Overall great pizza restaurant! FOOD- Great! I got the Val's special pizza and it was delicious. Crust was crispy and the sauce and ingredients were plentiful. Nice and hot. My dad got the Stromboli and said it could use more sauce and the meatballs were small. Sarah got the BOMB and it was delicious! Nice cooked crust and full of Italian beef. But if you're really hungry I would suggest getting 2 of them to be full. DRINKS- Good. Cold time on tap was great! SERVICE- Could use a pickup. Hit or miss. Overall good. AMBIANCE- Could potentially use a remodel or updating. Every time I walk through the front door I smell cleaning chemical shit? Not sure what it is. read more

See all

First stop here was awesome, since... it's been super underwhelming. How is this a Stromboli? Service is always underwhelming. Disappointed after our first visit. read more

See all

This was our favorite spot to have dinner in Chesterton, Indiana. They had a big menu and tons to offer at affordable prices. My husband and I loved 'The Bomb' sandwich! It is steak and cheese sandwich stuffed inside a crispy dough that is garlicky and delicious. We also loved the appetizer that is like a large tater tot but has bacon, cheese and chives on the inside! So good! Our kiddos liked their pizza. We actually ate here 2x while on vacation in the area. It was about a mile walk from our air bnb so we could walk off the carb load :) very friendly service also - our waitress let us know some other good spots to eat and how to access Indiana dunes state parks and avoid the 20 parking fee. Appreciate her expertise because porter beach ended up being our daily morning walk looking for tumbled glass while the kids can run wild and get energy out. read more

We ordered pizza and they had a nice selection of specialty pizzas and build your own. Was a little sad that they were out of all of the crusts, but thin. The thin crust was great and the quality of toppings was great. Would absolutely go again if in the area. read more

I should have been more attentive to the review saying "they were out of regular crust." Note--not out of dough, but crust. The crust is pre-made; basically this place heats up frozen pizza. It was tasteless. I had Covid years ago and lost my sense of taste. I was concerned I had lost it again and had to confirm with everyone else that the pizza had no taste. read more

Give me the chicken and broccoli spagoni every day of the week!!!!!! Haven't tried anything else, because I'm so hooked. I buy two every time. One to eat there, and one for the freezer for my next craving!!! And I'm an hour away!!!!! read more

Delicious sandwiches and salads. Great food at great prices. Definitely go for lunch. The Bomb is my & my entire family's favorite!

Val's is great. The pizzas are really good and there are some unique flavors. Chicken and broccoli is my favorite. The mozzarella sticks are really good, and my kids love the ham and cheese stuffed sandwich. The service is always friendly but sometimes kind of hit or Miss. sometimes we have a wait person who is on it and quick and friendly and never lets a cup get empty. Other times we have multiple people taking care of us because our original person is distracted or busy elsewhere. But the food is great! read more

Val's Famous Pizza & Grinders - Chicken and broccoli pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Val's is hands down the best pizza in Chesterton. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are lying. I debated whether to post this because I really don't want to have crazy long wait times for pizza. Also, the Bomb sandwich is to die for. read more

tl;dr - It's been months since I had Val's and I'm still thinking about it lol I came through Chesterton back in March to visit my boyfriend's hometown. On one of the first nights we were there, he took me to Vals to get a drink and some food. I had pasta in a bread bowl. It was a great meal, and honestly a highlight of the couple days we were there. We went back to hang out with some of his friends and had more good food. I don't remember everything we ate, but we had a variety of pizza and wings that were all delicious. Fast forward to last night... It's been about 7 months since I've been to Indiana and I just got home after pau hana with friends. We had drinks and a pizza at a pub downtown, and by the time I got home, I could not stop thinking about eating at Val's. Through my delirious 1am drunk stupor, all I could think about was the chicken broccoli spagoni I had all those months ago. The bread was perfect, the chicken was tender, the balance of acidity with the lemon... I literally could not sleep last night because I was thinking about eating that pasta. I woke up and was still thinking about it. So I figured I should probably write a review. And this isn't the first time I've had this craving, but it is the first time I've felt it so strongly. Something about the vibe of the place, the quality of food, the people- it makes me want to come back to Chesterton. I think the only thing stopping me is my schedule and the fact it would take ~13 hours of airplane travel to come back. Go eat at Val's! Great place. If I can figure out how to use Yelp I'll add a picture. read more

Val's Famous Pizza & Grinders - Pizza Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

First of all, they serve Guinness on tap. The Guinness Couple approve. We sat at the bar for our first experience here. Old movies on the TV as we drank. We ordered a pizza, cheese sticks, and mushrooms. Everything was really good. The pizza will definitely bring us back. So good. The waitress we had was friendly, attentive, and had a good sense of humor. We are looking forward to a return visit here. read more

Val's Famous Pizza & Grinders - a pint of beer - Pizza Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

