🍕 Best Pizza in Chicago: A Foodie’s Ultimate Guide to Deep Dish, Thin Crust, and Legendary Slices
Discover the best pizza in Chicago—from iconic deep dish to local-favorite thin crust. A must-read foodie guide to Chicago pizza.
Why Chicago Pizza Is More Than Just Food
If you’ve ever argued about pizza on the internet (and let’s be honest—you have), you already know one thing: Chicago pizza is personal.
This city doesn’t just serve pizza. It lives pizza.
For foodies, Chicago is sacred ground. It’s where deep dish becomes a commitment, thin crust is cut into squares like a quiet rebellion, and every neighborhood swears their spot is the best pizza in Chicago—no debate allowed.
This guide isn’t just a list. It’s a love letter to Chicago pizza culture. We’re diving deep (yes, pun intended) into iconic deep dish, underrated thin crust, neighborhood legends, and the spots locals gatekeep like family secrets.
Whether you’re a tourist, a lifelong Chicagoan, or a foodie planning your next pizza pilgrimage—this is the guide you bookmark, share on Instagram, and argue about in the comments.
Let’s eat. 🍕
What Makes Chicago Pizza So Iconic?
Before we rank slices, we need to clear something up.
Chicago pizza isn’t just deep dish. That’s like saying New York only has bagels.
The Three Pillars of Chicago Pizza
1. Deep Dish Pizza
The heavyweight champion. Thick crust, layered cheese, chunky tomato sauce, and a bake time that tests your patience—but rewards your soul.
2. Tavern-Style Thin Crust
The real local favorite. Ultra-thin, crispy, cut into squares, and perfect with a cold beer. If you grew up here, this is your comfort food.
3. Stuffed Pizza
Deep dish’s even more intense cousin. A second layer of dough seals in absurd amounts of cheese. You don’t eat stuffed pizza—you commit to it.
Chicago didn’t choose one lane. It built three—and mastered them all.
Best Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago (The Legends)
Let’s start where outsiders always do: deep dish. Love it or hate it, this is the pizza that made Chicago famous.
Lou Malnati’s – The Gold Standard
If Chicago deep dish had a blueprint, Lou Malnati’s would be it.
Their buttery crust is legendary. The sausage? A single massive patty layered under rivers of cheese. The tomatoes are bright, chunky, and slightly sweet—perfectly balancing the richness.
Why foodies love it:
- Consistent across locations
- High-quality ingredients
- The safest “first deep dish” recommendation
📍 Multiple locations
🍕 Must-order: Sausage deep dish with extra cheese
Giordano’s – The Stuffed Pizza Icon
Giordano’s isn’t just deep dish—it’s stuffed pizza royalty.
This is pizza as architecture. Cheese is sealed between layers of dough, then topped with sauce like a crown. It’s indulgent, dramatic, and unapologetically heavy.
Why it’s divisive (and famous):
- Incredibly filling
- More cheese than logic allows
- A full meal disguised as pizza
📍 Downtown & suburbs
🍕 Must-order: Classic stuffed pizza
Pequod’s – The Caramelized Crust Cult Favorite
Ask a local foodie where to go, and Pequod’s will come up fast.
The crust is the star here—caramelized cheese baked directly into the pan, creating a crispy, almost burnt (in the best way) edge. It’s deep dish for people who think deep dish is “too much.”
Why it’s special:
- Unique caramelized crust
- Less soupy than traditional deep dish
- Hardcore fan base
📍 Lincoln Park, Morton Grove
🍕 Must-order: Pan pizza with pepperoni
Uno & Due – The Origin Story
Yes, they’re touristy. Yes, they’re historic. And yes—they still matter.
Pizzeria Uno claims to have invented deep dish in 1943. Whether that matters to you depends on how much you love food history.
Why foodies still visit:
- Historical significance
- Solid, classic deep dish
- A taste of Chicago’s pizza roots
📍 Downtown Chicago
🍕 Must-order: Numero Uno deep dish
Tavern-Style Thin Crust: Chicago’s Real Everyday Pizza
Now let’s talk about the pizza locals actually order on a Tuesday night.
