Love this place! Â My husband and I have been here a few times for their Italian beef sandwiches and its great! Â Weird huh, that we would come to a pizza place for their sandwich... Â But it was a random thing and we got hooked. Â So every since, we have only been there for the italian beef with american cheese. Â It's messy and best eaten there... definitely comfort food. Â However, our most recent visit, after devouring our sandwiches, we were offered a sample of a slice of their special pizza of the day. It was AMAZING. Â Actually, it's the reason why I'm writing the review. Â I can't tell you what's the name of the pizza, just because I don't know it, but also because it was a special. Â It was a cream base sauce, had prosciutto, potatoes, garlic, red onions, and olive oil. Â Best PIzza EVER.. AMAZING crust!!!!! So good, when we got home, we called back to have them save 3 slices, and went back to pick them up! Â We don't know if and when they will make the special pizza, but we are excited to try the others that are on the menu, and we won't just limit our selves to the italian beef.:)
Review Source:Fast delivery of fresh pizza.
I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh and authentic this place is! I ordered on a whim because they put a menu on my door and now I have ordered from here several times. The pizza is thin crust with fresh light doug, the toppings are just as fresh and authentic. Its very close to "real" Italian pizza. I highly sugest it!
The owner is great and he has items that are not on the menu if you ask. Â I was so impressed by the Italian beef sandwich and I can't wait to have the meatball sandwich in the next few days. Â There was a slow roast chicken and chili I had that he had special that was not on the menu and I can't wait to see what else he has in store. Â I can't wait to eat here again!!!
Review Source:OK, I've really tried hard to give this place a chance, but the variability of the service and food has just strained my patience...
We went here on a few occasions during summer, because it was close by and we could sit outside on the patio with our dog. Although I understand the problems that one goes through getting a restaurant going, by now they should really have it together. However, the service is marginal at best (not helped by a revolving door of waitstaff), and we could never be sure exactly what we'd end up with.
Having said, that, I think their pizza a pretty good most of the time, nice crust, and generally fresh ingredients. It's just too bad they can't get the service part worked out.
(Oh, and you better like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra!)
I recently found Gratto and I am very glad I did. Â The pizza is great ... both the thin and the thick. Â I had the meatball sandwich last night and it was awesome. Â It was served with homemade giardiniera because the owner, Joe, won't serve the bottled peppers. Joe really knows what he is doing, and he is happy to tell you all about how he prepares his food. Â He is passionate about food and it shows in his cooking. Â I highly recommend a visit there. Â I am always in search of the local restaurants that are worthy of supporting, and Gratto is definitely one you should try.
Review Source:I grew up on Italian food. After ordering the pizza, I regretted not ordering from Domino's!
Guy that answered the phone was rude. And it sounded like he was the owner. He cut me off 4 times because he couldn't get my last name down. FYI, it's only 4 letters. When he asked what size pizza and I said that the menu only had one size, he lost it. He kept yelling at me that the menu I was using is not his. I told him I got the website from yelp, where I pulled the menu, and then called the number from the menu. He was so frustrated and said that it wasn't his website and someone else created it and people need to stop calling and ordering from it. Â Ok, as the business owner, wouldn't you figure out how to rectify a problem that could negatively impact your business? Â How about a simple call to Yelp for starters?
Let's get to the pizza. First, it's more expensive than the menu. Not overly priced but something you should know. Beyond that, it just did not taste good. There are SO many better options! Â I got thin crust - half cheese and half with bacon. Parts were burnt. It was super greasy (remember Sabbaro?). Crust was so soft/limp it was like eating wet, NY-style pizza...literally the grease just soaked thru the bottom of the crust. And the bacon just wasn't good, and not at all crispy.
It was hot when delivered, despite being 15 minutes later than quoted.
I would not recommend this place for good Chicago pizza.
I just don't get the bad reviews! The pizza is very, very good! The owners are so sweet and kind, very personable.
My husband and I wanted some pizza, and we were trying to think of a fast, good pizza place so we can take home. We weren't in the mood for any of the other places nearby, we wanted something new.
I would walk by this place and there was always an amazing smell coming out of this place.
My husband was worried because of all the bad reviews, but I said all the reviews are not really based on the food.
I am glad we didn't listen to the reviews because we were in and out in 15 minutes, and it was a nice experience while we were there. The pizza was delicious, we ordered a Traditional pizza, and I loved the crust and it was so flavorful.
I plan to go back to try the subs!
The former cast of Tony and Tina's Wedding plays at "Restaurant."
