Pizza M

I’m the owner of Pizzeria Antica in Champaign. A person named Bob came into my pizzeria and left before we could serve him and he subsequently went to Pizza M. I wrote this response to his one star rating which I am cross posting here:
Dear Bob, I am sorry we were slammed. We had a pre planned event tonight, one of our staff members had the flu. We had a friend pitching in. I’m glad that Pizza M could accommodate you, they make an amazing pizza. I hope that you give us an opportunity to serve you a pizza and we can discuss the food and service on a normal night.
Upon Further investigation this morning it appears that you failed to mention that our hostess ran outside after you to apologize for the wait and offered you immediate seating.
I eat at Pizza M often. A while ago, on a Thursday, I went in to Pizza M with my 5 year old. My kid had just finished Akido and he was starving. We did not know that it was Trivia Night and the place was packed. The staff were scrambling to fill orders and the pizzas were slow in arriving. We waited 50 minutes for our pizza. My 5 year old was expressing frustration with the wait. I explained to my child that some nights, restaurants will be busy, and we need to be understanding and patient. Part of the experience of eating at independently owned establishments is that there is no army of underpaid workers to prepare processed food freaky fast for instant gratification. An important part of our experience is that through our understanding and patience we will be rewarded with a special and delicious pizza that only Matt can make. Matt, through his hard work and diligence has brought our community a wonderful and unique dining experience. Our unusual wait did not detract from the culinary experience he had lovingly prepared for us that night. We ate well and left happy and satiated. Beyond simple patience, I hope that my 5 year old also deepened his basic human empathy and came away with an understanding of how Matt and Pizza M are an important part of this community.
Beyond my apologies to Bob, Sadly, I feel that Unilocal has become a platform for tearing down community efforts through poorly considered passive aggressive missives. I am glad that Bob actually stepped into Pizzeria Antica. Another one star Unilocal review came from a person that simply called and was told that we do not deliver.
We imported hand built ovens formed from the volcanic soil of Mt. Vesuvius, we fly in Caputo Tipo 00, San Marzano tomatoes, bufala and gelato from Naples every week, we only serve fresh unprocessed ingredients, the finest artisan meats available in the U.S.and this earns us a one star review from Bob and others who admittedly did not even sit down at Antica. Unilocal is such a sad place on the internets.

Dear Pizza M,
I love: your pizza, your mission, your atmosphere
However, I wish I could work on things longer than an hour before having to scheme a way to steal an outlet. Get more outlets. Also more speciality lunch slices.

The specialty pizzas ($ 15) are good. They are small/​medium sized. They have a tasty selection of which it’s hard to pick a favourite. Ingredients are fresh & locally sourced as much as possible. Pizza M shares a space with Flying Machine Coffee so you can get a drink to go with your food. The place mostly consists of a large galley (reservable back room for small events) with long tables & bench seating. It’s a malleable space but the acoustics are terrible. It’s usually loud & the sound echoes terribly, so it’s not conducive of conversation or studying. However, the pizzas are tasty & the staff is friendly.

I like their unique selection of pizza, but they could work on their quality a bit. It’s not bad, but it’s just ok. The main reason I say «just ok» is because I feel the quality doesn’t really match the price. I haven’t tried much of the coffee there, but I was very impressed with the rosemary mocha; apparently herbs and coffee are a great combination. I’m not usually a fan of the open «cafeteria style» dining layout, but in this case it actually adds a lot of character to the place.

I really like Pizza M. It’s a dependable pizza place with more unique ingredients than your local Pizza Hut. I have always had great service there (except one minor carry out mixup that was quickly resolved) and they have some old timey bottled sodas which are a delight. Pizzas will run you about $ 15 on average but you get a good amount and it’s always delicious and hot. Heads up there are no slices! It’s a thin crust establishment so be creative and try something new every time you go. The pizza isn’t great overnight but if you can eat it cold the next day, it’s not a bad breakfast to go. I know they are also very welcoming to other events and have hosted many a dance party in their private event area. The space itself is very open seating and very well lit for studying, which many people do. The chairs are kinda uncomfortable but that may be because I have 90 minute meals. Overall, I agree with my fellow Unilocalers that this is a diamond in the rough. I would suggest hopping on the 5EGreen from campus and grabbing a pizza from here. Bonus points if you carry out and go eat in beautiful Carle park!

It has nice atmosphere, sort of coffeehouse, computer-​reading room and eatery. Very bright. We are regulars and like the pizza a lot. The main downer is that the cook/​owner lurches around the place in a filthy sweaty shirt (not a sweatshirt — a sweat-​soaked shirt).
I guess it is hot in the kitchen, but it is disconcerting on several levels to see the cook look like a slob.

