Since 1972, Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. has served Lincoln Park residents and visitors something completely different from the typical deep-dish scene. 🍕
Founded by attorney Albert H. Beaver, who famously invested $150,000 to transform a fire-damaged building into his dream restaurant, this cozy spot has become a local legend by creating the original pizza pot pie.
The narrow Victorian building sits directly across from the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre site, adding historical intrigue to every meal.
How Chicago Pizza won locals’ hearts
The magic started with a dream—literally. In 1972, attorney Albert H. Beaver conceived the pizza pot pie while dreaming in his Chicago law office about “il gran giorno” (the big day) when he would open his restaurant.
This wasn’t just another pizza joint trying to compete with deep dish; Beaver created something entirely unique that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the city.
His revolutionary approach involved flipping traditional pizza upside down, layering Wisconsin brick cheese first, then adding doorknob-sized fresh mushrooms and a secret 12-hour homemade sauce before topping it with triple-raised Sicilian dough.
The restaurant’s popularity exploded through word-of-mouth as customers experienced the theatrical presentation of having their pizza pot pie ceremoniously flipped upside down at their table.
Families who had their first dates at Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder began bringing their children, and eventually their grandchildren, creating a multi-generational following that spans over 50 years. 💕
The restaurant’s commitment to quality—from using only prime Boston butt sausage to preparing 200 gallons of sauce weekly—earned them devoted customers who drive from neighboring states just for a taste of this one-of-a-kind creation.
Food Highlights
- Pizza Pot Pie (Half-Pounder or One-Pounder): The signature creation features Wisconsin brick cheese with the pull of fresh mozzarella, plus mild, nutty and sweet flavor notes, layered with doorknob-sized whole mushrooms and 12-hour simmered marinara sauce with prime Boston butt sausage blend, all encased in triple-raised Sicilian bread-type dough and ceremoniously flipped at your table.
- Italian Combination Oven Grinder: A massive Italian loaf stuffed with smoked ham, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, anchovies, pickled sweet red pimento peppers, beef-steak tomatoes, Romano cheese, and garlic oil, creating a hefty sandwich that easily feeds two people and delivers smoky, salty, and rich umami flavors in every bite.
- Mediterranean Bread: Described as “a creation” with presence, substance, fragrance and taste, this soft, thin, flaky bread baked with Italian spices and cheese drapes over the entire table and has become the restaurant’s most popular menu item, earning its reputation standing alone despite being originally designed as an accompaniment.
- Italian Festa Salad: A colossal salad featuring lettuce, smoked ham, Italian cappocola, provolone and Swiss cheeses, Italian sausage, meatballs, Genoa salami, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, green peppers, anchovies, tomatoes, olives, whole pepperoncini, sliced and whole pickled mushrooms, cucumbers, pickled red pimento peppers, and chopped green onions covered with freshly grated Romano cheese.
- Sausage Oven Grinder: Savory Italian sausage paired with rich tomato sauce, brick cheese, fresh green peppers, Romano cheese, garlic oil and Italian spices, all stuffed into a homemade Italian loaf and baked until the cheese melts and the flavors meld together perfectly.
- Tortoni: An exclusive Italian frozen cream dessert flavored with rum and crushed macaroons, sprinkled with finely crushed toasted almonds and made exclusively for Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company, providing the perfect sweet ending to a hearty meal. 🍨
Atmosphere
The dining room reads like a Prohibition-era speakeasy with its intimate, high-backed wooden booths crafted from thick, dark wood that has been meticulously maintained since the restaurant’s 1972 opening.
The dimly lit space features rich wood paneling and soft lighting that creates a clandestine ambiance reminiscent of Al Capone’s Chicago, enhanced by the building’s rumored history as a lookout point for Capone’s gang during the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Jazz standards from Glen Miller, Fats Waller and the Harry James Orchestra echo across the cozy dining room, where vintage photographs from the restaurant’s opening hang on cherry wood-paneled walls.
The compact, below-ground space feels like stepping back into gangster-era Chicago, with booths arranged train-car style that create an intimate, almost secretive dining experience.
Bottom Line
- Historic uniqueness: The only place in the world serving the original pizza pot pie, making it a true Chicago original that can’t be experienced anywhere else
- Quality ingredients: Prime Boston butt sausage, Wisconsin brick cheese, and 12-hour simmered sauce demonstrate serious commitment to exceptional flavors ✨
- Theatrical dining: The ceremonious table-side flipping of the pizza pot pie creates an unforgettable dining experience that’s pure entertainment
- Generous portions: The massive grinders easily feed two people, and even half-pound pizza pot pies provide substantial meals with excellent value
- Multi-generational appeal: Families have been creating memories here for over 50 years, with grandparents bringing grandchildren to continue the tradition
Address: 2121 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614
📞 (773) 248-2570
🕔 Mon-Thu 4 PM–10 PM, Fri 4 PM–11 PM, Sat 11 AM–11 PM, Sun 11 AM–10 PM