This place is under new ownership and I can't say enough good things about the changes happening! Prior to the new ownership, I may not have found myself at this bar having a drink (though the food has always been so good!) The renovated bar area, eating areas, the over the top tvs that were put up (accommodating staff will flip to any channel you want!) and continuous upgrades has me coming back for more. Husband and I are becoming regulars here! The bartenders, Lynnette and Tommy are my favorite! They know how to make a great cocktail and are just "real" people you can talk to! Chris, one of the new owners, makes an awesome mojito with homegrown mint! We usually order the incredible beefs here, but have tried and enjoyed the other items on their vast menu and have NEVER been disappointed. They have actually added some Indian dishes as specials to their usual offerings and they are so good! The samosas are fabulous and we have ordered them a few times. I highly recommend that people come out and give this place a chance! They've worked hard and their efforts show!!! read more

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Wow, what an overall poor experience We've been going to Paternos for many years, but under the new ownership we're calling it quits. Let's see...the owner taking food orders can't get anything right and obviously has no clue what he's doing, bartender is a complete ahole and food quality is poor to be polite. read more

A beef sandwich is now $18.99. Used to be about $10.99. I've been a Paterno's customer for over 30 years, but now I can't afford to pay $18.99 for a beef sandwich. All the menu items are priced out of sight. Can't afford Paterno's anymore. read more

We've been long time patrons, and we were happy when Paterno's went under new ownership, instead of closing outright. Unfortunately, now we wish it would have just closed. We gave the new place several try's and had mediocre to bad experiences each time. The food has declined significantly and the service is a joke. The main bartender is a real jerk and ultimately the reason we won't be back. He was inept, downright rude and disrespectful, especially the last time we were there. After that experience, we decided we were through with Paterno's. We also noticed that virtually none of the regular customers have been around since the new owner and team took over. We were unimpressed with the feel of the bar and the new clientele. It's just a weird vibe. We really felt unwelcomed there, so we have taken the hint. Anyway, the same night we left due to the rude bartender and poor service, we had a nightcap at another neighborhood bar. A place we had passed by for years. It was better furnished, much cleaner than Paterno's and the Bartender actually seemed happy to have us as customers, so all's well that ends well... read more

The pizza here is 10/10 my favorite pizza spot. The service is great and they remodeled the inside it's really nice

We went out yesterday to celebrate Mary's birthday. We had an amazing time delicious food. read more

Paterno's has a solid liquor selection, great food, and pizza that stacks up with any of Chicago's big names ... Seriously--don't sleep on it. This is where the locals go, and for good reason ... The menu's got range beyond just pizza, and everything we've tried has been legit ... Bonus: plenty of parking, which is rare in the city ... It's one of those spots you're glad you found ... read more

Paterno's Pizza - IPA Beer - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Love this place! My daughter lives a couple of blocks away and we always go to Paterno's when we visit. I've had a couple of burgers and finally tried the pizza on our most recent trip. Honestly, this is some of the best pizza I've had on our many trips to Chicago. We went this past Friday night and loved our meatball pizza, pitchers, and live music. Service is always on point and very friendly. Love the old school feel of Paterno's!! read more

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It's just not the same since getting sold. I ordered delivery from Uber Eats expecting my usual, and I was given the ultra thin crust when I ordered the regular thin. To top it off the toppings just seemed a little skimpier. read more

Great food, great service and an awesome local neighborhood spot to continue to support.

Place is steadily going downhill. Noticed the pug nosed bartender was coughing all over her hands while servicing people. While waiting in line for an extended period of time, I noticed a couple crawlers roaming around. At that juncture, I turned around and walked out. read more

Word has that paternos was sold and the new owner is applying for his liquor license, it was posted on the door for all to see. So I'm assuming that it is time for retirement. The bar.... With all this being said, it's about time for new ownership. I hope he/she will weed out the rude employees. Sometimes when we go there we never know what we're walking into, meaning, if the bar tender is having a bad day, believe me, you WILL have one walking out of there. At night time, it's no better. I've never seen a bar tender sweat so much while pouring people their cocktails, and not to mention having to wait for them to come back in from a cigarette break. I'm also hoping they will be open 7 days a week. Maybe add some new younger bar tenders that always have a smile on their face while interacting with you, you see, it's not really that hard to do. The menu... Paternos food is ok, nothing for me to really spread around to others, and even if I did, they would have to deal with Rachelle at the window, no personality there or good customer service inter action. And then you have jo jo. I wish her the best, she was always kind to me. I am really truly happy that theres going to be new ownership in the weeks. Let's get this establishment going again where it should be. I hope the owner listens to feed back because without that, he'll learn the hard way. Humble abode read more

My daughter and I often stop here for Friday night pizza, great tasty pizza always hot ready for pick up on time, good service.

