Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
439 N Wells St, Chicago, IL, 60610
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria Menu
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Address :
439 N Wells St
Chicago, IL, 60610 - Phone (312) 828-9800
- Website https://www.loumalnatis.com/chicago-river-north
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Jeff C.
Best pan pizza (deep dish) in Chicago. That's the only reason to come and it's a winner. The crust is a traditional cornbread crust and is the right amount of chew and crunch. Toppings are very good. If you want thin crust, don't come here-but if traditional pan is what you want I wouldn't go anywhere else.
(5)Eddie C.
Overall: classic Chicago deep dish. Good for tourists and for being unhealthy Food: for tourists reading this review, Chicago deep dish is basically in a deep pan with dough lining it. The inside is filled with sauce, cheese, and other toppings. It is just as unhealthy and delicious as it sounds. Bring friends. Lou Malnatis was my first exposure to deep dish and boy did I take a... Deep dive. The menu is pretty simple, with salads, apps, and of course, deep dish. Each pie takes about 30 minutes to bake, and seem to go longer on busy days. And it was busy the entire time we were there. I got the vibe that the waitress wanted us in and out when she constantly offered to take our plates. Oh well, I guess Chicago just moves faster. This place is worth checking out for the experience of authentic Chicago.
(4)Jeff C.
Stopped in during a layover at o'hare. Place was pretty crowded but we had expected that. Ordered a salad and Lou's favorite Pizza. After about 15 the waiter cam back and said that the kitchen had crashed and he needed to put the order back in and just wanted to confirm it. The salad came out 15 minutes later. It was fresh and flavorful. The pizza came 25 minutes later and was well worth the wait. This is Chicago pizza at its finest. Buttery crust loaded with toppings and cheese. Heaven in a deep dish
(5)Clara L.
i guess i forgot to write a review when i visited a few years ago a photo popped up on my instagram and i was reminded of how i fell in love with the pizza here thick sausage patty with stretchy, gooey cheese all smothered in that tangy sauce held up by that buttery, thick crust i hate LA! just kidding
(4)Karly C.
Great lunch spot. We snuck in before the lunch risk started and were immediately seated upstairs. The rustic feel to it was inviting, complete with chic Edison bulbs everywhere. We were greeted quickly by our waitress who was friendly and accommodating and provided great recommendations for beverages, salads, and pizza. We started with a few beers, surprisingly ones from Michigan, but delicious and lived up to their name. We got thw house salad, a blend of tomaine and spinach topped with fresh tomato, mushroom, gorganzola cheese, olives, and my favorite part, the crispy salami bits. I could've just feasted on those the entire day. The regular portion was the perfect size for two as an appetizer, and only left a few minutes before finishing that and our pizza arriving. Which was delish. Our small pizza was perfect for me and my man, I'm a small eater and he's a big eater. We got "The Lou", which was decorated with spinach, mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes. The crust was crunchy, almost buttery, albeit kind of bland. Deep dish deliciousness all the way and the toppings picked up the slack. Definitely a noteworthy Chicago deep dish go-to!
(4)Eric J.
Finally tried this after trying most of the other "best deep dish" places in Chicago (Giordano's, Gino's, etc.) I must say, it was pretty good. Tourists flock to all the good places, and Lou Malnati's is no exception. Pro-tip: Always remember that deep dish takes at least half an hour to 45 minutes to prep, so make sure that you don't have any impending obligations less than an hour away, or call ahead. It also might be worth getting a few appetizers while you wait for that long. We got the original Lou's (roma tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, cheeses), and the Malnati Chicago classic (sausage). The crust was pretty good, with a bit of a tart, sourdough taste, which complemented the rich toppings. Both were very good, and left all of us stuffed, with a few slices to spare. We ordered two mediums for 6 people, and the stuffed spinach bread as an appetizer, which was more than enough food. Service was a little spotty, but not enough to be a problem. The prices are actually pretty good, in my opinion, as each of us only paid around $18, including a 20% tip. Overall, not to be a deep dish hipster, but I still think Pequod's is still my favorite. Screw it, I relish being a deep dish hipster. That being said, Lou Malnati's has stood the test of time, and rightfully so. With so many locations, the convenience factor is there, and while they're all mostly tourist destinations, you'll likely get a good, consistent, deep dish pizza no matter where you go.
