Piece
Categories: Sports Bars, Breweries, Pizza [Edit]
Neighborhood: Wicker Park1927 W North Ave
(between Elk Grove Ave & Winchester Ave)
Chicago, IL 60622 (773) 772-4422
- Nearest Transit:
Damen (Blue)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Tue, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
63 reviews
Neighborhood: Lakeview
"Fizz has all that one could reasonably look for in a city bar. Their beer garden is really nice and very large. Inside, two floors of…" read more »
333 Reviews for Piece
There won't be a single "Piece" left on your plate when you dine at this tasty pizzeria! They have good beer to get your drink on too.
Just get there early on weekends to beat the crowd or you might be waitin' a while for a seat. If you're there on Saturdays, you could partake in some Live Band Karaoke while you're waitin!
Piece is about as close as you can possibly get to authentic New Haven pizza in the Midwest (I was born in New Haven and grew up on Pepe's, Sally's and Modern on Wooster Street so I should know).
Chicago is known for deep dish, but Piece cooks their thin pies in a brick oven, which is what gives it such an incredible taste.
Don't waste your time with salads and appetizers - come here for the pizza! While the pepperoni and sausage are excellent, my favorites are the "white clam" (no marinara sauce - sounds crazy but its delicious) and the "bacon with red sauce" (trust me).
Only negatives: their napkins suck (you'll use about 50 of them), and the pizza doesn't do very well with carryout (you gotta eat it there or else it dries out). Expect long waits on the weekends, especially for big groups, but the bar area is quite big and they have an incredible selection of their own brewed beer so it's definitely worth the wait.
Definitely my favorite thin crust pizza in Chicago. Five stars all the way!
This place is huge! Ceilings are gargantuan. There is a stage, karaoke, and tons of tables. It usually is pretty full unless you go later in the night, since it's a popular local place. Even with as large as the space is, it can get very loud, with live bands and people screaming their little hearts out.
The pizza is quite good. It's not your standard Chicago pizza, but it's nice for a change. I haven't had anything other than the pizza. This probably won't be the best beer you've ever had either, but it's a nice local microbrewery, which is good in my book. It is certainly is miles above Bud Light.
Just went here for the first time and can't believe I'd never been there before.
I went for a party and was not in charge of ordering, so I can't speak of the menu, but I am a really picky eater and everything the hostess ordered was yummy!!!
What a shock.
It's not going to replace your favorite pizza, but it's a nice change of pace!
We had a small party area, but the rest of the place was packed, so I'm not sure what the deal is with getting a table.
After living in CT a few years ago, I was looking for a place to get some great pizza and house-brewed beer. Now that I live over in Wicker Park, I think I have found the place.
As I stated above, the pizza is great. It is New Haven style at its finest. They even have a garlic mashed potato option that I first grew to love on the east coast. The home brewed beer is very good with a wide variety of options across the brewing spectrum.
With all of the pizza and beer goodness, the atmosphere was a bit lacking (hence the lost star). The music is always way too loud. It is really hot (hello swamp ass). If you are even thinking about going on a weekend you need to get there way too early for my liking. I mean the food and beer are good, but waiting an hour to even get a table is just too much (it is still pizza).
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I am a sucker for microbrews, so this place is pretty cool, however, I am not overly impressed with their pizza. Actually, I shouldn't emcompass all of their pizza in that statement, I should have said "I'm not at all impressed with their pizza sauce."
When I do make it here I always order the white pizza, never the red sauce pizza. It's...well...it's not that good at all (and I have actually had it, but swore to never get it again).
It does get very busy and it can be hard to get a table, but that's pretty much the same at almost every bar in that area....so it doesn't lose any stars for that.
I'm a fan of the live band karaoke so I had a great time here last year for my birthday. The pizza was decent and the drinks took awhile but the wait staff was nice and the bathrooms were decent.
This place is amazing...had heard great things for a long time and we decided to give it a go...we ordered a large pizza (way to big for 3 ppl..but I'm looking forward to the cold leftovers) with green pep, mushrooms and onions and it was delicious...I am a deep dish guy but this is the best "non-Chicago" style I have had in a long time.
