THIS IS THE ONE! I've heard the hype around Novel for a while and it's WELL deserved! The famous Longanisa & Giardiniera is 10/10! Rumor has it, you HAVE to take it up a notch by adding Ricotta on top but we forgot. GUESS I just gotta go back! Takes me 45 minutes to get down to Pilsen but it's well worth it. I also got half with the Hot Pep and it was phenomenal. The pizza is Tavern style so it has a great thin & crunchy crust with flavorful sauce & ingredients on top. They also sell slices with the usual toppings AND some coffee courtesy of Drip Collective if you need to take some caffeine to go. The place is a little small so during the weekend it'll be a little hard to get a seat with a larger group. read more

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Came here for my birthday to eat a couple of slices of pizza with my wife. It's down the street from my sister's house so it was almost a no-brainer for a quick bite to eat. The staff was amazing and nice. They explained that they also put ricotta cheese dollops on the pizza too if you want it---I have never heard of it and didn't get it. But man, I should have! I had a slice of cheese and my wife had a slice of pepperoni and they tasted good. The sauce wasn't too acidic and not too sweet---simply perfect! But then these two guys sat next to us and had the ricotta dollops on their pizza and I was staring their pizza down. If I hadn't eaten enough already, best believe I would have gotten a slice with it. Their pizza just looked sooooo good! I know we will be back and next time I am definitely getting the ricotta added. It's a little pricey for pizza but for a local shop and great staff, it's totally worth it! read more

I was finally able to come here. I actually found this place through social media then I double checked the reviews on Google and Yelp, to ensure that it was good. It's located in Pilsen. They do have free street parking but you have to look and double check the signs. It's harder to find spots at night on a Saturday, when we went. You can also pay $3 an hour and park at the Ray Castro plaza. When you walk inside, they have about 5-6 tables on the left give or take, then the bleachers on the right. You order then they bring it out to you. We ordered a 16" half margherita half longanisa & giardiniera tavern style pizza. It took about 45 mins. This pizza is good for 3-4 people. We ordered fries in the mean time to munch on. These are tasty since they are crunchy and not soggy. We also ordered an agua fresca ( made in house) and amor eterno drink. Both drinks were great. The service was half good half bad. The taller guy provided exceptional customer service. There was a shorter, skinnier guy that provided some very weak service. He looked like he didn't want to be there. I had to ask him 3-4 times for a container to go. It takes 30 secs or less to do it. Minus half a star. The pizza itself was delicious. The longanisa is a Filipino sausage that is on the sweeter side. The longanisa's sweeter side helps balance out the giardinera's spicier side. This was not overly salted. I don't really trust reviews that can't even provide a picture. No picture = did not happen. The margherita was delicious and savory. We also got ube and horchata ice cream, it comes in a good size cup for $7. The flavors taste great together almost like a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal with ube. Overall it's a 4.5. read more

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Stopped in for a quick lunch. Neat spot on the corner of 19th. Old school vibes inside with bleacher seats and tables/chairs. Very friendly service. Ordered a slice of sausage and a bottle of coke to go. Couldn't believe how thin and crispy the dough was. Sausage was housemade with great flavor. Tangy sauce and oregano topping. What more can you ask for. Will be back for sure! read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Sausage slice - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ordered the longanisa giardinera pizza for take out The servers on the phone were friendly and gave me a call back after the 20-30 min it took for my pizza to bake This pizza was so addicting to eat due to the balance of savoriness from the longanisa and the acidity from the giardinera which kept it from being overly rich I'd recommend coming with friends and dining in since there's plenty of seating to try it fresh out of the oven read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Longanisa Giardinera Tavern Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is fantastic Chicago tavern style pizza. Crust is thin and crispy like it should be. Toppings are good quality. The pepperoni with ricotta is my personal favorite. This is a no frills little spot cranking out really good pizza. read more

Didn't plan to go. Wasn't really hungry. But we walked by and the aroma drew us in. We thought, sure, let's try a slice. This place was on the list of places to try anyway. We were a little nervous about paying $8 for a slice of pepperoni. The super friendly service and the fact that it wasn't just a pre-cut slice sitting on the heat kept us hopeful. After about 10 minutes, we were handed a quarter of a 14 inch pizza cut into five tavern style squares. We thought, "This is too much! We're not even hungry!" And then we devoured it. So much great pepperoni. Spicy seasoning. That Chicago style, super-thin crust. Ugh. So good. This is the kind of pizza that makes me consider moving to an entirely new neighborhood just to be able to get it more easily. read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - All the pepperoni. - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you're looking to try a new pizza here's your spot. Tried the hot pep with ricotta and hot honey 10/10. Staff is great food came out pretty fast. read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Hot Pep - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here with coworkers recently and we all loved the Longanisa and Giardiniera Tavern Pizza! We shared a 16" pizza between five people, which was a pretty good size for us. The space is small with limited indoor seating, so it can fill up quickly. Just a heads up -- they're closed on Mondays and read more

