The best pizza in the area. Price point is "high" but you are paying for quality ingredients, consistency, and the best pizza in this town. There are other spots to hit but no one does this style like the Big Pauly's team. read more

Probably have walked out of one or two places ever but this was one. Walked in on a Friday evening...only 6 tables full. Promptly seated but then just ignored for 20 minutes. Waitress just said...well I am the only one here. Never seen a staff so specialized. One person only seats people... only 6 tables had customers. One person only cleans tables and cleaned one table during the entire time we were there. Manager or owners behind the bar just entertaining those customers and couldn't care less about the rest of the operation. To the point that our waitress...the only one there- even had to serve their food at the bar while the manager is standing in front of them entire 20.minutes joking and laughing. Wanted to give this place a try but clearly they didn't care if we did. Writing this as we are well serviced sitting on a patio at Craft'd. Not surprised to see this place packed and the other empty. No apology. Just well I am the only one here. read more

Well, here we go again. My wife and I visited this pizza joint on a Friday night during the holiday and they were closed at 4:30 in the evening. I wrote a review about it and management responded stating they gave the employees the night off for the holiday. Okay, no problem. I took down my review. My wife and I went again on Friday the 30th at 4:30 and they were closed again!! What the heck?? There was a sign in the window that they had a "private party". BS! The place was dead, chairs were turned up and all the lights were off. My wife spoke with a friend who said this "happens a lot with this establishment". So, perhaps Pauly can change the Friday Hours listing on the window to: Maybe We'll be Open. We see no reason to make any additional attempts to dine at this restaurant. read more

Food is great. Wood fired pizza is fabulous! Very friendly service. You want to eat there!

Big Pauly's Pizza, what can I say? Either this guy has a Nonna from Naples or knows exactly how authentic Naples style pizza is created. I mean this is it in every aspect from the perfectly crafted dough to the farm fresh ingredients. Amazing flavors with a perfect chew. This is without a doubt exactly what pizza is. I also had the smoked wings and again this isn't fake smoked flavor wings but the real deal like I just did them on a smoker in my backyard, tender and juicy with that amazingly perfect smoked flavor. This is absolutely the best pizza and wings I've ever had. Ever. 10/10, 5*****, A+ read more

Top notch the best pizza around. Friendly service. Apps and pizza were amazing. Garlic knots could be a meal in itself. Had the 5 cheese and the artichoke pizza Excellent!! read more

Pizza is mediocre. Ingredients not what they should be for the price. Asked for extra sauce (was charged), and got extra cheese instead. Crust was hard to chew. Second time coming here and wanted to give it a shot again. Probably won't be back. Sorry. read more

Good experience overall. Pizza was good. People were friendly. Good selection of specialty pizzas.

03/29/24 Update: Family and I dined in tonight. We had three pies, a couple of apps. The pizza was delicious and the crust was excellent- better than carry out. I've bumped my review from 4 to 5 stars. I'll be back! Original Review: At the recommendation of a friend, we tried Big Pauly's pizza tonight. As this was our first time, we got three pies and an order of knots. We did carry out this time, knowing that if we dined in, the crust would've been more crispy. That said, their crust is good, it has a nice chew. The Reuben was an interesting pizza, the kraut had a nice tang and the "thousand island" sauce made the pie. The butcher was meat loaded as you would expect by its name. The sausage was the winner here. The Wise Gal was the lightest fare, yet full of flavor and a nice balance to the others we tried. For the Garlic Knots, delish. The service was fast and the young lady who answered the phone and greeted me when I walked in was friendly and bubbly. We will try Big Pauly's again. The next time we will dine in to see if I can get them from four stars to five. If you live within 30 minute drive of Big Pauly's, give them a try. It'll be worth your time and dollars. read more

Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza - Reuben (L), Butcher (C), Wise Gal (R), Knot (FC) - Pizza Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

