The 25 best pizzas in Chicago — from scrappy newcomers to beloved classics

It seems like nothing, not even a pandemic, can stop Chicago pizza.

It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the restaurant industry, causing an unprecedented number of closures, with more potentially on the way. This moment might seem like the worst time to hunt for Chicago’s best pizza. Yet, this year has seen a surprising number of incredible pizzerias open.

I have some theories. It could just be that we are all comforting ourselves with pizza to get through the daily barrage of terrible news. Also, unlike some dishes, pizza mostly stands up well to delivery, meaning that even if people don’t feel like eating inside a restaurant, they can still enjoy slices at home. (Not that some great places haven’t closed. One of the very best, Pizzeria Bebu, still hasn’t reopened.)

It’s hard to overstate how crucial newcomers are to a healthy pizza scene. Sure, you need beloved classics to preserve tradition, but you also need scrappy newcomers, ones that blithely ignore conventional wisdom and push the dish in exciting new directions. We definitely have those this year, from a Michelin-starred chef opening a walk-up window joint to passionate amateurs selling pies through Instagram.

As I cataloged recently, chefs are particularly taken with exploring alternatives to deep-dish. That includes thick-crusted and square-cut Sicilian-style pizza, which looks just as imposing as deep-dish, but features a lighter and less oily crust. Detroit-style pizza, another sizable style where the sauce is often ladled on after the pizza is baked, continues to gain Illinois adherents.

To tackle such a huge topic, my colleague Louisa Chu and I agreed that because of the inherent differences in all these styles of pizza, it didn’t make sense to rank our favorites. How do you properly compare a flawlessly constructed Neapolitan pizza from Spacca Napoli to the cheesy majesty of a deep-dish from Labriola Chicago? Instead, you’ll find our top 25 displayed alphabetically.

But we do want to give a special shout out to Paulie Gee’s Logan Square and its owner, Derrick Tung.

Let’s get the difficult part out of the way first: Paulie Gee’s is a pizza chain that started in New York City, aka Chicago’s acknowledged pizza rival. But I’ve been to the original location in Brooklyn, and while undoubtedly a groundbreaking institution, owner Derrick Tung has managed to set this location apart, transforming it into nothing less than an incubator for the pizza arts.

Sure, it’s common for restaurants to serve a few kinds of pizza styles (numerous places serve deep-dish and thin crust) but rarely are they ever both great. But right now Paulie Gee’s is dishing out three completely different kinds of pizza, each with its own unique dough recipe and cooking method. The shop’s Neapolitan-inspired pizza cooks in a wood-fired oven, while thick Detroit-style and thin New York-style pizza come out of a gleaming new electric PizzaMaster oven. And if you follow Tung on Instagram, you know he’s probably not done. He’s constantly testing new recipes and styles. He even seriously explores the world of gluten-free pizza dough.

What follows are our favorite 25 pizzerias in Chicago and the suburbs. Prepare to be hungry.

— Nick Kindelsperger

Barnaby’s of Northbrook

If you grew up on the North Shore, those suburbs along Lake Michigan home to fictional characters like Ferris Bueller, then the sight of a crimped edged pizza might evoke idyllic childhood memories. If you didn’t, like me, Barnaby’s still holds up to city-hardened standards. The unique thin crust, crisp and textured with a cornmeal dusting, eats almost like a tomato-sauced tart, but studded with chunky sausage under a cloak of cheese. Local pizza historians know that not all Barnaby’s are alike. Some franchises are better known for magicians, but not Northbrook, unless you consider their cooks magical, and maybe we should. The pandemic put an end to the free pimento cheese and Ritz crackers spread, previously at the bar while you waited for your pizza, but you can still secretly order them. — Louisa Chu

960 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook; 847-498-3900; barnabysofnorthbrook.com

Bonci Pizza

Gabriele Bonci opened the first American outlet of his acclaimed Roman-style pizzeria in Chicago back in 2017, and it didn’t take long for us to embrace it. You’ll never know exactly what topping choices you’ll find when you walk into the West Loop shop and gaze at the display case, just that nearly all of them look great. Fortunately, instead of needing to order a whole pizza, you can simply ask for a small sliver of as many kinds as you’d like. Employees use scissors to slice the long, rectangular pizzas to your desired width, before reheating them in an oven. Just don’t forget that the abundant topping choices work because this pizza starts with an astonishing crust that manages to be airy yet sturdy, crispy but not greasy. — Nick Kindelsperger

