I Tested 12 Chicago Deep Pan Pizzas—Here's the Truth

The 12-Pizza Testing Breakdown

I ate chicago deep pan at every "must-visit" spot plus three locals-only places over six days. Here's the methodology: same toppings where possible (sausage + mushroom), ordered medium, tracked prices, wait times, and rated on a 5-point scale for crust, sauce, cheese quality, and value.

The Winner: Pequod's

$26 gets you the best chicago deep pan pizza in the city. Period. The caramelized cheese crust—they call it "caramelized crust"—is what every other place tries and fails to replicate.

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It's crispy, slightly burnt (in the best way), and has actual flavor beyond "butter and salt."

The sauce is chunkier than lou malnati's chicago style pizza, which I actually prefer. You can taste individual tomatoes instead of puree.

Location: 2207 N Clybourn Ave (Lincoln Park). There's also a Morton Grove location that's even cheaper but requires a car.

Wait time reality: They say 45 minutes. It's actually 45 minutes. Respect.

💡 Pro tip: Sit at the bar if you're solo or a couple. You'll get seated immediately while families wait 30+ minutes for tables. The view of the kitchen is worth it anyway.

The Controversy: Lou Malnati's Deep Dish

Here's where I lose half of you: Lou Malnati's isn't consistent across locations.

The Lincolnwood location ($29) serves the butter crust everyone raves about—flaky, almost croissant-like. The River North tourist location ($32) serves a thicker, doughier version that's good but not $32 good.

Lou malnati's deep dish pizza uses a "secret" butter crust recipe. It's actually just more butter than everyone else. Revolutionary? No. Delicious? Absolutely.

The sausage is the move. Their fennel-heavy sausage is better than any other spot's. If you're getting malnati's deep dish pizza anywhere, get sausage.

For a full breakdown of what actually makes lou malnati's different, I tested every location—read the full analysis at I Ate Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza at 12 Places.

What to Skip: The Tourist Traps

Giordano's Is a Waste of Money

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$42 for a medium. Ninety-minute wait. And the pizza is... fine. The stuffed pizza (their specialty) is so thick it's legitimately hard to eat. The ratio is off—too much cheese, not enough sauce, crust tastes like it came from Sysco.

I've had better frozen chicago dish pizza from Trader Joe's. I'm not joking.

Why is it packed? Location. They're on the Magnificent Mile where tourist foot traffic is insane. That's it. That's the whole reason.

💡 Pro tip: If someone drags you to Giordano's anyway, order thin crust. Their thin crust is actually decent and costs $18. Admit you're not really here for chicago deep pan and move on with your life.

Gino's East: The "Experience" Tax

Gino's East charges you $38 for the "experience" of writing on the walls with a marker. Cool novelty for kids. For adults who want good chicago style deep dish pizza? Skip it.

The crust is too thick and too bland. The sauce is over-sweetened. It tastes like a chain because it basically is—they have locations in Minnesota and Arizona now.

If you must go: The original location at 162 E Superior St is slightly better than the other locations, but you're still overpaying by $10-12.

The Best Value Breakdown

Want great chicago deep pan without the tourist markup? Here's the mathematical reality:

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Real talk: The difference between a $24 pizza and a $42 pizza isn't quality—it's location rent. The dish deep pizza chicago residents actually eat costs $24-30. Anything above that is tourist pricing.

How to Eat Chicago Deep Pan Like a Local

Order Correctly

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Never call it "deep dish pizza chicago" to locals. Just say "deep dish" or "pan pizza." We know what you mean.

Order by phone 45 minutes before you arrive. This is how locals do it. You're not cutting in line—you're being smart about a 45-minute bake time.

Skip the appetizers. One medium chicago pizza dish feeds two adults easily, sometimes three if you're not starving. The appetizer is a tourist trap that makes you too full to finish your pizza.

The Fork-and-Knife Reality

Yes, you eat chicago deep pan with a fork and knife. Anyone eating this with their hands is either showing off or lying about how much they're enjoying it.

The proper technique: Cut from the point inward, not across. This keeps the structural integrity so you don't have a cheese landslide on bite three.

Let it cool for 5-7 minutes after it arrives. I know it smells incredible. Eat it immediately and you'll burn the roof of your mouth and taste nothing. The cheese is molten lava temperature for the first five minutes.

💡 Pro tip: The corner pieces have more caramelized crust. If you're at Pequod's, specifically request a corner piece. They'll usually accommodate.

