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    Monical's Pizza

    2.8 (60 reviews)
    ModeratePizza, Italian, Salad
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Monical's Pizza Photos

    Business Info

    MONICAL'S PIZZA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Monical's Pizza

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    BBQ Chicken - Specialty Pizza (added red onion)
    Arjun G.

    This isn't the worst pizza I've ever had, but it isn't amazing either. The BBQ chicken doesn't come with onions, so we made sure to add those. Even still the chicken was a little dry, and the crust was a little bland. The barbecue sauce was delicious though, and overall pizza isn't bad. I might go for a different crust option next time though.

    Tim B.

    Enjoyed going to get pizza here!! The place was clean and decorated very nice. Our waitress was friendly and attentive to our needs. Bread sticks were good and the pizza was really tasty also. Highly recommended as I've heard the locals really like it as well.

    Burnt really

    When we think of Monical's we think of hometown pride. With the cost being pretty high we expect good quality pizza. This was not good quality and that is why we are second guessing to continue going here.

    Mia V.

    It's not physically possible for me to visit Champaign without stopping in at Monicals. It's what I grew up on and any good foodie is loyal to their childhood favorites. Yes, there are better pizzas in the world but, for me, this experience is sacred. I love this Monicals location - right off Mattis and centrally located with plenty of parking. Always bustling, the restaurant is roomy with several different "wings". I love how they also incorporated the University theme at the entry. Here is my favorite thing to order The People Pleaser - this consists of a large bowl of shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded cheese and tomatoes. This is not a nutritional salad but I don't care - this is what I expect when go to Monicals. Pizza - Super thin crust, pepperoni, mushroom and sausage. BOOM. Oh, and they cut it into squares. Which means I get to indulge in the coveted corner pieces. Yes, I'm a little off center when it comes to my favorite foods. Finally, you MUST (and I mean must) dip your pizza in french dressing. It's probably the most sugary thing I've consumed in a while and most likely contains high fructose corn syrup and red dye #5 but that's what i came there for. Monicals is incredibly consistent and has been for 40+ years. Thank God for that.... Overall a fun experience with my extended family - we all loved it! Can I just tell you how sad I am, however, that I left my leftovers, including the precious French Dressing, in the refrigerator of my hotel. #StillInMourning

    Here's a night time picture of Monical's Pizza on N Mattis Ave in Champaign.
    Tyler N.

    This review was for the Monicals Pizza on north Mattis Avenue on June 25, 2012. I had a $10 coupon to try a new style of pizza that Monicals was starting to offer. A stuffed pizza. Mine was to have sausage and pepperoni . Wellll... they evidently didn't know everything they needed to know to make this a success. Complete disaster. First pizza was BURNT.... badly. I'll upload s picture of it after I'm done with this review. After I called back and reported the burnt pizza, I arrived back to the store at the time they said it'd be ready...maybe even a couple minutes after. When I entered ... they said it needed a couple more minutes. He took the pizza out. Checked inside temperature with thermometer. Then put it back in for another few minutes. Pulled it back out. Checked its temperature again. And ... this time .. it was evidently good enough to send home with me. By now it's way more than an hour after first calling to place the original order and I'm getting pretty hungry. I arrived home. Open up my well anticipated prized pizza ... and ... the pizza was raw on the inside! Which is what the whole process of checking the temperature on the inside was all about. Prior to receiving the pizza, I was lectured about how important it was for the inside temperature was to reach a certain point or it could be bad news. Normally, when you bite into a freshly cooked pizza, the pizza is HOT to the mouth and tongue. There were still COOL parts (less than 98.6 degrees) and even some of the cheese was still the rectangular shredded shape. A fair amount of the cheese in the center hadn't melted together to make one gooey wonderful blend of melted cheese. I've got a picture of that too! I'll post it as well. This is my favorite and closest Monicals. I've been eating Monicals pizza for more than 4 decades (back to the 60's). I've written about this on Facebook. I've filled out a web survey complaint form. Annnnd ... nothing. Not even a call or email saying they are sorry for such a crappy pizza. Because of that, I will not eat at this Monicals location.

    a half eaten pizza

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    4 months ago

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    2 years ago

    The Florentine deep dish pizza and green salad are excellent. They delivered it right to our hotel room in less than a hour.

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    6 years ago

    Monical's is always a favorite of mine. The crispy thin crust is always fantastic. I could drink the French dressing. No shame.

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    16 years ago

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    18 years ago

    Horrible food and overpriced. Go to the grocery store and get some frozen pizza, it's probably better quality and about 5 times cheaper.

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    18 years ago

    The best thin crust pizza ever! Whenever we visit Champaign, we have to go to Monical's a couple of times so I can get my fix. =)

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Monical's Pizza

    Review Highlights - Monical's Pizza

    Finally, you MUST (and I mean must) dip your pizza in french dressing.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Nandos is one of my favorite places in Champaign. However, this visit was different than most--…read morethey have started doing a set menu with appetizer, entre, and dessert for about $65 per person. The one caveat is that menu items off of the set menu can not just be ordered. For exampl, you cannot just order the arancini balls anymore-- which is one of my faves. This was a smidge disappointing if you don't want to order from the set menu portion. The regular menu has some options but not all that they used to. The food was good per usual just this change up threw us off!

