I finally got to try the caramelized crust! That was delicious. Unfortunately the pizza itself was bland, and frankly not worth the calories.

Apparently Pequod's is moving nearer the train station. That's a shame; I like the place and the way it's decorated, so I hope they can recreate it.

Pie Lady wrote:I finally got to try the caramelized crust! That was delicious. Unfortunately the pizza itself was bland, and frankly not worth the calories.

Just curious. Did you mean this in reference to burt's or pequods?

Pequod's sorry. The one in Morton Grove.

My brother and I finally paid a visit to Burt's this past Saturday and it could hardly have been better. I called on Friday morning to set up a pizza for 5:30 on Saturday and after driving through hurricane force rain, lightning and winds we arrived quite early at about 10 to 5 to a nearly empty restaurant. We were told that there was room in the oven so they could get the pizza started early for us to which we agreed and then proceeded to order some jalapeno poppers and beers.

The poppers come out promptly and were quickly devoured as we settled in to enjoy the ambience. As we waited people slowly started to trickle in. Oddly enough for all the talk of punctuality and peoples complaints about the difficulty of dining at Burt's place our pizza ended up coming out late. It somehow got lost in the shuffle and instead of going in early didn't go in at all until it was too late to get it on the table at 5:30. This was no problem for as we enjoyed conversing with Burt's wife and the other waiter over some good Great Lakes beers.

Around 5:45, or so kind of lost track of time while chatting, our sausage, mushroom, garlic and onion pizza arrived and you knew it was going to be delicious just by smell as it approached. The pizza was not disappointing, every ingredient shined on its own and as a combination on the pizza, the curst of which surprised me with how crusty, flaky and delicious it was. The nice caramelized edge was nowhere approaching burnt, as I had heard it described in some reviews, and was a delicious treat at the end of each slice.

I can't say enough about the quality of the pizza and friendliness of the people at Burt's. All it took was a one minute phone call the day before to create a great experience. I will definitely be back.

-edited for grammar/spelling

What's not a good idea? Visiting Pequod's soon after having visited Burt's. You really notice the differences, and regret ending up at Pequod's. The differences: Sauce - at Pequod's, not only is the pizza over-sauced, but the sauce is just too sweet and it really throws off the whole balance of the pizza. This is my biggest issue. Toppings - Sausage is also a very noticeable difference. Although I find that Burt's is not as generous with the sausage as I'd like, the sausage at Burt's is just so much better tasting than the sausage used at Pequod's (which hardly has the herb flavor profile of Italian sausage). And Burt just seems so much more meticulous with the placement of toppings - pretty much evenly spread. And of course, the crust is a little better at Burt's too (although the excess sauce at Pequod's might be part of the culprit here). I suppose this post is more of a compliment to Burt's, because I find Pequod's perfectly acceptable, but when you visit the two in the same week, the differences really stand out.

As a long time admirer of both Pequod's (the Clybourn location) and Burt's Place, I wanted to share an impression from a recent visit to Burt's. Good news is the pizzas were at the customarily impressive level of freshness and appeal. Quibble: I could have used more crispness/carmelization but that's just a personal preference and I recognize others may disagree. Besides, I never asked. Now for the part that I did not much appreciate and that continues to gnaw at me. The 'Here's how we do it and you are to comply...or else' profile is beginning to wear thin. It's arbitrary, distracting and frankly silly. Maybe it's an age thing but the sensation that I'm being judged by my mastery of the 'rules' both written and unwritten and my willingness to comply is increasingly annoying. I understand - even appreciate - the punctuality aspect but am finding their oddly rigid adherence to what passes as protocol increasingly pervades the entire dining experience. God forbid you want to serve yourself or a member of your party an additional slice when your plate is empty. Snap! Or mix and match portions of the undeniably large and substantial slices rather than limit yourself to whole slices. Snap! Or request that your server, who tends to be running about during busy meal times, accommodate such things without a disapproving sigh or grimace. Snap! The sensation sent me right back to the third grade when as an unruly youngster I irritated my teacher Ms Ryan no end. But far worse was Burt's plainly audible dressing down of Sharon at periodic points through our meal. (Something about who left a tip on another table and where Sharon had placed it or some such.) Hey, I have as much respect for the guy as most and have long been a fan and advocate. And we all have our lesser moments. But this autocratic bulls---was really over the top. So while he's a great man who deserves all the accolades received and more for the work he does in turning out a terrific product through the years, it may finally be time to retire. What had been a pleasantly quirky and singular experience is threatening to morph into one that is uncomfortably frought and tense, one no longer worth the heartache. I would love to be wrong about all this and find the recent episode was but an aberration. Regrettably, I won't be back to learn the answer.

