Pizzeria Neo

Pros:
The pizza is good — As a transplant from California, I just don’t have a taste for Chicago style pizza. Neo uses fresh mozzarella, the crusts are fresh and the sauce isn’t too sweet.
Cons:
The lighting is too dark.
It is set up more like a bar than a pizzeria, so if you’re going with kids, expect the wait staff to take a while. (I don’t blame them. They go to where the tips are and a table with 2 cocktails a head + food is always going to generate more than a family with little kids)

Very good artisan pizzas. The salads have always been good as have the cheese and olive tastings I have gotten. The wine is good, but could be a little larger of a pour for the price charged. The gelatos are delicious. It’s fairly small and I wish the seating was more functional, but I get that they are trying to go for a certain feel. Doesn’t seem totally kid friendly, but my youngsters like it and I’ve always seen other children in there.

I have always had pleasant experiences here. Even when something goes wrong the manager, Nick, comes to the rescue. I frequent this place about once a month for food and drinks. The food is always great. The service/​bar area can be questionable but there are new servers and bar staff that have improved.

We love his place and visit it almost weekly. We love the wait staff and hostesses, as they’re always super friendly and accommodating. Sometimes the pizza comes out a little on the burnt side, but we usually manage by eating the whole thing. :)

If you’re in the mood for artisan pizza or just appetisers and drinks, Neo is a great place to dine with family and friends! They have a few seating areas with couches and a nice table with a candle, great for us introverts who love to go out but want that intimate, comfortable, feel.
I’ve only been here during the evening when the lights are dim and and the music is low. Perfect for conversation!
We often have appetisers and drinks and I love the appetiser menu! You’re able to pick 4, 6, 8, or 12 items and then choose which ones you would like. They have a great selection of meats, cheeses, and olives, mushrooms, and artichoke to choose from. We recently ordered the bruschetta (I ordered the portobello) and it was amazing! With an order of bruschetta, you get three pieces and you can choose three different types if you like.
The wine selection is great. We usually get a couple bottles for the table and end with a martini (the tiramisu martini is yummy!) for dessert.
The service is prompt and the servers and hosts are lovely! ¹⁰⁄₁₀!

Ate here on a Saturday night with my brother who was staying in Naperville for the evening. He had a taste for pizza so I suggested NEO as I had read good things about it on Unilocal.Upon entering we were greeted promptly and although downtown Naperville was bustling as usual that September night, we were pleased that there was no wait for a table. The place was about ¾ full.
During our meal our server was just as friendly and attentive as the hostess at the door had been. One criticism though, she never mentioned any specials (do they have specials?) or the «pasta of the day» as mentioned on the menu. Perhaps she was new? No problem though, we were there for the pizza.
For those not familiar with the place, they serve thin-​crust pizzas that are quickly baked in their wood-​fired brick oven. The menu also lists pasta dishes and a nice selection of appetizers, including an interesting selection of brushcetta. Prices are about what you’d expect for downtown Naperville.
Pizzas are divided into those made with red sauce versus «white» (no sauce). We each ordered a pizza. I had one of the white pizzas (I think it was called Salsicia) with sausage and carmelized onions. My brother ordered the olive pizza from the «red» side of the pizza menu. It also included thin quarter-​sized slices of a flavorful, if a bit chewy, salami. I also had a Caesar salad as well as a Domaine Du Page from Two Brothers (poured from the bottle). My brother order a glass of their house red.
My Caesar Salad consisted of a good sized portion of cold, crisp, chopped Romaine and lots of shaved Parmesan. It was served with four wedges of grilled bread. I appreciated that the salad was lightly dressed and not swimming in dressing. Unfortunately, the dressing itself was thin and lacking in the assertive Caesar flavor I was anticipating. A pretty wimpy interpretation of the classic if you ask me.
The pizzas were okay, not great. The quality of ingredients was apparent; however my primary criticism is the dough was a little more than chewy. I expect a nice chew from an artisan thin-​crust like this, but this crust was a little too much so, especially the outer crust. Upon examining the leftovers at home in better light, I detected a thin «gum line» in the crust suggesting that maybe the problem was the pizza could have baked for another minute or so. Of course, maybe there’s another reason for the toughness? All I know is I’ve had better thin-​crust artisan-​style pizza. Also, on my pizza there were hardly any of the advertised carmelized onions. The onions that were there provided a nice counterpoint to the sausage, so the overall lack of onion was disappointing.
Regarding the wine, my brother and I were both surprised by the paltry serving size. At $ 8 for a glass of house wine we both felt that they should provide a more generous pour. Also, they bring the wine to table in a carafe so teensy it would be comical if it wasn’t such a rip-​off. (IMHO, the table-​side pouring of the wine from carafe to glass is also a totally unnecessary affectation. Let’s face it, it’s really just a sneaky way to consistently portion the wine in the tiny serving size.)
With some slight tweaks this place could be top notch, but with so many choices in the Naperville area I think I’ll probably look for another place to try next time.