Best Time to Go

Weekday lunch (11:30am-1pm): Shorter waits, sometimes lunch specials. My Pi does a $18 personal deep dish on weekdays.

Weeknight dinner (5-6pm): The sweet spot before the dinner rush. You'll wait 20-30 minutes instead of 60-90.

Avoid: Friday/Saturday nights, any time after a Cubs day game, Sunday brunch (yes, people eat chicago deep pan for brunch—it's weird but common).

The Digital Nomad Perspective

Can you work while eating chicago deep dish pizza? No. This is a fork-and-knife, full-attention meal. Your laptop will get sauce on it.

But here's what you can do: Order takeout to your hotel/Airbnb, eat half for dinner, eat half cold for breakfast. Cold chicago deep pan is controversial but I stand by it—the butter crust is even better cold.

WiFi situation: Most chicago deep pan spots have terrible WiFi. Gino's East doesn't even have outlets. If you need to work, grab a coffee at Intelligentsia after your meal—their Monadnock location has great WiFi and laptop-friendly seating.

Where to Stay for Pizza Access

Your hotel location matters. Downtown/Magnificent Mile is convenient for tourist stuff but terrible for authentic chicago dish deep pizza.

My recommendation: Stay in Lincoln Park at The Belden-Stratford ($160/night, check rates). You're walking distance to Pequod's, the lakefront, and the Brown Line takes you downtown in 15 minutes.

Budget option: Airbnb in Wicker Park or Logan Square ($80-120/night). You'll have a kitchen to reheat leftover chicago deep pan—and trust me, you'll have leftovers.

The Complete Chicago Deep Pan Itinerary

Here's how to experience the best chicago deep pizza without wasting time on tourist traps.

Day 1: The Introduction

Lunch: Lou Malnati's Lincolnwood location (take the Purple Line to Linden, then Uber 8 minutes—$12 total). Order the Lou (sausage, spinach, mushrooms on butter crust). Cost: $29 + tip + transit = ~$45 total.

Why start here: Lou malnati's chicago style pizza is the baseline everyone judges against. You need to know what "classic" tastes like before trying variations.

Afternoon: Walk it off at the Chicago Botanic Garden (free admission, $30 parking—or take the Metra for $8 round trip).

Dinner: Skip. You won't be hungry.

Day 2: The Revelation

Lunch: Skip or eat something light. Maybe a hot dog at Portillo's.

Dinner: Pequod's in Lincoln Park. Order the pan pizza (their term for deep dish) with sausage and peppers. Request a corner piece. Cost: $26 + tip = ~$35.

Why this matters: This is the moment you realize lou malnati's isn't the pinnacle. The caramelized crust changes everything.

After: Drinks at Kingston Mines (blues club, $15 cover) or just walk the lakefront if you ate too much.

Day 3: The Budget Option

Lunch: Bartoli's in South Loop. Cost: $24 + tip = ~$32.

Why: Proof that cheap doesn't mean bad. This is what Chicago deep pan costs when you're not in a tourist zone.

Afternoon: Museum Campus. Field Museum or Shedd Aquarium are both walkable from Bartoli's.

💡 Pro tip: Save room for the actual reason you're at Bartoli's—their homemade Italian ice. It's not on the main menu. Ask for it.

Budget Breakdown: 3-Day Chicago Deep Pan Trip

My actual spend: $680 over six days, but I ate way more pizza than a normal person should.

The Logistics: Getting Around for Pizza

Chicago's L train is your friend. Most good chicago deep pan spots are near train stops.

Get the Ventra app and load a 3-day pass ($20). Don't be the tourist fumbling with cash at the turnstile.

💡 Pro tip: Most chicago pizza dish restaurants don't validate parking. Street parking in Lincoln Park is $2/hour metered until 10pm. The parking ticket for overstaying is $65. Set a timer.

What Nobody Tells You About Chicago Deep Pan

The Garlic Situation

Most places give you jardinière (pickled vegetables) on the side. Eat them. They cut through the richness and reset your palate between slices. Skipping them is why you feel like you ate a brick after three slices.

The Reheating Method

Never microwave chicago deep pan. Put it in a skillet on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, covered. The crust crisps up, the cheese melts, and it tastes 90% as good as fresh.

Oven works too (350°F for 15 minutes) but the skillet method is faster and gives you that cast-iron crust texture again.

