Delisi’s Pizzeria

I remember having their pizza here and I want to find now a worthy successor to DeLisi’s, deep-​dish chicago pizza in the same school. solid sausage topping, tomato saturation, biscuity crust, you know the drill. throw suggestions my way

**update**
I saw some activity near the place today and spoke to the new owner (he claimed). It is in the works of opening back up! I had been here a few times on my trip to Chicago, and I am glad it’s opening up again. Not sure what it’s going to be called but as long as the food and people are good… i’ll be there!

Delisi’s was my favorite pizza place in the entire city. I found it during my stint as a vegan, and was amazed that a vegan pizza place in chicago. I only managed to come here about 4 times due to the fact that I live on the opposite side of the city, but any time I wanted to get pizza with someone, I always asked if they wanted to make the haul to lincoln square to visit this amazing cemetery-​side pizzeria.
I was mainly attracted to the vegan pizza offerings of the restaurant, though it’s hard to say anything about the restaurant was really bad. The interior was completely chill, they had an decent beer selection, and the staff was always very cool. I had a chance to talk to the owner a few times, and the guy was completely cool. Once, he even bought everyone in the restaurant a mixed shot they had been experimenting with at their bar.
I’ll await the restaurant’s return, but right now their phone number has been disconnected. I have no idea where else I’m going to find pizza with cornmeal crust, soy cheese, seitan meat, but if I do, I don’t have a lot of faith in that it’ll be cooked as perfectly as delisi’s.

I’m afraid to say that it seems Delisi’s may be temporarily closed? Just a heads up in case you plan to visit– be sure to call first.
I’ve been craving it lots lately! (not only the vegan pizza, but the macaroni and teese bowls, I need you!) so it’s a bummer if this is the case.
Would love an update when you’re back up and running. miss you! :) :)
xoxo

This place is a little off the beaten path but… They have GREAT PIZZA! Get the Pan Pizza, it’s unlike any other I’ve ever had… Awesome

My visit to Delisi’s was a one and done for me. Pizza wasn’t as fantastic as I thought it could be per reviews, photos and stars. I wonder if it’s only the vegan pizza which is so awesome because that one detail is repeated through countless reviews. We got a pan special with sausage, peppers and another topping. Something about the pie just didn’t come out in the texture of the crust, it tasted okay but the entire experience of the pizza versus cost, well it didn’t work for us. It could’ve been the long wait for the food or lack in service. Let me explain. Looking back, I wish the bartender would have indicated that he and the cook were the only staff and that there could possibly be a tedious wait. It was a dismal, cold, lazy afternoon with two other tables of people and a few at the bar drinking, all whilst a Bears game on the TV. We walked in at 1 pm, it took close to 25 minutes to take our order and bring out a drink. It was cold inside so we kept our jackets on throughout. The pizza took an hour and a half before it arrived. I was stressed, I had an appointment to make at 3:30 pm, which only left us minutes to eat and then head out on the road. We were starving by the time the food arrived and trying not to be too annoyed over the wait. In the time I was there, no one asked if we wanted drink refills, no apology for the time it took or the fact that the bartender forgot the order and then put it in after other tables had ordered. (During the long wait he came back and asked again for our order, with an unsure look across his face) While he did attend to the other customers present, he was able to enjoy a Miller lite or two. Nice! With everything that happened I wonder if they half ass-​ed on the preparation of the pizza.
A bit about the restaurant: Small seating area with about four tables that could seat close to fifteen. A short bar with stools for another four or five. Arcade games like Midway’s NBA Jam and an old version of Buck Hunter. Daily specials available on food and they serve other items than pizza. Street parking easily found on Western Ave.

Yes, I heard tell of vegan pizza. It was tugging at the back of my brain at 2pm on a day I had not found the time to eat yet.
Somewhat skeptical, I called in an order for a large pan pizza with Teese and onion and seitan sausage.
I ate two enormous slices in one sitting. It was delicious. I will probably do it again.
I loved the tomato topping, and the dense, flaky crust. I loved the generous amount of oregano sprinkled on top. I loved the chewy, spicy wheatmeat mingling with the tomatoes. I loved that it was still hot when it arrived. I loved how the guy who took my order understood my enthusiasm and did not make me feel like a jackass when he confirmed that he does in fact make delicious vegan pizzas (since I may or may not have squealed).
I cannot wait to actually go in and thank these folks in person. You know, by ordering more pizza and sipping some scotch.

