Mohamed A.

Whenever we come to Chicago, we always want to get pizza. We've frequented the two main "G" chains but decided we wanted to try something more ma n pa. Pizano's was recommended by the hotel staff. We got the deep dish and took it back to our hotel room. Let me say, this was the best! The sauce was delicious. It had fresh chunks of tomatoes in it that made it so much better. The cheese was perfect. Not too over the top and not too skimpy. We ended up eating lunch here again on our last day and loved it again! Try this place out, you won't be disappointed!

Triphena W.

Great place for deep dish if you're shopping around Michigan Avenue. I've had the Hey Hey Jack's Brickhouse Special (sausage and mushroom) and the Mark's Special (sliced tomato, garlic, basil). Both are fantastic. My brother preferred the Mark's Special. I always want sausage on my pizza; thus I really liked the Brickhouse Special. Their sausage is tender but not as greasy as Vito and Nick's. Pizano's is very generous with their sausage (read: you get sausage in every bite). The deep dish crust is similar to Lou Malnati's but is perhaps slightly more firm (ie harder to cut through with a butter knife). Overall, I think I might prefer the sausage deep dish at Lou Malnati's by a hair (I think the Lincolnwood location tastes better than the other locations for some reason). The deep dish at Pizano's (and Lou Malnati's) is different than Pequod's. The bottom crust at Pequod's is thicker and sometimes comes out a little dry. But the lip of the pizza crust is caramelized at Pequod's which is yum. I liked the thin crust at Pizano's, but I wasn't mesmerized by it like some are. We upgraded to the butter crust, but I don't think it elevated the pizza significantly. The crust was thin but substantial enough that the square slices didn't droop much under the weight of the cheese, sliced tomatoes, etc. I thought the amount of cheese and toppings to crust were well proportioned. The servers are friendly and the bussers are quick with refilling water and removing dirty plates. Today (Saturday) around 12:30pm, three of us were seated immediately but the restaurant was filled before 1:30pm. The restaurant space is small and a little dark due to lack of windows, but the atmosphere doesn't matter much when all you want is to feast on pizza with friends. I recommend their deep dish.

Jean L.

I came here again about a week ago, at 5pm on a Thursday. No wait! Score!!! Since my first trip, I had the pleasure of trying 3 more deep dish places. Pizano's pizza is still my favorite. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because of the beer prices. Pizza and beer always go together, so it would be great if the prices would lower just a little bit..!

James G.

Need to say up front I am not a fan of deep dish pizza. However, love thin crust, New York style being my favorite. We ordered the BBQ Chicken Pizza. At first bite I thought,interesting and not bad. But, just like Oprah's other high praise fads (Dr Oz & Dr Phil) it got old quick. It just tasted weird to me after a few bites. The pizza cost $24, which was way overpriced, IMO. However, the three cheese tortellini (that our dinner mates ordered)was out of this world. I ordered the Maria's Special Tortellini and that was good too,but the 3 cheese was amazing. I would highly recommend either of these dishes. Also worth noting is their home made Root Beer. It is very good. Our server, "The Chauch" graciously gave us the cookie dessert, on the house. Even though we were stuffed, it was so delicious we could not help devouring it. So - 2 1/2 stars on the thin crust pizza, but a solid 4 on the tortellini, dessert and service.

Roxy H.

My favorite Italian Restaurant!!! This place is so adorable with the location and the way it looks inside. Perfect for a first date, and an empty stomach. Brian is a great bartender and I love coming here. Everyone is so friendly and they make you feel right at home no matter if you are a local, or a tourist. I always order pasta and I have tried the deep dish pizza, and giant cookie for dessert! Yum Yum! 5 stars without a doubt.

Sable B.

Delicious! You need to get the combo cheese and meat ravioli appetizer- so, so good. We're only in town for a few days and it's where I wanted to go ALL. THE. TIME. The atmosphere and service is great as well. This is the first time I tried Chicago deep dish and I thought it was good, but nothing fantastic. Not sure if it is just the style of pizza or theirs? Either way, I feel like their other items are better. Plus, if you're a Michael Jordan fan the #45 jersey is hanging up at the bar, signed in a case with a little plaque.

Erica B.

Best pizza I have ever had. Wonderful, thin, buttery crust . Love their pizza.

Kai G.

Chicago is known for the deepdish pizzas but imo they sure are pricey!! around 18 bucks w tax for a pizza large enough for two. Yea i'll spend it once to experience it but again... not so sure. Relatively i prefer pizzano's over Malnati's. Their crust is more crunchy, less tomatoes sauce and overall just better. i dont want too much tomato sauce in my pizzas. Wait's 40min so you better call it in ahead of time I think i'll just keep on getting my pizzas from costco for a little over 2 bucks w tax :)

Michael S.

Super friendly waitstaff and a nice decor inside. Our pepperoni and mushroom deep dish was tasty and satisfying. The crust was overdone though; it was almost black in a few spots Also, the wait for the pizza was way too long. It was a good 45-60 minutes. We also got wings as well which were solid. Overall I would recommend although it does get very crowded so you may have to wait 30 minutes for a table during peak dinner hours.

Lindsay G.

Went to the Pizanos on Maddison. Pizza was great, host was an ass! Acting like a child and slamming your clipboard when you get busy and flustered is not the way to attract repeat business! I watched numerous customers being treated rudely by the overwhelmed host. We definitely won't be returning!

Len D.

The best deep dish pizza I've ever had. There are places you go to that change the way you look at certain dishes and this was the place for me when it comes to pizza. I've had both the deep dish and thin crust they are both equally good, but I prefer the thick crust. You can really taste the corn meal in the crust. There are not a lot of places where I eat the pizza and the crust, but this is one of them. I've always ordered Rudy's special which is cheese, sausage, mushroom, onion, and green pepper. They are always perfectly made and taste great. I highly recommend trying it out. If you don't feel like eating pizza, the pasta is awesome too. I've had the Pasta a la franco which has a cream sauce. The peas and chicken is what really made this dish pop. I've also tried to bruschetta. Made me realize that its a simple dish, but if you have great ingredients (which they had, the tomatoes seemed fresh) its such a great thing. I've tried Giadono's and I actually like this place better. I tried going to a couple of other places listed on TripAdvisor, but they were always so packed and had a big line (which Giadono's usually does). At Pizano's I've never had to wait (I've been there on 4 separate occasions). This place is a must.

David N.

This pizza is amazing. To compare to deep dish Ginos / Giordano's, Pizano's cheese is a little less runny, and it is a little more firm and flavorful. It is honestly a 1000x better.

kelli s.

This is my favorite pizza in Chicago!! The delicious buttery crust is ridiculously addictive. You can't go wrong with the thin crust sausage. It takes awhile to get your pizza but it's worth the wait. This place is a no frills dive which is refreshing in an area surrounded by the doucheness of Rush St. bars.

Hernan T.

Yuuuuuuuuum. I'm so glad I worked across the street from this place that one time at the old Loyola Bookstore. I decided one day, I'm hungry for pizza. So I called in on a Saturday and placed an order. Large cheese and sausage pizza. I took it home via Red Line and 30 minute Orange Line ride. Get home 45 minutes after picking it up and open up the box. Grab 3 square slices of pizza and I bite into the sausage sliceOHMYGAAAWD THIS IS AWESOME! The crust was still crunchy! The cheese a bit salty and greased up but still good! The sauce isn't too acidic and tastes fresh. I grab the rest of the slices and put them in the toaster oven and it was even better! 2 weeks later I work again on a Saturday, and I decide to go dine in with my co-worker and my girlfriend. Same pizza, half cheese and half sausage. The pizza arrives about 5 minutes on the table, and the waiter hands out the plates and serves 2 slices on each one. This amazingness is even amazinger served fresh! Who knew?! :-P I've made several return trips for pizza but last Wednesday, I decide to bring a friend along who lived in New York for much of his life. He's an avid New York style pizza connoisseur and has tried many of the more famous pizzas from that area. (He believes a pizza shouldn't have any other toppings other than cheese, sausage, pepperoni, green peppers and/or mushrooms. That's it.) I already had him try a pizza with chicken on it but it was napolitano style so it didn't matter too much. He's poo pooed Giordano's pizza as rather sh***y and says it actually makes him feel sick. So I took him here for a thin crust sausage, mushroom and green pepper pizza. Waited about 20 minutes as we talked over some drinks. Finally came the test.... he grabs a knife and fork, and picks up a bit of the pizza. "Aw, man! This is fresh....this is really fresh!" After we've had our fill, he declares Pizano's thin crust pizza one of the best pizza's he's had in a long time. So me and my New York buddy would definitely recommend coming here. Just for that. They also have fresh and delicious minestrone and some decent pasta which you can wash down with anything from the full bar they have in the restaurant.

Jane W.

Pizano's is my favorite pizza in the city and I especially love their Italian Wedding Soup, which they make for you upon ordering. The ambiance is comfortable, welcoming and I always feel like a special customer when I dine here, even though I don't get here as often as I would like to. The service is consistently accommodating and they check on you just often enough. Try it if you haven't and enjoy!

Tanya F.

I would like to acknowledge and thank the staff working last night (Friday July 18) for the wonderful and kind service my 4-year old son and I were provided! Here on business at the hotel across the street and brought my son for his 4th birthday. I mentioned it was his birthday dinner and not only did we have fantastic pizza but every single staff member wished him happy birthday and was so kind to him, and even provided a free birthday cookie with a candle. Just a wonderful place with a family feel. True Chicago.

Sharon T.

As I am writing this review, the aftertaste of Chicago's Signature pizza is lingering in my mouth. After experiencing what I call the most "mind-blowing" deep dish pizza from L'Appetito, I immediately put 20 years of NY pizza to rest and had arms wide open for Chicago pizza. I couldn't wait to have another slice from some of the best Chicago has to offer...only to be disappointed. I walked all the way from the Grand Station area (which I shouldn't complain much, but my feet were hurting), eager to finally have a real pizza meal in Chicago. We were seated immediately in the back room, a really nice and warm room. As usual, I go for the extraordinary so we got the Mark's Special 10". I'm glad we got the smallest one because anymore, we wouldn't eat 75% of it. We opted for an extra mushroom topping and right away, I knew about one and a half mushrooms were used. There were about 5 slices...so much for that extra $1.90. I was so disappointed... is this what a deep dish pizza is? The cheese only filled up half of the pie. I used to loathe the nasty packaged pepperoni deep dish pizza pies served in school, but this is worse. The pizza itself was way overdone with garlic, was way too watery, way too dry...like dried, 3-day old bread. We also had garlic bread, which was nothing special yet had little to no garlic. I wonder if I ordered the right thing or not. I'm not quite sure what the "proper" way of eating Chicago-style pizza is, but I picked it up with my hands like a New Yorker, while everyone else seemed to cut it up like a delicate piece of steak. The wait for my pizza was way too long and I ended up disappointed. The owner walked around and asked us if we were okay, which I couldn't say no to but I'm not quite sure if I'll come back.

Ari M.

Had an excellent pizza (Rudy's Special), and the service was great too (Chrissy was the server). Very personable, and warm. I could tell this was a neighborhood hangout place. People seemed to know the bartender/servers, and that added to the experience.

Kurt S.

The deep dish pizza is amazing. I was looking for something that wasn't touristy, and this definitely met the mark. Don't bother with the thin crust - it sort of tastes like McCain Elio's frozen pizza. The deep dish is absolutely worth it and you will not be disappointed. Service was fantastic. Atmosphere is great. Felt pretty safe walking to and fro even later in the evening. Go here!

eglys h.

Went for the Deep dish personal pizza. Mind you, let me be fair, it was not our first. We had already had one the day prior off a "Food Truck".... We decided to go here cause when we looked up "Taste of Chicago tour" this is one of their stops... We were truly disappointed. It was not that good. We had actually enjoyed our first one much better. Sauce was ok. Crust was ok... Service was ok. We asked for a table inside and where seated in a table right by the outside window - which does not have any glass on it so therefore we were truly sitting almost outside... When we ordered it, we were advised (and it is also stated on menu) it would be 30mins - and it was. Worth it, nope. I would say not really... would be go back...nope..I would rather chase down food truck again... (no need really they have a restaurant!)

Kelvin C.

Have to thank our concierge for recommending this cozy place. We came here twice during the vacation. Restaurant is big, it's deep so don't let the front bar portion fool you. Service was excellent. Deep dish- mushroom, tomatoe, cheese- very heavy dish but that's to be expected. It is not greasy however, they just use a lot of moza. Tomatoe was fresh and wonderfully halfcooked because its juice flavoured the pizza complementing the cheese and mushroom which was equally juicy. I could taste all the toppings were fresh and the crust... I had never tasted a crust that's supposed to be bread but almost tasted like pie crust but not being too greasy. I have no idea what they use to make the crust, I'm thinking there's a little Parmesan in it. Thin crust pizza- a little lighter than the deep dish as the cheese is thinly laid. Crust fresh and soft. Homemade gnocchi in a pesto cream sauce was incredible. Very soft and slightly sweet melt in your mouth potato pasta. Mom was impressed as well as she's tried many fresh pastas. Pizano- a definite must visit. I noticed they have other locations as well I assume they are just as good. 4/5 deep dish 4/4 thin crust (NY still tops it) 5/5 service 5/5 price

Neal C.

Poor service and very very high prices turn me off from Pizanos. They get 3 stars though because the pizza was pretty good, not nearly good enough to justify $33 for a three topping pizza though. Had deep dish Rudy special (sausage, onion, mushroom, green pepper). Crust was very thick and stable on its own-- which was nice. It was very crunchy and well cooked. Sauce was lacking, but there were plenty of toppings; including a good amount of cheese.

Lance W.

Pizano's rates fairly far down my list of favorite pizza spots in Chicago. I'd rate Gino's East, Giordano's, Ricobene's, Burt's Place and Pequod's all better than Pizano's. It probably all comes down to the crust, Pizano's is of the hard, super-crusty variety and has a big crunch to it. If you like your deep-dish crust hard on the outside and soft on the inside, Pizano's is the not the place for you The thin-crust at Pizano's is almost like a Frito chip... Super crunchy.. I have friends who love Pizano's, but they are not my favorite.

Ames R.

As good as it get's! So we went here as a part of an AMAZING food tour ( TASTEBUD) on Fri 11/21/14 . Before leaving we HAD to stop by again....it was JUST that good. When we went back before our flight, we had an opportunity to meet the wonderful owner/manager (his face in on the back of the menu) and had a great conversation ( we are Black by the way...in response to some other comments)...he really was very kind and even gave us a great suggestion about "par baked" pizza for traveling and that the pizza can be kept in the box...wen going though airport security ( we had ziplock containers at the ready) .When we told him that were going to eat the pizza once back home in MD and gave us a caution about that idea with it not being refrigerated for several hours ( so sweet he had our tummy's in mind).Once we got home we put the pizza in the freeze,r, the next day we took it out and baked it...it was WONDERFUL and we had no ill effects....so yes it can be done....next time we will go the recommend par baked route and pack it in the checked luggage.

Emily K.

I had family visiting and exploring the Art Institute in Chicago. They were in the mood for some Chicago pizza before heading back up to Wisconsin. Being new to the city, not having explored the downtown, and being gluten-intolerant, Yelp reviews came to the rescue! We were all pleased with the food at Pizano's Pizza! We were seated downstairs, which was nice for our group of 6 as we were actually able to carry on a conversation and enjoy all the pictures. I was in heaven with my sausage crusted individual pizza, but I DO love sausages, and I rarely eat gluten free pizza unless I make it (though I know I need to explore more of the windy city). The sausage and sauce could have used a little more seasoning, and maybe more cheese, but I am from Wisconsin, and I am a bit of a cheese-a-holic.... Overall, I would definitely go back. They did not have the gluten-free gnocchi as an option this time. I would recommend sitting outside or downstairs if you want to have a conversation. And, even if you aren't gluten-free- try the meat crust!

Adam K.

We ordered for delivery a medium thin crust cheese pizza and chicken tenders with honey mustard. We colud not eat more than a slice each of the pizza, it was that bad! I bit into the crunchy crust expecting a crispy butter crust or somethong but instead an overwhelming 'old grease' taste encapsulated my mouth, like someone either made this in a dirty oven or the ingredients got screwed up somehow...I don't know and will probably order from here again. I threw an entire pizza in the garbage (minus two slices for taste). The chicken tenders were better than McD but not better than CFA. I'm giving them 2 stars for the superior chicken tenders. Update: about 20 mins after I wrote the above, I realized they lost the second star in the porcelain bowl.

Jeff C.

Loved the thin crust. It had a thicker cheese layer than most thin crust but the crust was very crisp. The crust was a little sweet for my tastes but it was still very good.

Marleena C.

