Favorite restaurant ever, hands down! I've gone here since I was a little girl with my family and they never disappoint! The service is great, the food is AMAZING and the owner regularly walks around and asks us how we're doing. How awesome is that!?
I recommend their stuffed pizza. They have this delicious sweet sauce they use that no other restaurant in Chicago can compare to. Also, for an appetizer, try their mozzarella sticks. They're HUGE and fat, filled with lots of cheese. If you have kids, order the kiddie cocktail for them to drink. It's cute, and makes them feel important!
I have never ever had one problem or complaint about this restaurant in all my years of coming here. I really like how the owner is there often and walks around to mingle with the guests and make sure everything is alright. Bonus points in my book!
Eat at Palermo's, you won't regret it!
BEST pie sauce in Chicago!!!! Â I could drink their sweet garlicky pizza sauce for every meal. Â There is nothing like it. Â The location on 64th is the overall best on the South-side. Â I highly recommend ordering their thin crust (cheese a little browned) and eat is as soon as it arrives!!!!
Review Source:If the current year was 1987, Â Palermo's would be getting five stars. Â It breaks my heart to see Palermo's the way it is now, especially when I remember the glory days of Palermos----antipasto before your dinner w/ the "green goddess" Â dressing, Â eggplant parm made from scratch (along with all the other dinner items on the menu!) Â Hell, my dad would ask for the "Chef's Special" Â (not on the menu) and they would whip it up for him. Â But alas, those days are gone, and sorely missed by me and my entire family, as well as my husband, who grew up nearby. Â The current owner took it over after the sudden death of his brother about 15 years ago and really mucked it up. Â The sausage is grisly, the pasta is not fresh, Â the cheese is processed, the dough on the pizza is factory made (IT USED TO BE HAND ROLLED).!! Â My husband and I went there for dinner last year and there were no waitresses, the owner was waiting on us. Â Major red flag, and the end of an era. Â RIP Palermos.
Review Source:Can't believe I've just now reviewed my neighborhood place run by Frank Calderone who is serious and personable at the same time. Â I've carried out pasta tubs, combo sandwiches, and of course their pizza. Â The pizza is unique in that it's a little sweet but very good. Â They recently had a year long promotion to offer a small pizza at $5 for their 50th anniversary and reflects the genorisity of the owner to his customers.
We sat down to try other offerings and I was surprised at how well the interior was laid out and decorated with signed autographs and awards. Â I ordered the Chicken Parmesean and was rewarded with a tasty meal with my choice of a pasta side which is not a given. Â They did not repeat the pizza sauce as some restaurants run the same sauce over everything on their menu but with a meat sauce which made this memorable along that it was a genourous portion.
My wife ordered the Linguini with Clams in a white sauce and it was so much we had to carry out the rest of this order.  A perfect balance of pasta and real clams, although like I do in my recipe of this they probably added a can of chopped clams too. Regardless it was not salty or overwhelming fishy taste.  The clams were maybe little necks about 2" and uniform in size.  The only minus was the bread they laid out to accompany the meals which I view as important to compliment the meal.  I'm not even being  picky.... imagine sopping up gravy with something that tastes like plain white bread.  I hope this changes and will only improve your ratings if you make a better bread or rolls.
I grew up eating this pizza from their original location that was mainly just a take out counter and a few tables, so maybe some 40 years now! Â I remember when they moved to this current location and what a big deal it was cos it was such a step up. Â Palermos is the one all other pizzas must measure up to and none ever has.
Relatively thin crust, but enough of it to hold up to a mound of toppings. Â My fav - sausage, mushrooms, onions and green peppers. Â Sausage always delicious and sizeable. Â Mushrooms, even though canned are good and green peppers are cooked enough so they're not crunchy or mushy. Â The real star is the sauce. Â It's what pulls the pizza together and is really the icing! Â Sweet enough with a bit of tang.
Their entrees are excellent, no matter what one chooses and their pasta sauce is fit for even the most decerning diner.
