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Visiting Chicago and looking for the best deep dish pizza? Dive into our deep dish showdown to see how some of Chicago’s most famous deep dish spots stack up!
We set out to find the best of this indulgent, overstuffed pizza, visiting three of the city’s most famous establishments: Gino’s East, Giordano’s, and Lou Malnati’s.
We know there are more good deep dish spots in Chicago, but alas, our stomachs can only take so much. Don’t worry – the map is marked for return visits to more spots around town and I will be sure to update this guide when we’re back for more.
Pizza Score Criteria
Like any other kind of pizza out there, a good pie needs to have a nicely-salted crust, well-seasoned sauce, quality cheese, and a proportionate amount of toppings. A deep dish pizza experience should also be rounded out with a pizza joint’s ambiance and service, along with appetizers/side dishes for bonus points.
We took all of the above into consideration when judging our pizzas!
To keep comparisons close, we ordered our pizzas with similar toppings at each spot: sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms with giardiniera as an extra (a must if you like spicy, pickled vegetables – it adds a whole extra layer to the pie).
Gino’s East
Why save the best for last? Gino’s East takes our top spot for the best Chicago deep dish pizza!
In business since 1966, Gino’s East was founded by two taxi drivers and a friend right off Magnificent Mile. But the one who made their pizza special? A woman named Alice Mae Redmond, who came over from the rival Pizzeria Uno, developed the recipe of their popular pizza and worked for them for nearly three decades.
- Location Visited: Magnificent Mile, 162 E Superior St, Chicago, IL 60611
- Our Order: Gino’s Supreme with sausage, antipasti salad, and artichoke dip
- Overall Rating: 10/10
Everything on their pizzas is incredibly well-balanced, from their flavorful sauce to their tasty crust. The toppings and cheese ratio was spot on too. For me personally, the sauce was the best part and best of the three deep dish spots in this showdown.
Gino’s makes fresh dough daily, their cheese comes straight from neighboring Wisconsin, their fresh tomatoes are California-grown, and they use Chicago-made sausage. All contribute to the best pies!
Side Dishes
In terms of sides, we had the antipasti salad to start – a killer salad with a nice tangy dressing. We also had their artichoke dip, which was creamy and delicious. Even though the chips weren’t super crisp for the dip, I won’t hold that against them.
Location & Ambiance
The ambiance in Gino’s East feels like a true pizza place – loud and full of energy. The tables are decorated with red checkered table cloths and the booths and walls are covered in signatures by patrons who have dined there over the years. It feels fun, casual, and homey.
Our waiter here was excellent too – chatty and excitable, which elevated our overall experience!
Pro Tip: pair your visit to Gino’s East with 360 Chicago experience at the John Hancock Tower.
Lou Malnati’s
Arguably one of the most recognized names when it comes to Chicago deep dish pizza, Lou Malnati’s is a pizza empire.
The Malnati family has been perfecting their pies since 1971 (after moving on from Pizzeria Uno) and now has over 70 locations across the U.S. In fact, the first time we had Lou Malnati’s was in Phoenix, Arizona of all places!
- Location Visited: South Loop – 805 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60605
- Our Order: The Malnati Chicago Classic – add mushrooms, green peppers & giardinera; ravioli crisps and the Malnati’s Salad for sides
- Overall Rating: 8/10
One of the things that makes Lou’s stand out is their buttery crust, which I can confirm is a star. They also know how to pack their pizzas with toppings, especially when it comes to the sausage that’s made right in Chicago.
In comparison to Gino’s, I think Lou’s pizza was missing a little something when it came to the sauce. I wanted more of it, but the flavors at Gino’s were also slightly more pronounced.
Side Dishes
For sides, we had the ravioli crisps (they were average) and the Malnati Salad. The salad was really good with bits of crispy fried salami and a sweet dressing that helped balance out all the savory elements.
Location & Ambiance
The ambiance and service at this location sadly missed the mark. It really did feel like a modern chain! I can’t hold that against them too much though – this location just happened to be closest to our activities that day. This location also does not have a bar like some of the others. Drinks are limited to a selection of bottled beverages.
The original Lou’s looks much more inviting, but that’s north of the city in Lincolnwood. I do hear that is the best location – and rightly so! If you have the ability to make the trek here, that might be your best bet.
Overall, still a good deep dish but Gino’s gets the edge.
Giordano’s
The history of Giordano’s “stuffed Easter pie” can be traced back to Italy, where Mama Giordano would serve a double crusted cheese pie on special occasions. Fast forward to the 1970s and her sons brought her famous recipe to Chicago to start a pizza business.
- Location Visited: Prudential Plaza/Millennium Park – 130 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601
- Our Order: The Special Deep Dish, calamari, and Italian beef arancini
- Overall Rating: 7/10
Where Giordano’s shines: the cheese! Our pizza from Giordano’s had the most (and stretchiest) cheese out of all the deep dish pizzas we tried. Giordano’s overstuffs their pies with fresh mozzarella from Wisconsin. If you’re looking for a solid cheese pull, Giordano’s the best spot for that.
Overall though, the flavors here didn’t quite live up to Gino’s and Lou’s, especially when it came to the crust and sauce. They just needed a little more salt and seasoning. I also felt like they could have been a little more generous in the toppings department, especially with regards to the sausage.
Rating aside, we’d definitely eat a pizza from Giordano’s again in the future!
Side Dishes
Giordano’s has a ton of side dishes on the menu – and you’re going to want something to stave off the hunger while you wait for your pizza to be cooked! We had the calamari, which was crispy and flavorful and also included bites of lemon and banana peppers.
The best of all was their Italian beef arancini – a nod to the city’s famous Italian beef sandwich. These were incredible. I recommend the beef au jus for dipping sauce and skip the marinara.
Service & Ambiance
The service at Giordano’s was excellent (our server was actually from Ireland!) and the ambiance in this location was lively, which gave us a great first impression of Chicago (it was the very first spot we ate at).
I also love the fact that they go around taking “professional” pictures of guests. Yes, the photos are expensive but you get a little Giordano’s-branded paper frame to commemorate your time there.
Deep Dish Pro Tips
How does one eat Chicago deep dish pizza like a pro? Here are my tips:
- Be patient: Deep dish pizzas take a while to cook. Get your pizza order in as soon as you can and have some appetizers, drinks, and a salad while you wait for your masterpiece to emerge.
- Make reservations: You can get lucky if you go at non-peak times, i.e. we had an early dinner at Giordano’s and were able to walk right in. However, at Gino’s, there was a long line out the door that we got to bypass simply by having a reservation.
- Don’t over order: Deep dish pizzas are thickkkkk. One to two slices is good enough for one person, especially if you’re getting apps. Three is too much and you’ll need someone to roll you back to your hotel.
Others Spots for Deep Dish
There’s much more to the Chicago deep dish pizza scene outside of Giordano’s, Gino’s, and Lou’s. These are three spots that we’d love to try out on our next trip to Chicago:
- Pizzeria Uno, who seems to have the claim to fame of inventing the Chicago deep dish pizza (from which Malnati’s and Gino’s East have ties to).
- Pequod’s is one of the most highly-recommended spots in the city. They serve more of a pan-style “deep dish” rather than a stuffed pizza like the three on our guide above. Online debates rage on whether Pequod’s should be considered “Chicago deep dish.” Either way, their caramelized crust keeps people coming back for more.
- The Art of Pizza – Another pizzeria capitalizing off the popularity of this indulgent, stuffed pie.
Have you had Chicago deep dish pizza before? What do you think of our assessment and would you pick a different favorite?
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