# Who makes the best Chicago deep dish pizza? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278 "2012-06-15T20:10:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/1 "2012-06-15T20:10:47Z")
There was [a thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13910565) about a year ago, but it does not appear we have ever put it to poll. So here it is. Vote for your favorite! And though I know it’s a tendentious issue, please try to keep this thread out of the Pit. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/2 "2012-06-15T20:14:29Z")
OBVIOUSLY CHOLIE’S MAKES THE BEST PIZZA IN CHICAGO SO I VOTED FOR OTHER No, actually I prefer brick-oven pizza to the lot of them but for full transparency, Giordano’s is my pick. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/3 "2012-06-15T20:40:56Z")
Burt’s in Morton Grove. Next question. Giordano’s isn’t even a standard Chicago style deep dish pizza (as exemplified by Uno’s, progenitors of the style.) I dislike Giordano’s. And where’s Pequod’s on this poll? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/4 "2012-06-15T20:54:29Z")
Back when I was Ga Tech, I loved Pippins Chicago style Garbage pizza. No idea if it still there but it was delicious. I have not had the pleasure of eating pizza in Chicago. But deep dish is my favorite style of pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/5 "2012-06-15T21:03:08Z")
“Malnati’s” - one T. You forgot “that’s tourist food” as a poll option. 😛 I like Chicago-style thin crust, though Piece’s white-style pizza kicks much ass. If I had to pick, a tie between Lou Malnati’s for offering giardinera or Due for the atmosphere and old-school-ness. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/6 "2012-06-15T21:27:23Z")
First of all, I’ll chow down on any of them. They’re all excellent. Lou’s is probably my _least_ favorite, but I happily ate there when I went to Chicago last month because it was close to the hotel. Uno/Due’s is best in terms of atmosphere. I’m talking about the original locations downtown, obviously. Of the places listed in the OP, my personal favorite is Giordano’s which is what I voted for. However, I have a real soft spot for [Carmen’s](http://www.carmenspizzaevanston.com/) in Evanston and if I could magically make a Chicago pizza appear in front of me it would be Carmen’s. ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/7 "2012-06-15T22:11:26Z")
I picked Somewhere else, not because it’s true, but because I can’t remember which restaurant I went to. My cousin drove and I was falling asleep in the car, it had been a long trip. The impression I remember of the outside was a little of pizza hut, oddly enough, and generally dim lighting on the inside except for the lights over the tables. And ftr, I don’t really care if native chicagoans consider deep dish nothing but pizza tourist fare, I’d chop a tree down with my dick (pardon my klatchian) to have the pizza I ate on that distant night once again. Possibly\* the\* best meal ever. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/8 "2012-06-15T22:19:24Z")
> [@Barking\_Dog](#): > > I picked Somewhere else, not because it’s true, but because I can’t remember which restaurant I went to. My cousin drove and I was falling asleep in the car, it had been a long trip. The impression I remember of the outside was a little of pizza hut, oddly enough, and generally dim lighting on the inside except for the lights over the tables. > And ftr, I don’t really care if native chicagoans consider deep dish nothing but pizza tourist fare, I’d chop a tree down with my dick (pardon my klatchian) to have the pizza I ate on that distant night once again. Possibly\* the\* best meal ever. Not that I’m the voice of Chicagoans, but, no, it’s not tourist fare. We eat a hell of a lot of the stuff. However, it’s also not our everyday pizza. It’s more for special occasions. (thankfully, else our whole city would be long dead of coronaries.) Our square-cut thin crust is the more usual pizza you would see at parties or for a take-out dinner. In fact, I don’t ever remember seeing deep dish at a large get-together, as it’s not well suited for that. I personally didn’t even have my first deep dish, despite being born and growing up in the city, until I was a teenager. That said, it’s definitely eaten by the locals, although sparingly. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/9 "2012-06-15T22:51:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Not that I’m the voice of Chicagoans, but, no, it’s not tourist fare. We eat a hell of a lot of the stuff. However, it’s also not our everyday pizza. I was a college student in Chicago, so we probably ate a little more than born-and-raised locals due to, y’know, college. But yeah. It’s not ‘dunno what to eat, let’s order a pizza’ type pizza, I agree. Sorry about the misspell on Malnati’s there. Since it is my least favorite on the list (I don’t like whole tomatoes, so there goes the “Lou” aka ~90% of their unique appeal) I never paid much attention… I’m not sure why Giordano’s doesn’t qualify as standard deep dish. Because it’s stuffed? Come on, stuffed pizza is totally deep dish. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/10 "2012-06-15T22:56:51Z")