(4)Bernadette M.
Deep dish pizza is a must when you visit Chicago. My recommendations are the "Lou" or "The Classic." The crust is crispy yet the pizza is very thick which was a good contrast. The spinach cheese bread is also amazing. When ordering a salad, just be aware that a single salad could feed probably 3-4 people. The family size was huge and was good enough for our table of 12 people. The spaghetti was alright but nothing out of this world. Pizza is the way to go. This place gets packed. Luckily, we came in just before the lunch rush. Be prepared to wait in line. Rain or shine, patrons are willing to stand out the door for their pizza.
(4)Andrea J.
When in Chicago, you must get deep dish pizza! Lou Malnatis did not disappoint. We got there early, around 6:30pm and didn't have to wait for a table. We did wait a little bit to get a server though. By that point we were ready to order since we knew it would take a while to get the pizza. The 3 of us started with a family size spinach salad with chicken. The salad was good, strawberries were ripe but there was not enough of them. Also not enough chicken in my opinion. Thankfully the same was the case with the dressing, but I hate salads that are swimming in dressing. The salad would have served 4-5, so we probably should have done the regular size. Once the pizzas (finally) arrived, we were all happy. I ordered an individual size cheese with spinach and green pepper. I ate half and was full but not stuffed. My coworkers shared a 2 person pizza which ended up being 4 slices total. They were pleased with their selection as well. The wait is worth it.
(4)Steph F.
On my first night in Chicago, my friends and I decided to get some authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. We were lucky we were staying only a couple of blocks away so it was very convenient walking to Lou Malnati's. After a very short wait, the hostess seated us in the back of the restaurant and we ordered right away. (We were just about to pre-order our pizza when we were called to get seated. If there's a wait when you're there, just go ahead and place your order as you wait for your table since it takes awhile to bake.) We decided to order the Malnati Chicago Classic deep dish pizza with Lou's lean sausage, some extra cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce on Buttercrust. We were starving by now and thought the 3 of us could finish a large. (Note: a large is meant for 4 people). Now the long wait begins... it took over 45 minutes to an hour for our pizza to arrive at our table. The waitress said it was due to the size and because they wanted to make sure the sausage was cooked thoroughly. Now, the sausage is not the usual small pieces you get at your regular pizza places but large, slices of sausage. I'm not usually a fan of sausage, but their blend of sausage and seasoning sure makes this kind pretty tasty. You really do get your bang for your buck here. I've had deep dish pizza before in California but this was amazing. The crust was delicious and the toppings were so fresh and flavorful. BUT, you really can start getting full after a slice... and we made the mistake of ordering a large. We should have opted for a medium pizza that was meant for 3 people. While we were so full from 2 slices, we were determined to finish the pizza... this came at a price though. We probably didn't want to see another pizza for awhile after stuffing ourselves with this pizza. Lou Malnati's does offer other options besides pizza on their menu, but why come if you're not going to have the pizza? This place will definitely be on my list of places to return to whenever I make it back to Chicago.
(4)Vickie C.
A trip to Chicago must include at least 1 deep dish pizza, especially when its my first time in the city! After searching on yelp, Lou's seemed to have the most positive reviews out of all the contenders. We arrived and got seated promptly. Our waitress was super friendly and help us decide on a half Lou's (vegetarian) and half Malnati classic (sausage). I've never had Chicago style deep dish so this was a great experience. I was expecting a thick bready-type crust and bottom, but instead, the deepness was filled with mostly cheese, sauce and toppings. I loved the sausage on the Malnati classic, it was like a huge sausage patty. The pizza was so good that I decided to buy a frozen one to take back to LA for my parents to try! And they loved it!
(5)Adam A.