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YUM!!! I've have heard such good things about this pizza.. and I'm so glad we finally ordered. We called ahead for pick up yesterday and it was so easy! We order a 16" tavern style pizza, half Hot Pep and half Longanisa and giardinera. It was DELISH! It's huge too. I'd say it's perfect for 3-4 people. For my husband and I, we have left overs now for a few days. The hot pep has such a great flavor, and actually not too spicy. You really taste the hot honey and pepperoni is so crisp! And make sure to have them add the dollops of ricotta! And I LOVE longanisa anything, so you already know I loved that half too. I also got a little container of ube horchata ice cream. Mmmm! I saw a little sign by the register for it as I was checking out, so I had to get one! The cafe itself isn't too big. I didn't quite get a good look at the seating, but there's a hand full of tables. The staff is super nice. And the area around is very neighborhoody and semi easy parking. read more

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Novel Pizza Cafe delivers top-tier Chicago tavern-style pizza with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The sauce is rich and robust, layered over a perfectly cooked crust. The atmosphere feels distinctly Chicago--warm, lively, and inviting. Easily one of the city's standout pizza spots and well worth a visit. read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Novel pizza cafe - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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a slice is a quarter of a pizza and it was very good. small shop so when busy, it's probably good to get the slices to go. there's a park nearby! read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Pepperoni Slice - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great location close to the National Museum of Mexican Art. (I know, you might rather get Mexican food after visiting the museum. I did stop for an elote cup from a street vendor on the way from the museum to Novel, that was great!) Cute place, indoor and outdoor seating. Friendly and helpful staff. I love that they offer slices, which is not usually a thing for Chicago tavern style. Novel figured it out: a "slice" is a quarter of a pizza! Which is quite a nice portion for one. You could even split it if you're not too hungry. This was my first Chicago tavern-style pizza, so I can't compare it to anything. The crust was charred on the bottom but it was soft and flexible -- I was expecting crispy and cracker-like. Tasted good. I don't prefer it to New York style, but it's something I would try again. read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - A "slice," with pineapple agua fresca - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Thin crust pizza of my dreams! I'm glad I finally made a 30 minute trek to pick up my first Novel Gremski pizza! It is so good fresh outta their oven. They have seating inside their cafe so I recommend having it there. I had to zap it in my oven at home to get it back to melty cheese! The LONGANISA & GIARDINIERA is my favorite, well it's all I got and I'll keep coming back for it! The sweet Filipino sausage pairs so well with the hot giard! Cool interior design with basketball themed! This is going to be my go to thin crust going forward and I can't wait to try the other gremski pizzas. Nice to see a Pinoy making it big in the pizza game! read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I tried this for the first time yesterday and it was amazing! You cannot order online or phone in an order so you have to walk in to order. I ordered the hot pepperoni with ricotta and a side of fries. The inside is very roomy. It has a football feel to it complete with bleacher seating and a scoreboard. The pizza is so delicious! It is now in my top 3. I love how cracker thin it is. The honey pairs so well with the salty pepperoni. I will definitely be back to try their other pizza! read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Hot pep with ricotta - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Novel Pizza does a phenomenal tavern style hot pep with ricotta! Each slice was carefully designed with a perfect dollop of ricotta. The pepperoni are high quality and are the perfect cup shape showing that it's both crispy and has the capacity to hold copious amounts of Mike's Hot Honey. The dough has a perfect consistency where it's thick enough for structural stability (no toppings sliding off) but thin enough for a satisfying crunch. They air fry/bake really nicely at home, just about 370F for 5 mins in the air fryer is perfect. Few things to note going in: right now you need to place the order in person although they are working on online ordering. When I placed an order around noon on a weekend, there was an estimated wait of an hour but it was ready in 40 minutes! There's some street parking nearby but you can also park in the parking lot of the Museum of Mexican Art which is only $3 an hour! The museum is also free to check out, which is what I did while waiting for the order! Inside there were some tables set up in case you wanted to sit down to eat. It wasn't super populated inside so there were plenty of seats open. This pizza is worth the wait and I highly recommend trying out their tavern style pizza! read more

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This was a top notch tavern style pizza!!! Sausage, cupped pepperoni, and giardinera.... Omg! Superb!

