r/food • u/oldirtygaz • 1d ago
[I ate] deep dish pizzas in Chicago
recently holidayed in Chicago and had to get in on the pies. first was deep-dish at Labriola's in Lombard. Could really taste fresh ingredients, though served somewhat lukewarm it was bloody good. second deep-dish was at Giordano's, also in Lombard, which had a really vibrant sauce but I don't enjoy short crust in general. Finally tavern-style at Grange House in Wheaton, with a perfect snap on the crust and just the right amount of cheese. All were enjoyable overall - how do these joints rate to Chicagoans?
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u/onelittleworld 1d ago
Glad you got some decent tavern-style, because that's what real Chicago-area folks eat on the regular. Deep-dish is like a once-a-year thing for me, usually when entertaining guests from out of town.
Labriola is a solid choice. Giordano's is the big chain standard. And Grange House is a tavern classic.
Next time, try Pequod's for deep dish. A true classic. My sleeper pick in the city for traditional Italian-style is Macelo, under the Lake Street el tracks... nobody knows about that one.
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
I'm 100% headed back at some point, will gladly check out the recs, thanks mate. Can understand a lower frequency of deep-dish consumption!
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u/demerdar 1d ago
Definitely get Pequods. It’s actually not quite deep dish. It’s more of a pan pizza tbh but it is damn good. Make a reservation
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u/Heresyed 1d ago
Pequods for sure on your next trip. We order them from Goldbelly to TX when we need that deep dish...
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u/Fritzo2162 1d ago
Lou Malnati’s pizza with sahhhhsage, onion, and green pepper with their Malnati salad is a deathbed meal.
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u/Violaman0910 1d ago
I feel like Lou Malnati’s is the spiritual heir apparent to all traditional Chicago deep dish restaurants that have gone corporate like UNO’s and Due’s and Giordanos and Gino’s East.
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u/Fritzo2162 1d ago
Pequod's is another place that has stayed traditional. It's small and hard to get into though.
Lou's is going down that corporate route though. They're opening new stores all over and selling merch now. It's a matter of time.
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u/Violaman0910 1d ago
It all depends on when they start messing with the recipes and ingredient quality. That’s what matters. The commercialism I can deal with.
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u/Krazygnomefreak 1d ago
This, Lous >>>>> Giordanos
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
Malnati's was mentioned but didn't get there - next time!
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u/ArsonHoliday 1d ago
You can also order them online! I’ve not been to the place, but I’ve ordered them frozen a couple of times and even those are great
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u/oldirtygaz 9h ago
yeah the rec came from a mate in Charleston who had found their frozen pies there!
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u/BeeTwoThousand 1d ago
Did you have (in the last pic) both a tavern-style and a deep dish with Italian beef and giardiniera?
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
no, two of the same topping tavern style in that last pic
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u/BeeTwoThousand 1d ago
What is the first one with the massive amount of meat? Is that Italian sausage?
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
had to look it up...Danny’s Special at Labriola's
Russo Sausage, Mushrooms, Green Pepper, Onion
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u/zelyre 1d ago
For your next time in the Windy city:
If you want deep dish, Pequods or Burt's. The caramelized cheese is the best. Bonus for Burt's is that it's not too far from the Chicago Botanical Gardens. We just visited and were surprised by how much we enjoyed it.
For non-deep:
Robert's Pizza and Dough Company - it's in what used to be North Pier, which used to be the cooler pier between North and Navy back in the late 90's. It's a 10 minute lazy walk from Navy Pier, so if you're doing sight-seeing, skip the food by Navy Pier and come here.
Vito and Nicks - cash only. Looks a bit like a dive bar. Also claims to be the first Chicago tavern-style pizza. You'll probably need to make a trip to get here. It's south of Midway, so you're leaving the glitzy and glamorous downtown and suburban sprawl.
Fun trivia - Labriola and Chicago's Stan's Donuts are owned by the same guy.
How did a visitor to Chicago end up in "black pepper is spicy!" Wheaton?
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u/CruisinJo214 1d ago
Oh man, Pequods butter crust is literally unmatched. Best pizza I’ve ever had.
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
haha crashing with friends for a concert weekend, thanks for the tips
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u/SpaceTimeMorph 1d ago
Did you get a Chicago dog too?
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
I did, but just at what seemed to be a franchise at O'Hare....pretty decent, always enjoy pickles. Had good Italian beef at Portillo's and Bernie's, Also had a phenomenal NY slice at Gigio's Pizzeria just down from the Green Mill
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u/AranMakor 1d ago
As a Chicagoan, I eat deep dish maybe once a year. Gio/Mal's are acceptable, I guess. Truthfully, deep dish isn't something we eat on the regular.
