Bustling even at 11:45 AM on a Friday. Split the house salad and a plain vanilla pizza with sausage and mushroom. Pleasant sweetness tothe sauce, the sausage was sliced and not really memorable, but OK. Crust on the edge very crispy, on the bottom thin and a bit chewy -- nothing wrong with that, just that we prefer crispier crusts fresh from the oven. We'd rate the food overall a good deal for the price. Our food came quickly.
Service was OUTSTANDING. Katie was our waitress and she was just short of overly solicitous. In fact, my wife said she was afraid to look her way for fear she'd hop right over to our table! Better this kind of service than the opposite. Every server there seemed this way -- hustling, trying to please, and everyone with a genuine smile.
Over all a B+ experience and we'll go back. You won't be disappointed.
Good food, terrible service
Let me preface my review by saying that this place has good food and an upscale design. However, these aspects of Peel are not exceptional-- indeed, the only exceptional part of my experience with Peel was how hard they tried to squeeze every cent they could out of me while providing terrible service.
On a recent roadtrip, my girlfriend and I decided to swing by Peel on our way out of St Louis. We'd been there before, when we'd tried going to Cleaveland Heath, only to find it closed on Sunday. Figuring that Peel had pretty good pizza, we thought we would swing by again and grab an order to go before hitting the road.
But Peel wasn't having any of that.
First, they wouldn't let us order over the phone. OK, that's fine, I understand that, despite explaining we were already on our way, they had a policy against this. Maybe people in the past have ordered food and never picked it up. That's fine, and if this had been it, Peel would still be a solid 4 stars in my book.
However, upon arriving here, we were informed that the only way to order was to get a table, and that this would involve a 30-40 minute wait. Despite having called them twice on the way over, this was our first time hearing about this rule. Despite telling the person on the phone that we were on a road trip and couldn't stay long, none of the people we spoke to had thought it prudent to tell us that we would have to delay over half an hour for a table BEFORE we could order our food. Our only alternative to waiting would be to order at the bar--but, oh, wait, we would have to order a drink there first before getting food. Great idea for people who were trying to drive somewhere.
Instead of this pile of BS, we went to Cleaveland Heath 5 minutes away and placed our order at the bar with no fuss. During that time, I struck up a conversation with a local, who preemptively told me (before I shared my experience with him) that he avoided Peel at all cost as a restaurant with a corporate feel and unfriendly attitude. After this experience, I can only agree wholeheartedly.
Peel might have decent pizza, but the only thing that stands out about it is how hard they try to penny and dime you. If you want an upscale, friendly place to have dinner, I suggest trying the nearby Cleaveland Heath instead.
Really enjoyed it!! Â Appetizers were delicious, Pizza was Fantastic, too full by that point but I'm sure desserts were amazing as well. Â there has always been a wait of about 25 min average when i go, they needed to make the inside a little bigger if they were going to have such good food and drinks! yes drinks! they have hard cider (angry orchard) my fav on draft and its absolutely thirst quenching when on draft! Â even if i don't plan on drinking i will get one when i go here. Â you cant find it all over.
The pizza is so good, the crust is yummy and the wood fired items they have including wings and such are just so good! i could eat, eat, eat and still try to eat some more. Â I literally have to get cut off here!
FANTASTIC Food, you should try it!
I've NEVER had a bad meal here.
I've been to this location about 20 times since it opened and have never had the same pizza twice, it's just about the most perfect pizza I have ever eaten.
I have to drive about 20 minutes to get to it's location, and will be moving to a location about a hour away, and will make the drive with no problem, it's truly great.
The best pizza I have had ever! I cannot even express my foodgasm in words.
We came to this place on a Saturday afternoon at about two and still had to wait thirty minutes. Â I will wait here for an hour just to have a little piece of heaven.
We had the BBQ pulled pork with maple bourbon glaze and bacon (something like that) and OMG it was beyond perfect. Â The size of the pizza was perfect for two. Â No soggy or mushy crust like some other reviews. Â I was surprised that our food was out in less than ten minutes. Â
This place is definitely kid friendly with prices, the Mac n cheese was only 2.99 and was homemade. Â It was boiling though as they bake it. Â We had to put ice in it. Â Surprisingly enough the pizza came out 2-3 min before the Mac n cheese.
