Fox's Beverly Pizza Pub
Chicago, IL Photo courtesy Bruce R. Cassi / 2007
A longtime South Side favorite is Fox's Beverly Pizza Pub in Chicago. Known for its thin-crust pizza and neighborhood pub atmosphere, Fox's has been serving customers for generations. At the time this photo was taken, there were also locations in Oak Lawn and Orland Park. 06-07
Fox's got its start in 1964 as a small carryout pizza stand before moving to its current Beverly location a few years later. The building itself has an interesting history, having previously been owned by Raymonde Maritote, the sister of Al Capone.
The restaurant has always been known for its cracker-thin tavern-style pizza, but the comfortable Irish pub setting has become just as much a part of its identity. It's one of those places where families have been coming back for decades, and today the business is still operated by the Fox family.
UPDATE: Fox's Beverly Pizza Pub remains open at its longtime South Side location and continues to operate under family ownership. The vintage-style exterior signage still survives. 07-26
Vito & Nick's Restaurant
Chicago, IL Photo courtesy chibbqking
The glowing windows at Vito & Nick's Restaurant give this Chicago pizza landmark an inviting look after dark. The neon fits the neighborhood tavern atmosphere perfectly, welcoming customers to a South Side favorite that has built a reputation far beyond the city. 02-09
The family business traces its roots to the 1920s, with Vito’s Tavern opening in 1932. Pizza joined the menu after World War II, and the restaurant settled into its current home in 1965. Its cracker-thin crust, square-cut slices, and homemade sausage helped make Vito & Nick’s a familiar name among fans of Chicago tavern-style pizza.
UPDATE: Vito & Nick’s remains open on Chicago’s South Side. The restaurant continues its cash-only, no-delivery traditions, while the glowing window display and familiar dining room preserve much of its longtime character. The pizza remains the main attraction, but the neon makes a fitting introduction. 07-26
Pete's #2 Pizzeria
Chicago, IL Photo courtesy chibbqking
The neon marquee at Pete's #2 Pizzeria makes a colorful introduction to this Chicago neighborhood favorite. Its glowing “Since 1955” lettering proudly announces the family business’s long history. 02-09
Pete’s began in 1955 with a pizzeria near Riverview Park. Three generations have carried on the family recipes, serving pizza and familiar Italian dishes to longtime customers. The restaurant also maintains its own delivery drivers, keeping a personal connection to the neighborhood rather than relying entirely on outside delivery services.
UPDATE: Pete’s #2 remains open under family ownership. Accounts supplied here conflict about whether the original neon marquee survives, with an earlier update placing its removal around 2011. Its present status needs confirmation, but the restaurant continues the pizza-making tradition advertised by those memorable “Since 1955” letters. 07-26
Pizza by Geneos
Harvey, IL Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
In Harvey, IL, this old sign for Pizza by Geneo looked like it belonged to a place that had been closed for years. As Italian sounding as the name can be, the weathered storefront gave off that abandoned roadside feel at first glance. Turns out, that impression was wrong. 11-09
Pizza by Geneo has actually been around since 1959 and is still serving thin-crust pizza on Halsted Street. According to the restaurant, the name came from two friends, Gene and Elmer, who wanted the place to sound Italian and simply added an "o" to Gene's name.
The restaurant specializes in Chicago-style thin-crust pizza and Italian dishes, with the Geneo's Special loaded up with sausage, beef, bacon, Canadian bacon, and pepperoni. While other Geneo-style names have popped up over the years, the Harvey location says it is the original and the last one left.
Pizza By Geneo
Harvey, IL Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi
So this one gets a correction. What looked like a long-closed pizza joint was still very much alive, proving once again that an old sign doesn't always mean the place is gone.
UPDATE: Pizza by Geneo remains open in Harvey and continues serving customers from its longtime Halsted Street location. The vintage sign still survives. 07-26
Romano's Pizza
Highland, IN Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The neon sign points the way to this pizza pub in Highland, IN. Romano's Pizza featured a great old marquee that still advertised the place as a "Drive-In," which may have seemed a little confusing by the time this photo was taken. 09-10
Turns out, the drive-in name came from Romano's original setup on Ridge Road, where customers could pull up and order from their cars. Pizza, Roman burgers, and hoagies were all part of the early menu, making this one a true old-school Northwest Indiana stop.
Romano's has been around for more than 75 years and is often billed as the Region's first pizzeria. The business later moved within Highland before eventually relocating to nearby Griffith, where it continues today.
Romano's Pizza
Griffith, IN Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi
The old Highland sign is gone, but Romano's is still known for thin-crust pizza, cheddar cheese cubes, and especially its original hoagie with ham, melted pizza cheese, mayo, lettuce, and tomato on toasted French bread. Nice to see the business survive, even if the old neon didn't make the move.
UPDATE: Romano's Pizza remains open in nearby Griffith. The former Highland location is closed, and the vintage neon drive-in marquee has been removed. 07-26
Pizza by Geneos
Pizza By Geneo
