Rating Every DEEP DISH Pizza in Chicago (ft. Chef Leo Spizzirri)

[@AdamWitt]

Dw ya’ll Tavern, Pan and Stuffed crawls are all coming your way. In the meantime, comment where you’d like to see us go. Include the name and style.

[@kukukachoo419]

tavern, palermos on 95th

[@ymrjftw]

Barnaby's Northbrook & Grand Stand Pizza in Franklin Park (Tavern)

[@bsteven885]

If you're doing Chicago Thin Crust (Tavern Style, cut into squares) go to the usual South Side suspects -- Vito & Nick's, Barraco's (relatives of the original Vito & Nick's owners), Roseangela's, Palermo's (BOTH 63rd & 95th St. locations -- different relatives again), Fox's, Beggar's ("They lay it on THICK"), Giordano's (YES, they have Thin as well as Stuffed), etc. EDIT: West Side Thin Crust -- you GOTTA go to Home Run Inn on 31st St. (though they do have multiple locations). A West Suburban pick to try is Villa Nova on Pershing Rd. (39th St.) in Berwyn (though it was recently sold to new owners and doesn't have a full dining room anymore).

[@jawau257]

Tavern - Novel Pizza in Pilsen

[@mvterzo]

Why did you get the sausage pizza at Lou's and then get like a sausage veggie everything at the other spots all those veggies always makes deep dish soggy

[@nman2]

Born and raised in Chicagoland and you guys hit the nail on the head. I only eat deep dish on occasion as opposed to thin crust, but when I do it’s almost always Lou’s. Some people might call that touristy but it’s by far the best. So much garlic flavor in the sausage mixed with the butter crust. It’s on another level

[@matthewberg7395]

I would love to see a Tavern Style/Thin Crust Pizza Review.

[@2oozedae]

Aurelio's an immediate candidate

[@AdamWitt]

on it's way!

[@tfries72]

Grand Stand in Franklin Park the best

[@pamelasmith6221]

Father and Son was one of the best. Sadly long gone now. Love Tavern style.

[@edwardkelly3280]

Do that in New York

[@roccobierman4985]

Chef Leo's Chicago accent is both calming and mesmerizing.

[@macattack1428]

Lol I hear zero accent. Must be because I'm from Chicago. 😂

[@simpertun473]

@@macattack1428 exactly what I was thinking as well.

[@shakarussanders9911]

​@@macattack1428He has that old school Chicago accent

[@playinnchris7555]

thank you for checking us out! - chris from bartolis

[@AdamWitt]

@@playinnchris7555 thanks for showing us around mane.

[@obrysii]

I love how humble Leo seems to be. You get someone that level of matter expert and he's still chill as heck when in his realm, that's amazing. His advertising for Dixie Ultimate was hilarious.

[@lauriecarlson9037]

This is by far the best pizza review video I’ve seen. Finally someone separated the deep dish from the stuffed. And the information was knowledgeable and spot on. Great video! Thank you ❤️ also stuffed or Chicago thin for me 😊

[@LaffinKing]

I enjoy Leo dropping all that pizza knowledge. More please

[@GoodForYou4504]

I laughed out loud at the end when Chef Leo said he's not a pizza expert! The guy showed expert knowledge the whole video. 😂

[@bestkitchenreviews6346]

Holy Moly...being a pizza maker back in the day (1980 - 1985), I love what you guys did here. Thank you!

[@krono5el]

Pizza Puffs from iltaco are a childhood staple that i still crave all the time, legendary classic.

[@rubengarcia4218]

Lou Malnati's is the King of Deep Dish,so dang buttery and tomato sauce,tangy & sweet at the same time.Gotta love it bro! Great pie to feast upon by yourself or friends/family round tables with appetizers and drinks🎉❤

[@tomshank433]

Bro, I started at Giordano's in the 80s and I still love it. Recently a friend convinced me to go to Lou Malnati's. Apples and oranges in my opinion and I love both. Personally when I make pizza at home, I do the Omnivorous Chicago thin - the best!

[@AdamWitt]

my mans! Love to hear it. Giordano's will def be included in the stuffed pizza crawl.

