The pizza is pretty awesome. Especially if you like cheese thick and gooey enough to blow bubbles. The mild buffalo wings are also very good in my opinion. 5/5 would eat here again.
(5)
John G.
Deep dish pizza was good. Still hard to beat Chicago but good.
(4)
Chrissy P.
This pizza is ridiculous. I've never been done in by one slice before, but this is like super max Chicagorama mile-deep dish pizza. Also, they have fried asparagus, which, really, should be terrible, but it's sooo not. It's fab. Excuse me now, I have to go run a couple of miles to burn off that last bite....
(4)
Geheimnis V.
Visit Lou's on Monday night for the best deal around - a large 2 topping for $8! The pizza is the best you will find in the area, period. It is not going to compare to true Chicago deep dish, but Peru is not Chicago. It IS delicious, reasonably priced, and the service is always great even if I find it strange that A) all the waitresses are about 16 years old and wearing mandated khaki hot shorts, and B) they refuse to leave a spatula for you to get your pizza out of the pan. Lou's is open until midnight! You won't find that many places in the area. Pasta, salads, & sandwiches have always been mediocre, stick to the pizza and garlic nuggets and you can't go wrong.
(4)
Rosie T.
I always top off a visit back home with a visit to Lou's. The deep dish was great, as always. I love that one of the meat choices is gyro meat, not done where I live now. The wings were nicely done - and on 50 cent wing night on Tuesday, we really enjoyed them. Just next time a bit more dressing for an order of 8 would be nice....a small ramikin not going to do it for 8 wings. My other beef is the change in the garlic nuggets. Last time I was here - a few years ago - the garlic nuggets were knots of bread smothered in garlic and butter. This time is was a flat hunk of bread, sectioned, covered in fake tasting garlic powder. Boo! They taste cheap and not like the old version. But I still love the pizza. Yeah, I am a fan of deep, cheesy pizza. The service was great for our party of 8 on wing night. My son got the small deep dish and enjoyed it. One in our party got a chicken salad and said it is always great. $1 pints of Coors was another great thing.
(4)
Kristine's S.
I've lived in the IL Valley for over 17 years and I always hear that Lou's is the BEST place for pizza. Oddly enough, I do not agree - but do LOVE this place! 3 out of 5 for pizza - the dough is too thick and you almost choke on the cheese! They have thin, but it is boring - but served with plenty of cheese and toppings. I'm giving Lou's 4 stars for their originality of other choices like their lasagna, salads and appetizers! Can't say enough good things about the garlic nuggets, the mama rosa salad is amazing, but the LASAGNA rivals my mothers! I love my mom's lasagna, but Lou has got it down to a science! Next time you go to Lou's be adventurous and DON'T try the pizza - do the lasagna instead...you'll go nuts for it! I did!!
(4)
Andy W.
Below average food with high prices. My son had a personal pan pizza, it was burned on top and under cooked the crust. We had several if their appetizers for some our meal. The garlic nuggets were awesome. The chicken tenders were huge, but hard and chewy. I had half of the steak and cheese sandwich, It was very disappointing. Not much steak on it and I think they used processed Swiss cheese for an 8 dollar sandwich. The thin crust pizza was below average. Definitely will never return.
(2)
greg t.
Disappointing. Overrated. When I lived in the area (quite a while ago), Lou's was THE place to go for pizza. Leftovers from Lou's were a coveted commodity in our household. I visited Lou's recently, and was quite disappointed. My wife liked the loaded nachos, but neither of us cared for the pizza. She told me that she liked DiGiorgno better...I had actually been thinking the exact same thing. DiGiorgno isn't even my favorite frozen pizza. Like the other reviews say, their pizza is dense...lots of cheese...very filling. The atmosphere is very LOUD. When my 5-year-old son went to the bathroom, he held his hands over his ears as he walked through the dining area. We experienced poor service...mostly just inattentive. We seemed to be bothersome to the waitstaff. Lou's is worth a try...you might like it. I used to.
(3)
Martin H.
Not bad, not great. Garlic nuggets were a bit big. Would have liked smaller bites and more marinara. Still worth getting. The deep dish was fine but was expecting a bit more from it. Not much sauce. But again not bad. Service was ok. Waited a occasionally to get checked on by our server a little.
(3)
Randy L.