I am so glad to finally say that I have that one pale I want to take everyone while visiting St. Louis. Â It's just in edwardsville and not the its!
You have to try it once. Â Go try it just do it and wait its worth it.
I've been several times in the past but haven't yet put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard these days) to write a review. Â
I rolled in there with a party of 11. Â It was my call on the restaurant so I was a little nervous about their no call-ahead, no reservations policies. Â Fortunately, it worked out alright as we took a table of 7 for the adults and added a table of 4 for the teenager girls which was close enough that they could shuttle back and forth yet far enough away that they had the ability to chatter without disturbing the adults. Â It is worth noting that we arrived at about 4:30 on a Saturday and waited close to an hour to be seated.
I'm not exactly sure how it happened but everyone ordered something different and there was a ton of sampling that took place. Â Truly, that may have been the deciding factor that made this the perfect choice for this crowd. Â We collectively had a pizza with brie and apples, buffalo chicken, sausage, bbq w/bacon, thai chicken, chicken gorgonzola and their special of the day which involved a fried egg on top.
The kids also lucked into a special dessert which consisted of chocolate waffles with a variety of toppings. Â Some had salads, some had soup, one kid had mac-n-cheese. Â Somehow, damn near everything was consumed!
About the food - not so much as a "meh" was heard. Â Everyone seemed to love the place and love the food. Â There were probably as many "favorites" as there were opinions. Â Personally, I thought the bbq pizza was the most delicious but the brie, apples and prosciutto is the one I would most like to have again. Â The buffalo chicken came in a close second and it was my menu selection. Â I forgot to tell the waitress "no celery" but forgot. Â Interestingly enough, it actually added to the pie. Â Generally I hate celery but it worked on the buffalo chicken pizza.
You may be wondering...with such a great experience, why only 4 stars? Â Simple, they need to develop a better method for dealing with the crowds beyond refusing to add you to the list until your whole party is present then making you wait for an hour or more. Â A few radical thoughts spring to mind...call-ahead, reservations, open table. Â Yes, you're on the winning end of supply and demand but that doesn't mean you should take advantage of your customers patience.
It is with a heavy heart that I downgrade my previous five-star rating :(
The boyfriend and I loved Peel so much that we were always looking forward to going again. However, it's 45 minutes away so we were saving it for an occasion or a convenient time.
When we had to drive to Nashville to meet friends, we thought we'd stop in to Peel on the way, even though it wasn't really on the way, to get pizza for the road. We love both Peel and Cleveland-Heath but figured pizza would be easier to eat in a car, especially with our little (beggar) dog with us.
We called ahead and asked if we could place an order and they told us no, it was 'dine-in only'. We asked if they could make an exception since we had a long drive ahead of us and we had a dog in the car but no dice.
We thought about going elsewhere but I convinced my bf that we love Peel so much, let's just go anyway and place the order while we're there.
So we arrived around 5pm and the place was packed. Ridiculously so! I'm not sure how/why this many people eat so early on a Friday afternoon...
Anyway, we asked if we could place an order for carry-out and they said no, we had to dine-in, but there was at least a 15 minute wait.
They told us we HAD to sit at the bar and order at least ONE drink in order to get any pizza.
W. T. F.
We explained to them our situation and they were not at all sympathetic--they just kept repeating that if we ordered any drink, even a soda, only then could we get a menu to order any food. We probably would have ordered a drink anyway but it was utterly ludicrous that we were forced to.
Not to mention, they could have told us over the phone that if we arrived, we would have to sit at the bar and purchase a drink--it felt like a bald-faced attempt to try to squeeze some extra money from customers.
In the end, we skipped out and went to Cleveland-Heath instead. It makes me really sad that this happened. I know their pizzas are amazing and they will never lack for customers, but they need to work on their customer service :(
My friend treated me to dinner. She and her hubby decided to take my nephew and I to Peel.
The wait was the worst part. We waited for an hour on a Saturday night. I know it was not that bad of a wait, but when you have been on your feet all day at work, standing for a an hour is really not something that I want to do.
