• Mozzarella Cheese Bread with Spinach $4.49(shared)
• Chicago Style Sandwich $5.95

Right in the heart of Grand Avenue, but yet on the day we visited hardly half full. We thought initially there has to be something wrong, it must be really bad. But, it was not terrible. They probably do a lot of take out which may explain the lack of people in the actual restaurant. I had a sandwich which was made in a folded in over crust. Try to imagine a pizza crust taco. It sounds bizarre and perhaps even not good, but it was good and I liked it. It was too large, but I took half home, popped it in the toaster oven the next day and it was almost as good as the original.

• Margherita Pizza $7.95

  This is the place I would take a family looking for decent food on Grand Avenue on a budget. You can go up and down Grand Avenue and find more expensive food, ethnic food, and some fast food. But The Italian Pie Shoppe offers Italian food on a budget, which is great after you’ve spent money shopping and you’re feeling a little guilty.

  My pepperoni pizza was good, not great. I much prefer pizza from The Green Mill or some of the other local chains. St. Paul’s Punch Woodfire Grill offers much better gourmet wood-fired pizza. I might be tempted to go back for a quick, cheap pizza. (If you live close by, you might want to time your visit to take advantage of daily specials.)