Blaze pizza-surprisingly awesome

When I first heard about this fast pizza establishment coming to streeterville I wasn't excited at all. I figured it would blend in with the other average chains along that stretch of ontario (chipotle, potbellys, epic burger, pei wei, etc,) and that the possibility of a fast fired pizza in a chipotle style setup turing out a tasty pizza was low. I visited last week and am surprised to find that it's more than adequate for a quick bite and dare I saw, eliminates the other overpriced pizza in the surrounding area (such as bland Flour and Stone) and has become my go to spot for an inexpensive bite. The toppings are generous (an entire bulb of roasted garlic if you dare, etc) and the crust while extremely thin holds up well if you eat it asap. At the price point it's impossible to beat and I have no doubt more will spring up since their execution seems to be flawless so far. You could do much worse than Blaze if you're looking for a thin crust pizza with various toppings and one pizza surprisingly can fill you up (although I can eat 2 myself easily). I'm by no means a pizza expert and so I'd like to hear any other thoughts on this establishment.

Blaze Fast Fired Pizza
227 E Ontario St
Chicago, IL 60611
b/t Fairbanks Ct & Mc Clurg Ct in Near North Side, River East
Transit information Red Get Directions
Phone number (312) 255-1290
Business website blazepizza.com

There's a location in Lakeview:

953 W Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 348-6255
1010chicago@blazepizza.com
Open Daily:
Sunday - Thursday:
11am - 10pm
Friday & Saturday:
11am - 12am

The whole operation reminds me a little of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis (they were on the top 10 pizzas in America list, same one Wells Brothers was - in the USA Today) where they claim to have the pizza ready in 90 seconds. I didn't care much for Punch, probably won't care much for Blaze (though I'm sure it's got to be decent), and the fast fresh pizza concept isn't a bad thing.

Hi- Apparently they just opened up a location at 1737 Sherman Ave in Evanston, and I just got a coupon in the mail for a free pizza. Has anybody been to the Evanston location yet? Apparently all of their pizzas are $7.95.

Blaze Pizza
1737 Sherman Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201

Thanks, Nancy

I've been. It's okay.

The plus is that you can choose from a pretty decent variety of toppings and it's $8. (Load up your pizza with artichokes for $8! Insane.) The minus is that, unsurprisingly, the crust doesn't taste like anything. Actually, nothing tastes like very much -- it's all pretty inoffensive, including the sauce (slightly sweet, but not overly so; there's also a spicy version). Mostly I was reminded of a recent meal at Pizzeria Da Nella (almost as good as Spacca Napoli -- why isn't it also a GNR?) which also overtops its pies, but produces about ten times the flavor as Blaze. And, of course, at twice the price, which is why it's been empty every single time I've visited and Blaze is opening dozens of locations all over the country.

We went to the Evanston location Thursday. I was unimpressed. I suppose if I were a college freshman, coming from someplace that didn't have decent pizza, I might think it was okay. They do offer a variety of toppings at a reasonable $7.99 price. (Although the variety of toppings, at least during our visit, wasn't as big as it first appeared; a good number of the topping compartments in one section simply repeated toppings that were in another section.) The crust, at first, looked fine - nice char on the top, nice char on the bottom. But biting in, the interior of the crust was very doughy - it seemed almost raw. If I had to guess, I'd say the crust's charred top and bottom and undercooked interior resulted in the pizza being cooked at too hot a temperature for too short a time. I understand that Blaze's concept is pizzas cooked at high temperatures for a short time. Maybe we were just there on a bad day. It's still new, and many of the employees didn't seem to know much about what they were doing. Or maybe there's a serious flaw in the chain's basic high temp/short time concept.

