Chicago’s Top 10 Deep Dish Pizza Places
There are more than a dozen styles of pizza (at least), but Chicago deep dish pizza seems to be the one that the midwest loves the most. It’s thick, buttery crusts, a piping hot pan of pizza toppings, sauce and cheese that can be customized in dozens of different ways and enjoyed best with a knife and fork. Some practitioners of the pie are so famous outside the Windy City that they ship their pizzas via FedEx across the country. If you’re heading to the Second City, try a deep dish pizzeria or two from our early 2016 list.
The Art of Pizza
The Lakeview pizzeria was named the best deep dish in town by a Tribune poll several years ago and today many still agree. The fantastic pizza offered at The Art Of Pizza is a delight with its flaky crust and its fantastic sauce.
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
Although Lou Malnati’s can be found at River North and other locations, there’s nothing cookie-cutter about this fantastic pizza joint. The pizza served at Lou’s may come the closest to what the original deep dish pie tasted like. The simple butter crust, bright tomatoes, and Italian sausage all work together to create a simple and yet elevated taste. It also delivers across the country. Well, not literally. FedEx does. Yes. You can order their pizza (for a price) anywhere in the country!
Pequod’s Pizza
With two locations, Pequod’s Pizza in Lincoln Park and Morton Grove serves up some of the best pan style deep dish in Chicago. The pan served at Pequod’s boats the signature Chicago-style lining of charred caramelized cheese. The cheese laced crust was originally invented by Burt Katz, who forever changed Chicago-style deep dish in the 1960s.
Louisa’s Pizza & Pasta
For more than 30 years Louisa’s Pizza & Pasta has been serving up arguably some of the best original-style Chicago deep dish in the Windy City. Located in Crestwood, the pizzeria carries its signature pizza’s light and puffy crust, hearty tomatoes, and flavorful Italian sausage right to the bank, and earns a top spot as one of the best deep dish joints in Chicago. It’s so “old school” they don’t maintain a website!
Bartoli’s Pizzeria
Bartoli’s deep dish is new to the Chicago scene. Despite its recent emergence, the delicious pizza served at the pizzeria in Roscoe Village harkens back to the original Chicago style. The family-owned restaurant once owned Gino’s East but sold it long ago. Today, the family is once again making a name for serving a well-balanced pizza with a classic sauce and a perfectly flaky crust.
Bacino’s
Bacino’s delivers a substantial and filling stuffed pizza with a thick sauce and hearty chunks of tomato. The pies at Bacino’s offer up palatable options for veggie and meat lovers. The only downside to the Chicago eatery is that restaurant goers have to decide between the stuffed supreme and stuffed spinach-mushroom pizzas.
Giordano’s
“But it’s a pizza chain now.” “It’s overrated.” Uh, no. It’s a classic Chicago pizzeria, and Giordano’s is, for many, the go-to place for Chicago deep dish pizza, and with good reason. It’s one of the best pizza places in Chicago, hands down and that’s including the Chicago style. Their signature sauce, dough, and cheese continue to allow Giordano’s to stand heads above the rest. You can also have this pizza delivered anywhere in the country (with a surcharge, of course) via FedEx. They’ve got a budding blog, too but they’ll have to settle for second best on that front!
Nino’s Pizza
Nino’s serves up the real thing. Yes, we’re aware we’re stretching “Chicago” to the suburbs, but the pies served at Nino’s are just as good as any served along Chicago’s famed North Side. The flaky crust, thick layer of cheese, and bright tomato sauce land Nino’s as a serious contender for best deep dish in Chicago.
Pizzeria Uno
Pizzeria Uno is the original deep dish restaurant. The old-school pizzeria is the site of the original deep pizza, which was invented in 1943. Today, the historic restaurant serves up a heavy pizza that may be too much for any one person. So, take a friend enjoy the restaurant’s great atmosphere.
Tano’s Pizzeria
A great pizza for an affordable price, the thick pizza served at Tano’s dates back to the 1960s and gives new meaning to the term pizza pie. The stuffed pizza boasts a second crust that is topped with tomato sauce. The crust at Tano’s is more flaky than that of a truly classic deep dish and updates the family recipes that were revived from Manzo’s, an classic Italian restaurant that once thrived in Irving Park.