This was my first time ever trying Chicago deep dish in Chicago and I was highly pleased. The pizza came out piping hot, the veggies plentiful in the bubbling cheese. The crust was buttery and crisp.. The slices were huge, I could not even finish one full slice! Worth every penny. Sit at the bar for an even better experience!

Jonny C.

I must have gotten a bad pie- and reading these reviews I fully acknowledge that. I am not a deep dish guy- I grew up in the shadow of NYC and to me, that's what pizza is: large triangles of greasy, foldy, orangish melty zingy tomoato-ey thin crusted goodness. But when in the Chi, I'll always get a deep dish and enjoy it as what it is: a non- pizza food product that lies somewhere between a calzone and a bread lasagna. Typically, Malnati's or Giordano's hit me off proper like. However, when i phoned the front desk of the W and asked who the best deep dish delivery folk were, they were quick with Pizano's. So I ordered for delivery, got the Rudy (a meat/veggie blend) and was oh-so super excited to devour. It was HORRIBLE. Unedible, and I was half drunk. And I'm chubby. Typically, in Jonny Algebra 101, (Half drunk + chubby + hotel room) x late night delivery = massive gorge fest. I fully expected to take down three quarters of the pie and pass out. I couldnt even get down one piece. It tasted rancid. Nastasaurus Rex. I feel bad because I hate giving one star reviews, and I don't expect my experience to be representative of the Pizano's whole. But my experience was a vomitorium.

Caroline J.

I absolutely LOVE Pizano's. Everything I have had has been absolutely amazing. They have wonderful pizza, both thin crust and deep dish, generous portions of yummy pasta, and awesome sandwiches. I've eaten in many times and the staff is always welcoming and friendly. I've even ended up at the bar here as an end to my night, and I always meet interesting people. The only thing that could be remotely considered a downside is that for takeout and the bar, the minimum for credit cards is $20.00.

Joe L.

I wasn't a huge fan of this place at all. I came to Chicago expectin deep dish Chicago style pizza as I have always had. We ordered the "deep dish" and also one of the thin crusts. The deep dish wasn't even thick at all. Both were just "meh". The thin crust I would say was better than the "deep dish" but still nothing great. Probably won't be my first choice for pizza in Chi but not the absolute worst pizza I've ever had.

Kellee M.

Amazing!! Tried 3 different places while visiting in Chicago and this place had the most amazing thing crust pizza, and the best tasting sausage! Can't wait to come back for more!

Monica R.

Out of the mouth of babes..."no pizza will ever come close!" We loved the atmosphere, the service and especially the deep dish.

Stephanie S.

Pizza was pretty good but crust was undercooked. My friend had the gnocchi pesto which was tasty. Wings were just OK. We sat at the bar. Not exactly service with a smile, but I've had worse.

Darcy Y.

Been going here since I was a little kid and I still get giddy thinking about their pizza. It's heaven on earth-- no better place for real Chicago pizza. The only reason I can't give 5 stars, and it pains me not to, but their service isn't always stellar. A lot of times the servers like they hate their jobs and/or life working there. I will say this has improved a little bit in the past couple years though.

Adam E.

I ended up eating Pizano's pizza a couple of times during my stay in Chicago. The first time, I was nursing a vicious hangover after a few too many at Spyner's the night before. I'm not kidding, the hangover was one of the worst I've ever had. I probably should've stopped 5 drinks before I did. So my extremely good-hearted bff brought up a deep dish to our hotel room for us to share. The box looked small, but it was plenty for two people. As my shaky hand lifted that heavy, backward sauced slice to my gross mouth, I was like, "I think this might be too much cheese." Friends, I have never had that thought in my life. And I have never picked chunks of cheese off my pizza until then. I mean, I still ate it. The goodness was in the sauce (savory and just chunky enough) and thick, buttery crust. And like, half of the cheese. I ate both my slices, and they did make me feel better. It didn't change my life, or leave me pining for deep dish pizza, but it was pretty good. It *was* too much cheese, but I still liked the pizza in my delicate state and that is worth something. Worth more is the thin crust that I enjoyed a few days later. Now that's a pizza! I wouldn't say it's actually "thin" crust, but I like em a little thicker anyway. Am I right, ladies?? Anyway, the thin crust had that same crispy, buttery quality as the deep dish, but a little less actual bread. This time there was the right amount of cheese and the sauce was under the cheese. Divine. And it was cut in squares, the way a pizza should be. When we dined in at Pizano's, we got in just before the kitchen closed. It had to be after 1am, but who can remember? The bartender was very friendly and made us feel more than welcome to take our time and enjoy the pizza. Very impressive! I guess I'm not the biggest deep dish fan, but I'd happily make a habit of dining in at Pizano's for a thin crust.

Alyssa P.

This place is lucky it is getting two stars. Lets start with the fact with as soon as my boyfriend and I sat down another waitress told our waiter, in ear shot, that she remembers us and that we are lousy tippers. Well, that's funny seeing how it was our first time here, and the waiter just saw my drivers license was from out of state. The wait time for the food wasn't too bad, it's deep dish it takes awhile. The pizza was meh, too much cheese not enough sauce for my taste. Now, here comes my main complaint. As said before we were called out on being lousy tippers. My boyfriend got the check and paid with his credit card. I had the waiters tip, in cash, in hand. When I was about to look at the tax, to double it, my boyfriend pointed out we were charged gratuity, for a party of two. I had no idea the waiter was behind me the whole time for my this is nonsense rant. If he didn't try to be so slick he would have gotten an extra $4 in his tip, but he added the gratuity. So, in doing so he made me live up to his expectation.

Patrick C.

My wife and I shared the baked ravioli, salad and a deep dish. Other than the waiter mishearing one of the ingredients (asked for tomatoes, got onions) -- which was understandable given that it was a pretty lively atmosphere -- we enjoyed it. Both the maître d' and waiter were very pleasant, which is nice given how busy they are

Carmen C.

This place is remarkably bad. the pizza is pretty marginal, not amazing but not the worst. Sauce is pretty decent. The biggest problem with this place is service. Every tuesday night its college night and you get free pizza with a drink order. Usually the service is meh(including a very long wait for a table). However the last time we went was a hot mess. First every server has different rules for ordering on college night, some will tell you that its a medium for two people and then others will try and say a medium for five people. They will get mad at you if you point out a table with more pizza per person and give you some arbitrary rule that will be negated by the next server you ask. They don't seem do have any of this written anywhere for customers to see so its frustrating when the servers become rude when you ask for a normal amount of food. So, after being seated in the basement and being told many different things we finally got a large pizza for five people. Once getting food, our server did not check on our table even once to refill our drinks or ask if we needed anything. Apparently the soda machine was broken and instead of going upstairs to the working machine and drinks the servers just ignored any thirsty customers. The pizza for our table also took an obnoxiously long time. --READ THIS PART-- The final issue that earned this place its 1 star rating is when we got the check. As a group of four we ordered 4 sodas and 1 water because it was part of the deal that to get food you had to get a drink and any time before we were told that it had to be a soda because water is free. Well, this time we were charged for 5 sodas so we politely asked if they could take one off, no harm, right? well they insisted that water was 2.50, which as an establishment that also serves alcohol, I'm pretty sure is not allowed. 2 servers argued with us and then we asked to see the manager who was very passive aggressive and insisted that everything that came in a cup was 2.50. Again, something that is never stated or written anywhere. As he begrudgingly agreed and walked away we all could here him say "f*ck them" which was a nice touch(according to other people who have been there it is common for him to refer to women as c**ts) the manager seems like a real swell guy. After we got our fixed check (with a hand written 18% tip added) we handed over our card and apparently it took 4 servers crowded around the machine and about 10 minute to figure out. We saw them swipe the card multiple times and are suspicious. The server also took the liberty of writing in her own 10 dollar tip where the customer is supposed to write the tip and total, so naturally we crossed that out and gave them no tip for poor service. Still waiting to hear from friend how many times her card was charged. overall horrible place and people and will never go back, would gladly pay more money to be treated like a human.

Corey J.

Delicious deep dish! Homemade sausage on the Hey Hey special. Service was great and the personality here is infectious. Stop when in Chicago!

Lauren B.

I was here in 2010 and had the worst chicken parmesan ever (ordered over the phone, waited at the bar for it and it still took 45 minutes). So I kind of avoided going back. But I was told by dozens of people to go and try the pizza. I got the thin crust. It's meh at best, just like the service.

Joyce H.

PIZANO'S YAY! Take out pizza for the win. We got some on New Year's Eve so that we didn't have to deal with NYE diners, and it was one of the best choices ever. We were torn between the thin crust (b/c of its high reviews) and the deep dish, but we wanted to get some Chicago deep dish in us. We ordered the Rudy's medium deep dish for 3 (sausage, peppers, mushroom) and we definitely had leftovers. Their flavors are soooo good. I like it better than Lou Malnati's, which I have frequented in vain thinking that it would get better each time. Pizano's has better balance between all the elements and a better taste. The crust is more like a buttery, crunchy pie crust, which I definitely appreciate too. Pizano's has special memories for me from whenever I visit friends in the Mag Mile area!

Bobby P.

My sister accepted a job in Chicago so me and my folks had to pack her up and help her move. While most of my Chicago trip was all business I did manage to sneak in some tour time. It was a Friday evening and I didnt want to be stuck in an apartment complex all night setting things up. They stayed back and got settled in while I went out on a walking tour of downtown Chicago. The Taste of Chicago food festival was going on during my visit which happned to be around July 12th-14th, but I my walking tour was during the evening so the festival had shut down. I walked up and down Michigan Avenue aka "The Magnificient Mile." Let me tell you, that street and town is beautiful at night! I managed to see two of Chicago's finest (Chicago police officers) and asked them where I can get some chicago deep dish pizza. They referred me to Pizano's since it was the nearest one. I made my way to Pizano's and upon entrance the atmosphere was dark, busy, and loud. It was Friday night so lots of people were dining out. There were candles lit on each of the tables so you had some light. I ordered a small 10""Rudy's special" upon recommendation by the waiter. Not knowing what to expect, I kept an open mind. The waiter did state that the pizza would take about 30 minutes to make. 30 minutes later my pizza had arrived. The pizza is nothing like what I experience here in middle america (Kansas). The pizza we have here is the common Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa Johns stuff. I enjoy their pizza too, but I've heard alot of about Chicago deep dish pizza so since I was in Chicago, why not? Upon first bite was TOTAL DELICIOUSNESS! You can taste all the ingredients at once. The pizza here in KS upon the first initial bite will result in a "marinary" taste where you can taste the marina sauce first. Chicago deep dish pizza was nothing like that! All the ingredients were fresh and the crust had great texture and a great crunch! I really enjoyed the Rudy's Special here at Pizano's and I will definitely return to Chicago to visit my sister and when I do so i'll either return to Pizano's or hit the town in order to discover more Chicago pizza.

Camille R.

The bruschetta came with EIGHT slices of stale bread, the chopped tomatoes were super soggy and had no flavor. My server, who was really nice, talked me into getting a shrimp pasta dish and adding broccoli to it. Too bad the shrimp was overcooked, and the broccoli was overcooked and seemed to have been steamed in a bath of water and all poured into my pasta dish. It was disgusting and it cost me a buttload of money. They have a poor selection of beers. I hate this place.

Terrel K.

Horrible.where do I start.please people do not be fooled by these other reviews.this place is pathetic.unmelted cheese.crust taste like cornbread.sauce was bad had no flavor.I asked for well done so how could I have unmelted cheese.me and the wife only ate one piece each out of a large.the garbage finished it off.unreal pizza experience.never again

Seth L.

Good thin crust pizza. Artichoke dip was very good. Bruschetta was so-so. Service was great. Leave 30 minutes for pizza so order early. Deep dish was 7 of 10. Nice place for lunch.

Yina S.

Great service! The server gave us a free dessert and it was very delicious! (it was like a chocolate pie in deep dish pan.) I went in with a group of 10 people. We only had to wait for about 5 minutes and got sat immediately. We ordered some appetizers, salads, and half cheese half pepperoni deep dish pizza.(Also had thin crust pizza but don't remember the name of it) Deep dish was alright, it was little too greasy for me. The crust of both deep dish and thin crust pizza were very hard. They were too hard for me to bite off to eat them. (I am a big fan of crunchy food...I can handle most of hard and crunch food) It is very close to the BEAN and millennium park. We were very tired to go to any other restaurant. I wouldn't recommend it, but it is not that bad especially if you are really hungry

Michele M.

In from outside of Philadelphia. Wanted authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. I go to Yelp frequently for reviews. We are staying near Pizano's and wanted to give it a try but was wary because of some of the poor reviews. I am glad I ignored them. Both service and food was outstanding. We sat at the bar and had the best bartender. He was funny and very accommodating. Pizza took almost exactly 30 minutes (as stated by establishment). And it was amazing. Crust was thick, but yet not heavy or too filling. I suspect that many of the negative reviews were posted by rivals (as I've seen such stories on 60 Minutes) or by those travelers that are inherently impossible and nothing will make them happy other than a free pizza and a personal server to attend to every whim. Yes, it was a bit expensive, but not overly so. You definitely get what you paid for. I plan to return when visiting Chicago and directing travelers here. I always go to Yelp for reviews, but never became a member. I did so tonight so I can post a review to counteract those who are posting poor reviews. This place deserves a better higher average rating. At least 4.

john r.

Visited for an early Saturday dinner. Ordered calamari, which was kinda rubbery (overcooked). Wife ordered spaghetti with meat sauce... massive serving with bread, she enjoyed, but felt it was somewhat bland. I ordered a medium thin half sausage, half pepperoni pizza. I really enjoyed the pizza, with the butter crust. the sausage is simular in flavor to Malnati's. Would go back for only pizza. Plenty of leftovers. Service was prompt and friendly.

Paige W.

Best thin crust in the city.

Pat S.

Always try to hit Pizano"s when in Chicago. Great pizza. The thin crust is my favorite and is less filling. Takes awhile to make it but worth the wait. The decor is fun and interesting. Can't wait to go back.

Ben B.

I want to love Pizano's. I really do. But it's not that good. The restaurant was really crowded when we arrived on a Sunday around 6:15 p.m. Incredibly, we were seated almost immediately. They put us at a table in the back, by the kitchen. A swarm of waiter traffic moved past us constantly. We ordered a deep dish pepperoni and a thin crust sausage. When it came out, it looked very similar to Lou Malnati's - my favorite pie in the city. My mouth couldn't wait. But i was disappointed when we cut the thin crust pie and the cheese started separating. I like my pizza when you cut the pie and the cheese clings on for dear life, stretching as you pull the slice away. Even sitting on your plate, you could see the cheese separating on the slice, like it hadn't been cooked well enough. I demand cheese uniformity, dammit! The sausage was okay, the crust was kinda bland and the sauce wasn't anything to write home about. I preferred the zestier deep dish. The pepperoni was spicy and the sauce was fairly robust. But as I ate it, I kept thinking the crust should be a little thicker, there should have been 50% more cheese and the sauce should have been chunkier. It's a bad rip-off of Lou Malnati's formula. We also got a bowl of minestrone soup. For $5. I kept thinking I could get at least two cans of Progresso for that much. It was just sort of bland. What's weird is that I reheated the pizza leftovers the next morning and both thin and deep dish tasted *better. I think that's because I cooked them longer. When we ate them at the restaurant, they tasted like they'd been rushed. The decor is an issue all its own. We visited shortly after the 4th of July, so the place was decked out in red, white and blue tinsel, an American flag decoration with appropriately colored Christmas tree lights and... stars & stripes paper plates screwed to the wall. Huh? Nearly every inch of the wall is covered in mismatched framed pictures of sports heroes. As you'll eat, you'll hear plenty of Sinatra and the occasional "Godfather" theme. All Italian-y restaurants get a pass on this. Really, the food is only worth two stars, but our service was good. The guy refilling our water was johnny-on-the-spot. If you want this kind of pizza, Lou Malnati knocks it out of the park. But Pizano's can't keep up. It is hereby relegated to "emergency backup pizza" status.

Alison V.

I finally tried PIzano's Pizza. You know - Pizano's - the brainchild of Rudy Malnati, Jr, brother of Lou Malnati, and son of Rudy Malnati, Sr., the legendary creator (or co-creator, depending on the story) of Chicago-style deep dish pizza at Pizzaria Uno. With that lineage, the pizza really had to shine. And it did. I had a medium thin crust cheese pizza and it was divine. One downside for me was the amount of butter they used. It was SO greasy. I honestly thought I would suffer later (you know, stomach cramps, etc) due to the amount of grease, but I was fine. It was very delicious though, dare I say luscious? The other downside is that I wanted to eat in, but it was too busy. I had to take my pizza to go and it took about 10 minutes longer than the time they promised to get my pizza. Would I get it again? Of course, but I would have to blot the top and bottom of the pizza before eating it next time.

