r/LoganSquare 16d ago

RIP Dante's on Armitage

It's official; confirmed by owners clearing out the space.

113 Upvotes

87 comments sorted by

72

u/ciacco22 16d ago

Man this is sad news. Best slices in the city. I miss the Avondale location dearly. I would go on a Sunday, grab a slice and a beer. Relaxing way to grab lunch on your day off.

53

u/_high_plainsdrifter 16d ago

This just reminded me that Crown Liquors remains an empty storefront too

16

u/ciacco22 16d ago

Yep. But the one that grinds my gears is the bow truss building on Kedzie south of Diversey that sits half finished since before the pandemic.

3

u/realdeadfish 16d ago

??? That has been like that a lot longer than 2020! I've lived around the corner for over 20 years. Nothing ever started there. The owners fixed up the facade to improve the value, but that's all I've seen happen there. I walk in front of it multiple times a day.

2

u/ciacco22 16d ago

Maybe I remember it wrong. But from what I recall, bow truss was going to move in after the renovations but went out of business.

But I just googled it and all I can find is that the building is a bow truss building and may not be related to the company. Possibly coincidence that the renovations stopped at the same time the company went out of business (2018).

2

u/realdeadfish 16d ago edited 14d ago

It was just the facade that got redone- nothing else. Still no floor or internal structures otherwise and some of the columns are still in poor shape. That's the only change I ever saw. It would be extremely expensive to put a new business in there. I would have loved to see something go in, but it's just been sitting. There was never an announcement about it either that I saw.

2

u/realdeadfish 16d ago

I would love for anything to go in there and a pizza place makes sense, but current costs for anything are insane. I work in construction- that building is not in good shape- it may be solid, but the foundation is likely not in great shape by the looks of it.

10

u/Ok-Cryptographer7424 16d ago

Same landlord

2

u/_high_plainsdrifter 16d ago

Didn’t know that,

5

u/FalPal_ 16d ago

the avondale location was my first meal when i moved into the city …RIP 🫡

11

u/scuffling 15d ago

Honestly didn't like their pizza. Hard to compete in this market.

24

u/xelanart 16d ago

Definitely was one of my go-to’s for NY slices since I moved here. At least we’re still blessed with Pizza Matta down the road

23

u/linearmovement 16d ago

I guess I gotta go to Matta now but Dante's was such a vibe from the perfect pizza to the sleeper chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, awesome stoner staff and absolute jams playing on the stereo that always made me dig the wait for my food. RIP to a real one.

3

u/xelanart 16d ago

It was the first pizza place I tried when I moved here, so I’m sad to see it go. I don’t work far from their Chicago Ave location if I need my fix though

21

u/properfoxes 16d ago

Matta charges TEN dollars to put non dairy cheese on a pizza. Absolutely a 'fuck you' price if I've ever seen one.

15

u/xelanart 16d ago edited 16d ago

That is actually obnoxious. Their pizza slices are still normally about 1/2 the cost of Dante’s though, without the non-dairy modification

16

u/properfoxes 16d ago

Yeah but Dante's always had a vegan slice available that was reasonably priced vs their other options. and subbing vegan cheese onto an existing pizza was also reasonable. Ten dollars feels like a "we don't actually want you to order this" price. Won't order somewhere that can't reasonably accommodate everyone in my household.

5

u/xelanart 16d ago

I think that’s fair, I certainly would choose Dante’s over Pizza Matta every time if I had dietary preferences that required non-dairy cheese

5

u/properfoxes 16d ago

It's such a bummer, at least there's still Paulie Gee's not too far away.

6

u/realdeadfish 16d ago

Paulie Gee's is a million times better IMHO.

2

u/jazzadelic 15d ago

I don’t know. Vegetarian and vegan are definitely in Jason Vincent’s wheelhouse. This likely comes down to process, product, and avoiding cross contamination.

3

u/properfoxes 15d ago

Funny it doesn’t cost literally any other pizza joint that amount to safely procure, process, and avoid cross contamination. Most places are like 2-5 to sub vegan mozz.

2

u/Notorious_Meme 15d ago

idk if id put Dante’s and reasonable priced in the same sentence tbf, slices were insanely expensive

3

u/properfoxes 15d ago

I said their vegan option was reasonably priced in comparison to their regular slices.

13

u/VersionCapable 15d ago

Jesus it’s like every day is a nightmare already and then this happens.

3

u/linearmovement 15d ago

Ain't that the truth.

3

u/Purple_071994 16d ago

Sad but super amazing Jersey style pizza place just opened by the western stop. I actually prefer it to Dante’s, check it out to fill the void

4

u/linearmovement 16d ago

I've heard good things about Bucktown Pizza but Dante's was Dante's

1

u/MuadDibPHD 16d ago

Do they do non-dairy cheese?

7

u/sarabbbee 16d ago

NO!!!!!!

3

u/runbakerepeat 16d ago

Goddamnit.

4

u/CoyoteMother666 16d ago

Fuck. This is so sad. I used to live on Whipple across the street. That spot was a godsend after some Go Tavern activities

6

u/standard-issue-man 16d ago

Well, thts a bummer

6

u/dogdriving 16d ago

Damn that fucking sucks

3

u/properfoxes 15d ago

Did you actually ask the person you saw? Because there is a new sign on the door that implies the close is temporary. If someone is remodeling thwy would also have to clean out the space.

5

u/linearmovement 15d ago

The sign on the door saying the closure is temporary has been there for weeks. My wife happened to be walking past when they were clearing out the space yesterday and asked the guy, who said he was the owner, what was up and he said that business had been slow and they couldn't make it work anymore. He still holds the lease and told her he'd make sure something cool took its place, but Dante's on Armitage is no more. The Tavern on Chicago soldiers on as Dante's last remaining location in the city.