I don't know what I'd do if I came back to Chicago for a visit and they weren't there! Â Thank goodness they still are and I can count on the same fantastic pizza everytime!
We went here to celebrate my pinning ceremony from nursing school (whoot whoot!). We didn't get here until 10pm, and I believe they close at 11pm, but felt very welcomed none the less. There were 4 of us and we started with appetizers. The calamari is sooooo delicious here!! It is really one of the best places, in my opinion for calamari. The pieces are huge, and lightly breaded. It's not like most places where its 90% crunch breading and 10% actual calamari. It comes with fish sauce for dipping instead of marinara, which really gave it a kick! I loved it. We also got bruschetta, which was tasty and bake clams, which were also very very good! I've been craving them ever since! Even though all that was pretty filling, we also go entrées (We were celebrating here!). I went simple and got bake mostaccioli with marinara. It was good, but I've had better (like at Buca de Beppo's). The sauce was too bland for me and I like it with a little more cheese. My mom and friend both got the lemon drop martinis, it was nice that they actually give you the shaker, so it's like you get at least two drinks! But  they were looking for more taste & I guess the drinks were too strong (they are kinda light weights though =P).
Review Source:If you like pizza with a VERY sweet sauce, you will like Palermo's. Â If not, stay away. Â Most definitely not one of the best pizza places I have ever ate at and the restaurant is in need of a serious update!! Â But, they have been in business for a very long time, so they must be doing something right!!
Review Source:Conflicting experiences here,
Different experiences depending if it is dine in or take out.
Pizza is really good and they are cool making your pizza the way you want it . My friend told me that he wanted roasted garlic pizza, so I thought to my self yikes this is the south side and even though there are great pizza places around here, most of them don't offer the Marguerite, goat cheese or spinach ,for example, forget about roasted garlic (which is simple to do, but they usually don't have it). So I called them and asked and sure enough they did not have it. But wait a minute the nice lady at the phone said she would check. What a great surprise, it would take a few mins longer but they would make it for us. As said before I have had pizza from this place to go many times and is good.
On the other hand, yesterday I went there with a friend to dine in. It was almost completely empty. There was an older couple there, which left in a few mins. So there it was medium size restaurant all empty, kinda dark, no windows, just me, my friend and the voices on the background of the waitress and the bar tender. A little creepy and uncomfortable.
We ordered calamari, eggplant parmigiana sandwich and Italian beef sandwich.
The calamari was on the smaller side (not the portion , but the calamari rings, they were small) and just ok. I love eggplant parmigiana but in here it wasn't as good. It was dry and lacked some sauce. Sandwiches are big, they come some perfect French fries and a little house salad which is nice. The Italian beef sandwich  was delicious. And we asked for a little of au jus on the side and this sauce is really good. I wanted to drink it. It has this fragrance and taste that I had never experienced before, therefore hard to explain. I guess I will have to go back and ask them.
Price wise: pizzas are a little higher than other pizza places around, but worth it, and the sandwiches compare to them.
4 stars for take out
3 stars for dine in
Palermos on my opinion is really good for take out or delivery. Kinda bad for dining in.
Ok see.. I dont get it... maybe i have to dine IN? maybe an italian restaurant isn't supposed to make good mostaccioli or meat sauce, or fried calamari, my bad.. This was my order, and None of it was in the least bit satisfactory. I was delivered a box of greasy rubber bands (calamari) and some overcooked pasta tossed in tomato paste or ketchup, couldnt decide, Â No spices, No flavor. i had requested w/meat sauce, found some crumbles of some kind of meat in the tomato paste, but that was about it.. what i ended up doing was throwing out the rubber bands, and try my best at seasoning the tomato paste, finaly turning it into something edible. after ALL of the raving and ranting i had read about Palermos, tisk tisk.. Â I just dont get it.??
Review Source:I've done it all. Gino's East. Giordano's. Palermo's.
I've even - at some point in the last 5 years - claimed that each of these eateries make "the best deep dish pizza. like. ever." BUT, I've gotta say. After my palate's recent visit with a very delectable/memorable corn-meal based crust, Palermo owns my taste buds.
