Chicago's Finest Organic Eatery + Lounge

(773) 362-5236

2056 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622 41.903154 -87.678262

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Neighborhoods: Wicker Park, West Side

Crust

Crust Eat Real

What People Are Saying About Crust

The Owner

Crust

Owner

Crust is known for their amazing specialty organic pizzas. They use the finest organic ingredients to create wood-oven prepared pizzas, delicious salads, and different sandwiches to munch on. The shroom pizza is a must to try with woodland mushrooms, spinach, b??chamel, wild herbs, goat cheese, and parmigiano-reggiano. You cana??t go wrong with anything you chose! Then, you move over to the drink menu and not only do they have a list of organic, local, and regional brews, but an amazing list of specialty cocktails to indulge in. Everyone in your group is sure to be satisfied! Our back patio…

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The Editor

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene – Hip crowds jam into the casual-futuristic setting of the Midwest's first certified organic restaurant, waiting for a table made of recycled tires. Past the entrance and wood-burning pizza oven, the dining room sports white brick walls, molded red chairs and stools, exposed ductwork and acoustic ceiling panels (it's still noisy). There's sidewalk seating in front, a huge patio in back. Servers know their stuff. – – The Food – Traditional-to-global salads, sandwiches and pizzas feature local, organic and sustainable ingredients. Classic caprese and Asian…

4 Star Rating: Recommended

06/22/09

nice casual dining

by diana78

everything tastes very fresh and price is reasonable too.

even if you're not a huge fan of pizzas, you'd enjoy this place.

not a lot of variety in menu, but it's still a great place for a casual dinner.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/20/08

Organic Delight

by meriweather

We ate at Crust for an anniversary lunch and, save for the annoying fruit flies-- it was a very enjoyable experience. Our appetizer was an olive tapenade with flatbread, fresh and exciting with the wonderful, exotic blend of imported olives and olive oil. The flatbread, which was malleable, held the toppings nicely. The farm salad was crisp and extremely fresh with that right out of the garden zest.

On the other hand, the pizza is not for everyone. If you think Dominos or Pizza Hut makes good pizza, stay away; this pie is for more sophisticated taste buds and for those who appreciate fresh, organic food. The Margarita Pizza, the one we ordered, was a balanced blend of heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese with hints of fresh herbs finished with a light glaze of extra virgin olive oil. We both enjoyed it very much, a delightful morsel just the right size. I didn?t think it was overpriced based on the quality of the product.

On the downside, although there were other more desirable tables available, we were seated near the lavatories, which was not the ideal location. Being our anniversary, we avoided controversy and sat down. Now I wish we had requested another table. My wife had a good view of the restaurant itself, which she thought was cute, while I gazed into the empty patio seating area. We were aggravated that the waiter served us a more expensive bottle of wine than the one we ordered, but the manager adjusted the check upon our request. When we pointed out the large number of fruit flies that circled our heads and bothered us throughout the meal, he noted them and thanked us before walking away. In this tough market, I expected him to make another adjustment on the check, but didn?t. On the other hand, he said he was new and, perhaps, didn?t know any better. So, if you decide to try this solid dining experience, sit nowhere near the lavatories. Also, keep a close eye on the check--and what might be floating in the air just above your head.

  • Pros: Great organic food
  • Cons: Fruit flies buzzed our heads as we ate.
2 Star Rating: Below Average

03/24/08

Great pizza - the worst host at the door!

by Marta633

As long as you are not being seated by the rudest host that greats you with an attitude you will be fine. I go there often, pretty much every week, know waitresses and bartenders. But one week was surprised by the behavior of a new host that I didn't see before. In an empty restaurant he tried to squeeze me with 2 friends of mine at the table for 2, when I asked him to maybe put 2 tables together for us (which have been done before when restaurant is empty) that the restaurant is empty and that it's only 5pm, so there is no way it will get crowded in the next hour, he told us that he expect a "dinner rush" in 15 min and that if our pizzas won't fit on the table he can cut it for us to put it on smaller plates! I could not believe such disrespect to a customer and we left. Needless to say that passing Crust 2 hours later we saw that it's still empty. Good! He probably scared all customers away! Really hope he will be gone otherwise this place will go out of business and I really like it!

  • Pros: Godd pizza
  • Cons: The host at the door has to leave

The Details on Crust

When to Go:

Early early early, they don't take reservations---or try it for lunch.

Where to Sit:

Avoid the tables near the small bar, which gets hectic with would-be diners and servers navigating the crowd.

What to Drink:

Organic microbrews and nice wines by the glass are outshone by exquisite infused vodkas, straight or in martinis (honorable mention for the watermelon margarita).

Category:

Pizza, Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Money Order

Restaurant Special Features:

Notable Beer List, Family-Friendly Dining, Outdoor Dining, Notable Chef, Lunch Spot, Group Dining

Cuisine:

Pizza

Message from Crust

  • Delivery
  • Back patio
  • Specialty cocktails

Crust is known for their amazing specialty organic pizzas. They use the finest organic ingredients to create wood-oven prepared pizzas, delicious salads, and different sandwiches to munch on. The shroom pizza is a must to try with woodland mushrooms, spinach, b??chamel, wild herbs, goat cheese, and parmigiano-reggiano. You cana??t go wrong with anything you chose! Then, you move over to the drink menu and not only do they have a list of organic, local, and regional brews, but an amazing list of specialty cocktails to indulge in. Everyone in your group is sure to be satisfied!

Our back patio is a hit once the first nice day in Chicago hits, so dona??t miss out on that. Crust is also a great spot for brunch on the weekends with the restaurant opening at 11:30. Of course once the night goes on, Crust turns more into a Lounge feel and the party begins. Come visit us and see for yourself!

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