I have been a Wise Guys Pizzeria fan from way back in the day, when they used to be known as Pizza Cucina and were located next to the Jewel in South Elgin. It has been YEARS since I first became a loyal Wise Guys fan and I'm finally getting around to writing a review about this iconic pizza spot! I've only ever eaten their thin crust pizza, so I can't say much else about any other menu items. Living in California now, I envy all folks in the Chicagoland area because of how easily accessible FANTASTIC pizza is to them. Admittedly, the pizza scene in Southern California is mediocre as best and I'm CONSTANTLY craving thin crust pizza - specifically from Wise Guys. Needless to say, anytime I'm visiting home, Wise Guys is in my rotation of spots I've gotta visit. My mom will always call in a pick-up order and will order one (if not all) of the following: a thin crust cheese, thin crust sausage, thin crust pepperoni, or a thin crust syndicate. Our orders are always ready to go in a short amount of time and everytime we go to pick them up, the aroma that fills our car is absolutely heavenly! Now onto the actual star of the show; the pizza! Wise Guys thin crust is consistently delicious. The flavorful sauce (which is perfectly balanced flavor wise and quantity wise), the deliciously melted cheese, the toppings, the iconic square cut layout (if it's not square cut, it's not real pizza and that is FACT!), and the crispy crust all come together to create a harmonious experience. There's nothing in this world like opening up a box of freshly baked pizza, grabbing a corner piece, and indulging in the sensations of pizza perfection. I can't wait until the next time I am in town to have my pizza fix! I highly recommend this spot to locals and visitors in the area! read more

See all

Monday 1/2 price pizza. I ordered one a couple weeks ago. It was very disappointing. Inconsistent crust thickness, sauce and cheese nowhere near the edges. I called to let them know. They kindly gave me a credit to use another day, excusing the bad pizza on how busy they are on Mondays. I used that credit this Monday and got another bad pizza. These guys seem to either just have bad pizza, or they should advertise half off a half assed pizza on Mondays. Thanks for two crappy pizzas and a clear message to go somewhere else. read more

A friend of mine ordered catering from Wise Guys for Christmas Eve. The Caesar salad was really good. The romaine lettuce was chopped smaller, which I like. There was plenty of Parmesan cheese and croutons. The salad dressing was tasty. The baked mostaccioli was delicious! Flavorful red sauce with big pieces of Italian sausage and cheese. Yum. The fried chicken and Italian beef were really good too. I liked the bread a lot. My friend said the price wasn't really expensive. Everyone at the party kept saying how much they liked the food. read more

First time trying this pizza... Not disappointed! Ordered an XL thin crust half adult and half kid-friendly pizza and it was really good. Loved the sauce and the toppings all tasted really fresh. We ordered the fried mushrooms and they were cold (which is why the 4 stars). But we popped them in the air fryer for a few minutes and they were just fine. The ranch that came with it was pretty good too. Overall price was great for the quality of pizza. I looked up the special schedule and we'll definitely try the double dough or pan pizza next time. Seems like they definitely do pizza right but maybe not some other things..? Might try a pasta dish next time and update my review. My BF grabbed a couple brownies when he picked it up and they were SO YUMMY! Super gooey but also very very sweet. I love that texture of brownie but I just can't eat that much sugar - one bite was definitely enough for me to enjoy the flavor of it haha. My kiddos and BF enjoyed it all though! We'll be back since it's so close and a great price for good pizza. read more

Wise Guys Pizzeria - Thin Crust Pizza - Italian Near Me - South Elgin, Illinois

Great Pizza, my favorite. Be it the BLT pizza or the Island special. Always 5 stars in my book.

In college, there was this one pizza place called Grog's that was open until 4 AM and if you were really desperate for pizza and were a broke college student, that's what you'd get. Wise Guys to me is the Grog's of South Elgin. I want to like this place, but I can't. And I've tried, and tried again. Ingredients are sub par. The service is sub par. It just doesn't seem like they care in general. I can't try them again. You can only go on name recognition and no close competition for so long and then you've got to execute at some point. Great location with so much potential!! read more

Very disappointed on my first time here. I ordered 2 calzones, as FRIED. I mentioned it twice. I picked up under baked calzones. They were very large but they were undercooked and not what I ordered. I won't be back. read more

Wise Guys Pizzeria - Undercooked baked calzones. I ordered fried. They were meh at best. - Italian Near Me - South Elgin, Illinois

Called last few weeks to get a pizza to go.... says they are open until 830 pm.. order at 820 pm... they are no longer taking orders... next week. Order at 8 pm... they are no longer taking orders... 2 weeks after that at 7:52 on the nose... "we are no longer taking orders"... every other pizza place I have ordered from takes orders up until posted closing time.... if you all wanna go home at 830 that's perfectly fine... but change your closing time to 7:30 pm if you're no longer going to accept any orders after that.... its misleading, confusing, and frustrating... The sad thing is that there pizza is fantastic... read more

Super pleased with the food I received today. Reasonable prices and fast delivery! Thank you!

