Amazing pizza and drinks. Shout out to Ricky for the great customer service! He put me on to the margarita *chefs kiss*

It's casual yet formal dining experience with food made with higher quality and nice service! Hopefully a bigger menu in the future would be awesome! Reserve a table before dining as the place is packed and busy. read more

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Love the atmosphere! LOVE the service! Love love love the pizza! We had a fantastic experience and would highly recommend!

We were on the way to UIUC admitted student day and stopped by this pizza place based on the high recommendations. It does not disappoint! Service was stellar. We asked to move tables because the our first table was by the door and I was too cold and it was accommodated flawlessly. The place got really noisy because of some really loud patrons but nothing that the restaurant could control. We tried the hot honey badger and the pig and the fig. Both were delicious!! The parmesan crust is the best. I wish they'd open one in Minnesota! read more

Pizza Payaa - Top: The hot honey badger. Bottom: The pig and the fig - Pizza Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Pizza Payaa is an absolutely serious pizza joint, and it's been fun seeing their journey over the years. Everything is fresh, crispy, consistent and very creative and high quality. Awesome specials, local collabs, and some banging sandwiches on the menu all day everyday. It's a 10/10 read more

Pizza Payaa - Vodka Chicken Parm + Burrata Vodka Pesto - Pizza Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Good evening Pizza Payaa, I write this review 21 days after I ate at your store. I was in town for work, and was on the hunt for good pizza. Since I've eaten at pizza Payaa, I've had pizza at about 5 different other pizza joints. Some around Chicago and also prince st that just opened in Dallas. (Literally just ate it 15 minutes ago. ) Each time I've eaten pizza I've thought to myself. Damn pizza Payaa was way better. While I was also there the service was perfect. The ambiance was amazing. I got sat next to a window where I could literally sit and watch it snow and eat the best pizza I think I've ever had in my life. I wish yall great success! I rarely/never write food reviews. But ya'll made such a perfect pizza. I am still thinking about it. 3 weeks after the fact. Thank you for such a great food experience, read more

Pizza Payaa - Pepperoni Burrata Be Kidding Me! - Pizza Near Me - Normal, Illinois

Thick crust, crispy edges. Great flavor all around. If you're feeling pizza like thick and crispy this is your girl.

Burrata pizza was yummy & so were the cauliflower wings. Toni was a great bartender & server. She made me a yummy margarita!

I love this place. It was clean, it had great ambience and service was fantastic. I tried a local beer and it was cold and delicious and the showstopper pizza was outstanding. It was kind of cool to come to a small town on a work trip and find Such a gem. It's evident that Normal, Illinois is doing world class pizza. read more

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Wow! The pizza is, well, I guess it is this, yes, another knock out for the Blono food scene despite, yeah, read on! This is not pizza. It is a thick boy of toast lightly dusted with ingredients. The flavors are trying their best but this would confuse aliens coming from any mainstream chain. Surprisingly the sandwich my friend got was the best thing we tried alongside my Christmas ale by 3 Floyd's. It's a sublime spot. Uptown can be proud of this urban bar offering plenty of space. We had excellent staff, quick service, were comfortable, enjoyed the free Sunday street parking too. But yes, this is not pizza. The sauces are painted over the dough with restraint. Protein and toppings are meager. The fig and the pig offered exquisite savory and sweet and refined me of the proper amount of toppings it should have instead of the budget fix. My crab rangoon pizza made a strong case for mashing three cuisines together while doing neither of them well. Again, yes try it! But it is not pizza. I was confused with the prices as well. Ended up north of forty bucks for my crab pie and the beer. Quite a fat load considering I didn't need a box. Flingers came to mind: still crowned king of actual pizza and crafted values. But yes, try this place anyway! read more

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Wow! Was in the mood for some pizza during a overnight layover and took a chance on Pizza Payaa! All I can say is that this place does not disappoint! The pizza is absolutely fantastic (fresh ingredients, fluffy/crispy crust)! The top tier friendly service from Mike and his expertly crafted cocktails are the icing on the cake. I just wish I had room for dessert! Next time for sure. My new go to place for pizza next time I'm in town. read more