This place deserves a man oh man. This pizza joint is one of those places that makes you happy to order their food... I was legit smiling as I was taking a bite of the famous half & half pizza. I just needed to add ricotta cheese on it & it would've been a hands down beautiful experience. Amazing vibes overall. I literally have no complaints... we waited 45 minutes for the pizza and it was totally worth it. We went to Costco in the meantime. The price was ehhh, but the price of everything now a days is horrible so it's whatever unfortunately. If you have never been to Pizza Novel... you are tremendously missing out. I highly recommend. Personal Review: 9.2/10 read more

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One of the more unique pizzas I've had in Chicago. I love longanisa so when I heard about this I was excited to try. The giardiniera actually worked well with the longanisa because Filipino food usually incorporates vinegary flavors to their dishes. My friends and I put this down fast because it was so good! The vibe of the place was great also. The 90's decor was nostalgic and fun. Definitely will be back to try more from the menu. read more

First time I tried their pizza was when they had a pop up at drip collective. I thought it was one of the best pizza I've had in Chicago so when I heard they were opening up a pizza joint near me, I was thrilled to try them! I only tried one of their pizzas this time and it was the longanisa and giardiniera. They're thin crust with immersed flavor. The sausage blended in so well with the pizza taste and I so satisfied with it. They also sell by slice which is so convenient for if you want a taste of everything. I also tried their ube coffee but it was decent as the barista only put a little bit of ube. Would love to come back and try the other pizza next time! read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Longonisa and giardiniera pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The pizza was amazing. Very delicious. Very good size. Service was kind. The ambiance was very cool. Good decore. read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Menu options - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very good tavern style pizza, and I'm not a big fan of cracker thin crust but it was really good. Loaded with pepperoni and it was ready on time when I picked up. Next time I would order with extra sauce. I felt there wasn't enough on the pizza I had. read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Pepperoni Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ugh this is a tough one. 3 star feels too generous, 2 feels almost too harsh, but you can't give half stars. This was a "curveball" pick for my time In Chicago. Came across it on it and seemed like people loved it. Visually looked good online. Service was decent. No issues and about what you would expect from counter service pizza joint. Smile and friendly when taking the order. Same for ambience, no wow factor. Basically exactly what you would expect the corner pizza spot to look like. Slightly old school almost dated. Basic. But really mo complaints. It serves its purpose. Now the pizza. That's where it all gets squabbly. Visually it looks great, solid photo pizza. But where here to eat the food not just take pictures. I got half with ricotta and I tried that side first, and I noticed a grainy mouth feel. I thought that was the ricotta so I tried the other side. To my surprise same thing. This grainy mouth feel. When you look close you can see tons of dry herbs on top which it's what I credit for the mouth feel. They don't break down or anything so when over done it just absorbs the grease but adds a weird texture. Was like sandy feeling. Then the crust. With the thin tavern style I was looking for the thing crispy crust. And while it was thin and crispy maybe it's the hydration level of the dough but it is crispy but almost gives stale wafer over crispy pizza crust. Between the crust and the graininess it was hard to enjoy. I think just seasoning the sauce and eliminating the dry herbs on top would make a huge difference even with the crust texture but together it's not a great combination. People clearly like this place. They were steady the whole 50-60 mins we were there. I mean it's only like 6 tables so not hard to look busy but people were grabbing slices and leaving. For what I was looking for and expecting it missed it almost all Around on the pizza side. read more

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Wow! Very impressive pizza coming out of this little cafe/pizzeria in Pilsen. We were told about 40 minute wait for the pizza. We were kind of in a rush but felt we could still make it out in time, or hoping for an "under promise over deliver." They didn't the pizza any faster than they said they were but were pretty much spot on punctual. The place is small inside, and we were lucky to have gotten a table when we did. The pizza came out and the rest is history. We ordered their Hot Pep. It was simple. It came with pepperoni, basil and hot honey. The crust was amazing and all the ingredients went perfectly together. Will definitely be returning. read more

