Returned again to Mud Puddle. Pizza was good as always, this time the outside edge was burnt all round, inside of just  a little, but it was good. We also got wings, they were tasty with a nice BBQ glaze, but they were small, very little meat on them.
The downside, the service was so disorganized. It was very crowded compared to the other times we have been there, so maybe it is just growing pains. Hopefully, they will implement a system that can handle the crowd. We had at least 4 different servers and still managed to be neglected. They never cleared the table of anything and rarely checked on us. I guess all four always assumed one of the other 3 would take care of us.
Also, we wanted to try their Mud Puddle, but they were out. They just got their license and could not handle the demand. I will return for some ale and pizza. Â And hopefully, one competent waitress.
This place smells like a campfire, which I love.
The owners, Jeff and Sue, I believe, are very friendly, personable and make it easy to want to come back.
The pizza is also fantastic. My partner and I tried the day's special: pork loin and roasted chicken on the Works and BBQ Chicken, respectively.
They were both fantastic. I usually require red pepper flakes with my pizza and was pleased to find that both pizzas had a good amount of zip without the flakes.
On another visit, we tried The Works (sans daily special pork) and the Tomato Basil. They were also delicious.
The fried mushrooms are also a treat. I typically stay away from fried foods due to health restrictions, but this was not oily and NOT gastric distress inducing. I (and my gut) were pleasantly surprised.
They have live music on the weekends, which I have not checked out, but seems like it would be a cozy atmosphere for some music, good beer and pizza.
Other yelpers have said this before: Â a restaurant cannot make it on food alone.
The pizza was delicious! Â Wood firing gives the pizza a unique and great flavor. Â Lots of cheese, which is always a thumbs up in my book. Â We had no problem devouring our pizza. Â We also ordered breaded mushrooms. Â These had the strangest breading on them. Â Think the consistency of funnel cake bread (without the sweetness). Â I didn't care for them at all, but husband ate the rest of the basket and said he liked them.
The atmosphere will only get 2 stars. Â It was strange, to say the least. Â It was not busy, and we went to the back room, not knowing that there would be live music going on. Â The room was practically empty, only 2 other tables with customers. Â The musicians were very young, probably high school or college. Â It was awkward, but we didn't feel comfortable moving to another spot. Â Many people like live music with their dinners...we just didn't care for it. Â We'll just sit in the front room next time.
I realize this is a small, family-owned restaurant, but I think they could do a little better than patio furniture and folding chairs and mismatched tables in their dining areas. Â Hey, maybe they're just getting started...but I think making the atmosphere a little more professional would draw in more business. Â Maybe that is why this place was not busy on a Saturday night, because otherwise the food was great!
The pizza here is excellent as well as the service. You can't beat brick-oven baked pizza! The appetizers that I have had here, (fried mushrooms and onion rings) are also the best I have ever ordered. Jeff, the owner, is super friendly and always wants his customers to be happy and satisfied. An added bonus is the place hosts live music and events. I have a soft-spot in my heart for this place because they host a number of benefits and fundraisers. My boyfriend's family held a number of benefits here for his brother with cancer, and the staff were accommodating and helped us raise money for the family and for treatments. I have also seen other benefits hosted here. Jeff is truly a generous man.
Review Source:OMG, I can't remember the last time I had pizza this good. Wood fired brick oven makes the best pizza. The owners were very friendly. We had pizza, beer and fried mushrooms. The oven is fired up on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. When we mentioned how hard it was to find pizza cooked like this they asked if we wanted to see the oven. We went back to see a brick oven the owners built themselves. Please step away from the chain pizza places and stop here. Your mouth will thank you. I was in town for the weekend and we had no problem finding the place (although I can't say the same for the hotel).