Mike R.

Chicago Pizza and Italian Food At Its Best! I've gone to this location several times. What is good. Everything. Last night we had a small deep dish cheese pizza, amazing. The handmade meatball sandwich, outstanding. The baked pasta and an order of pasta with broccoli. Everything is good at this location plus the staff are super friendly. Get there early to get a table or seat at the bar.

Tammy M.

We try to make it here when we are visiting and went again last night. Decided to get pizza to go and take it back to our hotel. Sat at the bar and had a couple drinks while the pizza was being cooked. The bartender was amazing! When he asked if I wanted a 3rd drink I said no and he brought me a glass of water without my even asking! He kept it filled too. I wasn't made to feel bad for not drinking. The staff was super friendly. Pizza is great! Drinks were awesome!

Jose V.

Love the place awesome customer service and the deep dish was great. Would definitely come back to try more of menu

Anna C.

My fiancé and I went there on a Friday night, we were just strolling the streets when my fiancé pointed that place out and said he heard it was good so we decided to wait in the line going out the door. The hostess took our order while we were in line so when we FINALLY got a table we would be served quickly. We waited about 45 minutes for a table. It was worth the wait! We had the thin crust and absolutely loved everything. The butter crust, the sauce, the pizza was just perfect. My only half way complaint is we were seated at the front by the window in the winter and the draft was terrible, I ate with my coat on. I don't think I could have cared less when we got our pizza though. So yummy!

Sarah P.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhzomg best deep dish ever. Well, the best this traveling Canadian has ever come across. The crust and the cheese rendered me stupid. The sausage? Gah. Order sausage and mushrooms. Do it. It's the kind of thing where you've only had one slice and you're more than full, but you just don't want to stop because each bite results in an explosion of joy in your mouth. I was tempted to weep openly when I first bit into that delicious, 10,000 calorie slice, but I kept it together for the kids. I didn't notice anything about the decor, the service, or anything else because I was in a pizza stupor... but it couldn't have been that bad! We didn't have anything other than a large deep-dish sausage and mushroom (for four with leftovers at the end) and a salad to start. Y'know, to keep it healthy.

Reda K.

OMG this is the WORSE pizza I have ever had where do I begin , first impression is everything just looking at it the cheese didn't look melted so my first bite I almost spit it out the crust was hard it taste like unsweetened cornbread no taste at all..So being late and I was sleepy I'm like I'm going to just eat the topping that was only off two slices wasn't good at all.NEVER AGAIN WILL EAT HERE If I could put NO stars I would

Sam N.

um the juke box has many selections entitled "mob hits" Even though Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, Bugs Moran and Al capone did not frequent this place I still had a nice time with. my friend Steve AKA Shlomo the hitman. OK he is not really a hitman. But he is my fellow heeb and I think he sells advertising...Anyways. They had a signed poster of Tony Esposito which means he must have come in at some point. I reccomend that you call before you go and tell them what pizza you want twenty minutes before you walk in the place. Tell them you will be sitting down. This way when you come in you will only be waiting for a short time.

Regina S.

This place had me stumped. Having grown up in Chicago, I thought I had tasted just about every version of thin, deep dish and stuffed pizza. But no, Pizano's threw a wrench in that. The ambiance of the place is spot on for a cozy neighborhood feel - soft lighting, red & white table cloths, knick knacks everywhere, along with Christmas decorations tucked in about every nook and cranny. Loved it! We split a nice house salad that was super fresh, crunchy and refreshing. A thin crust sausage and mushroom came next. Even the look of the pizza was different. Usually a blanket of cheese covers the toppings, but this had some bald spots revealing the sauce underneath. I even saw the shredded ends of the cheese, which was a first for me. Yes the crust was buttery, but rather thick to be categorized as a Chicago thin crust. It reminded me of a Lou Malnati's deep dish dough, without the deep dish. I enjoyed it, but the flavor profile and the texture was strange to me. The sausage was not the plump well seasoned nuggets I am used to and the shrooms didn't add anything to the flavor profile. Did I eat it? Yeah, we managed to finish off most of the pie. But that was more as a result of hunger, than delight in what we were eating. Best of the Windy City?? Oh no, no, no.

Jennifer P.

Order the thin crust! It has a lot of flavor and it's crispy. Don't ordered the deep dish!!!! there is hardly any sauce, and it is not very good. Go to Lou manaltis! The service kinda took too long to me.

Tom D.

Threw away the delivery, it was pretty bad. Pizza was hard, like a cracker. Very burned. Spinach dip was also terrible. But we used the toasted bread to make mini sandwiches. So that was what we ate from the dinner, the bread.

Lacey W.

We had such a wonderful experience here last night. From the second we walked in the staff couldn't have been friendlier or more accommodating. The restaurant was already quite busy when my husband, two kids (2.5 and 7 months) and I showed up, with a double stroller, but they helped us carry the stroller to the back and got us a table within minutes. My son didn't like the first dish we ordered, so Chrissy (I think) brought us a new pasta dish and followed it up with a complimentary choc chip cookie ice cream dessert. The pizza was delicious and atmosphere was perfection.

Margaret G.

Sitting in the hot and stuffy restaurant with Halloween paper plates on the wall, garland, Christmas lights, and light fixtures that look like they were put up in the 80's made me forget I was in the Gold coast. In fact, it felt as though I was sitting in a bar in northern Wisconsin on a Friday night. The lighting is dingy; the tables are small and so close you're almost sitting in your neighbors laps. I'll give one star for the small town feel and quirky atmosphere. My boyfriend and I shared a thin crust pepperoni pizza. With Oprah's apparent stamp of approval of the thin crust I had high expectations. Boy, was I let down. Yes, I stuffed my face and left quite full. However, Pizano's has found a way to screw up a pizza. The crust was very thin, very crunchy. The pizza were incredibly greasy and salty, and the tomato sauce quite tasteless. My craving for pizza and big appetite came to bite me in the butt as I woke with a stomach ache that lasted the entire next morning.

Christopher L.

Hard to explain, but the best thin crust I've had. Absolutely amazing and tastes nothing like cheap pizza. The toppings are fresh, there's just the right amount of marinara, the pie wasn't greasy/oily, and the crust had the perfect crunch and chew. We came here for a late dinner after drinks at Hancock Tower. Ordered bottoms up buffalo hot wings, Rudy's special thin crust, and a draft Guinness to wash it all down. If I visit Chicago again, I'll definitely be back here for that thin crust again! Service was very good; funny story, the waitress saw how we were going crazy with the pepper flakes and parmesan, so when she packed the rest of our pizza to-go, we found a serious amount of pepper flakes and parmesan in the bag as well!

Yvonne B.

A handful of pluses, but nothing really to lure me back. In some ways their customer service was outstanding, over-the-top, fan-flippin-tastic. This is why: they let me sit there (at a four-person table) for about two hours while I waited for my friends to arrive. That was really generous of them - especially when they seemed busy. In other ways, their service wasn't great. They didn't bring and refill water. They didn't check on me often. At one point I even got up out of my chair to find someone to take an order. I asked about cocktails and the server simply mentioned that they have a bar and could make something for me, but didn't ask questions about what I like or offer suggestions. I would have liked to see some sort of drink menu. I ate a plate of chicken wings while I waited for my friends. They were good, but I preferred the celery sticks over the chicken. I got medium hotness, which was truly medium. At some points I felt a slight flare in my nose, but was never overwhelmed. My friends ate a medium pizza. They liked it - especially the crust. They didn't really rave about it.

Jaime S.

I love Lou Malnati's style crust, but Pizano's did not seem to get it quite right. I ordered a thin crust BBQ chicken Pizza to take home to the bfs, and while the bbq sauce was tasty, the pizza itself really lacked something bc of the pastry crust. It didn't hold up well and was not as crusty as I was hoping.

Jade K.

Loved the Xmas Decor and everyone there was soooooooooo friendly!!!!! I felt at home. Now to the pizza (AMAZING) I loved the crust, marinara sauce, and everything about it and guess what I will go back. :) The prices were pretty good too. Get the deep dish pizza you won't regret it. This and Lou Mainati's are my fav in Chicago.

Tom K.

I went here with a group of 4 before a concert at the Chicago Theater. The place was packed; good thing we had a reservation for a table. There seemed to be a bunch of families with small kids and babies. I saw a bunch of people eating thin crust pizza. I had a personal deep dish cheese and spinach. It was pretty good. A friend had some Alfredo pasta --- it came in a HUGE bowl and was not possible to eat the whole thing. Our waiter/server was "Chachi". Great guy. Been there some 30 years. He looks just like Burt Reynolds

Liam B.

Best pizza in the city, hands down. Friendly staff , excellent bar tenders and great atmosphere. Whether you are looking to watch a game or eat some great food (wings are awesome too , nice and crispy) Pizano's is the spot. Kitchen is open late as well which is good if you are enjoying the night out in the area.

Paul K.

This is my favorite pizza. The BEST I have ever eaten. The crust is closer to pastry dough than bread dough, and the cheese is rich and delicious. Their homemade sausage is flavorful and juicy. You will have to wait awhile because Pizano's makes pizzas fresh from scratch, and they cost a little more too, but you don't mind at all because you love pizza and you want your pizza to be great. I am going to get a Pizano's pizza tonight!

Raymond Q.

One of the best pizzas I have ever had. THe buttery crust is the money maker. Service is very friendly and the place has a very homely atmosphere. A new favorite!!

Martin O.

Dirty kitchen, horrible management, filthy, filthy, filthy. Check the photos. Thats just one photo, imagine what else goes on.

Angie C.

Maryland location from my dreams why you no real?! Get Mark's Special. So delicious. The pizza does take about 30-45 minutes to come out (but our server warned us about this from the start). Worth the wait? UH-YEAH more like worth the 12 hour drive back to Chicago. Order the fried cheese ravioli to hold you over until you get your pizza. So good.

Edward H.

Very disappointing, in fact I don't believe this store is still owned by the Malnatis, the quality just wasn't the same. The deep dish was flat and the crust was hard and in fact a little burnt, the sausage wasn't the same it had a slight after taste and the sauce was just plain. The service was good, we also ordered a pasta dish which was good. Another party with us ordered the thin crust sausage pizza which was ok the crust was hard an over done. Not only was the food disappointing the price for drinks is rediculous, a house Gin and Tonic was $12.90 a beer averaged $8.00 ea and parking in the area is expensive and difficult to find. Over all I would avoid this place and make the trip to the real Malnatis pizza. I'm not a fan of deep dish pizza to begin with but when I do have deep dish I go to Malnatis I would suggest you do the same.

Janet E.

I am very impressed by the numerous versions of pizza that can be found in the city of Chicago. I came here on a Tastebud tour thinking that this was just going to be another deep dish pizza that I have tried. But I was WRONG!!! The pizza here was OUTSTANDING!!!! The thin crust pizza and the deep dish pizza was delicious! The crust was crunchy!!! I could not figure out how they did it! The restaurant itself is small. So I can see this place getting packed quickly. I would definitely come back here!

Kris L.

This review is for delivery pizza. We ordered the thin crust because we had heard great things. I wanted to like it, really. It was a crunchy thick crust topped with chunky sauce (aka pieces of tomato only) with tons of cheese and little flavor. I really wanted to like pizanos but even giordanos thin crust is better. This pizza needed much more seasoning or something besides grease to add flavor! Price wise it was steep for quality. Delivery took over an hour for one thin crust pizza. I will stick with giordanos, lous, and piece in the future.

Jason P.

Too much deep-dish in Chicago? Feeling in the mood for some thin-crust. Pizano's has been critically acclaimed as having one of the best thin-crust pizzas in Chicago. So in ordinary fashion, we had to check this place out. The ambiance is cozy, decor simple, representing very much the bar-type of atmosphere. The walls are plastered with photos of our nation's all-time athletes and of celebrities that have visited Pizanos. The bar area takes up much of the main area, with some tables near the front and some running parallel to the bar. There is also a room in the back with additional seating. There is no resemblance of this being a pizzeria, except for the upper half of the wall that has a wallpaper design of tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and grapes. We ordered a medium thin crust version of Mark's Special ($18.75). It is 12" in diameter and serves roughly 2-3 people. Our pizza took the allotted 30 minutes that our waiter had informed us would take. It's a simple pie, consisting of sliced tomatoes, basil and fresh garlic. But through the years of all my pizza venturing, simple is better when it comes to pizza. You don't want to overpile your pizza with countless toppings. I was steadfast and hopeful for a fantastic pizza, like what a Margherita pizza usually does for me. The first thing I noticed was the hard crunchy crust, which I appreciated. As the owner had said when he came to check up on us: "It only requires one hand and you don't have to hassle with all the toppings falling off, unlike New Yorkers who like to eat their pizza like a sandwich, folding it in half." They were overzealous on the cheese, in all its gooey glory. The basil and tomato were fresh. The garlic was noticeable without being overbearing in taste. But overall, as Chicago's best thin-crust pizza, I'd have to say it was only average at best. There was nothing special about the pizza. No wowness factor. It just didn't invoke any emotional feelings of love nor hatred. It was a normal tasting pie, texturally and flavor-wise, one that I wouldn't care for getting again. I'd prefer to get a Lou Malnati's Chicago Classic (12" deep dish for $17.40) which is cheaper, heartier, and includes some tasty sausage.

Megan M.

The best pizza in Chicago. My sister and I live down the street and order at least once a week. The staff is great, and they'll deliver no matter the weather. My favorite is their thin-style pizza, best crust I've ever had.

Alexandra C.

I thought I've had some bad pizza in New York. Thought I reviewed this the day after I visited, but perhaps my post was removed. This was seriously the 2nd worst (the 1st worst was in Providence, RI) pizza I have ever tasted. It looked great coming out in the pan, but as I've learned in life, looks can be deceiving. Didn't care for the strange type of crispy crust at all and the pie had no flavor. Worth the wait? No way. Not even worth a dollar of the 25 charged.

Chris S.

My family came from Colorado and wanted to try Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza.. Don't judge Chicago Style Pizza by this place.. I have had better Chicago Style in California. We had three people, they sat us at a six top and mid-way through our meal they sat another couple on the end of our table. The couple behind us complained also.

Eric S.

I just discovered yelp for the first time and after seeing how many people review Pizano's, I figured I'd drop my review. My family and I live up near the IL/WI state line and often times go down to the State Street location JUST for the food. 50 mile drive just for pizza. We've been doing this for years now, and up until recently I had yet to have a first "bad" experience. This took place on 10/26. We arrive, place is about half-full. We still are told to wait for about 10 minutes. We finally sit, our server asks us what beverages, the usual. Shows up 15 minutes later with drinks. The whole night he didn't give us any refills , and didn't come back to the table once. We had two pizzas. We asked that he split our bill down the middle, between two cards. In the end, he was very rude when we pointed out how he rang one card twice. We decided to speak to manager after this server began mouthing off, and the manager didn't do anything. No disciplinary measures were taken, no money off the tab, NOTHING. Not even an apology for the bad service!! Unsure if we will be back. Food has always been great as was service but this experience may have been "the" nail in the coffin. There are several other thousand businesses we could plan a "night trip" to.

Laura Kate S.

While meandering through Chicago on a visit, my boyfriend really wanted and authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. We saw Pizano's up the street and wandered in. The look of the place told us we'd found a good one. (I later learned that Pizano's is owned by one of the Malnati pizza family members). Super tasty. We sillily ordered a medium. For 2 people a small would've been more than enough! The soft drinks were bottomless, the garlic bread was tasty, and it was overall a FANTASTIC meal. Definitely a place to remember next time I visit the windy city!

Abigail T.

I can't believe all of the bad reviews about the thin crust pizza... Pizano's is BY FAR the best thin crust I've ever had. I've eaten at the restaurant and had it delivered many times (and even brought it on a flight to Denver for a friend) and never once been even remotely disappointed. I highly recommend their pizza. I can't even explain how good it is.

Leslie S.

Pizano's may look like a hole in the wall, but the pizza is very, very good. Seating is tight at this popular location, so you might have to wait awhile. If you know you're going to be ordering pizza (which can take 40 minutes to cook), I recommend putting in your order when you arrive at the restaurant, even if you don't sit down for another 20-30 minutes. Let's talk about the décor because if you go in knowing that this location has more of a "joint" feel, you won't be taken aback. Expect to find autographed pictures of Chicago "celebrities" all over the walls, Christmas decorations all year-round, and worn-looking menus and tablecloths. The pizza makes up for the lack of interior design. So, let's talk about the pizza then. The thin crust is wonderful - it's crispy and light. I usually go with the veggie pizza, which is loaded with peppers, mushrooms and onions. Unlike some restaurants, Pizano's doesn't pile excessive amounts of cheese on its pizzas, so you really get a very nice blend of ingredients. Honestly, thank goodness for Pizano's, which attracts locals rather than tourists like Giordano's (ugh) and offers a much tastier pizza than anything else I've found in Chicago.

