4.5
Superb
250 Reviews
607 La Salle Street, Ottawa
Customers’ favorites
- Green Olives
- Pepperoni Pizza
- Black Olives
- Sausage Pepperoni Onions Canadian and Mushroom Pizza
“Bianchi's Pizza has been one of my "go-to" restaurants for many years, so I owe them a review, and a good one at that. I've eaten at Bianchi's since I was a teenager, and I'll be 61 at the end of the year. Number of bad pies they've sold me: ZERO. Bottom Line Up Front: Eat this pizza, or die a culinary pauper! Bianchi's started off as a ice cream parlor in 1920. Al and Pat Ruhland acquired the business in 1967. They changed over from an ice cream parlor to a pizza restaurant in 1970. The Ruhland family continues to run Bianchi's to this day. They have two locations, and both locations serve identical superb pizza. The original and dine-in location is at 607 LaSalle St. in Ottawa, Illinois. The "pick up" location is at 217 E. Norris Drive (US-6) in Ottawa. Dine-in hours at LaSalle St. are 4:30 PM to 8 PM Sunday thru Thursday, and 4:30 PM to 9 PM Friday and Saturday. Pick-up hours on Norris Drive are 11 AM-1 PM Monday thru Friday, plus 4 thru 9 PM seven days per week. We in the LaSalle County Illinois area are spoiled for the many abundant choices we have for top quality "Chicago style tavern pizza." Bianchi's manages to be at or near the top to even our lofty standards. They'd kill it in the city. And, they do so at reasonable prices for the food delivered. This isn't cheap-a?? Domino's or gas station pizza. But, you aren't having money extracted from every bodily orifice like they do closer in to the city, either. Unlike other LaSalle County pizza parlors, they don't have a "special deluxe" pizza with pre-selected toppings. All toppings are a la carte. The Norris Drive location offers single slices of single topping pizza during the lunch hour. Otherwise, all pizzas are made to order in three sizes; 12", 14", and 16 ". Payment is cash only. Standard gratuities are gratefully received at both locations. Pizza is the only food on Bianchi's menu. But, with their pizza, you don't really need anything else. LaSalle street has a selection of beer and wine plus fountain drinks, iced tea, and lemonade. Norris Drive has bottled pop. Crust. Their crust is well tempered, and properly thin yet crispy and able to stand up to "Zen Pizzas" (one with everything.) They deliver top quality despite using conveyor pizza ovens. No Faulds or stone-lined ovens here, just skill and care so abundant that you think they have the Faulds or stone-lined ovens. The edges and "corner" pieces on their square cut (as they should be) crunch, just like they're supposed to. 10/10 Sauce. The sauce is more savory than sweet, but has no hint of bitterness at all. It's also the right consistency for pizza sauce. 10/10 Cheeses. The Cheeses are blended to order by their supplier, and all your Italianate "white" cheeses are represented in just the right mix to become more than the sum of their parts. They have Parmesan shakers at table (LaSalle St.) or on the pickup counter (Norris Drive,) but you probably won't need them. Their blend gives you just the right amount of Parmesan "bite" as-is, while still supplying the creamy Mozzarella and the others. Likewise, they have everyone's favorite Red Pepper flake shakers, too. 10/10 Toppings. Bianchi's offers Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, green bell peppers, pepperoni, black olives, green olives, Canadian Bacon, and pineapple. While other pizza parlors might offer a larger variety of toppings, Bianchi's offers more than enough to be getting on with. All of their toppings are fresh and delicious. Their sausage is put on the pizza raw and cooks with the rest of the pizza, so a meat or olive-heavy Bianchi's pizza can be just a bit on the oily side. 9.5/10 Dining room/public spaces at LaSalle St. The main dining room is dimly lit to encourage a more intimate or romantic atmosphere. Yet, "proper" behavior is also expected at all times, since the restaur”
Bar & Grill · $