Sign says 4 dollar pizza slice with a drink. However they charge 5 with tax. Change the sign.

Old school pizza, remember Lazara's! Friendly staff tasty Pizza, and they are remodeling their dining room it looks like they're doing a very complete job looking forward to seeing it! read more

I ordered 3 sandwiches Italian beef, pepper & egg and eggplant parm . I got sliced (dry) beef on dry bread and two pepper and egg sandwiches (was an omelet on bread should be scrambled). It took close to 30 minutes to get the order(???) and the place is not air conditioned. I ordered all the time from in the past when they were on Randall Rd. Sandwiches were awful & I won't try this place again. read more

Lost my business forever! Extremely disappointed. I used to order a pizza and sides at least once a week for lunch. With the way the world has changed in response to the pandemic I cannot support a business that doesn't follow the health guidelines that even non food related businesses are currently required to follow. All of Evening shift does not wear masks and the picture below is definitely not a one time thing as I've been seeing it for weeks. Failing to follow through on something as simple as wearing a mask is concerning. If not for their own safety they should be wearing them for their customers. Great food but not worth it if they aren't concerned with stopping the spread of covid. read more

Wise Guys Pizzeria - Evening shift employee not wearing mask - Italian Near Me - South Elgin, Illinois

First time and the pizza was awesome!! Pepperoni,sausage and jalapeño. Amazing!! Mew fav place to go now! Do recommend and support local businesses! read more

Had a terrible experience. Pan pizza was a slop mess of grease and inedible. Pizza was not cut, when I cut into it it poured grease and water so bad I had to drain it all off. Then the staff proceeded to tell me "yea, pizza has grease" Sure it does but not to where you can drain it and all the toppings fall off cause it's just a pool of mess. Waiting on a call from the manager and a refund going on 3 days now but assuming it's a lost cause. Won't go back or recommend. read more

The Pizza is delicious... However, the Service, Timing and Inside of the restaurant leave a bad taste. Service: They are between 10-30 minutes off on pickup times. If it's 30 minutes to pickup a pizza I don't think it's right to wait 60 minutes. Restaurant: the inside of wise guys has had paint cans, light fixtures, fans, tools, shelves, hardware and a bunch of odds and ends to fix up the restaurant lying around for well over a year. It would be nice to sit inside and eat as a family but they have one two seat table inside.. read more

BEWARE ORDERING PIZZA FROM HERE THE COOK REFUSES TO WORK IN A TIMELY MANNER BECAUSE THE KITCHEN IS TOO HOT!!!! We have ordered pizza from wise guys many times in the past....it's not the best pizza but it's good for last minute dinners!!! Having said that I would not want to discourage anyone from ordering from here....however if you expect any customer service...you will not find any here. We ordered 2 pizzas this evening...one I knew from the past takes longer because it had to cool. We were told 45 mins to pick up. My husband went in 40.. paid in cash and waited...and waited...and waited. When he asked about the food the young lady said that the cook would not tell her how much longer. After waiting a half an hour still no food my husband asked for his money back...they refused!!! Owner/cook/manager who ever he was never came out to rectify the situation. He stated he refused to give money back because a customer had to wait. Even though it was now 30 mins past the promise time....my husband was also told that I was LYING about the ready time they told me!!!! Eventually after much back and forth we got our money back... do what you will!!! You have been warned!!! read more

Bland food. Large portions but not worth it. Ordered chicken Parmesan and some calamari. The Calamari was rubber and bland. No salt or spices in the breading. No lemon wedges either. The chicken parmesan had no salt or flavor as well. read more

Very good pizza. No complaints her and much cheaper than Lou Malnatis. I'll be back. got takeout. Not really a sit down place. Very good

I gave it 2 stars as it wasn't THAT atrocious, but I'll not go back. First their thin crust is NOT thin; too thick, doughy, and bland. Second, they use the cheap dry mozzarella that just becomes sort of a rubber topping on the pizza (no cheese-pull here!), and they put the toppings underneath so they are undercooked and soggy. Yuck read more

Don't advertise the lunch special every day on your website if it isn't actually offered every day