161 N. Sangamon St., 312-243-4016, bonciusa.com

Bungalow by Middle Brow

Bungalow by Middle Brow is a brewpub like no other. Sure, you can see the equipment for making beer in the back, like most brewpubs, but instead of dishing out pizza as an afterthought, these pies are worth trying even if you have no interest in drinking. The menu changes often with the seasons, so when I last visited, I feasted on the sunny honey tomato pizza, which paired bright Sungold tomatoes with smoked black peppercorns and a drizzle of runny honey. Regardless of the toppings, it’ll come on a truly remarkable crust. The darker color might trick you into thinking the restaurant is trying to be healthy and stodgy, yet look at the ends and you’ll notice a wide open hole structure that’s supremely soft inside. Thanks to a long fermentation, it’s also blessed with a slight sour note, which plays well with the creamy cheese. — N.K.

2840 W. Armitage Ave., 773-687-9076, middlebrowbeer.com

Burt’s Place

When my friend Burt Katz died, I thought the secret to what he called pizza-in-the-pan went with him. He’d sold his store and shared the recipes with new owner Jerry Petrow and his then partner, but they didn’t have time to apprentice under the master. They made pizzas that were cautious, inconsistent copies. Fast forward three years, and Burt’s Place has evolved into its own exuberant experience. It’s less about the crust, but more about the more. My heart did fall when I first saw some seriously charred spinach, then soared on first bite. Under a forest bed of leafy chips, I found the familiar bright tomato sauce and fatty spiced sausage that defined the house that Katz built. The famous caramelized crust is more aggressive than he ever made it, but it’s a fitting crown for the new reign. — L.C.

8541 Ferris Ave., Morton Grove; 847-965-7997; burts-place.com

Coalfire

The West Town area was once one of roughly 20 Little Italy neighborhoods around Chicago. You can still see vestiges in a few old-school bakeries and restaurants up the street, and the Italian funeral home down the block. Coalfire owner David Bonomi could have gone tavern-style thin, or even wood-fired Neapolitan, but he installed a coal-burning oven for his own style instead. The signature pizza was long the 'nduja topped with piped ricotta puffs, tinged pink by spreadable salami from Tempesta nearly across the street. It’s still available at the Southport Avenue location by request, but the current variation, number four, has refined an Instagrammable moment into a deep study. Spicy smears play with the perfectly toasted, crunchy yet chewy crust that’s arguably more important than any of the terrific toppings. — L.C.

1321 W. Grand Ave., 312-226-2625, coalfirechicago.com

D’Amato’s

Sicilian-style pizza may be all the rage right now, but it’s important to note that the style isn’t exactly new to Chicago. For more than half a century, D’Amato’s has been serving its medium-thick Sicilian-style pizza, mostly by the slice. Each slice looks suspiciously simple, yet it packs a shocking amount of flavor. The sauce is added to the dough while it proofs, so when it bakes in the shop’s coal-fired oven, the two elements fuse together. While undoubtedly tasty straight from the pan, the crust can seem slightly limp. Fortunately, the slices improve drastically if warmed up, which you can ask the shop to do. — N.K.

1124 W. Grand Ave., 312-733-5456, damatoschicago.com

Five Squared

Should Five Squared even be eligible for this list? After all, the project started as a food truck serving fat Detroit-style slices, before morphing into a once-a-week delivery service where you have to finish baking the pizza in your home oven. But while there might not be a physical restaurant, this pizza is too good to worry about specifics. Every Monday, a new menu is released — often with more than 12 topping choices. Along with standard options like plain cheese and pepperoni, you’ll find such willfully playful toppings as Nashville hot chicken and Italian beef with giardiniera. You’ll need to order a whole pizza featuring four enormous slices for $20, but instead of needing to stick to one kind of topping, you can get four different slices for the same price. Regardless of what you’ll order, each will arrive with a stunning crust that if you stare at it from the side, looks like it’s approximately 90% air. Crispy around the edges, but soft within, it’s a marvel. — N.K.

instagram.com/fivesquaredfoodtruck and fivesquared.com

Home Run Inn

If you only know Home Run Inn because of the company’s successful frozen pizza line, prepare to be surprised. The pizza served up at the Little Village location features a crackly, crunchy crust that’s slightly pinched up around the edges, but extremely thin in the middle. It’s topped by a solid tomato sauce and a generous covering of cheese. Also make sure to admire the succulent hunks of Italian sausage, which pack more fennel flavor than seems possible. — N.K.

