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Tue-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Dear Paula and/or Monica:
Please stop lacing the pizza sauce with crack and shoving half-pizzas in my face trying to pass them off as "slices".
Thanks, Misi
Okay I am ADDICTED to Paula and Monica's pizza. Ever since Humboldt Pie closed I've been looking for a delicious thin crust replacement within a 2 mile radius of my house and Paula and Monica's won out. I'm the kind of person who is required to eat pizza at least once a week for survival, so knowing that I can pick up a slice on the way home from work as an alternative to slaving over my General Electric is a very comforting feeling and keeps my hard earned dollars pretty loyal to P&M. Oh and their chopped salad...nothing special about it, but it's so gooooood.....
We had a craving for pizza... and the question was, where to? Yelpers rated this place a wonderful four stars, so we decided to give it a whirl.
Ordered up a pizza for takeout, vegeterian pizza, as it was Thursday and my roomie cannot eat meat. We arrived 20 minutes later, as the person on the phone suggested, only to find that it took closer to 35 minutes to get the pizza.
The box opened up as stomachs grumbled, and the pizza looked wonderful, smelled delicious, and had us drooling. We dived in for the first slice, and that's where things fell apart...
The crust with cornmeal, while good, did not hold well in the middle. It didn't seem to be a problem of oversaucing, but rather the liquid from the veggies and the massive amount of veggies put on weighed it down to the point that the middle of the pizza was floppy and soggy. The outer edge crust, however, was great. The sauce was fairly neutral and didn't seem to stand out.
Verdict:
Timing is off, so if you're getting take out, take your time getting there.
Fresh ingredients, and lots of them.
Outer crust, is perfect on the thin crust pizza.
Center was soggy and ruined the experience a bit.
$18 ain't bad, but ain't cheap. You can likely get something a bit better for the same price.
First thing we need to establish is that their "slice" of pizza is actually 1/4 of a pizza, cut into three slices.
I ordered one slice of spinach and one of cheese (clearly unaware of their size) but am happy to report that both were quite good. They just put the fresh spinach on a pre-made cheese slice and then threw some parmesan cheese on top - which I was totally fine with. Not the best spinach pizza I've ever had, but still very satisfying.
Plus points for being around the corner from me, and the guys working were quite friendly. There are only a couple of tables because I'm thinking a lot of people get their pizza to go. I would suggest you do because it's pretty warm in there with the ovens going - though I think I'll appreciate that more when the temperature starts to plummet.
Huge ass slice of cheese pizza and can of soda for less than $5 = Hell yeah!
I sort of understand why everyone likes this place. The quality of the pizza was ABOVE AVERAGE, but it's hard to justify the cost. If you are looking for something that is off the beaten path, but still familiar - this pizza could be for you.
Great tasting slices of pizza, and HUGE. The guy there says the $5 slice (which includes a can of pop) is actually larger than their 10 inch pizza! It's easy for 2 people to split one of those btw... I work nearby and my boss & I will split a slice at least a couple times a week. Great venue.
I have been eating this pizza for almost a year and it's had me in such a daze ever since so I couldn't get around to this review, I apologize o pizza gods!! Anyway, this place is pizza HEAVEN!!! Sauce perfect, crust, perfect, grease factor, freakin' phenomenal!! Not too much, just enough to make me realize why I LOVE pizza. I love pizza, all different sorts and kinds but haven't been such a big plain cheese pizza eater til now...their cheese pizza is excellent. But then so is the sausage and pepperoni. Keeping in mind I've never had anything from here besides their lunch special...their pizza is awesome. The special is a "slice" of pizza and a can of pop for under $6. Their slice is actually 3 huge slices of pizza, that I think they bake in a brick oven 'cuz the crust is super crispy like I like it. It fed me and my 12 year old for lunch one day, easily!! This joint is about 2 blocks from my job and it's worth the walk even in Chi-town snow to get what they have to offer. One day when I'm not craving their pizza, which I doubt is anytime soon...I'll venture outside my box but right now, I'm cozy and comfy in THEIR box sucking the grease off my fingers from their pizza. Get to Paula and Monica's and try their pizza today...and please close the door behind you 'cuz it sticks!! :-D
This place would have gotten 5 stars if it were a tad less greasy, but being an East Coast transplant to Chicago, I will contest this being some of the best pizza I've had in the Midwest. Friendly staff and a consistent quality product. And the portions are great...a huge slice of pizza and soda for under $5 (cheese), can't beat it.
