Where Deep Dish Still Reigns Supreme In Illinois

Illinois has given the world many treasures, but none quite as cheesy, saucy, and controversial as deep dish pizza. This iconic pie, with its towering crust walls holding rivers of tomato sauce and lakes of melted cheese, remains a culinary battleground between pizza purists and deep dish devotees.

While the rest of America argues about pineapple toppings, Illinoisans are busy defending their beloved deep dish at these standout spots.

1. Lou Malnati’s: The OG Butter Crust Kingdom

This legendary spot keeps the deep dish flame burning bright with a buttery crust that crackles like autumn leaves. Lou Malnati’s opened in 1971, but their recipe dates back to the 1940s when Papa Malnati helped pioneer the style at Pizzeria Uno.

Fresh mozzarella blankets every pie, while their chunky tomato sauce adds the perfect tangy punch. The Malnati Chicago Classic with sausage forms a magnificent meat layer that spans the entire circumference.

Tourists line up for hours, but locals know to call ahead or brave the winter months when lines shrink faster than Chicago’s summer.

2. Giordano’s: Stuffed Pizza Paradise For Cheese Fanatics

Where other pizzerias zigged, Giordano’s zagged by stuffing their pies with ungodly amounts of cheese. The result? A pizza so heavy it could double as a dumbbell for your cheat day workout.

Giordano’s technically serves stuffed pizza, not deep dish. That extra top layer of dough separates the cheese from the sauce, creating a molten interior that requires surgical precision to eat without third-degree burns.

My personal record is four slices before entering a cheese coma. The Special comes loaded with enough toppings to make your cardiologist weep, but it’s worth every delicious, life-shortening bite.

3. Gino’s East: Graffiti Walls And Cornmeal Crusts

Though tourists flock here like pigeons to bread crumbs, locals still respect the cornmeal-dusted crust that defines a Gino’s pie. The golden-yellow foundation provides a distinctly crunchy experience that’s more textured than competitors.

Every inch of wall space bears decades of Sharpie graffiti from visitors marking their pilgrimage. I’ve personally contributed three declarations of pizza love across different locations.

Their sausage patty deserves its own fan club – a massive disk of seasoned meat that covers the entire base. The Superior Street location remains the most atmospheric spot to experience this Chicago institution.

4. Pequod’s Pizza: Caramelized Crust Cult Favorite

Forget what you think you know about deep dish, Pequod’s rewrote the rules with their caramelized crust. The outer edge gets lined with cheese that burns against the pan, creating a blackened halo that tastes like heaven’s own pizza brittle.

Hidden in Lincoln Park, this former bowling alley maintains a dive bar atmosphere that keeps pretentious pizza snobs at bay. The dining room feels like your uncle’s basement if your uncle were impossibly cool and smelled perpetually of amazing pizza.

My standard order, a medium with pepperoni and giardiniera. The spicy pickled vegetable mix cuts through the richness like a hot knife through butter.

5. My Pi Pizza: The Hidden Sweetie With Whole Wheat Options

Hidden away in Bucktown sits this unassuming deep-dish sanctuary that’s been quietly perfecting its craft since 1971. My Pi offers something rare in the deep dish universe, a whole wheat crust option that doesn’t taste like cardboard covered in regret.

Families pack this neighborhood joint on weeknights, drawn by both tradition and the owner’s insistence on premium ingredients. The sauce contains no sugar or corn syrup, just pure tomato goodness that tastes like summer in Italy.

Expect a thinner, less imposing height than other deep dishes, but don’t mistake this for weakness. Every bite delivers concentrated flavor without the food coma aftermath.

6. Uno Pizzeria & Grill: The Birthplace Of Brilliance

Are you even a pizza enthusiast if you haven’t paid homage to the mothership? Pizzeria Uno (now Uno Pizzeria & Grill) gave birth to deep dish in 1943 when Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo created this casserole-like concoction.

The original location on Ohio Street sports the same tiny rooms and uneven floors from decades past. Waiting times regularly hit two hours on weekends, which explains why locals often opt for its sister restaurant, Pizzeria Due, just a block away.

Their crust remains distinctively buttery and dense, like a pastry shell designed by a mad scientist obsessed with structural integrity.

7. Bartoli’s Pizzeria: The Family Legacy Continues

When your grandfather helped create Lou Malnati’s, pizza sauce practically runs through your veins. Fred Bartoli Jr. opened this Roscoe Village jewel to honor his family legacy while carving out his own pizza identity.

The crust achieves that mythical balance between flaky and substantial, like pastry dough with superhero strength. Their standout move? Applying the sauce in careful dollops rather than a full layer, creating perfect pockets of cheese-to-sauce harmony in every bite.

Locals swear by the Hot Honey & Soppressata pie that balances sweet, spicy, and savory notes better than a Michelin-starred symphony.