I came here and ordered garlic knots and a margherita pizza. The garlic knots had a golden crust, had the perfect amount of garlic, and were suuuper delicious!! The marinara sauce is absolutely phenomenal as well (I wish I could take home a whole jar). The 16" Margherita pizza was perfect to share with 2. It was a very delicious pizza. My boyfriend and I loved all of the food. I was greeted immediately when I walked in, and the servers were very nice and attentive. Big Pauly's is a small cozy eatery, depending where you sit you get a direct view of the pizza oven, which is cool. We will be returning!! read more

Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza - Garlic knots - Pizza Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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Cute small restaurant but kind of over priced imo. The meatball appetizer def was over priced! $15.49 for 3 meatballs. Hand-roll or whatever they are, the size of golf balls (if not smaller) with a tiny bit of sauce is not worth $15.49! They're in Plainfield IL on a busy highway across from a cemetery not Napa Valley! The pizza was good but soggy in the middle. And a bit over priced too. I think it was $25 for a 15"?? They only had beer in a can which came out barely cold and when we asked the server for a cold glass she said she could bring a glass of ice??? I didn't see any staff who appeared to be over 21 read more

Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza - Good pizza but soggy in the middle and not worth the price - Pizza Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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First, it cheeses me off when a resto gets cute with the menu. Wife is a Lasagna aficionado. So we ordered it. It wasn't Lasagna at all. Not bad, but not Lasagna. Don't call something something and deliver something else. There was a corn appetizer, not bad. I had sliders, also not bad. we had a pizza too, it wasn't bad. Not bad everything, but not really really good either. Local beers, which was nice to see. Truth told, we came here 'cos we couldn't get in to Freedom Brothers down the pike on Rt.59. F.B. is more than a few notches up from this place (see my Yelp) We've not been back to Pauly's, and no plans to go there soon. read more

Great pizza! I was visiting a friend in Shorewood, IL and I was a bit hungry. I saw some great reviews and in 15 mins I was there. The pizza was definitely not a thin crust pizza. It's also not a New York style pizza. It is its own thing. My favorite part of the pizza was the sauce. The tomato flavors really came out and the dash of basil in the sauce created a bright taste in your mouth. I highly recommend anyone who is visiting, to eat it there freshly baked. read more

Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza - 12 Inch Cheese Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

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Another week, another work trip. "Yay, life on the road!" he said, voice dripping sarcasm. Anyway, I decided to get pizza before hitting the hotel in Joliet. If you've read any of my other reviews, you know I'm a sucker for pizza. And, since I'm in the Chicago area, I figured I'd find something local and hopefully Chicago style. A quick search and I'm headed to Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza. Yelp didn't let me down, for sure. Immediately upon entering, I was warmly greeted by the gentleman behind the bar. I'm gonna guess that this was Big Pauly, but I've been wrong lots so maybe not. The waitress was also very nice and seated me quickly at the bar looking into the prep area. The bar top was clean. Like, very clean. The I'd have happily eaten straight off of it kind of clean. The place was tidy, well organized, and tastefully decorated for the upcoming Halloween holiday. It wasn't super busy on a Thursday evening but there were a number of other tables occupied. The music was just loud enough to provide some ambiance but not overpowering for conversation. I ran into the men's room to wash up and that place was exceptionally clean too. It even smelled good in there! Props for that. On to the food. I got sangria to drink, a very nice commercially made one mixed with what I assume was Sprite and garnished with citrus fruits. Delicious, 8.5 out of 10. Would have scored higher if it was made in-house but still great. Then, the garlic knots with marinara for dipping. Fabulous! 9.99 out of 10. I'm deducting 0.01 for the marinara. Don't get me wrong, it was very, very good and house-made but just didn't have quite as much bite as I prefer. Fixed that with the red pepper flakes conveniently supplied. The knots pulled apart beautifully, the garlic was just right, overall an amazing starter. For pies, I got the Veggie Simbario and the St. Rocco. Both lovely, both 10 out of 10. The crust was chewy, the topping ratios were well done, and the flavor (before and after the red pepper) was perfect! I'm not typically a fan of bell peppers but the use of roasted peppers on the St. Rocco brought out a sweetness that worked really well with the sausage. Outstanding choice, recommended by my insightful and helpful waitress. The star to me, though, was the Veggie Simbario. I love love love a well executed veggie pizza and Big Pauly's does it right. Flavor balance, textures, presentation. Just a wonderful experience. Before leaving, Big Pauly (I think?) and I had a lively discussion about sauces, during which I learned that almost all of the sauces are made there. And maybe ask him what he really thinks about ranch on pizza! Hint: he *might* very well be silently judging all you ranch-loving lunatics. And even if he's not, I sure am, ya bunch o' barbarians. read more

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Every time I visit this area I have to get the wings. The pizza is good too, but have to get wings.

