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Best Chicago Pizza

Author: Jody Robbins

Categories: Restaurants At the Table

When people think of Chicago pizza they always picture the classic deep dish with sauce on top.

But the Chicago pizza scene is so much more than that: think every toping under the sun; delicate, thin crusts; oven-kissed flatbreads and, of course, Chicago deep dish pizza.

Best Chicago Pizza

Here are some of our favorite Chicago pizza spots, mixed in with the emerging thin crust scene. Yes, Chicago pizza is a very serious business!

Chicago Pizza-Deep Dish

All over the city, a standby for Chicago-style deep dish is Gino's East at locations all over the city. They've been doing so since 1966 and it shows in the flaky consistency of the crust and the sauce, which has a bit of an herbal kick to it. The location in River North is most convenient to downtown.

There's nothing fancy going on at The Art of Pizza, but the classic Chicago deep dish pizza served here, either by the whole pie or the very affordable slice, has been ranked as one of the best. It's a bit outside the downtown bubble and the decor is unprepossessing to say the least, but this is Chicago pizza--it's worth it.

You can't talk about pizza in Chicago without paying heed to the ubiquitous Giordano's, and you can visit at any one of their more than 40 locations. At each one, you'll have a massive selection of toppings from which to choose, and you can go the thin crust route here, as well, and thick or thin, you can't go wrong either way.

A Chicago deep dish operation with lots of history (and momma still making the secret recipe dough balls in the basement daily) is Pizano's Pizza & Pasta. A must-stop on any tour of Chicago-style pizza. It's about the pizza here, but the classic Chicago décor just adds to the experience.

Saving one of the best for the last of our Chicago-style deep dish pizzas, we now bring it all back home to Pizzeria Due, the sister restaurant to Pizzeria Uno, where founder Ike Sewell introduced deep dish to the world in 1943. The 45-minute baking time for his pies put off some early customers, but others learned to sit and salivate while waiting their reward.

Chicago's Thin Crust Pizza

A pizzeria of a totally different sort, Piece has introduced New Haven-style pizza to Chicago, and the house-made beers on tap here add to the already festival-like atmosphere here. but the thin pizzas here are the real draw, and are offered in three varieties: red sauce, plain, and white. The scene (Saturday night karaoke, anyone?) is a large, barn-roofed space which is often packed.

Turning to the earth-is-thin-and-flat crowd, D'Agostino's River West is an offshoot of its sister restaurant in Wrigleyville, and both locations offer a circular, thin crust pizza with a unique tomato sauce that's slightly sweet.

One of the best thin-crust pizzas in the city is proffered at Pat's Pizza. While still very thin, the crust here is a little moister, and less like flatbread and a wild array of toppings finishes off the reasons you should visit here, or have it delivered.

Trending quite a bit back into history is Pizza D.O.C. which takes inspiration from Italy, the cradle of the pizza craft. Thin, crispy offerings are baked in a wood-burning oven and include the classic margherita pizza (mozzarella, basil, tomatoes) and the Quattro stagioni.

To Go Pizza

Though serving a full assortment of Italian, from sandwiches and salads to soups and, of course, pastas, Pompei is best known for their pizza and pizzicotti. Order delivery from Pompeii to feed everyone without leaving home!

A pizzeria that has been slinging pies to Chicago residents since 1947, Home Run Inn is also well known to locals for the frozen pizzas. The pies here are of the thin crust variety, and come with a nice slathering of sauce.

In a League of Their Own

Fitting neither the thin crust, nor the deep dish pizza categories, Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. is like no other in that it serves "pizza pot pies," which is basically pizza in a bowl with alternating layers of the classic pizza ingredients and toppings. It's casual, but nearly always packed to the gills, so go early or expect to wait.

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nearby places of interest

Capi's Italian Kitchen
700 E Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611

For wide-ranging, authentic Italian food served at Navy Pier in Chicago, Capi's Italian Kitchen gives families the chance to fine-dine without reservations. Menu items include wood-stone cooked pizzas and fresh panini sandwiches.

Carlucci
1801 Butterfield Rd., Downers Grove, IL 60515

Carlucci is an authentic, Chicago-based Italian restaurant owned by brothers Joe and Charlie Carlucci. Fresh, plentiful Italian cuisine, comfortable atmosphere, and gracious service remind one of an evening at home with family and friends.

Carlucci
6111 N. River Rd., Rosemont, IL 60018

Chicago's Pizza and Pasta
3114 N. Lincoln, Chicago , IL 60657

Chicago's Pizza and Pasta offers a wide array of pizza and pasta items for lunch, dinner and dessert.

Crust
2056-58 W. Division St., Chicago, IL 60622

Certified organic, the entire concept that is Crust boils down to super-fresh organic ingredients, whether on the flatbread-made pizzas or in the (literally) garden-fresh salads.

Follia
953 W. Fulton Ave, Chicago, IL 60607

The restaurant displays art and fashions by local college students, that you can purchase, or admire while you wait for a table.

Gino's East
162 E Superior, Chicago, IL 60611

This is the original location of Gino's East, the now-famous Chicago-style pizza restaurant chain.

Gino's East
2801 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60657

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Gino's East
820 S. Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL 60048

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Gino's East
633 N. Wells St., Chicago, IL 60610

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Gino's East
1590 E.Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Gino's East
1321 W. Golf Rd., Rolling Meadows, IL 60008

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Gino's East
9751 W. Higgins Road, Rosemont, IL 60018

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Gino's East
315 W. Front St., Wheaton, IL 60047

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Gino's East
561 W. Main St., Lake Zurich, IL 60047

This is an outpost of the legendary Gino's East, the Chicago-based deep-dish pizza emporium. Gino's standout deep-dish gets kudos for its golden-brown crust and chunky tomato sauce. Thin crust pizza, pasta and sandwiches also get menu play.

Gino's East
1807 S. Washington St., Naperville, IL 60565

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Gino's East
15840 S. Harlem Ave., Orland Park, IL 60462

Gino's East offers classic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in a laid-back setting.

Giordano's
310 W. Randolph St.,, Chicago, IL 60606