A wave of new quick-fired pizza restaurants is sweeping into the Chicago area, vying for a slice of the nascent market for quick-serve pizza. These new players are staking their claim on personal-sized, assembly-line thin-crust pies that cook in under five minutes. It's the Chipotle model for pizza.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... ired-pizza

Dave148 wrote:

A wave of new quick-fired pizza restaurants is sweeping into the Chicago area, vying for a slice of the nascent market for quick-serve pizza. These new players are staking their claim on personal-sized, assembly-line thin-crust pies that cook in under five minutes. It's the Chipotle model for pizza.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/ ... ired-pizza

I'm still annoyed that the Va Piano location in Lincoln Park closed and remains empty; they did fast-casual, quick-cooking pizza perfectly fine by me before this current wave hit. I haven't been to Blaze yet but have hit 800 Degrees and Pie Five on the airport/road and they did not strike me as natural fits among as much good (and by-the-slice) pie as we have abundantly in the city.

I've been to the Old Orchard location. I like the model because it's fast and easy, it's fun for my son, and I always bring home leftovers. I don't know that I'd go out of my way for it, especially given all our great pizza places here, but it's nice to be able to just walk in and get a decent, made-to-order pizza without pre-ordering. I feel like the pizzas we got were really too thin to be doughy in the center. The second time I went they did burn part of my pizza and were trying to get the charred part off, but I didn't mind the burnt part and I told them not to bother.

I'm still waiting for the Chipotle-model sushi places to come to our area. I went to one in Cincy and it wasn't bad.

nukegirl wrote:I always bring home leftovers.

I had to order two, they are small. But of course if I eat more sensible, then one will suffice. Maybe!

Do not waste your time, money, and taste buds. If you want a really exciting, extremely well-made pizza, with interesting toppings such as lamb sausage and eggplant in Evanston, go to UNION at 1245 Chicago avenue, just south of Dempster. It is, for my taste and money one of the 5 best in the whole Chicago area.

alain40 wrote:Do not waste your time, money, and taste buds. If you want a really exciting, extremely well-made pizza, with interesting toppings such as lamb sausage and eggplant in Evanston, go to UNION at 1245 Chicago avenue, just south of Dempster. It is, for my taste and money one of the 5 best in the whole Chicago area.

Wow, I can't comment on Blaze (haven't been), but to say that Union is top 5 in Chicago is pretty shocking. It may not even make top 5 in Evanston.

mdpilam wrote:

alain40 wrote:Do not waste your time, money, and taste buds. If you want a really exciting, extremely well-made pizza, with interesting toppings such as lamb sausage and eggplant in Evanston, go to UNION at 1245 Chicago avenue, just south of Dempster. It is, for my taste and money one of the 5 best in the whole Chicago area.

Wow, I can't comment on Blaze (haven't been), but to say that Union is top 5 in Chicago is pretty shocking. It may not even make top 5 in Evanston.

I dig Union. What are your other hits? I don't think I've had much pie in that quadrant other than the chains.

Santander wrote:

mdpilam wrote:

alain40 wrote:Do not waste your time, money, and taste buds. If you want a really exciting, extremely well-made pizza, with interesting toppings such as lamb sausage and eggplant in Evanston, go to UNION at 1245 Chicago avenue, just south of Dempster. It is, for my taste and money one of the 5 best in the whole Chicago area.

Wow, I can't comment on Blaze (haven't been), but to say that Union is top 5 in Chicago is pretty shocking. It may not even make top 5 in Evanston.

I dig Union. What are your other hits? I don't think I've had much pie in that quadrant other than the chains.

Malnati's, Giordano's (did they re-open yet?), & Carmen's (can't keep track of their off and on opening and closings) are all varying degrees of mediocre. I've heard good things about Panino's, but haven't been. Then there's Gigio's, Dave's, and that's all I can think of.

Just on the other side of Howard in Chicago are Candlelite & Gulliver's, both of which I like. Candlelite's pizza actually reminds me a bit of Union's, though with less fancy ingredients & toppings.

Smylie Bros. brewery has very good pizza from their wood-fired oven, to go along with their good beers.

Smylie Bros.
1615 Oak Ave
Evanston, IL

The pizza at Trattoria D.O.C. isn't bad, either.

Trattoria D.O.C.
706 Main St
Evanston, IL

But, yeah, I think I'd rate Union among the top five in the city (along with these guys).