Having recently returned from Florida after four years, we wanted a good pizza. The typical places we knew but kept hearing about Big Paulys. Not only was the pizza outstanding, the owners are welcoming and gracious. I urge my family to always eat local. This place personifies why local is great. We will be back read more

Service was good, very friendly. Food was good and you could definitely taste the freshness. The pizza smelled like Parmesan cheese. It tasted good but I'm not a Parmesan fan. Kids enjoyed it though. My only complaint was we watched the man, I think the owner?, answer the phone, then hand out some menus, and then go back and start flipping pizza dough. He had gloves on the whole time. Never changed his gloves, or washed. It kinda of grossed me out. I'm huge on sanitation. For this reason we won't be coming back. read more

Service was good. We were the only ones in the place, so I guess it better be good,lol! However, we were only impressed with the dough on the pizza. The sausage seems prebought and toppings are skimpy. Price is high for what you get. Not bad but not great. read more

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First-time here. Have driven by hundreds of times. Dropped in for a business lunch. We thought, "can't be that bad, right?" We were blown away - so much better than expected! We had the Caesar salad (the small was huge); garlic knots (dangerous if you love bread!); The Butcher (best "meats" pizza I've had); and the Italian beef flatbread (an open-faced sandwich on pizza bread!). In the tone of the Terminator (dating myself), "I'll be back!" read more

Good local spot. Casual setting and friendly service. Brick oven pizza was great!! Prices reasonable and you could tell they use fresh ingredients! read more

Our first time here & it was amazing. We had the garlic knots for an appetizer & I could have eaten them for my main meal. Get the Alfredo sauce with them too. The pizza was so good. We will definitely be back! read more

Delicious sauce and love the woodfired crust. Highly recommend the margarita pizza!! read more

Stopped in yesterday for a pizza and ordered the Butcher, it was great! The service was quick and attentive! Will be back soon to try some of the other signature pizzas! read more

When I say this pizza is great I mean it. Take it from someone that's eating pizza almost all their life. Mind you I'm 39 and eaten pies from the north to the south of the city to all the burbs around but this pizza is on Point. The wings had a Smokey flavor and buffalo sauce was great. The crust on the pizza was perfect not brunt but still had a great taste of perfection. The sausage had great flavoring and sauce and cheese as well. Garlic knots were great and I love the presentation. Service was great not to mention the prices were great too for the quality you receive.this is a great place for hanging out to dining in with the fam. Hopefully they expand and the world sees this hidden gem. This spot will leave you stuffed read more

Okay, so I wasn't TOTALLY in the mood for pizza but nothing else on my list looked good. I figured I'd go in and find something... by the time I ordered I was definitely in the mood for pizza. I got the pizza ala vodka and the house salad. The salad was decent - I really needed a vegetable, but would probably pass next time. The dressing was very good and the toppings were great, but the salad was predominately lettuce and croutons. This pizza though - if you like penne ala vodka, you should try this out. It also made for a delicious cold pizza breakfast if you're someone who enjoys that. Additionally, the customer service was very good. Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to come back for another visit. read more

Amazing as always!! Best wood fire pizza I've had staff is very personable, feel like family every time we are here read more

Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza - Pepperoni pizza & Stella - Pizza Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

I have only had the pizza and garlic knots so far. They were both amazing! Marlo does a great job greeting people. She is super nice and always does a great job taking your order, and she is very thorough in recommending or reminding you of optional sauces for garlic knots, etc. I have not dined in Yet! But you can see right away that the atmosphere is very welcoming. The other girl and young man working were very nice too. When a business has good people like this, it makes you want to support them more. Having great food helps, too! Not knowing that i have type2 diabetes Big Pauly told me how they make everything more healthy for his family, and he does the same for his customers, including low sugar. I told him that I would test my glucose before and after eating his pizza, and my numbers are as follows. Before: 102 After(90min) 144 "Your glucose levels should generally be 140 to 180 mg/dL after eating." https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/normal-glucose-level-after-eating Great food Great service (great people) Great atmosphere And healthy My new favorite place! read more

Great tasting pizzas and salads. Quick service and I enjoy that you can literally see your food being made up front.