The pizza and wings, which were highly recommended from this site, were amazing! I'm from Chicago and was in town for a conference. You know I don't play about my pizza. So when I say this restaurant passed the vibe check, it passed!! I will definitely be back! Pizza in bed at the hotel after the conference is just what the doctor ordered! read more

Pizza Payaa: A Culinary Triumph in Normal, Illinois Located in Uptown Normal, Pizza Payaa transcends the typical pizzeria experience, celebrating community, creativity, and exceptional Detroit-style pizza. Born from owner Adam Elpayaa's pandemic-era passion project, this vibrant establishment evolved from social media buzz to a beloved local institution at 107 East Beaufort Street, radiating warmth and innovation in every dish. Culinary Highlights: Signature Dishes Pizza Payaa's menu features award-winning creations that convert first-time visitors into regulars: * Honey Badger Pizza: Detroit-style perfection with fluffy crust, spicy honey, melty burrata, and crisp pepperoni. Recognized as a Top 10 Pizza Worldwide at the Las Vegas Pizza Expo. * New thin crust pizza: available Tuesday through Thursday. (This week's special was Sausage and Giardiniera.) * Detroit style: Burrata Vodka Pesto Mozzarella, Garlic Olive Oil, Vodka Sauce, Grana, Burrata, Fresh Basil, Pesto. * TONY Soprano Sandwich: A hidden gem featuring Italian meats on garlicky Payaa dough, beloved by regulars. * Korean BBQ Wings: Double-fried for crispiness, glazed in sweet-spicy sauce, and hailed as the top appetizer. * Greek Island Salad: A zesty, refreshing complement to richer dishes. *The Spinach Artichoke Dip--loaded with pizza pieces--delivers comfort in every bite. Detroit-style pizzas dominate, with gluten-free crusts described as "clouds of Italian heaven." Desserts: * I Love You S'More Than Pizza. Nutella, Toasted Marshmallows, Graham Cracker. * Cinnamon Roll Payaa. Royal Cinnamon, Brown Sugar Butter, Nutmeg, Cream Cheese Icing Beverages: * Basil Smash * Honey I'm Hot Paloma * Pineapple daiquiri * Strawberry Margaritas ~ vote for KayCees signature margaritas in the Pantagagh Pizza Payaa Readers Choice awards in drink category. Service Excellence The staff's passion elevates dining into memorable experiences: * Adam Elpayaa (Owner): Hands-on visionary who crafts recipes and welcomes feedback. * KayCee Heinz (Beverages and Ops): Curates inventive craft cocktails with artful presentation. * Matt and Sophie (Servers): Attentive, knowledgeable, and effusively positive. * Mike (Bartender): A mixologist who expertly pairs drinks with dishes. Guests consistently praise the 10-15 minute pizza service and the team's genuine warmth, noting they "serve joy." Why Pizza Payaa Stands Out From exposed-brick charm to award-winning pies, every detail reflects local pride. The Honey Badger Pizza symbolizes both world-class quality and hometown triumph. Visit at 107 E Beaufort Street, Normal (open Tuesday-Sunday), for transformative pizza and infectious energy. As the restaurant's motto declares: "Where dough, dreams, and deliciousness collide." P.S. Inquire with Sophie or Matt about the TONY Soprano's legendary crust. read more

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We love the garlic parm wings at pizza payaa! Their pizza is good, we just aren't big fans of that style of crust. We wanted to try the thing crust but the waitress said thin crust is only served Monday to Thursday. So we asked for a couple mins to review the menu. We ordered wings and spinach artichoke dip then my husband wanted to try the chicken parm sandwich, but the waitress informed him that the sandwiches are only served until 2pm (we were there about 3:30). It was just confusing because they gave us a menu with sandwiches on it. We were the only people inside the restaurant (everyone else on patio) but yet we were seated right by the front door, despite asking to be seated in another area. We have been going to pizza payaa for years but this experience was not great. read more

