Paisano's Pizza & Grill opens in Sugar Grove

SUGAR GROVE – There’s a handful of pizza joints in Sugar Grove – but dessert pie is a rare find.

Luckily, Paisano’s Pizza & Grill lovers will no longer need to travel to Elburn for a savory bite.

Paisano’s officially opened in Sugar Grove on Jan. 10.

This will be the second location for owners Dick and Annette Theobald, who opened their first location in Elburn in 2003.

“We’re excited to get up and going,” Annette Theobald said. “We want our customers and our staff to be happy so we’ll do what we can to make sure that happens.”

Located at 98 Main St., in the former Sugar Grove Cleaners building, Paisano’s has a prime location, although they had to do quite a bit of remodeling.

Genoa Pizza, a longtime fixture in Sugar Grove, is just a football pass away – across the street.

Paisano’s in Sugar Grove will not offer dining but will have carryout as well as delivery options throughout the Sugar Grove community, and parts of Aurora, Big Rock and Yorkville.

Specializing in homemade and made-to-order cuisine, Paisano’s is more than pizza, although that remains one of its biggest draws.

“We like to make everything fresh,” Annette Theobald said, “We make our own pizza dough and we like to use better quality items. We make everything in house as much as we can.”

The sandwich menu is massive, featuring a variety of burgers, Italian sandwiches, chicken sandwiches and other specialties, including the one-eyed ham and cheese on pita, Reuben and pot roast sandwich.

Have a taste for Italian but want to take a break from pizza?

No problem there. Paisano’s has spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna, calzones and other pasta offerings.

Paisano’s also features red hots and brats from Ream’s Meat Market in Elburn. Word is that they’re even tastier if you order Paisano’s fries on the side.

With homemade soups and chili, a variety of salads and more than 12 appetizers to choose from, deciding what to eat might be a patron’s biggest dilemma.

In addition, Paisano’s has a variety of daily specials during lunchtime hours, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., during the week. They also offer catering.

And then there are pies. They have two different pies each month, along with a regular menu of desserts.

“We started doing the pies as an afterthought a few years after we opened in Elburn,” she said. “We just figured people would come in and pick up their pizza, see a pie and pick up one of those, too. Now we have people coming in just to buy the pies which can get crazy, especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

The Theobalds are quite active in the Elburn community and expect to get involved in Sugar Grove as well. They also own Eddie Gaedel Pub & Grill in Elburn while Annette Theobald is the president of the Elburn Chamber of Commerce. They know the appetite of active kids as they have two daughters, both who are involved in sports at Kaneland High School and Kaneland Harter Middle School.

“We like to give back to the community because without them we couldn’t be in business,” Annette Theobald said. “So we donate stuff and get involved in fundraisers. We hope to do the same here in Sugar Grove.”