Steve S.

Pizano's attracts a lively crowd at lunch and dinner, but especially during happy hour. The food is good, and the action at the bar, where patrons can settle in and watch the big game, remains lively throughout the night, especially when a the game is close. Pizano's, owned by Rudy Malnati Jr., son of pizza legend Lou Malnati, offers the same pizza as Lou Malnati's, in addition to a selection of pasta and Italian chicken classics. From my experiences, the chicken parmesan is about the best around. The large piece of white meat chicken is perfectly breaded with a hint of garlic, topped with mozzarella cheese and finished with a wonderfully thick meat sauce. While the chicken dishes are great, the pastas aren't slouches. The sauces are thick and flavorful by themselves, but for a little extra zip, diners can order sides of sausage, meatballs, meat or marinara sauce and/or the fresh vegetable of the day. Of course, there is the famous Malnati pizza, with big chunks of tomato paste and fabulously flavorful sausage that is thick and meaty without being knock-out spicy. Pizano's buttery, cheesy garlic bread joins the chicken parmesan in the "best I've ever had club". The bread boasts a crispy crust, with a soft, hot, garlicky inside. It makes a great appetizer. Overall, Pizanos offers good food and a good time.

Judd C.

Being a foodie and not liking thick crust it took about 7 years but we finally found a damn good pizza. While its not on the cheapest side it's the best pie in Chicago. Homemade ingredients daily and rolled out in cornmeal makes for an awesome cheesy pie!

Angela V.

I did not like the crust on the pizza...it tasted like bisquick....I liked the cheese and pepperoni but the crust was horrible. Disappointing...

Praveen K.

Good ------- Delicious pizzas Amazing pastas Bad ------ - Waitress showed attitude... A bit cocky! - ordering Togo after 11pm - bizzzare policies - unheard of that restaurant would not make a too but would do delivery... I can go pick it up either... Makes me wonder if I am in Chicago or some war zone with restricted access... grow up guys!!! Deserves 4 stars but I am striking 2 off for what I get on customer sevice.

Jeanette S.

Not too bad of a Pizza place. It located near my job so I really like the convenience of after work drinks and food. The drinks are good, but a little weak. It's usually a lively crowd and a fun spot for a couple of hours.

Tony B.

Unassuming, authentic, friendly, good pizza, good for casual hangouts, drinking, mixed groups of any type. Just has a real Chicago feel, decent pies and no trendy or cheesy afflictions. Would stop back any time.

George K.

Been here twice in one week. Pizza is outstanding. Great dining area for Chicago Summer days when they open the windows. The people there are very personable extremely kind and fun almost like you walked Into a relatives house. The day manager the first time I went was hilarious. And not to mention they had a wait it was only 10 min but they allowed you to put your pizza in ahead of time.

Christine V.

This pizza is what pizza should be really. The crust is the best... a nice melt in your mouth (from all the butter) texture and the toppings are fresh! The tomatoes taste great and it is always seasoned just right. My family also shared the Italian chopped salad that came with assorted Italian deli meats (mortadella, prosciutto, salami, etc) roasted red peppers, olives, onions, great dressing as well. It was a great start to the meal. Do yourself a favor and get a pizza and a Peroni.

Derwynn D.

I was brought here to experience Chicago deep dish pizza. I say it's good deep dish for the out-of-towner. The crust was a bit challenging. Otherwise, a good scene to have decent pizza and beer while you watch the Sox, Blackhawks, and Bulls on three separate screens.

Hope G.

I usually annoy my pizza loving friends when attempting to determine topping choices. I forgo mushrooms, onions, and olives, which to my surprise and disgust, tend to be popular options! Our group decided to order a pizza to share while we waited for a seat to dine-in. It was a crowded Friday night, but we only ended up waiting about 30 minutes or so. Not wanting to nix everyone's favorite toppings altogether, I agreed to onions, green peppers, and sausage on a thin crust. I wasn't hungry, and I wasn't in the mood for pizza. Let me just say, I've been thinking of it every since. My mouth still waters when I think about ordering it again! The sauce, cheese, thin crust combo and crisp texture are a winning combo. Glad I gave it a try! I'll be ordering it again very soon.

Karyn V.

I absolutely love Pizano's Pizza. My favorite thing to order is the thin crust pepperoni and pineapple pizza with extra garlic. It may seem like an odd combination but it is absolutely delicious. And, if you do go to Pizano's, you must order the butter crust!

Kathleen S.

I had both cheese and sausage pizzas. I thought the crust tasted like cardboard. Others around me loved this pizza, I just don't see it. The crust was terrible and I felt the pizza was pretty flavorless. I head this was Oprah's favorite thin crust pizza in Chicago . . . wow really?! Thought she would have better taste in pizza! Cool place with lots of history though, ask them about the celebrity room. Just still can't believe all these celebrities like this pizza haha!

Amanda M.

Yummo! I highly recommend the thin crust. Also had a house salad and a whiskey sour -- both were delicious. Everything is fresh and tasty, and the environment is warm and inviting. Definitely worth the wait!

Dean K.

I sometimes get the most wicked cravings for this place. Their thin crust pizza, all buttery and caramelized on the bottom, just cannot be beaten. The cheesy garlic bread is a really good way to tide yourself over while you wait. Plus it's really inviting inside, especially near Christmas.

Adam E.

I was in chicago for a job interview, staying at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. After the interview I had time for one last meal in the city before checking out heading to O'hare. I asked the concierge if he could recommend somewhere to get a good chicago style pizza. I've been living in texas for the past 2 years and we have lots of great food in austin, but the pizza leaves something to be desired. When it comes to pizza I've been around the block a bit (I grew up North of Boston in MA, went to school @ RPI in Troy,NY). Pizano's absolutely delivered. I was there on a monday afternoon just after 2 o'clock for lunch so it was quiet. I had no idea it was on Oprah until I read it on the menu. Hostess was friendly, I ended up sitting at the bar and ordered a local beer (which was excellent if i could only remember the name). Ordered a 'rudy's special' and they told me it would be 30 minutes; i had expected this because if you want to cook a deep dish any faster than that... you're probably cheating. Passed the time with interesting conversation with the bartender and the hostess (it was really empty). When the pizza arrived it was fantastic and well worth the wait. If you wanted somthing to pick up and take on the run, not the place. This was a definate knife and forker, but man was it good. I'll def be back for my first meal in the city since it turns out I got the job :-) boxed up the leftovers for later and without reheating it was probably the best cold pizza i've ever had.

Saul A.

Service was decent but the pizza was a huge disappointment. I should have known better since it was rated as "Oprah's favorite thin crust". That lady is GARBAGE!! Too buttery, too much cheese, bland sauce and just not enough good flavor. Best part about the pizza was the crunch. Minimal beer list and mediocre everything else. If you want awesome pizza I recommend pizza Capri instead.

Lisa K.

I think I have found a little gem. For all you tourists, locals as well (which you probably already know about this place) who enjoy spending a day of shopping up and down the mag mile and are looking for some great pizza, I would definitely recommend Pizano's Pizza found at the cross streets of State and Chestnut. I will say that I didn't get the typical Chicago style deep dish, which isn't really pizza, it is more like lasagna. The buttery thin crust, toppings, and cheese are awesome. The atmosphere was great. The prices are typical for pizza. The waitress was really nice. As a side note, I had ordered from Pizano's prior but only as delivery. There was an issue with the delivery and I didn't get the pizza til almost 2 hours after I ordered it. So as a way to say, sorry, the restaurant gave me my pizza for free and with the option for another free pizza. I thought it was a nice touch. I think it speaks well for the eatery. Come check out my blog to read about other great, and well not so great, Chicago restaurants...Where will I go next? lisak22.wordpress.com

Joseph S.

A few co-workers and I went to Pizano's for lunch yesterday . Everyone ordered the fettucine alfredo . What a disappointment ! It tasted like it was a month old and had been watered down . Sad to see a once good establishment cut corners to serve an inferior product . Very disappointing . I work in food service as a chef .

Robert P.

I had some time before catching a show so I decided to dine in here with the GF. We a small deep pizza in addition to some fries because we knew the pizza would take a long time. The fries were horrible, I know that you might think "who goes out to eat pizza and orders fries?" but the truth is that fries are hard to screw up, but they found a way to do it and charge people money for it. The pizza was good but lacked some tomato sauce. I don't plan to visit again anytime soon.

Brian W.

Their thin crust is awesome!

Bryan W.

Pizano's was really good... We ordered the artichoke dip, which was very good because they don't service with cheap, gross, stale chips, but with fresh toasted bread. The pizza was 4 pieces, but by the time we got to the 4th piece we were full. I don't know if I'd go all the way out to the location from Roger's Park, but if your going to the pier or Michigan Ave it can't be missed.

Matt W.

We came here early on a Monday and there was no wait. The staff was very friendly. The atmosphere is casual, you can sit right next to a large open window if it's a nice day. We had toasted ravioli which was great, and their veggie deep dish pizza is very tastey. Reminds me very much of Lou Malnati's. I would say this crust is a little thinner, at least the bottom is. Very good food!

Kenny H.

There are so many deep dish options to choose from in Chicago, so I asked my friend who lived there what is the best. She chose this, and while I don't have any to compare it to, I imagine it is one of the best. Great deep dish. We just got sausage and pepperoni, and everything about was perfect. Perfect cheese, perfect toppings, perfect sauce, extremely well cooked and prepared. Will definitely go back when I come back to Chicago.

David B.

Been here many many many many times. Love it and wish there was a location that was closer. I use to go to the Clark location but it left and I was very sad. Whenever I get in the loop area I am so here. The pizza itself is fantastic and can compete with any pizza in the city. This deep dish is a bit unique in that its not as thick or cheesy as other Chicago mainstays. I feel its more of a fusion of a thick and thin pizza. I likes!

David G.

The Pizza is great, definitely in my top three Chicago-Style places. I actually prefer their thin crust to their deep-dish, but I know that most of my friends disagree. Prices are higher than some of the other places. Malnati's is definitely a better deal. My big problem with Pizano's is the service. The staff is ambivalent at best, bordering on rude at times. Really, it's usually the maitre-de. They really don't seem to care if you ever come back, in fact, they don't seem to care that you are even there. The worst occasion was on a carry-out order. My bill was like $12 (small pizza). I paid with a $20, and after what seemed like half an hour, but was probably 10 minutes, the guy returned with my pie sans change. I asked where my change was, and he seemed surprised I wasn't going to leave a 67% tip on a carryout order. It took him another 10 minutes (probably more actually) to bring me back my change. The best part, while I was waiting the maitre-de, annoyed that I hadn't left, actually asked why I was still there with a rude tone of voice. In short, love the pie, hate the service, even though I live less than a block away, I now go to Malnati's every time.

Rob F.

Friends and I were visiting Chicago for the weekend and thought we should experience Chicago by getting some good pizza. Although we thought we should go for deep dish (what Chicago is known for), we found that Pizano's was located nearby and apparently Oprah loves their thin crust pizza. We arrived on a Saturday night (08/09/08) around 8:30 pm and were told the wait would be between 45 minutes to an hour. Fortunately, they said we could put our pizza order in then so it would be ready when seats were available. Good news - we got our seats in 45 mins or less. We ordered the vegetarian thin crust and thought it was very good. Not blown away, but enjoyable. The crust was crunchy and the sauce and toppings were good. For nostalgia (since the group and I ate a lot of pizza growing up), we ordered the fried calamari appetizer and it didn't disappoint. If you don't mind waiting for a bit, it's definitely a good eat.

Val B.

Decent, quick, relatively cheap meal. I like that their crust is a little more substantial and crispy. Two large pizzas will run around $40, which I guess is average. It's not the best pizza I've ever had but I'll definitely order again since it's close by.

Zac K.

OMG! LOVES IT! the pizza is outstanding here and the most perfect cure for both a hangover or just the pizza mood in general. Start with the house salad with the house dressing - it's spot on delish- your usual crunchy iceberg which, lets not lie folks, can be refreshing at times when all we seem to eat are things that ppl would normally refer to as weeds in their garden. The pizza sauce is the perfect tang and sweet and the crust has this buttery delish to it- They also serve some good old school martini's which are sure to make a girl break her cankle after eating a large pizza- hehehehe....

bianca r.

If youre looking for a trendy place, dont go there. The first thing you notice is the pics on the walls and the christmas lights.No matter what time of the year that you go. But, the pizza is amazing! The cheese thin crust is the best I evr had.You gotta wait a little bit but it worth it.Its one of my favorite places in Chicago!

Lisa M.

We went there for lunch on a sunday afternoon and didn't have to wait to be seated. We dined outside since it was gorgeous out and didn't have problems with the pigeons, bugs, noise or anthying like that. The service was AMAZING! That was the first thing I noticed. Our waiter checked back often, refilled our waters constatnly, kept checking to make sure we were ok, ect...(and it was busy that day) When we finished our bruschetta, the dirty plates were cleared right away which I'm a huge fan of having that done! The Brushetta was good. Definately LOADED with tomatoes in comparison to what I'm used to seeing. But that did cause the bread to get a bit soggy, which wasn't as pleasant to eat. The Deep Dish pizza was good. Keep in mind that if you order what they call a "specialty pizza" they won't let you customize it (ie..take off mushrooms) which I found odd, but whatever I'm okay with picking around certain foods I don't eat anyways. The crust was buttery tasting and very crnchy and thick at the endwhere it folds upward. It was delicious. The tomatoe sauce with a little bit of a thicker tomatoe consistancy and flavorful. The sausage was well spiced and arrived in big chuncks on our pizza. The cheese was by far the best part of the pizza. It was a very good quality cheese. A small pizza was four slices and was enough for the two of us. I guess i didn't realize they were known for their thin crust pizza rather than deep dish. But i was in chicago...I wanted deep dish lol :)

Dancer Dreamer T.

I love this pizzeria....the best pizza in Chicago. The rudy deep dish is delicious, so is the bbq chicken, unbelievable really, I can't stop eating both them. There chopped salad is pretty darn tasty too, and a great way to start off until the pizza is ready. You can even call your pizza order in ahead of time and have it ready when you arrive, ready to eat. what a gem, love you guys.

J D.

It took us about an hour to get a table here on a Saturday, mainly because the hostesses and the manager were tripping all over each other with various wait lists and selection procedures for tables. I have no idea how they manage to deal with the crowd on a daily basis without establishing some kind of set procedure for seating guests. Fortunately, you can pre-order your pizza while you wait, so even if you want a deep dish, you don't have to wait another hour at your table while your food is prepared. (Prep time is SLOW here -- you must, must pre-order!) The restaurant space is tiny, so go for a walk or prepare to be jammed in like sardines while you wait for a table. We also found it VERY stuffy and hot where we were seated in the back. We had the deep dish, which was evidently a mistake based on the rave reviews for the thin crust on Yelp. We had the small size, which was two big pieces for each of us -- definitely enough to be full. It tasted good, but wasn't the mystical "Chicago Pizza Experience" we had heard so much about. I would go back, but definitely would have lower expectations and would try something else.

Sara P.

I've been to Pizano's several times and had the thin crust pizza, which is just okay. I went there recently with a friend in from out of town who wanted to try deep dish, and now I realize why this place is so famous. The deep dish was awesome- reminded me a bit of Lou Malnatti's actually. This place packs you in like sardines...we went on a Saturday evening and the wait was about 20 minutes, but thank goodness the food was so good because the service was pretty bad. The waitress couldn't remember what we ordered to drink (just sodas), we asked for no olives (even had a discussion with her about it!), and the salad came out with olives...and then at the end, she asked if we wanted to take the pizza to go, to which we decided we didn't...and then all of a sudden she came back with the pizza all wrapped up for us. She was nice, and I'm not deducting stars for her, but we were quite mesmorized by her behavior. I hear this is Oprah's favorite pizza...and I can see why!

Chi-foodie A.

Great taste, cozy atmosphere and friendly staff! What a wonderfull place depending on the season this stablishment changes decor to adapt to the season, I personally love that , add this to a great personal touch and welcomed by their management and personal service it feels that you were welcome to your best friends house..what a pleasent and warm feling....... starters always try their their wings....kind crispy and Medium Spicy just rigth well try their ice cold Martinis and their Rudys deep dish pizza is so tasty,ummmmmm, nice and flavorfull.... or their thin crust tomato basil and garlic ,,,,,phenomenal Their Chocolate Chip cookie is my favorite dessert in town make sure to run a marathion after that........ +number 1 chicago style deep dish +well located close to Gol coast chicago +Decor very unique -Expect to way on weekends(it is worth it) -tables are to close to each other over all excellent service,food and well drinks

Cheryl H.