[@SolveForX]

Pequods is the only deep dish that matters. That’s why it consistently wins best pizza in the world across every food critic website.

[@brokenredbench96]

​@@SolveForX ain't deep dish, but it is good af

[@SolveForX]

@@brokenredbench96 Wha…? Pequods is deep dish. That’s why every single food critic that names it one of the greatest pizzas on the planet calls it deep dish. I’ve literally never heard anyone ever claim that Pequod’s deep dish pizza is not deep dish. It’s literally called deep dish pizza on the menu. You can go to their site. It’s on the front page.

[@kimberlymorales60]

@@SolveForXbro their website literally says pan pizza.

[@donnierion9347]

Awesome breakdown. Chicago native and pizza lover that has eaten at every place you went to muuuuuultiple times, and I agree that you can't beat Lou's. It's where I take people that come into town and want Deep Dish. You explained it perfectly, but Lou's has a thinner crust, yet holds up well enough to use your hands (once it sets) and the freshness and vibrancy of the tomatoes and balance of topping can't be matched. People on the East Coast joke about Chicago pizza being like a casserole, and for some places I can kinda see that, but Lou's is a perfect middle-ground. In the dead of winter when it's 0 degrees outside and gets dark at 4pm, nothing hits like a Lou's Deep Dish!

[@erisan_]

Lou’s is definitely the best of all the ones you went to, but Pequods and Giodanos are my faves 😋

[@dougmasters4579]

Really cool video, interesting to see the various places and their histories.Two passionate & friendly guys who know what they're talking about, no snobbery or BS.

[@grayanderson1222]

I see Chef Leo, I click like!

[@spookyintentions989]

After doing this crawl, do you plan to make an updated butter crust deep dish recipe? I am VERY curious!

[@chucklos391]

Lou Malnatis is amazing. My favorite stop whenever I go to Chicagoland. I go to the Elk Grove Village location and have an IPA and a Chicago Classic.

[@mvterzo]

The Elk Grove Location is one of the best. Pizza always seems better that many other locations

[@chucklos391]

@@mvterzo really?? That’s even better to know! I like that little bar and I’ll sit there by myself. Very nice group of people that come in to dine. Not strange to be by myself at the bar either.

[@richardrobey9658]

Going to Chicago this week, read the comments, most agree with you on Lou’s and also every other says Pequoid Getting an Italian beef as well while I’m in town! Thanks

[@AdamWitt]

Pequad's is "pan pizza" not deep dish, but it SLAP:S. Enjoy!

[@dccoletrain]

I agree about cooking the veggies along with draining your tomatoes enough. When I first started making deep dish I discovered if you weren’t careful your crust would be swimming in water. I usually just stick with sausage and pepperoni

[@phscyosteve]

Adam recently discovered your channel and love the content you make; keep it up man!

[@hugobranca]

I love how Leo (also my fathers name!) could have easily just have phoned it in but instead goes full Michelin Sherlock Holmes on the stuff. Great guys.

[@charlesfinnegan7930]

Connie's Pizza never gets youtube love.

[@alpham777]

Connie's is known more for pan pizza, it put them on the map.

[@bsteven885]

Connie's has a really good Thin Crust Pizza too! 😋

[@bsteven885]

Connie's has a really good Thin Crust Pizza too! 😋

[@IzzoWingChun]

Leo Spizzirri is the man. Thank you, thank you for coming.

[@azzurrin889]

Pizano's Thin Crust with the Buttercrust is probably one of my favorite Pizza's. Never tried their Deep Dish.

[@jasonfikes9514]

Definitely need to do a tavern pizza crawl. Great video. ✌️😁

[@miketheretiredplowguy1834]

This was the most awesome video you’ve ever produced. I loved it thanks a lot for all the work you put into it. Can’t wait to see a thin crust. Pizza crawl video video soon

[@merrillashby7064]

Whenever I go to Chicago for the weekend, I go to Malnati's on Rush. Their sauce is fresh and bright. If you order the pizza when you make your reservation it can be done fro you shortly after you arrive. A pan pizza takes 45 minutes in the oven.