Last night while in Chicago on business I decided to go on an excursion (all by my lonesome - after hiding from the typical colleague steakhouse dinner) into the inner city in search of authentic Chicago style deep dish pizza. Initially I thought I might head out to the place that was featured on Anthony Bordain's "No Reservations", but once I realized it was about 40 minutes outside of the city I quickly changed my mind. I settled on the Lou Malnati's pizzeria. They have several locations, however this location seemed to be the most popular and it also happened to be in a part of town with interesting bars and lounges within a few blocks (check my other reviews for some good recommendations). I arrived around 8 PM on a Saturday night and the place was packed. I gave them my name and was told it would be in approximately 30 minute wait for a table or I could just sit at the bar. They also recommended placing the order for my pizza ahead of time since the pies generally take around 30 minutes to prepare. They have a chart on the wall near where you check in illustrating the sizes of the different size options ranging from personal to extra-large. I was famished and was concerned the "small" size (one step up from personal) would not be sufficient to satisfy my appetite. The lady at the check in desk was correct, the "small" sized "Malnati Chicago Classic" ( Lou's lean sausage, some extra cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce on Buttercrust) pie shut me down like a pile of bricks. As you can see in the photograph I made it about halfway through slice 4/4 and that was it for me. Perhaps I should not have ordered minestrone soup, without it I may have made it through my iPod. They also have a full bar on-site, a nice touch; I had a few glasses of red wine to go with my pie. Being from the Northeast I had reservations about the Chicago style deep dish pizza, but my meal here made me a believer. The ingredients were all of high quality In the crust itself was delicious. I still prefer New York style pizza, however if I had a place like this near my home I am sure I would eat their from time to time. Five stars for a nothing-but-positive Chicago deep-dish pizza experience. After I finished my pie, I jumped in an Uber and headed to my next destination, but that is another story!
(5)Aria S.
I obvii had to get some deep dish on a recent trip to Chicago and I heard that was the real thanggg. I also heard Uno is good but I used to get that all the time in California as a kid..so idk how real it is. Anyways, so it's really nice that they warn you that deep dish is made to order so takes 45min so obviously allocate time! I got myself the house salad ($6) and a beer ($5-7) so I wouldn't eat my friends hand off during those 45min hehe. Salad was good but if you aren't hungry, just wait to eat your pizza cause you don't need any sides!! So I got the Lou which was the veggie one with spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes. INCREDIBLE. YUmmmmm. Recommend if you are vegetarian and don't want the reg cheese. 5 stars mostly because our server (Tina!) realized I was kinda in a rush to get the airport, told me how to get there the fastest way possible, got the check to the table when the food came, and immediately ran it and brought it back, and with boxes. So nice when you're not like hELLOO im gonna miss mah flight cause you cant run a credit card!
(5)susan l.
ANY time is a good time for pizza. what i ate: - malnati salad: romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, salami bits, gorgonzola cheese, sweet vinaigrette, romano cheese. honestly, this salad kind of blew my mind. it hit every flavor note and texture note you could think of. sweet, tangy, salty, crunchy, savory. it was really refreshing after walking around the city on the warm spring day. - large sausage and pepperoni deep dish: yes yes yes! the cornmeal crust was amazingly crispy. the meat was meaty. i have to admit, i ended up eating 2 slices (oink oink!) and a few bites of the very last slice. no leftovers! pros: - pizza! - large location. there was plenty of room upstairs and downstairs. we came in on a busy saturday afternoon during lunch time and were seated within 5 mins. - price was right cons: - service was slowish. he forgot my beer. he wasnt around when we needed the check. slow - small bathroom, at least downstairs. it's only a single stall. we all made the trek upstairs to the larger bathroom, but by larger i meant 2 stalls. would i come again? sure
(4)Patrick W.