Wander in and enjoy the instant claustrophobia, er, "authentic atmosphere" of this former dry cleaners storefront. My order was taken by a paisan in a tracksuit, to the strains of Dean Martin. (alas, that is not a metaphor.)
Tasty, but your patience (and credulity) will be tested. At it's best, only on par with the delis in Little Italy.
I usually do not write reviews but I felt that in the case it was necessary. When we went to go eat here it was just okay, nothing great but nothing horrible. It was later leaving my friends house that I was so disgusted by what I saw. There were 2 rats running around eating the crumbs left behind by the dinner crowd. Garbage was pilling up everywhere with no sign of being moved to the garbage area. What really made me sick is that a staff member was smoking outside and seemed to think that the patio was his own spit bucket. I understand that the patio is outdoors but that is what people see, so if they keep the outside like this, what is the inside like?
Chicago has so many good well kept restaurants, why on earth would you risk your health on going here? Stay Away.
The pizza - pretty darn good. Â Crunchy/chewy crust with the right amount of sauce and topics. Â The fact that they charge you $0.99 for tap water - not happy about that. Â It is BYOB and they do charge a fee for $5 which is fair. Â I guess you should also bring your own water... Â One other confusing thing is that the awning says "Pizza Rustica". Â That is where we thought we were eating but then when we got the menu it said Gratto. Â I am still not sure on why the names don't match....
Review Source:Like many of the other reviewers I have had a hard time catching this place open. The 2 times I have been there when its open, the food was pretty good, but the 10 other times I have tried to go there on my way to work, it has been closed. Wish it was open more, its just what this area needed.
Review Source:I had dinner here with two friends and we were all really impressed by the food and atmosphere. Â The outdoor patio had a very unpretentious authentic Italian feel that felt much like a chill evening in Rome. Â We shared a pizza with artichokes and prosciutto and were all really pleased with the fresh flavors and crispy crust. Â The service was casual, but friendly and attentive. Â My only wish would have been for more appetizer choices, but the pizza was so tasty and filling that I can appreciate a more focused menu. Â Overall, we all enjoyed a relaxing evening and fresh, crispy, delicious pizza.
Review Source:When is this place open? Â Who knows! Â It seems like their hours are based on whether or not the owner wants to come in that paticular day.
I ate there several months back, the food was good. Â I haven't been able to go back since because every time I try they are either not open, or about to close.
Seems like an awful way to run a new business.
This is my new favorite pizza in town. I've only had pizza here, the Quattro Formaggio and the Margherita, both solid options though the QF is unbelievable. Swiss, mozzarella, blue cheese and mascarpone with the crispiest crust, slightly burnt around the edges. Great tangy sauce and the right amount of sloppiness.
I've been in twice and both times the service was incredibly friendly but they also keep it real. They have a TV and cable and Jimmy, who is awesome, was totally chill with us running out for more beers to finish watching a basketball game. The largest pizza was good for four of us for dinner, but I ordered an additional small pizza to be a good customer. Still I don't think it would have mattered to them.
Forget decor, Yelp! It's all about the food. And the Sprecher's root beer in the cooler and bags of Cubs, I mean Sox, peanuts they sell.
I'm not quite sure what to think of this place. As they were initially setting up and before opening I was excited to see it coming along and the nice patio. Â The first time I went their with my wife it was pretty empty and the owner was extremely nice and friendly. I've actually never experienced a restaurant owner who was more welcoming. He was out of something for my wife's sandwich and offered to substitute something else. He even gave us a free meatball to sample because he was so proud of them. I had the corned beef sandwich which was extremely good and authentic tactic, not the cheap stuff you can find in the grocery stores. Â The seasoning was just right. My wife had the Mexican Italian Dip which she enjoyed as well. Â This was a 5 out of 5 the first time.
Moving onto our second experience here, about 2 weeks later. I stopped in on my way home from work and placed and order for a pizza with no onions. They told me to give them about 30 minutes so I came back in 35. The pizza was not ready. In fact, they actually messed up my original order and realized they put onions on it so they were remaking me a new pizza instead of just picking them off. I appreciated that so I decided to wait. I wish they would have called and let me know the situation and I would have been more understanding. Fast forward about 25 more minutes and I finally get my new pizza. I take it home, open it up, and there are onions.... Â I'm too tired to go back again so I pick them off. The pizza itself is crunchy around the outside as it should, but pure mush in the middle. This was clearly not cooked correctly and I'm not sure if it was because they we rushed or that's just how they do it. Â I'd give this a 1.5 out of 5
I'm really hoping this place can survive but they really need to shake things up a bit if they plan to. From reading other reviews, I'm obviously not the only one having issues with this place. The owner is definitely proud of his food and personable but he needs to make sure the rest of the staff are too. Also, they need to run this more like a business and be professional about things, like calling if the order is delayed (other people reported this too). They also seem to work odd hours and don't stick to their posted hours of operation. There have been beautiful days recently where they just weren't open and lost out on so much business.
