Best deep dish if only one to choose?

[met2022]

What would you guys recommend as the best place for deep dish pizza in chicago?..and what pizza do you order?

[nsxtasy]

Well, my personal favorite is the double-crust stuffed pizza at Giordano's. But if you've never had deep-dish here before, I instead recommend starting with the original single-crust "pizza in the pan" (and I have it almost as often as I do the stuffed). Which is the best of those? For me, it's a tie between Lou Malnati's, Pizano's, and the original Uno and Due in River North (downtown Chicago). The deep-dish pizza at all of these is similar, and that's not a coincidence; one of the prime characters in the early decades of Uno (founded 1943) and Due (1955) was Rudy Malnati Sr., and his sons grew up in the business working with their dad. His son Lou founded his namesake restaurant chain in the 1970s and his other son Rudy Jr. founded Pizano's in the 1990s. So I go to whichever of these I happen to be closest to (I live closest to a Lou's as well as a Giordano's).

Which is closest to the downtown hotels? If you're staying near the northern half of the Magnificent Mile, Pizano's on State is the closest; the southern half of the Mag Mile, Uno and Due; in the west part of River North, Malnati's on Wells; in the Loop north of Millennium Park, Uno and Due; in the rest of the Loop, Pizano's on Madison; in the South Loop, Malnati's at 8th and State.

As for what pizza to order, that's like asking what flavor ice cream to order; it's entirely a matter of personal preference. Still, to answer you're question... I get the standard crust (I once tried the butter crust because it sounded really good to me, but after trying it I decided I like the regular crust better). I love a great balance among the crust, cheese, sauce, and toppings, and for me that means about two toppings work best, so as not to throw off that balance. My two are usually onions and either pepperoni or green pepper. I'm not that big on sausage but it might be their most popular topping, and I think most other folks would probably recommend getting sausage. Personal preference!

[chicgail]

There are good imitators. And I eat them. But Unos and Dues are the original (70+ years ago) and to me they are still the benchmark.

[mountsac]

I second Uno/Due - best crust (good rising of the dough, I suppose). I also like Lou Malnati's butter crust (plus it has better service). Burt's Place in Morton Grove has good fresh ingredients.

[lilmomma]

My favorite pizza is Giordano's stuffed spinach and garlic!

[chicgail]

Giordano's, as you noted is stuffed pizza; not deep dish. They're both born here in Chicago, but there is a significant difference. If the OP wants to try deep dish, I would not recommend Giordano's.

[nsxtasy]

I've heard people use the term "deep dish" for the stuffed pizza at Giordano's as well as for the pizza in the pan at Uno/Due/Malnati's. That's why I try to refer to the two types as "double crust" or "single crust" to avoid any ambiguity.

[chicgail]

What I did not answer from your post was what pizza I would order. That's easy. Sausage for sure. It's homemade and is basically a unique and huge patty that covers the crust. I love adding mushrooms, but for purity's sake I recommend just sausage and cheese.

[citywayne]

Uno's or Due's . Sausage and mushrooms .... pardon my druel

[Possumlad]

Pequod's in Lincoln Park (2207 N Clybourn) has been my go-to since I tried it a year or so ago. They serve the single-crust, "pizza in the pan" style that Nxtasy mentioned, rather than the Giordano's style double-crust stuffed. The pie is not quite as deep (or in my opinion overwhelming) as Uno's or Lou Malnati's, and the "carmelized crust" is the best I've had. I also prefer the atmosphere. More of a laid-back, old school, dive(ish) bar feel. Probably not as appealing for families with kids, but (in my opinion) much better for a night out with friends.

I've taken a couple deep-dish-loving friends over the past year, and both preferred it to Lou's (their previous favorite).

[nsxtasy]

I've had the burnt-crust pizza at Pequod's and Burt's Place, and I prefer Malnati's (and Uno/Due and Pizano's) by far.

[Possumlad]

While this is admittedly me versus Chowhound's most well-eaten and well-respected poster (Nxtasy), I couldn't disagree more. Would be interested to hear other people's take on Pequod's versus other, more well-known, pizzerias.

[chicgail]

I, too like Pequods. It's a decent pizza. But the quality is not consistent but it would not be close to my first choice for someone who wants to try deep dish for the first time.

[mountsac]

I've only been to the Pequod's in Morton Grove. And I think it has its strengths and weaknesses:

Pro: Its ingredients are fresher than Lou and Uno - better sausage, better spinach, even better garlic. Everything just has more flavors - probably because the ingredients are fresh (in that regard, kind of like Burt's Place). Plus it's easy parking and less wait. Its crust is more caramelized (burnt to crisp on the edge), a quality I prefer.

Con: I feel that the dough of the crust is not let rise enough. A bit too thin, especially around the edge. I prefer the crust at Uno, where it's thick and flaky (but not dry) - you can taste the slightly yeasty flavor of the dough - something I really look for when I eat deep dish.

I guess in the end it's about what you look for. I've yet to find a deep dish pie that has everything I seek. My family live in the nw suburbs, so we almost always just go the Lou in Schaumburg and get the butter crust pies. We take the first-time tourists to Uno/Due, and we take local foodie friends (who care about the ingredients more) to Pequod's and Burt's Place.

[rjka]

I know I've been disappointed in recent years by the Malnatis in a couple of northern suburban locations (Northbrook/Highland Park)

[nsxtasy]

I've eaten at numerous locations in the last couple of years (including Evanston, Lincolnwood, Elk Grove Village) and I've found it remarkably consistent.
< shrug >

[rjka]

Last week, a Highland Park pizza had gristly sausage. I've found something off about the pizza on a couple of occasions, as if it's crust, a layer of gray sausage and chopped tomatoes dumped on top. Don't seem to be baked into a cohesive pie. I've only had pies from HP and Northbrook.