This place is weird. It's like a dive bar with early 90's restaurant furniture (think 'chinese restaurant' furniture). But don't let the aesthetics sway you astray... their pizza is to die for! I mean... literally, because you sort of have to drive through the hood to get there.
This is my favorite pizza in all of Chicago. Frank Calderone, the owner, is one of the nicest people in the world, too. I have never tasted a better pizza sauce than Palermo's. I've lived in Chicago my entire life and have visited or eaten 100's of different pizzas from different establishments. Some are very good, but this sauce is the best!
Review Source:Seriously? I haven't reviewed this place even though I make my mom pick some up when she's on the south side of Chicago which is like at least once a month?!?!?
Hands down my fav pizza. Â Thinking of this place and writing this review is making my mouth water. Â The crust is delicious, the sauce is sweet and you can taste that it's home made...and the SAUSAGE....THE SAUSAGE...I think it's the best sausage I've eaten. Â I'm sorta picky with my sausage, I don't like it when it's packed with fennel,or has a weird fakey taste to it, if that makes sense. Â And I'm like 90% sure they make their own sausage...but I don't really care where they get it, it's just like heaven in my mouth. Â
One day when I'm not so in love with their pizza, I will try their pasta..but not sure if that day will ever come. Â lol
Oh, and love that they have fried cauliflower...not many places have that, and I'm not sure why, but it's scrumptious!
I have been a Palermos customer so long, I take for grant how good their Pizza Really is. Go there, order a simple Sausage Pizza and enjoy! You will probably agree that this Pizza is the best , or one of the best, you will ever have.Their other offerings are great , fine Italian food at decent prices, but its all about the Pizza! Why you go there say hello to Frank. !!
Review Source:Based on Yelp reviews, I went here late on the way back to the hotel. Â The area is a little sketchy but the food is old school Italian. Â This visit is based on a quick to go order as they closed the dining room due to the time...8:30 PM
Atmosphere - Old, dark, family owned, busy.
Food - Yep, the Yelpers were right. Â The sauce is sweet. Â They must add sugar. Â I ordered the ravioli and a meatball w/ a basic side salad. Â The meatball was delicious and homemade. Â The ravioli was decent but I grew tired of the sweet sauce as I ate it. Â I think on another visit I would opt for the pizza instead. Â I think the sauce would compliment pizza better than pasta.
Service - Super friendly! Â I believe the owner waited on us. Â He was great, even though they were shutting down for the night he offered to make us anything. Â I can see why he has been in business for so many years. Â
Price - It is inexpensive compared to other choices in the area.
Overall - The pasta sauce was not my favorite, but I will definitely try a pizza from Palermo the next time I am in Chitown, near the Midway airport.
I almost totally forgot about this joint. We got a deep dish sausage mushroom to go for the gang back at the hotel when my friend got married in the area a while back. Walking though the old wooden double doors in that old brick building made me think we were going to a mafia hideout. You know a place has been a round a while when they over Lunch and Funeral packages. Yes I said funeral packages. Don't believe me? Check this page:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.palermosof63rd.com%2Fdine_in.htm&s=762d73c41813dc3b5124cbc5fead0b0563135ddfb8682ba91c178f4771e64395" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.palermosof63r…</a>
Coming from California it's interesting when you order mushrooms you get fresh button mushrooms. In an old school place like this, you get canned mushrooms. Not that it's bad, in fact it was quite good; it's just a completely different flavor profile. Â With the thick crust, you can be assured you're not going hungry as a large definitely fed four hearty appetites with some leftovers to boot. Too bad I never actually had the meal there as I didn't experience the retro charm that the building offers.
When I crave pizza, THIS is the taste that I crave! I compare all other pizza places to Palermo's!
I have never eaten in the restaurant, and we have only ever ordered the pizza. Why switch it up when you hit the jackpot every time? The sauce is perfectly sweet and they never skimp on ingredients! They use real sausage that is just delicious!
