Nemec Brother’s Pizzeria — Restaurant in Glen Ellyn

We decided to return here after 3 months. This is our second attempt to see if the pizza is any good. This time around, the restaurant was really busy with customers. We were going to order an appetizer but the veal meatballs were out. If I had any criticism, it would be to include another appetizer item like the cheese curds or arancini. We had the garlic twists before and thought they were okay. Little Pops in Lisle has garlic knots that look very familiar to these, but they do them better like they’re incredibly soft and moist with flavor.

Anyways, we just ordered the pesto and sausage pizza and nothing else. When it came out, it looked and smelled fantastic. It has a pretty decent undercarriage. The crust is crispy but it will become very chewy when it gets cold. I really loved the flavor. Tons of pesto and sausage. That hot honey really adds another layer to the flavor. The fresh mozzarella was one of the best I’ve ever had. This pizza was definitely a step up from last time. The service was wonderful, the waitress was very attentive and checked up on us often. Highly recommend checking them out. About a 4.5 but I’ll round to 5.

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1/16/25 update: I tried contacting them with the email and the name of the person they provided. No answer or reply. Usually, I’ll give a second chance but this time I’ll pass. Not worth the effort.

————————————————- I’ve heard so much hype about Zaza’s, so when I read that Nemec Brothers’s Pizza was created by the same owners I was ecstatic. We decided to come here since I saw it wasn’t busy according to Google’s live times. Parking can be found along the street for free. I believe those say 3 hour parking. When we walked in, we were greeted immediately. They have seating upstairs but I heard additional seating can be found downstairs. We ordered the garlic twists and then half truffle mushroom pie half white pie with sausage. Just a FYI, they don’t do single slices at night like Pie Life or Slyce of NY. Service was attentive. The server was very pleasant and made sure we got what we needed. Prices are slightly expensive, I don’t mind as long as the end product is great. I’m afraid this is a one and done for me. Overall, it’s a 3.5 out of 5.

-garlic twists 3 - In description it sounds fantastic. However, the outer layer was pretty hard. Once you get past the tough outer layer, the middle was cheesy and doughy. The sauces that came with them were fine but I would have preferred if the outer layer was softer. Something that is easy to rip apart. -half truffle mushroom/half white pie with sausage 3.5 - The toppings I had no issues with, it was mostly the crust. The crust has a lot of chew. Ever had a medium well done steak where it feels like you’re chewing forever? That’s what it felt like here. Pie Life and Slyce did it better, the crust can be folded and required little chew. The toppings and sauce were tasty and had flavor. Also, if you’re going to eat it by hand then you’ll need a lot of napkins....

INCREDIBLE PIZZA, BETTER PEOPLE!!!

My family and I are from New York and recently moved here. Naturally, we have been on the hunt for what will become our “pizza place” for the rest of our children’s lives in the western Chicago Suburbs.

We have been to Nemec’s 3 times now (always takeout on Fridays) and the food has always been great, but it is the kindness, passion, work ethic, and generosity from the staff that has solidified my business for life.

I made a pickup order last night during their dinner rush (Friday night around 6PM) one pie and an order of meatballs. I showed up and they were COMPLETELY SLAMMED, but the staff was all operating as a cohesive unit, just “vibes and grind”. There was a delay on the meatballs, so the manager on duty (black Pittsburg Pirates hat, sorry I didn’t catch your name!) was very apologetic in saying the meatballs would be another 2-3 minutes. Not a big deal at all, and I told him I’d wait by the door and come back up when they were ready. He looked me dead in the eyes and said “no no, when the meatballs are ready, I will bring everything to YOU”. Minor, but makes the difference!

The meatballs ended up being closer to a 7-8 minute wait. Again, NOT A BIG DEAL AT ALL. during the 8 minutes I waited, I don’t think a single staff member was standing still for more than 4 seconds at a time; everyone working together, maintaining cleanliness to ensure the best possible dining experience in a tight space while handling a surplus of carryout orders- it was truly poetry in motion on a busy Friday night.

When everything was ready the floor manager brought me my pizza, the meatballs, and a “Cookie on the house” as an apology for the “extended” wait (I can’t say this enough, the wait was not a big deal!). It’s the cookie on the house that put me over the top.

When I got home with dinner I told my wife and daughter how happy I was with this experience, and how relieved I am that we moved to an area with great pizza and better PEOPLE. There is no way the manager could have known, but my wife and I did the math and agreed that THE COOKIE he offered last night will likely have earned Nemecs over $100,000 of our business over the next 40 years (we New Yorkers eat a lot of pizza)

We are firm believers that Pizza and owning a Pizzeria is so much more than just food. It’s expression, it’s reflection of hard work, it’s showing up for and helping define your community. The team over at Nemecs clearly gets this, and I think that ownership should be really proud of the work their staff is doing in Glen Ellyn. We will be back…. Every...

Updated Review:

I originally gave this place 5 stars because the pizza is fantastic, but after multiple frustrating service experiences, I have to lower my rating.

One time, my wife and I were dining in, and we found a hair under the cheese on our pizza—it had been cooked into it. I showed the host, and they gave us half off and a cookie. Personally, if I were running the place and a customer showed me that, I would have comped the whole meal.

Beyond that, there have been multiple instances where their policies and attitude toward customers have been frustrating:

Takeout vs. Dine-in Issue – We called ahead for a takeout pizza but decided to dine in when we arrived. The pizza wasn’t even made yet, but the cook still seemed annoyed. The server even told us that we “can’t do that next time,” despite the restaurant being empty.

Strict Ordering Rules – Another time, I called at 3:50 PM to order a Grandma’s Pie (which is amazing but often sells out). The host told me they don’t take orders for it until 4 PM—so I’d have to call back in 10 minutes. Why not just take the order and put it in when the time comes?

Dine-in Orders Not Allowed – Just recently, I called while heading to the restaurant to place a dine-in order, and they told me they don’t take call-ahead dine-in orders. We turned around and went to Portillo’s instead.

For a place where a relatively small pizza costs $30, I expect not only great food but also great service. Instead, the service has been consistently unwelcoming and rigid. We used to come here almost weekly, ordering 2-3 pies per visit, but after so many negative experiences, we haven’t been back in two months—and frankly, we don’t feel like going back.

Which is a shame, because the pizza is damn good.

OLD REVIEW:

This place is amazing. A friend of mine told me about it. In Chicago, I love piece pizza but this place is now my favorite.

Only thing is…I called in about an hour before I came to ask if there was any grandmas pies available and that did be there in an hour. I asked if they could save one for me since there was only 5 left. She said no and that I’d have to call back in 30 to see if there’s any available.

Still highly...