Mike F.
Yelp
The area of 56th and Illinois Streets is a place of nostalgia for me. As a youngster, we shopped at Safeway, ate at Banura's after soccer games, and went to Baskin-Robbins whenever we could weasel an ice cream sundae out of our folks. Some places are gone, and some remain. Byrnes Grilled Pizza, while not a new establishment, has recently appeared on my radar, and it's got a down-home appeal fitting for Butler-Tarkington.
I've never heard a bad word about Byrnes, but when it comes to pizza, I rarely branch out from the places where I've eaten for years. And, "grilled pizza," is that really a thing? Eventually, Byrnes was kind enough to host a Yelp Elite event, and I couldn't resist any longer.
I was intrigued as soon as I entered the small eatery. It's quaint to say the least. It smells fantastic, and the staff were the kind of people who encourage regular customers. They're were especially enthusiastic.
For transparency purposes, Byrnes provided me with a complimentary small pizza, but not in exchange for a positive review. I did, however, purchase additional items at my own expense to avoid feeling parasitic. I started with a small cheese bread. It was quite enjoyable, but if I were abroad, I wouldn't have written home about it. I then had a small Hot Mama, which featured sausage from Kincaid's, the neighborhood meat market. It's definitely a choice for meat lovers. My fiancée had a small pepperoni, and fortunately for me, she didn't have much appetite. Since I ate half of that, too, I'd say it was on the higher side of average.
Byrnes Grilled Pizza is definitely on the lighter side and the crusts are wafer thin. The grilled concept is interesting, but I found the crust to be overdone, and very crispy - as in burnt to a crisp. While it's not my favorite local pizza joint, I wouldn't hesitate to make many return visits.