Chicago is known as one of the pizza capitals of the world. True to such a lofty title, it is home to hundreds of pizzerias as well as the birthplace of the Chicago-style deep dish pizza. Finding the best pizza restaurants in the Chicago area can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack though. Choosing just a few from the countless choices is no easy task but there are definitely a few pizza restaurants that stand out from the pack.
Specializing in Neapolitan style pizzas cooked in wood burning stoves, Coal Fire is ranked as one of the top pizza restaurants in the city by Time Out Chicago. The classic Margherita pizza is what garners most of the attention but Coal Fire stands out from other Neapolitan pizza restaurants by offering up an array of other high quality pizzas. Chicago Magazine notes that the Fiorentino pizza, with its red peppers and spicy salami, is one of the tastiest pizzas in Chicago. Coal Fire also features a number of white pizzas for those who prefer to skip tomato-based sauces.
Coal Fire
1321 West Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642-6447
312-226-2625
coalfirechicago.com
Spacca Napoli was one of the first Neapolitan restaurants to open its doors in Chicago when it was founded in 2006. Known for serving one of the most authentic Margherita pizzas, Spacca Napoli was ranked as best Neapolitan pizza restaurant in the city by Chicago Magazine. The devotion to serving an authentic Napoli pizza is what drives owner, Nella Grassano, to travel all the way to Italy to purchase supplies and materials for the brick ovens used in her restaurant. It is in these ovens and with the finest flour from Italy that Spacca Napoli's renowned Margherita, with its perfectly crisp crust and saucy wet center, is made.
Spacca Napoli
1769 West Sunnyside Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640-5312
773-878-2420
spaccanapolipizzeria.com
Art of Pizza began its operations as a small, storefront pizzeria. In recent years, the business has grown to fill three locations across the Chicago metro area with the flagship store found on North Ashland Avenue. This kind of expansion doesn't happen without a strong demand for a high quality product. Time Out Chicago ranked Art of Pizza's deep dish pizza as the best in the city calling the sauce the most flavorful on any pizza in Chicago and regarding the decadent crust as a perfect blend between texture and taste. Whatever your preference for toppings, the deep dish style pizza is the way to go.
Art of Pizza
3033 North Ashland Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657-3035
773-327-5600
Pequod's takes a different approach to the deep dish pizza. Whereas most Chicago deep dish pizzas are piled high with cheese and sauce, Pequod's chooses to understate the casserole aspects of the deep dish pie. The cheese is spread in a thin layer all the way across the pizza and onto the crust and the ingredients are sparse but of the highest quality. Although unconventional, the Pequod's style deep dish has been recognized as one of the best in the city as Time Out Chicago ranks it second in the deep dish category.
Pequod's
2207 North Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614-3011
773-327-1512
pequodspizza.com
Pat's Pizza is ranked as the best bar pizza restaurant in the city by Time Out Chicago. The specialty at Pat's Pizza is the New York-style thin crust pizza with its crispy, yet delicate crust and tangy sauce; this pizza goes well with any ingredient but is especially delicious with the house-made sausage. The environment in Pat's Pizza is reminiscent of a neighborhood bar. The spacious booths and friendly service make you feel at home as you dine on some of the finest pizza Chicago has to offer.
Pat's Pizza
2679 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614-1343
773-248-0168
patspizza.info
Vito & Nick's has been a fixture in the "Best Pizza in Chicago" conversation since 1945 thanks to popularity of its thin-crust pizza. Built on a crust that is as thin as a cracker, Vito & Nick's has practically perfected the art of pizza making. The quality of their craftsmanship shows in the flavor of their sauce, the proportion of cheese and toppings and the median age of their usual customers. As the Chicago Sun Times notes, people have been coming to this Ashburn institution for over 60 years not simply because it's as comfortable as an Italian family kitchen, they've been coming because it serves up some of the best pizza in Chicago.
Vito & Nick's
8433 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60652-3194
773-735-2050
vitoandnick.com
Pizzeria Uno is the birthplace of the deep dish pizza and one of the original pizza restaurants in Chicago. Originally opened as a Mexican restaurant in 1943, Pizzeria Uno later became known for its unique take on the standard pizza. Chef Rudy Malnati originated the deep dish idea in 1956, approaching the entire pizza concept as if it were a casserole instead of topped flat-bread allowing for a far greater density of sauce, cheese and other ingredients. The flagship location on Ohio Street is as much a place of historical interest as it is a fine place to grab one of the best deep dish pizzas in town.
Pizzeria Uno
29 East Ohio Street
Chicago, IL 60611-2707
312-280-5120
unos.com