Ok, this place came HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for Lou Malnati's lovers. And as a deep dish fan, I came with high expectations. I love Lou Malnati's butter crust, so if this place could top that, I'd love it forever. Walking in, it felt like we had just entered a neighborhood joint. You almost forget you're in downtown Chicago, so I really liked that about the place. The entire right side is dedicated to the bar, and the left side gives enough space for a few sit-down groups of 4. It's tiny! Our server was really pushy, even a little gruff. With a space that small, they want you IN AND OUT! And well...she made that pretty clear. Anyway, we ordered 2 medium pizzas (enough for 5 people, maybe more): a deep dish Rudy's which was Cheese, Sausage, Mushroom, Onion, & Green Pepper, and a thin-crust Mark's Special which is basically sliced tomatoes, basil, and fresh garlic. **Ok, what the other yelpers say is true: the deep dish and the thing crust ARE the same thickness. It's kind of strange, I KNOW. The taste isn't that bad but when you're expecting a THICK crust and it's the same size as your thin crust, then it leaves you feeling a bit disappointed. The Rudy's isn't bad though, and the crust is somewhat reminiscent of Lou Malnati's butter crust.** A note to all you fellow garlic lovers: the Mark's Special is AMAZING. If anything, forget the deep dish and get the Mark's or another thin crust here. We got the house salad too...nothing special. Just cheap whitish yellow iceberg lettuce with limited assortment of other veggies. Anyway, this place is nice, but I would definitely stick with Lou Malnati's or Giordano's for your deep dish pizza.

melissa r.

We talk about this place a lot. wish we lived in Chicago to go there weekly. Just had pizza and beer. Great atmosphere, staff and the pizza was so delicious. Deep dish, cheesy, saucy, greatly seasoned. So glad we went here. This and bricks were phenomenal.

Michele A.

Skip the salad. Mark's pizza (garlic,basil,tomato) really should be eaten as a thin pizza. This deep dish style was o.k.-better when sat for 5 or so minutes that way you could taste the sweetness of the tomato and flavor of garlic and fresh basil. Also had the choc/chip pizza dessert-good & bad for you. Overall happy with experience. Loved the neighborhood feel right in the middle of the city.

Jessica W.

We always stop in at Pizanos when in Chicago! Delicious Pizza, fun atmosphere, family-friendly. If you have room (which I rarely do after the delicious deep-dish pizza!) they have a yummy cookie-pie dessert! Our kids like the thincrust pizza.

Linda Z.

Great resturant! We had the Bruchetta and house salad. Our waitress, Caitlin, recommended the deep dish Rudy's Special and boy was it good! Nice place. Would eat here again.

K M.

I've been putting off writing a review for a while because I simply didn't have strong feelings for this place either way. But I guess that's why the Yelp gods give us 3 stars with which we may pass our judgments. I've been here twice. The first time involved the thin crust pizza, which left me underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I'd eat it if it was sitting in front of me, but it would never occur to me to come here out of a sheer pizza craving. The second time I got baked mostaccioli, which, well, is always good. How can you screw up pasta with lots o' cheese? I suppose I still have to make it back some time to try a deep dish, as a good deep dish MIGHT get me to up my star count. Looking back, I should have realized what this place actually is- a place where you take dates you feel kind of ambivalent about. It is cute and cozy enough where it can feel appropriate for a date, but is by no means "romantic"- it is loud, tables close together, lots of tv's with sports, etc. Live and learn, Kelly, live and learn. Maybe good for a very, very early date. Staff is friendly and overall, I like this place just fine- it just wouldn't be on my list of places to go unless I was in the area and someone else suggested it. And with that, Pizano's, I bestow on you 3 stars.

Chris L.

Ever since we had pizza at UNO and it was soggy, i questioned the whole deepdish/stuffed Chicago pie. I normally go for thin crust. The concierge at the Knickerbocker hotel mentioned Pizano's and we were not disappointed. the crust is buttery and almost flaky-different from anything I have ever had. Awesome pizza!

Jennifer S.

OK, so having just moved to Chicago I was in the mood for some good pizza. I've been here before and had deep dish from Lou Malnati's and Gino's East. This time I wanted to try something new and get thin crust. I know that's basically blasphemy in Chi, but Pizano's is touted as the "best thin crust" but Oprah, etc. so I thought I'd give it a try. Well maybe I was setting my heights too high, but this thin crust is not good. It's not regular thin crust, it's the same crust as deep dish (cornmeal) but thinner. I was expecting thin flaky crust but I guess that's my fault for expecting that. The cheese on mine is rubbery (I had it delivered) and it's just blah. The only thing I can taste is the cornmeal dough. The sauce is ok when I get tomato chunks, but otherwise I can't taste it. I was overcharged by $5 for the pizza (they charged for the large and I got the medium) and the driver didn't even come to the door I had to go to he lobby to meet him. Not happy and won't ever order from here again.

Christine M.

I know it's a pizza place, but as with any time I get pizza, I have to get a salad to make myself feel better before stuffing myself on numerous slides of cheesy, crusty goodness. Back to the salads here. The house is a great start, the large is even better to share, always super fresh loaded with great veggies and croutons. Did I mention the yummy French bread and little butter packets? Come on, you know you want another slice. Ask the waitress to prepare an olive oil, parsley, garlic medley for your bread (you have to ask, it's not automatic). Both the deep dish and the thin crust are some of the best I've had in Chicago. It's also right across the street, ensuring as little off my ass is burned as possible when I waddle* over for my salad and um...half a Italian sausage, green pepper and black olive pizza. *Okay, no waddling, that's because I always eat salad.

Alex s.

If you love Italian food then this is the place to be! The pizza is the best! deep dish or thin both are fantastic! Their house salad is great also. This is a great place to go for some pizza, beer and to watch some sports. Just make sure to get there at a good time, they do fill up fast and always have a line to get in.

Marcel M.

Lou Malnati's has a thin crust, but the Pizano's thin crust is what Lou's should've been. That's all we got so I can't comment on the rest. I ordered for takeout so it was all good.

Ani S.

3 1/2 stars: I can only speak to the thin crust pizza - I had Mark's Special and it was good, but maybe I would have enjoyed it more had I not spent $25 on a 14" pizza that uses the same sweet-ish crust as the deep dish. That sweet dough does not belong on a thin crust pizza people - so just stop it! But otherwise the sauce, cheese, and garlic were pretty good. I'd be back, but if I have the time I'd rather go to Piece.

Ken M.

Absolutely Awesome! I usually do the Uno's and Due's thing when I am in Chicago. But than a bartender mentioned this place. I didn't feel like a deep dish (which they also serve) Instead I got there thin crust pizza. And for the 1st time since I was a kid and my mom made me eat the crust I ATE THE CRUST! it was that good.

John L.

After a day at Joe's sports bar, we decided to avoid crowds and pick up some take out from Pizano's to enjoy in a more mellow environment. Our mistake was not double checking the order before leaving because it was screwed up and we didn't want to go back to right the wrong or deal. I had the Italian hot beef w gardenaria, and it was supposed to have melted mozz, but it didn't. Big bummer. Buddy had the meatball parmesan sub. We went halves and shared in the mistake. It was good, but I've had better. The roll was mad soggy. I did like the jous that came with the beef sandwich and wished there was more. If I went again, I'd prob eat there instead of take out or delivery, the fries were pretty soggy too.

Tiffany W.

Great Bar Drinks, Okay Vibe, a bit dark but really yummy and affordable food and pizza! Awesome bar specials!

Victor M.

Easily the best pizza in Chicago. The crust here is amazing and the deep- dish is not overly-bready like Lou Malnati's. Has got Gino's east beat hands down as well. Love this place.

A.J. M.

I'm kind of a giordanos/edwardos guy, but I warmed up to Pizanos. The stuffed pizza is rather delicious, but I was very pleased to discover that their thin crust pizza was awesome. It was a pleasant surprise, that's for sure.

Jimmy B.

Ok, so Thursdays are $5 martinis and it's a blast sitting outside with a group of friends drinking the evening away while watching people drive and walk all around you. I got together with a group of co-workers and we took over the outdoor seating. It was great. Everyone was ordering appetizers and martinis. Try the portobello mushrooms, you won't be disappointed. For entrees, quite a few of us order the Four Cheese Homemade Tortellini. Wow! Creamy and rich, I wasn't surprised that more than a few couldn't even finish their bowl. Of course, the drinks may have played a role in their appetite. :) All in all, Pizano's provided great service, great drinks and great food for 15+ people. It looked a bit crowded inside, but if you can get the outside seating, you're sure to have fun. I'll be sure to return again soon.

Liz P.

Best Chicago pizza I've had. Everyone says Giorodano's is the best Chicago pizza--no way. Pizano's crust and sauce are WAY better. If you want a good representative sample of Chicago-style pizza, you HAVE to go to Pizano's.

Jeff S.

We weren't even that hungry, but had to grab some Chicago Style Pizza. This was the right place. We ordered a simple small deep dish with tomato, mozzarella and basil. It was excellent! A small pie gets you four moderate sized pieces, but that is all you need for two people. The pie was so good, I didn't even want to brush my teeth before bed. Good stuff - thanks Pizano's!

Christina S.

No. No. No. No. No. Whenever out-of-towners come to town, pizza is on their wish lists. And I'm happy to oblige. But in the future, I'll be taking them to Giordano's or Bacino's . . . or anywhere else, really. I picked Pizano's because it's close to the Contemporary Art Museum and had a four-star rating. Yelp, you've done me wrong! I can't really recommend the pizza or the pasta, but feel free to try the meatball sub and let me know what you think. Our deep-dish pizza was thin, watery, and undercooked, and my fettuccine dish was totally unappetizing. The nail in the coffin was the smoking policy, though. No smoking within 15 feet of the bar. Well, my friends, the bar runs along one side of the dining room and the building itself is no more than 20 feet wide. What a joke.

Robin L.

Ok,this review is slightly overdue. I used to live RIGHT around the corner from this place and was thrilled when I saw that yelpers gave this place a good rating. We ordered some sort of bbq chicken pizza and picked it up. WORST. PIZZA. EVER! It was cold. Crust was dry, flavorless...closest to actual cardboard I've ever eaten. Not enough bbq sauce. Scant chicken. HORRIBLE. Don't know why this place is always packed, but I would never go back.

Janice F.

I love this pizza!! The service was great and it's a cool atmosphere!! Very simple, but awesome food!!

Brule L.

The pizza and pastas are terrific. In fact, I hardly ever order linguini with clam sauce any place else because I figure to be disappointed when compared to Pizano's. We go for the thin-crust pizza, but have had the deep dish on occasion. Both are excellent.

Robert W.

Gread solid thin crust pizza in Chi

Josh R.

Surprisingly mediocre. I have had Giordano's at two locations and Lou Malnati's, and this is was the worst by far. A good Chicago deep dish pizza is more than the sum of its parts. The vegetarian deep dish we ordered at Pizano's was a sloppy mess. It was difficult to individuate the slices, and the cheese was too gooey. The sauce was a basic marinara with no subtlety. Lou Malnati's, on the other hand, has a fantastic sauce with actual slices of fresh tomato inside. Moreover, the crust was too crunchy and too reminiscent of an average pie crust. Lou Malnati's and Giordano's crusts are a nice combination of crunchiness with softness. Surprisingly, the pie was considerably thinner than those of the competitors. We also ordered a mediocre minestroni soup. The spices were off and it didn't have enough beans. The thin crust pizza was slightly better, but also nothing to write home about. We were hoping that by going to a smaller place, we'd get an interesting, more "homemade" take on Chicago deep dish. Alas, we will be returning to the established chains the next time around. Pro's: the ambiance, the friendliness of the staff. Con's: the numerous other sources for fine Chicago deep dish are better and charge the same amount. This place isn't horrible. It's just not as good as the alternatives. We were craving Chicago style pizza, and we feel we got a thick crunchy crust with a bunch of mediocre-quality ingredients thrown on top of it.

Gfiddy F.

I tend to order the same things over and over...here, I feel comfortable straying from the routine.

I know it's a pizza place, but as with any time I get pizza, I have to get a salad to make myself feel better before stuffing myself on numerous slides of cheesy, crusty goodness. Back to the salads here. The house is a great start, the large is even better to share, always super fresh loaded with great veggies and croutons. Did I mention the yummy French bread and little butter packets? Come on, you know you want another slice. Ask the waitress to prepare an olive oil, parsley, garlic medley for your bread (you have to ask, it's not automatic). Both the deep dish and the thin crust are some of the best I've had in Chicago. It's also right across the street, ensuring as little off my ass is burned as possible when I waddle* over for my salad and umhalf a Italian sausage, green pepper and black olive pizza. *Okay, no waddling, that's because I always eat salad.

Toni A.

We tried this restaurant based on the recommendation of someone who had been right about food so far. This was very disappointing. If this is the best thin crust, then I feel bad for the other restaurants. The sauce is like a watered down marinara. My friend had to dip her slices in Italian dressing (gross in itself) to get flavor. I only gave it a 2 star rating because the sausage had nice enough flavor.

Amanda M.

Delicious meal, we got the caesar salad and veggie deep dish pizza :-) They warned us that it would be 30 minutes for the pizza, but it was well worth the wait. One and a half slices and I was stuffed :-) Sodas and waters were re-filled without having to ask. Service was fantastic and very friendly, and the atmosphere was very casual. A great place for friends or family!

Mari K.

I remember their pizza being pretty good. I had their thin crust pizza a couple times... and my level of satisfaction was comparable to eating a slice of Lou's deep dish. I still can't decide whether I'm a thin crust or deep dish girl.. It's location is great for visiting millenium park, the museums, sight seeing! *If you want to enjoy your company's conversation, then I recommend dining inside.. it's near the "L", so it can get a bit noisy at times. But if it's one of those meals where you'd rather listen to the voices in your head than your dining companion's.. then outdoor it is! =D

Kelly W.

After moving from Little Italy to Old Town, I was in need of a great pizza delivery place. After asking around, I heard about Pizano's. The thin crust pizza is delicious!! I've ordered from this place about 3 or more times and every time there is a great confusion when it comes to delivering the pizza. The time given on the phone is never accurate. (I could understand being 5-10 minutes off, but not 20-30 minutes...) I have an apartment in the back and thought this might have been cause of difficulty in the past. So I asked if they could please have the delivery driver call when he is outside, that way I can meet him. This task proves to be extremely difficult and they haven't yet gotten it right. But even considering all of the problems, once the pizza is being eaten... all is forgotten! It is really that good.

Dulaney G.

Dear Pizano's, I like you. Like, like-like you. I am moving away from Chicago, or else I would ask you to be my steady pizza place. But that is silly, right? We are going to live in different states. And long distance relationships never work, do they? We would just be setting ourselves up for failure if we tried, wouldn't we? I mean, if you wanted to give it a try, I would. Oh hell, let's do it. We are strong enough to make it. We can be the exception to the rule, right? Love, Dulaney

Abby T.

Pretty good spot!! First of all, it's nice to actually see a "joint" like this in my neighborhood. Old school italian, down to the gingham table clothes! Started off w/ spinach artichoke dip, served w/ slightly toasted, unseasoned bread. Almost got too full off it, since it was delicious! I don't really care, but I just HAVE to mention, that bread and butter was on the menu. Better be some pretty good bread and butter then!!! :D We got thin crust pizza since that's what Pizano's is supposed to be known for. It was pretty good. i've had better, but my friend seemed to enjoy it immensely. Our waitress wasn't the best, but she could have been better. I'll undoubtedly be back to try the deep dish, as I recall us eyeing the one on our neighboring table ......that deep dish pizza looked heavenly!

Batya H.

Thick or thin hands down best pizza ever! Excellent service, great Chicago place. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

Sultan A.

my favorite pizza place in the city. the thin crust with butter is awesome. the deep dish is only ok. for the thin crust hey are priced about right.

kari j.

the Mark's deep dish pizza is deicious! I also enjoyed their house salad. Yum. Loved the atmosphere. Expect to wait about thirty minutes for the pizza though. If I lived in chicago I'd be eating here all the time.

Mateo S.

"Butter-Cornmeal-Crack" crust... one of the most addictive things out there on these streets today! My friend and I split a pie the other night and found ourselves subconsciously counting the number of slices each had consumed, to make sure neither got more than their fair share! It is that delish.

Tatiana J.

My friend and I are not big fans of Chicago style pizza, so we decided to seek out the best New York style pizza in Chicago! :) This place was pretty good. We had a good experience, and the pizza was tasty. Our waiter was a really sweet kid who was very attentive and friendly. The pizza dough was kinda different.

Lauren M.