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Saw a reel on Instagram regarding this restaurant and definitely wanted to check out the vibe. Filipino/Mexican owned pizza place?!! Why not! My friends and I ordered 2 pizzas: the longanisa & giardiniera, and the pepperoni with ricotta & honey. I was really excited about trying the longanisa flavored one but it wasn't what I expected. I did not really taste the sweet cured pork of what longanisa usually tastes like and I think the amount of giardiniera on it overpowered the taste a little. Don't get me wrong, the pizza was still really good, but it wasn't what I expected. The ricotta & honey flavored one blew my mind a little and again, not the taste I was expecting but in a good way! It was so good! Never thought of this combo on a pizza before but man, it works! Definitely a must have if you come here. And yes we will come again and try their other flavors. The agua fresca tamarind/calamansi drink was nice and refreshing and the tamarind straw was addicting. Next time, I'm coming back to try the ube flavored latte drinks! The overall restaurant was a cute little bodega style restaurant. Perfect for a group of 3-6 friends. Anything over that might get a little crowded. The service was friendly. Not a full service restaurant as you pretty much order at the cashier and pay for your order there. But staff was nice and upbeat. Will come again! read more

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Not just another pizza place in Pilsen but a tavern-style pizza place with awesome art work on the side of the building has arrived across the street from Harrison Park. We stopped in as the aroma filled the air that made me decide to go in for a slice. The menu was extensive so we started with the basic of just sausage and peperoni. The order was quick (as they had made it but needed to warm). Each slice is apprx. 7.5" x 7.5" and packed in it's own container. The pizza was enough to fill our tummy. I liked that these pizza was not overly greasy and nicely cut in to squares. Interior has many seats but we ordered these slices to go. Next time we come and order in. Cost was $8 each. Plenty of free parking. Highly recommend. They are open from Wed - Sat. read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Sausage slice $8 - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We tried: 1. Longanisa & Giardiniera - tavern pizza 2. Pepperoni, Basil, Ricotta, Hot Honey - pan pizza 3. Ube Horchata w/ Espresso The taste of Longanisa & Giardiniera kind of depends on how well you handle the spicy. Friends said eventually they could taste the longanisa sausage past the spicy giardiniera. I think the tavern style crust could be crispier. Pan pizza crust was excellent and not as spicy. Overall, solid flavor on both. Ube and Pandan lattes were surprisingly very good. You can distinctly taste those flavors. We want to come back to customize our pizza. There's a few tables inside but you may have to order to go. Could be 5 stars but they don't have a phone number or electronic method to order ahead which is very inconvenient. read more

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I'm at a cafe. I'm at a pizzeria. I'm at that combo cafe and pizzeria. Atmosphere: Old school 90's basketball theme, from the score board to the bleachers for seating. There was also a television that was playing 90's basketball reruns. Service: welcoming and attentive. Although only one person in front managing the customers and making the coffee. While we came in around early afternoon it wasn't too bad. I can see things getting backed up if it is like that during dinner. Food: longanisa and giardiniera pizza on a flat and oh so crispy crust. Longanisa is a sweet sausage so I was expecting the pizza to be a bit hot and sweet. Unfortunately I didn't get much from that. The texture of the longanisa was shrouded by the giardiniera and the flavor was more on the hot side. If anything it was as if the sweetness was coming from the sauce. The sauce was well seasoned and had a lot of the natural sweetness from the tomato, but was more of paste in texture. If I were to order another pizza, I would order the longanisa on its own to see its actual flavor profile. Also ordered a latte with the ube and it didn't disappoint. Not overly sweet. Well amount of spice gave it some nutty, earthy, and the flavor of the root. Public street parking in the area is limited. There were some outdoor seats available so it might be pet friendly outside. read more

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Pizza is pretty good, I really liked the longinsa but there was like hard pieces of pineapple scattered about which I couldn't tell if I liked or not. The crust and sauce are really good though! On to the drinks tho they are so extremely overpriced for how mid they are. We each got matchas with flavoring and they were over 10$ each. There was no matcha flavor and it was very clumpy. I strongly advise against getting it, didnt try the coffee but maybe it's better? service is nothing special, but do expect long wait times. good music and great vibes inside though! Will go again for pizza only!! read more

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My friend and I got to give Novel Pizza Cafe. I will say the overall experience was well worth it. The food quality was on par with all this larger pizza spots. I will say maybe don't get two spicy pizzas. One spice and one non spicy would be a good mix for sure. I did wish they had more apps...The service was great. The cashier gave us recommendations and really did know the menu! The atmosphere was different. I will say if you want a local pizza with that family style feel when you are in the shop, give NPC a try! read more