I ordered the wild mushroom soup. It was a very good start to the meal. Fresh mushroom soup is way to good.
My friend ordered the risotto balls and the pretzel rolls. the risotto balls reminded me of a cheesey potato pancake. you can not go wrong with pretzel anything.
I ordered the Maple Bourbon Pork pizza. Â The pizza featured bacon, pulled pork, and a maple glaze. I asked for mushrooms instead of roma tomatoes. The pizza was different in a too awesome way. I did eat one slice too many and the sweetness was a bit overwhelming.
I do not make my way too Edwardsville to much. This pizza was too good. I will be back.
Finding the words to describe my love for the food and dining experience at Peel is a difficult task. There is a reason that on weekends people are willing to line up and wait, sometimes, for an hour to eat. Peel is located in a hip location in Edwardsville. When you walk into the restaurant you are greeted with a bar with a huge selection of draft beers while you wait. The beer selection runs the gambit with offerings ranging from Pale Ales to IPAs to strong, dark stouts. I definitely encourage you to order a beer while you wait to be seated.
Once you are seated you are given the mouthwatering task of picking from a wide array of appetizers, salads, and pizzas. On this specific occasion, my friend and I decided to split an appetizer of Spinach Artichoke Involtinis. The involtinis come with a selection of three dipping sauces and are absolutely amazing. After finishing the appetizer, I began to eat my pizza. I ordered the Roasted Butternut Squash pizza, a vegetarian option, and I fell in love. The pizza was a delicious combo of butternut squash, caramelized shallots, goat cheese, and arugula. However, the best part is the soft, flaky, wood-fired crust. The pizza was amazing! I'll also add that I try a new pizza every time I visit Peel and have never been disappointed. I also regularly try the desserts, and, again, I have never been let down by their changing number of scrumptious weekly specials.
The servers are amazing, and they are always on top of their game when it comes to making sure drinks stay filled and food is delivered promptly. Even the manager was great by checking in to make sure we were enjoying our experience. Peel is a must visit if you are in the area, and, if you live here, then you'll be coming back again and again.
IN SHORT: A nice option for Edwardsville, assuming you like wood-fired food and small plates. The pizza's pretty good. Something is missing, though, that I can't quite put my finger on.
THE FULL STORY: I was recently asked to be a part-time instructor at SIUE, and I decided to celebrate prior to my first evening class by taking myself out to dinner. Â I've heard lots of good things about Peel, and I figured it was worth a shot. After all, I love pizza!
So, here's the thing -- Peel was very good, and I enjoyed my meal. The server was attentive and polite, and since the restaurant wasn't particularly busy, I never wanted for anything for very long. Generally, I'd give the place a 5-star review on that basis. But there was just something about the place that made me hesitant to offer a perfect score.
Maybe it's the way that the pizza tasted a little singed on the crust (a common problem with wood-fired pizza -- you really have to watch the crust and make sure that it doesn't get charred or pick up too much ash!).
Maybe it's the fact that the place wasn't crowded, but was quite loud.
Maybe it's the fact that the menu had a lot of complicated-sounding pizzas on it, but that the server had difficulty recommending a vegetarian pizza to me that sounded like it'd been designed by someone with functioning taste buds. (I created my own and it was fine, but it tasted awful reheated due to the doughy crust and blend of cheeses used.)
Maybe it's that the high-end atmosphere didn't match the quality of the food as tightly as I would have liked.
Anyhow, I have nothing against the restaurant, and I would like to take my wife back for a second go-around. Perhaps then, I can put my finger on exactly what Peel needs to do to bring things into alignment and I can write a re-review.
Until then, I'll say this -- it's one of the nicer places I've been in Edwardsville (it's back in a really swanky shopping center that houses the Goddard School) and probably appeals more to the townies than the students. Aside from the volume, the atmosphere was pleasant. The service was good. The food was decent. The prices were about what you'd expect for a pizza place that specializes in unusual combinations.
The pizza itself is thin and comes in 11" portions - enough for two people to share, Â perhaps, but only if they order an appetizer or salad to go with it.
