Old Chicago Pizza

Old Chicago Pizza Restaurant is a subsidiary of Rockbottom Restaurants in Louisville, Colorado. Having spent many years in the Chicago area, it makes you pause when a company lays claim to a "title" like "Old Chicago" but in actuality they are based in another location. But I try not to get hung up on such nuance, focusing instead on whether they can back the claim up on my plate.

Old Chicago fills the bill. Although, when I think of Chicago pizza, I don't really think of the Uno's chain with their Chicago Deep Dish (which is what you will find in abundance at Old Chicago)...instead, I prefer the Chicago pizza chains that sell the thin crust variety cut into squares instead of slices. They concentrate on good ingredients on top of the pizza, rather than filling you up with crust.

Old Chicago has a decent sized menu for a joint that is primarily oriented towards beer and pizza. They have excellent calzones, that are stuffed so full of meat and cheese that the bread looks likes it wants to burst open. The hard crust on the calzones breaks free to reveal tasty fillings that are not at all skimpy...plenty of meat for you carnivores out there. They also have good stromboli, which is similar to the calzone but smaller. They offer several pastas, which I have not tried, and standard sandwich and burger fare. The salad menu is average for this type of restaurant, but the greens have been fresh and crunchy during my visits. The deep dish pizza is hearty, flavorful and packed with toppings. The food in a word, is delicious. They extend the menu further than they really need to, I guess they want to offer something to everyone...but the pizza and calzones is where the action is.

The service has been extraordinary whenever I have visited. It is amazing to see a place packed every night. The food is good enough to continue drawing crowds even during otherwise "slow" times. The hostess is polite and provides accurate waiting times, when you are required to "hold the buzzer" until your table is ready. The waits have not ever (for me) been more than forty-five minutes, which is about the longest I would be willing to wait to eat anywhere. The waitresses I have had are always cheerful and knowledgeable regarding the menu. The food comes out in a reasonable amount of time, not exceptionally fast, but not ridiculously long, either. You can figure you will wait fifteen minutes for a pizza. I had calzone today and I waited about ten minutes for it to arrive at my table.

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