I wanted to say I've been going here for close to 20 years. I am finding the traditional home cooked meals are still good. However, I am finding there are subtle improvements. The mushroom soup I ordered actually has significant slices of mushrooms unlike the previous owners recipe. I sincerely hope this continues. Thank you read more

Last couple of pizzas were not up to former standards. Was able to find an alternate provider though

Ordered delivery before reading / inquiring Big mistake This is true bar food GFS / Restaurant Depot etc Frozen pizza style read more

Feels like you need a city job and two failed marriages to drink here, but actually anyone can go! Recommend (any) Incredible sandwich's paired with a cheap domestic beer. Vibe here is old school Chicago Italian joint. Bartenders are solid. Worth a visit if prefer value and substance over style. read more

Stopped in last night 1/9/25 to grab a sandwich and won't be returning. Ordered a chicken Philly easily the worst thing I've eaten so far this year. The chicken was hard to find and what was there was burnt along with the green peppers I had asked for everything on it and they made it without onions? In addition they add lettuce and tomatoes to their Philly's but the tomato was the top portion with the part that attaches to the vine still on the piece, gross. The sandwich costs $11.99 for crying out loud at least make an effort to provide something edible and filling would have been better off with a Philly from Jersey Mike's. Eat at your own risk. read more

Great food. Great service. Great beer. Friendly locals. This restaurant bar is just a few blocks away from my daughter's apartment in Jefferson Park and was our last stop before leaving Chicago a couple of weeks ago. We had a late flight back to Jax, so we had a late lunch here. Started with a cheap pitcher of good beer. Lynette, the bartender, was awesome! I had the bacon Bleu cheese burger. Very, very good. Restaurant was clean and well organized. We sat at a table, but I loved the huge old school horseshoe shaped bar. Great specials. I will definitely return when we go visit my da read more

Paterno's Pizza - Fuel for the flight home. - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A friend and I went there expecting an enjoyable meal, given that the average price per entrée is approximately $30. We were sorely disappointed because the service could only be described as terrible. The waitress was hardly ever there. She took our orders and served my friend first and said she was going to get my order. When she finally arrived, the fish was dry and hard, most probably from being on the counter and under the heat lamp for some time. As mentioned above, she was hardly around. Twice we had to ask another staff member to ask her to come to our table. A customer at the next table complained to the manager about her. While the manager was there, I also spoke to her about the poor service. She apologized and said she was new. She obviously was not trained well. Until management hires competent and motivated staff and provides them with adequate training, go elsewhere for the same price. You will have a better chance for an enjoyable meal. read more

It was really expensive, the chicken wings gave me indigestion, majorly. The anchovies on the Greek salad were aweful, the pizza was not up to Paternos standards. Will not order from them again anytime soon read more

Paterno's Pizza - Pizza so bad I had to use hot sauce to make it palatable - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ok was recommended to visit this location. And my friend gave me the directions. You go to windows order then sit down. So she told me of a 3 things that would fit my taste that day. I did end up with a sub sandwich. It was fantastic. Great flavors and right portions of product. The only complaint is maybe all the meat folded in half at the bottom is hard to eat. Too all bread maybe make the sandwich flat lol. The slaw had perfect flavor for me. Right balance. I had a beer at the bar as I waited. I want to go back and try the pizza or wings. And the meals looked fantastic. If I am in the area I will go back. My son got the other half of my sandwich because it was so big. So two meals one sandwich. I did take a minute to get served at the bar as it was busy. Bartender was great. And friendly. Definitely a perfect set up food and drinks. With nice people working there. A rare. Find. read more

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Stopped in for a pie to take home and sat at the bar for a few pints before it was brought out to me. Paternos used to be the "go to" spot. My favorite pie; extra thin well done meatball & giardiniera. Hands down the best around. I hadn't had one in a year or two. I am so disappointed. The beer was cold and service was fast, but the pie was far from extra thin or well done. Such a shame. They're barely open anymore l, they claim due to no one wanting to work. Bring back the great food you one served or y'all will become a statistic like so many other less than mediocre restaurants. read more

Paterno's pizza is a Chicago Bears Bar that is located north of the city. This is a divey sports bar that many Chicagoans call home. In my experience there, you could tell that the other people dining / drinking were regulars, but not stand off ish towards new people, which can happen at bars similar to this one. As for the Pizza, well this was one of the best tavern style pizzas that I have had. It was thicker than most, but that didn't take away the unforgettable crisp that was present in every single bite! This pizza 100% will be ordered again. My only critique of Paternos is that the beers on tap here were flat, but the bottles of coors had blue mountains and a crisp taste. (Also the coors lights only cost $2.50) My friends and I will be going back to this bar at some point in the football season to spend our entire Sunday here. read more

Paterno's Pizza - Pepperoni Pizza Slice - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great bar, great food. My favorite is the incredible beef. Awesome Italian beef baked on garlic bread w cheese. One of my favorite beefs in the city. Staff is awesome as well. read more

Great sandwiches- Incredible Beef & Eggplant especially. Thin crust pizza is a must- been enjoying for years!