I finally decided to give in and see what all the fuss was about with Peel, I have been a Pi loyalist since they opened. I was surprised to say that Peel is now on the top of my list, however that isn't to say that its better than Pi. Comparing the two is like comparing Chicago Deep Dish and St.Louis Thin Crust, both Pi and Peel are two totally different type of pizza, however they both have one thing in common they use high quality toppings but thats where they differ.
The pizza at peel is wood fired, which actually adds to its taste. There are many unique types of pizza but I opted for a more traditional build your own, which turned out great.
I highly recommend Peel to anyone who loves pizza, you will not be disappointed. I do recommend getting there early as there is often a wait during the evening and weekend hours.
I have given this place a try time and time again.
The ingredients are good and service is acceptable.
The biggest problem is the pizza's does NOT get baked hot enough.
The center of the pizza is always soggy and soft.
To many options for "stone fired" pizzas to continue to go with same results.
pretty good, my wife LOVES the place.
its a little to crowded and congested for my appeal.
i dig the desert pizza. Â id like to see bigger pizza, but get that is there nitch....
the salads are really good and huge.....so get a big salad and split 1-2 pizza and you will be set.
the food is really consistent, and the services is a B+.....
Amazing. Â I've now been there twice, once with my family and once with a group of girls. Â When I visited with my family, it was a crowded Saturday afternoon, very busy, but the food was amazing.
Last night, I visited with a group of girls, we sat on the patio for about four hours, drinking, eating and visiting. Â Drinks were great, Â service was top notch and food was wonderful. Â We all ordered different variations of the house salad (mixed greens, onions, cheese, prosciutto ham and house dressing, ranch for me), ordered pizzas and he didn't write a single thing down, although he didn't screw a single thing up. Â He was very conscientious of my infant daughter in her carseat on the ground, kept our drinks full, table cleared, etc.
The only thing preventing me from giving Peel a full five stars is the following -- I ordered a pizza to take home to my husband. Â I believe it was the Thai Chicken pizza. Â He was pretty disappointed because the majority of the chicken on the pizza was fatty and gristley. Â
The patio was perfect last night -- quiet, relaxing and just a great place to spend an evening with friends.
I love and frequent this place. Â Whenever I eat pizza, I like to get as thin of a crust as possible but when I tried Peel's crust, it is simply delicious. Â You can smell the wood fired goodness within the crust and throughout the entire pizza. Â I have had their trio, pepperoni, jerk chicken, grecian (without the olives and with Italian sausage added), and the creme de Brie. Â They were all delicious. Â I've also had their garlic wings, caribbean mango, and alfredo wings, and I've tried their italian sausage lasagna. Â They were pretty good, too. Â I love their house salad, they have a great house dressing!
The seating is nice because you can either get indoor or outdoor seating. Â Of course, it's a different story when it is freezing cold out but on a nice, beautiful day or evening, I would say choose the outdoor seating. Â As much as I like the place, the indoor seating is always a bit too loud, almost like a high school cafeteria. Â The bad acoustic doesn't bother me that much but sometimes, it does get a bit too loud inside. Â Regardless, I love their food and I've always had a wonderful experience every time I go so I give this place a 5 star!
I am starting a new rating system to make my reviews more streamlined. I will judge each place on a specific set of criteria and then write brief PROS and CONS.
We had two appetizers, two pizzas, two desserts, and four rounds of beer. We spent 2.5 hours at the restaurant.
Food Quality: A-
Food Quantity: A+
Cleanliness: A-
Design & Decor: A
Noise Level: A-
Staff Friendliness: A-
Server Food & Beverage Knowledge: B
OVERALL GRADE: A- Â (I will eat at Peel again)
PROS: Food quality was excellent; Beer selection is superb; Scenery is great. Bacon and Potato pizza, Spinach Artichoke Involtini and Goat cheese gratin were wonderful!!
CONS: Need at least 1 more television for the main dining room or play music; Our waitress was friendly, cute, and did a good job but didn't know the menu too well and didn't know the difference between a stout and an ale; the Trio pizza was good but not great....pretty standard pizza.