Amazing Food - great service- nice location !! Get some non A - beverages - really good pizza - good quality and flavor read more

I was able to make a reservation online for a lunch on Tuesday. Unfortunately my appointment ran late; however, the restaurant could still accommodate us, Each of us ordered our own pizza as we don't mind the leftovers. The waitress was very attentive and answered our questions and made recommendations. The restaurant as well as the restroom was clean. There is two floor levels for dining as well as a bar on main floor. I had the Maddie Aloha. The chicken was a little bland in my opinion. Fresh pineapple was used vs canned. My pizza was not ready for about 10 minutes after the other three guests in our party. The other guests enjoyed their pizzas. I will be back. read more

Pizza Payaa - Tammy Supreme - Pizza Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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A must try in Uptown Normal! This spot offers Detroit style pizza, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, and cocktails. There were many pizzas to choose from and neighboring table's selections made it hard to pick. We decided on the Pepperoni Burrata Be Kidding Me... Wow! The dough was perfectly fluffy, burrata amount was good and tasted fresh, the right amount of hot honey added; it just simply hit the spot. Our server was sweet and pizzas didn't take more than 10-15 minutes to come out. I Highly recommend trying Pizza Payaa out! read more

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Excellent Pizza, Sandwiches and Apps. This place knows how to do pizza right. Classic Chicago-style deep dish crusts with the perfect crunch on the outside, and soft on the inside without being greasy. Great flavor options and some unique offerings. The Vodka Chicken Parm sammie was excellent as well as the Payaa app. Will definitely come back! read more

The pizza was amazing. The edges are the best ever! I believe the waiter was Mike!! Great host!! Modern look !! Can't wait to try more and more!! read more

Long wait time. I believe they dropped the ticket It typically isn't that slow there

The pizza was AMAZING! The crust was perfectly fluffy on the inside but a little crispy on the edges! The toppings were great! Service was great! Mike answered all our questions and checked on us multiple times! Very friendly. I observed him with others as well and he as awesome! Loved to vibe in the restaurant! Very fun! read more

Pizza Payaa - Honey Badger - Pizza Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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The best gluten free pizza! I also ordered cauliflower wings. They called me to let me know the sauce I got for the wings was not gluten free. That is amazing customer service and as I celiac I really appreciate it. Thank you! read more

Wow, the town of Normal is so lucky to have Pizza Payaa. The pizza was phenomenal-best Detroit style I've had so far! We ordered the Sausage Fun Guy and the Burrata Vodka Sauce-Pesto pizzas. So delicious-the sauce, caramelized edges, abundant toppings made these one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Others at our table ordered the Fig and the Pig and it also got rave reviews as well! Additionally the house walnut salad was yummy-love the addition of the pickled onions slices. The brussel sprouts were tasty too! If I lived closer I would try everything on the menu, everyone from our party loved what they ordered! Last but not least, I want to give a big shoutout to the staff. We were in town for the state cheer competition and our party was about 35-40 people. We didn't get there until 30 minutes prior to closing but they didn't rush us and they were very accommodating! Best service from a restaurant we've ever had after a state comp!! Shame on me for not getting our server's name but please let her know we really appreciated her great service! Hopefully-Pizza Payaa will branch out to the Chicago area someday! ;) read more

GF Pizza.was great with their own crust. Delivery to hotel was quick and pizza was still hoy hot. read more

If we hadn't moved before this opened, it might have swayed us to stay... ;) Pizza Payaa is delicious thickboi pizza with caramelized crust. The crust has me. Sigh. Even the cheesy bread sticks boast that caramelization and I am in deep fan love. The uptown location is in the old Firestation and they redid the interior soooo cute. I feel so happy hanging here. And I did a LoT bot for food and later for happy hour. Cause the bartender brings it!! I had ana amazing basil smash and some delicious local beers. The service was superb. BloNo is not famous for customer service. But this place is phenomenal. Not only to me, but to everyone that came in. If Yelp had a bonus system, this is an occasion I would bump up. Also in my rave review: option for vegan cheese and creative no meat features. Well done! Finally- they have a new lunch menu which includes pizza by the slice and salad options. Just an overall win. read more

