what works better as carryout -chucks bbq or vito&nicks

Question

hi all,
 
i'm flying in to midway monday and wanted to use the opportunity to try a couple places I've been wanting to. Since i don't get down there that often i thout i'd eat at one and call in an order to take back to evanston on the other. So which place should i sit down at?
 
also, does vito and nicks do 1/2 and 1/2 pizzas? I ve been told that sausage is the way to go, but my pizzaloving veggie wife would probabluy also like to sample. In that vein suggestions for veggie at chucks?

Answer

Zim,
 
Which to dine in at, Vito and Nick's or Chuck's, such problems we all should have. If you were going for BBQ only at Chuck's I would definitely suggest eat at Vito and Nick's and take out Chuck's, BBQ reheats better than pizza, especially thin crust pizza. If you are ordering non BBQ items at Chuck's and your wife is going for the veggie option then it is a bit tougher decision, but I would still eat at V&N's and take out from Chuck's. 
 
It's my opinion that the thin crust pizza at V&N's will suffer from a lengthy drive, which I am assuming you have since you have not tried their pizza as of yet. V&N's is also more of a restaurant setting than Chuck's and may be more comfortable to decompress after a flight, V&N's also has liquor, which Chuck's does not. I will say that though Chuck's BBQ may be short on physical ambiance, though it is clean as a whistle with comfortable tables and chairs, if you get Chuck rolling in a conversation that is all the atmosphere you will ever need. Chuck is a very likeable guy who both enjoys people, and what he is doing for a living, which makes for interesting conversations. 
 
Veggie options at Chucks are not as limited as you might think, Rene aptly described the Veggie stack in a past post, I will put a link to his post, and Chuck also offers salads and soup. A couple of other thoughts, you might wish to call in advance, or at least inform Chuck when you get to the restaurant of your veggie needs, he is a well trained professional chef and may very well whip something up for you. In lieu of that, you can also ask for a deconstructed Veggie Stack to go, that way the components will keep a bit more integrity during the wait at Vito and Nick's. 
 
I could go on about how much I enjoy Vito and Nick's and how much I appreciate Rene's review in chi.eats a couple of years ago for turning me on to the place, but this post is starting to run long. If you wish you could use Google's advanced search groups to search chi.eats using Rene G and Vito and Nick's Rene also posted a review under the heading Southside Thincrust, I have a few chi.eats posts in reference to Chuck's BBQ. (g wiv) 
 
Enjoy,
Gary 
 
Vito & Nick's
8435 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago
773-735-2050
 
Chuck's BBQ
5557 W 79th St
Burbank, IL 60459
708-229-8700

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/110606#597258

Answer

First, thanks to Gary and Rene for their advice on the problem.
 
They were definitely correct in recommending we eat at Vito and Nicks. the pizza would have suffered greatly from sitting and it was a great place to unwind after a flight. We enjoyed it immensely. In fact, I could envision myself as one of the regulars I saw, with a beer, a pan of pizza, a bowl of giardinara, in the corner of the bar in front of the sox game on the tv.
 
As I am not really the pizza dude, my wife well be quoted extensively. We ordered a pitcher of soft drinks and a half cheese/half sausage  that particular combination had its own entry on the menu, so ordering was a cinch. She noted that was definitely the best thin crust weve had in Chicago when I asked her why she just it just the taste, its the combination  the right amount of cheese, the right amount of sauce, the right amount of spices and grease, and a very good crust. She also said it reminded of all of her favorite pizzas everywhere. For me, I appreciated the lack of tomato sauce overwhelming everything, the relative balance of cheese and crust. I enjoyed it, but given my pizza proclivities, or lack thereof, Im not sure Id make a special trip out there for it. That being said, when I looked down, most of my sausage half was gone (to be fair my son ate quite a bit but he was an equal opportunity eater on the carnivore/herbivore front). My wife is already looking for another flight out of midway, so that we have good reason to eat there again.
 
On to Chucks.
It being Monday, Chuck himself wasnt there. There were however still offering cinco de mayo specials (all week long Ill list them below). Though it seemed like these may have been more likely Mardi Gras specials. I was really tempted by many of these, but most didnt look like theyd travel well, e.g. soft shell crab poboy. Sizing up the menu, I decided I go light, so Id have to force myself to come down again. Just a couple sandwiches to go. For me a chucks special, for the veggie, a veggie stack. While we waited I tasted bbq sauces from squeeze bottles on tables and we thoroughly enjoyed sharing a banana bread pudding, and there was more than enough for four of us to share (its served with three scoops of ice cream). The kids each also had one of chucks all-in-one  cookies they were also very good. Later that night I had half of the chucks special  it was a very nice sandwich, but not great but I kicked myself for being a dumbass and not getting sauce to go. I have high hopes for my return visit. After all how bad can a place be that has a selection of hot sauces including Tapatio, el yucateco, salsa huichol, buffalo chipotle, green Tabasco and others be? Especially as these werent displayed as look how cute we are but rather just in a clump on the counter, utilitarian style for actual use, rather than just display.
 
Specials 5/6  5/11
5/6  Cajun pork loin sandwich
5/7  Red Beans & Rice (w/ a ¼ smoked chicken)
5/8  crawfish etouffee
5/9  Chicken pot pie
5/10  shrimp Creole
 Cajun ribeye sandwich
5/11  smoked chicken and sausage etouffee
 
more specials on the whiteboard by the door as well
 
On the way to the airport on Friday and on the way back I noticed another item of interest: Midway Kababish Restaurant 47th and Cicero. Sign say biryani specialist. I wonder if theyre affiliated with the downtown kababish? Unfortunately when we drove by around 8:30 last night they looked closed, or we may have added another stop to our chow tour of the southwest side.
 
Vito and Nicks
Pizzeria, Restaurant & Lounge
8433 Pulaski
773-735-2050
www.vitoandnick.com
cash only
 
Chucks BBQ (and southern comfort café)
5557 W. 79th St, Burbank,IL (kittycorner to Kojaks drive-though)
708-229-8700
Mon-Sat 11am 9pm
 
Midway Kababish Restaurant
47th and Cicero

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what works better as carryout -chucks bbq or vito&nicks