What can I say? Sams has been an icon here in the Illinois Valley for as long as I can remember. Sam serves pizza. That's it. Pizza. But what a pizza it is. Never have we been disappointed with it. The thing that gets me is, you call to place your order and he never writes anything down. Ever!! He puts it all in his "computer" lol. That's his noggin if you haven't figured that out. Anyway, give him a call, place your order, wait 49 minutes, and dig in!!! You'll be back..... We all go back. Enjoy!!! read more

Amazing pizza. Sam is hilarious. A big reason for me to visit this area was to eat from his place. Unfortunately it appears he is now retired and it seems that he is permanently closed. Hope he can sell the business and train someone on how to work his magic. He sure is something special and will be missed read more

Love Sam great guy great pizza and it's like an old time joint everybody knows everybody he's really on top of his game so if you want a good pie this is the place for you! read more

Best olde skool za around! Sam is the pizza KING! Treat yo self! Order early! Always a treat!

Delicious pizza! Sam is so funny and kind Very little wait time and cheap prices 10/10 read more

I decided to give Sam's Pizza a try after I read the reviews. Everything everyone said is true, Sam is the only employee, bring change for sodas. This place did not disappointed, Sam knows about making good tasting pizzas. read more

Sam's Pizza - Sausage/Pepperoni/Green Pepper/Onion - Pizza Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

This place is so cute! The owner just makes pizzas and sings to himself, super friendly. The pizza prices are crazy low. I got a everything (sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, onion, mushroom) for $12.50!! I'm from near Chicago and that would be a $30 pizza. $.55 pop machine still there. It's like stepping back in time. The owner is so friendly, and he's the only employee. Much love to this place! read more

See all

I wish there was an option to rate Sams Pizza a negative 2. Read the other reviews CAREFULLY, otherwise you're going to end up like me driving around at 8:30pm on a Tuesday with a hangry girlfriend frantically looking for another pizza place that's open. Let's go back in time and see how I learned that this might be one of the most elaborate jokes in pizza joint history. It's a Tuesday evening, hiked earlier in the day, staying at a resort for a getaway...what better than to cap it off with a local pizza? Digging thru the reviews and a nearly 5 star Pizza place comes up just a few miles down the road. Sams Pizza. Hailed by others as "amazing" pizza with a man that single-handedly does it himself whose got a bit of charm. How could anyone resist right? Give the place a ring around 7:30pm. A man answers the phone and let him know I want a medium pizza with half pepperoni for pick up. He kept saying sausage so I said sure whatever add the sausage. We're just starving at this point. He said "see ya in 25". Perfect. Get there on the dot and told him I was there for pick up. Looked at me like I had 8 heads and had no idea what I was talking about. Did this phone call never happen? My phone log says otherwise. He never started making the pizza. Then kept saying he was going to fed-ex my pizza or send it thru ups....I have a good sense of humor and could joke around, but it was clearly becoming a huge waste of time and thought I was being trolled by not only Sam but the rest of the reviews too. Didn't feel like playing the games anymore, left and ultimately ended up at dominoes. Who knows if the pizza was actually good, but waiting 2-3 hours for one already has "disappointment" written all over it. Why even bother picking up the phone if you're not even going to take your business seriously? I'm unsure why this place has raving reviews, other than it might be family/friends/locals who don't have other pizza places around. I'm a patient person, but when you're blatantly wasting people's time than it isn't really fun or "cute" by any means. Avoid sams pizza like covid, unless you're okay with wasting half your day waiting for it to be made. Legend has it: he's still "making" our pizza to this day. read more

Best pizza around! Sam is so friendly and welcoming. Definitely worth driving there to order

An Illinois Valley classic. Sammy serves up pies with an old-world Italian charm. Pick-up only. Although delivery is not an option, part of the Sam's Pizza experience is Sam himself. The pizzas Sam makes are hand crafted with fresh ingredients and absolutely divine. The service he gives is always warm. If he doesn't make u leave with a smile he hasn't done his job. Very family friendly and excellent value. read more

Sam's Pizza - Sammy himself. - Pizza Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Seriously good pizza! Great toppings and cheese! The owner is very hard to understand but makes one hell of a pie! Don't bother calling, stop in to place your order. He will say 51 minutes, go back in an hour or shortly after and it will be ready for pick up. On top of the amazing pizza his prices were very very low! Like 1990s prices! Large two topping pizza was 11$ and some change! read more

