is more like a cheesecake...man is it good! In conclusion: from now on, for us it's either deep dish...or Coalfire. Period. read more

I had a sausage pizza. The pizza was delicious especially the crust. Best crust I can remember.

2 words. Hot Salami. Enough said. This place easily lives up to all the hype. The service was super speedy, the wine is reasonably priced -- I was a little tipsy but I believe we got a bottle of the house Chianti that was in the $20s. We had the pesto pizza and the hot salami pizza. The pesto was pretty good but we were nearly fighting over the remaining scraps of the hot salami slices. Not very ladylike of us... read more

This is a definite go-to pizza place on my list. I am a east-coaster and get my craving satisfied for amazing thin-crust pizza at Coalfire. I was introduced to it when it was BYOB, but now they have beer and wine available. What I like? The house salad is so simple and delicious - just like the pizza shops I love in Bergen County NJ. Oil, vinegar, lettuce, red onion, mushrooms and that's it! Pizza - any type of veggies (but not too many cause you don't want it to get to heavy or soggy). My husband loves sausage so he gets half with sausage. We could easily eat here once a week but we try to refrain. For two people splitting the salad and a pizza is more than enough. We take leftovers home of the pizza. The service is topnotch. Every server we've had is pleasant and on the ball. The owner is the nicest guy ever and always thanks us for coming in. He is proud of his restaurant and the product he serves to his customers. You also get 10% off your check if you pay with cash! You can't go wrong at Coalfire. read more

My husband and I declared June "Pizza Appreciation Month" I mean, there has to be a reason you eat pizza 4 times in one week! Perfect excuse. Anyway...next on our "Chicago thin crust, east coast inspired pizza tour" -- Coal Fire Pizza! I found the service to be good, great actually ... It seems the quirks they might have had in the beginning have been worked out. - You walk in - They show you a seat - You look at the menu - Go up to the counter - Order - Pay - They bring the pizza in under 10 minutes (2 pizzas..) - We ate and enjoyed! - They brought us a carryout box for extras. I am new to this style pizza, and the east coast raised husband has been teaching me the ropes. According to those standards, Coal Fire is a winner! I personally just know it was delicious...simple toppings, not over done, just right, crust was chewy in the middle and crusty on the outside. Don't forget BYOB though. The inside decor could use some work...and yes, it is kind of noisy. read more

Finally got around to trying this place and thought it was terrific! It's closer to where we live than all of the other thin-crust, wood-fired pizza places, and it is reasonably priced, BYOB, and super-yummy. What's not to love? We ordered the house salad, which was simple, but cold, crisp, and refreshing. My dining partner commented that the dressing reminded him of his nonna's oil and vinegar. It was a tiny bit on the puckery-tart side, but that wasn't an issue really. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did not think the lack of dressing options was a big deal. They have a simple, streamlined menu where they do a few things but do them well. Next up was the calzone. We got red pepper and onion. The dough was crisp, chewy and delicious. The filling was an unusual combination for calzones but it worked really well. Unlike the typical calzone, this one was not stuffed full with oozing cheese. Instead, you had a nice amount of vegetable filling, which stayed slightly crisp inside the bread and was melded together with a dallop of ricotta cheese. On the side, there was a nice 6 oz cup of tomato dipping sauce. We gobbled the thing up in a flash. For our pizza we chose the anchovy pie. Very tasty, especially if you like anchovies. Each slice had an anchovy slice in the middle of it, so that when the pizza came, it looked like it had spokes. The crust was perfect, the sauce was flavorful. We ate the whole thing! (it was only 14 inches after all, which is the only size pizza they make). Like I said, I like their simplicity and the fact that what they choose to do, they do very well. And our dinner bill was under $30! We are big fans of this place now. read more