I ordered some food from this place on a Sunday night they told me 45 minutes it took an hr and a half when I got the food I opened it up the stuffed shrimp was cold the fried mushrooms were mushy cold and disgusting I ate 1 ugh!! So I opened the pizza which looked like it had been under a heat lamp for 2 days gross!! I took a bite and it was rubbery like chewing a tire!! So I called the mgr said he'd send new food right away give him half an hr mind u the hotel is 5 min driving distance from this place it took 45 minutes to get there! But it was hot mushrooms were ok and shrimp was mediocre then I opened the pizza Wich not to my surprise had almost no toppings it may as well been plain cheese which is crazy since they chrge more for toppings then a nice pizza place downtown!! And to top it all off the second guy who brought my food was the rudest person I've ever met even the hotel clerk saw this and was amazed!! She said she won't be recommending them again and was disgusted by the original food they sent!! All and all I give it 0 stars and would recommend unless u want botulism from 3 day old pizza sitting under a heat lamp I would avoid this place all together!! I got a better pizza at caseys gas station down the street
(1)
Melissa P.
I like to order deep dish pizza from Lou's. I think they have the best deep dish pizza in the area. The prices are good too. I usually like everything I order from there. The reason I don't give it 5 stars is because I hate to eat in there. I always order everything to be delivered to my home or work because it is always way too loud in there and sometimes it takes forever to get your food, drinks, or your bill when you want to leave. Sometimes they are way too busy in there and they really need to hire more people on certain days when they have a lot of business. Other than that, I really like their food and I recommend you order from there to go or get delivery. Anyway, you can get drinks cheaper at home or at a regular bar and faster service too. I highly recommend the deep dish pizza. I always get cheese or mushroom but my boyfriend and partner at work likes the sausage and pepperoni.
(4)
Q. M. Z.
On the grand scale of things, Lou's is pretty damn good. As you get further away from Chicago, the "Chicago style" just seems to get more and more f*ed up by people who shouldn't be allowed to cook. Lou's is pretty tasty (not just sometimes, but every time). It's not Gino's East, but it's better than everything else outside of Illinois.
(4)
Les M.
Have been working in the area for several months now (project expanded) and eat there once every week. Yes, the atmosphere is loud but it's a pizza place after all. The bar is much louder than the eating area. Have never been disappointed in the pizza. Maybe not for everyone but I live on the road and eat out often. I find Lou's to be very good for what I like.
(5)
Van M.
This place is oh so much more than it appears. Sure Lou's is a great local pizza place with some quirky favorites like "garlic nuggets" (deep fried dough balls that you can dip in different sauces). However, Lou's has also somehow been able to land some great bands to play outdoor concerts during the summer. A few years ago, Blue's Traveler played Lou's; the next year it was The Bodeans; last year it was Willie Nelson. I have no idea what to expect in the coming years but it's worth checking in once in a while to find out.
(4)
Brent J.
I'll preface this review by saying we ordered delivery. They quoted 45 - 60 min which didn't seem ridiculous for 7 pm on a Saturday. The pizza arrived 75 minutes later. The pizza itself was cold. The wings and garlic nuggets were passably warm. I'm taking off 1.5 stars for that. The food itself was delicious. The thin crust pizza was absolutely drowning in quality mozzarella. Not greasy at all. The wings (medium and teriyaki) were both very good. The bleu cheese they sent with it had some "stank" on it which I enjoyed. I think my favorite item was the garlic nuggets. Just pizza dough dipped in butter and garlic but delicious. All and all a good food experience. A sub standard delivery experience.
(3)
Scott F.
Horrible my pasta was mush, I ordered chicken parm, it had meat sauce on it . Never will I eat there again
(1)
Breanna C.
The food is fantastic and the staff is wonderful. I had no complaints the pizza is thick and cheesy, the wings were fantastic and the garlic nuggets were delicious. Filled me up fast with plenty of leftovers for home.
(5)
Steve A.
Very disappointed. I was referred here from inside Peru for the only deep dish in town. In hindsight, I would have done better by going hungry. There is no "deep dish" here. It's a Pizza Hut pizza made by a non-corporate company. The cheese looked exactly like Pizza Hut - overcooked, low quality, and too much of it. Not nearly enough sauce. We ordered a medium, and it was barely as much food as a "small" at most other deep disheries. There was very little Canadian bacon, mostly chopped into tiny pieces. The mushrooms were few and very sickly - somehow dry, which should never happen INSIDE a pizza - and then there was barely adequate chicken. We also had the deep dish cookie. It was okay, but severely overcooked. My friend and I each had separate ones, and both were quite burnt. The ice cream was nice, but it didn't compensate. If I were back in this area, I'd sooner travel to Ottawa and hope for better food there than be subject to coming back to Lou's. I don't get why this place is packed, unless there's nothing better to eat here, which is truly a frightening thought. I do want to mention one saving grace: very wonderful service from the two lovely ladies, Courtney and... well, I remember Courtney. (Hi Courtney.) The other woman was our server, but we saw more of Courtney who was "filling in because {Lindsay? I seriously forget} was busy." Once you've taken our order and gotten us drinks, just stick around. I actually wrote in my check to give some of the tip to Courtney. If she stuck with us the whole time, a third star might have manifested itself. Not that {Lindsay?} did anything wrong, but the constant switching led to us not getting great service and to some confusion with orders. EDIT: Oh, yeah, the ambiance. It's the cheesiest concept you've ever heard of - fake plaster "caves" inside, and from what the waitresses said, palm trees and related stuff (I want to use a different S word but will restrain myself) outside. Identity crisis? Italian inside, beach outside. Italian menu, nondescript American faux-food. Courtney, babe, you deserve better. I can rescue you from here. Call me, babe.