Sam's Pizza - Pepperoni and Canadian bacon - Pizza Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Sam's is a neat little place with good pizza. We got a large with everything. Sam is a character in his 70's & the only employee and makes everything himself including the dough and sauce. You will wait an hour for a pizza but that's why. It's like stepping back in time to the 70's. Cash only with a manual register (one that goes Cha-Ching!). Nothing but pizza on the menu (no cheese sticks or chicken wings or crazy breads). Sam has a thick Italian accent, jokes around with a smirky smile and has a good attitude. The locals seem to love him. read more

Sam's Pizza - Sam's is a neat little place with good pizza. We got a large with everything. Sam is a character in his 70's & the only employee - Pizza Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

We always stop here when we're in starve rock turkey the best of the best pizza and Sam is the nicest guy you will ever meat we have been going here for about 7 years what can I say it's the best pizza in the WORLD and I live in Chicago and even this pizza tops it what else do I need to say and he is funny jokes and good vibes all around very kind and SUPER low prices about $12 for a pizza so if you have time (make time) go there ASAP read more

Great pizza. Every time I'm in the valley I HAVE to get this pizza. I need my fix! Best tasting pizza in the valley. Sam's a character too. Has a memory too! Long live SAM ! read more

Sam's Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Delicious pizza and always so friendly with the customers. Many options to choose from and you just can't go wrong

Best Pizza EVER! My family has been eating Sam's Pizza for...well since I can remember. My grandfather used to know Sam and going there was always a blast to the past for us kids. Now that both of my grandparents have passed I hardly ever make it to IL but when I do there is a trip to Sams instore. Well worth the drive if you're not from the area! read more

Gave this place a second visit tonight and I was glad I did. Joint hasn't changed a bit, looks like a rehabbed drive in painted yellow, tiny dining area and this small prep/oven area. Ordered a medium cheese, sausage and double mushroom. He told me 29 minutes, it was ready in 25. Goddam thing was so delicious smelling I couldn wait until I got to the hotel room, I ate it in the car. It was much better this time around, maybe I was fussy the first time I visited, nice chewy crust, lots of cheese and an abundance of mushrooms and sausage. The while thing set me back only 9 bucks. This guy is an icon. read more

This IS pizza for me and most of the people I grew up with here. It is THE gold standard against which I measure ALL other pizza. It's not a visit home without one of these perfect pies... When I was a kid I would poke my head around the counter to watch him work and long for the day I was tall enough to look over it. Just as I was getting there he redid the place and got taller counters! I still poke my head around the counter, and Sam still laughs at me. 5 stars all day long. read more

Hands down the best thin pizza in the Illinois Valley for ten thousand dollars. That's just Sammy, every price gets the word thousand after it. Ten thousand equals ten bucks. Seriously good f'ing pizza and inexpensive. read more

Great pizza lots of cheese and toppings! Sam is funny and a great cook! I think I ordered a same same but it was great. You got more pizza then you can eat! read more

Great pizza made honest and given an honest price. No frills or fancy junk you don't need on a pizza, order one to go and try for yourself.

Probably good Pizza but was told I couldn't get one because he was already too busy at 8 pm!! So plan ahead and if all else fails Casey's General Store has Pizza to stuff your face! read more

Stopped in for some good pizza. We ordered two pizzas with everything came to $22.00. Cheesy and full of toppings. So tasty after hiking through starved rock. Sam was funny and up beat. 20 min wait was so worth it! Pizza and Cash only. read more

So, we're from out of town. We walked into this little hole in the wall restaurant. It was a one-man operation. The owner, Sammy, has no menu and only accepts cash/checks. His prices are great and his pizza is phenomenal. The locals all know him, and it's easy to see why. It was a unique experience... the highlight of our road trip. Bop bop bop. read more

First drove right past it twice. Didn't see there sign until the 3rd pass. So all white and faded like they been closed for a long time. Place looked like it closed for a very long time too on the outside. One car parked in the parking lot and we couldn't tell if they was actually open or not. So we left. If you want people from out of town to stop at you business make it look like you are actually open. read more

