Ironheart: Is Desperito’s Pizza a Real Place in Chicago?

In Disney+’s ‘Ironheart,’ the protagonist, a genius teenager named Riri Williams, finds herself being thrust out of academia and into the world of crime. Her medium for this transition becomes Parker and his crew of thieves, comprised of members with very particular skills. Riri puts her knowledge and engineering to use, quickly earning her way into becoming one of their most valuable assets. When the crew is not busy heisting big companies, they enjoy their spoils by celebrating together, using a pizzeria as their base. This establishment, called Desperito’s Pizza, becomes a centerpiece of the narrative. While its first floor maintains the appearance of a classic pizza outlet, the second floor reveals an entirely different scenery, serving as both a place of planning and leisure.

Desperito’s Pizza Is a Fictional Pizzeria Serving as a Gang Hideout

Desperito’s Pizza is a fictional pizzeria created by Chinaka Hodge specifically for the narrative of ‘Ironheart.’ On the card that John hands out to Riri, the address says 511 North Hoyne Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, 60612. This address leads to a real location, situated next to a four-way intersection in a bustling neighborhood in the Windy City. The layout of this area also vaguely aligns with the visuals from the show, which displays an old-school corner building. However, in reality, no pizzeria can be found at this exact address. Furthermore, while both the real and fictional locations have a similar design, the building identified as Desperito’s in the show is not a part of the real street. Thus, it is likely that the exterior scenes from the show are a creative rendition that takes vague inspiration from the streets of Chicago.

While there may be no pizza outlet in that particular address, there are still several other pizza outlets that can be found in the vicinity of North Hoyne Avenue, a few notable ones being Bartoli’s Pizzeria situated at 658 North Ashland Avenue, Salerno’s Pizza of Chicago, which is located at 1201, West Grand Avenue and Naty’s Pizza at 1924, West Chicago Avenue. These undertakings, amongst many others, might have been used as a reference for Desperito’s; however, as they are all reputed establishments, they are unlikely to be the basis for the fictional lair of thieves. It is also possible that the common idea of pizzerias, or Italian restaurants, being a hub for the mafia was taken into consideration for the show. Since the shop appears to be closed when Riri first visits, it can’t be determined whether it’s an active front or simply an abandoned building.

The interior shots of Desperito’s Pizza were likely shot at Trilith Studios, located in Fayetteville, Georgia. This iconic film studio has served as the base for many of Marvel’s productions, including blockbusters like ‘Captain America: Civil War,’ ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ However, Marvel changed their primary filming locations to London in 2025, making ‘Ironheart’ one of the last projects to be produced by Marvel at Trilith Studios. Using high-quality sets for Desperito’s Pizza provided the filmmakers with complete creative control over the camera work and lighting while maintaining the intricate details of the site. As such, the fictional pizzeria maintains an air of realism, matching the look and feel of a real pizza place.