Pazzo’s Express

I’ve long strived to review more places, and while I’ve been remiss, other folks seem to get it done. Hence, my 2015 resolution is to write more reviews so I can judge other people’s taste! Today’s edition: lazy review of the place I head when I want a lazy work lunch.
As a food snob, I overthink most meals. This probably causes the most difficulty /​letdown working in the loop, where the good to mediocre ratio is too damn high. Hell, I’m not even looking for anything exceptional most days, but since my job moved to 311, I haven’t had much luck finding somewhere to go when I need quick but not terrible. Enter Pazzo’s Express.
Since I’m always trying to eat healthy, the salad options are my go-​to here. I’m a big fan of BuildYO salad, but most places either skimp on the components (e.g. Au Bön Pain) and/​or completely overcharge (e.g. Freshii). Not at Pazzo’s Express, where you can get small sized speciality salads that are completely filling for under $ 5. A small spinach Cobb salad with mushrooms instead of cukes and a half portion of dressing keeps me under budget in calories and the wallet — yum!
I’ve had a few other items, both were good. Pasta of the day was well sauced (aka you can taste it but it isn’t drenched) and also a great value, though the mozzarella is just okay. Breakfast burrito was very tasty and filling, though it felt a bit heavier than it needed to be. Part of this is my fault, a bacon/​sausage burrito is not the healthiest menu item, but did something I requested with egg whites and veggies really need to be prepared such that it sat in a pool of grease?
I’m a fan of Pazzo’s express, but I’m going to roll with 3 stars for now, though it’s a high three. In fact, any of these minor improvements would bring it up to a 4:
* Turn your other menu TV on. This place does a digital menu with two flat screens mounted on the wall, but only the one with the daily specials is ever on, leaving ½ the menu off. I haven’t memorized your entire menu, I’m not going to hunt for a paper menu, and it is going to dissuade me from trying new things, hurting revenue and Unilocal Score!
* Better bread: By far the weakest link is the breadsticks that come with menu items, which look like they took a box of Sysco breadsticks and just dumped them by the door, most likely b/​c that’s exactly what they did. Again, being cheap hurts revenue; I’ve had coworkers refuse to join me for a quick trip to Pazzos in lieu of going to one of the italian equivalents in other buildings because the competitor had a better roll.
* Allergen warning: A reviewer below points out that they reuse the same bowls to make the same kinds of salad. I have no problem with this, but I am sympathetic to folks with allergies. Now, giving 1 star like that hater did is overly-​dramatic; 1:1 bowl to salad will no doubt significantly increase costs, and when you have an allergy it’s your responsibility to inform the establishment of this. However, someone with food sensitivities may not notice the preparation. Put up a sign or something offering fresh bowls upon request.
So, solid food at great prices, with some small improvements very possible Are you reading this Pazzo’s? You can turn a TV on and print out a piece of paper to bump this review up, PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS!

Great spot for a quick lunch. Hits the spot.

Love this place. Pazzos Express is quick and straight to the point. The line moves fast, the food is good, and the prices are decent for the amount they give you. When you’re looking for something fast and tasty during your lunch break, head here and pick yourself up a chicken pesto panini.
Good stuff. Do it. Do it all the time. Do it everywhere. Go.

Great atmosphere and location, however if you don’t eat pork or allergic to nuts, PLEASE be sure to ask for a newly washed salad-​making bowl. I ordered a Spinach Chicken salad was shocked that the salad maker used the same bowl that made the previous customer’s salad for mine without even rinsing it out. There were a number of ingredients that would cause a situation like this to become even more troubling: Ham (at least it looked like it), Pecans and Pine nuts. What if I didn’t eat or had an allergy to any of those items and a stray piece ended up in my salad? What if I were vegetarian or vegan? Is this sanitary? I’m sure we can do better than that.

come her for a really good breakfast and a great salad and or one of the best burgers in town.
its an express, the folks here I know most of them by 1^st name and they really about how they deliver and prepare the food. I’m in total admiration of the effort and passion they put into delivering a great meal time after time.
great job guys/​gals you rock.

This is probably a place I wouldn’t go to if it wasn’t the only choice for our work lunch program. While most of the food is fine, the inconsistency of the quality make it a real hard place to go back to every day. One week you will get a solid menu item, but the next time you eat the same thing you will want to throw it away.

Good if you work in building but weak otherwise.

Dependably good food to eat in the atrium of 311 S. Wacker or take to go. All the food is made to order to its fresh, with a choice of pasta, sandwiches/​burgers, soup, and salad.
Great value in the loop. If you don’t want to wait in line, there is often no line after 1pm.
All sandwiches/​burgers come with a choice of fries, soup, or fresh fruit at no additional charge. Daily specials also rotate for sandwiches and pasta. Salads are healthy sized portions.

There is no better place in the loop to get FAST, QUALITY food. These guys get it done every day and for what the consumer could consider as a steal. I can’t say enough about this place. The food is awesome — from Caesar Salads to Pasta to panini’s. The fries are the best in the loop.
Their menu is loaded with options. If you need a fast and inexpensive meal that will fill you up with leftovers, this is a great stop. Don’t let the super classy building scare you — the food is not going to cost you an arm and a leg. A full meal through the express can go for $ 8.00 or so with a bottle of pop.