(2)
Jenna K.
It is not Chicago Style Deep Dish, no. Nor does it claim to be. It's just deep pan pizza that's pretty great if you actually enjoy thick crust. If you like thin pizza...then order the thin crust. With that being said..they put a TON of cheese on top of the deep dish, so that's something to truly think about. And it's delicious, delicious cheese. The Buffalo Chicken sandwich is good. And the garlic nuggets are great as well.
(4)
Stephanie H.
This is a great place to order pizza on a Monday night if you are too tired to cook/out of groceries. The Monday madness deal is fantastic. The deep dish pizza gives me indigestion sometimes because of the dough-y-ness of the crust and the grease, but the cheese is high quality deliciousness and there is a LOT of cheese. I have only had mediocre and bad table service there, so personally I stick to carry out and delivery. I wish they had spinach as a topping option, but if you love garlic, they use a LOT of minced garlic when you order a pizza with garlic. I'm not crazy about it, but it will do in a pinch. Try it out, you might love it!
(3)
Lydia J.
Would've been reviewed higher but delivery was way too long and pizza delivered cold. Excellent food despite temp... Perhaps dine in?
(3)
Jeff G.
Not consistent sometimes very good but sometimes very bad. We order delivery and it varies.
(2)
Andy S.
I would say this place is more like a 3.5 stars. Having said that, the people there were really nice. We are from out of town but got the recommendation from a former local. Had to try the La Grotto nuggets (fried dough doused in butter and parmesan or some other kind of cheese) - holy cow were those things good but they were literally sitting in a pool of melted butter in the basket that they were brought out in. My biggest issue with the food though was the salad we ordered which was the typical salad had waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much oil on the salad. I mean it was drowning in oil. We tried to pour some of it out of the salad bowl and the oil from a small salad filled one of the little side plates and there was still some in the salad bowl. Other than that the salad was pretty good. The pizza was pretty good though I didn't really care for the crust on the deep pan pizza. I'm rarely a guy who doesn't eat the crust but in this case I had to pass. Overall I would definitely return and if they made some changes it would be much higher rated.
(3)
Linda B.
Trying Lou's LaGrotto ended up a trying experience. Asking for bruschetta without garlic, easily done in a kitchen making fresh food, we were told it is pre-made but only has a little garlic. This was so not true as each piece had so much chopped garlic that I ended up not eating it. Also, never had it with melted mozzarella cheese. This is not a mini pizza folks! The real pizza ordered was crispy and very good. The Peru water in the glass was awful. Fettuccini Alfredo was good but too much sauce, shouldn't be pooled in the plate.
(1)
Wesley B.
Bad Pizza! Famous Deep Dish Pizza? We have been here twice and both times were bad. The pizza is bland, and tastes like raw dough. I really think they freeze the pizza, and then bake to order. We could have had better quality pizza, if we picked up a frozen Uno's Deep Dish Pizza.
(1)
Z T.
Really good pizza for a really good price! Had the deep dish, not chicago style, but just good quality and taste. Friendly staff, clean restaurant, will definitely go back!
(4)
Winston L.
I'm going to start with ambiance, which I typically don't take in. This was a weird combination of Italian family restaurant decor, sports bar big screen TVs, and Sir Mix-a-Lot. All I can remember is listening to Baby Got Back while eating some mediocre pizza. -Nuggets were ok. Fried bread with marinara sauce. -Fried mushrooms were pretty good. We only got 7 in our order. Yes, I counted. -The deep dish was really disappointing. For one thing, I was expecting Deep Dish Lou Malnati's style. It was actually "deep pan" which seems horribly deceiving. Not only did the crust not have any crunch (not sure if that's the right descriptor) to it, but it felt a little undercooked and doughy. Also, the bread to other stuff ratio was really high. -Thin crust BBQ pizza was also not very tasty. Dry chicken bits for toppings. Also, I expect a thin crust to be crispy. This crust was soft. Before going into the restaurant, I remarked "this would be a place I would never have tried without Yelp reviews." Unfortunately, this is one of those rare times that Yelp lets me down.
(2)
Rob L.
This is a place to have a good time and enjoy some THIN crust pizza, some great buffalo wings and garlic nuggets. Great deals to get you out Mon, Tue, and Wed.