I’m happy I finally got to try this place. I came with two friends on a Friday night, and tried to make a reservation. They encouraged me not to, saying it wouldn’t be needed on a Friday night. This was a little concerning to me, but turned out to be correct– the place was maybe 40% full at 730pm. I don’t know what that says about the business, but it worked out great for us!
Service remained consistent throughout. Our waitress was helpful in making suggestions on wine (because they have MANY styles we’d never heard of!!) and pizza styles, which we appreciated. We started with the bruschetta trio ($ 10), ordering the portobello, the roasted pepper and the eggplant marinara. They came to us cut in half already… this did not work well for a group of 3! We had to try to cut them more so we could have equal tastes, and generally made a big mess. Of the 3, we all agreed the portobello was the best. Great flavor and ample mushroom on it. The eggplant was a little too saucy– like if you’d wiped up your left over spaghetti sauce on a piece of bread. The roasted red pepper was decent, but the flavor could’ve used a little bit more of a kick, IMO.
We also ordered two pizzas– the prosciutto with arugula and the spicy pepperoni. Both were great in taste, but a little floppy overall, and when cutting with a knife I couldn’t discern if I was eating pizza dough or cheese at first. Between the 3 of us, we were able to take the two pizzas down, although with a bit of a struggle at the end.
I enjoyed my experience here and would definitely be willing to come back! I agree with the others, that the décor, colors, and lighting make you feel like you’re in Chicago, not Naperville.

Nice, dark interior which sets the mood compared to the other Italian restaurants in Naperville. Because of the dark interior, I believe the atmosphere is more intimate and quiet, so you can enjoy a nice glass of vino without to much background noise.
I don’t think it really mattered on my visit since it was during winter and most people just stayed home… I guess, so it was me and a few other diners were here on a random mid-​week evening.
But besides the wine, they some craft beers, some on tap, some in cans and bottles. The staff were pretty cool, talking with me on this slow night.
And as for the pizza… I had the Quattro carne sausage and it was pretty damn good. And they put a lot of meat on the pizza too. Nice thin crust and I had no problem finishing all of it in about 20 minutes. I would come back for some more pizza.

Just looking for a nice restaurant in downtown Naperville. We were so surprised by how nice this place is. The atmosphere is very modern and trendy (loved the music) and the whole place seems very clean and fresh.
The buratta is a bit pricey for cheese, but it was very creamy and good. The diavolo was delicious, especially if you love spicy food, and the margherita did not disappoint. Overall, would definitely return to this great spot!

