Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. has occupied a narrow brick Victorian building on Clark Street in Lincoln Park since founder Albert H. Beaver opened it in April 1972, directly across from the site of the 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Inside, high-backed booths, dark wood furnishings, and low lighting give the dining room a clandestine, Prohibition-era feel that's been maintained since the restaurant's founding.
The signature order is the pizza pot pie, a deep-dish pizza baked in a bowl and flipped upside-down at the table so the crust faces up. Oven-baked grinders round out the food menu, and regulars also point to the salads and bread as worth ordering alongside the main event.
The restaurant has built a reputation as a Chicago institution, drawing generations of families back to the same room, with service known for staying attentive even when tables run scarce.
The signature order is the pizza pot pie, a deep-dish pizza baked in a bowl and flipped upside-down at the table so the crust faces up. Oven-baked grinders round out the food menu, and regulars also point to the salads and bread as worth ordering alongside the main event.
The restaurant has built a reputation as a Chicago institution, drawing generations of families back to the same room, with service known for staying attentive even when tables run scarce.