(4)
Ronee B.
I'm not from the Illinois Valley region, but my husband and his family all live around there. Now I've had tons of pizza around the Quad Cities and now Indianapolis, but Lou's is the pizza by which all comparisons are now made. We've discussed driving 3.5 hrs from Indianapolis just to eat here. Now, it isn't that mind-blowing, true Chicago deep dish pizza - go to Chicago and quit thinking you'll ever find that anywhere else. Lou's is a very deep and cheesy pizza with a nice thin, sweet sauce (and I'm pretty sure the menu doesn't actually call it Chicago style). The taste is spectacular though. The prices are insanely reasonable - 8 huge 2" deep slices in a large for a whopping $13.00 - crazy filling and cheap! The appetizers are okay, but nothing super special - on par with any other pizza joint. The ambiance is cool - I like the cave booths (the grottos haha!). The place could use a deep clean and new carpets, but it's a highly used, busy pizza place, so you'd expect some wear and tear. I absolutely love this pizza! I recommend it to anyone who is in the region - a must try!
(5)
T B.
Very disgusted today at LaGrotto's. I was there watching the Packers/Seahawks game with girlfriends in the bar. A drunk dumb blonde wanted to play the juke box with a little less then 6 minutes left in the game. A lot of us told her she was rude. One gentleman called her F'ing Numnuts. She went back to seat and started crying like a big baby - keep in mind this girl was at least in her 40's. Her boyfriend came over to the guy and demanded he go over an apologize to her - He did apologize. LaGrotto's security comes out a few minutes later and made a huge scene about the guy needing to leave now. Talk about over reacting. The guy apologized. She was the inconsiderate drunk. 20 minutes earlier she had fall off her bar stool. Sad that LaGrotto's was too afraid to back the guy instead of the female. I am a female and very disappointed that LaGrotto's thought the PC thing to do was to blame the guy and kick him out. Get some balls people!
(1)
Rachel K.
Some friends of our took us over to Peru for Lou's pizza after a day of shooting guns and enjoying the sun. The setup and decor is pleasant, but I was completely put off by the giant ad on our table. How terribly tacky. The prices are definitely not cheap enough to forgive such malfeasance. The fried, garlic dough bites were great and even more delicious the next day. The pizza toppings I wanted to shovel in my mouth they were so perfectly cheesy and tasty, but without the half-done crust. We got one thin crust, which was hardly thin and hardly done. We also had one deep dish, which was mostly mushy. I ate one full piece of pizza and then just scraped the toppings off of the rest. My dogs however, had no complaints about the crust when we got home. Service was fine, nothing stellar and not horrible either. I'm sure we'll be back the next time we're in that part of the world, but mostly because the choices are so limited.
(3)
Seth B.
The bites are delicious. Not healthy but good! Fun place with great prices. I don't think the pizzas are exceptional though.
(3)
A W.
Lous has great pizza! Really like the garlic nuggets and fries also. Eating inside isn't to bad, but its kind of a small place and gets very crowded, kind of uncomfortable. We usually get it to go because of that. But great food.
(4)
Adrienne W.
The pizza was really good. Server was nicer than the other places I've been to around here.
(5)
Jeff E.
pizza was excellent. being from chicago this is a huge compliment. would return.
(5)
Dana G.
Craaaving dougghhy deeep dissshhhh pizzasss. I literally have cravings for this pizza. I haven't lived in the area in over 5 years and I still think about how delish the food is here. I need to get back...ASAP. This place started my fried pickle addiction and I have yet to find a tastier pizza in the burbs. One piece of this cheesy doughy masterpiece is all you need. Generously sliced at the table and put on your plate piping hot by your server. Watching the enormous amount of cheese stretch from the pan to my plate had my mouth watering and my tummy growling in anticipation. Add on an order of tasty, crispy yet soft on the inside garlic nuggets and you will need to turn me on my side and roll me out the door. A small deep dish always fed the bf(ex) and I and we always had lunch the next day. We were never disappointed in the service or the quality. If you're in the Peru area definitely make a stop out. You will not regret it! They also have a location in Ottawa called R Grotto's
(5)
Tj M.
We were headed out of town and wanted to stop at this place. before we went here we were looking for a good Italian restaurant to dine at.We got online and looked at the reviews of this lous and it got real good feedback. We looked at the menu and they had of pizza & lots of pasta dishes.We ordered the nuggets as a appetizer and they were great.My girlfriend said she would ordered these again when we come back to this place,as she really liked them. The pizza was delicious when they brought it out. I enjoyed the sausage on it and it hit the spot because i was hungry.The dining room was big and they had big screen TVs so you can watch the game too.This local Italian restaurant is the place to go if your in the lasalle/peru area,I know we'll be back.
