Paul’s Chicago Pizza
1500 N McMullen Booth Rd, Clearwater, FL, 33759
Paul’s Chicago Pizza Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Clearwater for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Clearwater for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1500 N McMullen Booth Rd
Clearwater, FL, 33759 - Phone (727) 723-9777
- Website https://www.paulschicagopizza.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Pizza
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.
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Rich D.
Don't know why it took me so long to try out Paul's. I've read the great reviews of this place for years. Pretty big dining area with lots of room, and even though we were there late at night when i was empty, I'm sure there's a reason given the great reviews. Tried the veggie pizza and it was excellent. I haven't found that many good pizza places in this part of town, and I will be back. Soon.
(4)Johnny C.
From the outside you might think it's nothing special. When you walk in you might see a pleasant clean environment but again think no big deal. When you try some of Pauls's food and especially the Pizza that's when you know you got to the right place. I would never have thought about ranch dressing as a pizza ingredient until Paul's now I'm hooked on his special. Stop in for a pie and I don't believe you will disappointed
(4)Vito T.
Very good thin crust pizza. Dough had a crispy quality; almost like a cracker quality rather than a tear or pull type chew. But by all means pass on the Chicago dogs. The parts are there; the poppy seed bun the neon relish, chopped onions and sport peppers. But dog came wrapped in foil, barely warmed . D+ on the dog. But I will return for pizza on my next trip from Chicago.
(4)Ian U.
Stopped by for lunch last weekend. Ordered the Italian Beef sandwich which came with potato wedges. Au jus was GREAT. A very good sandwich. Also got a take and bake pizza to bring home. Next the Christino's in Clearwater, this was the BEST pizza I've had. Perfect crispy crust and delish sauce and toppings. On my fav list for Clearwater!!!
(5)Anthony B.
New to the Tampa area. Siri and Yelp led us to Paul's? Was it good deep dish pizza??? yes! Best we have had since we have been down here. I moved from the Chicago area and good pizza places are a dime a dozen there. I was craving a deep dish pizza and I left Paul's completely satisfied. The sauce is fantastic!! We also tried a small thin crust and it reminded us of one of our favorite places back home. Good stuff!! To whomever is reading this and is contemplating going to Paul's.... Stop reading, get in your car, and drive down to see Paul!! You will love it. The guy has direct tv too with all the NFL games!!
(5)Tom G.
Best pizza I have had in Fl yet. Thin and crispy and a great lunch buffet!
(5)Katie L.
As a Chicago transplant one of my first things I did when I moved here was to find pizza that reminded me of home. I was so fortunate to discover Paul's Chicago Pizza. The pizza is authentic Chicago thin or deep dish. I particularly love the thin crust. It is crispy and flavorful and loaded with the freshest topping. Pauls is not only a fantastic place for pizza, the Italian beef, Chicago style hot dogs, and tamales can't be beat. Fortunately the staff is as wonderful as the food. If you're looking for good food, a friendly atmosphere and some Chicago sports Paul's is the place to be.
(5)Fernando K.
Best pizza outside Chicago! The decor is everything from Chicago Sports teams. We have the pizza everytime we come down from Chicago. Try the daily lunch buffet for all you can eat.
(5)Ted P.
Living in Clearwater area for 7 years and I finally found a great pizza place!
(5)Ward B.
Thin Chicago pizza at its best.... Lunch buffet is the deal
(4)Terri N.
I stopped in at Paul's today for the lunch buffet and was lucky to get a table. The place was really busy which to me is a real good sign that the food is great. The wait staff was very corteous and attentive. The food on the buffet was hot and plentiful. The thin crust pizza here is amazing with the perfect blend of crispy crust and flavorful sauce with plenty of toppings. We ordered a pizza to go so we could have some Paul's pizza at home the next day. We will definitely be back. Next time I will try the Italian beef which I've heard is amazing.
(5)Susan G.
I formerly loved this Chicago style pizza, but the last two times something changed. At first I could not put my finger on it, but then I noticed that the cheese is much like eating rubber. This is cheap oil like cheese and it's a way for pizza joints to cut costs & make bigger profit. This to me is a real let down from their former style. There prices for a large are higher than most of their competitors and I did not mind it because of the quality and taste that better ingredients produce. All I can say that they have now lost a loyal customer and I am sure there are more to follow.
(1)Michelle M.
The thin crust sausage pizza takes me back to the thin crust I used to eat in Chicago as a child. It was crispy and the taste was spot on. I can't believe I found a little bit of home here in Tampa. Now I just have to find authentic deep dish Chicago-style. They do have stuffed pizza here, which I look forward to trying.
(5)Melanie B.
Ordered take out last night, got the meaty stuffed pizza, chicken ranch pizza, and the specialty house seasoned wings. The wings were very good & had a nice unique dry crispy flavor, make sure you ask for the special house seasoning. The meaty deep fish was awesome, similar to pies we've had in Chicago. The garlic knots are eh... overall I would definitely order again, you get some really great good and the value was impressive as well!
(5)Bob S.
I went here specifically for an Italian Beef. I got that along with potatoe wedges and their all you can drink pop. The sandwich was tastey but extremely weak (small) there were litterally 5 potatoe wedges, and if I put them together I am being generous to say it made a half a potatoe. Thank god for the all you can drink pop, because I would have had to buy another over priced sandwich if I didnt have pop to fill up on. If you want a great Italian beef go to Henrys Chicago Dogs on 19.
(3)Erica M.
We were craving pizza and I decided to go for Chicago style for a change. We ordered a classic pizza and the dry rub cajun wings. The flavor of the wings was good. The pizza was tasty, too, but heavy and quite greasy. We enjoyed what we had, but not sure I'd run back. But it could very well be that deep dish pizza is not my jam...so if it's yours, definitely check this spot out!
(4)SenorQueso G.
This is easily the best pizza buffet in town. Available weekdays during lunch. It's not a huge selection, but the quality is good. They have 4 pies out at a time. These go pretty quickly, so you're pretty much guaranteed to get fresh slices. The salad options are very limited, but let's face it, you're here for pizza. If you want healthy options at a pizza buffet, go graze in the median on McMullen Booth Rd. They also have some garlic knots as well. This is Chicago-style THIN crust. I love this stuff. I've also ordered their Chicago Deep Dish pies and have been happy with them as well. I prefer their thin, but that's just my preference. The staff are always friendly and the prices are good. I regret not being closer to this place for lunch.
(5)John L.
Very good thin crust pizza but VERY greasy thin crust pizza! I ordered sausage and pepperoni. The meat was very good as well as the crust. However, the abundance of grease takes away from the crispiness of the crust. It's a little pricey, but I think it's worth it. I also ordered mozzarella sticks (of course) and they were good, but certainly nothing special. Oh, and I ordered a fountain drink to go. It was maybe 16-20 ounces and cost $2.40! What is that about?? But all in all, it's a solid four stars. Tip - if you like your pepperoni on top of the cheese like I do, you have to ask for it that way. They usually put it underneath the cheese. Maybe that's why it's so greasy.
(4)Lia M.
What a great place to grab a slice or two (or a whole pie). I was somewhat boring and just got two cheese slices, but they were great. Crust could've been a bit crispier, but they were served piping hot and with plenty of cheese. It's nothing fancy, but I'm reminded of the pizza parlors of my childhood. I'm told they deliver, but not sure what the area is. Staff was very gracious and friendly.
(4)Warren R.
One word: Legit. I stopped by for lunch, and the cashier suggested the lunch buffet. The guy in front of me said "Do it, you can't go wrong", so I succumbed to peer pressure. Although peer pressure normally leads to me having addictions or jumping off of bridges, this time it was a good idea. At first I felt I made a horrible mistake, because it kind of looked like a crappy little buffet. I chose some sausage and meatballs, pasta, a few slices of various pizza, and a few garlic parmesan poppers. The pasta was ok, but not extraordinary. The sausage and meatballs tasted fresh and homemade. The pizza was delicious, it won me over and had great flavor and a tasty thin crust. The garlic parmesan poppers? Delightful. I watched a man fill his entire plate with those things. Although I was only there a short while and only indulged in seconds, they rotated out a few different pizzas during that time. The lunch buffet was only $8 and change for all you can eat and a drink, so it's quite a deal. Yay! I'm a fan.
(4)Thuy L.
After doing much research in the area for something to fill the void that was left after I realized that the closest Giordano's is in Orlando, I found this gem. The restaurant is located in a spacious plaza, which means parking is not a pain in the rear. Lucky for me I came on a random weekday right after work and did not catch a line. I called in an hour ahead to order the stuffed pizza because experience taught me the pizza takes a long time to make. I walked in and was instantly hit by Chicago pride with the jerseys and pictures up on the wall, which was cool to get a little taste of. The cashier was quick to greet me and rang me up quickly. The pizza and wings were done, so I spent a total of about 3 minutes in the actual restaurant. When I finally got home and ate a slice of the Classic stuffed pizza, it was everything I expected. The cheese was still oozing to the point that I got a nice string with every bite. I was not disappointed with the amount of toppings in the pizza, in other words, there was a generous amount of sausage instead of cheaping out customers. The crust was nice and crunchy by the time I reached it and even got to scoop up the spillover toppings with it. The reason I'm not giving Paul's 5/5 stars is because of the disappointing wings. I usually get cajun wings from WingStop and they are amazing. I cannot say the same here as the wings barely had any flavor from the dry rub. I wish they used more rub on it so I could taste more than just the frying oil. Hopefully I get a better product next time considering they claim the cajun wings as their "specialty". I would definitely recommend the stuffed pizza, but I am trying the thin crust next time around because it looks amazing! Thank you Paul for bringing a taste of Chicago to Clearwater.
(4)Ken L.
For a Chicagoan who is away from home, this is a welcomed reminder of what we left behind. Tampa doesn't have many places that have deep dish pizza so I'm grateful for Paul's. Nice, quiet place if you want to dine in and be surrounded by Chicago memorabilia.
(4)Steve E.
His Royal Yelpieness, and our fearless leader, Brett N has been singing the virtues of Paul's Chicago Pizza for quite some time, and I finally got the chance to visit and try this place for myself. I admit that pizza is a very personal experience, shaped in large part by the type of pizza that you enjoyed as a kid. No other pizza will stand up to your favorite kind of Chicago deep dish, Detroit flat bread shaped like Gene Simmons' tongue, or NYC fold-'em in half, squeeze out the grease, and eat-'em slices from the Village. If you grew up liking a certain style, then everything else is mehhh. I grew up in Washington DC and was used to a certain style of thin-crust pizza with lighter amounts of sauce and toppings (see Ledo Pizza in Carrollwood), so the idea of deep dish or stuffed pizzas was foreign to me. But hey, Yelpers are supposed to be open-minded and willing to try new things, right? A group of friends found ourselves in Safety Harbor recently, and we were in the mood to have pizza for lunch. I dialed up nearby bookmarks on my trusty Yelp app, and a quick drive along 14th Avenue South and then a turn onto McMullen Booth Road brought us right to Paul's Chicago Pizza. This is the same shopping center as Publix and Painting With a Twist. From the outside the signage was advertising "Da Best Thin Crust" as well as stuffed pizzas, flatbreads, Italian beef sandwiches, and full-on Italian pasta dinners. Clearly, this place is so much more than just another neighborhood pizza joint. You place your order at the back counter, then grab a seat, and they'll bring out your meal after it's done cooking. We were standing in line pondering a classic stuffed pizza versus an all-meat thin crust pizza versus Italian beef or meatball Parmesan sandwiches when the nice lady said, "Are you familiar with our All You Can Eat lunch buffet?". Whoa, stop everything......this could be legendary! Sure enough, for $8.50 you can help yourself to unlimited garden salad, Italian antipasto salad, baked ziti, homemade meatballs and sausages in gravy (that would be the red stuff), about six different ever-changing types of pizza, garlic knots, cinnamon poppers, and a drink. The staff at Paul's were replenishing the pizzas as quickly as the lunch crowd would devour them. Everything was fresh and very delicious! We grabbed clean plates and then artfully piled on salad, topped by pasta, sausage, meatballs, pizza, and garlic knots. More carbohydrates on one plate than anyone should ever consider. But wow, this was yummy. I need to go back one evening and try some other things on their menu, but I know that if I'm in the area of McMullen Booth and 590 between the hours of 11:30 and 2pm, Monday through Friday, that I can count on a very delicious buffet lunch at Paul's Chicago Pizza.
(4)T P.
Tried this pizza for the first time today and it wasn't what I expected. The crust just didn't measure up for me and the sauce was just okay. I love pizza and even after reading the reviews/ looking at the ratings, I had high expectations. On a positive note, the pizza delivery guy was friendly and the pizza showed up earlier than they originally said. I gave them two stars for the pizza and one more for the fast delivery time/friendly delivery guy. Let's just say this was my first and last.
(3)Gabriella D.
Paul's Chicago Pizza was highly recommended by Brett because he and every other Yelper/friend/family member/stranger walking down the street knew I was a die hard fan of Cappy's Pizza. What they did not know is that I also had the pleasure of eating Uno's Pizza in NY and loved that just as much (it'll be our little secret). So I had high expectations of Paul's walking in the door. We had the Stuffed Pizza. Shockingly, I got full very quickly. But it worked out great, because my fiancee actually got full. My daughter didn't seem too crazy about it for some reason..and the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree because both of us were crazy about Cappy's. We went back several times spaced out from each other and I've ordered different things, I'm not sure why but there's something that just doesn't do it for my taste buds.It's good, but not great. I can say the service is great. And it's in a plaza in a spot that I have overlooked but close to a lot of shopping and even would be a much better option than the pizza in Gotti Town.
(4)Mark D.
I had heard such good things about this place, but I ate here recently...twice...and man was it disappointing. The Pizza was shockingly bad...definitely 1 star quality, but I bumped their overall rating to 2 Stars because the Italian Beef Sandwich was somewhat better. This place confuses me because people with what I consider to be good taste in food recommended this place so highly...but it was really, really disappointing. Maybe I'll give it one more shot, but I am definitely 0-2 so far. Now granted, I'm from NY and I'm a thin crust pizza guy, but I also LOVE the Chicago style food and even the Italian Beef sandwich was somewhat mediocre.
