The best deep dish pizzas in Chicago

Every pizza has a defining feature—whether it's the zingy red sauce, the buttery crust or the imaginative toppings. At Milly's, it's not hard to tell what sets owner Robert Maleski's pies apart. A halo of caramelized mozzarella wraps around each creation, lending a deeply satisfying crunch to each slice. Crafted in small quantities, these pan pies usually sell out, but if you can get your hands on one, go for the Que Suerte, with pineapple, cherry tomatoes, jalapeño and brown sugar bacon.

At this small Edgewater spot, the deep dish pizzas are unlike any other in town. Owner George Bumbaris uses a sourdough starter and recipe that’s based on lagana—a Greek flatbread similar to focaccia. The bottom of each pie is also dusted with cornmeal while the edges of the crust are caramelized. And instead of putting the toppings under the sweet red sauce, Bumbaris layers them over it. The menu pays tribute to famous Georges throughout history with fun creations like Weasley’s Spicy Red Top (Italian sausage, fire roasted red peppers, spicy cherry peppers, ricotta) and  Michael’s S&M (spaghetti, meatballs, ricotta, roasted garlic).

The unofficial reigning champ among locals, Pequod’s has two locations (Morton Grove and Lincoln Park), making it easy to get your fix of its popular pan pizza. With a substantial crust and generous selection of toppings, you really can’t go wrong with any combination of ingredients. The pizza here is known for its caramelized "halo" crust, created by sprinkling cheese edge to edge and baking it until it’s crisp and brown. But our favorite part of this pie is the sauce—refreshingly bright and undoctored, it tastes like fresh tomatoes.

Boasting more than 60 locations across the city and suburbs, it's not hard to see why Lou Malnati's stands out among its competitors. The trademark buttery crust (literally trademarked, they call it Buttercrust™) is reminiscent of crispy Italian breadsticks and holds in the cheese and toppings. We recommend adding sausage, a thin patty of seasoned meat that covers the entire pizza, ensuring that every bite contains the perfect balance of crust, cheese and toppings. Pro tip: The namesake Malnati salad—with tomatoes, black olives, 'shrooms, salami and gorgonzola—is positively unmissable and pairs perfectly with a slice.

Venture out to suburban Cary for pan pies that are well worth the journey. Owner Jerry Czerwinski (who we wish were our uncle, too) ferments the dough for two days and also seasons it, making the crust the star component. It’s layered with Italian cheese all the way to the edges, resulting in a crunchy caramelized crust, plus bright tomato sauce. You can’t go wrong with the classic housemade sausage but we recommend the Sweet Sting—cup and char pepperoni, which is placed over the sauce, and habanero-infused hot honey.

This Lakeview institution offers a standout pie, and whether you order an entire 14-inch pizza to go or stop in for a stacked slice, you’re bound to get the authentic Chicago experience. Though there's nothing wrong with specialty pies like the Hawaiian or Southwestern, Art's Special is arguably the best option on the menu, stuffed with sausage, onions, mushrooms and green peppers. The golden brown crust—a product of the restaurant's well-seasoned pans—is a signature touch that diners will find on every slice.

Rich Labriola got his start baking artisan bread before opening one of the city's finest pizza spots, which makes total sense when you taste the deep dish pie. The focaccia-style dough is double-proofed and lined with fresh mozzarella, creating a fluffy interior that's backed by a caramelized cheese crust with extra crunch. The Buratta and Basil—made with mozzarella, provolone, pecorino, burrata and fresh basil—is our go-to order, but the Danny’s Special is also delectable.

After temporarily closing in 2015, this iconic pizza parlor reopened in 2017, much to the delight of its longtime fans. Burt’s still takes phone orders ahead of time (highly recommended), but the building's interior has undergone a gut rehab, adding a bar with several draft taps. Fill your pie with a hodge-podge of ingredients including sausage, onions, mushrooms, banana peppers and fresh spinach. From the city, a relatively quick Metra ride will get you there in a jiffy, making Burt’s a must on any pizza lover’s deep dish checklist.

This might be the best thing to ever come out of a frat. My Pi founder Richard Aronson began developing pizza recipes as a student at Northwestern, testing them on his bros. He eventually opened up his own shop in Rogers Park in 1971. Today, you try Aronson’s legendary recipes in Bucktown, My Pi’s only Chicago location. Keep it traditional with the My Pi special—sausage or pepperoni with spinach, mushrooms, onions and green peppers—or go wild with Hawaiian, chicken pesto or stuffed spinach souffle. All pizzas are crafted from the Aronson family’s homemade dough recipe and topped with San Marzano tomatoes and artisanal Wisconsin cheeses.

Brian Tondryk named this pizzeria after his grandfather Fred Bartoli, one of the founders of Gino’s East. Tondryk was so impressed by Bartoli’s success that he took his family’s recipe, made some tweaks and opened this Roscoe Village pizzeria in 2013 and another location in West Town in 2020. Order the Union Stockyard for some serious meat sweats and a bit of old-fashioned Chicago nostalgia.

Boasting a crazy number of outposts throughout the city and 'burbs, Giordano's traces its roots back to Torino, Italy, where Mama Giordano's famous "Italian Easter Pie" was born. These days, it's one of the easiest spots to grab deep dish in the city. And it works—it's been around since 1974, serving deep dish pies that you really don't need more than one or two slices of.