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
David M.
The pizza is pretty awesome. Especially if you like cheese thick and gooey enough to blow bubbles. The mild buffalo wings are also very good in my opinion. 5/5 would eat here again.
(5)John G.
Deep dish pizza was good. Still hard to beat Chicago but good.
(4)Chrissy P.
This pizza is ridiculous. I've never been done in by one slice before, but this is like super max Chicagorama mile-deep dish pizza. Also, they have fried asparagus, which, really, should be terrible, but it's sooo not. It's fab. Excuse me now, I have to go run a couple of miles to burn off that last bite....
(4)Geheimnis V.
Visit Lou's on Monday night for the best deal around - a large 2 topping for $8! The pizza is the best you will find in the area, period. It is not going to compare to true Chicago deep dish, but Peru is not Chicago. It IS delicious, reasonably priced, and the service is always great even if I find it strange that A) all the waitresses are about 16 years old and wearing mandated khaki hot shorts, and B) they refuse to leave a spatula for you to get your pizza out of the pan. Lou's is open until midnight! You won't find that many places in the area. Pasta, salads, & sandwiches have always been mediocre, stick to the pizza and garlic nuggets and you can't go wrong.
(4)Rosie T.
I always top off a visit back home with a visit to Lou's. The deep dish was great, as always. I love that one of the meat choices is gyro meat, not done where I live now. The wings were nicely done - and on 50 cent wing night on Tuesday, we really enjoyed them. Just next time a bit more dressing for an order of 8 would be nice....a small ramikin not going to do it for 8 wings. My other beef is the change in the garlic nuggets. Last time I was here - a few years ago - the garlic nuggets were knots of bread smothered in garlic and butter. This time is was a flat hunk of bread, sectioned, covered in fake tasting garlic powder. Boo! They taste cheap and not like the old version. But I still love the pizza. Yeah, I am a fan of deep, cheesy pizza. The service was great for our party of 8 on wing night. My son got the small deep dish and enjoyed it. One in our party got a chicken salad and said it is always great. $1 pints of Coors was another great thing.
(4)Kristine's S.
I've lived in the IL Valley for over 17 years and I always hear that Lou's is the BEST place for pizza. Oddly enough, I do not agree - but do LOVE this place! 3 out of 5 for pizza - the dough is too thick and you almost choke on the cheese! They have thin, but it is boring - but served with plenty of cheese and toppings. I'm giving Lou's 4 stars for their originality of other choices like their lasagna, salads and appetizers! Can't say enough good things about the garlic nuggets, the mama rosa salad is amazing, but the LASAGNA rivals my mothers! I love my mom's lasagna, but Lou has got it down to a science! Next time you go to Lou's be adventurous and DON'T try the pizza - do the lasagna instead...you'll go nuts for it! I did!!
(4)Andy W.
Below average food with high prices. My son had a personal pan pizza, it was burned on top and under cooked the crust. We had several if their appetizers for some our meal. The garlic nuggets were awesome. The chicken tenders were huge, but hard and chewy. I had half of the steak and cheese sandwich, It was very disappointing. Not much steak on it and I think they used processed Swiss cheese for an 8 dollar sandwich. The thin crust pizza was below average. Definitely will never return.
(2)greg t.
Disappointing. Overrated. When I lived in the area (quite a while ago), Lou's was THE place to go for pizza. Leftovers from Lou's were a coveted commodity in our household. I visited Lou's recently, and was quite disappointed. My wife liked the loaded nachos, but neither of us cared for the pizza. She told me that she liked DiGiorgno better...I had actually been thinking the exact same thing. DiGiorgno isn't even my favorite frozen pizza. Like the other reviews say, their pizza is dense...lots of cheese...very filling. The atmosphere is very LOUD. When my 5-year-old son went to the bathroom, he held his hands over his ears as he walked through the dining area. We experienced poor service...mostly just inattentive. We seemed to be bothersome to the waitstaff. Lou's is worth a try...you might like it. I used to.
(3)Martin H.
Not bad, not great. Garlic nuggets were a bit big. Would have liked smaller bites and more marinara. Still worth getting. The deep dish was fine but was expecting a bit more from it. Not much sauce. But again not bad. Service was ok. Waited a occasionally to get checked on by our server a little.
(3)Randy L.