This pizzeria has been open for less than a year, but these ladies have their pie figured out! Paula and .... (I keep wanting to call this place Paula and Monicals - but it's a LOT better than Monicals, for those of you who have experienced that French dressing covered slop of pissa pi) ... Well, P&Ms is great. I've only had their delivery, but delivery is tough, right? It's never as good as if you go and pick it up. It can be cold, old, soggy or hard...nuh uh. Not here. Piping hot and delicious.
My favorite thing about this place is that everything costs the same. 14' thin or pan cheese pizza - $17. The same size pizza with sausage, Italian beef, hot peppers and garlic - $17. Easy peasy!
They go easy on the sauce, but I'm not complaining. Just an observation.
Yes, I like this not-Monicals pizza very much.
I strolled in one day and was happy to see the special. Daily Special!!! The sauage jumbo slice was big enough to feed my husband, 2 year old and myself!! It also came with a bottle of water or can of coke. Great bargin at only $5.51. We'll be back! My only suggestion is to add a bit more Sauage on the slices
Got carryout from here a week ago.
The pizza was good, not great. Tried the BLT pizza which had way too much lettuce and not enough of the good stuff. The crust is good though, as I always prefer thin.
Price is about average, most large pizzas are 15-18. And this is enough to serve even 2 hearty eaters. The real downside was that the wait time was much longer than we were told, about double actually.
The best New York Style pizza in Chicago. The crust is deliciously salty and crisp from the wood fired oven. The ingredients are fresh and distinguishable as the pizza isn't overly greasy. Their sauce leaves something to be desired, but is average and does not bring down the rest of the overall deliciousness.
They put dried oregano on top of the pizza (a lot of it). If you are not a fan of oregano, just let them know and they will leave it off. I found the prices to be reasonable. Its a great next-day cold slice too! The staff there is friendly and you can usually walk in, order a pizza, and be out in 15 minutes.
FINALLY. A decent pizza in the land of no good pizza.
[I have been unsure for a while why Chicago even considers itself reputable for pizza (quoth Anthony Bourdain, "The generic 'deep dish' stuff? At worst, it's 'tomato/cheese pie'--or maybe 'egg-less tomato quiche'--or 'pizza for people who just aren't fat enough'".) It's not even just the stuffed/deep dish variety - all the thin-crust pizzas are basically dry saltine crackers layered with disproportionate amounts of rubbery cheese and cut into squares. Horrible. Even the South, hardly reputable for pizza, surpasses Chicago by a landslide.]
I have sworn by Whole Foods of all places as the only pizza in this city that I will go near, but now I can order from Paula and Monica's knowing that I will get a perfect triangle-sliced pie with a chewy, slightly raised crust speckled with corn meal with perfect proportions of cheese, sauce and toppings. I ate nearly half of a 14" pizza in a matter of minutes, that's how good it was. Is this kind of pie that hard to make in Chicago? I have tried many, many pizzas since moving here (and judged at Pizza Fest, too), and nearly all of them have failed to meet my [relatively low] expectations.
I think the majoritively 4 and 5 star reviews for this place say it all - Chicago needs a pizza makeover.
After reading a friend's Facebook status about waking up next to pizza (don't ask), I was suddenly struck with a post-gym need for cheese and sauce.
I browsed Yelp to see what I could find. Miraculously, Paula & Monica's appeared. I remembered walking past on my way home from work and thinking I'd give it a try sometime - but later forgot.
I am SO GLAD I REMEMBERED about this place. It was so delicious. If you're a fan of NY-style thin crust, this stuff's pretty killer, plus the gentleman on the phone was very nice, and it arrived in wayyyy under one hour.
Can't wait to order again.
P.S - If online ordering is your thing, I noticed you can order via GrubHub, too. Just sayin'.