Oh and we go a house salad on which was great as well...
Truly a great spot.
Piece offers "New Haven style" pizza and even credits this on the menu. Being from Connecticut, I totally appreciate the recognition.
While Piece does serve their pizza just like they do at the most famous pizza place in Connecticut - Pepe's in New Haven, the taste doesn't quite match up. In any event, it was pretty good considering this pizza is thin crust in Chicago. I give Piece an A for its effort and relaxed atmosphere and a B for their own brewed beer...
They brew their own beers and have pretty good pizza when you get sick of Chicago-style pizza and wonder if there's any reputable non-Chicago-style pizza around the city. $20 kind of sucks for a pitcher, but it's worth a try. This place has been packed every time I've gone there and seems to be a hit with yuppies and fratty dudes. They even have karaoke night. Expect to hear "Don't Stop Believin" at some point. Okay, maybe I'll subtract one star based on the inevitable culmination of those factors. But you can only complain so much about good pizza + beer.
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I just don't get why people love this place so much. Go to Santullo's for a much better thin crust.
Their beers (which everyone seems crazy about,) also left me seriously wanting.
I'll probably not go back but heck, y'all get a second star for having live music. Take down all the enormous TV's distracting people from the band, their conversation, and even the food, and I'll come back with a third star.
Piece is an oasis in the hipster jungle. It's a down-to-earth place that seems to cater to all types. I might even go as far as to say kid-friendly.
They crank out really good pizza and brew some pretty good beer to wash them down. This is another place that you have to eat at to fully enjoy the pizza. It doesn't hold up as well for delivery.
And while I wouldn't say its a sports bar, they definitely have enough tvs tuned to the games of the day.
And if you're feeling spunky, check out their live band karaoke.
Every time I've gone to Piece I have left a happy customer (except for that time when my friend's wallet was stolen by a straggler who snuck in). I'm a big fan of the White Pizza, it's actually the only type of pizza I really enjoy when I come here. All of the beer, including the You Will Fail Ale, is incredible and not extremely pricey. It's insanely crowded on the weekends and gives off a sports bar vibe, but aside from that it's an amazing restaurant.
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I had never heard of "New Haven style" pizza before going to Piece, but I have to say that I really liked it. Piece is basically a huge sports bar that looks like it was built inside of Noah's ark, and even though it can get pretty noisy in there, the volume was never so loud that I felt I needed to shout at my friends just so they could hear me. I'm definitely going back there sometime soon to have their pizza again; it wasn't the absolute best that I've ever had in Chicago, but it was good enough that I'd easily recommend it to anyone who's never been there before.
We came for the allure of thin crust pizza in a deep dish town, and stayed for the beer . . .
I've been to Piece many times since moving to Chicago, and every time I leave happy and satisfied. The pizza tastes fantastic, from the crust (thin the way I like it), to the sauce (lots of delicious tomatoes), and then the plethora of both veggie and meat toppings. Plus, I love their no-cheese options, great for the lactose-intolerant or those watching their waistline. And, if you order pizza according to the high end of their suggestions (i.e. a medium feeds 3 people), you'll leave with full belly and a full wallet.
Plus, their home brews are delicious, and it's always interesting to see what seasonal ones that have on tap to try. I especially like their high-alcohol content brews.
Now I just need to invest in a growler and do more take-out, since the worst part about Piece is the long wait that seems to be unavoidable.
Quality for the Cost: 8
Service: 5
Remember the Real World Chicago? Yah, this is that place, and yah, it's not that great. Come here for an afternoon bite only. Definitely not worth the evening crowds. The pizza is actually not bad, but nothing amazing (as you can see it's quite popular with the anti-Chicago style crowd and you know where those people can go). It gets way to crowded and way to loud at night, otherwise this place probably would've scored better in my mind, and I might actually come here more often. It's sort of trapped between being a pizza joint and being a bar, and because of that it does neither properly.