Multiple locations. 4254 W. 31st St., 773-247-9696, homeruninnpizza.com

Italian Fiesta Pizzeria 47th Street

Legend has it that Michelle Obama introduced Barack to her childhood pizzeria when they lived in the Hyde Park neighborhood. The story goes that her parents rewarded good grades with Italian Fiesta pizza. No wonder the former FLOTUS excelled in school and beyond. You can order the thin-crust pizza tavern-style with classic cheese or sausage, of course, but I highly recommend the rarely seen shrimp as a topping. They’re not shy with the seafood, so tiny but mightily plump crustaceans smother the crust, which remains impressively crisp. Next time, I’ll add giardiniera or hot sauce for a touch of acid and heat, or bring my own mild sauce. Do note this location moved a couple of years ago to a shiny new strip mall, but lifelong fans swear the pizza’s as good as ever. — L.C.

1306 E. 47th St., 773-684-2222, italianfiestapizzeria.com/47th-street

Labriola Chicago

Rich Labriola shook up the deep-dish scene a few years ago when he decided to try his hand at the thick-crusted style. While most places try to distract you with gobs of cheese and toppings, his version lavishes attention on the foundation, resulting in a crust that’s at once crispy around the edges and chewy within. I wouldn’t call it light — it’s still deep-dish — but there is a real sense of balance here, with just enough cheese to add a creamy component to balance the chunky sauce. Of course, it helps that the exterior of the crust is lined with cheese, which creates a deliriously crispy ring of blackened cheese when baked. I’m also a big fan of Rich Labriola’s La Barra in suburban Oak Park, especially the artisan pizza, but his real achievement is this one. — N.K.

535 N. Michigan Ave., 312-955-3100, labriolacafe.com

Lou Malnati’s Lincolnwood

I’ve eaten more deep-dish from Lou Malnati’s than anywhere else, and from more locations than I can remember. While the pizza stays consistent — whether it’s from a store downtown, in the neighborhoods or out in the farthest suburbs — the original flagship in Lincolnwood just hits home with its overgrown rec-room vibe. My favorite has long been The Lou, topped with sauteed spinach, mushrooms and sliced Roma tomatoes, plus mozzarella, Romano and cheddar cheeses, all on the signature garlic Buttercrust. Whatever crust you order, the sides bake crunchy not doughy, the sign of a superior deep-dish pizza. You can also order a heart shape anytime. It’s only available small, but if we’ve learned anything in these past months it’s to celebrate the little things. — L.C.

6649 Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood; 847-673-0800; loumalnatis.com/lous-lincolnwood

Louisa’s Pizza & Pasta

The late Louise Benash was born in Italy, worked at Pizzeria Due, then opened Louisa’s in 1981 with a pizza that’s more Italian and Chicago style pan than deep-dish. It’s completely unlike the thin, high-sided, crunchy cornmeal bottom-crusted pie at Due. Instead, a thick yet light base hugs and holds mozzarella, Anichini Brothers pizza sausage and house-made tomato sauce. The second- and third-generation family co-owners allow limited seating inside the dim ’70s style strip mall supper club, but have transformed the hidden back parking lot into an unlikely, lovely little piazza with strategically placed tents, tarps and floral tablecloths that would do nonna proud. — L.C.

14025 S. Cicero Ave., Crestwood; 708-371-0950; facebook.com/Louisas-Pizza-and-Pasta-in-Crestwood-IL-336578334403

Milly’s Pizza In The Pan

“Burt could never,” I thought when I opened the box. Robert Maleski named Milly’s for his grandmother Emily, but was inspired by Burt’s Place founder Burt Katz, his spiritual pizza godfather. After a pandemic-related layoff, Maleski started making what he also calls pizza-in-the-pan. He currently works out of a shared or ghost kitchen in the Logan Square neighborhood. You have to order ahead, but days, hours and pizza are very limited. Katz got so much grief for his so-called rules, but he could never have imagined selling out of such precious pizzas. Unless he saw how they’re so beautiful, so light, so vibrant and ringed with an ode to his caramelized crust. Then he would understand better than anyone how much they’re worth it all. — L.C.