I didn't know an orgasm in the mouth was possible, but this place made it possible.
  I eat here every chance possible. Their salads, appetizers, pizzas, wings, dessert, etc. are fantastic. I have not had one bad dish from here. The only downfall I can find with Peel (if I am looking really hard) is their waiting area. This restaurant was definitely not built for a large crowd of individuals waiting to be seated, but trust me, the wait is definitely worth it. Every week they have fantastic, unique specials that stray from the typical toppings you would encounter. One of my personal favorites is their Chevre pizza or their Broccoli Cheddar pizza. You can definitely not go wrong with either one. Also, save room from dessert. Their Nutella S'mores pizza is irresistible.
BEST PIZZA IN THE AREA. Â I think i might go get a pizza now- and not share!
Still holding its stance as my favorite pizza in the Midwest, I was again caught moaning over my 11 inch pie this past weekend. Because you don't share this pizza. That's ridiculous.
   One downfall: they do not take reservations. And on a busy saturday night, waiting close to an hour when it's 100 degrees outside and the waiting area is close to nonexistent can be a bit irritating. Good thing the bar is right next to the door so you can grab a beer while you watch the clock (or the game playing on the TV).
   But once you sit down, ahhh the magic happens. Their house salads are great but if you're like me, the anticipation is saved up for the pizza in and of itself. I try to force myself to order something new with each visit and I have yet to be disappointed! On this venture I decided to order the Prosciutto pizza that came with fingerling potatoes, rosemary, prosciutto, fontina and parmesan, and roasted garlic---I may as well have been sitting back in my little Italian village piazza. It was that good. My friends ordered the weekly special that had a balsamic reduction, strawberries, arugula, and feta while the other ordered the Chevre. Each pizza was unique and absolutely outstanding! I honestly can't find a complaint (except that there was an END!)
  Also, major bonus points to them having Framboise on draft--I'm absolutely obsessed with this Belgian Raspberry beer!! And you can never go wrong with their dessert selections either; this place is in a league of its own!
Excellent food! Â The only reason I didn't bless them with that fifth star is because they don't take reservations and don't offer carryouts. Â Bummer. Â
I get their baby spinach salad every.single.time. Â Always a winner. Â And the prosciutto involtini, wild mushroom pizza, and craft beer selections are top-notch.
The food will not disappoint, but plan to go when you have time to kill...you could wait a while!
I have been here a handful of times and every time I go it has been better than the last. This was also the case when my girlfriend and myself went on Saturday night.
We got there around 8:30 and found a parking spot in the somewhat small lot. The wait for a table has usually been long on a weekend night but I guess we went after the big rush because we only waited 10-15 minutes to be seated.
My lady ordered a calzone which was great and I got the Tacchino sandwich. I actually think these are far better than their pizza's (which are still very good). If you are into mac n cheese you HAVE to try Peel's. Best mac and cheese I have ever had!
Our waiter Kelly was such a great server that I made note of his name and will ask for him next time I go to Peel.
The prices are not too bad for what you get. Like I said, I got the Tacchino sandwich with mac n cheese, she got a calzone, and we both ordered water (Neither of us drink soda). Our bill was $20 and some change and between both of our left overs I had enough food left for lunch the next day. They also seem to have a nice beer and wine selection if you are into that sort of thing.
I would definitely recommend this place for something that's consistently delicious and different than the normal fare .
The first serious assault on boring, bland pizza in this area was launched from Dewey's, closely followed by Pi. Â These two great pizza restaurants defied the belief that pizza joints had to have red vinyl chairs, bare walls, linoleum floors and a couple broken video games in the back, maybe a tv showing a hockey game. Â Â And they defied the belief that pizza usually meant a mess of pepperoni, sausage, and mozzarella slapped on a crust, served with a scratched-up plastic pitcher of some watery A-B product. Â
Dewey's and Pi showed the pizza trade if the only difference between your pizza and your competitors' were the names stamped on the boxes, you weren't trying hard enough. Â Dewey's and Pi are legitimate restaurants, with wonderful pizza recipes and extensive drink menus. Â I hesitate to use the word gourmet as that implies a snooty quality which neither of these warm, welcoming places have - but the pizza at Dewey's and Pi is just about gourmet-standard. Â Â They paved a whole new road to delicious pizza. Â
But now they need to pull over to the side and allow Peel to, um, peel right past them. Â Sometimes a pun opportunity is just too tempting to let slip by.
