Quick Orientation
Chicago deep dish was invented in 1943 at Pizzeria Uno under Ike Sewell's direction. The style — a buttery, 2-3 inch high crust baked in a steel pan, filled upside down with cheese on the bottom, toppings, and crushed tomatoes on top — is unlike pizza anywhere else in the world. A medium pie takes 30-45 minutes to bake because of the depth.
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USA Trip Cost Calculator
Planning your Chicago trip? Get a personalised budget with our free calculator — budget $30-40 per person for a dinner deep dish experience, $120-160 for a pizza walking tour.
Four chains and dozens of independents compete for the crown. Locals have strong opinions. Tourists mostly go to Giordano's and miss what Chicago pizza actually is.
The Four Main Contenders
| Place | Style | Medium price | Wait | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lou Malnati's | Classic deep dish | $26-30 | 30-40 min | Butter-crust, sausage layer |
| Giordano's | Stuffed | $30-35 | 45-60 min | Cheese pull, top crust |
| Pequod's | Pan pizza | $22-28 | 30-45 min | Caramelized cheese edge |
| Pizano's | Classic deep dish | $24-28 | 30-40 min | Buttery crust, no chain vibe |
| Pizzeria Uno/Due | Original 1943 | $28-34 | 45-60 min | Historic but touristy |
- Lou Malnati's: 60+ locations across Chicagoland. Flaky butter crust is the signature. Order the "Malnati Chicago Classic" with sausage layer.
- Giordano's: The "stuffed" style, not technically classic deep dish. A top crust seals the cheese in. Heavier, more famous in tourism ads.
- Pequod's: 2 locations (Lincoln Park, Morton Grove). A "pan pizza" not deep dish, but the caramelized cheese crust is unique and cult-loved.
- Pizano's: Started by a Malnati family member. Smaller operation, arguably better crust than Lou's. Three downtown locations.
- Pizzeria Uno / Pizzeria Due: Original 1943 spot. Worth visiting for the history; the pizza is solid but not the best in town today.
Local Honest Ranking
Based on polls of Chicago residents, not tourism marketing:
- 1. Lou Malnati's — consensus winner, consistency across locations, best butter crust. Single-topping sausage is the classic order.
- 2. Pequod's — for the caramelized cheese "bark" on the crust edge. Essential once, not everyday.
- 3. Pizano's — hidden-gem choice. Locals in the Loop default to here for lunch.
- 4. Gino's East — buttery cornmeal crust, write-on-the-walls vibe at the River North location. Good but not top-tier.
- 5. Giordano's — popular with tourists, divisive among locals. Stuffed rather than deep dish.
- 6. Pizzeria Uno — historic, not the current benchmark.
If you only get one pizza: Lou Malnati's Chicago Classic, medium, dine-in at the River North location. Pre-order 30 minutes before arriving.
Deep Dish vs Stuffed
A real distinction most tourists do not know:
| Feature | Classic Deep Dish | Stuffed Pizza |
|---|---|---|
| Top crust | None | Yes, thin layer sealed |
| Tomato | On top of cheese | Between crust layers |
| Depth | 2-3 inches | 3-4 inches |
| Bake time | 30-40 min | 40-55 min |
| Classic example | Lou Malnati's | Giordano's |
| Eat experience | Crust + cheese + chunk tomato | Cheese pull moment |
- Deep dish purists (most Chicagoans) consider stuffed pizza a different food — heavier and more casserole-like.
- First-time visitors often prefer stuffed for the theatrical cheese pull. Giordano's has turned this into its marketing identity.
- Our recommendation: get classic deep dish (Lou's) first. Try stuffed (Giordano's) only if you have more than 2 pizza meals planned.
How Long You Will Wait
Every deep dish is baked to order. The crust needs time. Plan the wait into your day.
- Pre-order by phone: call 30-45 minutes before you arrive. Your pie goes in the oven immediately. Reduces on-site wait to 5-10 minutes.
- Walk in on a Saturday night: expect 60-90 minutes door to first bite.
- Dine-in is often faster than takeout: order at the table while you settle in.
- Lunch (11:30am-1pm weekdays): fastest service window. Most Chicago workers cannot wait 45 min on their lunch break.
- Frozen from Lou's Tastes of Chicago: shipped nationwide, $50-90. Reheat in 25 minutes at home. Honest alternative.
Do not try to split one small pie across four hungry people. Deep dish is dense; one slice equals two slices of New York pizza. A medium feeds 2-3 adults.
Pizza Walking Tours
Several operators run guided pizza tours of downtown and Lincoln Park. Worth it for first-time visitors who want to try 3-4 styles in one outing.
- Chicago Pizza Tours: $65-80 per person, 3-3.5 hours, 3-4 pizzerias, small groups. Stops often include Lou's, Gino's East and a tavern-style spot.
- Chicago Food Planet: $85-95, 3 hours, combines pizza with other Chicago specialties (Italian beef, hot dogs).
- GetYourGuide / Viator deep-dish tours: $60-120 depending on inclusions. Book 3-7 days ahead.
- Self-guided approach: do 2 pizzerias in one day — one for lunch (Pizano's Loop), one for dinner (Lou Malnati's River North). Cheaper and deeper.
On a group tour, skip breakfast. A single tour covers 2,000+ calories in pizza alone, plus the walk is only 2-3 miles between stops.
Tavern-Style: The Locals' Choice
Here is the secret tourists miss: Chicago locals eat tavern-style thin crust more often than deep dish. Deep dish is a special occasion; tavern-style is Tuesday night.
- What it is: a cracker-thin crust, cheese to the edge, cut into squares ("party cut" or "tavern cut") rather than triangles.
- Why it is everyday: takes 12-15 minutes to bake vs 45, costs $18-25 for a large, travels well.
- Best spots: Vito & Nick's (South Side, 1949), Marie's Pizza & Liquors (Old Irving Park), Pat's Pizza (Lincoln Park), Bartoli's, Pizzeria Bebu.
- The move: have deep dish on one night of your trip and tavern-style on another. You will understand Chicago better.
If you only have one night in Chicago and want the real local experience, do a tavern-style pizza at Vito & Nick's. If you want the iconic Chicago experience, do a deep dish at Lou Malnati's. They are both correct answers.