I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. We went on a Sunday night and the place was packed so the wait was about 30 minutes. No worries - my group just went and sat at the bar where they have several draft brew selections and a good amount of seats. I love the open atmosphere. We ended up sitting on the edge of the restaurant where the patio meets the inside seating but everything was opened up since the weather was so nice. The waiter was very friendly and attentive. We ordered a regular deep dish pizza and a gluten free pizza for myself. My wife absolutely loved the deep dish and I ate my gluten free pizza up. The calamari is also an excellent appetizer choice. This is definitely a place I will be visiting again on my next trip to Chicago.
(5)Tom Z.
Filling is the first word that comes to mind. Fresh tomato base sauce and a thinner crust than I thought came on my sausage and black olive pizza. The sausage can only be explained as an entire layer of mild Italian sausage covered with the sauce. The cheese sits on the bottom next to the crust. New York or Chicago style, have to vote NY style. Good quality Chicago style, just like the flavor of well cooked thin style crust.
(4)Francisco C.
My friend and I were looking for a pizza place and we ended at a fancy restaurant. We told the server we wanted to try a Chicago style pizza (deep dish), and she recommended Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. After thanking her and politely exiting the fancy place, we walked to Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, and WOW...this was the best pizza I have ever tried! Service was great, and the flavor of the pizza was phenomenal. Even my friend who is a Chef was impressed about the flavor of the pizza and how it is prepared. If you are visiting Chicago, this is "the place" to eat a Chicago style pizza.
(5)Erica C.
The first time I ever heard of this restaurant was visiting my friend back in November 2010. When she mentioned taking me it sounded like she said illuminati. I was expecting jay z posters everywhere and whole pizzas in the shape of a triangle besides the slices that are already in triangles. When we got there the wait was over 2 hours so we went to Giordano's instead. No confirmation of Jay Z or triangle pizzas. Fast forward to 2015, we planned to visit Chicago again, thus made it my life mission to try their pizza. Unfortunately there's no Jay Z posters in sight but the pizza was so damn good. It was worth the pizza blue balls for 5 years. We had the Chicago classic with pepperoni as a deep dish and the thin crust with pepperoni and giardinera. (Omg totally in love with giardinera but that's another story) wow, both pizzas deep and thin were the best pizzas I've ever had. I mentally scanned through all the pizza I've eaten from my home town Houston, TX to my travels to Las Vegas, New York, LA. Nothing compares to the pizza foodgasm of Lou's. I totally feel with J.Cole in his song "power trip"... "Well this has gotta be the longest crush ever/If I ever get to **** it'd be the longest bust ever" well that is if J.Cole was talking about pizza.
(5)John C.
Ah the wifey had a business trip in Chicago. I requested some pizza to go since we don't have Lou Malnati's in Indianapolis, but we do have Giordanos (don't get me started on this)... Lou's needs to expand to the Indy area too! Anyways since I wasn't in Chicago she got a deep dish pie to go. The key is to request it half baked so that you can bake it again at home. We got the The Malnati Chicago Classicâ„¢, which has a buttery crust, extra mozzarella cheese, the pizzeria's own sausage. Honestly it held up pretty well and I was happy it re cooked at home. Probably one of the best deep dish pizzas in Chicago, personally, I am more of a NYC slice person. But every so often I want some deep dish.
(4)Rosie T.
The wait can be long during popular hours but the food is delicious. I've had the Malnati Chicago Classic as well as various combinations of toppings that sounded good together and I have yet to be disappointed. The stuffed spinach bread is pretty good but can be a little heavy after the first few bites so I would recommend getting it to share. The chocolate chip pizza is amazing and I don't even like sweets. The cookie is served warm and fresh in a small deep dish pan and topped with ice cream and whipped cream. I didn't want to order it the first time I was there because I was already full from the pizza, but after the first bite I made room in my stomach for the rest of it because it was that good. The individual serving is big enough to share between 2 people but you might have to fight for it.
(5)Jae C.