Looking forward to giving them one more chance as I enjoy their outdoor patio, but I'm going to need an experience like the first time to keep me coming back
Mexican Italian dip & corned beef
Docta docta, need you back home baby
Docta Docta, where you at?
Give me somethin'
I need your love
I need your love
I need your lovin'
You got that kind of medicine that keeps me comin'
My body needs a hero
Come and save me
Something tells me you know how to save me
I've been feeling weird
Oh, I need you to come and rescue me
Oooooooooh!
Make me come alive
Come on and turn me on
Touch me, save my life
Come on and turn me on
I'm too young to die
Come on and turn me on
Turn me on
Turn me on
Turn me on
Turn me on
Yeah, this pizza'll have you singing this all night long. Hidden gem in the Piece-fanatic Wicker Park neighborhood. Will definitely be dancing my ass back over here AGAIN.
They're not shy with the fresh ingredients, and the crust was oh so crispy.
First time at Grotto and Jimmy told me everything was homemade and he wasn't kidding!!! Â I got the meatball sub and it was incredible. The meatballs were sliced up in the sub which made it easy to eat and the fact they were sliced shows it didn't come from a can!!!
I'm looking forward to late night delivery...
About the negative reviews... come on, this place is new and they are getting their footing. Â The patio is open and is kick ass. Â I love supporting places in the neighborhood... otherwise we'll end up with another Subway on the block, gag.
No issues when I walked in and ordered takeout one evening. Â Ordered, went out ,and picked up my pizza about 15 minutes. Â Good crust like a decent east coast pizza/central Italian style with a little char and crispiness on the bottom. Â Cheese has a nice flavor, and sauce is a nice balance. Â Not too sweet, and not too earthy. Â
The day I went they had a new worker up front who seemed to be nice while learning all the menu.
Will see if the next visit is good, too.
Go now before this place goes out of business! The food is pretty good (and the owner will be sure to tell you about it), but almost every other aspect of this place is lacking. It's fairly new, but there's busted pictures on the wall and wobbly tables. The owner will also explain that there's a lot coming--patio, bar, oysters, pasta etc--but just not ready yet.
My girlfriend and I stopped in for dinner and started with a salad. They were out of most every kind we tried to order. When we finally chose one they had, they served it to us in a plastic to-go container with styrofoam plates. The pizzas we ordered were pretty good Neapolitan style specimens with a thin and crisp crust that wasn't at all soggy. The owner bragged about cooking an egg on the pizza so that only the yolk ran, however when he brought it out we were staring at scrambled egg pizza. He apologized, but offered nothing else.
I can tell the owner is a talented cook and cares a lot about what he does, but it's also clear he's a micro-mamanger and doesn't understand it's not just about the food, it's about the whole experience. I can't see this place lasting more than a year, but I'd love to be proven wrong.
HOLY SHIT!!!!  I wanted to like this place... We ordered pizza and 2 diet cokes for delivery. They told me it would take 25-35 minutes which i thought was really fast when he said it... Then after 1hr and 30 minutes i had to  call and ask where the pie was . The girl on the phone was super rude and told me to be patient it was on the way.. No big deal... 30 minutes later the pizza gets here,.. The delivery guy had no change and expected me to give him a $10 tip,  so i had go to my neighbors to ask for change. UNORGANIZED
The pizza was ICE cold... not warm at all and to be perfectly honest, if it was warm it wouldnt have been that good... Very soggy and and greasy... Â Just disappointing ...
There are much better pizza places in Wicker Park/ Buck Town whoever said this is the best... Youre Trippin
I will go back and try a sandwich and update my review  if its good, But delivery is out!  The time it took was way too long...  We have kids so we value our time alone together and this fucked up our movie night!
Also If you only have 1 review on YELP and youre sticking up for this place and  praising the staff and owner... You probably are the owner, I know its hard to start and run a successful business and I wish you good luck.. But your place needs some major tightening up
Place was off to a good start with me, but straight down hill from there.  The food I've had is really good, so no complaints there, however on the service side it's not too solid.  After my first visit (I had a sandwich that was great), I called to order a pizza to pick up.  Guy said he couldn't take the order now because there were people there and I should call back in 5-10 minutes.  I said 'okay' and hung up and called Sarpino's.  Went back to get another sandwich at a later date and they were out of italian sausage and eggplant, at 12:30.  Called again to pick up a pizza, and put in a few appetizers that were on the menu  (which all sounded great) and they said they don't carry those anymore.  I told them they are always out of everything, and still went on to order my pizza, and asked for a cannoli...sure enough, they were out of those as well.  Fresh ingredients is key, and from my one sandwich is seems like they had those, however part of owning a restaurant is keeping those fresh ingredients in stock so you can actually take orders for things on your menu.  You'll always end up having to toss some if they don't get ordered, but that's part of the game. Â
Good food, but seems they run out of half of their menu by lunch time.