Review Source:Finally, delicious pizza in The Peoria area! Pizza is made in wood fire oven that is kept at 1000 degrees we had the vegetarian pizza it was great the pepperchinis were a nice touch. The Homemade dough and sauce are great! We had the Garlic cheessticks for an appetizer they are more like a pizza with no sauce and lots of garlic they were great.They only carry micro brew beers and have some good ones. Wine is available too. They even smoke there own Sausage out back. If you are eating monicals or firehouse garbage instead of this there is something wrong with you and you should seek professional help!
Review Source:Dining here is a truly strange experience. First, best of luck finding it, as there seems to be no signage beyond the marquee sign out front. Second, I mean, what is this place called anyway? The website goes back and forth between calling it "Chef Evo" and "Mud Puddle," and the large print on the menu in the restaurant calls it "Chef Evo," but there's a small print note on the bottom that calls it "Mud Puddle." Last, as has been mentioned, it feels like this is a restaurant some guy is opening in his basement, but he hasn't actually finished the transformation yet. There's patio furniture in the middle of the room.
Ah, but the pizza. The pizza is good. The crust manages to be brilliantly crisp and almost fluffy at the same time. The sauce is lovely. The toppings can be hit-or-miss. Mine were okay, but I've heard they can be pretty weak sometimes, like canned mushrooms, or a tomato basil pizza made with canned tomato and dried basil. And there's way, way too much cheese. I know that it's a weird complaint, but believe me, there is such a thing as too much cheese on a pizza, and Evo/Mud Puddle/Some Dude With A Restaurant accomplishes it. I'll be asking for mine light on the cheese in the future.
There's live music on Friday and Saturday nights, which you may like or may not. I'm usually not a big fan of live bands during my dinner, but there are two separate dining areas, so you can avoid feeling like you got trapped at a concert.
The service here is very friendly but also a bit informal. You get your first mug of (delicious house-made) root beer delivered and are then invited to get your (free, holy crap!) refills from the tap yourself. You may have to hunt someone down if you need something, but no one acts put-upon when you ask. It all contributes to the "some dude's basement" feeling, but it's actually kind of nice; it almost feels like family.
If you like pizza and are on a mission to find the best in Peoria, your quest may end here, so give it a shot. But seriously: light on the cheese.
Brick Oven pizza had to come to Peoria someday, and we're fortunate that an independent pizza maker / college student named Evan Hickerson, was the one to bring it.  His story is part of the allure behind the restaurant and the food.  While in college, he lost his scholarship money, and had to come up with a way to pay for his engineering degree.  His father owned a building (that I think looks more like a house) that had a small coffee shop in it, and one day the owner of that shop just skipped town.  The space sat empty for a little bit until Evan decided he wanted to do pizza.  He searched for an oven first, but quickly determined he couldn't afford one.  So, he and his father built their own!  Brick by brick, with lots of concrete.  It's fired up only with wood  that Evan personally chops.  You can see the 10 foot tall pile of wood around the back of the place.
At first glance, this small eclectic pizza place looks like a cross between a cracker barrel and someone's family room. Â Mismatched furniture, a 3 stool bar, a fully equipped stage, and a golf simulator. Â But that's what makes this place great! Â The pizzas are perfectly put together with care. Â Secret recipes for the dough and the sauce add to the mystery of Mud Puddle Pizza. Â Once out of the oven, it's nicely charred crust pairs perfectly with the fresh vegetables and meats he puts on top. Â Veggies are bought locally whenever possible, and the sausage is ground fresh in the kitchen using an antique grinder a patron gave them. Â Root Beer is made fresh by Evan each morning, and they only carry hand crafted micro-brewed beers. Â
I could see how some in Peoria would be hesitant to try this newcomer, but I've gotta say, for anyone into a more authentic Italian pizza, this is the THE place!! Â Here in Chicago, we've got tons of this pizza now, but not the atmosphere that comes with Mud Puddle. Â Do yourself a favor, and get there quick, before the rest of Peoria wakes up! Â
(2 local papers just ran HUGE articles on the place, so I'm afraid my secret may be out)
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