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Yet another Chicago beer maker enters the fray today as Roebuck Pizza opens in Lakeview from the owners of DryHop Brewers. Roebuck, which serves thin-crust pizza, is right next door to DryHop and though they make lagers on site, owner Greg Shuff said there’s more of a focus on cocktails. This is part of Shuff’s larger plan to open as many as 40 brewpubs. He also owns Corridor Brewery & Provisions on Southport,
Going by the Hop Review’s handy list of all Chicago breweries, Roebuck is active brewery No. 62 in the city. Shuff’s downtown Chicago project, Crushed by Giants, is in its planning stages. That’s going inside the second-floor space occupied by Heaven on Seven.
While DryHop has more of an airy feel next door, Roebuck seems more cavernous. It’s a converted parking garage. Shuff traveled to Italy to learn pizza making and he’s worked with a consultant to develop a chewy Neapolitan-inspired crust. There are nine pies on the opening menu. “Red Riding Hog” is a red pizza with pork sausage, red onion, bread crumbs, parmesan, basil, and extra-virgin olive oil. “Curds of Prey” features cream, taleggio, parmesan, crumbled gorgonzola, and cracked black pepper. “Sun God” is topped with cherry bomb jam, Sungold tomato, mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino Romano DOP, garlic, basil, and white balsamic drizzle.
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A few Chicago brewpubs specialize in pizza. The granddaddy of them all is Piece Pizza in Wicker Park, which opened in 2001. Gino’s East converted its River North flagship into a brewery in 2017. Middle Brow Bungalow opened earlier this year in Humboldt Park. Open Outcry Brewing Co. on the South Side and Corridor both serve pizzas, but they’re part of larger menus.
Shuff’s convinced there are few places for fancy cocktails in Lakeview and feels Roebuck will fill that niche. Customers can see for themselves starting today. Roebuck opens this afternoon.
Roebuck Pizza, 3139 N. Broadway Street, (773) 857-2229, opening weekend hours: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday; 4 p.m. to midnight on Saturday; 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday; Regular hours start Monday: 4 p.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday to Thursday; noon to 11 p.m. on Friday; noon to midnight on Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
