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    Paterno's Pizza

    3.7 (136 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 3 months ago

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    PATERNO'S PIZZA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Casual
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Paterno's Pizza

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    IPA Beer
    Jojo S.

    Paterno's has a solid liquor selection, great food, and pizza that stacks up with any of Chicago's big names ... Seriously--don't sleep on it. This is where the locals go, and for good reason ... The menu's got range beyond just pizza, and everything we've tried has been legit ... Bonus: plenty of parking, which is rare in the city ... It's one of those spots you're glad you found ...

    My favorite bar when visiting Chicago!!
    Michael H.

    Love this place! My daughter lives a couple of blocks away and we always go to Paterno's when we visit. I've had a couple of burgers and finally tried the pizza on our most recent trip. Honestly, this is some of the best pizza I've had on our many trips to Chicago. We went this past Friday night and loved our meatball pizza, pitchers, and live music. Service is always on point and very friendly. Love the old school feel of Paterno's!!

    Pizza so bad I had to use hot sauce to make it palatable
    Margaret W.

    It was really expensive, the chicken wings gave me indigestion, majorly. The anchovies on the Greek salad were aweful, the pizza was not up to Paternos standards. Will not order from them again anytime soon

    Fuel for the flight home.
    Meanole M.

    Great food. Great service. Great beer. Friendly locals. This restaurant bar is just a few blocks away from my daughter's apartment in Jefferson Park and was our last stop before leaving Chicago a couple of weeks ago. We had a late flight back to Jax, so we had a late lunch here. Started with a cheap pitcher of good beer. Lynette, the bartender, was awesome! I had the bacon Bleu cheese burger. Very, very good. Restaurant was clean and well organized. We sat at a table, but I loved the huge old school horseshoe shaped bar. Great specials. I will definitely return when we go visit my da

    Sub
    Amanda G.

    Ok was recommended to visit this location. And my friend gave me the directions. You go to windows order then sit down. So she told me of a 3 things that would fit my taste that day. I did end up with a sub sandwich. It was fantastic. Great flavors and right portions of product. The only complaint is maybe all the meat folded in half at the bottom is hard to eat. Too all bread maybe make the sandwich flat lol. The slaw had perfect flavor for me. Right balance. I had a beer at the bar as I waited. I want to go back and try the pizza or wings. And the meals looked fantastic. If I am in the area I will go back. My son got the other half of my sandwich because it was so big. So two meals one sandwich. I did take a minute to get served at the bar as it was busy. Bartender was great. And friendly. Definitely a perfect set up food and drinks. With nice people working there. A rare. Find.

    Pepperoni Pizza Slice
    Alex B.

    Paterno's pizza is a Chicago Bears Bar that is located north of the city. This is a divey sports bar that many Chicagoans call home. In my experience there, you could tell that the other people dining / drinking were regulars, but not stand off ish towards new people, which can happen at bars similar to this one. As for the Pizza, well this was one of the best tavern style pizzas that I have had. It was thicker than most, but that didn't take away the unforgettable crisp that was present in every single bite! This pizza 100% will be ordered again. My only critique of Paternos is that the beers on tap here were flat, but the bottles of coors had blue mountains and a crisp taste. (Also the coors lights only cost $2.50) My friends and I will be going back to this bar at some point in the football season to spend our entire Sunday here.

    Angie

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The inc beef are great love they Ruben sandwiches and great BBQ chicken pizza.. The kitchen staff's are wonderful great costumers services

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    7 years ago

    Never had a bad lunch....always clean and friendly .lots of specials fresh pizza..good chili

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    Page 2 of 4

    Ask the Community - Paterno's Pizza

    Review Highlights - Paterno's Pizza

    . I recommend the Incredible Beef, with hot peppers on it, and au jus on the side for dipping.

    $13.99 Incredible Beef

    Read more highlights

    District House

    District House

    (19 reviews)

    Jefferson Park

    Checked out this pretty casual looking bar. District House is one of the few in the immediate area…read moreon Higgins. It may get overlooked by some of the other places in Jefferson Park. Have to say it's not much to look at. The drinks are the main thing. Basic looking bar in a mostly residential area. It's the second home for a lot of regulars who live around here. That makes sense. Not a whole lot else is around. Of course they won't ever have to worry about parking. It's about $7 for a basic cocktail. Whiskey and mixed with whatever. Basic. There's free popcorn. Good prices compared to other bars. It's located on Higgins at Major. The closest transportation center is the Jefferson Park station.

    On this night... Who am I kidding... on frequent nights we visited District House, one of our…read morefavorite watering holes. The reason we love this place is because the place is nice and modern with a nice comfy decor, they have an EXCELLENT whiskey and bourbon selection amongst all other spirits, but mostly because of the SERVICE! The staff, from the owner to each of the bartenders, they treat you like a long time friend. The drinks pack a punch and the ambiance is always upbeat. They strive to provide different events weekly and even nightly. They have a back patio for private parties or you can host your event inside. This place is just great, but Uber since parking is street parking and common sense dictates you should. See you there, and let's enjoy a drink!

    Tommy's On Higgins - Check out our brand new pool table, perfect for hustlin' your buddies while you crush some wings and ice-cold beers at Tommy's on Higgins!