I wanted to love Pizzeria Neo. As we walked up to the entrance, I felt myself swoon. Is that EDM (okay, we’ll call it EDM «light») pulsating through the speakers?
Stepping inside, you kind of forget you’re in downtown Naperville. I’m not completely anti-​Naperville, but nudging elbows with Naper moms and dads just isn’t my scene. Neo is like another world. The walls are painted a charcoal gray, the décor also has a cold, dark, industrial feel. The clientele, at least on this particular Saturday night, was heavily female; and of course a few couples and even a family dining with children.
Although I fell in love with the atmosphere, I have to be honest: I liked the pizza at Fiamme better.
But, let’s rewind. I started with a prosecco cocktail, which had a candied cherry at the bottom of the glass. It was a good start to a celebratory birthday dinner with some friends. There are a few signature cocktails, a minimalist beer list, but a solid wine list. Bringing your own wine? $ 15 corkage fee. That’s laughable. Why even allow patrons to bring wine at all?
We shared the Neo salad, portioned well for 2 – 3 people. The salad was pretty disappointing, as it was 90% lettuce doused in balsamic vinegar. The salad was lacking in all of the other ingredients that were supposed to be in it.
Because we’re indecisive, and we were hungry, we ordered two pizzas to share: the Margherita and the Quattro Meat. Both pizzas were good, but the Quattro suffered the same disappointment as the salad, as there was a complete lack of ingredients. I ate two slices of this pizza and missed out on at least two of the meats that were supposed to be on this pizza. The margherita was good, would have went nicely with a glass of wine. But both pizzas also were a bit too soggy in the middle.
Service was OK, but he seemed a little too distracted to be attentive.
I’m really on the fence. 3 stars or 4? Given the ambience and «escape from Naperville,» I might say it warrants a 4, but the food was more of a 3 for me. I’d really like to come back and give it another shot though.

Finally got to try this place out! This pizzeria does look and feel like a place you would see on the North Side. I would say it’s a very «adult» restaurant, although there were kids dining as well (which I had no problem with). Pizzeria Neo has a nice lounge area, a big bar, a big pizza bar where you can watch the cooks fire the pizzas up, and tables all around. The chairs weren’t too comfortable, but you’ll forget all about that once the food comes.
Our server was nice, but it was a bit busy since it was an early Sunday evening. Maybe the place was a bit understaffed, but service was not as attentive as I would have liked. You have to ask for water if you want a drink (it also says that on the menu as well). We ordered the bruschetta. You can pick 3 for 10 bucks as a sampler plate. The mushroom bruschetta was the best out of our three choices. For pizzas we tried the diavolo and the bianco. The diavolo is awesome-​just the right around of spice to the sauce and meat. The bianco had a to-​die-​for garlic sauce. The crust was great too. Just a warning-​the pizza does get a bit floppy towards the end of the slice (I know some Chicagoans who would rather get stabbed in the eyeball with a fork than eat floppy pizza. I am not one of those people.) For drinks, we ordered a pineapple martini and a glass of sangria. The martini was just ok, but the sangria was great (and the glass was huge).
It’s nice to have somewhere to go to in the suburbs that has a laid-​back city vibe. Next time I’d like to go later in the evening and just chill out on one of the sofas for a bit (while eating delicious food of course).

I’ve been eyeing this place since they opened and the other night the kids wanted pizza… again. Big fans of Neapolitan Pizza and already spoiled by some of the best in the city of Chicago, (SpaccaNapoli), we always welcome something decent in the suburbs. Thankfully Neo is a nice addition to the downtown Naperville restaurant roster. Décor is cool. Very minimalist and not what you might think a pizza restaurant would look like. Thank Zeus for progress!
Service is ample and attentive. There were many people behind the pizza bench and all made pizza at one time or another for the hour and 20 we were there. Whatever. Pizza was very good. We had the Margherita and the Salsiccia. A salumi board to start as well as a well dressed Caesar sale. All really tasty. I like it. Give it a whirl.

Chicago? Is that you?
This place has a city vibe and I like it. I like it a lot. The hubs and I decided to hop in the car after work (which is about 8 pm for him) on a Tuesday night (cuz hubby had off the next day) for an impromptu date night. I for once didn’t have a specific taste for something and neither did he. The only criteria on the agenda: WINE.
We parked in one of the parking garages downtown Nape in hopes of just finding a place to pop into. We literally walked out of the parking garage door and there was Neo! Neither of us had been so it was a winning find.
The inside has such a great ambiance. It reminded us of our fave local spot on the city Frasca — complete with city-​esque prices. However, we ended up not eating so for all we know it’s totally worth it. The pizza did look and smell amaze!
The bartender was super awesome and although we originally came for wine, she talked us into trying a local beer we never had (ok it didn’t take any convincing at all… sold).
We tried a couple Ten Ninety brews which were awesome! I highly suggest the Wit or Half Wit (dependent on how buzzed you’re lookin to get of course). That Wit is an 11%er I believe. Look out!
I have heard of Ten Ninety before, but never seem it on tap anywhere locally so it was a pleasant surprise! So much so that we’re planning to attend a tasting of their beer at Neo in January!
All in all, this place is the bomb. We will for sure be back to dive into their menu full of bruschetta, antipasti, salad and of course pizza!