Not a Chicagoian, and have only tried one so I’m not qualified to vote. But the one I had was from Beggar’s pizza and it was pretty tasty. Have any of you tried it, and how does it stack up against the others? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/11 "2012-06-15T22:59:50Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > I was a college student in Chicago, so we probably ate a little more than born-and-raised locals due to, y’know, college. But yeah. It’s not ‘dunno what to eat, let’s order a pizza’ type pizza, I agree. > > Sorry about the misspell on Malnati’s there. Since it is my least favorite on the list (I don’t like whole tomatoes, so there goes the “Lou” aka ~90% of their unique appeal) I never paid much attention… > > I’m not sure why Giordano’s doesn’t qualify as standard deep dish. Because it’s stuffed? Come on, stuffed pizza is totally deep dish. No, no. You misunderstand. Giordano’s is deep dish. But it’s not a special sub-category of deep dish called stuffed. It’s not what I would call “quintessential Chicago deep dish.” The original deep dish is Uno’s. Uno’s, Due’s, Malnati’s, Gino’s East, Pequod’s, Burt’s, etc., all have the regular non-stuffed deep dish style of pizza. If I had to rank your list, it would be: 1. Malnati’s 2. Uno’s/Due’s 3. Edwardo’s (stuffed) 4. Gino’s East 5. Giordano’s I really don’t understand how Giordano’s is leading this poll, but, hey, _de gustibus_ and all that… ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/12 "2012-06-15T23:14:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > No, no. You misunderstand. > > Giordano’s is deep dish. But it’s not a special sub-category of deep dish called stuffed. It’s not what I would call “quintessential Chicago deep dish.” The original deep dish is Uno’s. Uno’s, Due’s, Malnati’s, Gino’s East, Pequod’s, Burt’s, etc., all have the regular non-stuffed deep dish style of pizza. You mean it _is_ in the stuffed category? Anyway, stuffed is delicious, so whatever _‘W’ fingers_ ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/13 "2012-06-15T23:23:49Z")
I’m a relatively new Chicagoan but I voted Somewhere else. I love [Nancy’s Pizza](http://www.nancyspizza.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/14 "2012-06-15T23:54:04Z")
I cannot believe Sbarro isn’t on the list! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/15 "2012-06-16T00:16:26Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > You forgot “that’s tourist food” as a poll option. 😛 I like Chicago-style thin crust… Yeah, “tourist food” is how I think of those pizza-flavored puddings the restaurants in the list serve. The cheese goes on TOP of the sauce, children. Otherwise it melts into the crust and together they make glop. For deep dish I used to like My Π, but they don’t have one near me anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/16 "2012-06-16T00:46:19Z")
Papa Del’s in Champaign/Urbana. By far. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/17 "2012-06-16T00:49:44Z")
Sorry, couldn’t vote. That’s like asking which is your favorite child. They are all awesome, in their own way. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/18 "2012-06-16T00:51:27Z")
> [@Avumede](#): > > Papa Del’s in Champaign/Urbana. By far. When I was in college, I loooooved me some P-Del’s. Even worked there for awhile. But after moving back to Chicago and getting more accustomed to the local pizza, Del’s now seems too bland to me. I know, blasphemy, but there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/19 "2012-06-16T00:55:27Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > You mean it _is_ in the stuffed category? Anyway, stuffed is delicious, so whatever _‘W’ fingers_ Yes. The “not” was left in from a previous thought. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278/20 "2012-06-16T00:56:50Z")
I put other. I definitely like Lou’s, Gino’s, Uno’s, and Edwardo’s, but Chicago Pizza makes a damn fine pizza as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-makes-the-best-chicago-deep-dish-pizza/625278.md?page=2)