(2)Ryan M.
The stuffed crust pizza is amazing, came in here after reading the reviews while I was in the area, I was throughly surprised at how good this pizza is, everything from the crust to the cheese to the sauce, it all tasted great. First impression when you look at the pizza it looks like a pie with sauce filling it, but once you take a bite you will understand the hype from all these great reviews. I would suggest this place to anybody that is looking for a great tasting deep dish stuffed pizza, this is the best one I have came across anywhere.
(5)Dave W.
I'm not much of a fan of that thick Chicago-style pizza where the ingredients are clearly put on the pizza in the wrong order. However, I heard Paul's makes an awesome thin crust pizza so I decided to give it a shot. I went on a weekday afternoon so the clean and welcoming place wasn't packed or anything. Their white pizza is apparently all about herbs and garlic, which sounded good to me! Therefore, I ordered a white pie with meatballs and waited patiently for them to create the hoped for masterpiece. I have to say, the resultant thin crunchy pizza, cut in to small square pieces, was delicious. I'm not sure why small square pieces are better but it works so why argue? It did somehow magically make for a uniformly crispy pie! We will see how the leftovers taste tomorrow morning...
(4)Todd W.
For those of you who remember and miss the wonderful Meaner Weiner in South Tampa for Chicago-style food, it was their owners who first told me about Paul's Chicago Pizza in Clearwater. Obviously, others I know and trust here on Yelp also endorse Paul's so I planned to hang out with friends who live over that way and pick up food for all of us. First, I agree with those on Yelp who said it is more of a take-out experience. While the dining area isn't necessarily small, one large birthday party of roughly 18-20 people dominated most of the room on the Saturday night I came for my visit. However, my friends and I did not find the thin crust pizza to be as worthy of all the five-star reviews. For around $20, we had a 16" pie with pepperoni, meatball and green peppers. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the pizza at all, but it did not remind me of pizza that I've had at some great spots in Chicago on my many travels there for Bears and Blackhawks games. I will not question the value of their pizza because I understand how individual places like this generally need to charge more for their product than the major chains like Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Domino's and Little Caesar's. They have a small business to run, so I get that and have no problem paying a little more. However, I really wanted this pizza to be fantastic and it fell short of my lofty expectations. Ordering over the phone and in person when I picked up the order, I found all the employees to be professional and friendly. The tamales that I added to my order were very good and I will try Paul's again in the hopes that their Italian Beef will be authentic and fill the void created when those Meaner Weiner guys sadly closed the doors earlier this year.
(3)Melony R.
In my opinion Paul's is the spot to get the best cheese pizza in Tampa Bay. Paul's serves authentic Chicago pizza. They are known for the delicious thin crust pizza, although they do offer deep dish as well... I'm not a fan of deep dish. I don't get why anyone would want to eat that much dough. I always order the cheese pizza, well done. The sauce is what makes this pizza, I think...Or maybe it's the combo of sauce and cheese and crispity crunch! I don't know what it is! Since you're eating this pizza in little squares and not huge triangles, you can eat much more! The pizza is so addictive that you just can't stop once you pop!
(5)Andrea B.
My first experience at Paul's Chicago Pizza was at a Yelp Event they hosted in 2013. They were lovely hosts and provided a sampling of pizza, pasta, and a few of their other specialties like wings and it was a great chance to try a lot of things. Fast forward to early 2014 and from somewhere in the depths of my brain, a memory arose that Paul's offers a buffet at lunch. A quick car ride later and I was greeted by three or four pizzas, baked pasta with homemade meatballs on the side, garlic and cinnamon bread knots and a small salad bar. JACKPOT!! The pizzas on offer are all thin crust, which I prefer. Their sauce is a nice balance between tart and sweet with a rich tomato flavor and they replenish the pizzas often. Even living over towards Citrus Park, we've been a number of times and taken family members. Everyone has enjoyed it - no complaints. The buffet is a little limited but when you are hungry for a few different kinds of pizza and perhaps a spot of salad or pasta - it's perfect!
(4)Sofia D.
I would say the deep dish was a very good representation of a Chicago Style DeepDish.. I loved the sauce, and there was lots of it by the way, great flavor. Lots of cheese, Yum, but be careful.. Could be a choking hazard, no joke! The dough was good, but not exactly on Chicago Point. Thin crust was good too, very thin cracker like crust. Reminded me of a Barnaby's in Schaumburg my dad used to take me to when I was a child. I would suggest ordering 2 of those because one is not enough. Im a chick and could take out more than half of a large Paul's thin crust on my own. It's good pizza, I indulged in unnecessary pieces which is a great sign that I liked it! Definitely will be on my pizza craving rotation, and makes in on my list for one of the best in the area .
(4)Elizabeth O.
This is the best pizza in Clearwater! Save your time and just order here because we've tried plenty of places and this place is the cats pajamas! That being said get ready to spend serious cash. But I guess you get what you part for! The stuffed pizza is amazing & we added bacon. The only thing I will complain about is we ordered a small fry and it came with 4 potato wedges.. Just saying.
(4)Cindy A.
We tried wings, a calzone and Chicago pizza and thought all of them were just ok. I have only tried Chicago pizza at Giordano's so I definitely don't have a wide base for comparison, but it was not nearly as good as what I have tried. It was good enough that we ate everything and took the leftovers home, but not good enough that we would want to go back.
(3)Sherri T.
Visited Paul's after seeing the reviews on yelp. Was a little surprised when I arrived that it wasn't a full service restaurant, but we walked up and placed our orders. We had a few beers while waiting for our pizza. Not a lot of atmosphere in the place but it is casual and clean. We ordered the deep dish, thin crust and a flatbread. All three were wonderful!! The deep dish was right out of Chicago. If you want to try anything else on the menu do it before you eat a slice of this, because you will be so full after one piece. The pizza does live up the the reviews and we will definitely be back!
(4)Alex A.
Been here for take out quite a few times in the last 6 months. I usually get a large pepperoni and pineapple which is amazing. The crust is super thin like a cracker with bubbles. Toppings are fresh, and the slices are cut the square way. I've also had the house pizza and recommend it. The only critique I have is that once the pizza gets cold, it turns soggy. Re-heating it in an oven might work? so, eat it quick! Last week I decided to get crazy with it and ordered the stuffed classic and 10 wings in Cajun rub. My first impression of the stuffed pizza was, holy cow! It weighs a ton! Over all I wasn't too amazed by the stuffed pizza, kinda sloppy and runny but still tasty, especially for left overs. The wings were amazing. The chicken they use isn't top notch, but that Cajun rub is crazy good. I highly recommend it. Regular Crust Pizza 5/5 Stuffed Pizza 3/5 Wings 4/5 Service 5/5 *If you come here to watch football, expect to root for the bears.
(4)Giselle O.
Came here with my family while on vacation (they live in Clearwater); they raved about how delicious the pizza was on the way there, so I had pretty high expectations... What we ordered: Ordered 7 pizzas (6 XL and 1 LG) all together: two cheese, two pepperoni, one bacon/pineapple, one chicken/pineapple/olive, and one with green peppers. Wait time: Acceptable, did not feel that it was too long for the size order that we had. Pros: We did not call ahead (though I'm not sure if they have a call ahead option). We had 14 people come in and they were VERY accommodating with us, even politely asking other diners to move to make room for us (which I felt a bit bad for, but they didn't seem to mind ^_^). Food was fantastic, very delicious. I had the pepperoni, chicken/pineapple, and bacon/pineapple. I personally love thin pizza, so if you are into that then this is the place to go. Pizza is cut very uniquely, into little squares, which is both a good and a bad thing (but mostly bad because I ate more of it :P). Service was great, everybody was very friendly and patient with us (we had a big party, plus 2 babies with us). They even said that they would be ok if we went next door to another food place and brought back something for the baby if they didn't serve it (like chicken tenders). I was very surprised by that, since that doesn't normally fly with restaurants. Bathrooms were clean, the restaurant itself had a homey style, but it didn't look outdated or cheap. Had a TV that was playing ESPN with a baseball game at the time. Cons: I do not exactly know how much the total cost was for the whole thing since our family members paid for it, but their pizzas are a bit pricey, especially if you are getting a speciality kind. I remember the house pizza being almost $21 for an XL, and I think a basic medium cheese pizza starts at about $12ish. All in all, I was very happy with the experience and I will definitely come here again next time we go to Clearwater (we visit every year).
(5)Angel A.
Drove here all the way from Lakeland only to be disappointed the pizza had good flavor but that was it no where near Chicago style and they're Italian beef was disgusting nothing like a Chicago beef. Fell extremely short
(2)Jeff L.
After a long quest for a good Chicago style pizza I finally found a great Chicago style pizza! The pizza was loaded with cheese and toppings with just the right amount of suace. It is a bit pricey compared to other pizza places, but your getting what you pay for. The staff was very friendly and the place was clean. I definitely be back and likely often. For what another customer told me they also have great thin crust pizza as well.
(5)Vito T.
Very good thin crust pizza. Dough had a crispy quality; almost like a cracker quality rather than a tear or pull type chew. But by all means pass on the Chicago dogs. The parts are there; the poppy seed bun the neon relish, chopped onions and sport peppers. But dog came wrapped in foil, barely warmed . D+ on the dog. But I will return for pizza on my next trip from Chicago.
(4)Richard R.
Living the first two and a half decades of my life in Chicago doesn't make me a pizza expert, but I undoubtedly know Chicago pizza. It has such a strong presence that pizza lovers around the world place pizza styles into just a handful of categories, one being my favorite... Chicago-style. THE SCENE We visit Tampa often and decided to spending a day at the beach jet skiing in Clearwater, where I used my mobile Yelp app to find something to eat. I honestly don't know what I would do without this program when traveling in unfamiliar regions of the country. All I do is adjust my search filters to 'restaurants' and 'best rated' and voilà ... a buffet of 4 to 5 star rated YELP-araunts appear for the picking. Immediately I take notice of a pizzeria with Chicago in it's name and a 4.5 star average rating. Say no more Scotty, just beam me up!!! As luck would have it, my fun-loving crew opted for fast food and I lost my chance of eating here, or so I thought. My sister, who works in Clearwater, was intrigued when I asked her if she had ever tasted the pizza at Paul's. She had not, but was just as curious as I was and decided to bring me a sausage and pepperoni that afternoon when she got off work. CHECK IT! I'm indeed one lucky guy! THE FOOD What makes a pizza Chicago Style? Well, in my opinion it's several things. Chicago pizza is NOT always deep dish like most people think. There are many well known thin pizzerias around the city, most of which share these characteristics: * First, the cheese should be plentiful... enough to stretch from the pan to your face without breaking. * Second, it is often heavy with toppings, which is one of the reasons why Chicago THIN pizza is cut in squares rather than slices. It gives more strength to the crust when holding it. * Third, the toppings should go almost all the way to the crust edge. You should never see more than a half inch of surface crust. * Lastly, it has to have amazing sausage, Not that GROSS pepperoni-looking sliced sausage junk I've tasted on some NY pizzas. While Paul's makes a valiant attempt to "look" like a Chicago pizza, it certainly did not taste like one. Not one of my family wanted more than one slice, which says a lot! THE VERDICT For me, if Chicago Pizza flavor was a thermometer, Paul's is registering sub-arctic temperatures. If it were a baseball term, it would be a swing and a miss. I was disappointed with the lack of pizza toppings and equally disappointed with the flavor. The sausage should have been much better and the cheese could have been more plentiful. Overall, I don't think this place is a good representative of the style of pizza I hold most dear to my heart. Just for kicks and giggles - THIS is what a Chicago style THIN pizza should look like: yelp.com/biz_photos/gior… Yelp100[89]
(2)Emilia H.
Yesterday I had a craving for deep dish pizza. So I started searching on yelp and came across Paul's pizza. It's in my neighborhood and I wanted to try it out. My fiancé and I ordered a Greek salad, part poppers, and a stuffed cheese pizza. Everything was delicious!!! But way too much food for 2 people. Luckily the leftovers were great today! We will be back and soon. Those pram poppers are really amazing.
(4)Jon H.
Chicago has given us some great things. The Michael Jordan Era for instance. A joyous time when basketball didn't suck. It has given us the lovely Yelp-Chicago CM Candice G. Her reviews are a delight... Most important to me though, is that Chicago has given us Paul. Who is Paul, you might ask. Well my dear friends, Paul is the man that brought delicious Chicago comfort food to the little town of Clearwater, Florida. You can find these treats at his creatively named restaurant... Paul's Chicago Pizza. My first experience at Paul's was at a Yelp event where the staff and food were mind blowing. It was so great that I decided to come back the same week. The rubbed wings are something special. If you haven't tried them, this is a MUST-TRY. If you prefer boneless rubbed wings, you're out of luck. They made a special order for me this once, but I was informed that they probably wouldn't do it again. I don't blame them, and I wouldn't ask for it again anyway because they didn't turn out all that great. The boneless wings are the breaded nuggets of kind-of chicken. The dusting of rub didn't hold well to the breading. It was a disaster, but I applaud them for trying to appease me. The deep dish pizza was a huge success at my home. I got it to-go for Friday evening dinner, and my kid informed me that it was the best pizza he ever had. Paul's Pizza: Kid tested. Kid approved. While I waited for my take-out order I got a couple of the Chicago style dogs. Yes, I said a couple... don't judge... They were dog gone delicious. Very similar to dogs I had when I was in Chicago. Thank you Paul, for your Chicago contribution to the community. I'm sure I'll see you soon.
(5)Izzy G.
Wow. Truly lives up to the Chicago name. I don't give out 5 stars easily, and rarely for an establishment that has styrofoam plates, but the food really exceeded our expectations. First of all, the lunch buffet (which starts at 11:30) consists of bagged salad with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Nothing amazing. It also had cucumber salad. Needless to say, these were a bit underwhelming. But then you get to the hot plates and you will find a large casserole of baked ziti, meatballs, 4 different pizza flavors that get rotated and both parmesan and cinnamon sugar "poppers." The lunch buffet is not a fantastic selection but it is reasonably priced, especially for all-you-can-eat orgasmic pizzas. I am literally ruined for all other pizzas in Pinellas county other than Cappy's.