Always friendly staff who still remembers my grandfather coming in there even though he has been gone 20 years. I guess you could say we are regular picker-uppers!
The lasagna and the thin crust pizzas are so damn delicious. Mostly because of the sauce. Its notable because of the slight tangy sweetness.
Palermo's also catered my wedding on Saturday. We ordered a selection of party trays and be warned- their portion sizes are misleading in the sense that they are GIGANTIC!! When they say 15-20 they actually mean 25-28.
We still have a ton of tasty leftovers. They delivered on time with excellent service. They helped make a superb day even more delightful.
Can I have some pizza with my sugar?
I went to Palermo's with anticipating tasting "the best thin crust pizza". In regret, I experienced a not so thin, way over sweet sauce, bland pizza. Â Also, it was expensive. I will stick to north side pizza. By the way, can I have my $40.00 back?
The. Best. Eggplant. Parmagiana. Ever.
The eggplant parmigiana dinner is the only thing I order whenever I eat at Palermo's. It comes with a side of pasta in their famed sweet marinara sauce, and it's marvelous. You'll literally do a double take at your pasta because that sweet marinara is so good you'll want to lick it off the plate.
To top it off, the owner is such a total sweetheart of a man. He is so friendly, and he makes sure your meal is complete: "Okay, you got the bread, you got the salad and the soup. Is there anything else you need here?"
Man, he rocks.
Overall, 5 stars for crazily delicious marinara sauce and 5 stars for awesome owner with amazing customer service.
I just had to try Palermo's Italian Beef sandwiches simply because it is home to the best pizza on the south side of Chicago. I ordered my usual - beef sandwich, dry with giardiniarra peppers. They heard my entire order - especially the dry part.
Palermo's pizza is made with a sweet sauce. People either love it or hate it. Personally, I love it. There is no other like it in the areas I've lived. So, I assumed their beef would be top notch. I was wrong.
The taste was banquet beef - you know, the beef you have when the family gathers 'round for a party. I was waiting for my Aunty Rosie to whip around the corner and toss me a card stuffed with money as I ate this. The beef was loaded with meat, which is a great thing.
The problem: about half way through, I felt I was biting into thin slabs of dry leather. My mouth is usually soaked from the saliva generated by a good pile of giardinierra peppers, but not this time. The beef was real dry. The bread was fine, the size was OK and the giardinierra peppers were forgettable.
Needless to say, I'm sticking with what Palermo's does best - pizza.
I have a short shameful confession - I hate Chicago deep dish pizza. Â Hate may not adequately describe my inner disgust at the food in question so let me move past this point w/o spilling forth all of my venom in this review.
I'm a thin crust guy. Â
No. Â Wait. Â Before I moved to Chicago, I never used to differentiate between "thin crust" and "deep dish". Â Pizza was pizza and this "deep dish" monstrosity that Chicago so vehemently claims as its own is an unspeakable affront to mankind everywhere. Â Little children run in horror, women weep their silent streams and men crumble to dust. Â Ladies and gentlemen of great responsibility, let us cleanse the Earth of this evil once and for all!
I was introduced to Palermo's pizza via my roommate who has had previous dealings w/ the establishment. Â When he used to go to Purdue (knock it off, haters) he would trek all the way up here to eat at this place. Â It's just that good.
The sauce is top notch. Â You can't make a good pie w/o good sauce and this place serves it proper. Â It's a bit on the sweet side but once the taste settles w/ the rest of the ingredients, it's a perfect mixture.
If you're a fan of cold pizza, you'll be happy to know this pizza tastes even better cold. Â Amazing Cold Pizza! Â Read those three words again. Â I'll go get a mop for your drool.
What "deep dish" pizza tastes any good cold?! Â That's right. Â None.
Best pizza in Chicago. Â My family is from the West Lawn area so i grew up on this stuff; almost every sunday we ordered Palermos.
I've lived in Lincoln Park since 2000, and have yet to find a pizza place on the North Side/Loop area that comes close to Palermos (including all the crappy chain pizza places that somehow convince tourists that the chains represent "Chicago pizza." I wish they would open up a Palermos in Lincoln Park; it would dominate. Â However, comparable to the movie "The Beach," maybe it is better if Palermos is kept a secret so it won't get ruined by the masses.
