Coalfire
| Address: | 1321 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642, USA |
| Phone: | +1 312-226-2625 |
| Site: | coalfirechicago.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | Closed 4–10PM 4–10PM 4–10PM 12–11PM 12–11PM 12–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
BO
Bob Hermanson
Best thin-crust pizza around, rightly deserving of the many accolades its received over the 8 or so years Coalfire has been in business. Owners Bill and Dave bring East Coast-style Neapolitan pizza to Chicago, baking it in a coal-fired oven (850+ degrees) to give the chewy crust a slight, smoky char. (NB This is not cheesy, greasy NYC pizza, but more resembles New Haven apizza than anything else.) The menu allows you to build your own, but highlights a dozen or so tested and true combinations. Our current favorite is the Cremini, with coal-roasted mushrooms and garlic finished with an arugula topping. But the house specialty Margherita is a perfect example of its type, and the White pie is classic New Haven. Meats and cheeses are sourced from a variety of local vendors, and over time youll see them mix it up a bit. (Im still missing the bacon-and-onion pizza they had a few years ago: the bacon came from PQM and was deeply porky and chewy.) Good selection of bottled beer and wine. There are a few salads to start, and dessert is a selection of sinfully-rich cupcakes. Friendly, highly efficient waitstaff and a fast order turnaround time means that even when theres a line outside, youll be seated quickly, usually with in 20-40 minutes. If its real busy, Bill or Dave will take your phone number and direct you to a nearby bar, where you can relax and wait for your table to open. Coalfire is the real deal, so no more excuses - Go!
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Bobbie Box
Chicago is known for its deep dish pizza.....but Im a much bigger fan of the crisp-yet-chevy, superthin, coal-oven, Neapolitan style of pizza. Coalfire does this VERY well. The inside decor is minimalist -- nothing fancy. Theyve got a variety of decent craft beer in bottles. A few types of cupcakes for dessert. But the pizza. OMG... the pizza. This is one of my favorite pizza joints in Chicago. Last time I was here, my group had the Nduja (spicy Calabrese salami, fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato sauce) but we added goat cheese. The Nduja is one of the tastiest pizzas I have ever eaten. The flavors were a perfect combo. Sweet, creamy goat cheese with the fresh basil and that spicy sausage! Pizzas are thinner and delicate, so I recommend no more than a few toppings on a pizza. Two people can share a pizza....3 if youre not that hungry. (Just get another one if you have 3 people. Theyre so good. Youll want more.)
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Stuart Conover
Theres a reason you see Coalfire mentioned positively everywhere. For starters the staff goes out of their way to make you happy. I often tip based off of refills and they were on top of it. I think most of my drinks I was just putting down from finishing and a replacement was already there! Onto the food. Ive eaten here three times and each time was fantastic. The Caesar salads are amazing and the pizza is to die for. I love pizzas made in this kind of an oven and there really arent enough places that do it these days. Ive had both the Prosciutto pizza (amazing) and twice the Sausage and onion which, most likely, is what Ill have my next trip there! My friends that introduced me to the place insist I try their pepperoni as well so thatll probably eventually end up in the mix. Great staff, great service, great food. This is a must visit for fans of oven pizzas in the city!
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Idyl E.
Ate at Coalfire pizza for the first time about 3 weeks ago and I want to go back again! These thin-crust, Neopolitan-style pizzas are the pizzas I love, the pizzas I crave, the pizzas that take me out of the dark hole and into the light. Forget deep dish, that stuff is too heavy. The blistered, thin crust is perfectly crisp and the ingredients fresh. A limit of 2 toppings and no more than one vegetable topping is what Coalfire recommends for the best quality pizza. What we had was their famous pepperoni and whipped ricotta pizza....creamy mounds of ricotta atop mozzerella cheese, pepperoni, tomato sauce and garlic. Loved it, it was so very delicious! The pizza came out in no time and our waitress was great. Hopefully coming back within the next week or so!
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Chris McGee
This is where my wife and I had our first date in 2014. To celebrate 1 year since our first date, I took her back there. I wanted to recreate that first date and do something special, so I called Coalfire and the owner answered. I explained the situation and he was on board to help make this visit special for us. He was really nice on the phone. When we arrived, the manager had a heart shaped pizza and flowers waiting on the table for us. Excellent customer service is what makes this place stick out, along with fantastic pizza. I would highly recommend Coalfire to my family and friends. Thanks for helping us make some great memories. Well be back again!
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Ervin Johnson
I seek out thin crust pizza and this is the best I have ever ever had. I went on valentines day 2015 and we only waited about 5 minutes. I choose this place because I just purchased the book 1001 restaurants you must experience before you die and they are listed in the book. You will not be disappointed and dont be greedy like my husband and I we ordered two pizzas because the reviews we read were so great and we ordered salad, which was more than enough for two people. The lighting is not that great but when they bring you the pizza everything else want matter!!!!! The staff is just amazing!!!
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scott carter
Although i usually prefer thin crust ny style pizza, i had to check out via 313 when i saw that they were voted one of the best pizzas in . I cant say that had Detroit style pizza, at first i thought it was just deep dish pizza but its quite different. i had the Cadillac, which was topped with prosciutto and a sweet balsamic glaze. i think i may have found my new favorite pizza. The crust was crispy and chewy (in the good way) and the balance with the salty prosciutto and sweet balsamic was amazing. The pizzas are a little heavy though, its kind of like toppings on top of Iaccoca.
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Erin Thor
We didnt eat inside the restaurant, so this review is based strictly on the quality of the food. Could not possibly give it anything other than 5 stars. The crust was paper thin, so when they say no more than 3 toppings, they MEAN it. We got the nduja pizza, which was a spicy, spreadable sausage that blew our minds. For takeout, they gave us a cup of basil to put on at home, and the combination of the sweet basil, spicy sausage, and tangy sauce was unreal. I cannot wait to take my family to this restaurant and to try more!
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Ryan Bretag
I went in with high expectations after hearing this place was one of the best Neopolitan-style pizzas in Chicago competing with Spacca Napoli and Forno Rosso. While the service didnt disappoint, the pizza was average and not in the same league as other Neopolitan-style pizzas in Chicago. My Rating Scale 5: Ill make a special trip for this food 4: This is my go to place in the area for this particular food 3: Glad I tried it but would only return if nothing else was higher 2: Decent but wont be back 1: This was a mistake
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Marley Bellwood
Maybe Im a glass half full person but I am only reviewing places that I adore. This spot is one of them. Bustling with busy waitstaff and energetic patrons, its almost like you are in what I imagine an Italian pizzeria along the piazza to be like. The pizzas are thin and perfectly crispy yet not too done via the romantic wood-burning oven. Its a great spot for a first or second date, packed with plenty of people watching and an energetic noise level reason enough to sit a bit closer than usual.
