La Barra (Thin Crust)

Pizza Stop #11:
La Barra
2 E Burlington St
Riverside, IL
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I always pass this place as I don’t live too far from it and finally got around to trying them. They sell 3 different types of pizza here but I played it safe and got the thin crust. As usual, I went with my go to toppings of Sausage, Pepperoni and Green Peppers.

I wasn’t expecting much as higher prices doesn’t usually translate into better pizza, but I was definitely in for surprise. The crust was thin with a nice crisp at the bottom. Fresh tasting green peppers and nice flavorful sausage. Above all, I really loved their sauce which made the pizza stand out a lot more.

At first, I thought the price was a little high for what it is ($31 for a 3 topping 16″ pizza), but it was definitely worth it and I would absolutely be back again.

Leftovers reheated great and tasted just as good (we all know some pizzas taste like trash when they are reheated).

Best of all, I went on a Tuesday and they had a buy one, get one free special so this made my wife’s pasta free. It’s buy one, get one free pizza or pasta, so you can get 2 pizzas or mix and match.

The inside had a nice upscale vibe and would make a great date night kind of restaurant. Though I must say there was some odd photos on the wall that looked like they printed some random google stock images. I do wonder if there was meaning or relation to the people in the photos or they truly are just random images.

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As a side note, La Barra and Labriola are by the same people, so they share the same pizza options and recipes. Labriola is their Chicago locations and La Barra is in surrounding suburbs. So, assuming the taste and quality doesn’t vary location to location, this score will also apply to Labriola. Labriola has been highly recommend by several of you and I now understand why!

Edit: The restaraunt reached out to me and apparently they are no longer owned by Rich Labriola. They are under new ownership and will also be expanding their menu soon. None the less, great restaurant!

Edit2: La Barra has confirmed there is no relation or meaning to the odd photos on the wall. They are indeed just random images!