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Piece is one of the countless Bucktown/Wicker Park eateries with cutesy one-word names. But unlike a few of the other establishments in this hipster-cum-yuppie haven, their food's goooood. Their beer's goooood. And their karaoke night? Shit, who knew karaoke could be good?
A pitcher of Top Heavy Hefeweizen and a pepperoni, red pepper and ricotta pizza was enough to make us burst, while the crowd of karaoke stars was enough to make us burst out laughing.
For an 11 pm dinner on a Thursday, after a full day of airline travel and almost no sleep, I can't think of a better evening. Crispy, greasy oh-so-good crust, ice-cold beer and a perfect rendition of Don't Stop Believing? What's not to love?
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Five stars to piece for being the only pizza place that serves a truly vegan slice!
Sure, you can order cheese-less at other joints, but ask the chefs, "do you put parmigiana in the sauce? do you put butter in the crust?" and sadly, the answer is always yes.
Piece definitely has vegan friendly sauce AND crust, and the best part of their pizza (even if you do get cheese) is their outstanding crust. And do not hesitate to try their beer!
Worrying Ale and the Flat Iron Stout are amazing..and you'll probably need it if you accidentally dine on a karaoke night.
I've walked past Piece hundreds of times, and always told myself I'd try it out someday soon. Well that "someday soon" took over a year and I'm really kicking myself about it. The pizza at Piece is great! I personally enjoy the White Pizza w/ Italian sausage and spinach. Nice, crispy crust and great flavor.
On Sundays you can order (for pick up only) a large pizza and a growler of beer for 25$. Such a great deal! Not to mention the large pizza is huuuuuge and you won't have to wait for a table only to be annoyed by the complete morons sitting next to you. Though the girl standing in the middle of the parking area while I was trying to pick up my order via car is almost just as bad....
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I love Piece. I do not love its volume level, especially on karaoke nights. But I don't so much like Chicago-style pizza, so Piece is lovely. I sort of like coming for a late lunch so it's not overcrowded.
This review was pretty futile, because everyone and their mom has reviewed Piece, right?
This is one of my favorite places to meet friends in Wicker Park. The pizza is good and I just love the micro-brews. If you and your friends are looking for a place to hang out, eat pizza and wash it all down with some good beer, I recommedn this place. Expect long waits on the weekend.
Used to love Piece but it was somewhat of a letdown last time I went...the pizza just wasn't as good as I remembered. And I hate how it's always so loud in there. However, their candied pecan (or was it walnut?) salad is really really good.
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Sure there are a zillion reviews already (OK - 300), but here's my bit on Piece after my first visit on a recent sunny Sunday afternoon. My friend was just raving about Piece and really wanted to take me here. We split a pizza topped with chicken and mushrooms. The crust was thin and crispy, and the ingredients were tasty. The beer list was very impressive, featuring several of their award-winning brews. The foreign beer list seemed even more exciting to me - I had a small glass of Lindemann's framboise which was great with the pizza. The atmosphere of the place was like a large and loud bar, but not in an annoying way. The music was loud rock and there were plenty of TV's showing various sports events (poker???), but there were also plenty of families with young kids as well as a couple of non-rowdy party groups. I'd love to visit Piece again.
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A pretty simple place that you can't mess up as long as the ingredients taste good. They brew their own beer, and you can order your pizza with red or white sauce, or plain (no sauce, just olive oil) sauce, and with as many toppings as you like. They only make thin crust pizza, though. The large comes out on a huge baking sheet like the ones bakeries use to bake dozens of cookies. We ordered two large pizzas, and it fed 8-10 people. The pizzas start at $11 for a small, $14 for medium, and $17 for a large. All ingredients besides cheese are an extra $1.50 - 2.50. The only gripe we had was the lack of cheese on the red pizzas. There are also a couple other options for salads, sandwiches, and desserts, which I wouldn't bother ordering because I'm happy enough with the pizzas.
The last time I was supposed to go to Piece, they were doing construction on the street right in front of the restaurant. I was going to valet my car, so I pulled up front, and got my car stuck in a hole in the ground that was NOT blocked off by cones/horses/anything. I asked a few guys in line to help push my car out, and a homeless man nearby even lent a hand, so I slipped him a finski for his troubles (thanks dude!).
