You'll Love Visiting Pizza Villa, An Illinois Restaurant Loaded With Local History
By Linze Rice|Published February 13, 2023
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Linze Rice
Author
Ope! From the rural cornfields of DeKalb County, Linze is an Illinois native and true Midwestern gal who can make a mean bonfire and whip up a perfect marshmallow salad. Since 2014, her bylines and photography have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago/DNAinfo Chicago, Only in Your State, and more. She has interviewed Dolly Parton, written about beloved diners along historic Route 66, visited the last Rainforest Cafe in the Illinois, and reviewed luxurious English manor-inspired hotels. Whether it's writing about a local gem or world-renowned establishment, Linze brings a heartwarming and historical perspective to each story, using facts, wit, and personal experience to impress upon readers the importance of culture, food, travel, and all things local. Her favorite destinations in Illinois include Starved Rock State Park, Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the charming small town of Sycamore, and historic Rosehill Cemetery. When she's not writing or photographing, Linze enjoys gardening, spending time with her husband and pets, cooking, baking, and grilling, and relaxing with trashy TV.
Few things in life are better than a meal that becomes a favorite memory. It doesn’t take exotic cuisine or fine dining to leave a lasting impression. Oftentimes, the best meal is one that warms the heart and feeds the soul — created with care and prepared from scratch. Add plenty of local history and quirky charm to the mix, and you’ve truly got magic. These ingredients are exactly what has kept loyal customers coming back to the small-town Pizza Villa in Illinois for over 60 years.
Tucked away in the cornfields of DeKalb, Illinois, is the locally famed Pizza Villa, 824 W. Lincoln Hwy. — where homemade dough has come in many mouthwatering forms since 1956.
Linze Rice for OIYS
The pizzeria is located just blocks away from Northern Illinois University in the small college town and is beloved by students and longtime residents alike. Because of its college connection, the restaurant has gained fans from across the country who crave Pizza Villa's menu from their home states. Some lucky fans have even been able to have pizzas shipped to them.
The building's unique architecture boasts a rare five-story configuration (including an arcade!), making it a great spot for anything from date night to a family meal to a large party.
Now in its third generation of family ownership, Pizza Villa's decor reflects an impressive collection of local history and kitschy charm, including hand-painted signs and murals. Combined with the multi-story seating arrangements, there is always something eye-catching to look at.
Its most well-known piece of decor is a vintage mechanical clown that sits atop a mantle on the restaurant's main floor. The clown slowly moves upward and around the bar to complete a flip.
Pizza Villa has also perfected a local food staple called beer nuggets — soft, pillowy chunks of fried dough made for dipping. Their invention is the stuff of town lore.
In-house, they're known as "Villa nuggets." They come in three flavors: plain, parmesan, or cinnamon sugar. An order will get you a large helping of the perfectly binge-able snacks. Those in the know make sure to always get an order — or two.
Next course: pizza! Diners love the crispy thin crust and generous handfuls of Italian sausage, onion, mushroom, and green pepper included on the "Pizza Villa Special."
If pizza's not your thing, the eatery is also known among locals for its incredible pasta dishes, like spaghetti. Just like the pizza crust and beer nuggets, the pasta is made in-house and topped with family-recipe meat sauce.
Make sure to check out Pizza Villa's lower-level arcade, which includes a wall of both new and vintage games, bright murals, and a few tables so you don't have to stray too far from your pizza.
It’s no surprise this place has been a community staple for over six decades. With its family-created homemade recipes, unique dishes, and tons of local history, Pizza Villa continues to fill the hearts and plates of residents and visitors. Have you ever been there? Would you sit by the clown? Let us know in the comments! In the meantime, start planning your trip to Pizza Villa now. Be sure to keep tabs on its Facebook page to get some drool-worthy order inspiration!