1801 N. Spaulding Ave., 224-656-4732, millyspizzachi.com

Nella Pizza e Pasta

Over the years, Nella Grassano has been known for drawing crowds to now-closed restaurants in Lincoln Park, but now she has a truly stunning space in Hyde Park, complete with a cozy patio. Most importantly, each pizza comes out with a crust dotted artfully with char marks, a tell-tale sign of a ridiculously hot wood-fired oven. With each bite, you can taste the splendid interplay between the almost campfire notes of the exterior playing off the remarkably soft interior. The Nella D.O.P. ($16) adds a covering of tart tomato sauce, creamy blobs of buffalo mozzarella and aromatic fresh basil. — N.K.

1125 E. 55th St., 773-643-0603, nellachicago.com

Pat’s Pizza and Ristorante

Chicago pizza will probably forever be associated with thick-as-a-brick styles like deep-dish and stuffed pizza, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a thinner pizza anywhere than the offering at Pat’s Pizza. In some parts, the flaky crust looks nearly paper thin, yet it stays sturdy enough to never collapse. On top, the sauce is spread all the way to the edges, so you get a dark tomato flavor with each bite. The kitchen does a good job of putting on only a moderate amount of cheese — surely any more would cause structural collapse. — N.K.

2679 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-248-0168, pats-pizzeria-chicago.securebrygid.com

Paulie Gee’s Logan Square

Paulie Gee’s keeps getting better. The restaurant launched with a stellar thin-crust pizza cooked in a blazing hot wood-fired oven, which one could most accurately call Neapolitan-inspired, though it features a crisper crust and a nearly sacrilegious approach to topping choices. Shortly thereafter, owner Derrick Tung unleashed his twisted version of Detroit-style pizza, cranking up the ridiculousness of the original, while still avoiding gut-bomb territory. And then, after the spring shutdown, he started selling foldable New York slices out of the front window, which quickly trounced any other version in town. — N.K.

2451 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-360-1072, pauliegee.com/logan-square

Pequod’s Pizza Morton Grove

In the dark days after Burt Katz died, before his pizza renaissance arose, I found solace at Pequod’s Pizza in Morton Grove. Katz opened and sold the pizzeria decades ago, but it never stopped making vintage pan pizza with that signature caramelized crust. You can order less crust, which makes no sense to me, but some people seem to like it, or even thin crust. I say you need to go to the flagship and get what I call the prequel pan pizza. It’s so fully loaded, a bib might not be a bad idea. The woodland lodgelike space has been further enhanced with outdoor picnic tables in front, and a charming patio along the alley behind the village fire station. — L.C.

8520 Fernald Ave., Morton Grove; 847-470-9161; pequodspizza.com/morton-grove

Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream

Chicago is an Italian sausage topping town. While pepperoni reigns supreme basically everywhere else, we have an almost fanatical love of fresh Italian sausage. (I wrote about that obsession here.) For my money, no place serves juicier or more flavorful hunks of sausage than Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream in Bridgeport. The mixture is made by Makowski’s Real Sausage Co., also located in Bridgeport, and then doctored up with fresh sage. It’s served on a stellar Sicilian-style crust, which looks thick and imposing, yet is much lighter than you’d expect. — N.K.

964 W. 31st St., 773-565-4192, pfcic.com

Pizza Friendly Pizza

As the story goes, Noah Sandoval, chef of Michelin-starred Oriole, had never made pizza before this year. But with the pandemic upending the restaurant industry, he decided to give it a go. And when Sandoval decides to do something, he goes all in, obsessing over every detail and reaching out to masters of the trade, such as John Arena in Las Vegas. The result is a miraculous Sicilian-style pizza that’s unlike anything in town. After each bite, questions flood my mind. How can the crust be so crisp on the bottom, yet so pillowy within? How can something so meticulously researched and executed still taste so freewheeling and exciting? And, finally, how did Chicago get so lucky? — N.K.

1039 N. Western Ave., 773-395-2483, pizzafriendlypizza.com

Ricobene’s

Everybody knows Ricobene’s is famous for its breaded steak sandwich. Fewer people know it opened as a pizzeria in 1946 in the Bridgeport neighborhood next to Chinatown. So few people know Ricobene’s makes a breaded steak pizza that it was even a surprise to a newer employee. It’s shockingly spectacular. Invented in 2014, the pizza sports a relatively thin yet sturdy crust that holds bite-sized pieces of that breaded steak, house-made red gravy and gobs of mozzarella. You can add giardiniera, sweet peppers or jalapeno, but that’s it. The breaded steak pizza is available only in large. I can’t vouch for any of the other pizzas at Ricobene’s, but this deeply satisfying iconic Chicago flavor alone makes Ricobene’s worthy of this list. Order by phone or online, then pick up at tables on the sidewalk or curbside in your car. — L.C.