Pizza sauce must run in Rudy Malnati Jr.'s blood. His father, Rudy Malnati Sr., opened Pizzeria Uno in 1943, putting the deep dish style on the map. In 1991, Rudy Jr. opened Pizano's, which now boasts four locations across the Chicagoland area. Diners are treated to a roster of traditional ingredients and intriguing combinations, like the Mark's Special with garlic, sliced tomatoes and basil.

Digging into a slice at Pizzeria Uno on the corner of Ohio and Wabash takes you back to where it all began in 1943—depending on who you ask. Though disputed by Lou Malnati’s and Rosati’s Authentic Italian Pizza, Pizzeria Uno claims to be the originator of Chicago’s notoriously thick pizza pies. Today there are over 75 locations worldwide, so whether you're in Lakeview, New York or India, you can get your deep dish fix.

In 1966, two taxi drivers named Sam Levine and Fred Bartoli decided that what the quieter streets east of the Magnificent Mile needed most was some good pizza. Today, the area is crowded with restaurants and hotels, but the signature recipes that made Gino’s East famous remain unchanged. And if you love the crust, you can thank Alice Mae Redmond, the chef that Levine and Bartli entrusted to develop the dough that’s still used at every location.

PMQ Pizza Magazine Hall of Famer Connie’s Pizza was once a small storefront and an OG in the delivery service biz—in the 1960s, founder Jim Stolfe loaded pizzas on the back of his truck and sold them to people sitting on porches. Today, the warehouse-sized building offers a full bar, outdoor patio, live music throughout the summer and an extensive menu of pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and more. Grab a beer and order any size deep dish with as many ingredients—options include meats like soppressata, capicola, gourmet sausage and veggies such as bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms and sweet onions—and enjoy the feeling of being pleasantly stuffed.

The late Louisa DeGenero was an employee at Pizzeria Due before moving to the south suburbs and opening her own place in 1981. Today, DeGenero’s family carries on her legacy by continuing to create exceptional pizzas boasting a light and buttery crust, chunks of Anichini Brothers sausage, part-skim mozzarella and a flavorful tomato sauce seasoned with homegrown herbs.

Founder Dan Bacin owned a radio station and a magazine before putting both businesses up for sale to go all in on a pizza shop. The resulting endeavor showcases fresh ingredients and a from-scratch sauce that's downright bellissimo. We're particularly fond of the spinach supreme pie, which is filled to the brim with leafy greens, cheese, herbs and optional mushrooms (get 'em). This spot's claim to fame is "America's 1st Heart Healthy Pizza," though we're not sure anyone could survive a deep dish diet.

Tucked in a cozy basement space in Lincoln Park, this pizzeria has only a handful of tables and a tourist draw, so you may want to avoid the wait at peak hours. Instead of the traditional deep dish or pan, these pizzas are actually pot pies, built bottom-up in a ramekin and baked with the crust on top. Served tableside, the pie is flipped upside-down and the fillings slide into the resulting bread bowl crust. Overflowing with a sausage-laced bolognese sauce and lava-like cheese filling, this is pizza to the extreme. You can’t provide a better spectacle for out-of-town guests requesting a Chicago pizza.

This West Town pizza joint is located right off the Chicago Blue Line station, but it’s more than just a place to pop in and grab a slice (though we do recommend eating this pizza any way you can, even on the go). Since 2004, the family-run pizzeria—brothers Evan and Ian Muellner founded the restaurant and their mom Sandy works to make the delectable meaty toppings—has been serving deep dish classics with a variety of toppings and “things in jars” (we can’t get enough of the giardiniera).

Nino's is the go-to spot for those in Alsip who want to indulge in the most impressive deep dish pizza in the area. The pies feature a tall, flaky crust that forms a thick wall around a delectable combination of gooey cheese and tangy tomato sauce. For an extra dose of flavor, we highly recommend adding some meaty sausage. In addition to their classic deep dish, Nino's also serves stuffed and pan pizzas.

This beloved Bridgeport restaurant may be world-famous for its breaded steak sandwiches (and its spin-off, the breaded steak tavern-style pizza), but the loaded deep dish is no less impressive. All pies are build-your-own, so you can pick from a list of ingredients like peppers, mushrooms, sliced beef, sausage, bacon and—of course—giardiniera. There’s also an extensive menu of wings, pasta, sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs if you want a one-stop shop for all of Chicago’s classic eats.

Deep dish pizza is a popular first stop after arriving at Midway Airport, with Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s both having outposts close enough to satisfy a craving during a layover. For an alternative to the chains, head to Cipriani’s, a no-frills spot offering individual portions of cheese- and sausage-stuffed pizzas plus options like the Cipriani’s Garden, which arrives loaded with mushrooms and spinach or broccoli. The restaurant also offer thin crust pizza for those looking to compare the contrasting styles. There are only a few tables, so consider calling ahead to get your order to go. 

Located near DePaul University, the Warehouse Bar & Pizzeria is a popular hangout for sports fans looking to enjoy a local beer on tap, baskets of garlic knots and wings. But the real star is the pizza, with offerings including Chicago-style deep dish, Sicilian-style thick crust and their signature fusion of both that features a crispy caramelized crust. Vegan deep dish is also available and the extensive list of toppings includes prosciutto, oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and Nashville hot sauce.