We couldn't visit Chicago--with some CA friends--without going to Lou Malnati's! Lunch time was a good time to go--not too crowded but still full of hungry hungry hippos. We started with the Malnati salad, which was WTF the best salad I've ever had. The dressing was perfect--didn't coat the salad too much, but enough to give it a nice flavor. Easily our favorite part of the salad were the salami bits--crunchy, not chewy. I could eat that salad all day, every day. The calamari was also great; not too much breading but enough to coat the calamari to give it some crunch. Our pizzas of choice were the Malnati Chicago Classic and the Lou. First off, the Chicago Classic was easily the best sausage pizza I've ever had. Mainly because there was sausage in every. single. bite. We liked that it was an actual layer of sausage vs chunks spread all over the place. Good call. The Lou was delicious--nothing to write home about, but we weren't disappointed in it. We expected more from the buttercrust on both pizzas; it just didn't wow us. I'm a fan of deep dish, but our friends were more into New York style. But overall, it was a satisfying lunch for a bunch of first timers!
(5)Candace T.
Good deep dish pizza... but the Malnati salad was delicious!! Our server recommended it and I was hesitant, but am really amazed how delicious it is. Pretty good menu and beer list here. The atmosphere is casual but nice. It's a really big space with a bar and seating downstairs, and additional seating upstairs.
(4)George A.
We flew in late and grabbed a large and medium pie to go. Both pies ran about $50. Either everyone was super hungry or the pie was just that good. Yup it was so good that I ate every little bite. I've had Giordanos before and think LM's pie is just better. A must try when in the Windy City!
(4)Vivien L.
Awesome pizza! Best deep dish pizza in town, definitely! Price was also very reasonable - highly recommended!
(5)Wei Y.
We got here before they opened, and there were already a line. We had a party of two, and we got seated promptly. After sitting down for not even a minute our server promptly took our drink orders and gave us suggestions since it was our first time: Spinach bread and a "small" Classic sausage deep dish. Additionally, we had plates that were dirty, but the server took care of it. Another minor complaint: the two-person booths had really hard seats, it hurts after a while. Maybe it's a sign that I need to workout more for a bigger booty. The Spinach Bread came first. It was mostly cheese! it was so dense that it felt like a whole meal. The crust was nice a fluffy, and it had a nice garlic aroma. Then, the main show, the deep dish pizza came. Right off the bat, it definitely taste better the than NYC pizza. Chicago wins end of story. Great pizza, good staff. Get there early to skip the lines!
(4)Scott W.
Lou's is a Chicago staple. Crust - buttery from the inside. Sauce - tomato chunks with a hint of red wine. Toppings - sausage crushes it. Cheese - literally - are you joking? Just a great pizza and a taste of an iconic great that hits the mark every time. Order it uncut with a nice lous salad. It's a treat once a week if I can handle it.
(5)Brian M.
"Best Layover Ever" started off here at Malnati's Pizzeria. My wife and I were seated promptly upstairs in their dining area. The place is nice and clean and the atmosphere was exactly what we were hoping for. A lot of people our age were there and grabbing a bite on this Sunday afternoon. We were glancing over the menu, taking our time...waiting...waiting...about 15 minutes went by without anyone coming to our table. Major bummer, cause I was really hungry and I thought they were better than this. Eventually after making an obvious glance at one of the waitresses, she helped us with our drink order and we eventually got our pizza order in as well. Now for the good part! We got The Malnati Chicago Classic and it was pizza heaven. Tons of delicious gooey cheese and the crust isn't too hard and full of flavor as well. As an appetizer we got the Malnati Salad to share and it's pretty big! That might have been one of the best salads of my life though. Couple that with a local Chicago IPA and this meal turned out really good. Don't miss out on this authentic Chicago pizza!
(4)Bridget L.
Visiting our favorite pizza joint on a long weekend get away to Chicago! Beat the lunch crowd and arrived early. Sat upstairs and took in the beautiful nostalgic loft-type building and cool sports memorabilia lining the walls. Started with the Lou Malnati's salad and a pitcher of Goose Island 312. Delish! 10YO had the kids chicken nuggets and fries, rating them MMM MMM! Hubs and I split the Chicago Deep Dish and it was worth the wait. Excellent!!!
(5)George C.
