You know that specific smell of a butter-heavy, flaky crust hitting a 500-degree oven? If you grew up on the South Side of Chicago, that scent is basically home. It’s the calling card of Home Run Inn Pizza Beverly. Located right on Western Avenue, this spot isn't just another pizza joint in a city obsessed with deep dish; it’s a landmark of thin-crust defiance. While the rest of the world thinks Chicagoans only eat three-inch-thick pies with a knife and fork, the locals at the Beverly location know the truth.
It's about the crunch. Honestly, it's always been about that crunch.
Home Run Inn started back in 1923 as a small tavern, but the Beverly location at 10900 S Western Ave is where the neighborhood gathers now. It’s a massive, bustling space. You've got families celebrating Little League wins, couples on low-key dates, and people picking up frozen stacks because they can’t imagine a Tuesday night without it. This specific branch has become a cornerstone of the Beverly and Morgan Park communities, standing firm while other franchises come and go like the Chicago wind.
Why Home Run Inn Pizza Beverly Hits Differently
Most people don't realize that the recipe used in Beverly today is fundamentally the same one developed by Mary Grittani back in the 1940s. It was a happy accident, really. She was just trying to make a snack for the tavern’s patrons, and suddenly, the "Home Run Inn" name—originally inspired by a baseball crashing through the tavern window—became synonymous with a very specific style of pizza.
The Beverly kitchen operates like a well-oiled machine, but there’s a stubbornness to their method that I actually respect. They don’t use MSG. They don't use nitrites. They use real mozzarella that actually strings when you pull a piece away, rather than that oily, translucent stuff you find at the national chains.
What makes the Beverly location stand out from the frozen version you see in grocery stores across the country? It’s the deck ovens.
When you get a pizza at the Beverly restaurant, the bottom of that crust gets a char that a home oven simply cannot replicate. It’s bubbly. It’s jagged. It’s almost like a savory pastry. The sausage is the other big deal. Chicago is a sausage town, and Home Run Inn uses coarse-ground, raw sausage that cooks right on the pizza, releasing all those juices and fennel notes directly into the cheese. It’s greasy in the best way possible.
📖 Related: Double Sided Ribbon Satin: Why the Pro Crafters Always Reach for the Good Stuff
The Western Avenue Vibe
Walking into the Beverly spot feels different than their downtown or suburban locations. There is a deep-seated neighborhood pride here. You’ll see Irish family crests on hoodies and fire department decals on the cars in the parking lot. The dining room is large, often loud, and smells like a mix of tomato acidity and toasted flour.
It’s cozy. Sorta.
It’s the kind of place where the servers have been there for years and they don’t have time for fluff. They’ll get you your pitchers of soda and your extra napkins, but they’re moving fast because the Friday night rush in Beverly is legendary. If you haven't sat in those booths while a winter storm rages outside on Western, you haven't fully experienced Chicago.
The Secret in the Dough
The "secret" isn't really a secret, but most people overlook it. It’s the fat content in the dough. Most pizza dough is lean—water, flour, yeast, salt. Home Run Inn’s dough is rich. It’s almost a shortcrust. This is why it doesn't get floppy. You can hold a square cut (yes, it’s tavern-style, so it’s cut into squares) and it stays perfectly horizontal. No "New York fold" needed here.
Actually, let's talk about the "Beverly Special." While you can get anything, the locals usually stick to the basics:
- Sausage and Pepperoni (The classic)
- The "Ultra Thin" (For those who want maximum crunch)
- Extra Cheese (Because their mozzarella is high-quality)
There’s a nuance to the sauce too. It’s not overly sweet. Too many places dump sugar into their tomato base to hide cheap ingredients. Home Run Inn keeps it bright and slightly tangy, which cuts through the richness of the buttery crust.
👉 See also: Dining room layout ideas that actually work for real life
Understanding the Wait Times
Look, if you go to Home Run Inn Pizza Beverly on a Friday at 6:00 PM, you’re going to wait. It’s a fact of life. The kitchen is handling a massive dining room plus a non-stop stream of carry-out orders. But there’s a strategy. Most regulars know to hit the bar area or call their order in way ahead of time.
The beauty of the Beverly location is that it’s built for volume, but the quality rarely dips. That’s a hard tightrope to walk in the restaurant business. Usually, when a brand goes national with frozen pizzas, the flagship restaurants suffer. Somehow, Beverly has kept its soul. It still feels like a neighborhood tavern that just happened to get huge.
Beyond the Pizza: The Rest of the Menu
Is anyone actually going there for the salad? Surprisingly, yes. The "HRI Signature Salad" is a staple. It’s got that chopped-style vibe with gorgonzola and a vinaigrette that actually has some bite to it. It’s the necessary "green" lie we tell ourselves before eating four squares of sausage pizza.
They also do sandwiches—Italian beef, mostly—but let’s be real. You’re on Western Avenue. You’re at Home Run Inn. You’re getting the pizza.
A Note on the "Frozen" vs. "Fresh" Debate
People always ask: "Is the restaurant pizza the same as the one I buy at the store?"
The answer is: Not exactly.
✨ Don't miss: Different Kinds of Dreads: What Your Stylist Probably Won't Tell You
The ingredients are largely the same, but the execution differs. The frozen pizzas are par-baked and then flash-frozen. They’re great for a Tuesday in the suburbs, but the Beverly restaurant uses fresh, never-frozen dough and fires it in those high-heat ovens. The texture of the cheese is the biggest giveaway. Freshly melted mozzarella that hasn't been through a freeze-thaw cycle has a completely different elasticity and flavor profile. If you've only had the box, you've only had 60% of the experience.
Navigating Your Visit
Parking at the 10900 S Western location can be a bit of a scramble during peak hours, though they have a dedicated lot. If it's full, you might find yourself hunting on the side streets.
One thing to keep in mind: the Beverly location is also a hub for their fundraising programs. This is a very "Chicago" thing—schools and churches sell HRI pizzas to raise money. It’s part of the fabric of the community. When you eat there, you’re supporting a business that is deeply entwined with the local parishes and schools like St. Barnabas or Marist.
Actionable Tips for the Best Experience
Don't just walk in and wing it. If you want to eat like a South Side local, follow these steps:
- Order "Well Done": If you like that crust to have a snap and the cheese to have those little brown toasted spots, ask for it well done. It changes the game.
- The Carry-Out Hack: Use their online ordering system before you even leave your house. The pick-up area at the Beverly location is separate and generally moves fast, even when the dining room is packed.
- Check for Specials: They often have family meal deals that include the signature salad and a large pizza for a better price than ordering a la carte.
- Join the Rewards: If you live within driving distance of Beverly, their "Pizza Lovers" rewards program actually pays off. You earn points for every dollar spent, and they send out solid birthday rewards.
- The Reheat Method: If you have leftovers (rare, but possible), do not use the microwave. Throw the squares in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. It brings that buttery crust back to life better than any other method.
Home Run Inn Pizza Beverly remains a testament to the fact that you can grow a brand without losing the "neighborhood" feel of the original concept. It’s loud, it’s greasy, it’s crunchy, and it’s quintessentially Chicago.