[@matthewlichty3128]

I don't know if it's still around, but when I was a kid living in the CO, my favorite deep dish came from a place called Gullivers. This was back in the 60s and early 70s .

[@caseyhayes4590]

This is shockingly comprehensive. Glad you included Pizano's and My Pie, they are pretty good and often left out. These are also all true deep dish as youmentioned some of the "pan" options are really great but a little different. Lou's butter flavor in the crust is ridiculous. I lived there 10 years, I never had Bartoli's wish I'd have tried it, but I ate the rest of these pretty frequently.

[@JoLoRod1]

A Chicago thin crust rating would be nice, if it hasn't been done yet.

[@AdamWitt]

incoming

[@stillatshore]

tortorice’s & d’agostinos

[@bsteven885]

​@@stillatshore, D'Agostinos is a great Thin Crust pizza to have after a Cubs game (walking distance West of Wrigley on Addison St.)

[@MostlyHeroic]

Please check out George's Deep Dish on Clark St up near Edgewater. I moved back to Chicago last November and have absolutely fallen in love with the sourdough deep dish they serve.

[@faerie_waters]

It's so good! We're in love, too! Also, Milly's Pizza in the Pan.

[@BigBig5]

I wish Burt Katz of Burt's Place didn't retire and die. His deep dish was legendary. When I make a homemade Chicago deep dish, I put the veggies on top but sometimes spinach under the sauce.

[@MrBenfranz]

Lou's and Uno's are great.

[@bsteven885]

17:56: I was TODAY years old when I heard SMOG as an abbreviation of Sausage, Mushroom, Onion & Green Peppers -- it was always touted as a "Chicago Special" or the special of whatever pizza place featured it on their menu.

[@brettlinn4036]

Love the videos and the breakdown of why you all like them. I was a little surprised about Lou's being the favorite. I find Lou's pretty inconsistent from store to store and order to order. I would have loved to see you all order the exact same toppings from each place for better comparison. Keep feeding us more awesome content!

[@rickyciaccia1061]

If you do a stuffed crawl I recommend Connie's Pizza and get a Large deep dish with pepperoni, Italian beef, and giardiniera and no sauce on top get it on the side. The reason for this for me is texture when you get a stuffed you never really taste the crust on top because the dough never sets as much as getting it with no sauce on top. It looks like a pir and changes the flavor and texture 100% I then spoon the sauce on the top of my slice when I'm ready to eat it. It is phenomenal and have gotten this pizza for at least 50+ different people and they said this was one of the best. One group labeled it the "Ricky Special" lol and always asked when are we getting the "Ricky Special" It never disappoints. I hope you give it a try.

[@tony_25or6to4]

I ate about a dozen different deep dish pizzas growing up. My brother even worked at My π 2 on the North Shore. My favorite is Malnati's. Never had Paisano's or Pequod's though. Burt died before I could make it to Burt's place. They were closed the day I was in the neighborhood and tried to stop by.

[@taccosnachos]

Leo is such a cool dude. Will never not watch a collab with him!

[@BGTuyau]

Great work, gentlemen. Chicago deep-dish, Chicago guys with Chicago accents. Nice detailed analysis. Much easier than actually doing the dégustation. Wise leaving out Giordano's in view of its "stuffed" product not strictly being deep-dish. But what about the recipe's origins at the long-gone Riccardo's? Lou's is at the top of my list, but it's a close call with most of those I've tried of the other contenders. Also agree thst relative newcomer Labriola deserves mention. Pequod's? Nah -though maybe with some Starbucks? Buon Appetito a Tutti ...

[@MyNameIsWhat118]

Pretty sure it would have had a different ending if you want cheese and sausage on every pizza instead of the vegetables.

[@sarahr7890]

Bringing the fish spat was so on brand.

[@Blitzzblitzz]

I know this has nothing to do with Chicago-style pizza, but you should try St. Louis style and Buffalo style pizzas. I'd love to see your take on it!