As I have Posted in the past, The problem with Burt's is Burt!-Dick

If you don't like it, eat somewhere else! [/inevitable defensive LTH response]

Vitesse98 wrote:If you don't like it, eat somewhere else! [/inevitable defensive LTH response]

Hah, isn't that the best response to ANY restaurant that annoys you? Why patronize it anymore?

Burt doesn't need to justify his quirks. He puts out a mean pie, but for the clientele there are caveats, many of them idiosyncratic. Some choose to accept them with the end result being his pan pizza, which arguably is the best in Chicagoland. Many others choose to defer.

It's much like people waiting two hours at Big Star or going through the labyrinthine prepaid reservation system at Next. Borderline insane, but people do it. I've never understood the concept behind making it harder for diners to frequent your establishment, but free will prevails I guess. And so does the free market, eventually.

Vitesse98 wrote:If you don't like it, eat somewhere else! [/inevitable defensive LTH response]

I think that's exactly what sburton3030 said he/she was going to do (or not do).

But please, we're here to share our opinions and experiences about places, so don't snark at someone who's doing just that -- especially when the post has some genuine substance to it.

Thanks,

=R=
for the moderators

I have always wanted to try Burt's Place, as I'm a big fan of the style he created. I went once, years ago before I was a lurker here on LTH and was turned away for not having ordered in advance. I've been meaning to get back but now am thinking twice. Can you not serve yourself a piece of your own pizza? I don't mind jumping through a hoop or two to eat something spectacular, but that sounds like the type of place I might not be interested in going. Perhaps I need to re-read the whole thread to find all Burt's quirks.

You know, I have been to Burt's many times, and have broken these supposed "rules" many times. I have never found Burt and Sharon to be unreasonable or "autocratic". Maybe I am lucky, or maybe I am just more thick skinned than others. I have even broken the one actual rule on a couple of occasions, by failing to "order in advance". One time, Sharon said we may not be able to get a pizza, but checked with Burt and he said he could swing it. The other time, we were told to come back in an hour, so we did some shopping in Niles and came back. Both times, I told Sharon I would understand if she turned us away. I have seen Sharon get a little flustered when they are busy, quite understandable. I have also seen Burt be a little cranky and cantankerous, but given his age and how hard he works, that is also quite understandable. I guess it is how one interprets certain gestures and body language. I suppose each person has their own level of tolerance, but I wonder if sometimes people don't read too much into a sigh or roll of the eyes and overreact, aggravating the situation. I usually fall on the side of compassion, and just assume somebody might be having a bad day, so I try to be as easy going as possible. Regardless, I for one, am not anxious to see Burt retire and am grateful each time I can enjoy his remarkable skills until he decides to do so. I am quite happy to put up with the occasional quirkiness in return. I can understand if somebody doesn't think the quality to grumpiness ratio is worth it, and recognize that they, as a customer, have the right to not patronize the place, just as Burt, as the business owner, has the right to behave any way he pleases. Anyhow, if you are trying to decide whether or not to try Burt's, please do not rely on other people's opinions and experiences (mine included), possibly depriving yourself of the opportunity to try Burt's unique product. Besides, it is just a pizza. Unlike Alinea or elsewhere, a meal at Burt's is not a major investment. You can always leave if you can't tolerate the attitude (or just get the pizza to go).

One last note, those pans get extremely hot. I fully understand why an establishment might frown on customers helping themselves to refills, but I can't recall anyone ever being chastised for doing so. I tried to remember if I had actually ever done this at Burt's, and realized that I have never had the need. It seems that Sharon (or Mr. Roadhouse) is always vigilant when it comes to refilling empty plates.

ronnie_suburban wrote:...please, we're here to share our opinions and experiences about places, so don't snark at someone who's doing just that -- especially when the post has some genuine substance to it.

Hear, hear.

I've been on LTH more than seven years (can it be?), and I have yet to see a rule that only postings which are appreciative of a restaurant are permitted.

I say this as someone who has never had a problem with Burt, Sharon, or Burt's, but who is always interested to read the experiences of others.

I agree that the interaction between Burt and Sharon can be odd at times. Honestly though, it seems to me to be little more than two people that have been married for a long time. I'd hate to think how people feel about the way my wife and I interact after being married for 40 years. We can be pretty snarky to each other.

mrefjl wrote: I've been meaning to get back but now am thinking twice. Can you not serve yourself a piece of your own pizza? I don't mind jumping through a hoop or two to eat something spectacular, but that sounds like the type of place I might not be interested in going.

In addition the hot pan issue,the pizzas are often not kept at the diners' tables, but on an unoccupied table. I suppose they don't want to have someone accidentally taking a slice from the wrong pie.

scottsol wrote:

mrefjl wrote: I've been meaning to get back but now am thinking twice. Can you not serve yourself a piece of your own pizza? I don't mind jumping through a hoop or two to eat something spectacular, but that sounds like the type of place I might not be interested in going.