(5)Khalid B.
Been there twice, I had the stuffed veggie pizza and some mild chicken wings, I got hooked on this pizza. Friendly staff also. Try this place out!
(4)Camaron A.
Ok I stopped by looking to get Chicago Style Pizza here but they don't serve it as slices only as a whole pie, Ok wait what ???? So unfortunately I wasn't not able to sample what their known for. I did try 3 slices of their " reg" of course I get the same speech "no toppings??" Umm no. Pizza was just ok very oily sauce again too sweet crust was too dry and did not fold correctly. Honestly without being able to sample their"Chicago Style" was a big disappointment. I never heard of a place only selling certain pizza as a whole only...Will chalk it up to another Florida negative in the pizza arena. I think I need to fly home for a Pizzacation soon!
(2)Shawn M.
Great deep dish (Pan) pizza. You will not go wrong here.
(5)Bob D.
I decided to try the lunch buffet so I could sample their pizza , meatballs , sausage and pasta in one trip. It was Friday about 12:30 and they had a crowd of people so I thought I found a Jewel of a pizza place. I grew up in Chicago and was weaned on thin crust pizza . The lady at the register was very friendly and polite , so far so good . So I look around for the food and all I see is empty pizza pans , almost empty meatball tray and no salad. I got 2 meatballs and went back to my table . Meatballs were good and went back so see if the empty pans had been filed. Now I see a great looking salad and 2 pizzas .one looked to be sausage but was overcooked and dry and the other was just cheese and very undercooked.....not good . Great salad but terrible pizza . I decided to go back one more time and again empty pans. I got one more soggy slice and decided I won't be back . If you are going to serve buffet style you have to keep the food tables full . Seems like they need more help and a new pizza maker. Sorry Paul but I tell it like I see it.
(2)Thomas A.
Had the Italian beef sandwich with sweet peppers and provolone cheese and potato wedges. It was delicious. They did however forget the cheese on my sandwich, but the guy behind the counter politely apologized, and put it on. Even gave me extra. Love this place.
(5)Brett N.
Why 5 stars? Because we've found the best stuffed pizza in Tampa Bay! ---- --- --- Paul's you have brought me great joy in discovering you. My girlfriend's favorite food in the entire world is stuffed pizza from Chicago, and I have no idea why this phenomenon is not more commonly produced. That being said, Paul's produces it, and produces it damn well. Definitely worth the 40 minute drive to Clearwater. I am not a fan of a lot of pizza sauce, and I'd say that a couple of my bites were just a pinch heavy on it, but I know that many people love it, so maybe I will just ask for the slightly lighter sauce version next time. That's my only incredibly-minor issue. As for the good -this is everything Chicago stuffed pizza should be. The cheese, the dough, it's heaven. This is definitely a hearty meal, so come hungry. I actually had a minor procedure done at the hospital earlier in the day, and came straight to Paul's from TGH. I was put under, so I wasn't allowed to eat from 6am on, and my surgery wasn't until around 330-4. By the time we got there, it was already about 5:30, and my appetite was reaching dangerous levels. Finished half a pie like a champ. We ordered half pepperoni, half ricotta. I highly recommend incorporating the ricotta -AMAZUNZ. I don't know that I recommend ingesting anesthesia before going to Paul's, but maybe eat a light lunch that day. It worked out for me though.
(5)Jason V.
Best pizza in Clearwater/Tampa area!!! Hot food right out of the kitchen. If you are looking for authentic Chicago food, this is the place. Had pizza, wings & roast beef sandwich & everything was excellent.
(5)Marinda H.
Day/time of visit: weekday lunch buffet Pizza 5 stars Overall buffet 2.5 stars Paul's thin crust pizza rocks, there is no doubt! Thin crispy crust, big chunks of sausage, lots of cheese, solid sauce - hands down awesome. And I absolutely love the white pizza. The buffet on the other hand, was disappointing. Bagged iceburg lettuce mix with bottled ranch or italian dressing, cucumber and onion slices in vinegar/sugar, lukewarm meatballs and mostoccoli, and bread nibbles. Was truly hoping for some of their amazing dry rub chicken wings but none to be seen. Also, not one of the chicago stuffed pizzas on the buffet which didn't bother me at all because I prefer their thin crust. So, if you are just there for the pizza, the buffet is great. If you are looking for some buffet extras besides pizza, skip it.
(4)Brian D.
Chicago pizza like I remember from northern Illinois. Thin crispy crust cut in squares. Everything is good and they have the Bears on. Come for the lunch buffet to try it out.
(5)Pamela W.
I only came here for the reviews, and I recently had a craving for white pizza, and thought that this would be a great place to indulge. When I got the pizza, it was a lot smaller than expected, and the crust was very thin and dry. I don't even remember asking for a thin crust pizza. I could have had an 18 inch regular crust pizza at the usual place I go to with the same amount of money I paid.
(2)Frank T.
Ive had a lot of pizza in this area. I tried Pauls for the first time this week and was very impressed. I tried a pepperoni slice on my way home from work. I loved it so much that I brought my family back for dinner an hour later. Ive found my new favorite pizza place.
(5)Anne S.
Being from Chicago and loving both types of crusts... We have been searching for years to find true Chicago style thin crust in Florida. Everything down here is NY style,feh. The crust was perfectly thin and crispy. Just enough cheese and nicely browned. The sausage was meaty, not fatty. Had fennel seeds and wasn't too spicy. Even the corn meal they use was fresh, not black and burned.... A sign they clean and maintain their ovens... Next time.... Stuffed....
(4)Suzanne S.
Aaaaahmazing! We've tried many places looking for good delivery pizza. So many places failed. Then we tried Paul's Chicago Pizza. Wow! They send it to you freshly made and unbaked. We got to bake it ourselves and that made all the difference! No more soggy, bland-tasting delivery pizza! And when they say thin crust, they mean it! Paper-thin and crunchy on the edges and perfect on the inside. We've never been inside Paul's. Carry-out only. And that carry-out is wonderful! The Chicago-style chopped salad was excellent as well. Yum! I'm from California, but this Chicago style is outta this world!
(5)Kelleigh M.
Man, maybe we ordered the wrong item but the girl behind the counter said since it was our first time, we needed to order the thin crust. I should have gone with my guy and ordered the stuffed because I was far from impressed. The sauce was lacking flavor and so were the toppings. Next time I'll listen to myself and get the stuffed.
(3)Ben D.
Chicago-style pizza in Tampa Bay? You wouldn't expect much of it, but the reviews kept talking it up. Well, sometimes you just have a powerful desire for deep dish and need to satisfy it however you can. We walked into a very casual, order-at-the-counter kind of place and weren't feeling very reassured by it. Kinda corporate, clean and cheap atmosphere. A glassed-in display of ingredients and some sandwich artists would not have been out of place. The cashier was pleasant, and informed us a stuffed pizza would take about 30 minutes, as you'd expect. We settled in with a couple beers and enjoyed the ambiance. We'd ordered the classic: pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, green pepper and onion. Beautiful when it came out. Smelled great. And the taste, well, is what gives the place four stars when there's not much else positive to talk about. The sauce was excellent for deep dish, if slightly sweet. The toppings and cheese were of good quality, and the crust was flavorful and capable of handling everything thrown at it. It was cooked perfectly so that there was no sogginess to the bottom crust, and pleasantly golden on the sides. This is proper Chicago deep dish, and the best I've had outside the city itself. We had nothing else from the menu and I can recommend the place based only on this one. Go now. Although, maybe go for takeout.
(4)Mark H.
Was in the area after my previous and tragic first visit, and decided to give them a second chance. Probably won't ever go back. The pizza was edible, but not memorable. As they say in Spanish, "se deja comer." They do use proper sausage though; raw, ground sausage--not pre-cooked pellets or links. So it actually cooks with the pizza. We also ordered an Italian sandwich and it was mad small. In fact, one of the members in my party described it as "cute." I've never heard that adjective used to describe an Italian sub before. Avoid this place on Friday evenings though. See my previous review below. All-in-all, not bad; not horrible. 3 stars. I miss Windy City on Dale Mabry though. R.I.P.
(2)Josh S.
Well I have to say I was a lil disappointed with the pizza there. Didn't have the stuffed wish I would of cuz I won't be going back their sauce is like spaghetti sauce,my cheese and sausage( which was good sausage)slid right off my slice... The only reason I gave 3 stars is the salad was good and so were the parm poppers..
(3)Grneyedmnst R.
First time, ordered a classic deep dish pizza and a greek salad. I have never had a deep dish before but the top crust was so tough and chewy, I basically had to tear into it with a steak knife just to eat it. The salad was good but the pizza was just bland and very expensive.
(3)Sylvester M.
Great place for homesick Chicagoans. Their stuffed pizza is not a traditional Chicago Pan Pizza. It's better, two layers of thin crust with the toppings inside then topped with sauce after it's baked. Their thin crust is what they are known for(yes, people from Chicago eat thin crust pizza), and it's excellent. They even have a real good Italian Beef sandwich with a sausage and beef combo. Decent beer selection, pasta, calzones, and salads. Will definitely go back before a show a Ruth Ekerd Hall.
(4)Paul V.
Quality Chicagoan fare in Pinellas county? That's crazy talk! It's deep dish that most people think of when you say "Chicago-style pizza", but it's the other Chicago pizza, the square-cut thin crust variety that I find myself craving. The good news is that Paul's turns out an excellent thin Chicago pizza, which has neither a dry cracker crust nor a rubbery one. The bad news is that it's in Clearwater, miles and miles away from my home. I was also able to try a little of Paul's deep dish, and it was nothing to sneeze at, either. My only complaint is that the sauce is a little on the sweet side for my personal taste, but you might want to take that with a grain of salt (get it?) because I tend to say that about almost everybody's pizza sauce. I wish that I'd had room in my belly for a bite of Italian beef (a staple food in my childhood home, since my parents are Chicagoans) or a Vienna beef hot dog complete with tomatoes, cucumbers, sport peppers and celery salt, but sadly, it was not to be. Maybe I'll get another chance if I ever find myself in Clearwater again.
(4)Pdx S.
FINALLY!!!!!!! It is about time! It's not just Chi-town pizza....it's WEST COAST PIZZA. My wife and I moved here from the West Coast (Portland, Or) about a year ago. We have slowly branching out from our home in St.Pete looking for good pizza and all we ever find is the same old limp greasy NY pizza...UGHHH! We searched online, found Paul's, made the 35 min drive (one way) to try it out....and YES! JACKPOT! We finally found that thin CRISP pizza that can hold layers of toppings and hold firm with a resounding CRUNCH! If you are from out West and seeking/familiar with a Round Table/Sunshine/Pietro's/Shakey's type pizza....then Pauls is where it is at and maybe the ONLY place where it is at here in the "Bay Area". To those knocking the service: it's a counter order place....not a SERVICE place, yet that did not stop the counter girl from politely greeting us promptly and checking in on us. Nor did it stop the manager from coming out to check on us as well. In fact when he came out we pointed to or pizza and asked if we could have a small pepperoni, he nervously replied "I am sorry is your pizza wrong or unsatisfying?" Nope, I responded.......We want MORE! He walked away with a smile and promptly delivered a piping hot pie of heaven! It is far....but we will make it a regular stop from here on out!
(5)Dena P.
The pizza here was really good. It was fresh and baked nicely. Paul's has been in the same location for years and years.... My parents use to own a business in the same plaza so I've always been aware of this place but never really went in to enjoy some pizza. After what seems to be like 8 years later I decided to try Paul's Chicago Pizza again and do not regret it one bit. They were really nice and helpful trying to get the perfect pizza for me and a friend and it hit the spot. Delicious!
(4)Tony R.
I was craving some deep dish and ate at Paul's again. Man that hit the spot. Good job.
(4)Bret H.
Chicken Ranch Dip Pizza....totally worth it!!! Good pizza in Pinellas County, a must to try.
(4)Robert B.
This was my first time eating at Paul's Chicago Pizza. Being from Chicago, I am always in search of good Chicago food. It is located in a strip plaza and from the outside looks like a typical pizzeria. Inside it is clean and decorated with subtle articles that reminds you of Chicago. I was very impressed with their Chicago Hot Dog, it was excellent! They use authentic ingredients like a poppy seed bun, Vienna Beef hot dog, bright green pickle relish, tomato wedge, diced onion, sport peppers, a pickle spear, celery salt and most important, classic yellow mustard. Chicago is know for two types of pizza, extra thin crust and deep dish (not to be confused with pan pizza that is two inches of dough to fill a pan like you find at Pizza Hut, yuck). Paul's Chicago Pizza offers the first, extra thin crust pizza. It is a round pie and is cut into squares rather than wedges, which is typical in Chicago. What is nice about extra thin crust pizza is that the crust is always crispy with the right amount of crunch that is difficult to get in a New York style pizza without burning it or over cooking the pizza. The food is good, the service is friendly and attentive and the prices are typical of a local pizzeria. It is also a great place to watch Chicago sports.
(3)Paul M.
Having grown up in the Chicago area as a child, this place is a great representation of Chicago style pizza. I prefer the thin crust, and their thin crust with sausage is my favorite pizza anywhere. I now live in North Carolina which lacks any quality pizza restaurants, but I visit Paul's every time I come down and I always look forward to coming back.
(5)J Matt S.
We have eaten here a few times in the past while vacationing in Clearwater, usually for dinner. This time we finally got to try out their lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is small but pretty inexpensive. It consists of a couple types of salads, a couple pizza's, some meatballs, baked ziti, and garlic knots. Personally, I loved the fact that they only put a couple pizza's out on the buffet at a time and brought out/replaced them frequently. This allows you too get fresh hot pizza every trip to the buffet. My wife was less thrilled with this practice because she is more picky about what types of pizza she likes. I think she prefers other (less quality) buffets that put out 6-7 pizzas at a time. Regardless, the pizza was cooked perfectly (as always), crispy on the bottom yet not burnt at all. The cheese, sauce, and sausage here are all top notch. My daughter devoured several of their large meatballs. We will definitely return on our next trip to Clearwater.