I took a day trip to Chicago and wanted to maximize my experience of Chicago and what better way to do that than with some deep dish pizza? I decided on Lou Malnati's due to suggestions from friends as well as raving reviews on yelp and I was not disappointed! Arrived about 10 min before they opened on a Sunday and there were already a few people other than myself waiting to get in. Ended up ordering the spinach bread and the Malnati Chicago Classic and both were amazing! The spinach bread is a smaller sized loaf of bread filled with cheesy goodness and a little bit of spinach as well. The pizza with the butter crust is amazing as well! Took about 30 min for them to make the pizza but it was definitely worth the wait. The crust has a really nice crunch to it all around and every bite was filled with ooey gooey mozzarella goodness and Oh my, they definitely do not skimp on the sausage! Instead of bits of sausage, it seemed like they had sausage on every inch of the pie! A small pizza and the spinach bread were more than enough for two people and I would highly recommend the deep dish pizza here to anyone!
(5)Jin K.
I'm honored to have eaten Lou Malnatis pizza as my first deep dish pizza. I ordered Lou Malnatis classic chicago deep dish and it definitely surpassed my expectations. Because deep dish is known for their layer of cheese, meat, and tomato sauce, I thought it would taste extremely similar to a lasagna but it was far from it. Crust was crunchy on top yet very fluffy on the inside but not enough to be mushy on the bottom. Cheese was savory and wonderful. Although there was a decent layer of cheese, it never felt greasy at all. Amount of meat toppings was more than enough and tomato sauce was light and sweet. I would definitely visit Lou Malnatis again when I am in town.
(5)Julia S.
Choices choices... When you are in a city for only a certain limited amount of time, it's hard to narrow down places you want to eat. So many places to eat. So little time... Lou malnati came highly recommended via YELP and as YELP has never steered me wrong, I decided Lou Malnati's will be my Chicago pizza experience. As I walked up to the much anticipated pizza place, my heart sank... There was a mob of people waiting already... Boo boo... Ok... My fault for going at prime dinner time 630PM...so, I put my name on the wait list and grabbed a drink at the bar. The bar is not big but it is sufficient. The beers ranged in variety from local brews to domestics and the prices are good... Thankfully the wait was supposed to be over an hour but we were seated much earlier than anticipated. Now... On to the food!!! We ordered a salad that had candied maple bacon. Yes please...More please... One of the best salads I have ever had! We also had the calamari which was battered perfectly and was still moist and juicy unlike most places where the calamari is dry and stringy. Oh the pizza!!!! We had the sausage pizza and lemme tell you... I can usually do damage on pizza, averaging 4-5 slices. However, this pizza... after two slices I was stuffed and couldn't move. It felt like each pizza slice weighed about a pound of yumminess. They certainly aren't stingy with the sausage. Instead of sprinkling morsels of sausage, it's like a a blanket of meaty goodness cooked to perfection. Also, as most people commented, the butter crust... Ridiculously good. It was so buttery, crispy and not greasy what so ever. I could just sit there and eat the crust... All day. A must try if you are in the area!
(5)Steve N.