AFTER I got my car un-stuck, we found out there was a two hour wait. Crap!
Regardless, I have been there a few times and I really like the pizza. I might like the beer better, and the goofy names for the beers. I like beer. I like hangin out in the Pit, we were down there last year for a friend's birthday. It's good if you're friends are obnoxious, it's nice and secluded down there, so you can act like buffoons and no one notices.
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Do you want to stand in a two hour waiting line with trixies? Do you want to deal with a douchebag karaoke DJ? Do you want the roof to leak on you and rain on your pizza? Then Piece is for you.
They get an extra star for housemade brews, but I'll go elsewhere, thanks.
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Pretty good based on 2 visits. 1st visit the pizza wasn't cooked well, 2nd trip the pizza was perfect (for thin crust). Good beer and great crowd. The blues band last week was fun.
I'm going to give this place 5 stars even though I find how crowded it gets to be annoying and good yelp ratings isn't going to help. They brew their own good beer and have some of the best pizza in Chicago so I can't hold the line against them. There really isn't much more to say, great beer, great food but expect a wait on Friday and Saturday night.
Stopped in at around 10:40pm on a Sunday night after hitting a couple of bars with some friends to meet a friend. If you're still with me, here's my review.
Kitchen closes at 11pm so we quickly ordered our pizza and prayed the cooks werent going to add an extra topping of spit. The waiter was still pretty nice about this as well. We got the large bbq chicken pizza with onions which was a great size for 4 people. Its pretty damn big in size and the amount of toppings placed on it was sufficient. It was also ~$20 which the 4 of us didnt mind paying for what we got.
The place looks like a big bar ski lodge that serves pizza. There are these huge wood rafters in the cieling and skylights (I guess this reminds me of being in a ski lodge). Very large place I'd say. They've got tables, booths, bar seats, everything.
They also brew their own beer according to the official spoken word of Mike F. I was fortunate enough to have a "Golden Arm" pint on this night and would have another (not just if peer pressured, on my own accord!).
I'm interested in trying out some more of their beers and more of their interesting pizza selections.
what can i say about piece that no one else hasn't, damn probably nothing...its MICRObrewery/brewpub fucking right...its been awhile since i have been in there but all i can remember is the killer beer, good pizza and loud loud music, a little to loud, but you can get mashed potatos on your pizza!!!!! thats a small victory for those of us that have been dipping there frozen pizza in instant mashed potatoes for years, yeah WHOS WITH ME?!?!?!?! oh yeah thats right no one does that but me but hey here its accepted...
plus the pizza is not chicago style pizza which i do love but its a good break from that kind of pizza to have something a little different
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great prices! so good. so busy, but worth the wait or just come in earlier in the evening.
Sure, it's noisy and crowded, but for pizza and beer you can hardly do better. This is one of the rare Chicago restaurants which I've visited several times. Mostly that's because I had friends who lived in Wicker Park and it was a good place to meet when folks were visiting from out of town. I also came to a Thanksgiving Eve event here several years ago.
But the real draw is the fare--delicious pizza in a variety of style, sauce, and topping combinations, and great microwbrewed beer. The Golden Arm, Worryin' Ale, and Top-Heavy Hefeweizen are as good as any other import or American microbrew.
I finally made it to Piece! Every time I intended to go there it was too busy and would have to wait like an hour for a table to eat their delicious pizza!
So my bf suggested we go on a Sunday afternoon--lucky for us there were only a few tables taken and it was a delightfully sunny day.
We ordered the tomato-spinach dip to start. They give you a generous portion of that, but I could have used some more chips to scoop out the rest. We then decided on a "red" pizza and added sauteed mushrooms. We ordered a medium and it was more than enough for two people--we took a couple slices home. The thing that I liked best about the pizza is that unlike many other thin crust pizzas, the pizza at Piece had a nice crunchy crust. So many others have a soggy crust and the pizza just falls apart.
The service was good, but then again how could it not be if we were one of like six tables? Our server was attentive with the drinks and our food was nice and hot when it came out.