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First time trying this place after seeing pictures of the pizza from a friend. We got takeout for giardiniera, hot honey, and margherita pizza. I thought the pizzas were good, but probably not enough for me to return. After eating the pizzas, I couldn't stop chugging water all night so I'm not a huge fan of it. It's definitely on the heavier side for pizza that's not even a deep dish. The pickup was really smooth after placing the order. This place definitely does not skimp on their toppings because every bite was full of flavor along with the crust. My friends got coffee from them as well because they wanted the caffeine. read more

I love the sports theme and chills vibe! They have coffee available all day and you can get some of the same drinks from the owner's other businesses, Side Practice Coffee and Drip Collective. We got the tavern style longanisa and giardiniera pizza and man was it good. Nice and thin, crispy crust and the sweetness on the longanisa is so good! read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Longanisa and giardiniera pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I stopped her after my swim class at Harrison park. I came for the coffee. I will be coming back for the pizza. I loved the old school pizza decor. The coffee was the perfect midday pick me up. The service was very attentive. The girl at the counter was more than happy to walk me through the coffee options. read more

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Finally got a chance to stop in! Such a cute spot! Staff was really nice. We got the longanisa and giardiniera pizza. Also added ricotta to half and hot honey on the whole pizza. Best decision! It was so good! Love the ricotta on there as well. This will have to be on a part of my rotation when I have a taste for pizza! read more

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The service was great the guy who took our order was very active in making sure we had what we needed and we marveled at the pizza bc we are were tourist and he didn't make us feel weird lol thankful and would recommend that hot honey pepperoni pizza to anyone! Oh and the place is very cozy. read more

Novel Pizza Cafe - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came in around 11a on a Saturday and there was no one else in the shop. I ordered the ube spiced latte and tavern style pizza, half longanisa giard and half margherita. The crust was super thin and crispy and the sauce was flavorful. Like others have mentioned, the longanisa giard was very heavy on giardiniera and light on the longanisa. I really had to search for the flavor of the sweet longanisa and I thought there was too much giardiniera. I liked the margherita side better. It's still a legit good pizza, but I'd pass on longanisa giardiniera next time. The upe latte foam art was on point. I thought the ube flavor was very light and subtle and it was very creamy and sweet, if that's your thing. Couldn't taste the espresso. read more

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Awesome pizza and drinks. Longaniza + giad and Hot Pep pizzas came out quick and were delish. Hot honey on top of any pizza is the chefs kiss. The tamarind and calamansi speciality drink was refreshing. read more

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Was driving in to the city with a friend who had never had Kasama, but when we saw the pick-up time jump from one hour to three, I knew we had to pivot. I had been wanting to try Novel when they were a pop-up, but never found the chance before we moved to the burbs. We decided this was a worthy detour, even though we were surprised to find they don't take any kind of order ahead of time. No phone calls, no DMs, in store only. So yeah, we are Filipino, so there were two items we had to try. First, the ube horchata with espresso we got while waiting the 20-ish minutes for our pizza - we got like half hour after opening on a Friday but there were already a good amount of people there. I'm not a big coffee person, and it may sounds sacrilege but I find ube good only in some situations. Luckily for me though, coffee is one of them (like an ube latte) - this one's horchata twist brought out a cinnamon sugary-ness to it that I really enjoyed. So of course we had to order the longganisa giardiniera pizza, which you have to get whole since it's not offered as a a slice. Might be the most Filipino Chicagoan creation I've ever eaten (yes even more than Kasama's longganisa "Italian beef"), and I highly recommend it. The crust is perfectly crisp, and I loved how the sweetness of the longganisa brightened up the fattiness of the cheese and the oil from the giard. It definitely brought heat from the peppers but nothing too crazy. I love that they do pop-ups with other small businesses just as how they started as a pop-up. I think it's definitely worth a visit and can't wait to bring my Mexican-Filipino family there soon too. read more

Really liked the bleachers indoors tos it while waiting for an order especially when there is no calling ahead. Got the longanisa and giard and it was incredible. Definitely worth the wait! Pizza box was steaming as i walked it back to my car taking it to go, but there is also decent seating indoors too if you want to eat in read more

Great food, music, and service. Cannot recommend enough. A great joint, will be returning next time I'm in town.