I'm not much of an ill-wisher upon others, BUT if this place continues to treat it's customers this way, they don't deserve to stay in business. Â It's really too bad because the pizza is good. Awesome, actually. But, Wicker Park is not short on similar pizza places (Piece, Armand's), and if this guy doesn't get his act together, it could cost him some solid business.
As a pizza aficionado, I'd been excited about this place opening up across the street from my job and kept a watchful eye on it. So, one day during an all day staff meeting, my co workers and I walked over for lunch. We decided to get a couple of medium pizzas to go.
When we walked in, a few of our coworkers were already there. When he saw us, he said "only cold sandwiches right now, I'm the only one here." This struck me as kinda odd since this was lunch time. Apparently, the other person who works there was at Restaurant Depot. Was 12:30 on a Friday the best time to make a run for supplies?
The owner was already pretty harried and didn't take our order right away even though we were the only ones in line. When he finally asked, we asked if we could still get a pizza and he said, "Sure, but it would take 20 minutes." That was pushing it just slightly since we had to be back at 1:15. We gave him our order and sat and waited. In that time, two more of our co workers walked in to place in order. (I would later find out that the reason why one of them walked out after she had been waiting to place her order for at least 15 minutes was because she called first and was told that they couldn't take phone orders and she would have to come in. But, then after waiting in line, nobody helped her!)
After half an hour, the coworkers who had arrived before us were just getting their sandwiches, unfortunately instead of 3 of one sandwich and 2 of another, he had gotten it reversed.
At about 10 minutes after 1, we asked about our pizzas and we were told that, GET THIS, it would be about 20 minutes. Why? Because he hadn't put the pizzas in yet! After 40 minutes, he hadn't made them yet!
One word: UNBELIEVABLE
He even had the nerve to ask us if we could wait or come back as if something about the words "working all afternoon" and "having meetings" meant we could just waltz back over whenever he got around to making our pizza. 39 1/2 weeks pregnant and I was hungry, tired, and beyond pissed.
Sure he was apologetic. Sure he offered us our money back. And had I not been splitting a pizza with someone else, I would have taken it and got a bagel from Bagels on Damen in the ten minutes before I had to be back at work. Â I needed something in my stomach ASAP. As such, I would have appreciated full disclosure over outright deceitfulness: "My kitchen guy's not here and I am totally overwhelmed. I'm just not going to be able to get those pizzas made before you have to get back to work. Can I refund your money? Or...how can I make this right for you."
This would have made me pretty unhappy, too, but I would have been able to make a more informed decision about how to get some food into my stomach.
He ultimately offered to walk our pizzas across the street to us when they were ready. Unfortunately, in doing even this, when we opened it, all of the toppings had slid over to one side.
Geez.
This is hands down the best pizza you can get in Wicker Park/West Town. It certainly isn't the trendiest (Piece) but if you want to get the closest proximity to actual Italian pizza this is it. Rustic style Italian pizza with thin, amazing crust. Also, the meatball sub was delicious as well. Lamb (and beef?) and an assortment of spices that made my taste buds do a Fred Astaire  song-and-dance routine.
The bottom line is that there aren't many places on the west side of Chicago where you can get Italian deli sandwiches and subs like this. And certainly not pizza. It's a small, family-owned business that is putting out a pretty great product and should be supported. Your stomachs and Wicker Park will thank you and Piece won't even notice that you've left.
Also: They DO accept credit cards.
Finally decided to try Gratto. Â It has been open about 6 weeks from what the owner told me. Â We had the margherita pizza and roast beef/cheddar sandwich, which were both really good. Â You could tell the ingredients were fresh and of good quality. Â The order took a while to come up but you could tell the owner really took pride in what he was putting out there. Â I thought the prices were reasonable for how much food you get too. Â We will definitely be back!