The pizzas are typically not kept at the diners' tables but on an unoccupied center table. I suppose they don't want to have someone accidentally taking a slice from the wrong pie.

I suspect it is more a liabilty issue. I have seen those pans burn into wood, which means they are at least 400 degrees. The servers use special tools for gripping the pans. Even if a pan has had time to cool off, as scottsol pointed out, somebody could easily grab the wrong pan. Better to have a zero tolerance policy on customers touching pans.

Oh, come on, i was just making a joke at our collective expense. I'm not sure I've ever seen a criticism of a restaurant on LTH, legit or not, that wasn't followed by a comment like my (fake/sarcastic) comment, a rhetorical dead end ad extremus.

Per Burt's (substance!), I've eaten there a few times, once or twice with kids (who are even less flexible than Burt), and all has been well. I just wish it were closer, though the Lincoln Park Pequod's is an OK sub. But given I only eat all-your-day's-calories pizza once or twice a year, perhaps the distance is a good thing!

d4v3 wrote:I suppose I suspect it is more a liabilty issue. I have seen those pans burn into wood, which means they are at least 400 degrees. The servers use special tools for gripping the pans. Even if a pan has had time to cool off, as scottsol pointed out, somebody could easily grab the wrong pan. Better to have a zero tolerance policy on customers touching pans.

Aren't the deep dish pans from Malnati's or any the others just as hot? They all have special tools to pick up the pans! Or does Burt have some kind of super duper extra special nuclear oven?

I think the place is wierd.

To clarify, I like a a good pizza and ate at Uno's as early as 1971 in it's original location.
A group of us would take a cab from Adams and Clark and walk back during lunch time. Very good pizza then but you could only eat one slice. So it was with great expectation that a group went to Burt's for lunch a few years ago. Having been exposed to Burt's Rules in the Media and on this forum, watched the great Bordain, I knew what we were getting into but from my first call to Burt for a reservation, I knew I was "not in Kansas" anymore.
My simple question of what's your best Pizza was met with a dissertation of why Burt could not answer that question.
Anyway, the pizza's were good but not great at all. So I really can't fathom why the raves?
But that's everyone choice and I certainly vote with my feet.
Now Great Lakes is on my short list.-Dick

budrichard wrote:Now Great Lakes is on my short list.-Dick

It would be on my short list too if they hadn't closed last Friday.

Drove by Burt's yesterday and saw a sign in the window that read something like "temporarily closed due to medical issues".

Anybody know anything? Buddy??

At least that explains why I couldn't get Burt's on the phone yesterday for carryout. I had to settle for Pequod's - not bad, but hte crust and tomato sause both seemed heavier than Burt's.

Giovanna wrote:... "temporarily closed due to medical issues".

Anybody know anything? Buddy??

The sign says all that needs to be known at this time. There are definite plans to reopen, but no specific date has been established yet.

Sincere apologies to anyone who was inconvenienced by the closure.

Buddy

BuddyRoadhouse wrote:

Giovanna wrote:... "temporarily closed due to medical issues".

Anybody know anything? Buddy??

The sign says all that needs to be known at this time. There are definite plans to reopen, but no specific date has been established yet.

Sincere apologies to anyone who was inconvenienced by the closure.

Buddy

Send Burt and Family our best wishes.

bad news! hope all is ok.

Best wishes to Burt and Sharon. They are nice people and very gracious hosts.

i hope all is well and quickly ends, this world needs more people like them

We're thinking of you, Burt and Sharon. Best Wishes.

Ann and Alan

Thinking of Burt and Sharon and wishing a quick return to best of health.

Last night I paid a visit to Pequod's and was once again reminded why I like but don't love their pizza.

First, the crust is really too much of a bread, too fluffy really. Burt managed to control the yeast and keep the style that of pizza and less of pizza bread.

Then the sauce. I once referred to it as too sweet, but really I find it just too seasoned (and only a tad too sweet). I prefer a simpler sauce on pizza, where the tomatoes stand out, but Pequod's sauce is very heavily seasoned. I also have this issue a bit with Bartolli's sauce (which also skews a bit too sweet for me), though I realize this may be largely a personal preference. But I appreciated that Burt kept it more simple.

Then, the sausage. I like fennel in my sausage and the sausage at Pequod's is just too bland for my liking.

Finally, cheese. I find that Pequod's does not have an adequate balance of cheese to sauce to crust. I find that as you get close to the middle of the pizza, there's just not that much cheese, and certainly not a good enough ratio to the sauce and thick bread.

Don't get me wrong - I find Pequod's pizza to be tasty. But Burt's was at so much of a higher level, close to perfection really.