(5)Michelle D.
BEST thin crust pizza around here. It's amazing!! Dining in is small, about 12 tables. They have a huge take out business. Don't waste ur money on a salad.
(5)Eric A.
We feel like we are back home when coming into Paul's! Being born and raised in the Chicago area and growing up with all the great food we make it a point to try and find all the Chicago style restaurants in the Tampa area. The pizza is amazing! Crust is perfectly cooked and crispy. Just the right amount of that zesty sauce and the amount of cheese is just right. The Italian beefs are flavorful and even better dipped with sweet and hot and mozzarella. Chicago dogs are just how they should be. We've had the lunch buffet once and it was great. For the price you get a nice variety of different pizzas, salad, garlic bread and pasta with meatballs. At some places they tend to skimp or make their food differently when offering a lunch buffet but no here. The food on the buffet is the same as if you ordered it any other time which is great. The staff is kind and courteous and always love meeting new Chicagoans. Keep up the great work!
(5)John O.
Lets compare. Chi pizza or NY pizza? That is the question, sorry Shakespeare. I'll keep my decision a secret, unless you ask me. We went for lunch and got in right away. You could tell that everyone inside wanted a taste of delicious pizza. We were sat, ordered our drinks and food and had both pretty fast. I must admit that the pizza was DE.LI.CI.OUS! I mean it was crusty, cheesy and saucy all at the same time. Just the way I like it. We got the classic style. No need to ask, we scarfed it down. The pepperoni was awesome and spread all over, OMG, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. It was the perfect thin though. Service? Good, but it was lunch so I would hope it would be good. I will absolutely visit again which I'm hoping isn't far in my future. Gracias for a delicious experience. Oh yes, I almost forgot. The delivery service is free and friendly. When I can't get in myself I love seeing the same delivery mans smiling face, his name is Jason. And he even remembers my name.
(5)Erin S.
All I can say is: BEST STUFFED PIZZA EVER!!!!!! Call it in before you arrive as it takes at least 20 minutes to make, oh but it is so worth the wait. You have to try their stuffed pizza at least once!! I've had it 3 times now and it has always been fantastic!
(5)Jackie T.
Tried their stuffed pizza (with just cheese). We called ahead so we didn't wait long to be served after we arrived. Service was good and I like the old school feel of the place but the food was only average.
(3)Vanessa P.
Last weekend I was feeling a little spontaneous and decided to take the family to a new place to eat based on yelp reviews. I launched the Yelp app on my iphone, searched restaurants near me, and lo and behold, Paul's Chicago Pizza came up. It's a cool pizza shop, especially if you're a Chicago sports fan. We, on the other hand are not but that didn't stop us from going in. The smell of the pizza pulled us in. My husband and I were actually all decked out with our Miami heat gear...LOL...a smirk formed on my husband's face as we walked in, for a moment I thought he would shout out Let's Go Heat or something but that only played out in my head. The ladies at the counter were super friendly. We ordered a large thin crust Hawaiian pizza since my little one loves ham and pineapple, the pizza was really, really good. BUT the parm poppers were AMAZING!!!! Best freakin' bread balls I've had in a long time. If you're in the area, definitely check them out. Trust me. :P
(4)Sam M.
This small and unassuming place makes one of the best thin crust pizzas I have ever had. The crust is very nicely cooked and not overly crunchy like some places I have tried in the past, it is firm and not soggy all the way through the middle pieces as well. The only negative I have is that their draft and bottle beer selection is pretty weak. They have your standard watered down tasting American beer selections but not a single bottle of Guinness or Newcastle to be found. They did have Peroni, which I find to be no better than your average American swill. Definitely a place to go for a great thin crust pizza in the Safety Harbor and Clearwater area. Prices are reasonable and the food tastes great.
(4)Steve P.
Good lunch place, decent buffet. I'd try it again, interested in some of their deep dish pizzas. All in all a solid 4 stars.
(4)John B.
This place is really great. This quality of pizza and ingredients is a great way to eat. They have got me to the point where Chicago style is my ultimate favorite. I got the meat lovers pizza and loved every bit of it. I recommend this place to anybody. My god this place rules. I am not sure how the salads and sandwiches go but if they put as much care and quality into the salads and sandwiches as the pizza, I am sure this place is enjoyable by almost anybody.
(4)Ben G.
Not terrible, but certainly not worth the trip. The pizza was fresh and hot. It was not very flavorful. The service was poor, as if the people working there barely cared enough to ring you up. No pleases or thank yous. Nothing special at all. *UPDATE* Paul contacted me personally and apologized for my experienced and offered to make it right. Although I'm not sure I'll take him up on his offer, this level of service -- a personal apology of an unsatisfactory experience from the owner -- deserves applause. Thank you, Paul.
(2)Dan M.
We frequent this local favorite. If you have the opportunity to stop in for lunch during the week try the lunch buffet. It is only during the week. Buffet typically includes a couple salad choices, pasta, meatballs, sausage, selection of thin crust pizzas, garlic bread bites and cinnamon bites. My favorite item off the menu is the Chicago style deep dish pizza. I also love the chicken ranch pizza, it is one of the tastiest combinations I have ever had.
(5)Desiree' C.
The pizza is definitely 5 stars, but because I've only ordered out and never been the one to pick the pizza up, I can't rate the service. We've ordered pizza here several times because we live about 2 minutes from their location. To date we've enjoyed the thin classic pizza, thin house pizza, the stuffed pizza and most recently the Sam's special. The "SS" is a thin crust with white sauce, spinach, ricotta, and chicken. That one is probably my favorite so far but I think next time I'll add fresh tomatoes. Even though the pizza was great, I was missing something acidic to cut the richness. I feel the prices are fair given the quality of the crust and ingredients. If you want a cheap pie - go to a chain.
(4)Sarah D.
Hubby and I both agree that this is the best pizza we've had in a long time...and possibly the best ever! The crust is thin and super crispy, the sauce is seasoned perfectly, and the toppings are delicious. We also liked that the pieces are cut into small squares so you don't feel like you're eating a lot (even though we finished an extra-large between the two of us!) Customer service was great too. We walked in and told the woman at the counter that we wanted to order a pizza but wanted to pick it up in about 45 minutes so we could run some errands. She said that was no problem and it was ready and hot when we arrived. Didn't think I was a fan of thin crust, but this place has me convinced!
(5)Randy R.
Ecellent thin crust!!! Will return soon!
(5)Toby H.
45 minutes for 10 wings and a small pizza. Excuse... "Wings take a while." Definitely not worth the wait. Would not recommend to anyone.
(1)Denni S.
Friendly staff and great pizza. I have eaten there and had take out. Even better you are able to get a pie partly cooked then cook it the rest of way when you want it
(4)Nick O.
Awesome stuffed pizza!
(5)Jeff P.
I you love thin crust pizza, Paul's is the best. Cut it in squares just like in Chicago. The service is always fast and friendly and the dining room is clean. I always stop at Paul's at least once when I am in Clearwater.
(5)Anthony G.
Thank you Paul for getting the thin crust perfect!!!! A must if you are ever in Clearwater!!!!
(4)Austin D.
Fantastic THIN-STYLE CHICAGO crust. You read that correctly. Paul's is best known for serving this style of pie. They do serve deep-dish as well, but thin is in here! Order from the counter, take a number and find yourself a seat. Friendly servers bring the pie out to you. The crust is perfectly crunchy and not too doughy. The sauce is slightly sweet and plentiful, and the cheese blankets the toppings and is served 'well-done' (i.e. lots of brown bubbly bites). Good value for the quality! The interior of the place is kind of chintzy, but that's easy to overlook when the pizza is this good!
(4)Thomas K.
Being a Chicago native I have tried almost every place out here for a good thin crust pizza and today tried Pauls. I've never written a yelp review but the sausage pizza was so good I'm writing one now. Hands down the best pizza I have had since leaving Chicago! Go there and order the sausage pizza you will LOVE it.
(5)Just Me E.
EUREKA! After more than half a year searching for good thin crust, we finally found it! A special shout-out to the yelper dude or dudette who pointed us in Paul's direction. We will definitely be checking out your other two recommendations as well. It's about a 20 minute drive for us, but worth every minute and mile. The crispy crust holds up even on the middle pieces. The sausage had great fennel flavor and was generously blobbed all over the beautiful square-cut pie. The sauce was a little sweeter than I like, but overall this is still by far the best thin we've had in Florida. I felt like I was back on the South Side of Chicago, and yes, that is a compliment of the highest order. It was so good, it made me want to pull my pants down. (I wish I could take credit for this turn of phrase. It's from some article making fun of foodies, but it applies here.) Go. Eat. Enjoy.
(5)Salvatore M.
Not bad but not great either.
(3)Miguel C.
Finally I've found a great place to get stuffed pizza in the bay area. This is it! Way better than Giordano's in Tampa! Paul's is a very rustic environment. You pick a seat and order up front and they bring your pizza to you. The menu selection is minimal and limited but really, if you come here pizza is really the only thing you need to be looking for. My girlfriend used to spend the summers in Chicago and after I visited we both had a constant craving for a good stuffed pizza. I was totally pleased with Paul's stuffed pizza. The sauce was fresh and well balanced between sweetness and zesty. The dough was rich and crispy and the cheese was creamy and absolutely delicious. I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)Michelle L.
So even though I was going back home to Chicago the very next day (Lou Malnati's only a 10 minute walk away), my Step-Father insisted on getting Paul's take-and-bake (thin crust) pizza as he claims it's the best in the area and truly Chicago style, and I just had to try it because he loves it soooo very much. Was it great - absolutely! Loved the super thin crust and very flavorful (a bit salty though, probably the sausage)... but not what I traditionally think of Chicago style. Apparently, this is "South Side" Chicago style pizza, and since Bridgeport is the furthest South I go I'm not an expert (or so my SF says). I will say this is the best pizza I've had in Florida, and the take-and-bake came out surprisingly great as they give you a special pan to bake it on.
(4)Jon B.
One of the top three pizza places in all of Tampa Bay! I swear my father bought a house in the area just to be closer to Pauls!
(5)Herman N.
I'm in town on business at the moment and ordered from Paul's within an hour of closing. Here's why I'm a fan: 1. The man on the phone and the man who delivered the pizza were nice. Exceedingly so. 2. The pizza arrived 20 minutes earlier than they said to expect it to. 3. Said pizza (the sam's special) is delicious! Do it, people.
(4)Felipe G.
Thin-Crust is probably the forgotten step child when it comes to Chicago style pizza but don't let that dissuade you from trying out Paul's. They specialize in a delicious Windy City thin crust pie, and the results are definitely tasty enough to please this die hard NY style fan. I thought the dough, sauce, and cheese came together wonderfully, and I liked it that the pizza came out cooked well done with a perfect amount of bubbling slightly browned cheese. Growing up a big Michael Jordan fan I loved all the 90's Chicago Bulls memorabilia adorning the walls. I was the first customer of the day just as the opened up, and the service was friendly and fast. If I find myself in this part of Clearwater again I would definitely stop in and have some more pizza. All the other Yelp reviews for Paul's were right on, they definitely have a great tasting pie.
(4)Stephen G.
Awesome! Preface: My wife and I in our late 30's were able to do our job and travel the USA full time for 5 years in an RV. I also grew up in northern Indiana - been to Chicago several times for extended visits. My 75 year old father lived in Chicago. I've eat at least 50 Pizza places in the USA, almost all selected based on good reviews and locals recommendations. the three of us went to Paul's based on some on-line reviews. All 3 of us were blown away at our shared visit to Paul's. Unassuming strip mall pizza place that is world class. Thin crust Chicago is lesser know - but it rules. GQ's 25 Best American pizza list just rated #1 as "Chicago: Great Lake - Mortadella Pie" - the thin crust Chicago that Paul's does great in Clearwater. If you have not had this lesser known style, get yourself over to Paul's and enjoy what a crunchy crust pizza should taste like! I'm going to Ruth Eckerd Hall for a concert in a couple weeks, Paul's is a must visit across the street! I'm as excited about Paul's pizza as I am the concert, it's that good.
(5)Vicky I.
Totally found this place by accident trying to waist time before a show at the Ruth Eckerd Hall. The best pizza we have found in Florida in a long time! Only sad thing is we don't live in the area to enjoy the delicious pizza. Totally need to open one in Naples.
(5)Craig M.
Great pizza, good lunch buffet deal. If you like thin crust you'll love Paul's.
(5)Jim H.
It took a month of looking but I finally found some good pizza in the Tampa area. Thank you Pauls!
(5)Sarah B.
Not a huge fan of the thin crust pizza, as I prefer NY style- but I must say, the stuffed pizza was heaven! Crust and sauce were really delicious and I am picky about my pizza. Spinach calzone was also very good and love the Garlic Parm Poppers. They are not at all greasy like typical garlic knots. Have eaten here a few times and service has always been good.
(4)Kirsten T.
I have eaten here many times, it is excellent pizza and the closest you can come to Chicago style thin crust. Not all Chicago style pizza is deep dish. The ingredients are fresh and the crispy crust on the pizza is the best. I was born and raised in the burbs of Chicago and this is the best in the area.
(5)TootTootTootsie G.
If you're looking for traditional Chicago pizza - deep dish with a cornmeal crust - you won't find it here. Instead they serve two styles I never associated with Chicago - one has a very thin crust cut into squares and the other one is a stuffed pizza, almost like a pot pie with a bottom and top crust. The thin crust is paper thin, just a little too thin for my taste, but there's a healthy amount of sauce and cheese on it. A warning about the stuffed pizza - don't overload it with a lot of options, otherwise you'll be eating a soggy mess. Keep it simple - cheese and sausage, for example - and you'll be OK. Also keep it small, because a slice is very filling and leftovers don't travel that well. They also serve another Chicago favorite - Vienna hot dogs with crunchy, medium-hot sport peppers and relish on a poppyseed bun. The real deal here is the lunch buffet (served from 11:30am - 2:00pm Monday through Friday), which includes Greek and antipasto salads, a wide variety of pizzas, baked ziti, meatballs and sausage, garlic bread sticks, and cinnamon sticks for only $5.79.