I’ve only been to Delisi’s twice now, but my second experience there has changed my mind about ever going back. And for reasons stated below, I will recommend my Vegan friends NOT go there. First and foremost, the server was clueless and cared more about text messaging her friends rather than serving the one table (us) in the restaurant. We spent over 1.5 hours there, mostly waiting.
Last time we were there we ordered tater tots and remembered the basket was literally overflowing with tots. So we decided to order them again. And when I asked about the vegan calzone, she told me it really wasn’t vegan since it’s fried in the same oil as the meat stuff. We then asked her if this was the same deal with the tater tots and french fries and she confirmed that they too were friend in the same oil — wow thanks for letting me know, but also, thank you to Brian (the owner) for informing me of this last time we were there. He was our server and he clearly knew I was vegan because I told him, and we had a long conversation about vegan offerings and the vegan meet up group that was having a meet up there the following day. I’m very disturbed by this because he knew I was vegan and served me tater tots fried in the same oil as the meat items (and probably served vegans at the meet up meat contaminated food)! So going back to yesterday, we ordered our tots baked since fried was out of the question. She brought them out in the same large basket from our last visit, but they didn’t even cover the bottom of it. We were so shocked that we counted them, 20 tater tots for $ 3.00 — that’s $ 0.15 a tot!!! When I said something about this to her, she said that they were giving out too many before… whatever.
When I got my pizza (thin pizza with teese cheese and soy chorizo) I wasn’t impressed, it was really missing something… like flavor and maybe more sauce? And while I was eating my pizza I couldn’t help but notice all the random people (not employees) going in and out of the kitchen. How sanitary is that? Very disturbing…
We spent a lot of time after our meal sitting there waiting for her to bring boxes and the check, she even overcharged us for some things. After this experience, and after finding out that the owner served me tater tots fried in meat oil, I will never go back to Delisi’s again.

I would like to start off by saying that I LOVE Delisi’s vegan pan pizza. I’ve had vegan pizza at Whole Foods as well as other places, but they do not compare to Delisi’s. It is by far the best I’ve ever had. And the fact that they deliver to my place is AWESOME!
Now on to the constructive criticism. Each time I order a pizza, it is different from those before it (even though I order the exact same pizza with the same toppings). In other words, the pizzas are not consistent. Sometimes there are very little of the toppings I ordered. For example, there were hardly any black olives on my pizza this last time. If I pay for a topping, I expect for there to be at least ¼ cup of it on the pizza! Also this last time, instead of putting Teese Mozzerella on the pizza as I requested, they seem to have used the Vegan brand mozzerella slices, which aren’t nearly as good, and to my knowledge, aren’t even on the menu as a choice for a topping. I am a little disappointed to be honest.
Now I don’t own a restaurant, nor do I ever plan on being able to make a pizza as orgasmic as Delisi’s, but I do hope that they will adopt some type of structure when it comes to making pizza so that they are consistent each time, and people like me will keep coming back for more.

My momma always told me not to judge a book by it’s cover. Well, I’m glad I listened to her and didn’t judge this place by it’s décor.
It’s not a fancy place by any means. They have booths and tables, a bar and a juke box that plays primarily country tunes, at least that’s what was playing the whole time my friends and I were there. They have a limited beer selection, with their good beers being Heineken and Blue Moon, but don’t let this stop you from eating here, please.
They make a mean thin crust pizza! Real Italian style. I mean you can taste the red wine they use in their red sauce and their toppings are mmm… delizioso!
We ordered an X-​large Delisi’s special. It was enough to feed four very hungry people. Served piping hot and crammed full of pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, onions, mushrooms and green peppers, oh yes! It was just the kind of comfort food we were looking for on a chilly winter day and it didn’t disappoint.
So, if you get that pizza craving please have them deliver one of their delicious Delisi’s pizzas to your door or stop in and warm up, trust me, you’ll be happy you did.

If human-​pizza marriage were legal in Illinois, I would totally marry their vegan deep-​dish sausage pizza.
A real Chicago Pizzeria that gives love to us vegans too. I love this place.

Never would’ve known that I could get soy sausage on a pizza if I hadn’t read Victoria’s review. Decided to give it a whirl after having my eyebrows threaded nearby.
Sara, my friendly bartender du jour, told me they also had soy pepperoni and chorizo for pizza toppings, and vegan cheese. Since I miss pepperoni the most of the options, that’s what I opted to get, along with regular cheese and green peppers. While waiting, I drank and gabbed and smoked with Sara and Sean (manager?). I was told they have a $ 3 personal pan pizza special on Mondays, with an extra $ 1.50 for soy toppings: good deal!
On to the pizza, which I took home to eat: It didn’t taste anything like pepperoni to me, but like sausage. Fine, but not what I was expecting. And — although I specified real cheese — it looked ‘iffy’ to me and I suspect it was vegan. (And after tasting it, I can see why my vegan friend Bonnie went back to eating real cheese…) Sara said they’re getting soy bacon soon, so I’ll look forward to that or chorizo next time. Plus, lots of pasta options that don’t involve flesh to try, too!
I can see this being a regular stop and a nice alternative to Devon Avenue.