Big Pauly's has the BEST pizza. My favorite pizza ever. I love their garlic knots too.

Super fresh ingredients- sauce is amazing! Pizza is absolutely delicious. Salads are large enough to share & made with perfect ratio of ingredients to keep every bite flavorful. Great place for a casual date night! read more

Our first visit because we are from out of town. We enjoyed the food and service and the fact that the restaurant and restrooms were very clean. We ordered: garlic rolls appetizer - I liked them but I didn't love them. I could barely taste or even see any garlic in them. The marinara dipping sauce was wonderful. It was a sweet sauce. House salad - My husband and I split an entree size house salad. Loved the little mozzarella balls, mini heirloom tomatoes and croutons. Have you noticed how many restaurants no longer put croutons on their salads? I'm glad Big Pauley's does. Italian dressing on the side was good. Build Your Own Pizza - We ordered a medium (?) 12" cheese pizza with black olives. It was fun watching the chef cook the pizza in the wood burning oven. There is definitely a technique to it. She moved the pizza around the oven to cook the pizza perfectly and ensure that the bottom crust was golden brown. Many other wood fire pizza places burn the bottom of the pizza and I hate that. Top-notch service from our server. We will enjoy our leftover pizza tonight at home. read more

Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza - Garlic rolls. Imo very mild garlic flavor. - Pizza Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Food was good, but expensive for an average pizza joint. $20+ for a simple Burrata salad with grilled chicken and $22 for a 12 inch pizza is a bit overpriced. read more

Solid Pizza, some of the best in the area. They use great ingredients, and you can taste the quality. Give it a try!

Fantastic National Pizza Day at Big Pauly's!!! First time trying this place. LOVED it!!! Had the St. Rocco and a Meatball pizza. Both were delicious. Super hot temp as served. Yum!!! Enjoyed iced tea- freshly brewed, as well as a hot tea also freshly brewed. Decor is very Urban as is very clean. Our waitress was very attentive and Pauly the owner stoped by our table and others to see how things were with us. Nice touch and a super guy to talk to. We will return. Highly recommend you also head in and enjoy some awesome pizza. read more

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Really good pizza but pricey, which is why we can't go here as often as we'd like. But when we do, we love everything we get. The Butcher pizza is our favorite. read more

We've been looking for a good white pizza and finally found a place that makes it right!! Delicious and light. Can't wait to try other pizzas. Smoked wings we're fall off the bone. read more

Big Pauly's Wood Fired Pizza - Old World Margherita - Pizza Near Me - Plainfield, Illinois

Fantastic food and servers. Had the buffalo chicken 12 in. Pizza and I can't complain one bit, it was phenomenal. One of our guys has an allergy and the man himself, Big Pauly, went out of his way to make sure everyone was informed about the ingredients and what the pizzas were consisted off. Will definitely come back at some point and this place will never disappoint for great food! read more

Amazing food and really friendly people!!! I tried Garlic Knots, a pizza, garden salad AND know I eat here again for sure.

This place is magnificent, as is the owner. Pizza and meatballs were out of this world. Pizza is a lovely departure from the typical thin crust this entire area champions. Huge fan. read more

Come on, this place needs to close already! Absolutely horrible people run this "business". Most employees are overworked and underpaid. I have seen the owners put a worker with disabilities in "time out" before. They had him (a mentally disabled man) sit in a chair and think about his actions when he did not clean the dishes fast enough. Clearly this place is slowly going out of business since they keep on cutting their hours. They need to close already and go back to working at walgreens read more