The Actual Portions

One medium chicago style deep dish pizza is 2,800-3,200 calories total. That's the whole pizza, but even half is a full day's calories for most people.

I'm not saying don't eat it. I'm saying plan accordingly. This is your meal for the day, not an appetizer before hitting another restaurant.

The Lou Malnati's Ship-to-Home Reality

Lou malnati's deep dish ships nationwide. Don't do it. It costs $80-90 for two pizzas plus shipping, and the reheating instructions are complicated.

If you're desperate for lou malnati's chicago style pizza at home, the frozen versions at Chicago-area grocery stores are $14 and 85% as good as shipped. But honestly? It's never the same outside Chicago. The crust dries out during freezing no matter what they tell you.

The Hidden Spots Tourists Miss

These three aren't in any guidebook, but they're where locals go when they don't want to deal with Pequod's wait times.

Coalfire Pizza (Grand Ave)

Technically not chicago deep pan—they do a hybrid thick crust that's between New York and deep dish. $22 for a large. 20-minute bake time. Perfect if you're hungry now, not in 45 minutes.

Jimmy's Pizza Cafe (Lincoln Park)

Looks like a dive bar (because it is). Their deep dish is $19 and genuinely good. No wait even on weekends because tourists don't know it exists.

Ranalli's (Lincoln Park/Andersonville)

Local chain with two locations. Their "Heart Healthy Whole Wheat Deep Dish" sounds terrible but is actually great—$24 and you can pretend you're being responsible. You're not, but the fiber helps.

FAQ

Q. Is Chicago deep pan really better than New York pizza?

They're completely different foods. Asking this is like asking if sushi is better than tacos—it's a nonsense comparison that only exists because Americans are obsessed with ranking everything.

Chicago deep pan is a meal. New York pizza is food you eat while walking or drunk at 2am. They serve different purposes. I grew up eating New York pizza and I'll defend both.

That said, if you forced me to pick one for the rest of my life? New York. Because I can eat it more than once a week without my body staging a revolt.

Q. How much should I budget for chicago deep dish pizza per person?

$35-45 per person including the pizza, tip, and a drink. That's at a good spot like Pequod's or Lou Malnati's.

Budget travelers can get this down to $25-30 by going to spots like Bartoli's or ordering takeout and skipping drinks. Splurgers at Giordano's will pay $60+ per person, which is insane.

One medium pizza feeds 2-3 people. Most places charge $26-35 for a medium. Do the math based on your group size.

Q. Can I get good chicago dish deep pizza near O'Hare or Midway airport?

O'Hare: Lou Malnati's has a location in Terminal 3. It's... fine. Airport rent means you're paying $38 for a personal pizza that costs $18 elsewhere. If you have a long layover and need the fix, go for it.

Midway: Art of Pizza has a location in the Orange Line station near the airport. This is actually good and reasonably priced ($28). Better option than O'Hare.

Real talk: If you're flying out and want one last chicago deep pan, order takeout from Pequod's or Lou's and eat it at your hotel the night before. The airport versions are never worth it unless you're desperate.

Q. What's the difference between deep dish and stuffed pizza?

Deep dish: Cheese on bottom, toppings, sauce on top. 1.5-2 inches thick. This is the classic chicago deep pan style.

Stuffed pizza: Thin layer of crust, toppings, another layer of dough, then sauce on top. 2.5-3 inches thick. Giordano's specializes in this.

Most people prefer deep dish. Stuffed pizza is too much dough and feels like eating a bread bowl. But some people love it—try both if you're curious.

Q. Is Lou Malnati's actually better than Pequod's?

They're different. Lou malnati's chicago style pizza wins on crust—the butter crust is legitimately unique and amazing. Pequod's wins on overall flavor and the caramelized cheese crust.

I give Pequod's the edge because it's $26 vs $29-32, and the caramelized crust is something you can't replicate at home. Lou Malnati's is easier to ship/replicate (they sell the butter crust recipe).

If you only have time for one? Pequod's. If you have time for two? Get Lou's first to establish the baseline, then Pequod's to blow your mind.

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Bottom line: Chicago deep pan is worth the hype, but only if you go to the right places. Skip anything on the Magnificent Mile, order 45 minutes before you're hungry, and remember that price doesn't equal quality. The best chicago deep dish pizza costs $24-29, not $42.

And if someone tells you Giordano's is the best? They either haven't tried Pequod's, or they're financially invested in Giordano's stock. There's no third option.