Without reading any of the other Yelp reviews, we visited Peel on a Saturday night. Â We walked up to the door at 7:30 pm without a reservation, certainly a looney stunt to try in this area, where if you're not in by 5:30 you're in for a wait. Â Sure enough, they said it would be at least an hour. Â
A word on that famous wait: Â have you noticed some places never have a wait? Â Do you really want to spend your dining money at a restaurant that can't summon enough interest to even fill all their tables? Â There are many out there that can't. Â You can always walk right into Burger King, for example, any night of the week. Â Yum-o... hold the onions... no, hold the whole thing, I ain't eating anywhere that isn't good enough to draw a crowd. Â A true dining experience always requires a little waiting, sorry, no matter where you go.
And with our drinks in hand, and a lively conversation in play, the wait slipped by effortlessly, and we were in. Â It didn't take the full ominous hour, and to be concise, IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH THE WAIT. Â Â Reasonable prices, very attractive decor, and pleasant staff (especially considering the battle-like conditions they're working in). Â But the pizza - ah, the pizza. Â Each of the four of us ordered a different one, and we shared. Â All of them were delicious. Â It was the pizza that made me fall in love with Peel. Â The devastatingly good pizza. Â
All the Peel pizzas are eleven inches. Â One is plenty for two people. Â I had beef tenderloin with a variety of gooey white cheeses on a light layer of dark cherry sauce. Â It was by any measure the best pizza I have ever tasted, ever. Â Geez that was awesome. Â The crust, the critical foundation of a pizza, was perfection. Â The pizza I had is at least a tie with the best food I've ever tasted, and memory being what it is, I should probably just give Peel the #1 and get it over with. Â A couple nice glasses of Magic Hat #9 to wash it down, and, voila, Big Daddy was ready to go lie down on his back for a while. Â (Being concerned the local piglets would mistake me for their mother, I stayed on my feet until I could get indoors.)
I long for the day when I find another restaurant where I think an hour wait is perfectly reasonable, considering. Â Or at least for the day I try another pizza at Peel.
I've heard a lot about this restaurant, but it really didn't live up to the hype. Â To start, the wait was 20 minutes...for lunch...at 1:30 in the afternoon. Â The bar/waiting area is tiny, so it wasn't an especially comfortable wait, either. Â
I had a hard time finding something on the menu that sounded good, largely because I'm not a fan of wood-fired pizzas. Â I ended up getting the macaroni and cheese, a house salad, and an order of focaccia.
Nothing I ordered was awful - it just wasn't all that great. Â I was a little disturbed at the focaccia, though. Â Unlike the usual thick, sponge-y focaccia most places serve, this was basically their pizza crust + herbs and onion chunks. Â The macaroni and cheese was actually pretty good (creamy, not too sharp-tasting, no weird grainyness or dryness). Â
The thing that drove me a little crazy, though, was the noise level. Â For such a small restaurant, Peel is LOUD. Â There's really not much to absorb sound, so it can be hard to carry on a normal volume conversation when the restaurant is crowded.
On the plus side, the prices were extremely reasonable and the staff was pretty friendly. Â They also gave my brother-in-law beer samples so he could decide which one he wanted to buy, which was pretty cool.
OK - I'm really MAD at Peel now. (But I still gave it 5 stars because I didn't want to hurt their rating).
It has been months since I've eaten there because if you want a table at prime time (dinner or lunch) - fogidaboutit!
Driving home from Branson last night and after crossing the river into Illinois on Hwy 55 North, I see a billboard for the Peel. ..Why???
You don't already have more customers than you can seat? So now we want to take the pride of Edwardsville and offer it to thousands of ravenous St. Louis people? Please - do NOT advertise anymore! (or expand!!!)