    Tommy's On Higgins

    (41 reviews)

    $

    Norwood Park

    (Kari's Rating 7.75/10)…read more TLDR -Delicious & cheap bone-in wings (18 for $22) -Local bar with tons of personality -Personable staff Came with a friend around 8 o'clock, bar was pretty crowded for a Monday with a bunch of locals watching the Cubs game. Not many people were eating, but it looked like a lot of friends here after a long day of work. Our server, Alex was extremely personable and she took our orders right away. As it was a Monday, neither of us were drinking, but she promptly brought two ice waters. I had mentioned to her that I had been here six or seven years ago, and she also said she had been here since. We came here only for the wings as I remembered and 18 wings for $22 is an amazing deal! We got six hot wings, six buffalo wings and Alex recommended the last set of wings be Cajun. There was a group of eight men at the bar, enjoying the baseball game, and I have to assume they're local by the way they were talking to each other and conversing with the bartender. I can imagine this place gets pretty busy on a Friday or Saturday evening with locals. This is such a fun dive bar feeling, with the decor being very mom and pop shop, but it also felt like there was a lot of history here-like people would fight for this bar, not to shut down. You know the space has personality and charm as Alex then chased down a lady who just left to give her her the forgotten leftovers. As our food came out relatively fast, the hot and the buffalo sauces were pretty similar, but the sauce was very thin, so it didn't clean to the wings that well. The wings were fresh and really crispy so you know they were made to order which was great. The Cajun was the absolute best as it was a dry rub, however, I feel like they should've tossed it in butter or something so the Cajun would stick as most of the seasoning had fallen off.

    Local bar with good bar food. Bartender was friendly and chatty. This was on a Monday at…read morelunch...bar was pretty empty.

    Gale Street Inn - Chicago - Pork Chop

    Gale Street Inn - Chicago

    (829 reviews)

    $$

    Jefferson Park

    I knew Gale Street Inn would see a grand and glorious renaissance one day. All it would take would…read morebe the brilliant inspiration of an owner who possessed a love for its rich history and a passion for giving this iconic restaurant the treatment and respect it so very much deserved. It is now time to celebrate, for owner/director Paulo Villabona has created an astonishing, newly-renovated dining experience at Gale Street Inn that pays homage to the exquisite supper clubs of the 40's, 50's and 60's where the likes of Frank Sinatra, Julie London and Sergio Mendez would transfix audiences through their rapturous melodies and golden voices while partaking in superb cuisine. Founded in 1963 in Jefferson Park, Gale Street Inn had seen quite a few owners over the years and had, sadly, closed for a time when it had lost its way and the spirit was gone. Thankfully, Mr. Villabona had a vision to restore the restaurant to its former illustrious self and remodeled it with the desire to have its customers transported to a more wonderful time when life was simpler and love of family, neighbors and friends felt deeper, stronger and truly heartfelt. Beautiful, elegant dark woods, gold fixtures and vintage murals bedeck the interior and set the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. An actual small stage has been placed in back of the restaurant for live music that creates the perfect tone. Martini, anyone? When live entertainment isn't playing, expertly balanced sound system background music exemplifies this supper club theme to amazing effect. One can almost feel the Rat Pack presence. There is a beautifully designed bar area that is warm and inviting, and the bartenders are extremely courteous, friendly and consummate ambassadors for the restaurant --- as is the entire waitstaff. It's rare to find this perfect a waitstaff unless, perhaps, one has experienced the Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton Hotels. The crown jewel, however, is the cuisine itself. Chef de Cuisine Greg Manuel has worked his magic and created a menu to rival some of the finest traditional dining establishments out there while energizing classic fare with sumptuous, original and thoroughly enjoyable flavor components. The last time I was at Gale Street Inn was with a good friend of mine, and we shared their warm and wondrous Parker rolls as a starter which were ideal and received gratefully on the freezing evening we arrived. My guest dined on the blackened pork chop which was a marvel to behold. She always comments when restaurants serve chops that arrive dry and flavorless, but this beauty tonight was magnificent. Well-proportioned, tender, juicy and cooked to perfection, it was complimented with expertly prepared apple chutney, charred fennel and sweet potato puree. This one received highest honors from her. I was completely blown away by the mouth-watering, vodka-battered fish (cod) and chips that had such a distinctive resonance of flavor that I simply could not get enough of it. It came with coleslaw and homemade tartar sauce which were, by far, the best I ever ate. Another home run! Since my friend and I both have a brutal sweet tooth which we should be ashamed of but aren't, we finished everything up with their delicious key lime pie and creme brûlée --- both of which were five-star Oscar winners in their own right. Other champions on the menu include their ribs which are known to be the finest in Chicago, standout appetizers, hearty jambalaya, excellent prime steaks, terrific salads and the legendary Gale Street Burger. It is virtually impossible to not fall in love with everything on this menu. I know, it's a bold statement, but Gale Street Inn exceeds expectations on all levels. My deepest thanks to Mr. Villabona, Mr. Manuel and the entire staff for breathing new life into this diamond of a restaurant. The love is definitely there, and it shows!

    Host staff behaved bizarrely. We were seated at a table with a ledge, where all the wait staff were…read moretalking and clanging dishes. We order salads, less than a minute after we ordered our entrees, but everything was served together, on a 2-top that wasn't big enough. A manager came by the table and asked how everything was. I expressed my displeasure at the table being exposed to the wait staff and he replied; "You should just be happy you got a table." The worst? The food. Thoroughly disappointing because it was served cold. I'm shocked by the reviews, since this was the single worst dining experience I've ever had.

    Paterno's Pizza - pizza - Updated May 2026

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