(4)Melanie B.
Ordered take out last night, got the meaty stuffed pizza, chicken ranch pizza, and the specialty house seasoned wings. The wings were very good & had a nice unique dry crispy flavor, make sure you ask for the special house seasoning. The meaty deep fish was awesome, similar to pies we've had in Chicago. The garlic knots are eh... overall I would definitely order again, you get some really great good and the value was impressive as well!
(5)Johnny C.
From the outside you might think it's nothing special. When you walk in you might see a pleasant clean environment but again think no big deal. When you try some of Pauls's food and especially the Pizza that's when you know you got to the right place. I would never have thought about ranch dressing as a pizza ingredient until Paul's now I'm hooked on his special. Stop in for a pie and I don't believe you will disappointed
(4)Katie L.
As a Chicago transplant one of my first things I did when I moved here was to find pizza that reminded me of home. I was so fortunate to discover Paul's Chicago Pizza. The pizza is authentic Chicago thin or deep dish. I particularly love the thin crust. It is crispy and flavorful and loaded with the freshest topping. Pauls is not only a fantastic place for pizza, the Italian beef, Chicago style hot dogs, and tamales can't be beat. Fortunately the staff is as wonderful as the food. If you're looking for good food, a friendly atmosphere and some Chicago sports Paul's is the place to be.
(5)Michelle D.
BEST thin crust pizza around here. It's amazing!! Dining in is small, about 12 tables. They have a huge take out business. Don't waste ur money on a salad.
(5)Terri N.
I stopped in at Paul's today for the lunch buffet and was lucky to get a table. The place was really busy which to me is a real good sign that the food is great. The wait staff was very corteous and attentive. The food on the buffet was hot and plentiful. The thin crust pizza here is amazing with the perfect blend of crispy crust and flavorful sauce with plenty of toppings. We ordered a pizza to go so we could have some Paul's pizza at home the next day. We will definitely be back. Next time I will try the Italian beef which I've heard is amazing.
(5)Rich D.
Don't know why it took me so long to try out Paul's. I've read the great reviews of this place for years. Pretty big dining area with lots of room, and even though we were there late at night when i was empty, I'm sure there's a reason given the great reviews. Tried the veggie pizza and it was excellent. I haven't found that many good pizza places in this part of town, and I will be back. Soon.
(4)Bob S.
I went here specifically for an Italian Beef. I got that along with potatoe wedges and their all you can drink pop. The sandwich was tastey but extremely weak (small) there were litterally 5 potatoe wedges, and if I put them together I am being generous to say it made a half a potatoe. Thank god for the all you can drink pop, because I would have had to buy another over priced sandwich if I didnt have pop to fill up on. If you want a great Italian beef go to Henrys Chicago Dogs on 19.
(3)Michelle M.
The thin crust sausage pizza takes me back to the thin crust I used to eat in Chicago as a child. It was crispy and the taste was spot on. I can't believe I found a little bit of home here in Tampa. Now I just have to find authentic deep dish Chicago-style. They do have stuffed pizza here, which I look forward to trying.
(5)Erica M.
We were craving pizza and I decided to go for Chicago style for a change. We ordered a classic pizza and the dry rub cajun wings. The flavor of the wings was good. The pizza was tasty, too, but heavy and quite greasy. We enjoyed what we had, but not sure I'd run back. But it could very well be that deep dish pizza is not my jam...so if it's yours, definitely check this spot out!
(4)SenorQueso G.
This is easily the best pizza buffet in town. Available weekdays during lunch. It's not a huge selection, but the quality is good. They have 4 pies out at a time. These go pretty quickly, so you're pretty much guaranteed to get fresh slices. The salad options are very limited, but let's face it, you're here for pizza. If you want healthy options at a pizza buffet, go graze in the median on McMullen Booth Rd. They also have some garlic knots as well. This is Chicago-style THIN crust. I love this stuff. I've also ordered their Chicago Deep Dish pies and have been happy with them as well. I prefer their thin, but that's just my preference. The staff are always friendly and the prices are good. I regret not being closer to this place for lunch.
(5)John L.
Very good thin crust pizza but VERY greasy thin crust pizza! I ordered sausage and pepperoni. The meat was very good as well as the crust. However, the abundance of grease takes away from the crispiness of the crust. It's a little pricey, but I think it's worth it. I also ordered mozzarella sticks (of course) and they were good, but certainly nothing special. Oh, and I ordered a fountain drink to go. It was maybe 16-20 ounces and cost $2.40! What is that about?? But all in all, it's a solid four stars. Tip - if you like your pepperoni on top of the cheese like I do, you have to ask for it that way. They usually put it underneath the cheese. Maybe that's why it's so greasy.
(4)Lia M.
What a great place to grab a slice or two (or a whole pie). I was somewhat boring and just got two cheese slices, but they were great. Crust could've been a bit crispier, but they were served piping hot and with plenty of cheese. It's nothing fancy, but I'm reminded of the pizza parlors of my childhood. I'm told they deliver, but not sure what the area is. Staff was very gracious and friendly.
(4)Warren R.
One word: Legit. I stopped by for lunch, and the cashier suggested the lunch buffet. The guy in front of me said "Do it, you can't go wrong", so I succumbed to peer pressure. Although peer pressure normally leads to me having addictions or jumping off of bridges, this time it was a good idea. At first I felt I made a horrible mistake, because it kind of looked like a crappy little buffet. I chose some sausage and meatballs, pasta, a few slices of various pizza, and a few garlic parmesan poppers. The pasta was ok, but not extraordinary. The sausage and meatballs tasted fresh and homemade. The pizza was delicious, it won me over and had great flavor and a tasty thin crust. The garlic parmesan poppers? Delightful. I watched a man fill his entire plate with those things. Although I was only there a short while and only indulged in seconds, they rotated out a few different pizzas during that time. The lunch buffet was only $8 and change for all you can eat and a drink, so it's quite a deal. Yay! I'm a fan.
(4)Thuy L.
After doing much research in the area for something to fill the void that was left after I realized that the closest Giordano's is in Orlando, I found this gem. The restaurant is located in a spacious plaza, which means parking is not a pain in the rear. Lucky for me I came on a random weekday right after work and did not catch a line. I called in an hour ahead to order the stuffed pizza because experience taught me the pizza takes a long time to make. I walked in and was instantly hit by Chicago pride with the jerseys and pictures up on the wall, which was cool to get a little taste of. The cashier was quick to greet me and rang me up quickly. The pizza and wings were done, so I spent a total of about 3 minutes in the actual restaurant. When I finally got home and ate a slice of the Classic stuffed pizza, it was everything I expected. The cheese was still oozing to the point that I got a nice string with every bite. I was not disappointed with the amount of toppings in the pizza, in other words, there was a generous amount of sausage instead of cheaping out customers. The crust was nice and crunchy by the time I reached it and even got to scoop up the spillover toppings with it. The reason I'm not giving Paul's 5/5 stars is because of the disappointing wings. I usually get cajun wings from WingStop and they are amazing. I cannot say the same here as the wings barely had any flavor from the dry rub. I wish they used more rub on it so I could taste more than just the frying oil. Hopefully I get a better product next time considering they claim the cajun wings as their "specialty". I would definitely recommend the stuffed pizza, but I am trying the thin crust next time around because it looks amazing! Thank you Paul for bringing a taste of Chicago to Clearwater.
(4)Ken L.
For a Chicagoan who is away from home, this is a welcomed reminder of what we left behind. Tampa doesn't have many places that have deep dish pizza so I'm grateful for Paul's. Nice, quiet place if you want to dine in and be surrounded by Chicago memorabilia.
(4)Melissa F.
Mixed reviews... the crust and toppings were great but I was not crazy about the sauce. It was sweet and I did not like that. The service was friendly but slow for being the only table who did not have food.
(3)Steve E.
His Royal Yelpieness, and our fearless leader, Brett N has been singing the virtues of Paul's Chicago Pizza for quite some time, and I finally got the chance to visit and try this place for myself. I admit that pizza is a very personal experience, shaped in large part by the type of pizza that you enjoyed as a kid. No other pizza will stand up to your favorite kind of Chicago deep dish, Detroit flat bread shaped like Gene Simmons' tongue, or NYC fold-'em in half, squeeze out the grease, and eat-'em slices from the Village. If you grew up liking a certain style, then everything else is mehhh. I grew up in Washington DC and was used to a certain style of thin-crust pizza with lighter amounts of sauce and toppings (see Ledo Pizza in Carrollwood), so the idea of deep dish or stuffed pizzas was foreign to me. But hey, Yelpers are supposed to be open-minded and willing to try new things, right? A group of friends found ourselves in Safety Harbor recently, and we were in the mood to have pizza for lunch. I dialed up nearby bookmarks on my trusty Yelp app, and a quick drive along 14th Avenue South and then a turn onto McMullen Booth Road brought us right to Paul's Chicago Pizza. This is the same shopping center as Publix and Painting With a Twist. From the outside the signage was advertising "Da Best Thin Crust" as well as stuffed pizzas, flatbreads, Italian beef sandwiches, and full-on Italian pasta dinners. Clearly, this place is so much more than just another neighborhood pizza joint. You place your order at the back counter, then grab a seat, and they'll bring out your meal after it's done cooking. We were standing in line pondering a classic stuffed pizza versus an all-meat thin crust pizza versus Italian beef or meatball Parmesan sandwiches when the nice lady said, "Are you familiar with our All You Can Eat lunch buffet?". Whoa, stop everything......this could be legendary! Sure enough, for $8.50 you can help yourself to unlimited garden salad, Italian antipasto salad, baked ziti, homemade meatballs and sausages in gravy (that would be the red stuff), about six different ever-changing types of pizza, garlic knots, cinnamon poppers, and a drink. The staff at Paul's were replenishing the pizzas as quickly as the lunch crowd would devour them. Everything was fresh and very delicious! We grabbed clean plates and then artfully piled on salad, topped by pasta, sausage, meatballs, pizza, and garlic knots. More carbohydrates on one plate than anyone should ever consider. But wow, this was yummy. I need to go back one evening and try some other things on their menu, but I know that if I'm in the area of McMullen Booth and 590 between the hours of 11:30 and 2pm, Monday through Friday, that I can count on a very delicious buffet lunch at Paul's Chicago Pizza.
(4)T P.
Tried this pizza for the first time today and it wasn't what I expected. The crust just didn't measure up for me and the sauce was just okay. I love pizza and even after reading the reviews/ looking at the ratings, I had high expectations. On a positive note, the pizza delivery guy was friendly and the pizza showed up earlier than they originally said. I gave them two stars for the pizza and one more for the fast delivery time/friendly delivery guy. Let's just say this was my first and last.
(3)Gabriella D.
Paul's Chicago Pizza was highly recommended by Brett because he and every other Yelper/friend/family member/stranger walking down the street knew I was a die hard fan of Cappy's Pizza. What they did not know is that I also had the pleasure of eating Uno's Pizza in NY and loved that just as much (it'll be our little secret). So I had high expectations of Paul's walking in the door. We had the Stuffed Pizza. Shockingly, I got full very quickly. But it worked out great, because my fiancee actually got full. My daughter didn't seem too crazy about it for some reason..and the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree because both of us were crazy about Cappy's. We went back several times spaced out from each other and I've ordered different things, I'm not sure why but there's something that just doesn't do it for my taste buds.It's good, but not great. I can say the service is great. And it's in a plaza in a spot that I have overlooked but close to a lot of shopping and even would be a much better option than the pizza in Gotti Town.
(4)Mark D.
I had heard such good things about this place, but I ate here recently...twice...and man was it disappointing. The Pizza was shockingly bad...definitely 1 star quality, but I bumped their overall rating to 2 Stars because the Italian Beef Sandwich was somewhat better. This place confuses me because people with what I consider to be good taste in food recommended this place so highly...but it was really, really disappointing. Maybe I'll give it one more shot, but I am definitely 0-2 so far. Now granted, I'm from NY and I'm a thin crust pizza guy, but I also LOVE the Chicago style food and even the Italian Beef sandwich was somewhat mediocre.
(2)Ryan M.
The stuffed crust pizza is amazing, came in here after reading the reviews while I was in the area, I was throughly surprised at how good this pizza is, everything from the crust to the cheese to the sauce, it all tasted great. First impression when you look at the pizza it looks like a pie with sauce filling it, but once you take a bite you will understand the hype from all these great reviews. I would suggest this place to anybody that is looking for a great tasting deep dish stuffed pizza, this is the best one I have came across anywhere.
(5)Dave W.
I'm not much of a fan of that thick Chicago-style pizza where the ingredients are clearly put on the pizza in the wrong order. However, I heard Paul's makes an awesome thin crust pizza so I decided to give it a shot. I went on a weekday afternoon so the clean and welcoming place wasn't packed or anything. Their white pizza is apparently all about herbs and garlic, which sounded good to me! Therefore, I ordered a white pie with meatballs and waited patiently for them to create the hoped for masterpiece. I have to say, the resultant thin crunchy pizza, cut in to small square pieces, was delicious. I'm not sure why small square pieces are better but it works so why argue? It did somehow magically make for a uniformly crispy pie! We will see how the leftovers taste tomorrow morning...
(4)Todd W.