Crowded and pedestrian. The pizza kind of tastes better than Giordano's. It's an alright place. The service is also kind of lackluster. Good for people who are into chain restaurants or just drinking beer or whatever.

R S.

Pizza was as delectable as its famous relative. Rudy has accomplished his goal of distinguishing his restaurant from his father the oft celebrated Lou Malnati. Like most of the reviewers, I am fan of the generous appetizers, homemade sausage of their famous pizza and delectable pastas. Their staff is very helpful and friendly.

Michael D.

I love pizza and the pie I got here was one of the best I have tasted from ny to sf. Make sure you get the deep dish with extra cheese and pepperoni.

Ronald L.

Best kept secret downtown. I am a huge fan of their thin crust pizza, it has a super thin, corn meal dusted crust. The owner is the brother of Lou Malnati, and it shows. Fresh ingredients, real cheese, and awesome salads to share make this place one of my favorite pizzas in Chicago. Try and beat lunch or dinner rush hours as seating is limited. They also make an awesome fresh baked cookie ala mode for dessert.

T.J. B.

Thin Crust! legit. A great old time feel place. Late night dining with the big front doors open. We had sausage and peppers and pizza and it was all very good. A couple old styles to wash it all down and you're good to go.

Jen A.

Ok pizza. I prefer his brothers, Lou Malnatis which is less then a mile away

Janine M.

I'm a big Lou Malnatis fan so when we saw that this restaurant was associated with him I was very pumped to try their deep dish. Here's what we ordered and what I thought: Appetizer: Calamari -Mediocre and kind of a small portion for the price - $10.25, though maybe that's just city pricing. Entree: Deep Dish Sausage Pizza -Also mediocre- the butter crust at Lou's is much better than the standard crust they serve here. Other ingredients were similar but the whole combination didn't seem the same, make it's a bit more bland tasting than I'm used to... Atmosphere: Dark city pub makes for a cozy somewhat noisy atmosphere. Service: Waitress seemed pretty friendly though didn't react well to my friends request for alterations to the calamari (more hunks than tenticle pieces, lemons, extra sauce). She wanted to charge us for a double appetizer for these requests but yielded after talking to the manager about it.

Scott N.

Best thin crust pizza in Chicago- hands down! I love it. I would give the place 5 stars but they have screwed up my delivery more than once and even on a slow night it takes like 90 minutes to get a pizza. However it's worth the weight.

Jeff N.

This a great spot for THIN crust pizza. Consistently the best I've had while living downtown. (Fellini's in Mt. Prospect is the best thin crust in the world!). The negatives: Smokey bar (this goes away 1-1-08). The back room is either too hot or too cold. Topping choices for pizza a bit too limited for my liking. Long waits during the summer. They charge for dinner rolls if only ordering pizza. Other pluses: Serves Blue Moon. Norm Van Lear must eat here every night. We always see him sitting at the bar. Norm!!!!

Mark S.

Some of the best deep dish and thin crust pizza in Chicago! The buttercrust is amazing and the other ingredients are all top notch, good stufff. Similar to Lou Malnati's (owned by same family), but a bit better than Lou's.

Marti G.

I actually think I may have found a pizza place I like in Chicago! We were recommended by a friend to check this place out so we did finally and it was awesome! We decided to pick up our order since their delivery time was over 2 hours, now I know why b/c when you go in it's crazy busy and it's a tiny place, they seemed a little un-organized with their ordering process but it was worth the wait. We had a drink at the bar with all the regulars it appeared and then our food was hot and ready to take home. The thin crust pizza, garlic cheese bread, cheese sticks and bruschetta all AMAZING! Yes, we are pigs in our family ;) I will be sure to try this place again and I'm relieved that we can actually order pizza I like now.

T T.

This is the best pizza I have ever had. When people visit Chicago, I always take them here and it's always a hit. If I had to choose my last meal on earth, I think Pizano's deep dish pizza would be it. The restaurant itself if pretty small, and you do have to wait long for a table. Definitely great people watching, particularly at the bar. We live up north and are out of their delivery zone which really bums me out - why they closed the Wrigleyville location, I will never understand.

Dave S.

Crust = very good Toppings = very skimpy Quick Delivery = They do offer same day service, very slow Friendly Service = Leave the attitudes at home, I am paying you good money here Price = Not worth it at all The were probably the smallest and most overpriced large pizzas that I have ever had. They were not even that good. I paid nearly $90 for four pizzas that were supposed to be large but were more like mediums in the real world. Come on with the toppings guys, these pizzas were very, very bare. I was not really impressed with them at all.

T. T.

Every time I'm there, I would order their BBQ Chicken chopped salad. Be careful with their bread and garlic/parmesan w/ olive oil dip...you may find yourself stuffing your face with it wayyyy before your main course arrives.

Michelle V.

This is the worst thin crust pizza in Chicago!!!! Oprah doesn't know what she's talking about. The crust is buttery and sickening. The sauce is flavorless. The toppings are not fresh. The prices are OUTRAGEOUS!!!! They probably jacked them up after that got all that good press. Don't believe the hype. This pizza is gross. Any pizza is probably better (and healthier) than Pizano's.

Jessie B.

Giving this place 4 out of 5 stars just because they had really great wings & really great service. I work next door to them. First time I've ever been in the place since I've started, and that was about eight months ago. Great service. Absoultely some of the nicest bartendars, and managers around. :) My friend had the wine, I stuck with the blue moons. They were cold. Which is great for beer. Sometimes when you go to pubs they are luke warm, which is terrible. But the WINGS. Oh my. The wings. You need to get them. I would do anything for these wings. Crispy, not over cooked, juicy, and the blue cheese is just great. Not too chucky, watery, or thick. Just perfect. Get them hot...you can get them in several spice tastes. (mild, hot, super hot, etc) I will be back. Just for the wings. Even if I have to wait for 30 mintues. Because they are well worth it. Next, is the pizza.

Jared L.

This is some of the some of the best pizza I've ever had. It is very comparable to Lou Malnati's, but I definitely like Pizano's better. Great sauce and great crust. Great location and great interior, has a great feel, like many downtown restaurants have. I'll definitely be going back, and look forward to trying their other foods. Edit: Also, they have the best thin crust pizza I've ever had as well. Can't go wrong here.

Jim S.

I must have gone here on an off night (well, I did, it was the night before the marathon!), because my experience with Pizanos was unplesant. My family didn't want to eat inside becuase it smelled bad; not sure if it was the combination of truckers, beer, roaches, bats, etc...just didn't smell fresh. So we opted to do carryout. Our thin crust pizza was delicious; however, the manager/owner forgot the rest of our order when we arrived to pick it up. He said, "we didn't cook your chicken wings because we weren't sure when you were gonna pick up the pizza." I'm like, "you lie," because seriously, if you forget part of the order, just admit it and then give the customer a discount. I would probably go to Pizano's on a weeknight when it's less crowded next time.

Merle H.

Probably taboo, but we wanted thin crust and this place was recommended by the concierge. Not a big fan of Chicago thick or stuffed crust so we ordered their thin. We did not care for it at all. Price was high, If you want authentic thin crust go for La Madia. It was awesome.

Jeff F.

I also had some of the pizza that Dave described above. I would say it was OK. If you like cheap, greezy (yes I misspelled it on purpose), sorta old school pizza (it reminded me of stuff we would get in the 70s) then you will love it. If you like the good quality cheese and big heaping of quality toppings then you might want to skip this place. I didn't know those 4 pizzas cost him 90$. They were rather small.

Elizabeth M.

This place is great! Sat at the bar- ice cold beer, good service. I ordered the homemade ghocchi with meat sauce and it was amazing. The largest portion of gnocchi I have ever seen at a restaurant. Flavorful sauce- awesome. I heard that the deep dish pizza was equally amazing (at a glance, it looked delicious).

Jenn R.

BEST PIZZA IN CHICAGO!! Some don't agree b/c it' s not the most popular name, but we've had them all and this one's our favorite. The sausage is delicious and I'm not even a fan of sausage. Double cheese isn't necessary... they pile it on. Pepperoni is great too. The closest to Pizano's we've had is Pizzeria Uno/Due. The service isn't great at the State St. location; the hosts are kind of rude too, thus the 4 stars instead of 5, but I'll deal with it b/c of the pizza. Plus, I live a block away so we can always get it to go or delivery! The Sheffield location randomnly closed with no explanation. Still curious about that one!

eden s.

Fav pizza in the city. That crust is to die for. I love the spinach, tomato and garlic thin crust pizza combination. Well done crust makes it extra special and crunchy. The "Choch" used to work there. He was a great waiter that always referred to himself in the third person! Haven't seen him in a while though. Is he still around??

Mary H.

I had been in LOVE with Pizano's pizza while I was in grad school just across the street so I dragged my parents and cousin there after a baseball game this past weekend. I was SO disappointed with the pizza. It didn't seem like it was cooked all the way and generally lacked flavor. I had just plain old thin crust cheese, which I thought was hard to mess up (apparently not) and my dad and cousin had deepdish with mushrooms and some other veggies. My dad hated it. It was so underwhelming. Not sure what was going on..they weren't super busy. I probably won't go back again.

Sara O.

I've only been here once and I simply picked up my cheese pizza. However, I was a bit disappointed in that I was expecting a great pan pizza with a buttery crust, and what I got wasn't even as good as a frozen Home Run Inn pizza. First of all the wait for the pizza was ridiculous. We arrived at the time they said it would be ready and still had to wait an extra 20 minutes. This total time was around an hour just to be able to pick up one pizza. Furthermore, the pizza was mediocre at best. The crust was a bit dry and the cheese left a lot to the imagination. After our efforts here, I wished I had simply stopped at Jewel and picked up a Home Run Inn pizza and cooked it myself.

Dijon Y.

Got the thin crust pizza. Tasted really good. Not overly salty nor overly greasy, right balance of everything. Takes 1/2 hour to cook the pizza. One thing though, the pizza crust stays crunchy which is cool. But the bottom of the pizza is a bit moist from steam. So its a bit messy to eat. I thought if they use a regular pizza stone, the bottom should be dry. Pizza itself tasted good though. Seems high quality.

Aaron M.

The service was great for our large party pizza was fantastic as were the appetizers we got while waiting. We got the salad, parmesan French bread, a couple of thin crust and a deep dish pizza. Everything meet my expectations and then some. The staff was courteous and responsive. This is a boring review...it is over.

SUZY S.

My husband, his sister and his father and I went to Pizano's this past Saturday and it was YUMMY!!! I would definitely go back there. The thin crust pizza, I believe it was Rudy's pizza...although we replaced the sausage for pepperoni...delicious! I cannot remember our server's name, but she was fantastic!!!

Pawnee X.

I can only comment on their thin crust pizza since that's all I've had. However, the thin crust pizza may be a reflection on the rest of the food. Pizza was not good. Won't be ordering from them again.

Michael T.

My favorite deep dish pizza in Chicago. It has a more tasty and firmer crust than the other deep dish I've had. The sauce is great, too.

leyla a.

delicious enough to make you not care that it is 5 million calories. i love the cute location on state street, it is my "low key" saturday night go to place. split a medium pizza at pizano's and see a movie - head home before the drunkies and evil out of towners are in full force. i usually get 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 various veggies. I don't like to mix my meat with my veggies on my pizza. THE ONLY thing that I would change about this pizza is...the crust is too oily. Other than that, its perfect. Note that it takes no less than an hour for delivery - closer to 1 1/2 hours.

Melanie K.

my mouth is watering just thinking about the buttery crust! Yummmy! I love both the deep dish and the thin crust-although the thin crust is better. They deliver, which is what we do most often. But, the restaurant is great too. Very small, cozy, you feel like you are in an old time pizza parlor. My parents-who live in Minneapolis have been known to eat this 3 times in one weekend. It's a family favorite!

Jackie B.

Best thin crust pizza I've ever had. Only get the special with sausage and garlic. Amazing. I've also had the BBQ salad which is enough for 4 people. It is really good with all fresh ingredients. Tried the deep dish and it was actually the best I've had thus far. Not really a fan of deep dish to begin with I find there's always too much crust but theirs isn't overly thick like some other places like Unos, Ginos, etc

Carson H.

This is one of my favorite pizza spots, the pie is GREAT. OMG please save room for the cookie pie at the end. It's a HUGE cookie baked in a small cast iron skillet. Holy crap.

Julia B.

The crust of this pizza is perfection. It's like a crunch pastry pizza. LIke most pizza - you're probably getting your daily allowance of calories in one piece but goddamn if it isn't worth it. The service is great here but I could do without the stupid televisions and the Wrigley field crowd. This shouldn't stop you from eating here. It's my favorite pizza in chicago.

Jonathan H.

My all time favorite deep dish.....sausage special is out of this world

Paul C.

There are some people who swear this is the best pizza in Chicago. They are usually deep-dish hating commies, but in this instance it's hard to argue. Pizanos has something weird in the crust of their thin crust pizza. I don't really know what it is, and I might be better off not knowing. Whatever it is, it makes pizza good.

Dee W.

Tuesday night college night - save those college ids! They still come in handy five years later when you hit up Pizano's Tuesday nights and if you have three people and each person orders one drink (it can be non-alcoholic, too) you get a free pizza - either a medium deep dish or a large thin crust - the deep dish is fantastic. And their bruschetta - yum! Service was great and helpful. and the dessert - they have this amazing HUGE chocolate chip cookie WARM with ice cream on top. wow.

marisa s.

best thin crust, buttery pizza in chicago. sorry, i hate deep dish. i hate when they slather extra sauce on the top, WHYYYY? in fact, i like pizza without sauce most times. i know that means it's just bread and cheese, but yeaaaaa. the crust is crunchy, buttery and takes a while (45 mins maybe?) to get, but worth it. the salad and other things like pasta we ordered, we OK. come in for the pizza...that's it really. and one more thing: WHAT IS WITH EVERYONE CUTTING PIZZA INTO SQUARES OVER HERE? i am from detroit (and i would say in most states they would say the same), they cut the pizza into regular triangles, so you get even amount of ingredients, crust, sauce, cheese, whathaveyou on one freakin piece. genius, i know. so can someone start training the peeps in the pizzarias here to cut into triangles? that would be sweet.

shannon m.

This is our one of our favorite places for pizza in Chicago (we order the non-deep dish.) The service is always friendly, and the pizza is always delicious! The crust has a lot of flavor, its not just bread-doughy plain. The wings are good too! And there is a full bar :)

George S.

I live around the corner. The only thing that keeps me from coming here all the time is the threat of my jeans not buttonig up anymore. The first time I was here my boyfriend and I split a pasta dish and a thin crust pizza. Both were terrific. The waitress was super nice. It also helps that she bought us a round of drinks. When she brought our drinks she knocked a drop of beer into the pasta and as an apology bought us the round. It was barely any beer. The pizza with other toppings is too rich. I think i like the cheese best. I've also had the fried calamari which tasted crisp and fresh. We were so stuffed we could not fit the cookie pizza down. we'll have to try next time.

Dan B.

I have never actually been to this place, we often order it at work, and I have only had the thin crust pizza, but it is great. Thier sausage is fresh and delicious some of the best I have had on a pizza actually

Jeff Y.

people say that this is the best thin/hand tossed pizza in the city. i can't say i agree with them, but it's pretty tasty nonetheless and worth a try in case it happens to be your style. the restaurant is nice enough and good for dining in. you'll see a lot of "regulars" there and less out of towners than the typical chicago pizza place. give this place a try if you're tired of super heavy deep dish pizza.

Count Gregula ..

I've never actually eaten in the restaurant itself, but had leftovers from there given to me from a person in the building I vork at. The salad, pasta and pizza is Great! MMmm...let's hear it for leftovers..Yay! Next time this person goes there I'll be sure to ask for a taste of some steak or chicken and perhaps a cannoli for dessert. Hmm, you think that is asking for too much?

Aileen O.

If you're looking for good thin crust pizza in downtown Chicago, head to Pizano's. As I grew tired of five pound deep dish pizzas and the resulting poundage that landed in my belly, I headed to Pizano's with a friend to try out a thin crust pizza that has been lauded by plenty of locals. We opted to dine in one Saturday afternoon. The place was nice - no frills and filled with locals. At least it wasn't teeming with visitors and there wasn't a ridiculous wait. We ordered a thin crust pizza. Only downside was the pizza took about 45 minutes to arrive - I didn't think thin crust needed the long cooking time as well! There was the right amount of chewiness and crunchiness in the dough and the ingredients weren't slathered in tomato sauce. Next time I have a hankering for thin crust, I'm headed to Pizano's.

Lisa C.

Mmmmmmmmmm Love it! Used to only get Gino's East or Lou Malnati's for Chicago style pizza, but Pizano's made it to my list! They are delicious!

Tim N.