Great homemade-style thin crust, very large/fresh ingredients, almost had a rustic feel to it. Very low grease factor. Delivery was fine, took about 45 minutes, pizza arrived hot.
Dare I say this is better than Piece? (Well, ok, they don't brew their own beer...)
Yum. I was looking for some new pizza to give a try tonight. I got the regular thin crust with extra cheese. Had a really nice taste to it!
I also ordered garlic bread it wasn't bad it was liken long strips of bread. There was some type of seasoning really standing out that wasn't garlic and it kind of threw me off. Maybe basil?
Nothing special or outstanding about the meal but it was good. I'd eat it again.
Decided I wanted to be a couch potato one day so I decided I'd order pizza. I usually order from Pauly's but last time the pizza was cold when I got it so I jumped on http://grubhub.com and searched for a place. Paula and Monica's had great reviews so I went with them.
Pizza arrived piping hot! I ordered a pan cheese pizza and it looked soooo good. Ooey gooey cheesy goodness! The slice were huge. I know I ordered pan but it was a bit too doughy for me. It tasted really good though.
I'm definitely going to order from them again. I think I'll stick to the thin crust though. :-)
I've had the menu for this place magneted to the fridge for a while and we decided to try it out last night.
They told us a hour for delivery but it came before that. I thought the pizza was really great. Nice sauce, great fresh crust. We got a cobb salad with it and all the veggies were nice and fresh. The bread that came with the salad was awesome too.
We'll definitely order from them again. A nice addition to the neighborhood.
I'm having a hard time deciding between 4 and 5 stars here. I'm selecting 4, but you can consider this a 4.5 star review.
I'm not afraid to say it--I'm a pizza snob. When someone from Chicago tells me that they ate pizza at Pizza Hut or got delivery from Dominos, I am deeply offended. Why would anyone order pizza from a national chain when we live in the pizza capital of the world?
Anyway, it's a pizza joint, so I don't have THAT much to say. It's New York style, which is a nice change from what I call "Chicago Style Thin" (thin, crispy and usually square-cut). I think it's the best NY style pizza I have had in Chicago. It's our go-to place for delivery and pick-up in our neighborhood (Wicker Park/West Town).
Barbecue chicken sandwich on a pretzel roll.
It is good.
Eat it many times.
As a native New Jerseyan, I am a jerk about pizza. Santullos has been the only place that's been a reliable go-to for what I truly consider an acceptable slice. Bacci and Village are close and are therefore acceptable options, but they're really more like a booty call than a date if you catch my drift.
With this in mind, I gave Paula and Monica's a shot and was pleasantly surprised. $4 for a huge slice and a soda! The cheese and sauce were great, as was the crust. The crust was a little thicker than I'd like it to be, but that's the pizza jerk talking more than any real gripe. I'm thrilled to have a new, real pizza option in the 'hood!
This pizza has a great crust, and its more NYC style - thin and cut in a triangle. That yummy burnt edge - so good.
We ordered the 14 inch with tomato + garlic, and I felt like it wasn't cooked as long as I would like, but it was still good.
Only two drawbacks - no delivery on Sunday nights ( I called at 8:30 at they wouldn't deliver) and it is a little pricey. After tax + tip + delivery, it came to $25 or so. But honestly, its damn good pizza.
The first time I ordered, though, the pizza came within 40 minutes, which was awesome. I'm sure this will be a stand-by for me when I have a little more $$ in my pocket.
I recall seeing a menu for Paula and Monica's floating around somewhere awhile back, but I didn't realize until last week that they had been up and running for months now!
I walked over and picked up a cheese slice last weekend. 1/4 pizza is more like it! It's a healthy portion...too much for me for 1 meal. That and a soda for $4. Seems like a deal to me. I like this pizza. Good sauce, not too greasy cheese. I like the crust. We ordered delivery on a weeknight, (pathetic considering how close we live...but it was too cold and rainy for the walk) and it was here in under an hour. I do not recommend their Italian beef. It's yucky. But the roll it was on was good. Next time, I will try a sub sandwich.
People working there seem nice enough, and it's a pleasant, clean store front for pick up. This place will definitely go into our regular rotation. Another welcome addition to the neighborhood.