For those of you who remember and miss the wonderful Meaner Weiner in South Tampa for Chicago-style food, it was their owners who first told me about Paul's Chicago Pizza in Clearwater. Obviously, others I know and trust here on Yelp also endorse Paul's so I planned to hang out with friends who live over that way and pick up food for all of us. First, I agree with those on Yelp who said it is more of a take-out experience. While the dining area isn't necessarily small, one large birthday party of roughly 18-20 people dominated most of the room on the Saturday night I came for my visit. However, my friends and I did not find the thin crust pizza to be as worthy of all the five-star reviews. For around $20, we had a 16" pie with pepperoni, meatball and green peppers. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the pizza at all, but it did not remind me of pizza that I've had at some great spots in Chicago on my many travels there for Bears and Blackhawks games. I will not question the value of their pizza because I understand how individual places like this generally need to charge more for their product than the major chains like Papa John's, Pizza Hut, Domino's and Little Caesar's. They have a small business to run, so I get that and have no problem paying a little more. However, I really wanted this pizza to be fantastic and it fell short of my lofty expectations. Ordering over the phone and in person when I picked up the order, I found all the employees to be professional and friendly. The tamales that I added to my order were very good and I will try Paul's again in the hopes that their Italian Beef will be authentic and fill the void created when those Meaner Weiner guys sadly closed the doors earlier this year.
(3)Melony R.
In my opinion Paul's is the spot to get the best cheese pizza in Tampa Bay. Paul's serves authentic Chicago pizza. They are known for the delicious thin crust pizza, although they do offer deep dish as well... I'm not a fan of deep dish. I don't get why anyone would want to eat that much dough. I always order the cheese pizza, well done. The sauce is what makes this pizza, I think...Or maybe it's the combo of sauce and cheese and crispity crunch! I don't know what it is! Since you're eating this pizza in little squares and not huge triangles, you can eat much more! The pizza is so addictive that you just can't stop once you pop!
(5)Andrea B.
My first experience at Paul's Chicago Pizza was at a Yelp Event they hosted in 2013. They were lovely hosts and provided a sampling of pizza, pasta, and a few of their other specialties like wings and it was a great chance to try a lot of things. Fast forward to early 2014 and from somewhere in the depths of my brain, a memory arose that Paul's offers a buffet at lunch. A quick car ride later and I was greeted by three or four pizzas, baked pasta with homemade meatballs on the side, garlic and cinnamon bread knots and a small salad bar. JACKPOT!! The pizzas on offer are all thin crust, which I prefer. Their sauce is a nice balance between tart and sweet with a rich tomato flavor and they replenish the pizzas often. Even living over towards Citrus Park, we've been a number of times and taken family members. Everyone has enjoyed it - no complaints. The buffet is a little limited but when you are hungry for a few different kinds of pizza and perhaps a spot of salad or pasta - it's perfect!
(4)Sofia D.
I would say the deep dish was a very good representation of a Chicago Style DeepDish.. I loved the sauce, and there was lots of it by the way, great flavor. Lots of cheese, Yum, but be careful.. Could be a choking hazard, no joke! The dough was good, but not exactly on Chicago Point. Thin crust was good too, very thin cracker like crust. Reminded me of a Barnaby's in Schaumburg my dad used to take me to when I was a child. I would suggest ordering 2 of those because one is not enough. Im a chick and could take out more than half of a large Paul's thin crust on my own. It's good pizza, I indulged in unnecessary pieces which is a great sign that I liked it! Definitely will be on my pizza craving rotation, and makes in on my list for one of the best in the area .
(4)Elizabeth O.
This is the best pizza in Clearwater! Save your time and just order here because we've tried plenty of places and this place is the cats pajamas! That being said get ready to spend serious cash. But I guess you get what you part for! The stuffed pizza is amazing & we added bacon. The only thing I will complain about is we ordered a small fry and it came with 4 potato wedges.. Just saying.
(4)Cindy A.
We tried wings, a calzone and Chicago pizza and thought all of them were just ok. I have only tried Chicago pizza at Giordano's so I definitely don't have a wide base for comparison, but it was not nearly as good as what I have tried. It was good enough that we ate everything and took the leftovers home, but not good enough that we would want to go back.
(3)Sherri T.
Visited Paul's after seeing the reviews on yelp. Was a little surprised when I arrived that it wasn't a full service restaurant, but we walked up and placed our orders. We had a few beers while waiting for our pizza. Not a lot of atmosphere in the place but it is casual and clean. We ordered the deep dish, thin crust and a flatbread. All three were wonderful!! The deep dish was right out of Chicago. If you want to try anything else on the menu do it before you eat a slice of this, because you will be so full after one piece. The pizza does live up the the reviews and we will definitely be back!
(4)Alex A.
Been here for take out quite a few times in the last 6 months. I usually get a large pepperoni and pineapple which is amazing. The crust is super thin like a cracker with bubbles. Toppings are fresh, and the slices are cut the square way. I've also had the house pizza and recommend it. The only critique I have is that once the pizza gets cold, it turns soggy. Re-heating it in an oven might work? so, eat it quick! Last week I decided to get crazy with it and ordered the stuffed classic and 10 wings in Cajun rub. My first impression of the stuffed pizza was, holy cow! It weighs a ton! Over all I wasn't too amazed by the stuffed pizza, kinda sloppy and runny but still tasty, especially for left overs. The wings were amazing. The chicken they use isn't top notch, but that Cajun rub is crazy good. I highly recommend it. Regular Crust Pizza 5/5 Stuffed Pizza 3/5 Wings 4/5 Service 5/5 *If you come here to watch football, expect to root for the bears.
(4)Giselle O.
Came here with my family while on vacation (they live in Clearwater); they raved about how delicious the pizza was on the way there, so I had pretty high expectations... What we ordered: Ordered 7 pizzas (6 XL and 1 LG) all together: two cheese, two pepperoni, one bacon/pineapple, one chicken/pineapple/olive, and one with green peppers. Wait time: Acceptable, did not feel that it was too long for the size order that we had. Pros: We did not call ahead (though I'm not sure if they have a call ahead option). We had 14 people come in and they were VERY accommodating with us, even politely asking other diners to move to make room for us (which I felt a bit bad for, but they didn't seem to mind ^_^). Food was fantastic, very delicious. I had the pepperoni, chicken/pineapple, and bacon/pineapple. I personally love thin pizza, so if you are into that then this is the place to go. Pizza is cut very uniquely, into little squares, which is both a good and a bad thing (but mostly bad because I ate more of it :P). Service was great, everybody was very friendly and patient with us (we had a big party, plus 2 babies with us). They even said that they would be ok if we went next door to another food place and brought back something for the baby if they didn't serve it (like chicken tenders). I was very surprised by that, since that doesn't normally fly with restaurants. Bathrooms were clean, the restaurant itself had a homey style, but it didn't look outdated or cheap. Had a TV that was playing ESPN with a baseball game at the time. Cons: I do not exactly know how much the total cost was for the whole thing since our family members paid for it, but their pizzas are a bit pricey, especially if you are getting a speciality kind. I remember the house pizza being almost $21 for an XL, and I think a basic medium cheese pizza starts at about $12ish. All in all, I was very happy with the experience and I will definitely come here again next time we go to Clearwater (we visit every year).
(5)Angel A.
Drove here all the way from Lakeland only to be disappointed the pizza had good flavor but that was it no where near Chicago style and they're Italian beef was disgusting nothing like a Chicago beef. Fell extremely short
(2)Jeff L.
After a long quest for a good Chicago style pizza I finally found a great Chicago style pizza! The pizza was loaded with cheese and toppings with just the right amount of suace. It is a bit pricey compared to other pizza places, but your getting what you pay for. The staff was very friendly and the place was clean. I definitely be back and likely often. For what another customer told me they also have great thin crust pizza as well.
(5)Susan G.
I formerly loved this Chicago style pizza, but the last two times something changed. At first I could not put my finger on it, but then I noticed that the cheese is much like eating rubber. This is cheap oil like cheese and it's a way for pizza joints to cut costs & make bigger profit. This to me is a real let down from their former style. There prices for a large are higher than most of their competitors and I did not mind it because of the quality and taste that better ingredients produce. All I can say that they have now lost a loyal customer and I am sure there are more to follow.
(1)Richard R.
Living the first two and a half decades of my life in Chicago doesn't make me a pizza expert, but I undoubtedly know Chicago pizza. It has such a strong presence that pizza lovers around the world place pizza styles into just a handful of categories, one being my favorite... Chicago-style. THE SCENE We visit Tampa often and decided to spending a day at the beach jet skiing in Clearwater, where I used my mobile Yelp app to find something to eat. I honestly don't know what I would do without this program when traveling in unfamiliar regions of the country. All I do is adjust my search filters to 'restaurants' and 'best rated' and voilà ... a buffet of 4 to 5 star rated YELP-araunts appear for the picking. Immediately I take notice of a pizzeria with Chicago in it's name and a 4.5 star average rating. Say no more Scotty, just beam me up!!! As luck would have it, my fun-loving crew opted for fast food and I lost my chance of eating here, or so I thought. My sister, who works in Clearwater, was intrigued when I asked her if she had ever tasted the pizza at Paul's. She had not, but was just as curious as I was and decided to bring me a sausage and pepperoni that afternoon when she got off work. CHECK IT! I'm indeed one lucky guy! THE FOOD What makes a pizza Chicago Style? Well, in my opinion it's several things. Chicago pizza is NOT always deep dish like most people think. There are many well known thin pizzerias around the city, most of which share these characteristics: * First, the cheese should be plentiful... enough to stretch from the pan to your face without breaking. * Second, it is often heavy with toppings, which is one of the reasons why Chicago THIN pizza is cut in squares rather than slices. It gives more strength to the crust when holding it. * Third, the toppings should go almost all the way to the crust edge. You should never see more than a half inch of surface crust. * Lastly, it has to have amazing sausage, Not that GROSS pepperoni-looking sliced sausage junk I've tasted on some NY pizzas. While Paul's makes a valiant attempt to "look" like a Chicago pizza, it certainly did not taste like one. Not one of my family wanted more than one slice, which says a lot! THE VERDICT For me, if Chicago Pizza flavor was a thermometer, Paul's is registering sub-arctic temperatures. If it were a baseball term, it would be a swing and a miss. I was disappointed with the lack of pizza toppings and equally disappointed with the flavor. The sausage should have been much better and the cheese could have been more plentiful. Overall, I don't think this place is a good representative of the style of pizza I hold most dear to my heart. Just for kicks and giggles - THIS is what a Chicago style THIN pizza should look like: yelp.com/biz_photos/gior… Yelp100[89]
(2)Emilia H.
Yesterday I had a craving for deep dish pizza. So I started searching on yelp and came across Paul's pizza. It's in my neighborhood and I wanted to try it out. My fiancé and I ordered a Greek salad, part poppers, and a stuffed cheese pizza. Everything was delicious!!! But way too much food for 2 people. Luckily the leftovers were great today! We will be back and soon. Those pram poppers are really amazing.
(4)Jon H.
Chicago has given us some great things. The Michael Jordan Era for instance. A joyous time when basketball didn't suck. It has given us the lovely Yelp-Chicago CM Candice G. Her reviews are a delight... Most important to me though, is that Chicago has given us Paul. Who is Paul, you might ask. Well my dear friends, Paul is the man that brought delicious Chicago comfort food to the little town of Clearwater, Florida. You can find these treats at his creatively named restaurant... Paul's Chicago Pizza. My first experience at Paul's was at a Yelp event where the staff and food were mind blowing. It was so great that I decided to come back the same week. The rubbed wings are something special. If you haven't tried them, this is a MUST-TRY. If you prefer boneless rubbed wings, you're out of luck. They made a special order for me this once, but I was informed that they probably wouldn't do it again. I don't blame them, and I wouldn't ask for it again anyway because they didn't turn out all that great. The boneless wings are the breaded nuggets of kind-of chicken. The dusting of rub didn't hold well to the breading. It was a disaster, but I applaud them for trying to appease me. The deep dish pizza was a huge success at my home. I got it to-go for Friday evening dinner, and my kid informed me that it was the best pizza he ever had. Paul's Pizza: Kid tested. Kid approved. While I waited for my take-out order I got a couple of the Chicago style dogs. Yes, I said a couple... don't judge... They were dog gone delicious. Very similar to dogs I had when I was in Chicago. Thank you Paul, for your Chicago contribution to the community. I'm sure I'll see you soon.
(5)Izzy G.
Wow. Truly lives up to the Chicago name. I don't give out 5 stars easily, and rarely for an establishment that has styrofoam plates, but the food really exceeded our expectations. First of all, the lunch buffet (which starts at 11:30) consists of bagged salad with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Nothing amazing. It also had cucumber salad. Needless to say, these were a bit underwhelming. But then you get to the hot plates and you will find a large casserole of baked ziti, meatballs, 4 different pizza flavors that get rotated and both parmesan and cinnamon sugar "poppers." The lunch buffet is not a fantastic selection but it is reasonably priced, especially for all-you-can-eat orgasmic pizzas. I am literally ruined for all other pizzas in Pinellas county other than Cappy's.
(5)Khalid B.
Been there twice, I had the stuffed veggie pizza and some mild chicken wings, I got hooked on this pizza. Friendly staff also. Try this place out!
(4)Camaron A.
Ok I stopped by looking to get Chicago Style Pizza here but they don't serve it as slices only as a whole pie, Ok wait what ???? So unfortunately I wasn't not able to sample what their known for. I did try 3 slices of their " reg" of course I get the same speech "no toppings??" Umm no. Pizza was just ok very oily sauce again too sweet crust was too dry and did not fold correctly. Honestly without being able to sample their"Chicago Style" was a big disappointment. I never heard of a place only selling certain pizza as a whole only...Will chalk it up to another Florida negative in the pizza arena. I think I need to fly home for a Pizzacation soon!
(2)Shawn M.
Great deep dish (Pan) pizza. You will not go wrong here.
(5)Bob D.
I decided to try the lunch buffet so I could sample their pizza , meatballs , sausage and pasta in one trip. It was Friday about 12:30 and they had a crowd of people so I thought I found a Jewel of a pizza place. I grew up in Chicago and was weaned on thin crust pizza . The lady at the register was very friendly and polite , so far so good . So I look around for the food and all I see is empty pizza pans , almost empty meatball tray and no salad. I got 2 meatballs and went back to my table . Meatballs were good and went back so see if the empty pans had been filed. Now I see a great looking salad and 2 pizzas .one looked to be sausage but was overcooked and dry and the other was just cheese and very undercooked.....not good . Great salad but terrible pizza . I decided to go back one more time and again empty pans. I got one more soggy slice and decided I won't be back . If you are going to serve buffet style you have to keep the food tables full . Seems like they need more help and a new pizza maker. Sorry Paul but I tell it like I see it.