252 W. 26th St., 312-225-5555, ricobenespizza.com

Robert’s Pizza and Dough Co.

The contradiction of Robert’s in Streeterville is that while at first glance the pizza looks like a slightly gussied up New York-style pie, the crust has the delicate lightness of a Neapolitan pizza. That means slices have the strange habit of magically disappearing, as it feels easier to justify another piece. It’s an astonishing crust, one that you could easily treat as a little too sacred. Thankfully, the playful topping choices focus most on enjoyment. While there is no shame in going with The Lia ($18), the shop’s standard cheese pizza, you can also get one with duck prosciutto ($25) or Brussels sprouts and bacon ($25). I’m particularly obsessed with the fennel pizza, which adds braised fennel, fennel fronds, fennel pollen and a fennel-packed salami, with fresh mozzarella and honey. — N.K.

465 N. McClurg Court, 312-265-1328, robertspizzacompany.com

Rosangela’s Pizzeria

Are you a devoted fan of tavern-style pizza, the kind with a thin, cracker-style crust? Then you need to visit Rosangela’s Pizzeria in Evergreen Park, where the crunch from the crust resounds loudly with each bite. Sitting on top you’ll find dark red sauce with a tempting balance of tart and sweet and an even covering of tangy cheese. Make sure to order a pizza with sausage, so you can appreciate the phenomenally juicy hunks of the fennel-laden meat. While you might not feel comfortable eating indoors during this time, remember to save this place for when better times arrive. Few dining rooms are as cozy and inviting as this one. — N.K.

2807 95th St., Evergreen Park, 708-422-2041

Spacca Napoli Pizzeria

When the waiter rested the margherita pizza in front of me, I may have blurted out, “Well, that looks perfect.” Every pizza is like that at Spacca Napoli. It’s no secret that owner Jonathan Goldsmith has a passion for Neapolitan-style pizza. You may not like this style, with its spare use of toppings and lightly charred edges, and that’s fine. But if you do, there’s no better place in Chicago to devour a crust that is as light as it is flavorful. The sauce is made with San Marzano tomatoes, which means it has a bracing acidity, along with a natural sweetness. The blobs of mozzarella don’t cover the whole pie, but they don’t need to, because even the smallest bit brings a rush of creamy richness. — N.K.

1769 W. Sunnyside Ave., 773-878-2420, spaccanapolipizzeria.com

Villa Nova Pizzeria

First the good news: The pizza at Villa Nova is as great as ever. Now the bad news: The building and business are up for sale. The owners hope a buyer will keep the pizzeria open as a franchise. There is precedent since they have locations in suburban Lockport; New Buffalo, Michigan; and Chesterton, Indiana. I don’t know them though. I do know I could pick a pizza from the Stickney location out of a lineup from its precise sausage placement, as unique as a fingerprint, on the impossibly thin and crackly tavern-style crust. It’s almost too much meat — almost. The late Al Tornabene opened the pizzeria in 1955, and his family built the legacy that lives on in pizza. — L.C.

6821 W. Pershing Road, Stickney; 708-788-2944; pizzastickney.com

Vito & Nick’s

Vito & Nick’s celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. You might call the pizzeria — widely known as the very best thin-crust, tavern-style pizza in Chicago — Nick & Vito’s if you’re a South Sider of a certain generation. When Vito Barraco died in 1976, his son Nick finally became the face of the pizzeria Nick actually opened after serving in World War II, said his daughter and third-generation owner Rose Barraco George. He had help from his mother, Mary Barraco, a Sicilian immigrant, who created the family business pizza recipe. You can get sausage of course, but I crave the egg and giardiniera beyond all reason. Originally offered on Fridays only as a Catholic concession, you can now get it any day. There’s no runny yolk; the eggs are cooked through perfectly every time. Any leftovers become a cold breakfast pizza the next day. Remember it’s cash only. — L.C.

8433 S. Pulaski Road, 773-735-2050, vitoandnicks.com

———

©2020 the Chicago Tribune

Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.