We were severely disappointed with the pizza at Union. Which was surprising, because their other restaurant, Campagnola, is one of our top favorites in the area. And unfortunate, because we regularly catch shows at Space, behind Union, where Union's pizza is permitted inside. Union was not quite in the "eww, disgusting" category (e.g. Dave's Italian Kitchen), but wasn't very appealing at all.

For pizza in Evanston, we stick with Lou Malnati's, which is consistently terrific.

AaronSinger wrote:Giordano's (did they re-open yet?)

No. And it sounds like it will probably be a while before the franchise finds and builds out a new Evanston location (along with a new franchisee).

Santander wrote: I haven't been to Blaze yet but have hit 800 Degrees and Pie Five on the airport/road and they did not strike me as natural fits among as much good (and by-the-slice) pie as we have abundantly in the city.

I tried Pie Five today. I found myself having a case of the "if onlys", "if only the crust was charred, if only the cheese was better quality, if only..." In the near barren land that is Schaumburg, I'll probably go again just to confirm (they did have an Italian beef pizza w/hot peppers I was eyeing).

Blaze is okay for a quick bite. I like the general concept and their ingredients seem fine - and the price points are appropriate, but it's best suited for days like the one where I stopped in. Wife and I were running a million errands and it was a quick stop on the way home. If I had more time, or had to go out of my way, I would not go back again.

I also recently met up the Pizza Boss food truck. Fairly insane idea of a wood-fired oven on a truck. Pizza was head and shoulders above Blaze.

I'm curious to try 800 Degrees.

The only time I went into Blaze was when I had a free coupon when they first opened, and I could not even finish my pizza, and ended up giving the rest of it away to somebody else. I am just glad that it was free. Every time I walk past the Evanston location, there are a ton of people there though. I don't know why. A friend of mine that lives right down the street from there also used a free coupon there, and said that he is never going back there. He hated their pizza too. Malnati's has the best pizza in Evanston, although Carmen's and Giordano's are both acceptable too. Even Papa John's is way better than Blaze.

cilantro wrote:I've been. It's okay.

. . . The minus is that, unsurprisingly, the crust doesn't taste like anything. Actually, nothing tastes like very much -- it's all pretty inoffensive, including the sauce (slightly sweet, but not overly so; there's also a spicy version).

This is pretty much how I'd sum up my one and only experience at Blaze, which means I really see no reason to return. And I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Given the volume of customers, it would be way too much to expect an impressive crust - just way too much dough to churn out in very little time. And with the prices offered, high quality toppings should not be expected either.

Pizza's such a subjective thing, no? Whatever it is that makes us like and dislike pizzas, my preferences have so often gone against the grain of others around here. Did not love Candlelite when it was *the* thing, think Vito and Nick's is good but not great, have no special affection for Barnaby's, and was not even blown away by Great Lakes. On the other hand, who else around here but me loves Father n Son/Marcello's? Big preface to say, I like Blaze.

Blaze now adds, with Naf Naf, to two, the number of restaurants convenient, I mean that we're willing to go to, when we shop at Fresh Farms (which is often). I expected it to be mostly just a gimmick, the Subway of pizzas, but I found it overall pretty tasty. Was it the best pizza I've ever had? But when you can have sausage and bacon and meatballs and roasted peppers and giardinara and fresh basil and olives and then top it all off with rocket (and believe me, I'm missing a few ingredients), the whole is indeed greater than the parts. The crust is neither flavorless or flawed with off flavors. Like I say, it is good enough.

There are times you sit down for 16 course of hand-made Thai food, and there are times you want something decent before shopping. Blaze gives you decent. I think.

McDonalds continues to lose as one of the most marketable athletes in the world leaves for Blaze Pizza.

Interesting. The article that Da Beef linked to claims that they make the dough in house and allow it to proof for 24 hours. I guess I'm curious enough to try one of these pizzas, but I'm going in with lower than low expectations. I'll report back in a few days.