(2)Thomas A.
Had the Italian beef sandwich with sweet peppers and provolone cheese and potato wedges. It was delicious. They did however forget the cheese on my sandwich, but the guy behind the counter politely apologized, and put it on. Even gave me extra. Love this place.
(5)Brett N.
Why 5 stars? Because we've found the best stuffed pizza in Tampa Bay! ---- --- --- Paul's you have brought me great joy in discovering you. My girlfriend's favorite food in the entire world is stuffed pizza from Chicago, and I have no idea why this phenomenon is not more commonly produced. That being said, Paul's produces it, and produces it damn well. Definitely worth the 40 minute drive to Clearwater. I am not a fan of a lot of pizza sauce, and I'd say that a couple of my bites were just a pinch heavy on it, but I know that many people love it, so maybe I will just ask for the slightly lighter sauce version next time. That's my only incredibly-minor issue. As for the good -this is everything Chicago stuffed pizza should be. The cheese, the dough, it's heaven. This is definitely a hearty meal, so come hungry. I actually had a minor procedure done at the hospital earlier in the day, and came straight to Paul's from TGH. I was put under, so I wasn't allowed to eat from 6am on, and my surgery wasn't until around 330-4. By the time we got there, it was already about 5:30, and my appetite was reaching dangerous levels. Finished half a pie like a champ. We ordered half pepperoni, half ricotta. I highly recommend incorporating the ricotta -AMAZUNZ. I don't know that I recommend ingesting anesthesia before going to Paul's, but maybe eat a light lunch that day. It worked out for me though.
(5)Jason V.
Best pizza in Clearwater/Tampa area!!! Hot food right out of the kitchen. If you are looking for authentic Chicago food, this is the place. Had pizza, wings & roast beef sandwich & everything was excellent.
(5)Marinda H.
Day/time of visit: weekday lunch buffet Pizza 5 stars Overall buffet 2.5 stars Paul's thin crust pizza rocks, there is no doubt! Thin crispy crust, big chunks of sausage, lots of cheese, solid sauce - hands down awesome. And I absolutely love the white pizza. The buffet on the other hand, was disappointing. Bagged iceburg lettuce mix with bottled ranch or italian dressing, cucumber and onion slices in vinegar/sugar, lukewarm meatballs and mostoccoli, and bread nibbles. Was truly hoping for some of their amazing dry rub chicken wings but none to be seen. Also, not one of the chicago stuffed pizzas on the buffet which didn't bother me at all because I prefer their thin crust. So, if you are just there for the pizza, the buffet is great. If you are looking for some buffet extras besides pizza, skip it.
(4)Brian D.
Chicago pizza like I remember from northern Illinois. Thin crispy crust cut in squares. Everything is good and they have the Bears on. Come for the lunch buffet to try it out.
(5)Pamela W.
I only came here for the reviews, and I recently had a craving for white pizza, and thought that this would be a great place to indulge. When I got the pizza, it was a lot smaller than expected, and the crust was very thin and dry. I don't even remember asking for a thin crust pizza. I could have had an 18 inch regular crust pizza at the usual place I go to with the same amount of money I paid.
(2)Frank T.
Ive had a lot of pizza in this area. I tried Pauls for the first time this week and was very impressed. I tried a pepperoni slice on my way home from work. I loved it so much that I brought my family back for dinner an hour later. Ive found my new favorite pizza place.
(5)Anne S.
Being from Chicago and loving both types of crusts... We have been searching for years to find true Chicago style thin crust in Florida. Everything down here is NY style,feh. The crust was perfectly thin and crispy. Just enough cheese and nicely browned. The sausage was meaty, not fatty. Had fennel seeds and wasn't too spicy. Even the corn meal they use was fresh, not black and burned.... A sign they clean and maintain their ovens... Next time.... Stuffed....
(4)Suzanne S.
Aaaaahmazing! We've tried many places looking for good delivery pizza. So many places failed. Then we tried Paul's Chicago Pizza. Wow! They send it to you freshly made and unbaked. We got to bake it ourselves and that made all the difference! No more soggy, bland-tasting delivery pizza! And when they say thin crust, they mean it! Paper-thin and crunchy on the edges and perfect on the inside. We've never been inside Paul's. Carry-out only. And that carry-out is wonderful! The Chicago-style chopped salad was excellent as well. Yum! I'm from California, but this Chicago style is outta this world!
(5)Kelleigh M.
Man, maybe we ordered the wrong item but the girl behind the counter said since it was our first time, we needed to order the thin crust. I should have gone with my guy and ordered the stuffed because I was far from impressed. The sauce was lacking flavor and so were the toppings. Next time I'll listen to myself and get the stuffed.
(3)Ben D.
Chicago-style pizza in Tampa Bay? You wouldn't expect much of it, but the reviews kept talking it up. Well, sometimes you just have a powerful desire for deep dish and need to satisfy it however you can. We walked into a very casual, order-at-the-counter kind of place and weren't feeling very reassured by it. Kinda corporate, clean and cheap atmosphere. A glassed-in display of ingredients and some sandwich artists would not have been out of place. The cashier was pleasant, and informed us a stuffed pizza would take about 30 minutes, as you'd expect. We settled in with a couple beers and enjoyed the ambiance. We'd ordered the classic: pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, green pepper and onion. Beautiful when it came out. Smelled great. And the taste, well, is what gives the place four stars when there's not much else positive to talk about. The sauce was excellent for deep dish, if slightly sweet. The toppings and cheese were of good quality, and the crust was flavorful and capable of handling everything thrown at it. It was cooked perfectly so that there was no sogginess to the bottom crust, and pleasantly golden on the sides. This is proper Chicago deep dish, and the best I've had outside the city itself. We had nothing else from the menu and I can recommend the place based only on this one. Go now. Although, maybe go for takeout.
(4)Mark H.
Was in the area after my previous and tragic first visit, and decided to give them a second chance. Probably won't ever go back. The pizza was edible, but not memorable. As they say in Spanish, "se deja comer." They do use proper sausage though; raw, ground sausage--not pre-cooked pellets or links. So it actually cooks with the pizza. We also ordered an Italian sandwich and it was mad small. In fact, one of the members in my party described it as "cute." I've never heard that adjective used to describe an Italian sub before. Avoid this place on Friday evenings though. See my previous review below. All-in-all, not bad; not horrible. 3 stars. I miss Windy City on Dale Mabry though. R.I.P.
(2)Josh S.
Well I have to say I was a lil disappointed with the pizza there. Didn't have the stuffed wish I would of cuz I won't be going back their sauce is like spaghetti sauce,my cheese and sausage( which was good sausage)slid right off my slice... The only reason I gave 3 stars is the salad was good and so were the parm poppers..
(3)Grneyedmnst R.
First time, ordered a classic deep dish pizza and a greek salad. I have never had a deep dish before but the top crust was so tough and chewy, I basically had to tear into it with a steak knife just to eat it. The salad was good but the pizza was just bland and very expensive.
(3)Sylvester M.
Great place for homesick Chicagoans. Their stuffed pizza is not a traditional Chicago Pan Pizza. It's better, two layers of thin crust with the toppings inside then topped with sauce after it's baked. Their thin crust is what they are known for(yes, people from Chicago eat thin crust pizza), and it's excellent. They even have a real good Italian Beef sandwich with a sausage and beef combo. Decent beer selection, pasta, calzones, and salads. Will definitely go back before a show a Ruth Ekerd Hall.
(4)Paul V.
Quality Chicagoan fare in Pinellas county? That's crazy talk! It's deep dish that most people think of when you say "Chicago-style pizza", but it's the other Chicago pizza, the square-cut thin crust variety that I find myself craving. The good news is that Paul's turns out an excellent thin Chicago pizza, which has neither a dry cracker crust nor a rubbery one. The bad news is that it's in Clearwater, miles and miles away from my home. I was also able to try a little of Paul's deep dish, and it was nothing to sneeze at, either. My only complaint is that the sauce is a little on the sweet side for my personal taste, but you might want to take that with a grain of salt (get it?) because I tend to say that about almost everybody's pizza sauce. I wish that I'd had room in my belly for a bite of Italian beef (a staple food in my childhood home, since my parents are Chicagoans) or a Vienna beef hot dog complete with tomatoes, cucumbers, sport peppers and celery salt, but sadly, it was not to be. Maybe I'll get another chance if I ever find myself in Clearwater again.
(4)Pdx S.
FINALLY!!!!!!! It is about time! It's not just Chi-town pizza....it's WEST COAST PIZZA. My wife and I moved here from the West Coast (Portland, Or) about a year ago. We have slowly branching out from our home in St.Pete looking for good pizza and all we ever find is the same old limp greasy NY pizza...UGHHH! We searched online, found Paul's, made the 35 min drive (one way) to try it out....and YES! JACKPOT! We finally found that thin CRISP pizza that can hold layers of toppings and hold firm with a resounding CRUNCH! If you are from out West and seeking/familiar with a Round Table/Sunshine/Pietro's/Shakey's type pizza....then Pauls is where it is at and maybe the ONLY place where it is at here in the "Bay Area". To those knocking the service: it's a counter order place....not a SERVICE place, yet that did not stop the counter girl from politely greeting us promptly and checking in on us. Nor did it stop the manager from coming out to check on us as well. In fact when he came out we pointed to or pizza and asked if we could have a small pepperoni, he nervously replied "I am sorry is your pizza wrong or unsatisfying?" Nope, I responded.......We want MORE! He walked away with a smile and promptly delivered a piping hot pie of heaven! It is far....but we will make it a regular stop from here on out!
(5)Dena P.
The pizza here was really good. It was fresh and baked nicely. Paul's has been in the same location for years and years.... My parents use to own a business in the same plaza so I've always been aware of this place but never really went in to enjoy some pizza. After what seems to be like 8 years later I decided to try Paul's Chicago Pizza again and do not regret it one bit. They were really nice and helpful trying to get the perfect pizza for me and a friend and it hit the spot. Delicious!
(4)Bret H.
Chicken Ranch Dip Pizza....totally worth it!!! Good pizza in Pinellas County, a must to try.
(4)Tony R.
I was craving some deep dish and ate at Paul's again. Man that hit the spot. Good job.
(4)Robert B.
This was my first time eating at Paul's Chicago Pizza. Being from Chicago, I am always in search of good Chicago food. It is located in a strip plaza and from the outside looks like a typical pizzeria. Inside it is clean and decorated with subtle articles that reminds you of Chicago. I was very impressed with their Chicago Hot Dog, it was excellent! They use authentic ingredients like a poppy seed bun, Vienna Beef hot dog, bright green pickle relish, tomato wedge, diced onion, sport peppers, a pickle spear, celery salt and most important, classic yellow mustard. Chicago is know for two types of pizza, extra thin crust and deep dish (not to be confused with pan pizza that is two inches of dough to fill a pan like you find at Pizza Hut, yuck). Paul's Chicago Pizza offers the first, extra thin crust pizza. It is a round pie and is cut into squares rather than wedges, which is typical in Chicago. What is nice about extra thin crust pizza is that the crust is always crispy with the right amount of crunch that is difficult to get in a New York style pizza without burning it or over cooking the pizza. The food is good, the service is friendly and attentive and the prices are typical of a local pizzeria. It is also a great place to watch Chicago sports.
(3)Paul M.
Having grown up in the Chicago area as a child, this place is a great representation of Chicago style pizza. I prefer the thin crust, and their thin crust with sausage is my favorite pizza anywhere. I now live in North Carolina which lacks any quality pizza restaurants, but I visit Paul's every time I come down and I always look forward to coming back.
(5)J Matt S.
We have eaten here a few times in the past while vacationing in Clearwater, usually for dinner. This time we finally got to try out their lunch buffet. The lunch buffet is small but pretty inexpensive. It consists of a couple types of salads, a couple pizza's, some meatballs, baked ziti, and garlic knots. Personally, I loved the fact that they only put a couple pizza's out on the buffet at a time and brought out/replaced them frequently. This allows you too get fresh hot pizza every trip to the buffet. My wife was less thrilled with this practice because she is more picky about what types of pizza she likes. I think she prefers other (less quality) buffets that put out 6-7 pizzas at a time. Regardless, the pizza was cooked perfectly (as always), crispy on the bottom yet not burnt at all. The cheese, sauce, and sausage here are all top notch. My daughter devoured several of their large meatballs. We will definitely return on our next trip to Clearwater.
(5)Eric A.
We feel like we are back home when coming into Paul's! Being born and raised in the Chicago area and growing up with all the great food we make it a point to try and find all the Chicago style restaurants in the Tampa area. The pizza is amazing! Crust is perfectly cooked and crispy. Just the right amount of that zesty sauce and the amount of cheese is just right. The Italian beefs are flavorful and even better dipped with sweet and hot and mozzarella. Chicago dogs are just how they should be. We've had the lunch buffet once and it was great. For the price you get a nice variety of different pizzas, salad, garlic bread and pasta with meatballs. At some places they tend to skimp or make their food differently when offering a lunch buffet but no here. The food on the buffet is the same as if you ordered it any other time which is great. The staff is kind and courteous and always love meeting new Chicagoans. Keep up the great work!
(5)John O.
Lets compare. Chi pizza or NY pizza? That is the question, sorry Shakespeare. I'll keep my decision a secret, unless you ask me. We went for lunch and got in right away. You could tell that everyone inside wanted a taste of delicious pizza. We were sat, ordered our drinks and food and had both pretty fast. I must admit that the pizza was DE.LI.CI.OUS! I mean it was crusty, cheesy and saucy all at the same time. Just the way I like it. We got the classic style. No need to ask, we scarfed it down. The pepperoni was awesome and spread all over, OMG, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. It was the perfect thin though. Service? Good, but it was lunch so I would hope it would be good. I will absolutely visit again which I'm hoping isn't far in my future. Gracias for a delicious experience. Oh yes, I almost forgot. The delivery service is free and friendly. When I can't get in myself I love seeing the same delivery mans smiling face, his name is Jason. And he even remembers my name.