We walked in Pizzaria Neo early in the afternoon. It was early and we were the second or third to take a table. I have been on a quest to find the pizza closest to the Neapolitan pizzas of Napes, so every time I see an ad for this type of pizza I try to visit.
The restaurant/​bar is very clean, but comes with a musty smell when we entered. We really liked the service and the server was very knowledgeable with the menu and great beer and wine selection. The food was average and had a good taste, but did scream as being Neapolitan Authentic, Neopolitan pizza has imperfections, gas bubbles in the dough, etc, while this pizza was too perfect and while we saw that the restaurant had a wood fired stove, the pizza flavor did not reflect this. Give it a go if you are into trendy bars, but was outside of our taste.

Several years ago I travelled vertically down Italy, tasting the different pizzas of each region, including Napoli, the birthplace of pizza. Ever since, nothing in the States has come even close to the real thing– except Neo. It may have to do that the main chef was trained in Napoli, or the great environment where you can see your pie being made with fresh ingredients! They have both rosso and bianco pizzas and different kinds of meats! You judge a pizza by the dough and it is fantastic. Soft and subtle chewiness. This is pizza. Not the deep dish crap we Chicagoans like to stuff in our faces!
Also, all staff are friendly and knowledgeable.

Great place! Excellent food in a sophisticated atmosphere. Perfect for when you want to enjoy pizza among adults and not a ton of rowdy children. I tried several pizzas, the Margherita, the Diavolo, and Salsicia and they were all delicious. Their pizza crust is amazing. light and airy… yum. All of the ingredients tasted super fresh and were high quality. Glad to have found another gem in the area. Hope to take some friends there soon.

Trying something new as usual. I thought I walked into a lounge at first, low couches and small tables. They also had high chairs and small tables. Didn’t feel like an Italian restaurant. We thought what the heck, let’s see what they got here. Made a mistake, we thought we ordered a pasta, but it was some weird looking thing so the waiter was nice enough to take it back and recommend something else that was really good.
The atmosphere was lounge-​like and the staff were super nice. Maybe I’ll come back for drinking experience.

Napervillians, please. Tell me. Where is the good pizza? Where is the good brunch? Where is the good ANYTHING I MISS FROM LIVING IN CHICAGO. It’s been two years that we’ve lived out here and try as I might, I can’t.
I can’t comment on Neo’s interior, which seems awesome and we’ll definitely go back to investigate on a night when I’m not in yoga pants by 8pm (holla at your social liiiife!). We got takeout. With so many amazing Unilocal reviews — I was certain this was finally it. FINALLY, DELICIOUS SUBURBAN PIZZA.
The pizza was a solid 3-​stars. We got a margherita pizza and a meatsplosion pizza for my carnivorous husband (side note: Neo does not call this a meatsplosion. they are classy. I dubbed it said ‘splosion after I opened the box and saw the generous smattering o’ meat). The sauce is whatever, the crust was soft and thin — if it had been crisp, I woulda been a happy gal. The toppings were delicious — even the meatstravaganza was tasty and weirdly not overwhelming — but the crust was so soggy. Bummer.
We also got the burrata antipasti — it’s noted on the menu as «market price» which is a little intimidating, but we went for it (it wasn’t that bad, price wise). They packaged it SO well for takeout, I was amazed. The burrata was rich, creamy, and a generous portion, on a bed of crisp arugula, accompanied by a delicious, almost lemony olive oil and a stack of perfectly charred toasts. We assembled our crostinis and dug in to PURE HEAVEN. It was easily the best mozz I have ever had and the accompaniments were perfection. Husband ordered a trio of additional crostinis that were also amazing — the funghi, the prosciutto, and the rapini (this being the most impressive, seeing as they got my husband to eat broccoli rabe, happily).
I would go back and try dining in, or drinks and apps, or maybe even give the pizza one more try… I guess. I wanna eat that burrata for every meal of the rest of my life, I’ll say that much.
Now someone find me a delicious suburban pizza and Philly cheesesteak, or I’m moving back to Avondale.

