In this video, we’ll look at some of my favorite pizza places in the western suburbs of Chicago. I’ll recommend pizza in a variety of styles and locations, including:
šŗ Tavern Style
š New York Style
š Detroit Style
šŖ Slices
š More New York Style
š Best Overall
Eric Andersen, B.A., M.Div.
Owner/Designated Managing Broker, Eric Andersen Homes
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š© Email: eric@eandersenhomes.com
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Transcript:
Iāve said it before, and Iāll say it again: one of the best things about living in the western suburbs of Chicago is the pizza. Iām Eric with Eric Andersen Homes, and in this video, weāll look at some of my favorite pizza places in the western suburbs.Ā
If you donāt mind planning your entire day around pizza, you might want to give Kimās Uncle in Westmont a try. I included this critically acclaimed, yet predictable choice because they deserve it. Getting their pizza isnāt easy because of their popularity and small size. They donāt open until 4pm and are closed on Mondays, and itās not unusual to have a 4-hour carryout wait time on the weekend. But for those who plan ahead , you will be rewarded with some of the best tavern style pizza in the western suburbs. The crust is thin and crisp, the sauce flavorful, and they bake their pizzas in a classic 1954 Fauldās oven. Not bad for a place thatās only been around since 2022.
Little Popās of Naperville recently opened a new location in Lisle. During COVID, the Naperville location shut down their dine-in area and went to carryout only. The Lisle location is a larger facility with a dining room and bar. Iāve always loved New York style pizza, and Little Popās has some of the best Iāve had. They also have an extensive menu of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, sandwiches, and some more upscale entrees like filet mignon and fruitti di mare. My wife and I have gone to Little Pops both for date nights and for family dinners with our six kids, and it works equally well for both. Our kids especially love their ricotta stuffed gnocchi.
Jetās and Little Caesars have both started offering Detroit-style pizza, and as someone who lived in Michigan for a year, Iām more interested in authentic Detroit style pizza like you find at Buddyās. Fortunately, Fiamme in Naperville serves an excellent, and authentic, Detroit-style pizza. Detroit style is most distinctive for its square shape and pan crust, and itās also made with a caramelized Wisconsin brick cheese on the crust, kind of like what Pequodās does more locally. What really surprised me about Fiamme is that they brand themselves as a Neapolitan style pizza place, which is the authentic Italian pizza thatās cooked in 90 seconds at close to 1,000 degrees, so I wasnāt expecting to find the best Detroit-style pizza in Chicago there.
My favorite place to go for a slice of pizza in the western suburbs is Brama La Pizza in Clarendon Hills. The use a double-dough recipe for their slices, and itās a great place to stop in for a quick lunch or with the kids for a pizza night. It gets a little rowdy in there if youāre there in the early afternoon, as itās a popular after-school kidsā destination, but the pizza is great, itās priced well, and they have a good selection of appetizers.
If youāre looking to feed an army, as I often am, you can get a lot of delicious food, priced reasonably, from Papaās Pizza Place in Woodridge. And, I just learned that Papaās is owned by the same family who runs Danās Pizza in Downers Grove, who makes my favorite pizza in Downers Grove. For more on Danās, see my video on the best and worst pizza in Downers. Itās no surprise I like Papaās so much given the Danās connection. What can I say? That family knows how to make a pizza. And one of the things I like about Papaās is that, unlike Danās, who is only serving pizza these days, Papaās has a menu that includes appetizers, salads, pasta, deserts, and more. Plus, they have a dining room, while Danās, except for having one booth, is almost strictly carry-out.
One of my complaints about the western suburbs has been the lack of great New York style pizza. But now, thanks to places like Little Popās and Padrinoās in Darien, you can find great New York style pizza in the western suburbs. Padrinoās is interesting. In addition to pizza and sandwiches, they offer both savory and sweet crepes. They only have a 3-star rating on Yelp, but that seems to be mostly complaints about the staff, not the food. For my part, the staff has never been anything but pleasant, and their pizza is so good I couldnāt help but include a second New York style option on this list. Their crust is a little fluffier and airer than Little Popās, which is a more thin and crisp. If you want them both and canāt decide between the two, maybe get Little Popās for lunch and Padrinoās for dinner.
Top honors for my favorite overall pizza in the western suburbs goes to Lemontās very own Turnabout pizza. They donāt just sell pizza; they respect it. They use fresh dough and give their crust a distinctive braid. Their sauce is flavorful, but not overdone, and they use high quality cheese (and toppings, if youāre not a purist like me). And, most importantly, they know how to correctly balance their ingredients and execute with consistency. My biggest frustration with ordering pizza is when you get one with virtually no sauce, way too much cheese, or the bottom of the crust is a mess because they havenāt cleaned their ovens since the Reagan administration. Turnabout does it the right way. Iāve yet to have a pizza from Turnabout that was anything short of excellent.
If I didnāt mention your favorite pizza place on this list, leave a comment and let me know. Iām always looking for great new recommendations. Iām Eric with Eric Andersen Homes, a family owned brokerage where we treat our clients like family.