I ordered some food from this place on a Sunday night they told me 45 minutes it took an hr and a half when I got the food I opened it up the stuffed shrimp was cold the fried mushrooms were mushy cold and disgusting I ate 1 ugh!! So I opened the pizza which looked like it had been under a heat lamp for 2 days gross!! I took a bite and it was rubbery like chewing a tire!! So I called the mgr said he'd send new food right away give him half an hr mind u the hotel is 5 min driving distance from this place it took 45 minutes to get there! But it was hot mushrooms were ok and shrimp was mediocre then I opened the pizza Wich not to my surprise had almost no toppings it may as well been plain cheese which is crazy since they chrge more for toppings then a nice pizza place downtown!! And to top it all off the second guy who brought my food was the rudest person I've ever met even the hotel clerk saw this and was amazed!! She said she won't be recommending them again and was disgusted by the original food they sent!! All and all I give it 0 stars and would recommend unless u want botulism from 3 day old pizza sitting under a heat lamp I would avoid this place all together!! I got a better pizza at caseys gas station down the street
(1)Melissa P.
I like to order deep dish pizza from Lou's. I think they have the best deep dish pizza in the area. The prices are good too. I usually like everything I order from there. The reason I don't give it 5 stars is because I hate to eat in there. I always order everything to be delivered to my home or work because it is always way too loud in there and sometimes it takes forever to get your food, drinks, or your bill when you want to leave. Sometimes they are way too busy in there and they really need to hire more people on certain days when they have a lot of business. Other than that, I really like their food and I recommend you order from there to go or get delivery. Anyway, you can get drinks cheaper at home or at a regular bar and faster service too. I highly recommend the deep dish pizza. I always get cheese or mushroom but my boyfriend and partner at work likes the sausage and pepperoni.
(4)Q. M. Z.
On the grand scale of things, Lou's is pretty damn good. As you get further away from Chicago, the "Chicago style" just seems to get more and more f*ed up by people who shouldn't be allowed to cook. Lou's is pretty tasty (not just sometimes, but every time). It's not Gino's East, but it's better than everything else outside of Illinois.
(4)Les M.
Have been working in the area for several months now (project expanded) and eat there once every week. Yes, the atmosphere is loud but it's a pizza place after all. The bar is much louder than the eating area. Have never been disappointed in the pizza. Maybe not for everyone but I live on the road and eat out often. I find Lou's to be very good for what I like.
(5)Van M.
This place is oh so much more than it appears. Sure Lou's is a great local pizza place with some quirky favorites like "garlic nuggets" (deep fried dough balls that you can dip in different sauces). However, Lou's has also somehow been able to land some great bands to play outdoor concerts during the summer. A few years ago, Blue's Traveler played Lou's; the next year it was The Bodeans; last year it was Willie Nelson. I have no idea what to expect in the coming years but it's worth checking in once in a while to find out.
(4)Brent J.
I'll preface this review by saying we ordered delivery. They quoted 45 - 60 min which didn't seem ridiculous for 7 pm on a Saturday. The pizza arrived 75 minutes later. The pizza itself was cold. The wings and garlic nuggets were passably warm. I'm taking off 1.5 stars for that. The food itself was delicious. The thin crust pizza was absolutely drowning in quality mozzarella. Not greasy at all. The wings (medium and teriyaki) were both very good. The bleu cheese they sent with it had some "stank" on it which I enjoyed. I think my favorite item was the garlic nuggets. Just pizza dough dipped in butter and garlic but delicious. All and all a good food experience. A sub standard delivery experience.
(3)Scott F.
Horrible my pasta was mush, I ordered chicken parm, it had meat sauce on it . Never will I eat there again
(1)Breanna C.
The food is fantastic and the staff is wonderful. I had no complaints the pizza is thick and cheesy, the wings were fantastic and the garlic nuggets were delicious. Filled me up fast with plenty of leftovers for home.
(5)Steve A.
Very disappointed. I was referred here from inside Peru for the only deep dish in town. In hindsight, I would have done better by going hungry. There is no "deep dish" here. It's a Pizza Hut pizza made by a non-corporate company. The cheese looked exactly like Pizza Hut - overcooked, low quality, and too much of it. Not nearly enough sauce. We ordered a medium, and it was barely as much food as a "small" at most other deep disheries. There was very little Canadian bacon, mostly chopped into tiny pieces. The mushrooms were few and very sickly - somehow dry, which should never happen INSIDE a pizza - and then there was barely adequate chicken. We also had the deep dish cookie. It was okay, but severely overcooked. My friend and I each had separate ones, and both were quite burnt. The ice cream was nice, but it didn't compensate. If I were back in this area, I'd sooner travel to Ottawa and hope for better food there than be subject to coming back to Lou's. I don't get why this place is packed, unless there's nothing better to eat here, which is truly a frightening thought. I do want to mention one saving grace: very wonderful service from the two lovely ladies, Courtney and... well, I remember Courtney. (Hi Courtney.) The other woman was our server, but we saw more of Courtney who was "filling in because {Lindsay? I seriously forget} was busy." Once you've taken our order and gotten us drinks, just stick around. I actually wrote in my check to give some of the tip to Courtney. If she stuck with us the whole time, a third star might have manifested itself. Not that {Lindsay?} did anything wrong, but the constant switching led to us not getting great service and to some confusion with orders. EDIT: Oh, yeah, the ambiance. It's the cheesiest concept you've ever heard of - fake plaster "caves" inside, and from what the waitresses said, palm trees and related stuff (I want to use a different S word but will restrain myself) outside. Identity crisis? Italian inside, beach outside. Italian menu, nondescript American faux-food. Courtney, babe, you deserve better. I can rescue you from here. Call me, babe.