[@GregCurtin45]

Thank you Chef Leo for participating and sharing your expertise. I've only been to Chicago once (awesome museum & aquarium) and was told to go to Pizza Uno. It was probably the worst pizza I have ever eaten. It was soggy but that wasn't my biggest complaint. There is a reason I never eat American biscuits as so many have baking soda in them. For some reason I am very sensitive to the bitter taste of baking soda and that was all I could taste. It was so bad we left the pizza and when the server asked, "How was your meal?" I told him it was 'unorgettable' as stared stone-faced at him. I do not have a sophisticated palate but I would suggest you avoid Pizza Uno. Thank you sir for a great Chicago deep dish expose and appreciate the close ups from your cinematographer and editing.

[@brokenredbench96]

Rippironi pepperoni. UNO's is the worst place to go, hope you have a better experience next time you visit our city.

[@wrigley60]

Uno's is just for tourists. Sort of true for Gino's, too, except they do a good wheel of sausage.

[@SpaceCowb70y]

Chicago deep dish is a special treat for me. The restaurants that make them right are few and far between here in pdx.

[@BKHdhbbq]

I live in the chi burbs a fan of Lou's, I checked out Labriola DD in Chicago last time i was down there. Def worth checking out.

[@lil0mike0gkb]

Your videos are amazing man. The production. Quality. Content. You’re out here working hard man! I’m in the west burbs, let’s get a beer sometime 🙌🏾😂

[@stuartmayberry666]

Just visited Chicago for the first time about a month ago and had two deep dish pizzas and enjoyed both. We had Gino’s East and Giordano’s and I have to say that I liked Gino’s East better, though they were both good. I’m looking forward to trying more in the future. Great video,

[@grvoices]

Interesting piece(no pun) I knew Lou's was going to be the winner from a visual standpoint. Im making my version tomorrow night (dough in in fridge now for 24). No wet veg. I am doing the sausage dollop but adding some pep and fresh basil. shroom and if I do bell peppers, going for a caramelization first so it's soft and dry-ish. Thanks for the inspiration. Get out the elastic pants!.

[@AHUMANCORPSE]

There is nothing better than a sausage, pepperoni , buttercrust Lou's. The Pepperoni is so spectacular it just melts in your mouth.

[@D3moknight]

I lived in Chicago for five years, and I actually really enjoyed Giordano's when I was in the mood for deep dish. I am curious why you guys talked about it, but didn't go there for one of the pizzas. Is it because it's considered a stuffed pizza and not really deep dish?

[@Exiled_Rouge]

No Pequod's, Art's, Leona's, Art of Pizza, Milly's, Nancy's, Ora or Labriola? My dudes.

[@michaelbaruch5908]

Pequods will be in his pan pizza video

[@pamelasmith6221]

Can’t go to every place. Pequods isn’t deep dish. It’s pan.

[@brandondominguez5540]

Labriola?? Fuck out of here with that trash

[@JonCausithONS]

It’s nice to see you collaborate with Chef Leo again! He’s offering some solid comments on these different stops for sure! Judging from the comments of the different pizzas, it seems like just about every one of them got some solid praise, though My Pie had a few notable things going against it such as water from the veggies ruining the integrity of the pizza, the type of oven used for cooking the pizza not crisping it enough and so forth. I’m going to say that My Pie was the least favorite of the bunch.

[@JFG2023]

Chef got it right. Deep dish is a feeling. When you get it, you gotta get your fix!

[@TonyD_GoBucks]

Adam! Absolutely your best episode. The camerawork was awesome. Both for the scenery and also close up on pizza. But you should have had pequods and original pizza house But I do love Lou Malnatis thr best

[@alfieboy4022]

Pequod's is not technically chicago deep dish.

[@pamelasmith6221]

@@alfieboy4022 exactly. It’s pan pizza. Very good but not traditional deep dish.

[@SupersChannelNo.1]

The hyper analytical chef drags things down. It all comes down to which pizza makes you go "MMMMMMMM!!!!!"

[@ChicagoTRS]

When you do your tavern pizza crawl I hope you will include Villa Nova in Stickney...need a sausage pizza from Villa Nova and they have one of those great old Fauld carousel ovens. Since 1955.

[@hazeover100]

Lou's is always a good choice. Interesting to hear some of the history behind these pizza places

[@johngleich1379]

fun vid! Looking forward to the other Chicago pizza crawls!