The best pizza in the entire area!!!! Don't let the location fool you......it's not what's outside......it's what's inside!!!! Don't just stick to the pizza menu......try the pastas and sandwiches......you cannot go wrong! read more

Not very good, grew up around great pizza near elmwood park and Melrose park and this leaves a strange taste in your mouth. Nancy's or giordanos Rosatis in that order is much better- and all I trust west of the fox river read more

This review is for delivery only. I have gotten delivery pizza from Wise Guys on two occasions, and both experiences were good. Both times the driver was friendly, and arrived earlier than stated by the restaurant by 5-10 minutes, which is awesome. The first time I was using this restaurant was because they were doing an event to help raise funds for a local family who had lost a parent. I was incredibly impressed by how well they handled the huge turn out to the restaurant, and was grateful that they were willing to hold an event to help the family out. Because of this type of event, I will continue to order from them in the future as they are obviously willing to support their community, and the pizza is delicious! read more

A couple weeks ago we walked there to get slices for lunch. We walked in and there was one burnt crusty pizza in the warmer. I asked when the next one was coming out. She said they had to sell that one first. I said good luck with that and left. Crazy they could mess up the lunch special (slice and a can of soda). They were better when they were on Randall. read more

Absolute terrible place. Order breaded cauliflower they give me breaded mushrooms. I am deathly allergic to mushrooms. The 14-year-old behind the counter tells me on the phone we are allowed to give you whatever we want to as a substitute. I drive over there to bring the mushrooms back and the manager doesn't even have the balls to come out and talk to me. Tells me I'll talk to you after midnight. Terrible place will never ever order there again pass the word around. Scum bags!!!!! I wish I didn't even have to give a star read more

I've purchased several pizzas from Wise Guys since moving to the area, and I have been very pleased by my experience. I've only bought thin crust, so I can't speak to their other styles, but each pizza has been very good. I'd say their crust is well above average and their toppings are good. was shocked when I saw that their rating wasn't better. I would definitely recommend them. read more

So this is about their service not the food. Ordered 2 pizzas, a mostacholi, and a garlic bread at 6:00. Was told 45mins for pickup. Arrived 45mins later only to be told another 15mins. After 15mins asked again and was told order not ready and they dont know when it will be ready. Wait another 15mins, ask again almost ready. After another 10mins order is ready.So maybe if you should be telling customers an hour and a half not 45mins. This was happening to every customer that was there for carry out. Asked for a discount for my waiting and was told no, just ask next time when I order. There wont be a next time. You dont treat your customers like that.I suggest calling 2hrs before you plan to eat or you will be waiting. read more

If I could give it a negative star I would! Ordered a pizza today and the girl said it would be an hr. 1hr and 20 mins later we called and the girl said the delivery guy had not left... All we got was "I'm sorry the kitchen is behind they would be sending it out in a few minutes ". Then we got the dial tone RUDE! SO YOU WOULD THINK THE PIZZA WAS HOT RIGHT UMMM THAT WAS A NEGATIVE IT WAS COLD AND DISGUSTING!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY AND MAKE A SANDWICH! read more

This is quite possibly the worst dining experience ever. We had eaten lunch there last weekend, and the pizza was good, nothing outstanding but nothing horrible. Today we were going to a nearby restaurant that had a 30 min wait and decided to go back to Wise Guys for some pizza because of the little kids with us. .That was at 11:15 am. When we left at 1:10 two of the five in our party still hadn't eaten. Three adults and two children, 4 and 6. We ordered siraccha bites, a BLT pizza, a steak sandwich, kids chicken tenders and a kids pizza. After we waited an hour, the server apologized and brought the siraccha bites. She explained they burned the first batch and had to re-do them. We asked if we could at least get the kids food. She brought mozzarella sticks as an apology. The chicken tenders came out first, 10 mins later the steak sandwich. 30 mins later the BLT pizza was served, along with the burnt, luke warm kids pizza. The BLT Pizza was cold, as in just came out of the refrigerator cold. We gave the pizza back and asked for our check. The two pizzas were not on our bill. And added to this? I don't believe the air conditioning was working. It was very hot and sticky inside. read more

With all due respect, the review left by Nina R. is complete BS. All her reviews are her just crying and being a Karen maybe she should learn how to cook dinner and then can stop complaining about every single restaurant they eat at hahaha. read more

The last order I had when I lived in South Elgin had half-cooked french fries. When I complained, they said they'd deliver them in an hour. When I asked for a refund, they told me to call the manager the next day. The manager never returned my call. I never got my refund either. Don't recommend at all. read more