    My daughter and I tried this restaurant for the first time this evening (on a Tuesday night around…read more6pm). We were greeted at the door by the host who opened the door and welcomed us inside. He quickly seated us and we were then greeted by one of the waitstaff who offered us tap water or sparkling water while we waited for our server. We ordered sparkling water and our server came right over and greeted us and took care of us throughout our dining experience. The ambiance of the restaurant is very pleasant, dark wood decor, lovely dining music playing. There were only a couple of other tables with customers so it was a pretty relaxed setting, but u can imagine this would be a lovely date night spot or group dinner venue. We enjoyed our dishes (pictures included) and unlike other Italian restaurants that often provide huge portions, these meals were appropriately portioned and filling. We also had the tiramisu for dessert; it was different than what we are accustomed too. Much more creamy and more like a pudding than a cake. Overall we enjoyed our experience and dinner!

    Photos
    Bar
    Bar
    Inside of Cannolo Siciliano ($12) - Sicilian cannoli shell filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and chocolate chips
    Inside of Cannolo Siciliano ($12) - Sicilian cannoli shell filled with sweetened ricotta cheese and chocolate chips
    Prosciutto e Melone ($22) thinly-sliced Prosciutto di Parma and cantaloupe, frisee, stracciatella cheese, fig jam

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    Prosciutto e Melone ($22) thinly-sliced Prosciutto di Parma and cantaloupe, frisee, stracciatella cheese, fig jam
    Dee-Dee’s Beef

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    Prediction: Dee-Dee's Beef will soon become a Champaign-Urbana institution…read more This place is the real deal. They know what they do extraordinarily well and stick to it. I had never had an authentic Italian beef sandwich before, but after last night, I knew I had had the best in the state, outside of Chicago perhaps. Their menu is straight-forward and harkens back to deli and sandwich shops of old. In fact, I had assumed that Dee-Dee's had been around for decades. My combo sandwich was heavy duty, bursting with beef, juice, and flavor. If you are a more economical eater, unlike myself, then you could certainly get two meals out of it. Customer service was above and beyond. I imagine that I corresponded directly over the phone and counter with one of the Owners when placing and picking up my order. Located in the Cracked restaurant space right on Green Street, they are open three days a week (for now) and accept all major credit cards. We will be back, no question.

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    Dee-Dee's Cutlets Sandwich
    Dee-Dee's Cutlets Sandwich
    Dee-Dee’s Beef

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    Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

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    The food was plentiful , the pasta cooked to perfection and the neverending salad and bread sticks…read moredelightfully fresh and crisp. The server Miss Edyn did a great job! Welcoming smile , helpful without hovering and light hearted. Even on a weekend holiday shift! I agree with previous review that this is the best Olive Garden we have experienced. My best kudos to the kitchen and server for getting salad out cold and pasta very hot! The Olive Garden decor always makes me smile as I feel like it's coming home to an Italian " Nonna's" kitchen. Abundance is the word . Husband had the creamy chicken gnocchi soup that he said it was just right. Yelper had her own combination of spaghetti with creamy mushroom sauce and a side of meatballs the sauce was excellent !!the meatballs were just ok. Not too well seasoned and a bit dry. I added Parmesan to my plate and lots of fresh pepper from table mill. I'm very full and happy. We would come Back. We are just traveling through. If you're looking to please a family or a crowd this will serve you well.

    We came here on July 18th, 2026 to celebrate Fred & Sue Ellis's 44th Wedding Anniversary with Them…read more They are the most Beautiful Couple inside & Out and We are blessed to know Them. They are Family to Us... We Love Them Both very much... Our Waitress was a Beautiful, cheerful, delightful and inviting Young Girl...Isabella. She was attentive to ALL of Our needs. She gave Us Wonderful Customer Service from the beginning to the end of Our Meal. She was Wonderful, as was the meal. We didn't have reservations, but got shown to Our table right away. Isabella served Us Hot Breadsticks and Our drinks of choice, 4 iced teas. She took Our order and We sat and waited and waited, for almost an hour before We finally got Our food. In the interim,Isabella explained to Us there was a glitch with Our order in the computer and it didn't take it. So they had re-entered Our Order and it was on its way soon. She told Us She talked to the Manager and explained what happened, and She said the Manager told Her We would get 25% taken off of Our Bill. Then I told Isabella it was Fred & Sue's 44th Anniversary, and She said They each would get a Free Desert, complimentary at Olive Gardens. We were most definitely compensated for Our long wait.. The food was delicious. My Husband Robert got Zupa Tuscanna soup and Shrimp Scampi over Angel Hair Pasta. I had Minestroni Soup, then 4 Cheese Ziti and it was to die for! Fred had Spaghetti & Meatballs, Sue had Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce and a Chicken Frittata Everything was Wonderfully delicious...and We had the Perfect Waitress, Isabella. Fred & Sue had Their Deserts. She had Cheesecake with Strawberries and Fred had Black Tie Mousse Cake. All in all...It was a very Special Day spent together with Best Friends/Family. What more could You ask for?

    Photos
    Fettuccine Alfredo: Our signature alfredo made fresh in-house every day, served over fettuccine.
    Fettuccine Alfredo: Our signature alfredo made fresh in-house every day, served over fettuccine.
    Minestrone: Fresh vegetables, beans and pasta in a light tomato broth.
    Minestrone: Fresh vegetables, beans and pasta in a light tomato broth.
    Five Cheese Ziti al Forno: Oven baked blend of Italian cheeses, pasta and our signature homemade five cheese marinara.

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    Five Cheese Ziti al Forno: Oven baked blend of Italian cheeses, pasta and our signature homemade five cheese marinara.

    Monical's Pizza - pizza - Updated July 2026

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