If you live in Chicagoland or have ever visited the Windy City, you have likely had the opportunity to sample the local delicacy known as deep dish pizza. Unlike a classic New York-style pizza, which has a thin, crisp crust that is easy to fold in half and stuff in your mouth, a classic Chicago-style deep dish pizza is characterized by a slightly thicker crust that is piled nearly 2 inches high from the bottom up, starting with the cheese and toppings and finishing with a hefty layer of sauce.
While there are certainly plenty of places you can stop at for a slice, or rather a hunk, of deep dish pizza, some of these stand out above the rest. Ask any local for their favorite, and you are likely to hear a heated debate over who has the best sauce, crust, or sausage and why. That said, there are some patterns that will emerge and a few heavy-hitters that are likely to land toward the top of any Chicagoan’s list.
As a professional chef, pizza aficionado, and someone who has called Illinois my home for the last two decades, I have eaten my fair share of deep dish pizza in the Windy City and have some very strong opinions on the matter. I have included my top picks along with some that are highly rated by critics and diners alike across the internet and social media. Read on to discover the best deep dish pizzas in Chicago, hands down.
Burt’s Place
When it comes to deep dish pizza legends, few can hold a candle to the late Burt Katz of the iconic Burt’s Place. Located in the suburb of Morton Grove, Illinois, Burt’s Place originally opened its doors in 1989. From the get-go, Burt’s Place became a local favorite, but it wasn’t until it was discovered by deep dish skeptic celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain that the restaurant achieved national attention. The late chef had a deep hatred for this genre of pie, famously calling it a “Midwestern mutation of pizza.” It wasn’t until trying Burt’s pie that he finally understood what the hype was about…