Palermos is worth a trip down to the South Side, whether you are a north sider, suburbanite, or out-of-towner on business/vacation.
Oh, my review is solely based on the pizza (thin crust). Â I'm 31 and i don't think i've ever ordered anything else from there my whole life.
I grew up in the neighborhood and always ate here with my family or had pizza delivered. This is hands down the best pizza I've ever had! The sauce is very sweet so some people may not like it. I'm not a big sausage eater, but I love theirs.
I live on the north side now and I'm happy to see they have Palermo's frozen pizzas at Jewel! Its not the same, but it curbs my cravings.
I have been going here since I was a youngster and it hasn't changed much since then. Â I adore the pizza, but if you are not a fan of sweet sauce then this place isn't for you. Â Generous toppings and good selection of toppings. Â The beef sandwiches are also awesome, but if you are thinking delivery then order WAY before you want your food. This place gets so busy that it sometimes takes 2 hours or more. It is worth the wait for me, but diner beware. Â
Try it out, but beware of imitations.
Previous to last night, I'd only ordered pizza from Palermo's and had never eaten in the restaurant. Â We finally changed that last night, and I don't know what took me so long. Â The facade can appear creepy, since it has no windows, nor do the double doors at the entrance. Â You walk in to a small vestibule where the counter for pizza pick-ups is located, then walk through another door that opens in to the small bar with the hostess stand located at the far end. Â As it was a weeknight, the restaurant wasn't busy, and we were offered our choice of tables or booths. Â
Other reviewers have commented on the decor. Â It does have a "time capsule" quality to it, with photos on the wall from Jane Byrne's mayoral campaign and black-and-white photos of local celebrities (with an autographed photo of Mario Batali to update things); but this isn't manufactured Bucca de Beppo-type kitsch, it's sincere pride in the family's history, and I appreciate that. Â Sitting in the red vinyl booth and looking around at all of it, including the grandmotherly waitresses, I felt at home. Â Given the choice between decor and food, I'd rather know that any place is spending money on the food.
The menu is old-school Italian-American and divided into appetizers, soups and salads, pastas, chicken, veal, seafood and beef entrees, and pizzas. Â I'm sure there are desserts on the menu, but I can't imagine anyone coming here and having room for them. Â At the very bottom of the menu, the awards the restaurant has received from local media were listed from 1970 to 2007 (which we decided was a good sign that the restaurant wasn't trading on its history). Â We ordered a half-dozen baked clams to start, but our waitress suggested that she serve us the salad and soup that came with our entrees first, as the clams would take a bit. Â My side salad wasn't anything exceptional, but I appreciated the fresh vinaigrette dressing, since so many Italian places phone it in and use bottled. Â The soup was minestrone, and the broth was a rich, dark red, and full of beans and vegetables. Â
We finished our salad and soup just as the clams were brought to the table. Â They were generously-sized, fresh and perfectly cooked. Â We scraped out the last of the breadcrumbs and sipped the broth left in the shells. Â
This isn't the place to go if you're in a hurry (the menu requests 30-45 minutes for entrees), but the pace is so relaxed and comfortable, it feels like being a guest in someone's home. Â Our entrees were the chicken limone and chicken alfredo risotto. Â When our waitress put the platter of risotto down in front of me, I said, "It's enough to feed three people!" Â She chuckled, "then you eat it for three days." Â Most people expect generous portions at Italian restaurants, but this plate bordered on the absurd. Â The risotto was cooked perfectly, rich with cheese, and filled with chunks of tender, pan-seared chicken. Â The chicken limone was boneless breast meat that had been pan seared with olive oil, lemon, garlic and parsley, and accompanied by choice of potato (baked or fries) or choice of a side of pasta (spaghetti or mostaccioli) . Â Simple, but very good.