Review Source:What's really sad about the negative reviews of this place is that nobody seems to understand what it's actually like to OPEN A NEW BUSINESS (especially in Chicago, where you must bribe inspectors, police, aldermen, etc to get your doors open). Â Try it sometime and you'll have a better appreciation/tolerance/attitude. Â
I too was eagerly awaiting for this place to open for quite some time, as I live 2 blocks away. Â I called up and was ordering off of a menu that was apparently for their other location that is a full-service restaurant. Â The gentleman on the phone was kind enough to explain some of his specials and the meats that he'd cured, marinated, slow roasted, etc. Â His enthusiasm and knowledge of food tells me that he must be the owner and more importantly, a true foody that is passionate about his craft. Â I ended up getting a pizza and a roasted pork sandwich. Â Both were outstanding. Â The sauce for the pizza was slightly sweet and very tangy. Â I can tell you that everything about this place screams authentic and fresh.
People- Â Stop b*tching about the growing pains that any new restaurant goes through and give this place a chance. Â Patronize your local establishments or go back to Lincoln Park or better yet, to DePaul to get your MBA in Culture.
First, when you order a prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich, hold the tomato, and get home and there is no prosciutto on the sandwich, but plenty of tomato, you are bound to be upset. Â When its 19 degrees out and you walked 5 blocks to get that sandwich, you are even more upset. Â But when they use CHEAP ASS PROSCIUTTO on the sandwich after you go back to have them fix it, FORGET ABOUT IT! Â Not only was it bad prosciutto, but there was barely on the sandwich. Â I felt like i was eating a loaf of average french bread. Â Thanks but no thanks. Â I'll drive to JP Grazianos next time.
Review Source:Review Update. Gratto dropped from 4 to 2 stars.
OMG. This place has the laziest work ethic of anyplace I have ever experienced. Of the five times I have visited since writing my review, they have been closed four - all at peak times. The one time I was able to purchase anything it was as good as ever, but the hours are just not reliable enough to waste my time returning.
Original Review (4 stars)
This is one of those places that barely exists. I've described it to a half dozen people who live in the neighborhood and not one of them can picture it. The problem is that it lives on a residential corner in a store front that used to be a dry cleaner. And who notices dry cleaner?
This review is written after only one visit - I know, bad form. Still...
My buddy and I stopped into this place in the name of adventure. We were coming home from the gym and neither of us expected much. He ordered the Italian sandwich and I the Italian Tuna. Both agreed these were the best Italian styled deli sandwiches we have had in Chicago (and he's from that place in New Jersey where they filmed the Sopranos).
The bread was soft and fresh with a flakey, manageable exterior. Even the ends put up just the right amount of fight. The tuna salad was simply made with oil, vinegar, celery, and just the right amount of salt and pepper. There was a little herbed mayonnaise and lettuce, tomato, and a sliver of red onion finishing it off. Just excellent. As for my buddies' Italian, he can write his own stinkin review.
Service wasn't speedy, but neither was it negligent. The guy took our order and money and then set about making us some sandwiches. He did a good job and it took him some time. I am not going to fault him for that.
The decor was surprisingly well done, but I still wouldn't eat there. Its super small and the two or three tables are more "rest your feet while you wait" than "bring in your own bottle and make a night of it."
go there.
Take out twice from here. Â Amazing Margherita pizza that the cook (owner?) took great pride in.
The pulled pork sandwich was equally delicious and gigantic. Â (On a dollar per calorie ratio, probably quite a bit cheaper than the pizza, actually). Â The staff was friendly and gave me an accurate wait time. Â Also they brought it out for me when I was with my dog. Â Which I guess is really easy but it was nice that they noticed and took the two seconds.
Gratto just opened up and you have to check it out. We tried the Popeye pizza and a broccoli/olive/lemon salad and everything was so fresh and delicious. The sandwiches looked amazing and I plan to go back soon to try one. The food and ambiance is authentic Italian, as is the owner. I am so glad this restaurant opened up in the neighborhood!
Review Source:I wish I could give it 4.5 stars.
The food (4 stars): It was pretty good. The right amount of ingredients were on the pizza, and the mint and basil was fresh (I had the margarita). I like my thin crust pizza and it fit the bill. It was close to being overdone, and the curst was a little burnt on a couple of pieces, but overall, it was worth it. Especially because they are still in the first couple of days and I can only see it getting better (hopefully).
Other than that, I got the mozz salad, that was AWESOME. great size for the price. I'll be getting that again.
The service (5 stars): Nice folks. Seemed to be about service. It's a small place and I could tell the owner (I think it was him) really cared about his food and customers.
The ambiance (4 stars): I really want to like it but for some reason I just don't like the digital screens. They have 4 small tables, great looking food in the cooler, pics on the walls, classic tomato sauce on shelves. The screens seemed to cheapen the environment of the really great pizza. I may be a classic, but I didn't like the digital in something that I want to be more traditional.
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