I ordered from Paterno's because I wanted pizza and my favorite place, Pete's, changed their delivery fee to 6 freaking dollars! But I'm glad they did, because I really enjoyed the food. The grilled veggie sandwich is fantastic and I would eat it every day. It's kind of like an awesome Philly cheese steak without the meat, which is to say, perfection. The pizza bread was good as well. While the pizza was tasty it wasn't nearly as good as Pete's. It actually was slightly better the next day, after being reheated in the toaster oven. Pro tip. Would definitely order again. read more

This Italian family must have Irish in their blood. They make the best corned beef around! read more

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I love this place the environment for dining in is excellent and this is my absolute favorite pizza in Chicago.... Coming from someone who has lived here their whole life! read more

I ordered online, so I had no interaction with the staff (or the delivery guy, which was a no contact delivery). Pizza was delivered fairly quickly and the order was correct, delivery fee was also very reasonable. The pizza itself had more of a thicker crust than I expected, not like a double crust but still I wouldn't really think of it as thin. The crust had a good flavor, crispy and yet soft too. The sauce had very little flavor and seemed to be a little light on quantity too. The cheese was also fairly bland but the coverage was good and the toppings were also decent. The ingredients all seamed fresh and light, albeit a bit too bland overall for my taste. This may be what you are looking for though, if you want a light taste without a lot of flavor you may like it. One last note was the garlic bread was really small, more like half a serving and seemed a bit undercooked. read more

Everything about Paterno's is awesome! Staff is friendly and helpful always, and the food is so good. Haven't had a meal I didn't like here. Classic, old school divey place but great bar prices and they also have live music every so often. read more

This place has the best Reuben I ever had. Get the bigger one, you will love it. Fries don't come with it though. read more

Paterno's Pizza - Me - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We love Paternos. The pizza and sandwiches are delicious. My favorite is the corned beef sandwich. Reasonably priced.

Good, not great, Chicago food at reasonable prices. Pizza is fine. Nice thin crust. Tasty. If you are lucky, you might be there when Sox Fans on Deck is having a gathering. A lively bunch in the dining area. There is a bar, featuring neighborhood characters. read more

Paterno's Pizza - Sox Fans on Deck ROCKING Paterno's!! - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Delicious Chicago style thin crust. The sauce and cheese are excellent and the crust is fresh and crunchy and awesome. Every time I go there it's the same !!! Yummy and worth 10 to 30 bucks for great pizza !! read more

Burnt crust pizza The manager asked me if I wanted a receipt and proceeded asked me if I was going to throw my receipt in the parking lot very rude and ignorant will never go back. read more

We are never disappointed! Ordered the chicken Parmesan dinner tonight and were blown away! For about 12.00 you get a huge portion of super cheesy parm with more then enough for two people! How do you do that? Never mind! Just keep doing it! read more

Paterno's Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Disgusting and disappointing - I've only had pizza here once. I would have had it twice but when I called the cook who answered literally refused to make it (it was about 40 min until close and he sounded really annoyed so I had to order from somewhere else) I just ordered a pizza for pick up right now and the cook answered extremely rude and took my order. When I walked in to get the pizza I was waiting in the window and to my horror - I saw the cook laying down the dirty black matt in front of the oven with his bare hands. Immediately after that with out washing them he turned my pizza and touched it with his bare hands. After that I am watching him blow his nose in the back - so disgusting. I called the owner lady over and she was extremely skeptical which I didn't appreciate but she offered to make me a new pizza. When I said yes - you hear the cook in the back yell "I'm not doin it". I left soo grossed out from what I witnessed and annoyed because who treats a customer like that. To Paterno's - you own a pizza place; the very least u can do is make sure your cook is sanitary and kind - ontop of it he answers the phone like an a$&hole. You just lost a customer - read more

Was here yesterday for a retirement party. A couple of us got there a little early, so we sat at the bar. What a mistake. The bartender, Linette, hates her job and by God lets you know it from the moment you order your drink. Is it really that hard to make a cocktail rather than slapping a can of beer in front of somebody, which by the way, she does not even open and pour for the customer? From her eye rolls, to her ignoring us to the continuous dropping of the "f-bomb" I have never, ever experienced a more rude customer service employee in my life. She was not happy with the tip I left her after my first drink, so she didn't get a tip my second trip to the bar. Hey Linette, if you hate your job that much, and it shows you do, QUIT, and go work somewhere else where you don't have to interact with people. Apparently, "people" are not your thing........ The saving grace was the pizza, it wasn't bad. read more

I ordered a veggie pizza at 7pm, it did not arrive until almost 9pm. I had to call customer care to see what was the hold up. The pizza was barely warm and the crust was rock hard. The delivery guy said 2 other delivery drivers dropped my order (I don't know what the even means). I will NEVER order from this place again. I should have asked for a refund. What a waste of $22. read more