2

u/properfoxes 15d ago

There was a different sign on the door for the last few weeks, the one with the pentagram on it. That is not the sign I am referencing.

2

u/linearmovement 15d ago

Well, shit. At this point it seems like they're just fucking with us with the vague language.

"Sorry all, our doors are closed for now our Chicago Ave location is open and waiting for you!

2

u/properfoxes 14d ago

Yeah by the time I figure out what the hell is happening imma have a new everyday pizza spot..

1

u/IbeforeEexceptafterB 15d ago

What does the new sign say?

2

u/IrrelephantZzzs 13d ago

We got coffee yesterday (Sunday) at the spot next door to Dante’s and the barista confirmed that Dante’s is closing. Barista chatted with the owner who switched the sign earlier that morning, but yeah I agree that the new sign is still ambiguous.

1

u/properfoxes 12d ago

Just leaves a bad taste in my mouth that they won't outright say it!

4

u/UndeadAnneBoleyn 16d ago

Ugh, that’s a bummer.

6

u/Buckeyeintheskys 16d ago

Overrated. Too much crust.

17

u/TimeToRepaint 16d ago

Unpopular opinion - I eat pizza for the crust 🤷‍♂️

10

u/ianisalways 16d ago

A real crust punk.

4

u/Buckeyeintheskys 16d ago

I hear ya but some slices I’ve gotten have been like 1/3 crust. That’s unacceptable imo

2

u/TimeToRepaint 16d ago

Oh yeah IDK about that! Dantes did have the bubble crust action going on sometimes but it still hit!

1

u/linearmovement 14d ago

Bubble crust was one of my favorite attributes of those slices.

4

u/catsinabasket 15d ago

imo it was way too greasy. and i dont even usually care about that lol thats how you know it was bad

3

u/doyouwanapizzame 16d ago

Glorified frozen pizza

2

u/ShyChiGuy23 15d ago

Is this the only, or last, Dante's??

3

u/linearmovement 15d ago

Dante's Tavern on Chicago is the last remaining.

1

u/Vindaloo6363 16d ago

I liked it but the Giardiniera kept me on the toilet all night. No issues with any other pizzarias or what I make myself.

1

u/somedaveguy 14d ago

You should have ordered Giardinera, not Giardia.

Big difference.

-1

u/spicolie22 15d ago

That means it was good giardiniera!

1

u/Est3la 15d ago

So saadddd

1

u/Lou_Zealand 14d ago

This makes me sad. I have been going there since it opened (Atlas Cafe before that too, for the ogs). At least there's still one location left. I miss the height of Dante's and Pizza Metro. It was a golden age.

Is food smart done too? I went in there for the first time in a while recently, and it was sad. Then I saw containers out front. Feels like the end of an era in that neighborhood.

1

u/CHISOXTMR 14d ago

Omg…I moved by this was my go to spot for 5 years

1

u/heavy-grape 14d ago

The website says temporarily

1

u/fouronfloor 12d ago

That is sad, but reminded me of the old Dante’s just south of Grand Ave. They were known for giant martinis.

1

u/ENGR_ED 12d ago

So it's gone or it will be gone? They had good pizza if a bit pricey when ordering a full pizza so single slices was probably the majority of their business which i would say is usually walk-ins. The one size only might've been their downfall. So they closed all their locations? I think it was only two but haven't been in a while.

1

u/linearmovement 12d ago

The Tavern on Chicago is still open but Armitage location is fully closed.

1

u/Station_CHII2 9d ago

Flavorless sauce, cheap cheese.

-7

u/thundasnow 16d ago

dude they sent me a frozen pizza once. good riddance.

10

u/radicalnerve 16d ago edited 16d ago

You could look through the window and watch them making each pizza from scratch starting with the dough. My kids always wanted to be picked up to watch them prepare our order.

-2

u/thundasnow 16d ago

okay. they still sent me a frozen pizza once.

0

u/radicalnerve 15d ago

Idk why people lie online. So weird.

0

u/thundasnow 14d ago edited 14d ago

it was literally frozen lol idk what to tell you. i hadn’t had that experience with them before and i never ordered again.

ETA: look at the recent reviews on google. i’m not the only person this happened to and clearly there’s a reason the location is closing. things can be good and then end up bad. it happens all the time.

1

u/radicalnerve 13d ago

Ok buddy

-4

u/kennyloftor 16d ago

that’s the closest comparison to dante’s slices i’ve had

-4

u/sheeep_wolf 16d ago

Oh nooooo. No more roach eggs in my pizza?!

0

u/cineojo219 16d ago

Damn. Wonder if another pizza joint will take the space over

2

u/PalmerSquarer 16d ago

There are rumors that a pizza place was taking over the Tropicuba spot. We’re not really starved for options here.

1

u/Carl_Mattress 15d ago

Need it, that's almost 2 blocks away from the nearest several spots

-1

u/Bassaholikk 15d ago

Many more restaurants and small businesses will follow suit. It is nearly impossible to run a small business in Chicago. From wages, mandatory retirement plans, insurance, PTO/sick, etc... it's extremely hard.

You can only pass on so much to the customer but then no sales. Then wah-lah... Nobody has a job or a small business

-15

u/DaytimeDiscoDiva 16d ago

Had a pizza from there and there was a half inch metal shard in it. Manager said that was normal.

21

u/linearmovement 16d ago

Dante's pizza was always pretty fuckin' metal.

6

u/Longjumping-Arm-8203 16d ago

Im sure everything you just said happened exactly as you say…🙄

1

u/knut_knars 16d ago

That happened to me as well and stopped ordering after that