I’ve been going to Pizza M from back when Matt was still baking pizzas one night a week out of Mirabelle’s kitchen. I admit the pizza isn’t bad. Sadly I cannot continue to support a business that has such egregiously rude employees (see the other reviews below that corroborate my point). I strongly urge you not to give this place your money — downtown Urbana absolutely deserves better.

I’ve visited Pizza M twice now. I never knew this place existed until I attended an event in which pizza and apps were provided. I was able to try their most popular pizzas: sugar bear, the abbi, pear & brie, and mediterranean. All were fantastic. The sugar bear and the pear & brie were the best by far. I was so impressed, I came back for lunch a week later.
The toppings are fresh and very high quality. I think the price of $ 15 for a 14″ pizza is especially great considering the the high quality. I liked that the crust was thin and more chewy than crispy. The crust didn’t hold up as well leftover and became a serious jaw workout.
They have a pretty good beer selection which was a pleasant surprise. The drink prices are also comparable to other locations. It’s about $ 5 for a good beer which is normal and I’m happy to pay that price.

Restaurant review
This is a place that should advertise more. I have been in Champaign for over a year dealing with pizza from Papa Del and chain restaurants alike trying to find a good thin crust pizza with no avail. The recent Unilocal event held here first of all opened my eyes to a pizza place in downtown. The pizza utilize unique fresh ingredients including sausage made in house. I was amazed by the selection of pizza including my favorite which was the Pizza M. It is a well hidden restaurant in the back of a coffee shop which is slightly confusing. They have to put up a larger sign to attract business and advertise more because it is quite a gem. Staff was super friendly and introduced you to each of the pizza’s they had. This place easily beats the new Pizzeria Antica which touts the fire oven pizza. Crust is crunchy and stays that way even when you cut into the pizza. Overall quite an amazing selection and I will be back to try there other pizzas!
Pros: fresh ingredients, house made sausage, friendly staff
Cons: Somewhat hard to find as it is hidden behind the coffee shop, still cost more than chain pizzas
Hidden deals: Did not see any special deals, maybe the owner should also think about pizza special nights to pull in more people
Health code rating: A

I love this place! The event I attended here was fantastic and the service was excellent… Ana at the bar was talkative and pleasant and the space in the back is very haute couture for chambana… wish they would open it for at least Friday Saturday night! Sugar Bear pizza and Bell’s 2 Hearted… does it get any better?!

So let me start this review off by saying that Pizza M SHARES SPACE with a coffee shop. This can be a little disorienting for people walking in for the first time.
That out of the way, I love this place. Great location in the heart of downtown Urbana with tasty and fairly priced pizza. I eat their often and have tried all of their different pizzas and never had a bad experience. I never found the employees here inadequate. The negative reviews for this place make me curious as to what people are expecting. This is an extremely casual dining environment and I think expecting some sort of service similar to having someone wait on your table is silly. I’ve never had any trouble ordering a pizza or having it take too long. Granted, I always expect it to take at least 40 minutes since their literally making you a pizza from scratch. Yes you are expected to clear your own table, and maybe that’s an issue for some, but it isn’t for me. I’ve never noticed any sort of «holier than thou» attitude from either the employees or the patrons. Not sure where the hate is coming from, but this is a really great place to get some pizza and one of the best restaurants in the area.

Well, i wanted to try Pizza M for a long time, and when we finally did, it was a real disappointment. The pizza slices we got, Sausage and Pepperoni and Mushroom we average AT BEST. Papa Dels and Jets are FAR superior. The thing that really set me off was the price, at minimum twice as expensive as it should be.
I will not be going back again, this place is supposed to be one of the best in the state? LOL

As I’ve continued to come here, I love what they’re doing. The pizza quality has not slipped and it seems like they worked out a lot of the issues with the two different businesses occupying the same space. The employees are very helpful and professional. This summer, they’ve even offered ICE CREAM! and not your typical flavors. Tonight I had the chardonnay-​strawberry ice cream which was absolutely delicious! It had a faint savory, almost cheesy taste and was like nothing I’ve ever tasted. Be patient with the employees. Sometimes, they dread ice cream orders since it means they have to go to the back cooler to scoop it out to order for customers.
Also, I tried the lunch slices for the first time and found it to be delicious! It’s different than their standard pizza. It’s more like a heavily topped focaccia. Today’s special slice had kalamata olives and gorgonzola — delicious!