Lou Malnati's is Chicago's beloved pizzeria. This is the original location and they have multiple locations all over Chicago. The decor is classic pizzeria and the ambiance matches the decor. There's a bar area in addition to tables. We sat at the bar and the bartender recommended the sausage pizza. It took about 20 minutes to make which gave me enough time to get alcohol up to open up my palate. Now, the details of the deep dish pizza. *drum roll* We went with the Malnati Chicago Classic. It contains Lou's lean sausage, some extra cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce on "Buttercrust." This is definitely not a New York fold-able pie. It's has a buttery crunchy crust, heavy on the toppings, and elastic mozzarella cheese. The cheese, sausage, and tomato are at least 60% of the pizza. Now, that's a good ratio compared to your typical pizza where 80-90% is your dough. I was about to eat it with my hands but the bartender suggested using a knife and fork. The layering of the pizza is what makes it amazing. It's the vine-ripened tomato sauce then the cheese then the sausage then another layer of tomato sauce and then the crust. The combination made the pizza extremely savory. As you ate the pizza, the first bite consisted of the crunchy buttery crust followed by the sweet yet tangy sour tomato sauce then the soft, rich and stretchy cheese then the rich and sweet yet spicy sausage fills up your palate and then the final crunch from the crust. It was full of flavor and layering of the pizza was key. It totally stole the show from any other Chicago superstar like how Michael Jordan is still a legend with the Bulls. The difference between Chicago and New York pies are the components of the pies. Chicago is all about crunchy crust, fresh ingredients and heavy on the toppings. New York focuses on the dough, sauce, mozzarella and the toppings take a backseat. Therefore, it's really up to your preference on how you like your pizza. I personally prefer an NYC pie over a Chi-Town pizza. I'll take a Sicilian Pie over a Chicago Deep Dish any day of the week like not working. However, I will say Malnati's Deep Dish is very close to my favorite NYC Sicilian which is Prince St Pizza. Now, Lou Malnati's is without a doubt the best Chicago pizza when compared to other Chicago pizzerias I've tried. It's impressive and I recently found out it could be ordered online. No more trips to Chicago for me. Anyway, as good as it is, it still falls short of the glory of my favorite New York Sicilian pie.
(5)Maria M.
Pizza is definitely 10/10, however, I felt extremely unwelcome at this location. The front person was not very nice and seemed bothered that we needed help since it was our first time here. Here's the kicker, I'd come in a few days prior to ask for a pizza box to take a picture with it in front of the Millennium Park bean. They wanted to charge me $2 for an empty box. I exclaimed shock at the price to which they responded "do you want us to charge you more?" I stated I'd prefer if they didn't charge for empty pizza boxes. It was pretty audacious of them to have given me such a hard time for an empty pizza box but I thought I would give them the benefit of the doubt. I came back with a group of 4 to share the Lou's experience with them. Again, the employees were very cold and you could very much feel that they disliked tourist.
(2)Danthanh L.
Was visiting from Toronto and wanted to try Chicago's well known deep-dish pizza! I went on an off day with my friend (Monday around 12-1pm) so it wasn't crowded at all. No line up and seated right away. The pizza does take about 30-40mins though, so if you are short on time..schedule it accordingly. We tried the Chicago classic Medium size ($20) and a penne pasta lunch special. I would skip pasta and just do pizza. The pasta didn't have much flavour to it, just felt like I was eating pasta and cheese. For pizza, I would suggest their Classic or Sausage version (we tried sausage a few days before at a food event where Lou's was at too). Both are good! Service was okay, decor was interesting. You can see jerseys of athletes hanging on the wall. We were in a booth that sat right below a Cubs jersey. Lol. Restaurant is good for all ages and families.
(4)Kevin W.
First stop for Chicago Pizza has to be at where it all started and was created. I have seen Lou Malnati's on all the pizza food shows and always wanted to try it. Pepperoni Deep Dish, small - $13.65 - The crust is amazing. Thick and buttery with a nice crisp. Loaded with a ton of cheese and pepperoni. The red sauce is so simple but full of flavor. Great way to start a pizza journey.
(4)Garrett W.
Food is delicious. Wait times are its Ackelies heel. We were seated quickly though because our group was relatively small but if you order a pizza add another +30-45 minutes to your stay. We were Ok with that though and we really enjoyed the food. If you have time and money to spare, you'll like it. If you're a rushing tourist who is trying to soak in as much as possible of Chicago, take a moment to see if it's worth spending 1-2 hours here. Luckily, they have Wi-Fi if you need something to do besides talking while you wait. The pizzas are huge. The salads are huge. I recommend both. You'll love it! :)
(4)Jessy H.
My first experience trying a deep dish Chicago pizza and I was not disappointed! We went back for seconds before flying home. They delivered it to our hotel room so we never got the dine in experience. We ordered the traditional deep dish Chicago pizza both times. The cheese was amazing! The butter crust... drooling!!! We also ordered calamari and that wasn't as good but I blame it on delivery. The sauce it came with was yummy. Next time we are in town we will be dinning in.