So Chicago-​style pizza is one of the last things I can now cross off of my «this city needs to veganize (insert former favorite food here)» list.
We heard a rumor that Delisi’s had vegan deep-​dish pan pizza from a cashier at Whole Foods that noticed our cart full of Upton’s products. We decided to stop by around 1:30 pm on a Tuesday. Even in the slowest part of the day, Delisi’s has this awesome neighborhood-​dive kind of feel that makes me want to have some beers and talk about life and love and loss and pizza. Cheers!
One of the owners, Sean, made our pizza and hung out with us for the 30ish minutes it took to bake. He isn’t vegan and doesn’t pretend to be, but he seems really passionate about opening the restaurant up to this new «niche.» And frankly, I’m passionate about this decision as well.
We ordered a large half-​spinach half-​vegan peperoni pizza and I have been eating it all day. It’s filling stuff, but I can’t get my hands off of it. They don’t skimp on the fresh, local ingredients [Teese (Chicago Soy Dairy), Upton’s Naturals faux-​meat products, basil grown in-​house?!]. The tomatoes are sweet and tangy and a crazy-​awesome pairing for the creamy soy cheese. The crust is flaky, salty, doughy and crunchy all in one luxurious bite. It’s some of the best pan-​crust I’ve ever had — vegan or otherwise.
It looks like the menu may be expanding from pizza, pasta and Italian beef (which I hear is awesome enough to compete with Max’s next door if that’s your thing) to have more veggie options, so bring all of your friends! I love that we’ve found a place we can take friends and family where I can pretty much guarantee that EVERYONE will leave full and happy.
ps! ps! they deliver until 1:30 am!

Great people working to get you your food! I placed an order online, and messed it up, and I called and spoke to them, they were happy to fix it for me, and got it all worked out and delivered correctly.
The pan pizza I ordered was good, but I’m not a huge tomato person. Their pan pizza has serious chunks to tomatoes rather than a real sauce, so by the time I scraped off a good portion I was left with bread, sausage and small amount of cheese (that’s more a problem with my taste buds than Delisi’s fault). I will say that the tomato chunk /​sauce is very delicious, but the amount of cheese was disappointing.
My wife ordered the Lobster Ravioli and it was very good, much better than we’d been anticipating.
From the other reviews it seems the thin crust might be the way to go here, and assuming they use a thin pizza sauce and not the mega-​chunks of tomato, I’d be inclined to give it a shot.
Note — Brian the owner was kind enough to email me and let me know that it’s possible to get the thin crust sauce (no tomato chunks) on the pan pizza, so don’t let the tomato chunks scare you off!

VEGAN PAN PIZZA WTF FTW?!
Yep! Chicago deep dish pizza on the menu all the time. None of that wimpy hippie thin crap. They also have vegan pepperoni, sausage and other proteins. Delisi’s gets it.
Dood on the phone was friendly, delivery was excellent and pizza yummy! Cornmeal freakin crust yo. You can even order that shit on GrubHub yo. No kiddin.
They use Teese cheese (unfortunately, not my fave) and Upton’s seitan products. Good enough for me. Rock!

Finally — I can enjoy classic Chicago-​style thin crust pizza again! I gave up pork products a looong time ago, and I’ve always missed enjoying the taste and texture of sausage on pizza. Until now.
I’m glad I saw Lesly M’s review first, because their menu does not mention vegan sausage or soy cheese, so make sure you ask about it. The bartender said that it is made locally, but I haven’t seen it for sale anywhere. I guess I will have to go to Skokie.
We are continuing our quest to try thin-​crust pizza joints on the north side, and even tho I like Candlelite a lot, the vegan sausage at Delisi’s will keep me coming back (although I don’t think I will walk next time).

Okay, so I admit it… I’m Yuppieish. I LOVE this place but I really dislike the décor and I can’t help it. Wait, lemme correct myself. I am IN LOVE with the thin crust here. I’m torn because it’s the kind of place that if you redecorated it, it wouldn’t be the same but the décor reminds me of, uh, I dunno… Um, maybe an Italian version of Arturo’s tacos or something… but do I love it? Uh, duh. Ye-​ah.

I LOVE this pizza! I have had the pan style and the thin, they are both fantastic! The crust is a thing of beauty, the perfect blend of crunch and flaky-​ness.
The toppings are always fresh and I love the options! Fresh spinach, ricotta, onions and tomatoes are my favorites!
The pizza arrives fast and piping hot every time! This is one of the best pizza spots in Chicago!

We get their pizza delivered to work about once a week. Its delicious greasy thin crust pizza and I cannot get enough of it!
Its pipping hot when it arrives and reheats well the next day too.
Not much more to say.

Ordererd some Delisi’s via GrubHub and was satisfied with the quality of food that I ordered. The chicken wings are breaded, but didn’t come quite crispy. They did send ranch, celery and carrots which makes what my order slightly healthier. Ordered a deep dish pizza since I hadn’t had one in ages, this too came in very good.
The pizza came in a thick cardboard box with wax paper over the pizza to preserve texture and make sure the box did’t get soggy from condensation. Instead of adding tomato sauce to the top of the pie, they add real tomato. I kind of liked that touch, even though I hate tomato but it was a welcome change of pace.