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Chicago Style Pizza Shack
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
534 Upper Sherman AvenueHamilton, ON L8V 3M1
(905) 575-8800
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
6 reviews for Chicago Style Pizza Shack
6 reviews in English
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Review from Johnny H.
Toronto, ON
Featured on "You Gotta Eat Here," Chicago Style Pizza Shack is now a star. Even on early Tuesday evening, the restaurant was packed. And there was a line-up. People were waiting outside for tables and residential streets were packed with diners' cars. Fortunately, we were able to score a table since there were only 2 of us.
The restaurant is a classic diner. It has a cozy and homely atmosphere. Decors are accentuated by some cheap paintings and some anonymous trimming details like dividers. And that's about it.
Tables are small. And there is barely any privacy between tables. Chair comfort is decent. It is a bit hard to cross legs. The restaurant is reasonably quiet though. Servers are kind and courteous. But they aren't attentive. The restaurant is quite filthy. The floor was covered with all kinds of crumbs. The restaurant does have a bit of stuffy feel to it.
We ordered small stuffed Chicago Special pizza ($20) and baked rigatoni ($8).
The pizza had a fragrant tone to it. Maybe some herb or spice from sausage? I have no idea what it was, but it felt similar to star anise. It brought together all the ingredients without burying them under all the smell. The crust and cheese went well together with the aromatic overtone, but it did cut down cheesy flavors significantly. The tomato paste had smooth taste. The crust/dough was a bit firm, adding a pleasant texture. The meats, mushrooms and veggies inside the pizza were nicely cooked, but they didn't have pronounced flavors. But I did enjoy the overall toned down taste. The pizza didn't feel greasy at all. Very delightful.
I have mixed feelings about pasta. The meatball was interestingly cooked. It had a firm and slippery texture instead of easily disintegrating grainy surface. It was quite delicious. A bit of sweet aftertaste. Unfortunately, the flavors seemed to have been buried by strong tomato taste. It was very sharp and sour. It tasted cheap overall. And I could tell that the pasta wasn't homemade. It had a rubbery hollow feel. The cheese did add some excitement but it wasn't enough.
I was able to eat only 2 slices. These pizzas will make you full beyond your limits. On the other hand, my partner had one slice and she was done. So small will be suitable for up to 3 people. Large size will serve around 4-8 people, and there still will be a leftover for tomorrow's lunch.
I loved the dining experience at Chicago Style Pizza Shack. Will I go back? Well, if I lived in the area, I would. But I live in Toronto. And I dropped by when I was on a business trip.
They take debit and credit. Parking is allowed on the residential streets near the restaurant. Be prepared to wait in line. There are 8 small tables for 2-4 and 2 large tables for around 8. -
Review from Darlene M.
Hamilton, ON
1/25/2012
I'm a real foodie and I think this place is fantastic. The crust is great, the sauce is great. I always get sausage onion and mushroom, the stuffed pizza. And they deliver. I live pretty far too! Also delicious: their meatball sub with onions, hot peppers, cheese and sauce. OMG yummy.
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Review from Joanne W.
3/14/2011 1 photo
So this was the main reason of why my friends and I drove to Hamilton. We wanted to try some Chicago style pizza here. The place opens at 4:30 PM; and it was already packed by 4:15 PM.
I was sooo perplexed by why there were so many people there - but hen I realized why.
The deep dish pizza was amazing, we had a deep dish pizza with italian sausage, bacon, mushrooms, pepperoni, and black olives. The way they make the deep dish pizza is interesting. They had a layer of the crust on the top as well with a delicious tomato sauce to offset everything else. (I may be biased: I usually prefer a pizza with more sauce than cheese)
I also noticed that a lot of people ordered the pasta around us. Too bad we don't come to Hamilton often, or I'd try the pasta next time. -
Review from casey b.
9/5/2010
I haven't been here recently, but I used to be a regular. It doesn't get better than this in Hamilton. The pizza, while a little pricey, is quality. It tastes fresh, and the overloaded topping make it feel more hearty than most pizzas. Parking can be an issue, and it gets crowded really easily, so you've been warned.
Can't comment on the other reviewer's problems. Never bothered eating inside because of the high level of traffic this place sees, so maybe dining in is a different experience, but the take-out has always been great. -
Review from Mark M.
8/14/2009
I had the stuffed pizza that they are known for it didn't taste like anything special. The sauce had a tomatoey flavor to it, but there wasn't a unique taste to it. The pepperoni tasted like cardboard, the crust seemes too thin on the top and bottom. There was far too much cheese. And I like cheese, but this was over-doing it big time. I find their regular hand tossed pizza is a better choice. But, what's with charging an arm and a leg if you want sausage on any of your pizza? What exactly is in that sausage to make it such a darn premium?--jeesh. The owner needs to rethink that pricing issue. The service was very good, the waitress was very nice to us. The atmosphere was plain jane. The prices were too high, but you get free bread.
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Review from Paolo P.
Hamilton, ON
4/17/2010
We were a hungry pair and tired so it seemed like a good idea to eat out. I had seen Chicago Style Pizza earlier in the day so I grabbed my husband and off we went. While we looked at the menu I found there was only a few beers from Canada and of those were only lighter beers. No big deal. We ordered a pepperoni with mushroom pizza. Soon the pizza arrived and much to our surprise and dismay there were canned, soggy, slimy mushrooms just laying on top. They had been put on as an after thought. I know Ontario produces some of the best mushrooms around but no ours came from a can? I was further astonished when the server asked how things were and I told her about the mushrooms being offensive. She stopped for a moment and then said, "do you want me to take the pizza back and have them run it through the oven?" Honestly the last thing I wanted them to do is cook me something. We picked off the mushrooms and ate what we could stomach and left. The worst sin a pizza place can make is serving pizza that is more what one would expect from a cheap store bought frozen thing passing as pizza. Don't eat here unless those frozen pizza's are what you are looking for.