I was so ready to NOT like this place. I like hole-in-the-walls. I really do. However, the wait seating here was one solitary fabric lawn chair (like the ones you'd take to the beach or Ravinia), and it was occupied by someone who worked there who was on a break. The walls weren't plasterboard - they were vinyl - something straight out of the '70s. I had no idea that they still made that stuff.
So, I was hesitant. Still, my first exposure was at just before midnight (I was not drunk, I just have odd eating habits, and dinner comes at odd hours). I was hungry. I was not in the mood for hot dogs down the street or popcorn back at the house, and there is a dearth of eating options at that hour. I was super surprised at the awesomeness that was in that cardboard container for less than $5.00. First, I got a Coke that came with it. Second, I got like a 1/4 of a pizza (what the heck?!? That's AWESOME!). Third, it was a really good slice. Seriously. Good cheese, fresh sauce, fantastic crust.
My other exposures have been through both takeout and delivery at more reasonable times of the evening. If you order the taco pizza, your salsa, sour cream and guac come in separate containers, and they're huge containers. I highly recommend it if you're into that sort of a pizza (we are). Service is speedy and they're really nice and considerate... and I swear that the whole place is run by 20-year-old guys (and their moms).
Anyway, a good review. I like the homemade sauce - I do notice variations in it from time to time... but all good.
Super yummy!!! We got the Combo pizza, and it was mighty good. A new fav in da hood.
The place is really new, but is off to the right start. We'll def order again.
High five!
We had delivery from Paula and Monica's - the pizza was okay. I didn't like it (the sauce was very tomatoey and sweet, not like pizza sauce) but my husband thought it was good.
Cannolis were okay, but tasted like they used peanuts (dyed green) instead of pistachios.
The pizza is soooooooooooooo good!
I got a small one with cheese and green peppers and it was delicious. The cheese was so melty. They make 2 kinds thin crust and thick.
The thin crust was perfect. It was thin and crunchy and not burned.
I was excited to finally have a pizza place conveniently located to me. That was tasty and delicious.
They just opened today - july 15th.
The owner is really nice and all the guys behind the counter were super friendly.
Didn't feel like pizza, so went with a cobb salad and the roasted chicken dinner. Bleh. The cobb was mediocre at best (rock hard avocado slices and 3 day old chicken bits) and the roasted chicken was nothing special. I might return for some pizza next time, but I doubt it.
Ok. When it comes to pizza I know what I'm talking about. First let's get a few things straight. Most Chicagoans don't know what NY Style pizza is or should be. Most of the GREAT Pizzerias in the country happen to be in New York or the Northeast (New Haven, etc) because that's where the first Immigrants from Italy lived and started making pizza like they did back home. Places like Patsy's, Lombardi's, Grimaldi's, Totonno's, Luzzo's (my personal fave in NYC). As for the hundreds of Pizzerias in NYC where you can get a great "street slice" they are still using better ingredients and recipes than most Pizzerias in the country. But that is slowly changing as the Coal/Wood fired Authentic Thin Crust Neoplitan craze is sweeping the nation. Sad to say that Chicago is still way behind but I'll get to that later.
So that brings me to Paula and Monica's. After reading several reviews about it being a good to really good NY style thin slice I was excited to give it try for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. They offer cheese, pepperoni, and sausage as options so me and my friend each got a slice of Pepperoni. I wanted to eat it there but noticed that there were no tables or even a ledge. Just an empty space with a fridge for the soft drinks. I mentioned this politely to one of the co-owners who told me they were going to add some tables soon. That's cool...what's really important is the Pizza. I was a little suspicious right off the bat as they brought our slices out from the back of the kitchen (it's not setup like most "slice" joints in NY where you can see the Pies and oven is right there). The slices were HUGE and he cut each individual slice into THREE smaller slices and put them in a semi-small to-go box!!! We got our free soda and left to eat in the car. We got in the car and dug in. Let's just say this is really bad, cheap, greasy pizza. The crust was to thick with no taste, cheap cheese and unflavorful sauce. Disgusting and pretty uneatable. I mustered to almost finish a 3rd of my slice and she did the same. As for the rest we threw in the trash. I wanted to give it to a homeless person but figured they wouldn't even eat it!!! Yes, they give you a LOT of Pizza for the money and a free drink to boot but what's the point if it's bad. If I'm going to eat crap I don't want a LOT of it!!!