Well, this place is like my dog… if I had one. A tried and true, life-​long friend. Always there when I need him, while never letting me down.
I used to go to Pazzos like it was my job — every damn day. While the food is good, it was the ease of taking the elevator down thirty some floors (well actually up, then down, but you’d have to work at 311 South Wacker to understand that ridiculousness) and walking right into their restaurant without even stepping foot outside that kept me coming back so often.
But, I did enjoy their food too. Specifically, and I know this comes as a shocker, their hummus plate.
Holy Toledo! Their hummus ranks as one of the top 3 BEST I’ve ever had. I’m not sure why, it has just a little added, delightfully unexpected kick to it, that you can’t find elsewhere. The generous helping of hummus is served with pita bread, tomatoes, cukes, and lettuce, and upon request (and additional $$) chicken. The price is still awesomely cheap — at around $ 5 total. Can’t complain there.
They also have salads and sandwiches — I’ve had their chicken salad, which was good, and I’ve heard positive feedback on the sandwiches, so it seems you really can’t go wrong here.
The service is always phenomenal and fast. If you’re looking for high qual Mediterranean food, look no further.

My roomie who works in the building told me about this place. There’s a great variety on the menu from salads, to panini’s, to pastas and quesadillas.
From what I’ve tried, everything is good. It’s nice that if you order a grilled cheese that you have the option of a soup, fries, chips or fruit — this way you can choose to be healthy or to splurge.
Overall for the price, the quality is good and I’m glad to have another place to for lunch in the loop. The only downfall is the line can be a bit long, but it moves pretty fast.

Pazzo’s Express is one of the only decent to-​go places in the south loop, sadly. The line can be obnoxious but moves fairly quick.
Great veggie wrap, good salads and love the hummus options.

Good place for a business lunch. The tuna tasted fresh and the penne was good. Nothing spectacular though.

This is a nice lunch place in the loop. Its pretty hard to get a seat in that atrium area so I usually throw down some items to reserve a table before I get in line with the people I’m with. Pretty much all the entrees are really nicely priced and the quality is in generally really good. One complaint is that the soda machine blocks the menu so you can’t really see the options until a guy is asking for your order. This place is somewhat of a mystery in that some days its packed and other days its not. Not my favorite place for lunch in the loop but a good place to get lunch.

Went here for lunch yesterday and got the chicken and spinach salad. It barely qualified as food. The chicken was dry and plasticy. I didn’t get nearly enough spinach and vegetables. The guy made my salad in about 10 seconds and when he handed it to me it felt light as air. AND they only gave me three or four small chunks of cheese! The only redeeming part about this salad was that he didn’t overkill on the dressing (probably to cut costs right?) and the pine nuts were edible. Besides that this place is total rip off. $ 7 salad for a salad I can toss like a frisbee? Stay away.

I can eat a healthy, tasty lunch for under 3 bucks, without leaving my building! The hummus plate with tomatoes, cucumber and pita is $ 2.79 with tax, and downright delicious. The best hummus I have ever had!
My only complaint is there is almost always a 10 minute line.

This place is okay. My last experience was less than satisfying, and I haven’t been back since.
The primary reason I eat Pazzo’s is because they’re cheap and fairly quick. I’ve never eaten there, although it is a very pretty area, so I can’t comment on the wait staff and such; however, the line for the to-​go is usually incredibly long.
My coworkers and I used to call in orders in advance and go pick them up which was perfect. We avoided the long lines, and the food was ready to go when we got there. The last time I called however, I was told they only took advanced orders if there were bigger than a certain size (I don’t remember exactly what size). I would understand this except a) they had always previously taken my orders in advance, and b) someone else had taken my order not 5 minutes earlier!
Here’s what happened. I called to order a grilled cheese w/​fries, a slice of pizza, and a salad. When I placed the order I was told pizza wasn’t available with the to-​go menu. This wasn’t a big deal, but since the pizza wasn’t for me I had to find out what my coworker wanted instead. I told them I would call back. I called back less than 5 minutes later with the revised order and was told they do not take advanced orders unless they’re bigger than x size. I told the woman I had placed the same or similar orders before with out a problem and that I had just called 5 minutes earlier and didn’t have a problem except that one of the items was not available. The woman was very rude and basically told me all the other people who had previously taken my orders were wrong.
The food itself has a certain cafeteria feel to in (in flavor and serving style), but I hear their breakfast burrito’s are excellent.

Great lunch this week! I met a few friends (one works in the building, the other loves eating here). It is both veggie– & budget-​friendly, hitting two of my requests for most lunch spots.
I had the grilled veggie wrap. Freshly made to order, with a spinach wrap & tons of veggies, a squirt of balsamic, and pepper jack cheese. The wrap is put in the panini press, so the cheese gets nice & melt-​y. I subbed in the jalapeño/​giardiniera to give it some extra heat & it was spot on.
The workers were very friendly, and the best part, this ran about $ 5.50 + tax, complete with your choice of fries, chips, cup of soup or a piece of fruit — are you kidding me?! Rock star.
Ditto on eating by the great fountains, or grabbing your meal to go outside when the weather warms up a bit.

Thanks to a couple of co-​workers for recommending Pazzos.
If you’re looking for no-​frills, cheap, and good lunch spot, look no further. Set in the WaMu building at 311 S. Wacker, this a great spot to grab a quick bite and some nice atmosphere. The dining court sits next to a nice fountain that can provide a brief break in a hectic day.
For $ 5 you can get a nice plate of hummus, veggies, pita, chicken breast and a drink.
Honestly, its the cheapest place I’ve found in the loop. I go after 1pm, but I have heard the line can be huge during the lunch crush.
If you’re looking for a nice, cheap alternative to a lot of the bland food in the loop, check this place out!

A quick Loop lunch option.
Fast, good and healthy (if you make the right choice). I’m partial to their salads, which are always large, filling and can be made to order. Their sandwhiches are pretty tasty, but I’ve only gotten them once or twice.
They also serve breakfast, which I indulge in onFriday mornings when I’m feeling a little woozy from the night before. Breakfast panini makes me want to grovel in a little pile on the floor out of sheer joy.
Fast, yummy and worth my 6 bucks.