(2)Jenna K.
It is not Chicago Style Deep Dish, no. Nor does it claim to be. It's just deep pan pizza that's pretty great if you actually enjoy thick crust. If you like thin pizza...then order the thin crust. With that being said..they put a TON of cheese on top of the deep dish, so that's something to truly think about. And it's delicious, delicious cheese. The Buffalo Chicken sandwich is good. And the garlic nuggets are great as well.
(4)Stephanie H.
This is a great place to order pizza on a Monday night if you are too tired to cook/out of groceries. The Monday madness deal is fantastic. The deep dish pizza gives me indigestion sometimes because of the dough-y-ness of the crust and the grease, but the cheese is high quality deliciousness and there is a LOT of cheese. I have only had mediocre and bad table service there, so personally I stick to carry out and delivery. I wish they had spinach as a topping option, but if you love garlic, they use a LOT of minced garlic when you order a pizza with garlic. I'm not crazy about it, but it will do in a pinch. Try it out, you might love it!
(3)Lydia J.
Would've been reviewed higher but delivery was way too long and pizza delivered cold. Excellent food despite temp... Perhaps dine in?
(3)Jeff G.
Not consistent sometimes very good but sometimes very bad. We order delivery and it varies.
(2)Andy S.
I would say this place is more like a 3.5 stars. Having said that, the people there were really nice. We are from out of town but got the recommendation from a former local. Had to try the La Grotto nuggets (fried dough doused in butter and parmesan or some other kind of cheese) - holy cow were those things good but they were literally sitting in a pool of melted butter in the basket that they were brought out in. My biggest issue with the food though was the salad we ordered which was the typical salad had waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much oil on the salad. I mean it was drowning in oil. We tried to pour some of it out of the salad bowl and the oil from a small salad filled one of the little side plates and there was still some in the salad bowl. Other than that the salad was pretty good. The pizza was pretty good though I didn't really care for the crust on the deep pan pizza. I'm rarely a guy who doesn't eat the crust but in this case I had to pass. Overall I would definitely return and if they made some changes it would be much higher rated.
(3)Linda B.
Trying Lou's LaGrotto ended up a trying experience. Asking for bruschetta without garlic, easily done in a kitchen making fresh food, we were told it is pre-made but only has a little garlic. This was so not true as each piece had so much chopped garlic that I ended up not eating it. Also, never had it with melted mozzarella cheese. This is not a mini pizza folks! The real pizza ordered was crispy and very good. The Peru water in the glass was awful. Fettuccini Alfredo was good but too much sauce, shouldn't be pooled in the plate.
(1)Wesley B.
Bad Pizza! Famous Deep Dish Pizza? We have been here twice and both times were bad. The pizza is bland, and tastes like raw dough. I really think they freeze the pizza, and then bake to order. We could have had better quality pizza, if we picked up a frozen Uno's Deep Dish Pizza.
(1)Z T.
Really good pizza for a really good price! Had the deep dish, not chicago style, but just good quality and taste. Friendly staff, clean restaurant, will definitely go back!
(4)Winston L.
I'm going to start with ambiance, which I typically don't take in. This was a weird combination of Italian family restaurant decor, sports bar big screen TVs, and Sir Mix-a-Lot. All I can remember is listening to Baby Got Back while eating some mediocre pizza. -Nuggets were ok. Fried bread with marinara sauce. -Fried mushrooms were pretty good. We only got 7 in our order. Yes, I counted. -The deep dish was really disappointing. For one thing, I was expecting Deep Dish Lou Malnati's style. It was actually "deep pan" which seems horribly deceiving. Not only did the crust not have any crunch (not sure if that's the right descriptor) to it, but it felt a little undercooked and doughy. Also, the bread to other stuff ratio was really high. -Thin crust BBQ pizza was also not very tasty. Dry chicken bits for toppings. Also, I expect a thin crust to be crispy. This crust was soft. Before going into the restaurant, I remarked "this would be a place I would never have tried without Yelp reviews." Unfortunately, this is one of those rare times that Yelp lets me down.
(2)Rob L.
This is a place to have a good time and enjoy some THIN crust pizza, some great buffalo wings and garlic nuggets. Great deals to get you out Mon, Tue, and Wed.
