NYC Chowhound visiting Chi: Best Deep-Dish Pizza?

I can only imagine how many times this board gets this question -

I am visiting Chicago tomorrow for the first time ever, and can not leave without tasting a classic Chicago deep-dish pizza...Any advice on where to eat?

Many thanks in advance!

[mfarmer142]

are you all friggin kidding me?? let me fix this obvious moot debate....The best pizza in Chicago?? were talkin deep dish rite?? In CHICAGO!! RITE, NOT the burbs??? o.k. the best pizza in the city is at Uno Or Due in the loop. ontario and wabash will get you Due's my personal favorite. I cant believe i actually heard Gino's pizza in here..I mean what? you gotta be from outta town to eat there dont you?? as for Lou's? aint they ONLY in the burbs??? that aint Chitown! Reguardless of the relationship between lou and Ike!(do your pizza recearch!) anyway, do the dou! It may take a while to get into pizzaria due's but the wait is minimal compared to what you get!!!! [phone]!!! get one to go!! and if you do go there tell them Mike Farmer told you to!!! ENJOY!

[chicgail]

Did you know you were responding to a four-year old thread?

[whatyouare]

ouch haha!

Hey, I'm coming to Chicago this Friday, and stumbling upon this 4 year old thread is just what I needed! Going to have to visit Uno or Due this Friday afternoon.

[ms. chow]

If i go deep-dish, i am in the Lou camp. Also, Lou's flagship is at Wells and Hubbard. In the middle of downtown. Don't know what the previous post was about.

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Lou Malnati's Pizzeria (River North)
439 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654

[whatyouare]

Yeah, after doing some research online I settled on Malnati's as well. Thanks for the info!

This is actually another question. I, too, am visiting Chicago and want pizza. I will be staying in the loop and called some of these places, but no one takes reservations!! I will be by myself on a Friday night and don't feel like just waiting around. Is there any good pizza in the general loop area in a place that will take a reservation? Many thanks.

I'll suggest that if what you want is pizza, then you really don't need a reservation. Probably the reason the places you called don't take them is that they aren't really necessary; dining density in Chicago just isn't like Manhattan, plus pizza places in downtown Chicago tend to have a more or less steady flow of customers from all the hotels. That said, you can find all the major Chicago pizza players either in the Loop or just north thereof in the River North neighborhood (a 15 minute walk or a $5.00 cab ride, your choice).

Thanks. I was going on my experience in San Francisco, which is that any decent restaurant - on a Friday or Saturday night - is full and the ones that don't take reservations genreally don't because they don't really care if you stand on the street for an hour waiting to get in! Maybe the density and turnover in Chicago are such that it works out OK. I will hope so because I don't imagine waiting an hour is any more fun there than here.

i like pequod's on webster. the crust is caramelized.

Original Unos is better than the clones by far...
Gulliver's on Howard is FANTASTIC
Lou Malnati's is similar and very good
Nancy's on Broadway...(?!) My wifes sister from out of state goes nutty for it... it's also pretty good.

I personally stand by Gulliver's.
Lou's is more convenient for you and is definitely a great Chicago deep dish

I suggest Pequod's on Clybourn. Definitely Chicago. Definitely not your run of the mill joint.

...Good pepperoni. But the drawback is that it's almost always filled with loud college-age and 20somethings...if you like that kind of scene.

Lou Malnati's has very good Chicago-style pizza, as do Pizzerias Uno and Due. Pizzeria Due probably is my personal favorite choice, and it's conveniently located at 619 N. Wabash Avenue.

I'd reccomend you go to Lou Malnati's, www.loumalnatis.com . Ask for it with the butter crust and a little extra cheese and you can't go wrong! Also get as an appetizer the cheddar cheese cubes, great! When in Chicago be sure to get an italian beef as well, Johnnie's beef on North avenue is the best or close to downtown, Mr. Beef (A Jay Leno favorite) is good.

I second the Lou Malnati's recommendation, definitely with butter crust. Also, the Lou's salad is very good to start with. There is a location at Hubbard & Wells, across from the Merchandise Mart, that will be a short cab ride away.

BTW - we are staying at the Omni on Mich Ave...
Many thx for the suggestions...

My favorite is Chicago's Pizza which has 2 locations in Lincoln Park/Lakeview.
It is more of the stuffed variety than Lou Malnati's or Uno, which are thick, but not stuffed. If you want to stay downtown, Giordano's is a good bet for stuffed pizza too (not quite as good as Chicago's, but right near the Omni), and you can decide for yourself between the style difference of thick vs. stuffed chicago style pizza.