We were vacationing in the area and stopped in for lunch on a Saturday. We were the first customers at about noon (there was a European Market taking place a few blocks away). We had driven by the night before and saw it looked packed so we're a bit surprised. The gentleman providing service was very friendly and helpful. We asked about their beer menu and he asked us to come to the bar and pulled out a handful of options based on the preferences we gave him. All three beers we had were good and we appreciated the level of service. Now, for the food...it was excellent. We started with the Doughboys for an appetizer. They had a slight crunch on the outside and a soft center. There was plenty of garlic and parm but it wasn't overpowering. The marinara was good and a little chunky. We both had stuffed sandwiches, which is like a calzone and made with pizza crust folded over the toppings. My wife had the Spinach, Onion, Tomato, and Bacon stuffed sandwich. Despite not saying it on the menu, it also has cheese and comes with a small side salad. She raved about the Italian dressing on the salad and said her sandwich was really good. I ordered The BOMB (pictured). It came with sides of au jus and marinara plus a pepperoncini. It was excellent. Tender slices of beef. I dipped the beefier bites in the air jus, which was very flavorful. The doughier pieces went in the marinara. It was great. Now, the best part...our total was under $20! That was an appetizer, two meals (smaller portions on the sandwiches which were hearty enough to satisfy us after a long morning of hiking), and three beers! This seems like a great places...would love to try the grinders, calzones, and pizzas plus a few more appetizers. I wish they were closer to home but if we find ourselves through here again, we definitely will plan to stop! read more

Val's Famous Pizza & Grinders - The Bomb stuffed sandwich - Pizza Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

This is my kinda place. Definitely not hipster run, but to the contrary ~ straight up blue collar goodness. When you ask the server what to get, she doesn't say, "I don't know" or "I don't eat that." She tells you exactly what to get, the Italian beef. And she ain't wrong. It's a huge, delicious monster. My son and I shared one, and while it was certainly enough food, I regret the decision to share. That sandwich reminds me of my childhood in its awesomeness. That is the choice to make when you go in. The sandwich was so fantastic that I ordered pizzas for a party I was having that afternoon. The pizza was really good and priced right, but it's not the Italian beef. That Italian beef is calling me as a write this up. If you're looking for someplace really nice to take your rich aunt on a Sunday, this ain't the place. But if you're like me and all you care about is great sandwiches, this joint has it. read more

Val's Famous Pizza & Grinders - Cheese pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Carried out and the service was fast and friendly. I got a half stuffed sandwich with Italian beef and hot peppers. It was soooooo good. Husband got a calzone and said it was delicious. Kids meals are cheap and such a generous serving. read more

Loved this place. We were at the Dunes nearby and before driving back to Chicago we wanted a bite to eat. Casual environment and not fancy but great service and the food was good/reasonably priced. Could also tell Locals go there a lot which I took as a good sign as well. read more

Great food, amazing service. 11/10 come here all the time Kevin the owner is a such a great guy!

So confused as to why this place doesn't have a solid 5 stars! Cheese calzone, garlic bread, house made chips AND cheesecake for $21? Not only was it super affordable, it was so good! Service was good too!! Highly recommend. read more

See all

A good working man's pizza.. some pizza places are full of shit charging almost $30 for a stinking cheese pizza and you're still leaving unimpressed. Val's is a good neighborhood pizza with the family in mind.. The beef bomb is by far my favorite... yum! I like to add extra cheese , but it's really good. read more

Great food, friendly staff and very affordable. Never had a bad meal there. Everything on the menu is good. read more

Had a bad experience. The service was extremely slow and the food was not good. The pizza tasted like a frozen pizza. There are better options in Chesterton. Definitely will not return. Waste of time and money. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. read more

If you ever have the opportunity, there's a little family owned spot on the west side of downtown Chesterton called Val's pizza & grinders. They have this thing called a "bomb" that is basically like a gourmet Italian beef hot pocked brushed in garlic butter. The dough is the perfect amount of salty, chewy, crispy and the beef is 10/10. You should come here. It's truly a life changing experience. Probably in my top 5 all time favorite things I've ever eaten read more

Val's Famous Pizza & Grinders - Bomb. - Pizza Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

We love Val's. Great food, great service. Atmosphere is great for the whole family. Friendly staff.