(4)Ronee B.
I'm not from the Illinois Valley region, but my husband and his family all live around there. Now I've had tons of pizza around the Quad Cities and now Indianapolis, but Lou's is the pizza by which all comparisons are now made. We've discussed driving 3.5 hrs from Indianapolis just to eat here. Now, it isn't that mind-blowing, true Chicago deep dish pizza - go to Chicago and quit thinking you'll ever find that anywhere else. Lou's is a very deep and cheesy pizza with a nice thin, sweet sauce (and I'm pretty sure the menu doesn't actually call it Chicago style). The taste is spectacular though. The prices are insanely reasonable - 8 huge 2" deep slices in a large for a whopping $13.00 - crazy filling and cheap! The appetizers are okay, but nothing super special - on par with any other pizza joint. The ambiance is cool - I like the cave booths (the grottos haha!). The place could use a deep clean and new carpets, but it's a highly used, busy pizza place, so you'd expect some wear and tear. I absolutely love this pizza! I recommend it to anyone who is in the region - a must try!
(5)T B.
Very disgusted today at LaGrotto's. I was there watching the Packers/Seahawks game with girlfriends in the bar. A drunk dumb blonde wanted to play the juke box with a little less then 6 minutes left in the game. A lot of us told her she was rude. One gentleman called her F'ing Numnuts. She went back to seat and started crying like a big baby - keep in mind this girl was at least in her 40's. Her boyfriend came over to the guy and demanded he go over an apologize to her - He did apologize. LaGrotto's security comes out a few minutes later and made a huge scene about the guy needing to leave now. Talk about over reacting. The guy apologized. She was the inconsiderate drunk. 20 minutes earlier she had fall off her bar stool. Sad that LaGrotto's was too afraid to back the guy instead of the female. I am a female and very disappointed that LaGrotto's thought the PC thing to do was to blame the guy and kick him out. Get some balls people!
(1)Rachel K.
Some friends of our took us over to Peru for Lou's pizza after a day of shooting guns and enjoying the sun. The setup and decor is pleasant, but I was completely put off by the giant ad on our table. How terribly tacky. The prices are definitely not cheap enough to forgive such malfeasance. The fried, garlic dough bites were great and even more delicious the next day. The pizza toppings I wanted to shovel in my mouth they were so perfectly cheesy and tasty, but without the half-done crust. We got one thin crust, which was hardly thin and hardly done. We also had one deep dish, which was mostly mushy. I ate one full piece of pizza and then just scraped the toppings off of the rest. My dogs however, had no complaints about the crust when we got home. Service was fine, nothing stellar and not horrible either. I'm sure we'll be back the next time we're in that part of the world, but mostly because the choices are so limited.
(3)Seth B.
The bites are delicious. Not healthy but good! Fun place with great prices. I don't think the pizzas are exceptional though.
(3)A W.
Lous has great pizza! Really like the garlic nuggets and fries also. Eating inside isn't to bad, but its kind of a small place and gets very crowded, kind of uncomfortable. We usually get it to go because of that. But great food.
(4)Adrienne W.
The pizza was really good. Server was nicer than the other places I've been to around here.
(5)Jeff E.
pizza was excellent. being from chicago this is a huge compliment. would return.
(5)Dana G.
Craaaving dougghhy deeep dissshhhh pizzasss. I literally have cravings for this pizza. I haven't lived in the area in over 5 years and I still think about how delish the food is here. I need to get back...ASAP. This place started my fried pickle addiction and I have yet to find a tastier pizza in the burbs. One piece of this cheesy doughy masterpiece is all you need. Generously sliced at the table and put on your plate piping hot by your server. Watching the enormous amount of cheese stretch from the pan to my plate had my mouth watering and my tummy growling in anticipation. Add on an order of tasty, crispy yet soft on the inside garlic nuggets and you will need to turn me on my side and roll me out the door. A small deep dish always fed the bf(ex) and I and we always had lunch the next day. We were never disappointed in the service or the quality. If you're in the Peru area definitely make a stop out. You will not regret it! They also have a location in Ottawa called R Grotto's
(5)Tj M.
We were headed out of town and wanted to stop at this place. before we went here we were looking for a good Italian restaurant to dine at.We got online and looked at the reviews of this lous and it got real good feedback. We looked at the menu and they had of pizza & lots of pasta dishes.We ordered the nuggets as a appetizer and they were great.My girlfriend said she would ordered these again when we come back to this place,as she really liked them. The pizza was delicious when they brought it out. I enjoyed the sausage on it and it hit the spot because i was hungry.The dining room was big and they had big screen TVs so you can watch the game too.This local Italian restaurant is the place to go if your in the lasalle/peru area,I know we'll be back.
(4)