I am sooo happy I finally was able to try Piece!
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The best pizza in Chicago? I think so! Fabulous crust andamazing toppings that always taste fresh. Their tomato sauce is divine and you can order an extra side of it if you are as into it as I am.
My friends tell me they have great beer in "growlers" as well.
The only downside is that its very pricey for pizza, and always insanely packed.
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First of all, Live Band Karaoke = awesome. If you suck, they drown you out...and no slow songs on the list! Perfect combo. Definitely recommended.
The pizza: meh. I don't know, I just don't think I'm "gettin' it" here. It's just this little, boring pizza. Don't get me wrong, I still ate it and it was fine...but people rave about this stuff? Don't see it. It's like any other pizza I've ever had anywhere...
Packed to the gills. I can head elsewhere on a weekend night for pizza/beer (and oh yes, the beer is good) and not have to wait hours for a table, and then be bumped into by every muscle head in Wicker Park trying to mack on the gaggle of girls at the bar just past me.
But, def a good stop on a weeknight, or after you've already eaten head over for some LBK...very cool. Sign up early though, it's quite popular (seems to be the trend here), and the wait gets hefty. The Hootenanners rock though!
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I think the best description for this place was what my friend called it: Chucky Cheese for adults.
The place was jam packed full of ex and future rush week pledge members, and other rude trendy idiots!
The service was not bad but he kept forgetting we ordered a pizza and tried to get us to order three times (I think this speaks to how busy the place was).
I might try to go back during the week when it is not so busy but I hate eating at places that are more known as a Walt Disney World themed tourist attraction (Owner the guitarist for Cheap Trick..or so I am told) than for their cuisine.
What really got me wound up is that I ordered a Martini with Kettle one and it cost $11 dollars...lol what a joke. The pizza was good but $40 for a large thin crust with three toppings is silly.
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If you're a devotee of Chicago style deep dish, you might not like this place as much as I did. But Chicago deep dish is an abomination (waiting for the flamewar here), so the thin crust at Piece is pretty tasty alternative. The crust had a good flavor, and the basil was very fresh-tasting. They also are good-sized: a large was more than enough for the 3 of us. I liked most of the beers I had. I saw they have a takeout deal on Sundays - a large pizza and a growler of beer for $25. I may have to try that sometime.
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My absolute FAVORITE pizza in Chicago so far! Every time I eat here, I wonder why I ever eat pizza from anywhere else. Seriously. They have 3 pizza sauces: Plain, Red, and White - and surprisingly enough to me, even the white pizza is really good!
I think their service is pretty average...maybe even less than average...but the pizza makes up for it - it's just that good. :)
Good idea: have a party there. Good pizza, good beer, good times. :)
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Full disclosure: I'm a huge Cheap Trick fan! But Wow, I couldn't believe this place was packed, elbow to elbow on a Wednesday night. That's great for Piece, but I felt like we were eating with the two couples to each side of us, and I'm not a huge fan of shouting above the din to my dining partner. Our Service had so many tables she couldn't keep them straight and the couple next to us who arrived halfway through our meal got served and were out of there before we got our check.
We ordered the White pizza and the pizza was very good. I haven't had any of their World Class tap beers but wouldn't mind going back on a summer afternoon when Biff and Muffy, the new mayors of Wicker Park, are sunning themselves at the beach and the place isn't so insane.
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Let's just say that I dream of Piece Pizza on a monthly basis. This place always delivers a great "white" pizza. I like mine especially with goat cheese, spinach, and some basil. Mmm, can we say mouth watery??
I had my first official yelp even that I threw together for live band karaoke. Boy did it turn out to be a fantastic time! The hostess Katherine did a great job setting up the fellow yelpers and their friends to right stage to watch the talent show of fun lovin' singers. Our server Emily was fantastic as well, keeping everyone drink in hand as she kept checking our table.
The talent was flowin', the pizza drippin' with yumminess, and the beer was cold. What more could a Chicago girl ask on a Saturday night?
If you are looking for a rockin' good time, come here on Saturday nights, you won't be disappointed.
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