I have been to the location on Ontario several times. It is convenient to my office, it is quick, it is reasonably priced, and like others have said, it is decent or at the very least "in-offensive".

Comparing it to "regular" pizza joints is just not fair. It is not Candellite, Vito and Nicks, Barnaby's, Salernos, Great Lakes, etc. etc. etc. It is not in the class if a quick fired Neapolitan pizza like Forna Rosa, Coal Fire, Spacca Napoli or others. But none of those places is at the same price point nor professes to be such.

It would be fair to compare it to 800 degrees or Pie Five, and I think in that sense they are similar. Slight differences, but overall the same concept.

This is fast food pizza. Quick in and out. You wouldn't compare McDonalds or Burger King to Au Cheval, don't compare Blaze to a sit down pizzeria. Different demographic, experience, price point, etc.

thetrob wrote:It would be fair to compare it to 800 degrees or Pie Five, and I think in that sense they are similar. Slight differences, but overall the same concept.

This is fast food pizza. Quick in and out. You wouldn't compare McDonalds or Burger King to Au Cheval, don't compare Blaze to a sit down pizzeria. Different demographic, experience, price point, etc.

The problem is that it's positioning (and pricing) itself as "fast casual," so it narrows the gap between itself and its competitors cost-wise. The food truck wood-fired pizza I had the other day was much better than Blaze, and about the same price. The crust on the wood-fired was fantastic, on Blaze, it's an afterthought.

Sweet Willie wrote:I tried Pie Five today. I found myself having a case of the "if onlys", "if only the crust was charred, if only the cheese was better quality, if only..." In the near barren land that is Schaumburg, I'll probably go again just to confirm (they did have an Italian beef pizza w/hot peppers I was eyeing).

I've tried Pie Five in Naperville twice, and had the same conclusion. I'd like them to run the wheat crust once with nothing on it, then once again with the toppings. But I'm afraid it'd be a cinder. As is, it is an inoffensive toasted cheese sandwich, which sometimes would be worth the money if I have a taste for it.

Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza
http://www.blazepizza.com/locations/berwyn-gateway-plaza-shopping-center/
7122 Cermak Rd, Berwyn
(708) 317-5293

I am a sucker for a new concept in the hood. I'll give it a try.

I might first hit up the new...

Home Run Inn
https://www.homeruninnpizza.com/location/berwyn-pizzeria/
6825 Cermak Rd, Berwyn
(708) 317-8877

At the risk of hijacking this thread, while I'm still not much of a Blaze fan, the new Persona that opened in the Loop is pretty decent. At least it has a crust that tastes like they put a little effort into it.

So I really dig the Berwyn Blaze. My go-to pie is build your own with spicy sauce, light mozz and ricotta, bacon, basil, mushrooms, jalapenos, sea salt, oregano, "well done," finished with olive oil and arugula. I've also done the gluten-free crust (they ask "allergy or preference," the former initiating more special handling from fresh ingredient stores) to mix things up - still very satisfying, and cuts into smaller bites / keeps well.

When a handful of basil costs $4 in plastic, it seems like a steal to get this many interesting and quality ingredients for $7-9. I have even brought Blaze pizzas as appetizers in a pinch - they keep well and crispy and taste fine room temp particularly with less cheese and more toppings. Lukewarm Lou Malnati's, not so much (but hot, it's genius). Great Lake this is not, but compared to other fast-casual pie (including Va Piano and even Homemade Pizza Co., which I also dug), a winner, and I think this location has a great staff and the business model is eager to please patrons with all dietary and flavor interests.

Plus: aguas frescas with real sugar, fruits, and herbs instead of fizzy sodas.

I am not a pizza fanatic, but Blaze is not bad for a fast-casual meal, with leftovers. Yes, the sauce could use some more herbs, I usually have both red sauce and pesto. You can make-your-own and load it up as much as you want for the one price point. The crust used to be an oblong shape, and now it is a circle which is about twice the square footage. The crust is pressed so not in any way hand-stretched, and you can see the pressing machines right behind the counter, perhaps this is why they changed shapes of the crust.