Thin crust. Square cut. Crispy enough to snap.
Vito & Nick’s – The Holy Grail of Thin Crust
If Chicago had a pizza hall of fame, Vito & Nick’s would have its own wing.
No frills. No hype chasing. Just decades of perfect tavern-style pizza. The crust is thin, the toppings are balanced, and the vibes are pure old-school Chicago.
Why foodies swear by it:
- Legendary consistency
- Perfect crust-to-topping ratio
- A true neighborhood institution
📍 Ashburn
🍕 Must-order: Sausage and giardiniera
Pat’s Pizza – South Side Classic
Pat’s doesn’t need flashy marketing—it has generations of loyalty.
Crispy crust, bold sauce, and generous toppings make this a staple for South Side foodies.
📍 South Loop
🍕 Must-order: Thin crust pepperoni
Piece Brewery & Pizzeria – Thin Crust with a Twist
Piece blends New Haven–style pizza with Chicago attitude. Add in-house brewed beer, and you’ve got one of the city’s best pizza-and-pint pairings.
Why it stands out:
- Unique crust texture
- Bold topping combinations
- Top-tier craft beer
📍 Wicker Park
🍕 Must-order: White pie with spinach and garlic
Neighborhood Pizza Gems Foodies Love
Chicago pizza loyalty is hyper-local. These are the spots people defend like family.
Coalfire Pizza – Artisanal Meets Casual
Wood-fired, slightly charred, and ingredient-forward. Coalfire is where foodies go when they want something elevated but relaxed.
📍 West Town
🍕 Must-order: Nduja sausage pizza
Paulie Gee’s Logan Square – Hipster Heaven (In a Good Way)
Detroit-style, thin crust, vegan options—it’s all here. Paulie Gee’s proves Chicago pizza culture keeps evolving.
📍 Logan Square
🍕 Must-order: Detroit-style pepperoni square
Bartoli’s – Underrated Deep Dish Hero
Less famous, equally delicious. Bartoli’s has some of the richest deep dish in the city, without the long tourist lines.
📍 Roscoe Village
🍕 Must-order: Spinach and mushroom deep dish
Deep Dish vs Thin Crust: The Eternal Debate
Let’s settle this (we won’t).
Deep Dish
- Best for visitors
- Best for celebrations
- Best when you’re very hungry
Thin Crust
- Best for locals
- Best for sharing
- Best for casual nights
The truth? A true Chicago foodie loves both.
How to Order Pizza Like a Chicago Local
If you want to blend in, follow these rules:
- Don’t ask for ranch (seriously)
- Order sausage—it’s a Chicago specialty
- Expect a wait for deep dish
- Thin crust = square cut (always)
- Deep dish is a meal, not a snack
Best Pizza in Chicago for Instagram & WordPress Foodies
If you’re posting on Instagram or running a WordPress food blog, these spots photograph beautifully:
- Pequod’s (that crust 😍)
- Paulie Gee’s (Detroit-style squares)
- Lou Malnati’s cheese pulls
- Piece Brewery pies + beer shots
Pro tip: Shoot overhead for thin crust, side-angle for deep dish.
Is There Really a “Best” Pizza in Chicago?
Here’s the honest truth:
There is no single best pizza in Chicago.
There’s your best pizza.
The one tied to memories. Late nights. Family dinners. First dates. Post-game celebrations. Snowy winters and summer nights.
Chicago pizza isn’t just food—it’s identity.
And whether you’re biting into a deep dish fork-first or folding a thin crust square, you’re part of something bigger: one of the greatest pizza cities on Earth.
👉 Did we miss your favorite spot?🍕
Are you Team Deep Dish or Team Thin Crust?
Drop a comment, share this guide with your fellow foodies, and tag your next Chicago pizza run on Instagram.
Because one thing’s certain: Chicago pizza deserves the spotlight.