[@YouTube_can_ESAD]

This video has got me all kinds of homesick for Chicago, outstanding series with the right guys at the helm. Great work to the Crew and thank you to covering Pisano’s too!! Their thinner crust style is fantastic, kinda like a crispy, buttered biscuit!

[@thepatester]

Great decision! That crust is sooooo good!

[@bentbooster012]

Gino East’s pizza crust back in the day tasted like beer !! Delicious

[@PunkIsDead...LikeMe]

How are y'all wearing all white? I'd be a magnet for any tomato-based sauces!

[@SpencerDavis2000]

Regarding Gino's East, unless they recently changed their recipe to start using cornmeal? I worked there for a day back in the 1990s and they did not use cornmeal they used food coloring. I will have to try it again to check it out to see if it has changed.

[@johnhowaniec5979]

Your right they don't use cornmeal no place in Chicago uses cornmeal non nada zilch!

[@kovacskovacs3465]

To round it all off, even though all of these may not be deep dish, I think that these should be compared, too: - Giordano's (stuffed) - Pequod's - Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. (pizza pot pie) - My Pi I also agree with Lou's being the best. A bracket style competition would be nice and/or a rating out of 10.

[@Incuensuocha]

Nine times out of ten when I get pizza it’s tavern style. But once in a while I get an insane craving for deep dish.

[@ski9600]

the 2nd restaurant My Pie had a location in the SW MPLS area and that's the best deep dish I've ever had. The big hunks of tomato on top, very good.

[@eagleheads1221]

Lou’s has the butter crust. Giordanos is like eating thick bread. The crust is all important. Say no to thick bread crusts! (Lou’s salad is fire 🔥 too)

[@BernieTime1]

Completely ignoring Uncle Jerry's. I'd understand if this was 3 years ago, but Jerry's came on the scene and has been killing it for the past year.

[@brownacid4397]

Nick Mullen doing a Chicago accent sounds exactly like Chef Leo. IYKYK

[@SpencerDavis2000]

This was really an awesome video. Lou Malnatis was #1 I am guessing the one you liked the least was My Pie ? was it this order 1. Lou Malnatis 2. Pizzeria Uno 3. Bartoli 4. Gino's East 5. Pizano's 6. My Pie

[@interjuncture]

I know they're a "newcomer" since they didn't open until 1970, but my favorite has got to be Tortorice's. Their pizza is excellent!

[@rockmanrespect]

I love Giordano's and Home Run Inn

[@ToddParker]

Used to live in Chicago. I have tasted Lou's, Pizzeria Uno, Giordano's, and Gino's East in the deep dish department. Lou's hands down and for me it is not even close. Interestingly, about 3 years ago on my travels I ran into a Lou's in Milwaukee and because I make Chicago Cracker Thin at home I tried Lou's version and it was fantastic! I think Lou's can give Tavern Style or Cracker Thin a run on the crawl as well. The only other Cracker Thin I have had in Chicago is Vito & Nick's. At both Lou's and Vito & Nick's I ordered it like an Italian Beef with Giardiniera and Lou's was better than Vito & Nick's, in my opinion, and my family agreed. Everyone has a flavor though right! Great video, pizza style crawl them all and post to the tube. This is what makes Chicago special because on a given day you can have all sorts of styles of pizza!

[@pinkpools]

Man I love this channel! Chef Leo rules too. I would tune in to a podcast with you two

[@curtisbailey78]

I would love to see a tavern-style crawl.

[@MartinEB72]

Lou Malnati pizza is a lot like what I used to be able to get here in Plano, Texas. Flaky crust, and chunky sauce. However, ours wasn't garlic forward like Lou's. Plus they made their own sausage meat, that was the best thing with it.

[@djredtail]

I’ve had so much Chicago deep dish / stuffed / pan, I agree Lou’s is the best. There’s no other place with such a unique flavor profile. Gino’s is my 2nd.

[@SteveRix78]

I have to agree.....I used to live in MI and go to Chi quite a bit. Of all the deep dish I found Lou's to be the best. I live in AZ now and they opened up a Lou's 2 miles from my house.....it's just as good as the original location too!

