I can see why people from these parts think Monical's is the goods. It's better than Dominoes, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut. I'm not going to say Little Caesars. I actually like Little Caesars, because screw you.
A friend took me here because she has some silly fascination with their pizza. Mostly because the crust is super thin, and it didn't disappoint in that aspect. Much like the people in this town, the crust is very cracker like. Our pizza had sausage and pepperoncinis on it. I guess it's too far away from Chicago for them to have giardiniera. I was not a fan of the sausage, because it was that typical pizza chain sausage. I know. Pizza from the big city has spoiled me. The service was good, not great. The waiter seemed like he didn't care about anything, but I think that was just his face. He was kind of nice.
Overall, an okay pizza. But lacking in flavor just a bit.
Tried the lunch buffet today. Â I'm an out-of-towner and was treated by my local colleagues. Color me impressed! Â You order at the front counter (a little slow service, but much worth it!) and take a seat in the dining room. Â From there you can dine on a good looking salad bar, pasta and breadstick bar and of course the pizza bar with many different styles and toppings, including dessert pizzas like apple-stussel and cinnamon-sugar. Â
Each pizza slice I tried is delicious. As the buffet empties, staff quickly brings more and more, and endless varieties. Â If you've ever tried Ci-ci's (chain)pizza buffet, it's very similar, but far tastier.
TIP: salad dressings are not at the bar, you have to ask for them. Â They're kept in a fridge somewhere in squirt bottles. Â My colleagues informed me that the "French" dressing is famous here and people even put it on their pizza. Â Skeptical, but not to snub the local tradition, I gave it a shot... And you know what? Â I spent the rest of the afternoon daydreaming about it. Â Mmm...
First visit here, but I'm a fast fan!
I strongly recommend the lunch buffet for its value and quality. The best in town in my opinion. Â The service is a little spotty, except for one person who has been there forever and has amazing work ethic. If I ever opened a restaurant I would do whatever it takes to hire this particular person. Â My experiences with the a la carte menu and dinner have been mediocre. Â It almost seems that the pizza, on more than one occasion, was devoid of sauce.
Anyway, try the lunch on a weekday. Â You won't be disappointed.
My wife and her friend went to Monical's all the time when they went to ISU a few years back.
Apparently the closest Monical's to Clarendon Hills was in Bourbonnais. Yes. We drove to Bourbonnais from the west suburbs for the sole purpose of going to Monical's. Oh....and we took LaGrange....the entire way! 57 on the way home though of course!
I opened the menu and felt terrified as I couldn't find any beer on the menu. Luckily they did have bottles and my terror subsided.
The service was great. The salad and breadsteaks weren't bad. The breadsticks reminded me of those big pretzels you can get at the concession stands at pools and baseball games. Dipped those bad boys in some cheese.
The pizza was decent. Thin and crispy. Scarfed down about half a large while my wife and her friend shared the other half (plain cheese....lamers).
The price was right. 3 beers.....2 soft drinks.....a salad......5 bread sticks and a large pizza for under 50 bucks with tip. Not bad.
Don't remember her name but our waitress was very nice.
It's true...this is a local favorite. I am the local exception to that rule however. Â I never developed a taste for their pizza. Â My kiddos and wife are nuts over it however I compare it to crackers with a ketchupy sauce. If they force me to eat it, I highly suggest extra cheese. Make sure you saturate it in the red dressing as well. I could go there just for the salad.
On a side note, the wait staff is great and the time from when you sit down to when you are served couldn't be shorter.
Never had a bad experience with the service or anything. Staff is friendly. Â My issue is with the pizza, just not my style. This place has a predominantly local following i.e. you only really like this food if you grew up on it. I'm a Chicago transplant so I prefer the deep dish or stuffed style of pizza. Monicals is ultra thin which can be OK if flavorful, but the sauce is lackluster and sparing, the cheese is greasy, and the crust too thin to possess any discernible flavor. It basically reminds me of what a Tombstone pizza would be if ate fresh and never fozen. A telltale sign of the pizza's shortcomings: everyone raves how good it is when topped with french dressing... A truly good pizza would not need such an outlandish addition to give it good flavor.
Review Source:Overall I'm not a huge fan, but I do enjoy this pizza on occasion. My wife likes it because Its super thin, almost like a cracker which to me is, well, interesting. I'd try it if you want something different than you are used to. If you only eat the deep dish Chicago style pizza, that cannot be found here.
Review Source:3.5 is more accurate.
I ate here recently when I was in town visiting my mum. You can't get anything like Monical's anywhere else.... I grew up eating this stuff (Family Pleaser anyone?!) and so on the rare occasion I'm near one, I stop in.
The pizza has a great THIN and crispy crust. The best way to eat it (IMHO) is with the french dressing on top. Man, that stuff must have crack in it!
The service was "meh", but the pizza and dressing will always have me craving a piece of this nostalgia when I'm in town.
This is one of those places you grow up with. Â Its not the best pizza, its not the worst....and yet I still crave it every time I come home. Â Its the crispy crust, the delicious breadsticks or the super tart french dressing that leaves a lasting impression. Â Oh Monical's, you have secured a spot in my heart with your common cuisine with a smile.
Review Source:The pizza is 5 stars. :) Ultra thin and crispy. Believe it or not it is yummy if you put their sweet and tart or creamy Italian dressing on it. The bread sticks are soft and delicious. The family pleaser is a good deal and includes salad, soda and pizza.
The service is fair. If you are in the area check out Monical's Pizza. Get the pizza well-done. Slightly burnt on the crust means the rest will eb nice and crispy.
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