Best pizza I have ever had. Period. Hands down. That's it. Been getting this pizza for 20+ years and that's on the short end of the legacy. Homemade dough and sauce like he stepped out of Italy yesterday. I know this sounds overboard but best cheese and sausage I've ever had too... I don't even really like sausage. Only thing on the menu is pizza, cash only, soda from a pop machine, and maybe four tables in the place. Pizza will be ready in 42 min and cost you 1100 dolla (aka $11 for a large sausage, seriously). Sammie is the nicest guy you will ever meet, with a thick accent who never writes an order down. If the line is busy, either make other plans or drive up to place your order. Recommendation: large, cheese/sausage. You won't regret it! read more

My wife and I found this place on Yelp. The reviews sounded great and right up our alley. It is cash only. We were not in a rush so we just ordered when we got there and waited. It was well worth it. Sam is doing everything himself and with a great smile and jovial laugh. We wish we lived closer so we could enjoy his pizza more often. And yes, it is pizza only. No sides and no appetizers and there is a soda machine in the 5 table dining room. It's obvious that everyone that comes in loves Sam and his delicious pizza. read more

I'm from Chicago proper, and pizza is *owned* by Chicago. But Sam, that one-of-a-kind pizza maestro, sells giant pizzas for a flat fee: $10,000. Wait. That's $10 unless you're from Chicago. Oh, maybe this time he'll only make us pay $10... even though we are from Chicago. The night we found this gem of a joint the others appeared all to be locals. And about the age of Sam, which is, well... I dare you to ask him. Ambiance... pizza... seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Is this some sort of Outer Limits or Twilight Zone episode? Izzat Rod Serling over there.... ? At any rate, look out, Sam... we're comin' back! read more

Great pizza..nice guy. Nothing fancy but delicious pizza for cheap! We ordered a large two topping and a small cheese with two sodas for 18 bucks...can't beat it! read more

We stopped by to get a pizza when we were driving from St. Louis to Wisconsin. We found this place on Yelp and thought we would try it out. We called ahead and gave the man who runs the place the time we would be driving through to pick up the pizza. He had the pizza hot and ready for us when we got to the restaurant. It was a good quality pizza for a very reasonable price, and the guy was very nice too. read more

I know good pizza. Mr. Sam knows his pizza. Its cheesy, the crust was just right and the veges fresh. A definite plus!

Good pizza. Nice guy (just Sam works there). You truly do wait 50+ mins for pizza.

Nothing fancy here. Just good pizza. Sam is friendly and welcome's your business. Be warned: he often gets busy on weekends and takes the phone off the hook, so you may have to go in to order. Worth it! read more

Little place that has the best pizza anywhere in the area. Sam is great and funny expect a wait because food is worth waiting for. Bring change because only drinks available are from a soda machine in the dining room. Totally worth it. read more

Sam's pizza is the best. The cheese was super, high quality cheese and much of it. We waited for the pizza and got it piping hot with the paper bag all puffed up and end rolled by Sam (no staples). Sam is a delight. Remember Cash only. read more

We used to come for Starved Rock...now we come for Sam's Pizza, too. My husband and I visit Starved Rock almost every year without fail. For years now we have stayed in Oglesby, as the hotels allow dogs. That's how we discovered Sam's. Great guy. Great pizza. We travel about 3.5 to 4 hours for the pleasure, and it's worth it every time. read more

Seriously some of the best pizza i have ever had, the comment from the papa johns guy is very modest but I guess if that's the pizza your used to whatever, sams rocks, Chicago Mike read more

Delicious pizza, great prices, very friendly owner. It is a good idea to call ahead and place an order to avoid the wait.

I've been getting pizza from this place since I was a kid. It's quite tasty, but the crust often tastes dry, or sometimes burnt. I've also experienced the toppings and cheese sliding right off the slice when chewing. Customer service is terrible. If you want to order, you'll have to come in yourself as he often leaves his phone off the hook. Long waits as well, but it usually ends up worth it. read more

Driving from Mi to Co and decided to stop in Oglesby. Found Sam's pizza on yelp and oh my gosh, it was amazing!!!! Sam was just as great as the other reviewers said and the pizza was even better. We were fortunate to read all the reviews and see that on a busy night, Sam takes the phone off the hook. We made the long (3 minute) drive from the Best Western (also amazing) to put our order in in-person. 25 minutes later my hubby came back with a large piece of heaven. For $11 we just ate the best pizza I've ever had. We will be stopping at Sam's Pizza the next time we make our cross country drive. read more