We were both very glad we went to Palermo's for dinner, and decided it would be even better to come with a big group of people ordering several entrees that everyone could share. Â We left with our take-out boxes, completely sated and looking forward to our next visit. Â The gentleman behind the pizza counter wished us a good night as we walked out the door.
I should have heeded the advice about the sauce being sweet. Â This pizza was some of the most disgusting I've ever had. Â The sauce is not just sweet, it is practically inedible. Â The crust is not that much better. Â We had to send our pizza back for being undercooked and the second go around was not much of an improvement.
I am only giving two stars because the fried mushrooms appetizer was delicious, if served with a somewhat odd mayonnaise dipping sauce. Â The Cherry Coke was also superb.
The place was also kind of dingy. Â We didn't have water glasses on the table, so I had to fetch them from another. Â Finding a clean one was an impossible task, and we ended up settling for the least dirty.
I don't give 5 stars often.
Perhaps my love for this 63rd street pizza place stems from the fact that I ate it almost once a week growing up... Â Bias? Â Meh.
This is, hands down, one of the best pizza places in the city. Â Don't let the other sites trick you - ahem, Orland and Oak Lawn - 63rd Street is where it's at.
The crust is not too thin, but by no means thick. Â They load up the cheese, I mean LOAD UP THE CHEESE, and use a slightly sweet sauce. Â Now, don't get me wrong, some people are not fans of the sauce, my mother included, but I would not let that stop you from trying this pizza.
While the environment is pretty 80's and you are not likely to recognized many of the people in the pictures scattered about the dinning room, it doesn't matter. Â The food and the service matters - both of which are great.
Don't let reviews on other sites scare you off if you are new to the city or from another neighborhood, the area is fine and the trip would be worth it. Â A little south side never hurt anyone.
I also hear the Chicken Parmesan is excellent, but I don't bother with that... I like to get down to business with my favorite pizza in the city.
Yummm !! Yummm !! Yummm !!
This is the best pizza in Chicago !! Â I grew up eating this pizza and will eat this pizza until Im old and gray. Â They have a distinct sweet sauce which my friend describes "so good it dances on her tongue." Â The sauce is amazing, cheese is really rich and cheesy, dough is just enough to balance everything out. Â By far, the best pizza in Chicago. Â And another thing to point out is that its family owned - and you can tell they really care about their customers.
Best pizza in Chicago, hands down  There's something completely unique about their pizza, and I've never been able to put my finger on it.
The sauce is fantastic, the cheese is fantastic, the toppings are perfection. Â For an extra treat, ask them to make the pizza well-done. Â Brown on top and to die for. Â A little pricier than your average shop, but all-in-all, a great experience.
"THE" best pizza on the southside of Chicago! Â And reason why is because of their tangy sweet one-of-a-kind sauce! Â I doubt anyone else has this unique recipe! Â No matter what pizza toppings you get, you'll enjoy it all the more because of the savory sauce! Â And positive you'll come back for more! Â Not to mention their fried calamari is also very delish, not gummy, but mouth-watering, esp with that little bit of lemon squirted all over! Â And most of all, their prices aren't bad. Â The eating area showcases many photos of the restaurants owner and the many who came and ate there. Â Don't get this place mixed up with the Palermo's of Oak Lawn or Orland Park. Â They may be related, and have good food too, but definitely do not have that same tangy-sweet sauce that makes this establishment's pizzas unique!
Review Source:I grew up just around the corner from this establishment and ate their deep dish once a week. I now live in San Francisco, but every time I come home to visit, I order a couple of their pizzas half baked, I freeze it, then bring it on the plane home with me to store in my freezer.
This place is worth a trip to the Southwest side if you've never been. Their sauce is absolutely to die for. I try to emulate it every time I make sauce at home. It's got a wonderful sweetness to it that's unlike any other sauce I've ever tried. And their baked mostaccioli is also amazing, as I imagine all of their baked pastas are.
I've never been to the location on 95th but I've heard they are different owners. They have just opened a new location on 143rd and Wolf Road, which is closer to where my parents currently live. It's every bit as good as the 63rd street location.
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