[@cameltnt]

No Vito and Nick’s or Fox’s? I know they aren’t in the loop area but they are awesome pizza. And for pan pizza Home Run Inn! Also big thanks for the shoutout that deep dish isn’t the only Chicago pizza style! South sliders have the thin tavern style pizza and we love it!

Every time I go back to my home town of Chicago I eat at Lou's at least twice. Best deep dish in Chi-town.

[@user-gh3pz7do4o]

For me, Giordanos. Lou's is great, but I myself am not a fan of chunky tomatoes. Pequods is great too.

[@AnonymousCapybara2050]

Stuffed pie > deep dish. Can't wait for the next crawl.

[@sshimmy2258]

Stuffed... Gotta go with Giordano's or Nancy's

[@derekeageny3444]

Lou's was only #1 because you didn't go to Giordano's

[@Arnell717]

Exactly!

[@brandondominguez5540]

F out of here. Giordano's sucks compared to Lou Malnatis. Lou's is clearly the best!

[@alexnikolich2303]

Soooo.... No Pequod's? I love Lou's, but Pequod's is pretty freakin' great.

[@AdamWitt]

That's not deep dish - that's Pan Pizza. It'll def be included in that crawl.

[@alcaliz]

@@AdamWitt Their site says best deep dish in Chicago. Deep dish is pan pizza to a certain level.

[@alpham777]

@@alcaliz When you go to order it says pan.

[@richrod0122]

I think I love ricobenes the most I know it’s more known for its breaded steak sandwich but that dough crunch with the layers of cheese to sauce is nuts.

[@johnhowaniec5979]

Someday adam is going to make the breaded steak sandwich! Right Adam! Lol

[@krazykid2002k]

Who doesn’t like chef leo he’s such a great co host love his breakdowns

[@c5jp904]

Grew up on Lou’s but my favorite now is Uncle Jerry’s NW of Chicago in Cary.

[@ParisTNT]

Loved it. Looking forward to next crawls

[@Alex-ye1br]

No Pequods or Labriola??!!

[@Ryan-xq3kl]

Pequods is good but not typical cant be compared w others

[@Alex-ye1br]

@@Ryan-xq3kl We all know Unos is garbage.

[@TheTovstar]

Pequods is pan, on that note though, it'd be pretty cool to see a similar video with pequods, burts, Millys and other pan pizzas

[@AdamWitt]

@@Alex-ye1br that’s pan pizza not deep dish. They’ll def be featured in the pan crawl.

[@AdamWitt]

@@TheTovstar oh you know it’s cominy

[@j.t.562]

Great review...Kinda surprised that Pequods didnt make the list but if Lous is your type of pie, I always tell people that if you like Lou's, you'll LOVE Uncle Jerry's in Cary IL! A quirky place but pizza is phenomenal!

[@butts4653]

I've always liked deep dish better than tavern and have had a lot and Uncle Jerry's is top 3 for sure. Good luck getting in there now though

[@natewrites7803]

Yes, do tavern crawl pizza next . . .Lou Malnatti all the way! I get it shipped to SD.

[@ehansbrough593]

Bartoli's is the Best!

[@havabighed]

Chicago style Deep dish is ok, but Chicago style stuffed pizza is the best.

[@keppela1]

Fun review, but how could you leave out Giordano's?

[@chunkuswumpus3515]

Of the knes tested 100% agree Lou's on top but I'm also partial to Arrenello's for their sweeter sauce. Depends more on the day. If y'all do the tavern crawl I can't emphasize enough to come to Homewood for the original Aurelio's. Easily my favourite tavern and I've been trying to take a trip downtown to try the original Home Run Inn cause those are my favourite frozen pizzas

[@GlakeCoyote]

Adam we DESPARATELY need a Lous deep dish recipe video, as well as Lous thin, Barnabys of Northbrook, and Pizanos thin!!

[@InfiniteQuest86]

I want to see Roberts in the list, though they are more NY style than Chicago. Not sure how that fits with the tavern/pan/stuffed crawls.