(5)Erin S.
All I can say is: BEST STUFFED PIZZA EVER!!!!!! Call it in before you arrive as it takes at least 20 minutes to make, oh but it is so worth the wait. You have to try their stuffed pizza at least once!! I've had it 3 times now and it has always been fantastic!
(5)Jackie T.
Tried their stuffed pizza (with just cheese). We called ahead so we didn't wait long to be served after we arrived. Service was good and I like the old school feel of the place but the food was only average.
(3)Vanessa P.
Last weekend I was feeling a little spontaneous and decided to take the family to a new place to eat based on yelp reviews. I launched the Yelp app on my iphone, searched restaurants near me, and lo and behold, Paul's Chicago Pizza came up. It's a cool pizza shop, especially if you're a Chicago sports fan. We, on the other hand are not but that didn't stop us from going in. The smell of the pizza pulled us in. My husband and I were actually all decked out with our Miami heat gear...LOL...a smirk formed on my husband's face as we walked in, for a moment I thought he would shout out Let's Go Heat or something but that only played out in my head. The ladies at the counter were super friendly. We ordered a large thin crust Hawaiian pizza since my little one loves ham and pineapple, the pizza was really, really good. BUT the parm poppers were AMAZING!!!! Best freakin' bread balls I've had in a long time. If you're in the area, definitely check them out. Trust me. :P
(4)Sam M.
This small and unassuming place makes one of the best thin crust pizzas I have ever had. The crust is very nicely cooked and not overly crunchy like some places I have tried in the past, it is firm and not soggy all the way through the middle pieces as well. The only negative I have is that their draft and bottle beer selection is pretty weak. They have your standard watered down tasting American beer selections but not a single bottle of Guinness or Newcastle to be found. They did have Peroni, which I find to be no better than your average American swill. Definitely a place to go for a great thin crust pizza in the Safety Harbor and Clearwater area. Prices are reasonable and the food tastes great.
(4)Steve P.
Good lunch place, decent buffet. I'd try it again, interested in some of their deep dish pizzas. All in all a solid 4 stars.
(4)John B.
This place is really great. This quality of pizza and ingredients is a great way to eat. They have got me to the point where Chicago style is my ultimate favorite. I got the meat lovers pizza and loved every bit of it. I recommend this place to anybody. My god this place rules. I am not sure how the salads and sandwiches go but if they put as much care and quality into the salads and sandwiches as the pizza, I am sure this place is enjoyable by almost anybody.
(4)Ben G.
Not terrible, but certainly not worth the trip. The pizza was fresh and hot. It was not very flavorful. The service was poor, as if the people working there barely cared enough to ring you up. No pleases or thank yous. Nothing special at all. *UPDATE* Paul contacted me personally and apologized for my experienced and offered to make it right. Although I'm not sure I'll take him up on his offer, this level of service -- a personal apology of an unsatisfactory experience from the owner -- deserves applause. Thank you, Paul.
(2)Dan M.
We frequent this local favorite. If you have the opportunity to stop in for lunch during the week try the lunch buffet. It is only during the week. Buffet typically includes a couple salad choices, pasta, meatballs, sausage, selection of thin crust pizzas, garlic bread bites and cinnamon bites. My favorite item off the menu is the Chicago style deep dish pizza. I also love the chicken ranch pizza, it is one of the tastiest combinations I have ever had.
(5)Desiree' C.
The pizza is definitely 5 stars, but because I've only ordered out and never been the one to pick the pizza up, I can't rate the service. We've ordered pizza here several times because we live about 2 minutes from their location. To date we've enjoyed the thin classic pizza, thin house pizza, the stuffed pizza and most recently the Sam's special. The "SS" is a thin crust with white sauce, spinach, ricotta, and chicken. That one is probably my favorite so far but I think next time I'll add fresh tomatoes. Even though the pizza was great, I was missing something acidic to cut the richness. I feel the prices are fair given the quality of the crust and ingredients. If you want a cheap pie - go to a chain.
(4)Sarah D.
Hubby and I both agree that this is the best pizza we've had in a long time...and possibly the best ever! The crust is thin and super crispy, the sauce is seasoned perfectly, and the toppings are delicious. We also liked that the pieces are cut into small squares so you don't feel like you're eating a lot (even though we finished an extra-large between the two of us!) Customer service was great too. We walked in and told the woman at the counter that we wanted to order a pizza but wanted to pick it up in about 45 minutes so we could run some errands. She said that was no problem and it was ready and hot when we arrived. Didn't think I was a fan of thin crust, but this place has me convinced!
(5)Randy R.
Ecellent thin crust!!! Will return soon!
(5)Toby H.
45 minutes for 10 wings and a small pizza. Excuse... "Wings take a while." Definitely not worth the wait. Would not recommend to anyone.
(1)Denni S.
Friendly staff and great pizza. I have eaten there and had take out. Even better you are able to get a pie partly cooked then cook it the rest of way when you want it
(4)Nick O.
Awesome stuffed pizza!
(5)Jeff P.
I you love thin crust pizza, Paul's is the best. Cut it in squares just like in Chicago. The service is always fast and friendly and the dining room is clean. I always stop at Paul's at least once when I am in Clearwater.
(5)Anthony G.
Thank you Paul for getting the thin crust perfect!!!! A must if you are ever in Clearwater!!!!
(4)Austin D.
Fantastic THIN-STYLE CHICAGO crust. You read that correctly. Paul's is best known for serving this style of pie. They do serve deep-dish as well, but thin is in here! Order from the counter, take a number and find yourself a seat. Friendly servers bring the pie out to you. The crust is perfectly crunchy and not too doughy. The sauce is slightly sweet and plentiful, and the cheese blankets the toppings and is served 'well-done' (i.e. lots of brown bubbly bites). Good value for the quality! The interior of the place is kind of chintzy, but that's easy to overlook when the pizza is this good!
(4)Thomas K.
Being a Chicago native I have tried almost every place out here for a good thin crust pizza and today tried Pauls. I've never written a yelp review but the sausage pizza was so good I'm writing one now. Hands down the best pizza I have had since leaving Chicago! Go there and order the sausage pizza you will LOVE it.
(5)Anthony B.
New to the Tampa area. Siri and Yelp led us to Paul's? Was it good deep dish pizza??? yes! Best we have had since we have been down here. I moved from the Chicago area and good pizza places are a dime a dozen there. I was craving a deep dish pizza and I left Paul's completely satisfied. The sauce is fantastic!! We also tried a small thin crust and it reminded us of one of our favorite places back home. Good stuff!! To whomever is reading this and is contemplating going to Paul's.... Stop reading, get in your car, and drive down to see Paul!! You will love it. The guy has direct tv too with all the NFL games!!
(5)Just Me E.
EUREKA! After more than half a year searching for good thin crust, we finally found it! A special shout-out to the yelper dude or dudette who pointed us in Paul's direction. We will definitely be checking out your other two recommendations as well. It's about a 20 minute drive for us, but worth every minute and mile. The crispy crust holds up even on the middle pieces. The sausage had great fennel flavor and was generously blobbed all over the beautiful square-cut pie. The sauce was a little sweeter than I like, but overall this is still by far the best thin we've had in Florida. I felt like I was back on the South Side of Chicago, and yes, that is a compliment of the highest order. It was so good, it made me want to pull my pants down. (I wish I could take credit for this turn of phrase. It's from some article making fun of foodies, but it applies here.) Go. Eat. Enjoy.
(5)Salvatore M.
Not bad but not great either.
(3)Miguel C.
Finally I've found a great place to get stuffed pizza in the bay area. This is it! Way better than Giordano's in Tampa! Paul's is a very rustic environment. You pick a seat and order up front and they bring your pizza to you. The menu selection is minimal and limited but really, if you come here pizza is really the only thing you need to be looking for. My girlfriend used to spend the summers in Chicago and after I visited we both had a constant craving for a good stuffed pizza. I was totally pleased with Paul's stuffed pizza. The sauce was fresh and well balanced between sweetness and zesty. The dough was rich and crispy and the cheese was creamy and absolutely delicious. I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)Michelle L.
So even though I was going back home to Chicago the very next day (Lou Malnati's only a 10 minute walk away), my Step-Father insisted on getting Paul's take-and-bake (thin crust) pizza as he claims it's the best in the area and truly Chicago style, and I just had to try it because he loves it soooo very much. Was it great - absolutely! Loved the super thin crust and very flavorful (a bit salty though, probably the sausage)... but not what I traditionally think of Chicago style. Apparently, this is "South Side" Chicago style pizza, and since Bridgeport is the furthest South I go I'm not an expert (or so my SF says). I will say this is the best pizza I've had in Florida, and the take-and-bake came out surprisingly great as they give you a special pan to bake it on.
(4)Jon B.
One of the top three pizza places in all of Tampa Bay! I swear my father bought a house in the area just to be closer to Pauls!
(5)Herman N.
I'm in town on business at the moment and ordered from Paul's within an hour of closing. Here's why I'm a fan: 1. The man on the phone and the man who delivered the pizza were nice. Exceedingly so. 2. The pizza arrived 20 minutes earlier than they said to expect it to. 3. Said pizza (the sam's special) is delicious! Do it, people.
(4)Ian U.
Stopped by for lunch last weekend. Ordered the Italian Beef sandwich which came with potato wedges. Au jus was GREAT. A very good sandwich. Also got a take and bake pizza to bring home. Next the Christino's in Clearwater, this was the BEST pizza I've had. Perfect crispy crust and delish sauce and toppings. On my fav list for Clearwater!!!
(5)Felipe G.
Thin-Crust is probably the forgotten step child when it comes to Chicago style pizza but don't let that dissuade you from trying out Paul's. They specialize in a delicious Windy City thin crust pie, and the results are definitely tasty enough to please this die hard NY style fan. I thought the dough, sauce, and cheese came together wonderfully, and I liked it that the pizza came out cooked well done with a perfect amount of bubbling slightly browned cheese. Growing up a big Michael Jordan fan I loved all the 90's Chicago Bulls memorabilia adorning the walls. I was the first customer of the day just as the opened up, and the service was friendly and fast. If I find myself in this part of Clearwater again I would definitely stop in and have some more pizza. All the other Yelp reviews for Paul's were right on, they definitely have a great tasting pie.
(4)Stephen G.
Awesome! Preface: My wife and I in our late 30's were able to do our job and travel the USA full time for 5 years in an RV. I also grew up in northern Indiana - been to Chicago several times for extended visits. My 75 year old father lived in Chicago. I've eat at least 50 Pizza places in the USA, almost all selected based on good reviews and locals recommendations. the three of us went to Paul's based on some on-line reviews. All 3 of us were blown away at our shared visit to Paul's. Unassuming strip mall pizza place that is world class. Thin crust Chicago is lesser know - but it rules. GQ's 25 Best American pizza list just rated #1 as "Chicago: Great Lake - Mortadella Pie" - the thin crust Chicago that Paul's does great in Clearwater. If you have not had this lesser known style, get yourself over to Paul's and enjoy what a crunchy crust pizza should taste like! I'm going to Ruth Eckerd Hall for a concert in a couple weeks, Paul's is a must visit across the street! I'm as excited about Paul's pizza as I am the concert, it's that good.
(5)Vicky I.
Totally found this place by accident trying to waist time before a show at the Ruth Eckerd Hall. The best pizza we have found in Florida in a long time! Only sad thing is we don't live in the area to enjoy the delicious pizza. Totally need to open one in Naples.
(5)Craig M.
Great pizza, good lunch buffet deal. If you like thin crust you'll love Paul's.
(5)Jim H.
It took a month of looking but I finally found some good pizza in the Tampa area. Thank you Pauls!
(5)Sarah B.
Not a huge fan of the thin crust pizza, as I prefer NY style- but I must say, the stuffed pizza was heaven! Crust and sauce were really delicious and I am picky about my pizza. Spinach calzone was also very good and love the Garlic Parm Poppers. They are not at all greasy like typical garlic knots. Have eaten here a few times and service has always been good.
(4)Kirsten T.
I have eaten here many times, it is excellent pizza and the closest you can come to Chicago style thin crust. Not all Chicago style pizza is deep dish. The ingredients are fresh and the crispy crust on the pizza is the best. I was born and raised in the burbs of Chicago and this is the best in the area.
(5)Tom G.
Best pizza I have had in Fl yet. Thin and crispy and a great lunch buffet!
(5)Fernando K.
Best pizza outside Chicago! The decor is everything from Chicago Sports teams. We have the pizza everytime we come down from Chicago. Try the daily lunch buffet for all you can eat.
(5)Ted P.
Living in Clearwater area for 7 years and I finally found a great pizza place!
(5)Ward B.
Thin Chicago pizza at its best.... Lunch buffet is the deal
(4)TootTootTootsie G.
If you're looking for traditional Chicago pizza - deep dish with a cornmeal crust - you won't find it here. Instead they serve two styles I never associated with Chicago - one has a very thin crust cut into squares and the other one is a stuffed pizza, almost like a pot pie with a bottom and top crust. The thin crust is paper thin, just a little too thin for my taste, but there's a healthy amount of sauce and cheese on it. A warning about the stuffed pizza - don't overload it with a lot of options, otherwise you'll be eating a soggy mess. Keep it simple - cheese and sausage, for example - and you'll be OK. Also keep it small, because a slice is very filling and leftovers don't travel that well. They also serve another Chicago favorite - Vienna hot dogs with crunchy, medium-hot sport peppers and relish on a poppyseed bun. The real deal here is the lunch buffet (served from 11:30am - 2:00pm Monday through Friday), which includes Greek and antipasto salads, a wide variety of pizzas, baked ziti, meatballs and sausage, garlic bread sticks, and cinnamon sticks for only $5.79.
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