Like any true pizza joint in Chicago this one has a story of sibling rivaly and 1 brother is the obvious winner. Pizano's beats out Lou Malnati's any day of the week. Their crust is perfectly done with a near pastry-like taxture and taste. Their sausage is terrific. I have recommended this place to many others and they have never been let down. Thank's to Pizano's for making me look good.

Joe S.

Best pizza in the city. I was sad when they closed down the location on Clark, but at least we still have this spot! Thin crust, deep dish, you can't go wrong.

Emma M.

When I want pizza I usually want some type of dinner salad too. I'm a big fan of their salads like the greek/italian/Caesar /etc. The pizza is really good too. I guess they are known for the deep dish, but I personally prefer thin crust. It's a cozy, red and white checkered tablecloths joint where you occasionally see retired Bull's players. A place worth checking out if you're shopping down on State St. or Michigan Ave. You get away from that touristy feeling and I'd say it's better than Uno's.

Douglas O.

Had never heard any reviews about this online, just went with a friend in 05. Was some of the best deep dish pizza I've ever had. Not a smoker, so small building with smoke from the bar everywhere, and in the summer, a/c is never felt. All out of town guests that visit us enjoy Pizano's and can't wait to go back.

Brad C.

Ok, I think the pizza at Pizano's is a little overrated. Just because Oprah gave it her stamp of approval doesn't make it great. There are alot better pizza places in Chicago (My Pie, Art of Pizza, Pizza Ria, etc...). The pizza is good but forgettable. The place is nice and the staff is friendly. Some of the other items on the menu looked pretty good. I might go back and try one of the pasta dishes but I don't think I need to have the pizza again.

Andy N.

I am honestly flabbergasted at the number of low reviews for Pizano's. This place for sure has the BEST pizza I have had in Chicago., and it wasn't even deep dish!! I know, I know. How dare I give credit to a measly thin crusted pizza for such a coveted title. To be honest, I read that most Chicagoans wouldn't rank the big deep dish joints as their favorite pizza place, and I can see why. It's thanks to joints like Pizano's that gives deep dish pizza a run for their money. My friend and I dropped in on a Saturday evening and were seated at the bar immediately. For tables, there would have been a wait, but there was no line compared to other pizza joints in the area. We ordered a caesar salad, a large Pat's Brickhouse Special (Sausage and mushrooms), and two beers on tap (each was $5.50 btw, a great deal) The salad was great with a helping of freshly, grated cheese on top. It was a nice appetizer for what would be the main dish. After about 30 minutes, our glorious pizza arrived, and holy cow- it was GOOD. The pizza had everything I wanted. The crust wasn't super thin, and had a buttery taste that actually made me want to finish all of my crust. The cheese layer on top was coated perfectly, and somehow even the sausage and mushrooms on top tasted better than what I've had at most places! Each slice of pizza was amazing, and I really can't recommend it enough. Service was great as well, but perhaps that's because we were seated at the bar, meaning it was quick and painless. I can't get enough of this pizza! We weren't able to finish it, but I for sure will be back to try it again. Forget the lines and deep dish, this may be the true gem in downtown Chicago.

Desiree H.

Love this place. Every time I visit Chicago I make sure to stop by. It was probably suggested to me by the people at the front desk of my hotel, they also suggested not Togo with the highly popular deep dish and I'm very thankful! (I'm not a big sauce person) the ambiance here is really small and quaint. When you walk in you already know the food is going to be great. Just make sure you allow 30 minutes for your food to cook but other than that I had a great experience. The toppings are fresh and delicious. The staff is friendly and attentive. I'll absolutely go back on my next visit to Chicago!

Mike G.

Best pizza in Chicago with potentially the worst service in the city. We have a love/hate relationship with this particular Pizano's location. We order from here frequently and more often than not we have our pizza delivered. This review is based on my last four orders which have all taken at least 30 extra minutes to be delivered...... who wants to wait 90 minutes for a pizza? Last night when I called to check on my 'late delivery' (after 75 minutes) I was told that they didn't have my order in their system. Frustrated and pissed I was about to hang up when they finally found my order...... get this they told me I'd given them the wrong phone number when I placed the order...... WHY WOULD I DO THAT??. My pizza finally showed up at the 90 minute mark COLD, so that sealed the deal I'll never order delivery from this Pizano's again and the rest of the locations are on super secret probation. There are plenty of good pizza places in Chicago, but Pizano's operates like they're the only one.

Sarah H.

15 mins ago, I ordered for delivery a small cheese pizza 13.75 $ as they wrote in the menu with garlic bread 7.95 $ , but i received large cheese pizza which is cost 20.50 $ without any garlic bread and i called them ,but they told me I only ordered a cheese pizza and the pizza that I received that is the smallest pizza that they have !!!!!!! Really it was the worst experience ever !!

Jeff L.

I arrived late night in chicago and had to get a Chcago pie. This was for sure servicable and was a deepdish pizza but it wasn't one that I will remember years/days from now. It hit the spot but overall it was the like the ones I remember in the past. Delivery to the hotel late night is always problematic but you know I had higher expectations. But that said, i enjoyed it.

Alex S.

I wanted to like it... The atmosphere is okay, very small and tight so we sat at the bar. The pizza took a very long time to come so we ordered average salads and some drafts. The bartender was fairly attentive. When the pizza came it had wayyyyyy too much cheese even for Chicago deep dish. We scraped the majority of it off and asked for extra sauce to help add to the pizza. Overall, it was average. There are so many options for deep dish in the area that they really need to step it up to compete!

Rebecca G.

I'll have to give Pizano's Pizza at this Chicago downtown location 5 stars. Why? Great service, and fast delivery of my food. I ordered pasta. It was delicious. (Angel hair pasta). Downside was the extreme noise outside. I really wanted to eat outside because the weather was o'kay (August), but I just couldn't take all the train noise overhead practically. I guess I've been away from the city for too long.

Padma A.

We ordered pasta and chicken wings for a work related lunch, nothing extraordinary.

terri r.

You might as well stop in the frozen pizza aisle and grab a pie. A medium, thin crusted pizza, which is a very small pizza, was just awful and cost $27. Outrageous!

Jeff M.

This was our first experience with genuine Chicago deep-dish. As a lifelong New Yorker, I wouldn't in a million years describe what we ate (a "Rudy's Special") as pizza. More a tomato/vegetable/sausage/cheese tarte. BUT ... it was kick-ass delicious, whatever you want to call it. Oh - and the Caesar salad was excellent, too.

Allison M.

Not very good. Crust is cooked way to long, the pepperoni was black on top. The only thing that tasted good was the cheese. Would not recommend getting this. If it was $5 I would say it was ok but $23 for a small pizza that is not good... Don't waste your money

Lisi Z.

Gimme! One of the top pizza places in the City. I've dined in and carried out a handful of times, crust is a perfect combo of buttery and crunchy- if i'm in a plain mood i opt for cheese, if i'm feeling a little wild i opt for sausage onion mushroom green pepper. Wish they didn't make you meet a minimum with delivery though- left me pulling the trigger on some random appetizers that i cant speak much of.

Nia M.

My friends and I came to this location for my birthday celebration around 1 AM. We glanced at the menu and each ordered. The wait for the pizza was close to an hour. When the food arrived, we were shocked and the sizes; I thankfully ordered an individual. When the check came, we were even more shocked at the prices. The pizza is overpriced compared to other locations. Also, the inside of the restaurant is reminiscent of a dive bar and looks very dirty and outdated. The only reason I gave it two stars was the very nice waiter we had.

Tavi J.

I figured I need to do a review on Pizano's since there on my speed dial and all. Can't say much about the restaurant since I've only been here once with out of town co workers. It's your regular bar atmosphere. This review is ALL About the PIZZA!! This has got to be one of the best pizzas I've ever had. I wont diss other restaurants, but the crust has a lot to do with the pizza and some pizza joints don't do it right. I love the garlic butter crust and the thin crust Rudy's special is amazing. I can eat a whole medium thin crust all by myself. Just incase I'm not completely ashamed of myself I order the chocolate chip cookie and they are able to deliver with the cookie on the side. My mouth is watering just thinking about this pizza. I get it delivered more than I like to admit and I get giddy after they take my order and let me know it'll be about 45 minutes. Let the countdown begin....

Terry K.

This is what a pizza and a pizza experience in Chicago is. Great staff, little wait on a busy first day of #NFLDraft. Best pizza in town hands down. Great Italian Beef which seems to be getting harder and harder to find these days. Good selection of beers. Did I mention classic Chicago sports memorabilia?

Aman S.

Probably some of the best deep dish Chicago style pizza, with a great Ambience. They also have toasted beef ravioli that meets my St. Louis expectations! I would go back here again.

shamrock B.

Just amazing great pizza period. If you know about this place you keep it to yourself because it's a gem they are now expanding the place to seat more people. They have traditional Italian food which is decent. Friendly staff and Andy the manager is hands down just a friendly guy and does anything to make you happy. Locals belly up to the bar on the regular and delivery is great. If you want to try a new pizza place highly recommended. It will become a regular in your delivery rotation for food.

Edward W.

Another great visit to Pizano's. I went with a small group and parked in front. Meter parking. Robert was our server again and, as always, did a great job. The pizza is always great but I tried the Seafood Marinara for the first time and really liked it. Lots of calamari done perfectly. Watched a football game and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere.

Amanda S.

I had to write this review asap, my tummy was too happy to wait. We ordered this pizza for delivery while staying at a nearby hotel. We weren't exactly sure where we should order from, but Yelp came through again. It was $28 for a medium deep dish, can of pop and delivery. I would say that is standard, if not reasonable, for downtown. The delivery came within 30-40 minutes of ordering, short of the 60 we were quoted. We asked for it well done and the crust was perfectly crisp. Instead of using sauce, they use crushed tomatoes which I loved. I typically scrape off a layer of sauce on most deep dish pizzas. There were plenty of toppings on the pizza, sausage inside with mushroom on top. The crust was a perfect buttery cornbread type crust. So delicious. I guess this will only be a downtown event, but what an event it will be!

Ninja Joe T.

The best thin crust pizza on the planet! I highly recommend if you're in Chicago! This is Chicago style thin crust. Great atmosphere and friendly managers and wait staff.

Markesha W.

Just walked in at 1:40am wanted to grab a quick drink with my hubby and we were immediately turned away the hostess claims they just did last call. I asked if we could grab a quick drink the hostess declined. I'm confused because we were turned away at 1:40 and the restaurant closes at 2:00.

Michael S.

At a hotel feeling like a pizza HBO night and this spot was right around the corner. Girl was friendly over the phone. 35 min, confirmed I knew the correct location, same company has one around the corner. Just finished, Very good pizza. Ingredients fresh and the sauce is tasty. Got the marks thin crust with sausage added. 35 min just as promised over the phone for carry out. Sitting here satisfied!

Professor S.

Meh on the pizza. I don't get the hype. It's got a great vibe and the prices are low, but the pizza wasn't life changing.

Farwah R.

I had pizano's pizza. We ordered an extra large pizza with veggies and sausage on one side. The thin crust pizza fed four people. We commented that the crust was very thin, it was very crunchy and crispy. I thought that the pizza could use some spice on it. The tomato sauce lacked flavor. It was watery and It was very bland. At the same time the pizza was also salty. I needed a huge glass of water afterwards. I never really like Chicago pizza very much. I didn't even like lou malnati, although every one seems to think that pizza is the greatest deep dish ever! I am not a fan of thin crust pizza Chicago style. I want my pizza to have a doughy-ness. The only good pizza I have had here is Giordano's deep dish pizza. It always taste very delicious and satisfying.

Anna F.

I ordered the Cesar salad and vegetarian deep dish pizza. The salad was very good and large so it was perfect for splitting. The pizza was OK but I've had better deep dish. I think I would have liked it more if we had gotten the thin crust....we saw a lot of people around us eating that. Overall a good experience and the staff was friendly.

Jason M.

There's too much pizza in Chicago. Every Italian family has a hand in the business, and so every founder is some relative of an original (OG) pizzarian. The credibility floating around any pizza joint is so pervasive it becomes counter productive. There are a million OG recipes in Chicago. Anyway, Pizano's isn't one of the good OG recipes. This location is always packed, which doesn't have much explanation other than: (1) these are all relatives of the owner, and/or (2) Lou Malnati's a couple blocks up has too long of a wait. The crust of the thin pizza is flaky, almost grainy. Maybe the deep dish is better, maybe. Calamari could use a lot of work. You'd think pizza joints in Chicago would've started sharing best-practices by now, even if it means altering a great-great uncle's OG recipe.

John L.

This pizza rocks! It was so good I even tolerated all the Hawk pictures hanging on the wall.

O731 ..

The pizza is great. The deep dish is very similar to Lou Malnati's (same owner), but more "tavern-ey" like Gino's and not as family oriented. Get extra cheese. Straight beast ass deep dish.

Charlie P.

Not your typical pizza crust, but it was delicious! The crust was more like a thick buttery flakey cracker. It's a very rich indulgent pizza. Order delivery online. It was super easy. It gave a 1 hour ETA, but they were at my door within 30 minutes. There's also a count down timer when ordering online that updates their ETA so I knew when they were on their way; it was pretty useful. The only downside is the size of pizza is smaller than most and they're a little pricey. Ordered a large one of their specialties and added extra meat and cheese. The large is more like a medium at any other place. After tip, it was close to $50, which is why I only gave 4 stars. Overall, great pizza and fast delivery. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a new and different type of pizza experience.

Gaius Julius C.

Pizza, Chicago neighborhood style. Big menu, lots of pastas and plates, but I opted for flatbread pizza. Very good, ample for dinner. Also try the calamari, heavily breaded but very tasty. The help gets 5 stars. The food 3.7. I was welcomed and after 10 minutes felt like a regular. Nice place.

Rebecca C.

I had been wanting to try this pizza for awhile, so finally we took a trip into the city on the train. This pizza did not disappoint and was worth the trip. Reminds me alot of LouMalnati's pizza and soon to find out by our waiter that I was correct and that at one time the two pizza kings of Chicago were united. The sauce was the best part of the pizza and there were little chunck of tomotoes which I loved. The inside of Pizanos is something you would see on tv with the red and white checkered table clothes and the old school bar. It was a cute place. FYI: This place is tight but I think that is the experience they want you to have. I would def. recommended. :)

Kelly C.

My old stomping grounds. This quaint pizza shop is truly Chicago style and I'm not talking about the deep dish. The red and white checked table clothes and the black and white photos on the walls are classic Chicago. I used to love visiting this restaurant on weeknights. It gets a little hectic on the weekends but during the week it's a locals joint. The service is good and the pizza is better. If you like thin crust then this is pizza is for you. It's cooked to perfection and filled with buttery flavor. The menu and the ambiance keep me coming back. The lighting is dim making the space warm and inviting. It's enjoyable every time.

Sierra R.

I was in town for the Chicago Marathon, wandering around like the tourist I was when I naturally grew extremely hungry. I saw a pretty hefty line for this place so I figured, "It must be good," so inside I went. Lucky for me, I'm totally okay with eating alone and I didn't want to take up a table a solo diner. I waltzed up to the bar and plopped into a seat. Since I was racing the next morning, it was time to CARB-LOAD (yay). I looked down and "Ann Marie's Homemade Tortellini Special" just sounded right up my alley -- and damn, it was delicious! I could only eat half of it because it was such a giant portion (and I'm not complaining because I'm a foodie). I took the rest back to my hotel and consumed it prior to bed. Thank you Pizano's for helping get a PR at my marathon!!!! Oh and I wish I wrote this review sooner because the young woman who was working the bar that day did a fabulous job! I had excellent service. The food was quick, hot, and delicious. She was friendly and served me promptly and efficiently while it was busy.

Deanna O.

When reviewing Pizano's, their buttery, crispy crust with a chunky tomato sauce with sweet Italian sausage must be mentioned. Although I'm more accustomed to NYC's Single, Thin Slice & Foldable Pizza, Pizano's Deep Dish Pizza is very compelling & tasty! Mangia! Although they seemed to be more a bar than a restaurant, Pizzano's was very welcoming & immediately placed my to go order. Travelers must add an extra 30 MINUTES to their itinerary! Try it, you'll like it!

Mohammed A.

Pizza was great - we tried the bbq chicken. The crust is something totally different than I've had before. Also ate the house salad, which had tasty homemade italian dressing. The only downside to our experience was that the pizza took so long to make. We expected a long wait for deep dish but not thin crust. 30 minutes was a bit too long. Our server was nice enough but refills were slow in coming. Atmosphere is great- warm, cozy, and inviting. Bar looked to have some regulars.

Kav J.

This restaurant is probably the worst pizza I have ever eaten. Stale crust, awful melody, the pizza just doesn't taste like pizza should.

Bradford C.