(5)Lindsey W.
Pretty sure my gallbladder flipped out with this meal, which is a-ok with me! We started with garlic bread (nothing special) and the Malnati salad, which was incredible. Even the regular size is quite big FYI, 2 of us couldn't finish it. So, pizza! Deep dish is all about proportions, and they've nailed it. Perfect ratio of crust, tomato sauce, toppings, and cheese. OH MY GOD THE CHEESE. I think they put crack in it. We also had a thin crust that was great. Both pizzas reheated really well in the oven over the next couple days. Keep in mind the pizza takes 45 minutes, so budget your time accordingly. Definitely worth it, I prefer their deep dish to Giordano's, which has too much sauce for my liking. Will be back!
(5)Christina C.
Yay for gluten free Chicago pizza!! Not true Chicago pizza as it's not deep dish...but the crust was amazing!!! Definitely one of the best gf crusts I've had...and I've tried a lot (Celiac). Also, reading other people's reviews about the regular "buttercrust" makes me think they try to make their gf crust the same. It was very buttery and delicious. Not too thin or cracker-like. I didn't feel cheated at all about not being able to eat the authentic Chicago pizza. FYI the gluten free pizza comes with just cheese so you need to add toppings if you want meat, etc. I got it with sausage, and it was perfect. My non-gluten free friends loved their regular pizza as well! Definitely lived up to these reviews. When we put our name in, they told us it would be an hour wait. We put our name in and then proceeded to order our pizza. When we sat down, our pizza arrived in 10 min. It was great timing and awesome that they have that option to speed up the process. I recommend doing that if there is a long wait!
(5)Noelle H.
I came with a group of friends that had never had Chicago style pizza before. The four of them decided to get the Malnati Chicago Classic. Since I don't eat meat, I ordered the Lou's personal pizza. I feel like my review might be higher if I had tried the pizza in the big pan versus the personal one. The personal one doesn't come in a pan, and it honestly is a bit pricy for what you get! Flavors were ok, but wasn't wow. The rest of the group, however, enjoyed the classic! I believe they do half and half, so do that if you can!
(3)Michael M.
So we were in Chicago for five or six days and I haven't been in years. I love pizza. And I mean, I LOVE pizza. All kinds of pizza. Thin crust, deep dish, New York, Chicago, Neapolitan, whatever. I'll eat frozen pizza, leftover pizza, pizza that may or may not have fallen on the ground. In my books, even bad pizza is pretty good. And while Lou's was FAR from being bad pizza,I was just a tad disappointed, just a little let down and perhaps a victim of my own sky-high expectations. Oh well, it was still pizza and it was still pretty good. So starting at the beginning (finally) we had limited time and settled on going to the two biggest players in town (so far as I could ascertain), Lou Malnati's and Giordano's. Now I know that there are a LOT of other options but again, limited time and a long absence made me want to keep things as simple as I could. So although I did cheat and have a thin-crust at the place next to our hotel, we stuck with the plan when it came to deep dish. First off, the place is huge and even though we were relegated to the dreaded upper level, service was still good and they were more than accommodating with our many questions and various restrictions. Honey had the gluten free and I dropped the mushrooms from "The Lou" (despite the 'no substitutions' request) and all was good. We each ordered salads and I'm glad we did, seeing as they were both quite tasty (she had the Spinach, I had the House) and that the pizza took quite a while to get to us...but that's deep dish for you. But after all of that it was just okay. She's had better gluten free and I've had better deep dish even in Toronto. Mine looked great and was more than acceptable but just wasn't as doughy, as savory, as buttery and as cheesy awesome as I was expecting. I don't know why, I really don't. It was fine and it was pizza and I still liked it but I felt a bit let down. When the salad is the best part of the meal, there's something not quite right. So on our next trip we probably won't be back to Lou's, given the vast array of other choices. Still, like I said it WAS pizza...and there's rarely ever anything wrong with pizza in my book.
(3)