If you like ricotta, thin crust pizza, and friendly owners this place is for you! Their signature whipped ricotta is on a number of their pizzas and it's really unique and delicious. I love that the whipped ricotta is always mounded in the middle of each slice, so you can spread it around, or take some of it off. Each pizza serves about two decently hungry people. My boyfriend and I always split one pizza for dinner and usually end up with 1 or two extra slices. My absolute favorite pizza is their White Pizza ($16) with mozzarella, whipped ricotta, oregano, garlic, etc. The Lasagna Pizza ($18) is also pretty great. It's topped with fresh mozzarella, sauce, sausage, whipped ricotta, etc. I didn't particularly care for the 'Nduja & Béchamel ($19) pizza, made with béchamel, 'nduja (a sausage of sorts), and mozzarella, but it certainly wasn't bad. We once tried a calzone and would definitely stick to the pizzas from now on. Overall, very solid pizza choice. They don't deliver, but if you call ahead, they will have your pizza prepared when you get there! They fire all their pizzas in a ridiculously hot oven, so they cook super quickly! Give it a try! read more

Came back and tried the White pizza. Excellent! Better than the margherita in my opinion. Everything else was stellar!

I would give Coalfire 6 stars if possible! This is the first restaurant where I have been overly satisfied in every single aspect of this meal. Chicago is known for its deep-dish pizzas, yet after trying so many places, I was sorely disappointed, so I decided to try a thin-crust pizza at Coalfire. Coalfire is exactly how their pizzas are cooked - in an oven with coal, not gas. Apparently, temperatures could reach up to 1,200 degrees with coal, compared to only 800 degrees with propane. Sadly, the flavor of the coals was not transferred to our pizza, but that did not change how amazing the pizza tasted. My friend and I shared a Sausage pizza. WOW. It was the BEST thin-crust pizza I have EVER tasted, and I am not exaggerating. The cheese was oozing and gooey, the sausage chunks were thick and flavorful, the red onions were sharp and the crust was crunchy. *droooool* For dessert, we had their Red Velvet and Motherlode cupcakes. The Red Velvet was soft and not too sweet and the crust on the bottom was delicious. The Motherlode cupcake was also great. The cupcakes are actually from a food truck called Chicago's Cupcakes. Service was spectacular. Everyone was so nice, generous and helpful. The owner of the establishment knows exactly how to run a great restaurant. 6 stars for the pizza, dessert and everyone who works there. Thank you for making this Chicago trip memorable. We will come back to visit! read more

This. This, is the authentic pizza place that all others aspire to be. First off though, I have to come clean and say that when I looked it up on Yelp, and checked out their website, I was a bit turned off by the militant feel of it all. "No more than three toppings!", "Only one vegetable!", and "You may be asked to leave your table when you are done!" all evoked memories of sitcom soup Nazis. This was further reinforced when we got there and the friendly "sit anywhere", turned in to a gruff "except there", as I pulled out a chair at a larger table. My first impressions were so totally off base though that I started to feel guilty for thinking of this place as anything but the most wonderfully warm and inviting establishment that it is! The wait staff was phenomenal. Friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and the entire crew made our lunch time an awesome experience. I also need to give a special shout out to Dave. Dave is one of the owners and took a little bit of prideful offense that the friend I was with ordered the whipped Ricotta, "on the side". You see, my friend is not only smart, pretty, and Italian, but she knows her Neapolitan pizza and was a bit leary of "whipped Ricotta". Dave came over to our table to coach us on the proper way to apply the Ricotta to our pizza as to maximize the flavor potential of the combination. Obviously the perfectionsist in him could not stand us bastardizing his craft, so, the next thing we know, Dave is bringing us an entire SECOND PIZZA just so we can experience it the correct way! After we gorged ourselves on this wonderous meal, we happened to catch Dave outside and had some awesome pizza conversation while we waited to hail a cab! I will specifically make a point to come up in to the city solely to eat pizza here. read more

These people have a superiority complex. Is the pizza good, yes, but so are A LOT of places in Chicago. You're are dime a dozen so get off your high horse. When I asked them why they didn't deliver he said their pizza was too good for that and I shouldn't be so lazy and get off my couch and come in. Well, listen asshole...this is Chicago and its fucking freezing. So stop being so fucking CHEAP and hire a real delivery service if your so worried about your precious pizza being cold. You told me you're a minimalist. Well good for you. Good luck having minimal money b/c we are going back to D'agostinos. read more