We usually go to Peel for special occasions due to there is always a wait. Â On our most recent trip we decided to go early and arrived at around 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon. Â Let's just say we felt like senior citizens. We had a party of six and were told the wait was forty minutes. Â We really only had to wait about 30 minutes for our table which was a plus. Â
Now for the great part; the food. Â We started off with the Involtini. Â It was awesome as always. Â What is Involtini? Â It is pizza dough filled with prosciutto, parmesan, mozzarella, and basil. Â This great appetizer is served with 3 sauces, marinara, an olive oil concoction and a cheese sauce. Â It is absolutely delicious. Â I had the Prosciutto Pizza. Â The crust was soft and cooked just right. Â This pizza was full of flavor. Â The others in our party were also very happy with their pizza selections.
The most important part of my dining experience is the beer selection. Â They have one of the best draft beer selections in the Metro East. Â I had a Boulevard Tank 7, Centennial IPA, and Chimay Triple Trappist Ale. Â All were great!
So why only 4 stars. Â I deducted a star due to the fact they are always packed and there is always a wait. Â I think they would be better suited in a larger space.
We made the trek out to Peel tonight and we were not disappointed. Although they told us it was an hour wait, we sampled a few beers from their excellent selection at the bar and the table was ready in about 40 min.
The quality of the food was excellent: really great dough, sauce and toppings. We had four pizzas and all were delicious: Mushroom, Chevre (basil, pesto, goat cheese, artichokes), Margherita and Jerk Chicken with Mango.
One suggestion: the pizzas come out extremely fast - like 3 minutes after you order, even if the place is full. It would be a good idea to order your salads or appetizers first and not place your pizza order until you're ready for them. Our pizzas and salad came out together.
Overall, I really enjoyed Peel. Great beer and great pizza. For me it was not worth the 25 minute drive there, especially now that I've found PW Pizza in St. Louis. If I was in the area again, I would definitely go back. And I hope they open a St. Louis location.
Best gourmet pizza in this side of the river! I've tried just about every pizza on the menu, and have never been disappointed. My favorites are the chicken gorgonzola and the creme de brie. Both are exceptional!
The Peel also has a pretty impressive tap selection. It's the only place that I've found Big Sky's Moose Drool on tap since I left the northern tier.
If you go on the weekend you can expect an hour wait, but it's worth it. During the week you'll have a much easier time just walking in. If the weather permits, I recommend the outside seating.
This definitely a place for people who want to try something different.
Their pizzas appear to use fontina cheese instead of mozzarella or provel. Â And most pizzas do not have red sauce on them.
The pizza ingredients run far and wide. Â Their is a Thai red curry pizza, pretty wild, with fresh veggies on top. Â I had a nice wild mushroom pizza.
But the best part was the wood -fired oven. Â I used to live in Boston, which has lots of wood-fried ovens. Â Crust does not come out flat; it is bumpy, which adds to the interest
Hell to the no on this dining establishment! Seriously, E-ville, I expected more from you...
As a former resident of Edwardsville, it's really cool to see all of the new development happening 'round town. It's been several years since I've lived here and the amount of change is monumental. We did not have an Old Navy, Dierbergs, Qdoba or Peel Wood Fire Pizza back in my day... and I'm not *that* old!
With all of the new development, no one mentioned to me that Hwy 159 has been re-routed through town. Seriously? How do you change a major highway like that? And very few of the new businesses mentioned above have claimed their businesses on Google maps, which makes it next to impossible to find them!
Needless to say, I had a very difficult time finding Peel Wood Fired Pizza last night, and when I called up for directions (twice!), the gal on the phone wasn't very helpful. She was nice, but not helpful. It took me 30 minutes of driving every possible route around town to find this damn place. So I came in here with a bad attitude... I'll give you that.
However, the black cloud over my head (think Grumpy Bear) could have easily been lifted had I received good service or a really great meal. Neither of those things happened. Without going into too much detail, here are my complaints:
1. Dinner salads come piled up on an 11" plate (the same exact plate as the 11" pizzas). Who needs that much salad? And why didn't the server ask me, "Are you really hungry? 'Cause our dinner salads are ginormous." Salad doesn't save well, people, so I had to waste at least 5" of lettuce. And it was a total waste of money, too.
