Gino’s East
What I Thought:
I know a lot of people like Gino’s East, but it was by far my least favorite of the three. The tomato to cheese ratio was off. They did have some great appetizers, though. We enjoyed the Bavarian soft pretzels and the cheesy pizza bread.
Go Here If:
You want a lot of toppings on your deep dish pizza. Gino’s East has the largest list of topping options. Also, Gino’s East has started to build franchises outside of the Midwest. There are even several in Texas!
Giordano’s
What I Thought:
I love Giordano’s, but I always throw in a caveat when I recommend it: it is not “traditional” Chicago deep dish pizza. It’s actually a stuffed deep dish pizza, which just might make it even more delicious. I definitely miss having pepperoni stuffed deep dish pizza whenever I want it.
Go Here If:
You don’t care if you are eating traditional deep dish pizza and just want some delicious food!
Lou Malnati’s
What I Thought:
Lou Malnati’s wins the deep dish battle hands down for me thanks to its Buttercrust™. I’m one of those people who doesn’t usually eat the crust of the pizza, and I absolutely love Lou Malnati’s Buttercrust™. Plus, Lou Malnati’s brother Rudy Malnati is said to have invented deep dish pizza, so this is as authentic as it gets! You won’t find a lot of options for toppings, but it doesn’t matter because the choices they have are all great. Plus, Lou Malnati’s makes one of the best tiramisus I’ve ever had in my life. I may or may not have asked Chris to pick it up on his way home from work several times during our year in Chicago.
Go Here If:
You want the best! Just be prepared to wait. Since deep dish pizza takes 45 minutes to cook, you can order your pizza while you wait, and they will start cooking it for you before you get a table!