So, as far as thin crust slices go in Chicago, they are all pretty bad and that includes Santullo's which I've tried twice and was very disappointed. It's basically a small notch better than Paula's. Luigi's on Clark is probably the closest to a NY Style slice but still just very average. All these places including Pizza Ria, etc. would go out of business immediately if they were in NYC. Actually that goes for most "thin crust" places in Chicago.
Sorry for the lengthy review (if your still reading) but this is my first review and I wanted to vent a little about Pizza in Chicago.
So, for good thin crust real Italian style pizza in Chicago here's my top 4. CoalFire and Spacca Napoli, then Sapore di Napoli, and finally La Madia.
There you go.
I really like this place. The veggie pizza from here is extraordinary - tons of fresh, yummy ingredients! Our favorite pizza is still from Salerno's on Grand Ave... but when we're in the mood for something healthier tasting - we go here.
Delicious pizza - The difference between this place and a lot of other pizza delivery places is that their pizza tastes more like homemade pizza company and less like a greasy delivery - fresh ingredients, good thin crust and overall fairly light in comparison..although pizza is pizza. I don't think it's my absolute favorite pizza ever, but that being said I will definitely order from here again - it's good. The price is also pretty nice. I had deliver so no idea what the place looks like.
I had a slice of cheese pizza that was already made, and it came with a free can of soda. The crust was slightly burnt, which I like, and was ready pretty quickly. It's down the street so I'll definitely go back. It seemed like the menu was was pretty big, but the only slices that were pre-made were cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. Very satisfying!
I have to qualify my rating that I am going to give P&M's the benefit of the doubt . I ordered last night and it took 1 hour and 50 minutes to get my pizza. I ordered at the beginning of the Sox 1 game playoff so I will let them slide because the owner said my next order was on them. So... The pizza was very good. It is the best traveling pizza in the neighborhood. I have tried picking up Coalfire since they suspended BYOB and it isn't the same at home. If you like Piece, I think you will like P&M's more. The proportions of cheese/crust/sauce was very good and the ingredients were flavorful and seemed to be much better quality than average.
This is a great place to grab a huge slice after a night out. I didn't have such great luck with the delivery, but as long as you're out not too late, grab the slice and soda deal and you will not be sorry. It's just the right proportion of sauce, cheese, dough and crunch!
I think there might have once been a good pizza in the pie we received from Paula and Monica's, but… Read more »
I gave their delivery a second chance, because I love the pizza so much. This time there were no problems, pizza arrived in under one hour, and it was amazing. We had toppings of pepperoni, olives, and giardiniera (which had just the right amount of heat for me, but probably too spicy for the normal mid-west palate).
This is my perfect pizza. The crust was just right, the sauce was totally tomato, and all the… Read more »
Reasonably priced, great crust, great sauce, really nice employees. The pineapple is a little hard to eat. We live within walking distance of this place and the pizza is always ready exactly when they say it will be, which is my major issue with some of the other places we could walk to. Love this place!
i just ordered from here for the first time, i walk by it a couple of times a day . . and when i got home today from the office. . did not fee like cooking. . my order for delivery showed up in about thirty minutes. . and looked like it was fresh from the oven. .. i was just looking at some of the other reviews. . and i am glad that my pizza came so fast. . i just wish they had banana peppers. . i am sure i will order again soon!
stellar pizza. loved it. the sauce is superb, really. I have also tired the buffalo chicken and chicken fajita subs, both of which are solid. everything is priced well below what one would expcet. get a pickle every time, I plan to make it a habit. the spot could use some tables inside and even perhaps on the sidewalk.
i hate to ding a new place, but this was not my fav pizza. i'm not a fan of the sauce, it reminded me of canned diced tomatoes...chunky instad of saucy. and our delivered pizza arrived with the cheese mushed to one side. pizza is a personal thing, i wasn't a fan of the sauce but you need to try it once to know if you like it or not.
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My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