I sincerely hope that this place is someone's tax shelter or a mob front. There's no other reason for pizza to be this bland. It wasn't terrible, but there wasn't a single good quality about it. The thin crust wasn't quite crispy. Not a total mess but definitely not a redeeming quality for the patchy cheese. It was like they needed a cup of mozzarella for the recipe but only had 3/4 of a cup left. The sauce almost had flavor, making it the high point. No quality of the pizza was terrible though, so 2 stars. Maybe I'd order again to give it another shot but I can't recommend it after this experience. read more

Phenomenal pizza! Coming from closer to the city, where were spoiled with good pizza, this place is awesome! Good pizza is all about the sauce. We all know it. Wise guys pizza has a sweet yet thick sauce that makes the pizza. Plain and simple, this pizza is just GOOD. I'm lucky to have found it. Try it, you won't be disappointed. --------------------------------------------------- Update: So I was pretty hammered when I wrote the above review. Still a good pizza but probably phenomenal because I had 13 beers and a few shots. read more

Ok, Wise Guys is amazing. Especially on Mondays. Half Price Pizza. You need to call ahead because if you show up at 7pm on Monday night, you will be in for a two hour wait. The place is packed with customers and ppl waiting to pick up their pizza. This is a great italian joint. Love it. read more

not sure where to go with this review.. For starters I'm not a fan of the in restaurant ordering process... Like fast food. You walk up to the desk, order and go sit down....Then they bring out your food....slowy... My father had a Restaurant.com coupon to use, so he invited the entire family out. There was 7 people including a child so we ordered a few apps and three pizzas... Now this is where I have trouble.. The apps came out fairly slow.. I'm talking 25min slow. Everything was fried so I don't imagine a bunch of prep was needed. The apps were fine.. Not outstanding, not terrible. On to the pizza.....Pizza Cucina offers a Whole Wheat/ Grain Crust.. Two of the three pizzas we ordered were the Whole Wheat crust, the other was the "Godfather". The Godfather was good. Cooked right. No complaints. The Whole Wheat is another story.. Possibly the worst pizza I have ever eaten... I literally spit out the piece I had. The dough never got crispy and it was really a mess. One out of the 4 people who were to share the pizzas ate any of it and none requested to take it home for leftovers... So, I am torn. Would I go back to get a pizza (regular crust?) NO. I don't like the ordering process. Would I order a Pizza for delivery? Yeah, not sure they offer it, but I would. read more

Horrible experience with this store in south Elgin. Ordered a pizza for delivery, said it would be an hour wait time. After waiting an hour and fifteen minutes I call the store again, spoke to someone and said driver is on its way. I live less than 5 mins away. Wait another 15 mins and pizza is still not here. I call once again to cancel my order. Guy on the phone says he cannot cancel it and I ask for the manager. Manager said he's too busy to take my call. All I want is to cancel my order and get my money refunded. I get put on hold 5 times and this guy can't even apologize. They just lost a client. read more

Pizza Cucina Rocks my socks!!! haha. I love this place! Sometimes it gets very busy and they may take a little longer to process your orders, but its totally worth it. So quit your complaining and go somewhere else if you cant be nice to my Cucina peeps! They are suuuper busy on Mondays because of their Half priced pizza that day, so give them a break if it gets busy. It's hard working in a joint like that. My favorite part is that they cater to people like me, with a Gluten allergy! They have a Gluten Free crust that makes me so Happy. They get it from a local bakery. My Gluten free pizza order??? Medium GF crust with EXTRA CHEESE!! SO GOOD!....my arteries love me! haha I have tried a few other gluten free pizzas from some different local pizza joints.......I would have to say that I'm offended that some other places would even serve me this pre frozen piece of crap! I'm not going to name any names, but if you honestly think because I have a gluten allergy I'm going to settle for some bland, overpriced, cardboard....then you are sadly mistaken!!! haha. I have taste buds too! So thank you Pizza Cucina for going the extra mile, it sure makes me feel nice. read more

Not really much to say in this review since I ordered for Take Out. Thought me and my friends would try something other than Giordano's for once. The counter lady was nice. Pizza: It was... An okay sausage pizza. Didn't really like the dough or crust. It felt a bit powdery for my taste and slightly chewy. Cheese didn't really taste quality. It kind of made me uneasy. The sausage however was really good! You could taste the quality and flavor in every bite. They were also plenty on the pizza. The sausage couldn't save the pizza alone though. I can see people with different tastes giving this place 4 stars. Price is very reasonable. This place just doesn't match my palettes unfortunately. The place does look nice though inside though. read more

I was very happy with costumer service. They were super polite, I always appreciate kind service. Also the food was amazing. I like to try different things from places I order from often and they have never disappointed! I surely recommend. read more