The Best Pizza in Chicago

Giordano’s: Deep dish for the win

Looking for the best deep-dish pizza in the Windy City? Then look no further than Giordano’s, located all over Chicago, for your true Chicago-style pizza experience. Owned by brothers Efren and Joseph Boglio, Giordano’s first opened in 1974 because the siblings felt that the pizza in Chicago was not quite up to par. They tried multiple pizzarias but none compared to their mother’s original recipe back home in Italy. As a result they developed a derivation of their mother’s pizza and opened Giordano’s. Since then their menu has grown to more than just pizza, including pasta, sandwiches, and salads. 

This pizzaria also offers the choice of ordering their world famous stuffed deep-dish pizza or thin pizza. Both types of crust can be smothered with with a variety of pizza toppings. A few of Giordano’s signature pizzas consist of shrimp and cheese, the Spinach pizza with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, or even enjoy the Tropic Delight with cheese, canadian bacon, and pineapple to top it off. No need to worry about missing your favorite deep-dish pizza after leaving Chicago because Giordano’s will ship their pizzas to anywhere in the United States.

Gino's East of Chicago: From cabby to pizza-master 

Who would have thought some of the best pizza in Chicago would come from two former taxi-driver brothers tired of sitting in traffic? That’s the story behind Gino’s East of Chicago, which opened in 1966. With many Gino’s restaurants in numerous areas of Chicago, it is a great place to have any type of celebration or you can even get it catered for an event. 

Choose from a bacon cheeseburger deep-dish pizza, or a BBQ chicken thin crust. If you’re in the mood for something other than pizza, the menu also includes salads, sandwiches, pastas, and stromboli. Either way, you are sure to have a tasty treat.

Uno Chicago Grille: The first deep-dish, maybe

Originally, Ike Sewell intended to open a Mexican restaurant, but later decided to open up Uno Chicago Grille—formerly known as Pizzeria Uno—instead. Ike Sewell claims to have invented the deep-dish style pizza in 1943 when he first opened his pizzeria, and that others have tried unsuccessfully to duplicate him since. We may never know who first invented the delicious Chicago-style pizza pies, but they all have a spot on the best pizza in Chicago list. Seafood, steak, chicken, pasta, and salads, along with thin and deep-dish pizza are all on the Uno Chicago Grille menu. 

Lou Malnati’s

Another favorite for the best pizza in Chicago is Lou Malnati’s, with 31 locations in the greater Chicago area. Family owned and operated since 1971, many locals believe that Lou Malnati’s excels in making the renowned deep-dish, Chicago style pizza. 

The first step in making the famed dish is to coat the bottom of a well-seasoned, deep-dish pan with a thin layer of dough. Then coat the dough with layers of mozzarella cheese. Next pile on your favorite ingredients, such as onions, mushrooms, and sausage are always. Finally, top off the pizza with tomato sauce and sliced tomatoes. Here at Lou Malnati’s, Lou knows how to make his pizzas, and he does it well.

If you want something besides pizza, check out this list of the best restaurants in Chicago.