Pat’s Pizza says goodbye to Grayslake after 31 years

Pat’s Pizza in Grayslake was known for doing it the right way for 31 years, using top-notch ingredients and making dough and sauce from scratch every day.

But owner Pat Harris said he ran out of money and was forced to close the eatery last month. Harris, a Vietnam veteran, operated the Route 83 pizza joint with his wife, DeAnn.

Harris, 63, of Salem, Wis., said he’s now looking for a job. He said declining sales because of a difficult economy and other factors led to Pat’s closure.

“The long and short of it is taxation, competition, insurance rates,” Harris said Monday.

Harris said unlike the “garbage pizza” dished out by lower-priced chains, Pat’s dough and sauce were made from scratch daily.

“Everything was homemade, as much as we can,” Harris said.

One of Harris’ favorites at Pat’s was the Devil’s Revenge specialty pizza. It came with sausage, mushrooms, onions and green peppers and an option of thin crust, New York style, double decker or deep pan.

Harris said he appreciated the dedication of his employees, some of whom worked at Pat’s for more than 15 years. He also said he wanted to thank his customers for their patronage since he opened in 1981.