This location has had multiple businesses in the past few years but I hope Neo is the last. It may be hard to notice because it blends in but you can smell the pizza from the outside.
We had dinner with Samantha B and Rusty S. Those two are on military time and got there 30 minutes early to enjoy an appetizer alone. They loved the meatballs, so we had to try those. Those were pretty good, three came in the order with three pieces of bread.
For dinner, we shared two pizzas. We got margherita and salsicia. We had them cooked well done because we prefer the pizza a little crispy. The margherita was pretty typical but I prefer the Bianco pizzas. The salsicia, however, was outstanding. The mix of the sausage and sweet grilled onions made a perfect blend on the oil based sauce. I could go for another one right now actually…
I can’t comment on any drinks although the prices seemed comparable to possibly a little high. The menu is limited to mainly pizza and bruschetta, so make sure that is what you are in the mood for and check out Neo.

I don’t want to turn this into a pity party or anything, but it can be kinda rough being a late 20-​something in suburbia.
Most of my friends either live in the city and would have to be dragged kicking and screaming out the ‘burbs, or are are married and closer to (or past) retirement age, married, and not really up for the mildly wild nights that this feral female sometimes craves. **The exception being Andres D… who happens to be stuck somewhere in the middle with me and deserves some major recognition for letting me drag him around all the time.
So anyway, I often get the itch to go out to hip, new places but at the same time I don’t always want to have to drive to the city to get a taste of the trendy (which is essential for wannabe suburban hipsters like myself), but luckily I’m a resourceful suburbanite who keeps a watchful eye on anything that could qualify as the next big thing in the ‘burbs, and that’s exactly how I came upon Pizzeria Neo.
First off, it should be said that this is by far and away the hippest and least doupie (douche-​y + yuppie) place in downtown Naperville. It was actually ultra chic… so much so that I actually almost regretted not wearing make-​up or clean clothes, but lucky for me it’s pretty super dark in here so I think I still looked semi-​human and it also spelled like Neopolitan pizza heaven so I’m fairly certain whatever odor I may or may not have had on my was masked by the market fresh burrata on special that night.
Right away I was excited to see that they had a real-​deal cocktail selection, nice but still affordable wines and pretty great craft beer selection, although they only serve in bottles at the moment. I went with Dark Horse raspberry ale and have zero regrets beyond that I ended up ordering two and probably could have been fine with one based on how close I came to peeing my pantalones on the way home.
You MUST get:
Classic Margherita pizza
Whatever their special pizza is that night
The bruschetta sampler with the eggplant, red pepper, and olive toppers.
The veggie meatball — tremendously good
A side of olives (they have several different kinds, of which I’m sure you can’t go wrong)
I think it’s fair to say that if this place remained exactly as it is and were plucked from the ‘burbs and placed in the city, it would be packed. To the brim. Every night.
I love that they have a cocktail bar and a bruschetta bar located in near the brick, wood-​fired oven. I think it’s a nice intimate alternative to sitting at the booze bar because you don’t feel obligated to chit chat with people next to you because instead you’re way busy scarfing down 3 different types of artisanal bruschetta.
We also indulged in the mixed grilled vegetable small plate which turned out to be a vegetarian ‘meatball’ made with breaded, baked eggplant that was redonk. We were going to get one of their salads to share between my party of three, but then didn’t because… well, because pizza. Why would I get a salad when I could get TWO pizzas instead? No brainer there.
So we went with the classic Margherita which that was my hands-​down favorite and totally what I’ll be scarfing down without sharing next time, and also the special market-​fresh burrata pizza with arugula and other healthy stuff. The special pizza was the favorite of both my dining partners, which worked out perfectly as it distracted them from how much of the margherita pizza I was eating.