DeNucci's [Meeting #144]

DeNucci's

503 W Dickens Ave (Map)
Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 697-8780

CPC invaded DeNucci's on Monday, August 24, 2026.

Photo credit: Eater

For the second meeting in a row, the Chicago Pizza Club went to a Chicago restaurant with suburban roots. Well, kind of. The last meeting was at WG Pizza, which was a delicious suburban import. DeNucci's is a little different. The Italian restaurant that includes East Coast pizza on a full menu actually started in Chicago in 2023 and expanded to Highland Park in 2024 before adding Hinsdale in 2025. 

But a little less than a year and a half ago, it was the Highland Park location that introduced Monday-night-only tavern-style pizza . I guess it was an immediate hit because the Chicago location followed suit a month later. And I guess it's a long-lasting hit because the place was packed on a Monday night (though some credit goes to it being one of the best weather days in what's been a horrible summer).

There were only three of us at the meeting, with a fourth there in spirit and getting leftovers, so we were able to order three pizzas. The first choice was what seems to be signature pizza - it's highlighted on the menu - "Sausage & giardiniera fennel-flecked sweet Italian sausage, finely minced hot giardiniera, dry oregano." This was, not surprisingly, a winner. The giardiniera was more medium than hot, which I actually think is a good thing since too much heat can overwhelm a pizza.

For our second pie, we built our own pizza and went with an old Chicago Pizza Club favorite, the Daily Special. Pepperoni, onion and garlic is always a good combination, but this was a particularly good version. First, the pepperoni was good quality - flavorful and nice chew. Second, garlic slices instead of the usual minced garlic was really a great idea. Third, red onion instead of white. This was the unanimous favorite of the night.

We went veggie with our third pizza. There's a "Good Veggie" option on the menu, but it seemed a bit busy. We went with mushroom and oven-dried tomato. This was another winner, but it would have been improved with some kind of spice (or more pepperoni). All three crusts were crisp in part, but this one was definitely the crunchiest of the three, presumably thanks to the lack of animal fat.

Speaking of the crust, these guys have definitely embraced the cured dough phenomenon that has taken over the style in the last couple of years. DeNucci's is no mom and pop operation. Ballyhoo Hosputality, much like the Boka Group with Zarella's, know how to build a good, well-run restaurant.