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I've been around the world and I..... found my pizza payaaayaa This place rocks! And I don't even like Detroit style pizza. Let's start with the wings. No really you should start with the wings. Move over mugsys. Next time I will ask for the garlic parm on the side The pizza. I don't know how they make that crack crust but I'm addicted. Give me a hot honey pizza any day. One pizza is enough for two people and left overs . Overall great spot uptown normal! read more

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Our first visit to and first pizza from the Pizza Payaa team...at a place being run by our friend Joe...and so far, it's worth the wait for us. We had the 'signature' Honey Badger, a sausage/pepperoni crispy rectangle along the lines of Detroit-style, but with Mike's Hot Honey drizzled across the top. The crust is way lighter and airier than we assumed, had plenty of toppings and I can confidently say, was crisped to perfection. We received outstanding service from Joe & the training crew at the bar and were just as impressed with the modern, yet lush open-air comfort vibe achieved with the latest renovations. The 2-story bar itself has been spectacular for years and continues to re-finish well - with its striking black motif. Functionally it seems to be an attempt to cater to all, with 6 or 8 local craft taps, a dedicated cocktail menu, and no particular bourbon, whiskey, or vodka leanings quite yet anyway. I really don't give anyplace 5-stars right off the bat as I feel that's earned over time, especially for newer places that may still be working out kinks, but I've gotta say, other than what seems like a needed AC tune-up on a muggy night, our experience was pretty encouraging. read more

Pizza Payaa - Massive bar - Pizza Near Me - Normal, Illinois

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We came here after visiting the children's museum next door. The museum shared a coupon to get a free cheese pizza with regular purchase. We got a build your own pizza with spinach mushrooms and grilled chicken. We also got a specialty salad with cranberry and Brie cheese. Overall, the food was great and service was great too. read more

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Excellent service--shout out to Eva! Delicious four cheese, basil pizza. Excellent beautifully presented and tasting wings.

Soooo good, if you haven't had it, you're missing out!! Best pizza in town. Easy to order online.

Always delicious and innovative collabs are exciting add. Looking forward to the falafel collab going on now.

I've been there with family a couple times because they're good about accommodating celiac disease. That's a big plus for us. In a college town, 3 blocks from campus, the prices were incredibly high. Take a look at the online menu to ensure you know what to expect. read more

2nd delivery order - ordered from the website- via DoorDash. Pizza was 15 min late (I scheduled a time), pizza was stone cold, driver left it on our doorstep - had it not been for our ring camera we were not notified. Tried phoning - message said to text - I texted - no response. Pizza is too expensive for such subpar service! Never again - won't get a 3rd from us! read more

Vodka sauce burrata pesto & fig and pig are the best pizza I've had all year. Great every time. read more

If you love world class flavor on a pillowy crust with cheese y edges this is the place for you! And the S'mores dessert pizza is incredibly delicious. read more

Pizza Payaa makes a really delicious Detroit style pizza. Good ingredients and easy to order. Their location in Normal uptown is also very nice. read more

Their pizzas are awesome. Their gluten-free pizzas far exceed any other gluten-free pizzas that are locally available. The wait staff has always been wonderful. read more

Pizza Payaa - This shows how thick their gluten-free pizzas are. - Pizza Near Me - Normal, Illinois

terrific service. This was our first time and we got a great explanation of everything. The Pizza is unique and absolutely delicious, not to mention the unbelievable cocktails! read more

Our first visit to Pizza Payaa was an excellent experience. We were seated upstairs where we had a great view of uptown Normal. We ordered the Brussels sprouts appetizer and the Tammy Supreme without the pepperoni, both were delicious. We'll definitely be returning! read more

Pizza Payaa - Pizza Near Me - Normal, Illinois

The food was unique and tasty. Ordered online and everything was ready when I got there. Only thing I would say is remember the silverware next time read more