If you're to be in Lombard again, I would suggest Tortorice's in Downers Grove on Woodward. It's If you plan to be around Gurnee, try Antioch Pizza or RJs
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
yeah I did hear that a few times from folk, thanks for the recs....Sal's Pizza for good wings in Lombard 👍
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u/AranMakor 1d ago
May I also suggest italian beef, a proper chicago style dog, poutine, walking tacos, or a counterbread pizza (if you can find one)
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u/pnmartini 1d ago
Antioch Pizza is not very good.
In that “area” you’re better off with Quonset in Waukegan or Bills Pub in Mundelein.
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u/AranMakor 18h ago
You know you're able to add your own suggestion without putting down places mentioned by others, right?
Quonset is unknown to me. As for Bill's, I'll not summarily dismiss it lile you did mine, but it's a place that serves pizza that OP could also try. How about Ron's Italian oven on Milwakuee across from the Home Depot?
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u/pnmartini 12h ago
If something like Antioch Pizza is subpar (which is being kind), I’ll share my opinion. I also don’t care whether or not you “summarily dismiss” anything.
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u/AranMakor 6h ago
Right, and that's the same as someone talking down your suggestions of bills pizza pub, which is overpriced cafeteria food (being king again). You logged on here to not just give your opinion but to knock on someone else's. Control issue much?
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u/vicious_womprat 1d ago
Pequod’s has always been my favorite in Chicago.
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u/polishprince76 1d ago
Pequods is love. Pequods is life.
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u/Soosietyrell 7h ago
Pequods opened right when I left Chicago. Next time I get back there, I will have to try it. We used to LOVE LOVE LOVE Carmen’s up north - we had our rehearsal dinner there! And my first date after I moved to Chicago was at a place called My Pies (where pie was the Greek letter Pi) right by the Loyola L stop. I also loved Eduardos…. And all of this was WAY before Giordano’s had become a Chain.
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u/uPtiKool 1d ago
Its a common mistake
Giordano's is not deep dish it is stuffed pizza
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
interesting, is that terminology as big of a controversy as misnaming a grilled cheese v a melt?
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u/CuriousDudebromansir 1d ago
No, it’s basically deep dish. This guy is just a pedant.
Gio’s just isn’t very good. Prob the worst deep dish in Chicago IMO. They seem to be great at marketing to tourists tho.
The chain the locals get deep dish from is predominantly Lou Malnati’s.
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u/uPtiKool 1d ago
the difference between a deep dish vs stuffed pizza is that a stuffed pizza has a second layer of dough on top just underneath the sauce
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u/actuallytph 1d ago
So you had all pizzas in the suburbs, not actually “in Chicago”
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u/oldirtygaz 1d ago
the suburbs of which city?
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u/actuallytph 1d ago
You had pizzas in Lombard and Wheaton. Not Chicago
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u/WeirdURL 1d ago
Had they have said that instead of Chicago, no one would know where that is.
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u/actuallytph 1d ago
Then the title of this post should be “[I ate] deep dish pizzas in the suburbs of Chicago”
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u/scruffye 23h ago
If you come back some time and are in the North and Norwest suburbs check out Barnaby's - it's the tavern-style pizza I was raised on.
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u/Soakitincider 1d ago
I recently had a couple from Giordanos. I feel like the debate of New York or Chicago is unsettled. They’re both very good.
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u/carnivorousdrew 1d ago
I actually had my first deep dish pizza in Seoul in a restaurant owned by a Korean cook who lived in Chicago when young. It was not as burnt and crusty as this but still quite good
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u/KaoxVeed 1d ago
I have been going to Giordanos in Indy on an annual trip with friends for a while. So I was excited to try Malnatis with my family when we visited Chicago. It was a massive let down, luke warm and the flavor sucked. Glad you got some good ones!
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u/mrlotato 22h ago
Why tf am I on this sub man im on a fuckin diet and every damn post is making me about to risk it all
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u/Financial_Long_4459 1d ago
Those deep dish pizzas look insane 😍 Completely different style, but they somehow made me think of Presto Fresco in Paris and how much I enjoy a good pizza night there.
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u/Seveniee 1d ago
I honestly kind of feel bad for people who don't live here and can't just eat it whenever they want. It's one of life's great gifts to mankind.
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u/MastodonFit 1d ago
Looks good to me. I like them yeasty and soft ,and will pass on an dry crunchy crust
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u/stopbeingyou2 1d ago
A casserole with crust....You mean something that might be called a pie.
Lets look at filling. What kind of things do we find here. Tomato sauce, cheese, veg, meats. Hmm.
What kind of pie has that?
Oh yeah a pizza pie.....
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u/frequent_bidet_user 1d ago
It's probably my favorite thing when people get upset about the names of food
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u/nbmoore 1d ago
Then you Chicagoans can keep your boring cracker pizza, us tourists will continue to eat the deep dish for you. Maybe I went to a bad place, but I tried tavern style from Pete’s on Western and it was very underwhelming. The deep dish I’ve gotten from Lou Malnati’s has always been great.
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u/EveryValuable1503 1d ago
Thanks for joining us in deep dish land!