Great local pizza. I also tried a stuffed sandwich "The Bomb" wow that thing is good! The dough bites were just the way I liked them, lots of garlic! read more

Really disappointed. Came in tonight. Went to the bar. Bartender said she would be with us in a minute. Waited and wAited while she left the bar. She came back to the register, which is right in front of us, and still no service. Told us "I'll be with you in a minute" again, but got another beer for the only other person at the bar. Then she left the bar and decided to leave us waiting while she checked on a couple of tables that weren't calling her over. The place was not busy at all. Didn't get her name. Sandy hair and glasses. So easy to sling us 2 beers while she was right in front of us, but wouldn't. read more

Their pizza is good and the variety of toppings is outstanding . This is a long-standing Chesterton establishment. The ambiance is not upscale, but there is something warm and out walking into a restaurant with the well-worn but clean environment. Families with children are seated in a separate area. The main dining area is in the bar and an adjoining room. Beer and wine only. read more

this place is great!! the bathrooms look great and the have good air conditioning! the had the Olympics on the tv! the graciously accommodated our large group! also the root beer tastes grea!!! 10/10 would recommen! Can't wait to try the food! read more

Delivery came before they said. Great customer service. Fire fly folks. Yelp says my review has to be longer. I was satisfied with my review seems like Yelp is trynna be spicy like this sandwich... is the bomb a sandwich? Close to a calzone. Tasty none the lesss. read more

Val's Famous Pizza & Grinders - The bomb!!! With cheese and giard.. spicy stuff. - Pizza Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Food is always good. Ambience is a typical small town bar atmosphere, service can be good at times but when it's busy not enough personnel.

Our favorite pizza place in the DuneLand. Typical tavern pizza place with a pretty full menu. Great beer selection- friendly service- and awesome pizza!! And- family friendly- read more

The Bomb was the bomb. Order it, you won't regret it! Really enjoyed our carry out order- everything was accurate and the cashier was very friendly! read more

Found this little gem after visiting Indiana Dunes. Pizza took awhile to come out but boy was it delicious! We got a 12" thin crust and 16" thick crust, both with pepperoni. Sauce is sweet (excellent), cheese ratio was perfect (not overly cheesy but not leaving you wanting for any) and crust was tasty. We liked the thin crust slightly better. Our server Sarah was lovely and my kids commented how much they liked her personality. Pizza themed art is a really cute touch. If we didn't live more than a thousand miles away we'd make this a regular. read more

Great family pizza place. Great sit in or take out. Love the pizza and Italian beef as well as the bombs!!!!

Bought 13 various grinders for a business function. Tasted three of them- Italian beef, pizza and veggie. They were all great. Home made chips also very good. Third time going here, and I will return. read more

Just passed through while camping near the area. We had half "The Bomb" grinder and a fire pizza, small one, forgot the exact name. Just right amount for the wife and I. Folks, stop here, you won't be disappointed. Couple beers, good service and really great comfort food. I'd suggest giving it a try. Thanks! read more

Awesome Chicago style Italian deli/diner. Stopped for lunch while biking the local rail trail. Not much to look at from the road but don't judge a book By its cover. Our server was sweet friendly prompt and intuitive, refilling our ice teas like magic. Must. Eat. Stuffed. Sandwiches. Not sure where these were invented but omg delicious. The lunch special half stuffed sandwich with your choice of half a dozen stuffs, very nice Caesar, Tuscan or pasta salad and beverage for 8 bucks. Kitchen definitely takes pride in quality ingredients and preparation. read more

I give up on Val's. I have ordered from Val's numerous times, and 80% of the time my order is wrong or missing items. Calling is a joke, as the calls rarely get answered. I had to get ahold of someone via FB messenger just to let them know that half my order wasn't delivered. Delivery times are ridiculously long, but that's understandable considering that they can't retain their employees. This is not a COVID issue, as this has been the norm for as long as I can remember. I have been patient and continued to support my local business, but now that I have talked with current and former employees they no longer have my support. I have been a resident of this town for nine years and have talked with some of the kids who work there and used to work there. The kids have very little incentive to be meticulous with the orders, as the morale is low and the pay is even lower. You can even hear the guy in the kitchen barking at the kids when you go in to pick up your food. I guess they think we can't hear them. Please, treat your employees better, be patient when training them, pay them at least minimum wage, and maybe they will get the orders right and have a spring in their step. read more

We had a taste for pizza while camping at Indiana Dunes State Park and visited Val's. The atmosphere is casual, the waitstaff were very friendly and our dinner was delicious! My husband ordered an IPA brewed in Valparaiso that he enjoyed. Our salads came with house made crouton, and the pizza was great. we ordered the chesterton fire: thin crust with italian beef, sausage, peperonci and giardiniera. Oh, and the restrooms were very clean. I will definitely return when I am back in the area. read more

I travel extensively and alway look for a good Stromboli. Val's definitely is award winning in my book. This was the best Stromboli that I have had in years. It was huge and delicious. Also, they practice Covid safety. They deliver your order to you at your car with masks on. read more

Besides the crust the pizza tasted exactly like a frozen Red Baron pizza. Super bland. Props for actually cooking it thoroughly though, as other local pizzerias have been undercooking lately read more

Val's Famous Pizza & Grinders - Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chesterton, Indiana

Again the site says they are open and they are closed.....they need to do a better job with updating their hours.