Wrigley Field, The Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, and, of course, Chicago’s deep dish pizza, a twist on a traditional dish that is as distinctive and genuine as the Windy City itself. Pizza is available across the city, since it is a big urban region. But when it comes to deep-dish speciality pizza, we’ve located a few restaurants in Chicago where you can get the greatest deep-dish pizza.
Pizza’s modest roots, as we all know, begin in the gardens of Italy, where the freshest, sun-ripened tomatoes are pureed and accompanied by olive oil, garlic, oregano, and fresh basil. These real ingredients combine well with an underlying thin, delicate crust to create a delectably herbaceous masterpiece.
The tomato sauce is slow-cooked in the United States (some claim perfected in New York), and the dough is thicker, allowing for more cheese, more sauce, and a limitless variety of toppings.
So let’s talk about Chicago pizza. According to folklore, certain creative and artistic pizza cooks developed the basic pizza idea in a whole new direction.
Culinary artists such as Severio Rosati of Chicago Authentic Pizza, Ike Sewell of the first Pizzeria UNO, and Rudy Malnati, UNO’s initial pizza cook, reinvented a classic as early as 1926, culminating in Chicago-style pizza.
They essentially flipped the typical pizza upside down in a thick pan, resulting in pie-like layers. The top layer was the sauce, which covered the cheese and toppings. The new creation’s thickness necessitates a forty-minute baking procedure to create a beautiful tower of pizza perfection, the Chicago deep-dish pizza.
So, where does one begin a tour of Chicago’s greatest deep dish pizza? Continue reading to find out!
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When in Chicago, don’t miss out on the following activities that will help you immerse yourself in the city (get them while they’re hot!):
- Chicago River: 1.5-Hour Guided Architecture Cruise
- 360 Chicago Observation Deck Admission: Skip the Ticket Desk
- Chicago: Willis Tower Skydeck and The Ledge Ticket
- Chicago River: 45-Minute Family-Friendly Architecture Cruise
- Chicago River Architecture Cruise: Skip-the-Ticket-Office
- Chicago: Navy Pier Centennial Wheel Regular & Express Ticket
Are you looking for additional places to visit in Illinois? Check out our other tasty guides:
- Best Mexican Food In Chicago
- 10 Must-Visit Indian Restaurants In Chicago
- 10 Must-Try Thai Restaurants In Chicago
- 10 Must-Try Chinese Restaurants In Chicago
- 10 Best Chicago Dishes
- The Best Mediterranean Food In Chicago
Are you thinking of taking a road trip in the area? Find out The Greatest Places to Visit on Route 66.
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The 5 Greatest Deep Dish Pizza Restaurants in Chicago
The Original Pizzeria UNO On Ohio And Wabash
312-321-100029 East Ohio St.
This is the beginning of your adventure, the very beginning of deep-dish history. With characteristic checkerboard tiles, an elegant tin ceiling, and comfortable tables and booths, the setting is as genuine as the cuisine.
What you should attempt Individual 7 Numero UNO: Sausage, pepperoni, onions, pepperoncini, mushrooms, chunky tomato sauce, mozzarella, romano, and a local draft beer.
You’ll immediately see why this Chicago tradition has grown into a nationwide franchise with over a hundred locations, including Honduras, India, and Saudi Arabia!
However, you can also taste one of Chicago’s greatest deep dish pizzas from the comfort of your own home.
On North Wells Street, there’s a Lou Malnati’s.
312-828-9800439 North Wells St.
Malnatis is a tiny, cozy restaurant decked with classic jerseys from Chicago’s great sports teams. The bar is a welcoming meeting area where you’re likely to pick up a discussion with another pizza fan.
What you should try: The Lou is a deep dish with mushrooms and onions, a layer of Roma tomatoes, and three types of cheese, all surrounded by Malnatis’ characteristic garlic butter crust. All I can say is that it looks like a party in a pan!
Malnatis is the spot to go in Chicago for an outstanding deep dish pizza.
On Rush Street, Giordanos
30 N Rush St. +1 312-951-0747730 N Rush St.
This is a very different experience from the little pizzerias mentioned before. It is spacious, contemporary, bright, and lively. Outside, bright, theater-style signage gives the impression that this is the place to be.
You may watch a game on one of the many flat televisions in the vast bar area, and the obligatory forty-minute bake time simply flies by.
What to order: The Famous Stuffed Individual Deep-Dish with your choice of toppings. Push through the piled-high layers of cheese for a memorable dinner. Sounds easy, but the intricacy of the layers and the use of only the finest ingredients combine to create this the greatest deep dish pizza in Chicago.
State Street Pizzeria
312-751-1766864 North State St.
This was strongly recommended as one of the originals (really by the bartender at Pizza Uno).
The narrative is that Rudy Malnati (Lous’s brother) and his son Rudy Jr. started the business while Rudy’s wife, Donna Mamma Malnati, baked the dough balls in her basement using a family recipe. The resultant thin-crust speciality pizza challenges the deep dish rivalry.
What to try: The Thin Cheese, which is only available in medium or large sizes, so bring a buddy or two. What better way to enjoy one of Chicago’s greatest pizzas than to go to one of Chicago’s top pizzerias?
Pequod’s on Fernald Avenue In Morton Grove
773-327-15122207 North Clybourn Ave.
Burt Katz, a pizza cook, opened his restaurant in the 1960s and became renowned as the Father of the Caramelized Crust, a unique version in which the contents are laid over a puffy crust.
A crunchy edge of cheese caramelizes while baking, becoming lacy and black.
Although being less well-known than the more renowned eateries mentioned above, many Chicagoans consider this to be the finest of all Chicago pizzas.
A little trivia Burt loved excellent literature and named his restaurant after the whaling ship in Moby Dick.
What to order: The 7 Personal Pan Pizza with your choice of toppings. If you want to claim you’ve done it all, this is a must-try twist on the topic!
Therefore, you now know the history of Chicago pizza, the five top pizza shops in Chicago, and the menu for these pies. It is ultimately up to you whether you perceive deep-dish pizza to be a competitor to more conventional pizzas. Nonetheless, all of the top pizzas are featured here, including pan pizza, thin-crust pizza, and Chicago’s best deep dish pizza.
What I can tell you is that Chicagoans are proud of their culinary history and welcome you to sample it; you can’t go wrong with a Chicago pizza. So go out there and enjoy Mangia!
Favorite destinations include Italy, Singapore and and New Orleans. They enjoy taking in the local culture and cuisine (including great wines and local breweries), listening to live music and exploring nature when hiking or kayaking.