Peel Wood Fired Pizza & Brewery in O'Fallon, IL: An 800-Degree Oven, a Working Brewery, and Ten Minutes From the Gate
If you are stationed at Scott Air Force Base and tired of rotating the same four dinner spots, Peel Wood Fired Pizza in O’Fallon, IL deserves a place on your short list. It sits just off the historic downtown square at 104 S Cherry Street — roughly a ten-minute drive from the Shiloh-Scott gate — inside a red-brick building that dates back to 1902 and once housed a roller rink. The original wood floors and exposed rafters are still overhead while you eat.
What separates Peel from every other pizza place in the Metro East is upstairs: a genuine seven-barrel brewhouse. Peel Brewing Co. makes its beer in the same building where the pizza comes out of the oven, and the taps run straight from the tanks. That combination — chef-driven wood fired pizza plus house-brewed craft beer under one roof — is why this is one of the most recommended restaurants near Scott AFB among airmen, contractors, and local families alike.
Why Peel Is Worth the Drive From Scott AFB
Peel began in Edwardsville in 2009. The O’Fallon location came next and is nearly three times the size of the original, with a third restaurant opening in Clayton, Missouri in 2018. Co-owners Patrick Thirion and Brandon Case were serious homebrewers long before they were restaurant owners, which is exactly how a pizzeria ended up with a brewery bolted onto it.
The result is a spot that works for a lot of different nights:
- Weeknight family dinner — kid friendly, generous portions, fast kitchen
- Squadron or shop gathering — private party space available at the O’Fallon location
- Date night — relaxed-upscale room, cocktail program, dessert pizzas
- PCS farewell or promotion party — walkable downtown location with street parking nearby
The Wood Fired Oven: 800 Degrees and a Signature Char
Every pie at Peel is hand-stretched and baked in a Mugnaini-built, wood-burning oven held at a steady 800 degrees. At that temperature a pizza cooks in a couple of minutes, which is what produces the blistered, leopard-spotted crust Peel is known for — the charred bubble along the edge is the restaurant’s calling card, not a mistake.
The dough is made from scratch, and gluten free crust is available, along with vegan and vegetarian options.
Signature Pizzas to Try First
- Thai Chicken — spicy peanut sauce, mozzarella, roasted chicken, carrot threads, red onion, crushed peanuts, cilantro, fresh lime
- Maple Bourbon Pork — sweet, smoky, and the reason regulars keep coming back
- Balsamic Chicken — a lighter, tangier option that still gets the char
- Greek — a straightforward Mediterranean build for the table’s traditionalist
- Dessert pizzas — including a fruit version with vanilla custard, white chocolate shavings, and powdered sugar
Menu items rotate seasonally, and weekly pizza specials give the kitchen room to experiment, so the board is rarely identical two visits in a row.
It Is Not Just Pizza
Plenty of people show up for the pies and end up ordering something else entirely. The kitchen also puts out:
- Wood fired wings — Caribbean mango and maple bourbon black pepper are the standouts
- Apple gorgonzola salad — dried cranberries, candied pecans, maple-cider dressing
- Pastas, sandwiches, tacos, paella, and soups
- House-made desserts
- Signature appetizers, including the toasted ravioli and potato gages that show up constantly in reviews
Peel Brewing Co.: The Brewery Upstairs
The upstairs bar overlooks the brewery floor — four fermentation tanks and four brite tanks feeding an eight-tap system arranged in two banks of four so pours don’t back up on a busy Friday.
The house lineup covers four core styles:
| Beer | Style Notes |
|---|---|
| Cream Ale | The gateway pour. Smooth, lower ABV, the best-selling beer on the board. |
| Belgian Strong | The one beer people talk about. Big flavor, and the crowd favorite among serious beer drinkers. |
| IPA | Standard-bearer for the hop crowd. |
| Brown Ale | Malty, round, the cold-weather choice. |
Order the flight — it arrives on a miniature replica of a pizza peel, which is the kind of detail that ends up on everyone’s phone before the first sip. Seasonal and special-release beers rotate in throughout the year alongside the core four.
Not a beer drinker? Peel also runs a full bar with wine, guest craft beers, handcrafted cocktails, and house-infused liquors.
Hours, Location & Contact Info
Peel Wood Fired Pizza & Peel Brewing Co. 📍 104 S Cherry St, O’Fallon, IL 62269 📞 (618) 726-2244 🌐 peelpizza.com
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday – Thursday | 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Friday – Saturday | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Sunday | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
Rating: 4.6 stars across nearly 3,000 Google reviews Price range: $$ (moderate) Parking: Free street parking throughout downtown O’Fallon; expect a short walk on weekend evenings Reservations: Strongly recommended for Friday and Saturday nights and for parties of six or more
Insider Tips for First-Time Visitors
- Go early or go late on weekends. The 6:00–7:30 PM window on Friday and Saturday is the crush. A 5:00 PM seating or a 8:30 PM bar visit is a completely different experience.
- Sit upstairs if you want the brewery view. Downstairs is the main dining room and kitchen; the upstairs bar is where you can watch the tanks.
- Split a flight before you commit to a pint. Four house beers, one board, and you’ll know immediately which one you want a full glass of.
- Ask about the weekly special. The rotating pizza is usually the most interesting thing on the menu that week.
- Combine it with a Saturday morning at Vine Street Market. O’Fallon’s farmers market runs in the warm months, and Peel is an easy walk from the square.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Peel Wood Fired Pizza from Scott AFB? About ten minutes by car from the Shiloh-Scott gate, heading into historic downtown O’Fallon. It is one of the closest sit-down brewery restaurants to the base.
Does Peel have its own brewery? Yes. Peel Brewing Co. operates a seven-barrel system upstairs at the O’Fallon location, serving four house beers plus seasonal releases. The Edwardsville and Clayton locations do not brew on site.
Is Peel Wood Fired Pizza kid friendly? Yes. The restaurant is family friendly and regularly runs kids’ promotions, and the menu has enough range to cover picky eaters.
Does Peel offer gluten free or vegan options? Yes. Gluten free crust is available, and the menu includes both vegan and vegetarian options.
Can I book a private event at Peel in O’Fallon? Yes. The O’Fallon location has private party space — a good fit for squadron dinners, retirement parties, and farewell gatherings. Call (618) 726-2244 to check availability.
Do I need a reservation? Not always, but weekends and larger parties should call ahead. Walk-ins are frequently seated quickly on weeknights.
The Bottom Line
Peel Wood Fired Pizza & Brewery earns its reputation in the Metro East on three things: a genuinely hot oven, a scratch kitchen that does more than pizza, and beer brewed twenty feet from where you’re sitting. For the Scott AFB community, it is close enough for a Tuesday and good enough for a Saturday.
Have a go-to order at Peel? Tell us in the comments — we’re building the definitive guide to dining near Scott AFB.