2. I asked for bread and butter since eating that much salad could blow anyone's colon out of this Earth. It cost an additional $1.50 to get bread. Without butter. When I asked for butter, my server told me that they didn't have butter. Say what? You are a restaurant; therefore, you have butter.
3. My Pinot Grigio was watery and tasted cheap.
4. Our waitress was overwhelmed and you could tell. A good server, no matter how overwhelmed, doesn't show it. Or they get someone else to cover their table. Or a manager pops in to apologize for the crazy night.
It was a total bummer to drive 45 minutes each way to have such a disappointing meal. I will *not* be coming back anytime soon. But I am interested to try Fond and a few other E-ville spots that have been highly reviewed on Yelp. I'll just make sure to map out my route ahead of time and cross my fingers that it's correct!
The review by Brad D really hits it for me.
The quantity is ok for me. Â 11 in pizza is more than enough for one person but for two people may leave something to be desired like an appetizer. Â Two 11in pizzas may be too filling for two people.
That said, I can really sense fresh ingredients in my pizza which was wonderfully prepared without tomato sauce and still tasted good! Â Ambiance is nice and no filled with preposterousness. Â There is a creek outside. Â Prices are ok but not like really cheap. Â Potatoes & garlic cloves on a pizza were fascinating.
If you live in Edwardsville, may be a good place to meet someone up for lunch away from the bustle or a great lunch excursion on a lazy sunday afternoon like it was for me.
I knew we were in for it when we walked in and my husband saw the huge variety of beers on tap. I resigned myself to not try talking to him until we were seated, as he spent the short wait for our table eyeballing the various taps like a 15 year old at Hooters. In other words, lots of beer to choose from, all with the appropriate shape and size of glass to optimize your drinking experience. (I can't wait to go back when I can have a drink!)
Peel was great. I had the prosciutto pizza (salty, just the right amount of thyme, huge cloves of sweet roasted garlic, perfect), and my husband had the jerk chicken pizza (sweet mango, light finish), and our table split the gelato trio. Our friends each had a salad and those looked incredible, too. Nice and fresh! I will definitely get one next time I am at Peel. Which will be soon, trust me.
We also got to sit out on the small patio which I highly recommend. When will more places on this side of the river include outdoor seating at their establishments?? It's like the best way to enjoy a meal ever.
And just in case you were wondering (from their website):
A Peel is "a usually long-handled spade-shaped instrument that is used chiefly by bakers for getting something (as bread or pies) into or out of the oven."
~ Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Wow!! Â What an unbelievable addition to Edwardsville. Â We are thrilled to have it here. Â The food and atmosphere is outstanding. Â
Peel opened right around Christmas and its now mid-January and we have been there no less than half a dozen times. Â We would go more if we thought we could easily get a seat.
The wood-fired pizza is amazing. Â There are so many different fabulous choices, and we've tried many, that I can't say which is my favorite. Â Really, it depends on my mood. Â
The spinach salad is amazing and I really enjoy a  meal of this salad with the prosciutto dippers (dip in three different sauces - balsamic vinegar, marinara and a cheese sauce) on the side.
All three of my kids agree that the macaroni and cheese (homemade) is hands down the best in the area, and I must say, I've been tempted to order it for myself from time to time. Â
We have become regulars here. Â My only complaint is with regards to the size - I wish it were bigger so the wait was not so ridiculous and it does not accomodate large parties well. Â I would also love to see a delivery business from Peel (PLEASE??). Â I look forward to the spring and summer when the outdoor patio will be open.
Was just built over christmas break and my friend decided we'd go there for her birthday. I had no idea where this place was located (new building, tucked away perfectly), but we found it easily.
Once I walked in I knew this place would be awesome. Bar to the side as you walk in and staring at a wood fired pizza oven... delicious.
Awesome selection of beer choices as well as a nice pizza menu! The waitress recommended a few things and was right on the money. I went ahead and ordered the Buffalo chicken pizza, and tried my friend's Mushroom pizza. Both were awesome.
Reasonably priced, and nice atmostphere. Wasn't rushed out at all, not bad service either!
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