I have been here about 4 or 5 times, and have had very good experiences every time. I really like this place for a couple different reasons.
The atmosphere is very chill. It doubles as a coffee shop, so you get a lot of students on their MacBooks just hanging out. You order at the front, and the food is brought out to you, so it’s very unintrusive (no wait staff). You pay immediately, and if you want something else, you just go and get it. The staff has always been very friendly, if not a little hipster.
The food is very good for the price. We usually stick to the basics, but the topping selection is pretty eclectic. Would probably feel right at home in a larger city. The beer selection is also good (Two Hearted, 60 Minute, etc.) and had Triptych as well (shout out to local brewers). They also have some basic wines by the glass that are fairly priced.
I still say that Papa Del’s is the best pizza in town, but this is a great change of pace if you want a well made thin crust pizza (and don’t want to overpay for an average Monical’s pizza).
Overall, I would definitely recommend it to anybody. Glad this place is doing well and hope they stick around for awhile.

Updating this to 5 stars, now that they have fast, friendly delivery! Best pizza in Champaign-​Urbana.

Let me start by saying I love Pizza M! It started at a local bakery and grew into its own brick and mortar location. My friends and I frequent this place throughout the week. Wednesday’s are GREAT for trivia with Abbi and the pizza is an amazing complement. I would recommend the Abbi (a divine concoction topped with a fried egg), the Sugar Bear (sausage and maple syrups), or the Deluxe!
Sharing a location, The Flying Machine Café is also great. They make a wonderful chai tea and mocha, and have a great assortment of vintage sodas, wines and beer.
You cannot go wrong!

Such unique choices!
While the sugar bear sounds like something that would never work, it is the most unique and delicious pizza I had ever had.
HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Wait is a bit longer on trivia night, but I would recommend taking for take-​out and ordering ahead.
Large open space with larger tables to allow for students to study while chowing on some pizza.

I went here because my friend told me about there being a pizza shop in downtown Urbana. Upon coming in, the atmosphere was pretty urban, industrial, and cool. I liked how everything was set up. Drawn in, I talked to the register guy working there who seemed to be busy for a minute before acknowledging me waiting. I went ahead and ordered the special per recommendation… the Black Dog chicken with carolina red barbecue sauce. Only two sizes, a 14″ and 10″, but the 10″ is gluten free. Why? That doesn’t make sense to me… can’t they roll the dough just smaller for a 10″ and no individual slices were available. Anyways, I went ahead and ordered the 14″ pizza for $ 15. I was told afterwards the wait time would be 25 minutes… which is a long time for a pizza that’s not deep dish. Whatever…
When I got the pizza, I was somewhat excited after the 25 minute wait. I bit into the pizza and it was quite tasty at first, but as I took a few more bites, I began to regret my purchase. It was quite bland and dry for a barbecue pizza, had a bunch of veggies which is cool and all, but I was expecting more barbecue and more chicken. Don’t advertise it as a barbecue chicken pizza when there’s twice as many veggies as there is chicken. There was also waaaay to much crust… I don’t mind crust normally but after eating three slices my jaw started hurting from how much crust I had to chew through. Overall, I’m not impressed. Seems like a cool place to hang out, grab a coffee, but I’m probably not coming back for the pizza.

My husband and I love this place. We go often and there isn’t a single pizza on the menu we don’t love. The environment is bright, but intimate. It’s a great place for groups and small tables alike. This is a great place to visit if supporting local business or the creation of delicious pizza is important to you.
We also had our wedding reception here a while back. The owner was short staffed (someone didn’t show for work) but they busted their butts to make sure we had a great experience. All of our guests loved the pizza — everyone still raves over the Abbi, the Pear and Brie, and the Sugar Bear. Pizza M is a great place to meet up with friends, go for a date, or host an event.
P. S. One of the other reviews on here said that the environment is cold, unwelcoming, and «too hipster.» I don’t find that to be accurate. There all kinds of people here at any given time: hipsters, grad students, local patrons, families, etc. Another claimed about having to bus their own table. It’s definitely more of a ‘pizza parlor’ and less of a sit-​down restaurant. Yes you can bus your own tables but don’t have to. Someone will come get your dishes if it’s really too difficult to drop your plates in the bin on your way out the door. This is a casual dining experience with a casual atmosphere. I’m not sure what others are expecting. I feel like all of this is pretty clear when you walk in and shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

I came in on Wednesday night for the trivia game. I ordered the special that night which was, if I can remember correctly, sausage onion garlic oregano and mushroom.
The first thing I noticed about the pizza was the crust. Good crusts to me have that crunch and a little bit of chew to them and this crust fit that really well. Secondly, the sauce… It had kind of a zip to it and a little bit of zestyness. Then I noticed that the sausage was terrific. He said that they made the sausage there. It had a lot of flavor. Overall, it was a fantastic pizza very flavorful with all the right textures and fresh ingredients.
I’m kind of a pizza connoisseur and I would rate their pizza near the top of Champaign/Urbana’s offerings. Had some really intriguing pizzas on the menu. I believe that the pizzas were just a flat price of $ 15 and there are no small medium large there’s just one size, which is kind of a refreshing thing… simplicity. I will have to come back and try a different one.