Pompei on Taylor Street Is Expanding — And Little Italy's Most Historic Pizza Counter Is Still Going Strong After 117 Years

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/University Village Little Italy · April 28, 2026

University Village Little Italy has a new reason to celebrate one of its most enduring culinary treasures. Pompei — the iconic Taylor Street restaurant founded by the Davino family in 1909 — is expanding beyond its beloved home at 1531 W. Taylor St. with a brand-new location now open in Elmwood Park, bringing the neighborhood's signature flavors to the suburbs for the first time in the restaurant's 117-year history.

The new Elmwood Park outpost, located in 'The Circle' at 22 W. Conti Parkway, delivers the same handcrafted menu that generations of Little Italy regulars have come to love: hand-rolled pizzas like the signature Pompei and Four Cheese and Tomato, house-made gnocchi and cheese ravioli, and can't-miss desserts like the chocolate cannoli and the famous Taylor Street Cheesecake. The family says every dish at the new location is made with the same fresh ingredients and time-honored recipes passed down across generations — a promise that has kept Chicagoans coming back to Taylor Street since before World War I.

For University Village Little Italy, Pompei's expansion is a point of neighborhood pride: a homegrown institution proving that the flavors born on Taylor Street are beloved far beyond the Near West Side. Next time you're strolling past 1531 W. Taylor, grab a slice and celebrate 117 years of delicious history. Have you visited the new Elmwood Park location yet? Share your thoughts using #TaylorStreetEats and tag @SocialhoodChicago!

Sources:
1. https://www.pompeiusa.com
2. https://www.opentable.com/r/pompei-taylor-chicago