Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company
walter Thorne · 126 Google reviewsChicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company — Old Town italian that sets the standard. Polished but not pretentious. Not your typical menu, in a good way, and cash only. "The flavors were bright and fresh, the bread perfectly crusty on the outside and tender on the inside" — Victoria [$$]
What 7,311 diners keep saying
What 7,311 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Great vibes, great service, great food with MASSIVE portions. Expensive, but worth it.”
“A restaurant that comes recommended and has great reviews for a reason. From start to finish an absolute master class in operations. We came in with a big group in which I’m always nervous about but the staff was immediately accommodating and worked as a team to help us out. Our server was phenomenal and recommended the favorites. I had high expectations and they were absolutely met, the Mediterranean bread was top tier as was the pot pie. Such an awesome place with a good history topped off with excellent people and amazing food!”
“This is one of those places that feels frozen in time — in a good way. The wood‑paneled coziness, the dim lighting, the slightly chaotic entryway where a host with a clipboard controls the fate of your evening… it all sets the tone for a meal that’s equal parts ritual and indulgence. They push the Mediterranean Bread, and honestly, you should let them. It’s enormous, blistered, fragrant, and arrives like a hot air balloon made of carbs. More importantly, it gives you something genuinely delicious to tear into while you wait for the pizza pot pies to emerge from whatever subterranean chamber they’re baked in. It’s both a starter and a survival tool. A reservation is non‑negotiable unless you enjoy contemplating your own mortality in a weekend crowd. The wait times can stretch so long you could starve to death before your name is called — and the regulars will nod knowingly as they step around your skeleton. Plan ahead. The salads are comically oversized, the kind of portions that make you wonder if they’re meant for a family of four or a single very determined marathon runner. But let’s be honest: no one is here for lettuce. We’re all here for the pizza pot pie, that molten, bread‑wrapped, cheese‑laden dome of joy that defies every attempt at categorization. It’s not deep dish, it’s not thin crust — it’s its own thing entirely, and that’s the point. This is the place you bring out‑of‑town guests when you want to show them something uniquely Chicago without defaulting to the usual deep‑dish suspects. But it’s also the place you come back to on your own, because once you’ve had that pizza pot pie, it lives rent‑free in your brain until you return.”
“Awesome pizza pies and Mediterranean bread! Worth the wait. Get your name on the list and visit the Lincoln Park zoo if you have time.”
“I’ve tried various pizza for a long time… but this place is absolutely unprecedented in my experience. Let’s talk about the appetizer first. You seriously consider to order it because the pot pie takes a while to make it (30~40 minutes in our case). We ordered Mediterranean bread and it has so much good flavors - starts with the plush of the dough, with good touch of garlic, and continues to fresh parsley and oregano. It is a simple bread but it has all good taste inside. It is large (we are party of 3 men but not able to finish it all) so keep in mind of that - to go box is available and the bread still tasted good on the next day. Now for the pot pie - per person you should consider ordering half pound because it was enough for us (again, we are men with age of 20s). We ordered three combinations: sausage with mushroom, sausage without mushroom, and no sausage but with mushroom. The sausage has really strong fennel seed taste with rich juice from the meat which completes the taste, but you exclude if you don’t prefer those. For the mushroom - I think this should be included. This mushroom carries the part of the essence inside the sauce, and it tastes really good as having a big bite. Overall, is it worth a +2 hrs wait? Definitely!”
“This is my all time favorite restaurant ever! Be prepared to wait, it’s first come, first served- no reservations. While you wait, grab a glass of wine and sit on the steps next door and enjoy the goings on. They also have frozen food to go, and sell the salad dressings and seasoning for purchase. The salad with a mix of the poppy seed and garlic dressings is so delicious. The Mediterranean Bread is always so soft and flavorful. The Pizza Pot Pie is a must. With or without button mushrooms and/or sausage. 1/2 pounder can feed 2-3 people, 1 pounder can feed 4-5. The ice cream is great! Service is prompt and attentive. Never an empty glass! The pizza pot pie takes a bit but not annoyingly long. I can’t wait to go back!!!”
“100/10 recommend! We had the best experience imaginable! Five of us tucked in the back corner booth was such a perfect, intimate spot. Every bite of food was absolutely delicious. The service and bartender were spot on. We even took a big sub sandwich home to try. The salad, the bread, the red sauce in the pizza pot pie, the dessert…all of it was fabulous! I woke up dreaming about my left over pizza pot pie. Lol We will be back for sure.”
“Long queue for waiting more than 3 hours on Valentine’s Day Came back for Sunday brunch and enjoyed well known dishes with high satisfaction 🍕”
“Visiting Chicago with my wife for a comedy show and we had heard of the pot pie pizza. I love deep dish pizzas and I thought it would be similar. It in fact, is not. It is a pot pie with pizza elements. The sauce is not a pizza sauce but a hearty meat sauce, the cheese was thick and delicious mozzarella, and the crust was lightly toasted. We also tried the meatball grinder sandwich which was so big we had to take half of it to go. If you're in the area and hungry, grab a table if you can. Oh and if you order wine they fill the glass with a generous pour, I had a tasty Chianti.”
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