Utterly and completely disappointed. I am in Chicago a few times a year for business and this place was suggested. I usually eat at Giordano s which in my opinion was so far superior to this place so let's just get right to it. The good news is the place had a short wait. Well good and bad because all the good places have an hour wait. So we walk in and immediately we are met by a sloppy, slick back haired, obnoxious host? Named Ross. If I were to say he was snide that would be an understatement. He prepped me though for the over rated pizza that was to arrive. We ordered wings, mozzarella sticks, pepperoni pizza and a salad. Salad was boring but good. Dressing was good. Mozzarella sticks were horrible. Pizza was dry there was maybe 10 to 15 slices of pepperoni on the pie. The actual cheese was the best part of the pizza. The wings were average and the blue cheese on the side was gross. When I tell you that this place is not what Chicago pizza is about ...save your money and spend it at Giordano' s it will be a longer wait but the staff is friendlier and the pizza is amazing. Hopefully Ross isn't part of the family that owns this place and they can show him the door. He ruined the beginning of the night but the food ruined the end.

Margaret H.

The food: I love pizanos for the butter crust only. I'm a Lou's girl when it comes to deep dish, but I love a thin crust pizanos pizza. I've had several pasta dishes that were large in portion and decent. For appetizers, I've tried the toasted ravioli and garlic bread with cheese, neither would I get again. Also, it takes them a ridiculously long time to actually prepare the food. If you're starving, you'll get frustrated here. The cost: If you're looking to get some bang for your buck, then do NOT come here. The "medium" pizza is actually a small pizza (you're not fooling anyone, Pizanos) and will cost you nearly $20. I will specifically walk 1 block more to Lou's and/or Gio's for more pizza at a reasonable price, that is most definitely comparable, if not better. They also do not let you use credit cards if your order is under $20, which federal law actually regulates this to only be allowed for purchases $10 or less. One time, the waitress actually suggested that we each had to leave a LARGER tip to make the minimum, which made me actually want to tip her less. Pizanos, get with the times. Credit cards are what people pay with and you need to accept it. I've actually avoided your establishment multiple times (which is sad bc I live in the building above you) before bc I found it to be too big of a hassle to go find an ATM too.

Nora L.

I did not like their crust, don't know what it is but it doesn't seem like real pizza dough to me.

Melissa M.

Pizano's is my absolute favorite pizza in Chicago -- and I grew up here so that says a lot! It doesn't hurt that this location is steps from my front door. The staff is awesome, super friendly and fun. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting - we love going to watch whatever game is on and draw on the white paper tableclothes - they've got crayons, just ask!

Kayla J.

Came down to Chicago for the day and this was the recommendation while we were shopping. Got the deep dish and it was definitely worth the wait! Will definitely need to come back again.

Kim K.

The pizza was very good. Different than home, but a wonderful new pizza experience. We didn't need the extra cheese we talked about ordering but didn't. That said, I don't think I would order again from this company. The woman on the phone at the State street location was short and rude -- not helpful. I suggest they keep a list of the addresses of the hotels within a block's radius by their phone so customers from out of town don't have to rip apart their room looking for the address. It would also be helpful if forks, plates and napkins were offered or provided for hotel guests. The website unexpectedly switched us to the State to the Dearborn location. The link is confusing. Iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value or taste. They may want to switch to a more healthy green in their salads. We found it expensive for the value and the service. Delivery took an hour and we were 3 mins away.

Amy A.

I ordered from here based on location to my hotel and information provided by yelp. I wanted a true Chicago pizza experience but am perplexed by what it ended up. I ordered a medium cheese and medium pepperoni. They said 30 minutes. I walked with my son to go pick them up. It was a 10 minute walk. We were greeted upon entering. It was really easy to find. A big green sign on the outside of the building. The pizzas were done exactly when promised. I wish we could have eaten there. I loved the Chicago ambiance. Set up like a bar/ pizza place with photos of celebrities who dined there. What I'm disappointed with was the pizza. The crust to be exact. I ordered thin crust. It's thin but not too thin. The crust is really buttery. Too buttery. It's crispy but weird. Almost a buttery fried texture. The toppings and sauce were wonderful. I probably will not return or at least won't order the thin crust again. Disappointed.

Jennifer W.

I learned about this Pizano's (and specifically the one on State Street) from a friend. He was born and raised in the windy city. On his recommendation, I took a cab and am currently sitting at the bar. I started with a frosty mug of hoppy goodness (i.e. a beer) and they have a good selection on tap. My friend insisted that I order the regular crust pizza not the deep dish. He said I should save that for the airport when I'm leaving. The only other "must do" for my pizza order was to make sure it had Italian sausage on it. So I ordered the sausage and mushroom. Let's just say that if I could marry this pizza I would. It's incredible. And while I'm enjoying and savoring every cheesy delicious bite, I can wash it down with a little football playing on one of four screens above the bar. Dude... just come here for pizza. Seriously.

Rachna K.

As a native Chicagoan, pizza is extremely important. Pizano's does a great job! I have to admit I've only had their thin crust pizza - but it is soo good! They have the best, slightly buttery, but definitely crispy crust. The sauce is equally good - caution, if you prefer a blended smooth sauce, you might not be a fan. Their sauce has tiny little pieces of tomato. It takes about 30 minutes to make their thin crust, but you can order while waiting to be seated. It's nothing fancy, think red-checked table cloth - but a cute, pizza place. Worth a visit if you are a pizza fan visiting chicago!

Reid S.

The meatballs are killer!!! Plus the pizza is excellent

Laura S.

Came late at night just to get Holly's Cookie. It was so good. It really is a must have. Also, the service was very quick and attentive. No complaints here!

Catherine P.

We went downtown this weekend for the Chicago Chocolate Tour. Our last stop on our Chocolate tour was More cupcakes at the corner of State and Delaware and once we wrapped up our visit to More, we wanted to find a place nearby for lunch/dinner. My poor hubby missed the Bears game up until this point, but luckily there was another gentleman on our tour that had the game on his cell phone, so we were keeping up with the action! Being that we were dressed for walking in the city, we couldn't necessarily go anywhere too fancy for dinner, so we wanted a casual/come-as-you-are spot. We peeked around the corner on State Street and there was Pizano's! I had heard of it, but never been. Growing up in the Chicagoland area, we ate a LOT of pizza as kids. Rosati's, Uncle Pete's in Addison, even the occasional White Cottage. As an adult, I'm a huge fan of Little Sicily in Schaumburg. Not only is it practically walking distance for us, but they make a mean pie! I enjoy making pizza at home and tossing around the dough, rolling it out and adding my toppings to my desired taste, but there is no chance I'll ever be able to make a deep dish at home from scratch so I rely on Chicago pizza places to do this for me. After a long afternoon of sweets, chocolates, desserts and other candies, I needed something salty and delicious. Get me some pizza, S.T.A.T.! We wandered down State and jogged across the street to Pizano's. I wasn't sure what to expect because I didn't take my usual time to look them up on Yelp and see if it was worth our time. I'm so glad we walked in this place! The bar was packed with Chicago Bears' fans along with a few Dallas Cowboys' fans cheering on their respective teams, the front dining room was full and we were given the option of sitting in the back or waiting for a spot to open up in the front. Fully knowing that everyone up front was watching the game, we gladly accepted the table in the back. Sadly, my trooper of a husband discovered the lack of a T.V. in the back room. He was really great about it, though. We were just hungry and wanted to eat a nice meal before heading home for the evening. I gave him the ok to go watch the game several times and he was so cute and chose to sit with me instead. We'll that was unless there was screaming in the bar, I insisted he go check it out. We ordered a Sprite and a ginger ale. I asked the server to find out if the ginger ale was caffeinated or not and it turned out that it was, so I just stuck with the H20. After a long day of walking around and trying not to drink too much water as to avoid multiple potty breaks, I needed the water anyways. I tasted the Sprite and I have to say, it tasted icky to me. I'm guessing the lines need to be cleaned, if I were to go out on a limb. We decided to get a deep dish sausage pizza even tho the menu clearly states it takes 30 minutes and we were starving. I figured, if we're at a new place in the city, we gotta do it right. It took a bit longer than 30 minutes, probably closer to 45-50 so I wasn't crazy about that, but it was worth the wait. It was perfectly prepared. The crust on deep dish pizzas can often be burnt along the top edge and ours was absolutely PERFECT! I don't actually eat the crust unless it looks good and I did taste theirs...it was very nice. About 15 minutes after ordering, I ordered a cup of their Italian Wedding soup to fill the time and to warm up. It didn't look appetizing at all, but it tasted wonderful. It was served at a perfect soup temperature to me (ie. Almost burning the roof of your mouth, but not quite). It had 2 little meatballs in it. I would have liked a third or fourth, but I cut up what was in there and made them last a little longer. The spinach leaves in the soup were not overcooked and tasted great! We will definitely be back to Pizano's. Next time, I want to sit in the bar area. The whole place has a great Chicago feel with all the sports teams' memorabilia on the walls and the old bar set up...it's a classic. Looking forward to the next time we want pizza in the city. I'll be heading to Pizano's!

Manny T.

Best pizza I've ever ate in my life. Flakey, light, fresh ingredients, and not an oily mess. Bar none, if you're in the area, DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY to eat at this delicious gem!

Brittany P.

First, based on the very slow service that I experienced, well is what I observed from the two people sitting next to me - all of us seem to get the same slow service. I would bet they just don't have enough people back there cooking and they're just too busy with whatever they're doing because my relatively simple order took a long time. I ordered the chicken Parmesan sandwich - with french fries . While the french fries were excellent , hot and tasty , the Parmesan sandwich was overcooked and dry. I said I think the scene I would've made if I had sent it back and realizing that I would have to leave - not wanting to invest another 45 minutes in their marginal cooking/ service. I made a terrible mistake and placed a simultaneous to go order - don't do this, eat your meal and then decide whether or not the food is good enough to place a to go order on top of what you're eating in the restaurant - you will save money and misery as a result. I was annoyed enough with the chicken Parmesan sandwich that I ordered after the fact, a dish of marinara sauce to dip in what should have had marinara sauce on it the first place - only to wait a minimum of 10 minutes and maybe 15 minutes for that marinara sauce to be brought to the table . I guess it takes a while to go to the grocery store to get some? I also ordered for take out - planning to jam it in my hotel refrigerator for later meals - and found out that the meatball sandwich I ordered for later, was also a bit dry and lacking sauce. I don't know if it's a difference of expectations here , cooking style or whatever but I've had much better for much less money then their premium priced menu items. I also ordered an Italian sub which remains untouched in refrigerator, but most likely it will underwhelm as well. Save your money. Go somewhere else. Lou Malnatti or Connie's Pizza for example. Yuck. At least I didn't get sick from the food. That's right, they are expensive. So in summary, I paid twice here: - Once with my money, and - once with my patience and time. Also, a nice couple sitting next to me had a similar experience that in observed from three get away, so my experience was not something unique to me in this restaurant. Marginal food at high prices is never excusable.

Kerri V.

We tried Pizano's tonight for the first time and unfortunately I don't think we will be returning customers. We ordered a Caesar salad and 14" pepperoni pizza, both of which were fine, nothing to write home about and certainly not worth the $37 we spent. It also took over two hours from order placement to delivery, understanding that it was a Friday night with a few big games on, we thought it would be closer to 60 minutes. Two hours is insulting. Overall I wouldn't recommend this place. Not because of the food quality, but the wait time was not worth it at all.

Jee S.

They told me Chicago is the land of the deep-dish pizza. I expected to be blown over by the awesomeness of the pizza in Chicago. They even have a whole tour dedicated to pizza. Sad to say, I wasn't overwhelmed with its awesomeness. I was in fact a little underwhelmed. Not to say it wasn't good. It WAS good. Decent. But I guess after all the hype, I thought it would be better than good. Better than decent. I thought the crust at Pizano's was too buttery. I never thought I would say something was too buttery. But yup. It was. I did like Pizano's thin crust better than their deep dish pizza. I'm not sure if the thin crust was overcooked, or if the dough-master had an off day, but it was nothing to write home about. OH we tried a pasta dish too. It was not done well. Haha. But then again, it's a place called Pizano's Pizza, not Pizano's Pasta. If I was in Chicago again, would I visit this eatery again? Probably not. I have too many other places bookmarked to try.

Chris C.

Best thin crust in Chicago. Period. I've been coming here for years and it never gets old for me. Thin crust with sausage, well done, is the way to go.

Liz K.

Ok, so I might be extra biased now that I found my favorite thin crust pizza in Chicago a few weeks ago at Pequod's, but Pizano's doesn't hold a candle to many of the pizza options I've had in the city. Our visitors from out of town absolutely LOVE deep dish pizza and had suggested we try Pizano's. We arrived shortly after 5 on a Saturday and were told the wait was 20 minutes and we could order while we waited. In the day and age of Open Table, I hate waiting for tables, so at least the fact that we could put our orders in was nice. Unfortunately, they were way off with their 20 minute estimate and we ended up waiting almost twice that long. The restaurant is so small that if one table doesn't turn over as expected, it really delays things. When our food arrived, we were pleased with the size of the large thin crust. I liked that the crust was crispy but my boyfriend would have preferred it to be softer. There was barely any pepperoni and it was very salty. The only way I got a reasonable amount of flavor from the pizza was loading each slice up with red pepper flakes and oregano. Overall it is certainly not in my list of favorite pizza places, but at least the price was ok. If you absolutely want to try this place, I suggest going early on a week night to avoid a long wait.

Daniel L.

If I could, I would split this rating up between their thin crust and deep dish. Their thin crust is probably more well known, especially due to an endorsement from Oprah. I'm not sure it's my favorite in the city, but I do like it a lot. Their deep dish, I'm not as much a fan of. The crust is very tough (reminds me of hardened cornmeal) and I feel like the toppings, cheese and sauce kind of sit on each other loosely, instead of being melted together like a pizza should. As far as the decor, it's a close-quartered joint almost wrapped around the bar in the main room. There's another room in the back with more space and a huge variety of Chicago-themed decorations that make it feel cozier and less claustrophobic.

Alicja K.

I live in right down the block and have been here a few times. Friends that I've been with really liked the pizza. I wasn't blown away. It wasn't bad but wasn't great. The few times that I've been, service was slow.

Stephanie F.

For my first time in Chicago, I wanted to be sure to try Chicago style deep dish pizza. I saw this restaurant on multiple websites and it was nearby my hotel on Magnificent Mile, so decided to give it a try. Ordered the wigs based on some high praises found within other yelp reviews and was highly disappointed. They were nothing special, just basic chicken wings with light sauce and on the fatty side. The blue cheese was watery. We placed the pizza order while we were waiting for a table due to the 30-35 minute cook time. The pizza selected was the tomato basil and garlic deep dish. This did not disappoint. Delicious! The perfect balance between the 3 ingredients atop a thick layer of melted mozzarella cheese. I do not have any other Chicago style pizza experience to compare it to, but I would say it's worth the trip to Pizano's for the pizza for sure! Also, we had excellent and efficient service. I saw some reviews on here that stated otherwise, but I did not experience this.

Cindy A.

My new favorite pizza place! On par with the other Pizza All-Stars. LOVE!! Hard to save room for dessert, but do that! THE place to go to settle the thin or thick crust pizza debate. And sit in Frank Sinatra's chair :-) I'll be back!!

Matthew A.

Dan was awesome. Management (Andy) was a little off puttish. Walked in , asked to be seated to look at the ongoing play off game (instead of the back dungeon) and apparently if you say hello you can no longer drink in their restaurant. We will no longer talk about that, so let's talk about the food. Deep dish...not a lot of height on the dish, crust was way too thick and filling was bland. Meatballs were lacking flavor. Sausage was good. Too many options in the area. Will never go back

Murphy B.

The margherita pizza is to die for! Andy the manager is great as well. I had the gnocci in pesto sauce on my last visit and will definitely try that again. Convenient location as well.

Jennifer P.

I love Pizano's pizza. It's really close to me and I love that the crust is crispy like a LM pizza but has much more cheese and toppings. I could eat an entire large LM pizza myself and still be hungry but my roommate and I share a small here. It's also our late night go to because it's open so late and better than those cheepo places (dominos & Pizza Hut). The cheese sticks are also really good, not like most cheese sticks and the marinara sauce is very garlicky, love it! I get hot giardiniera on my pizza, YUMM about to try the cheesey garlic bread, excited! They should have a loyalty program for how much Pizano pizza I eat.

Tara S.

Super unhappy. Went to the chicago Gluten Free expo two weekends ago and they were advertising a deep dish crust that would be at Pizanos. It was amazing and I was so excited to try it. We called tonight and ordered two VEGETARIAN GF deep dish pizzas and picked them up. Once we got home we opened the boxes to a sausage filled pizza which was so incredibly greasy and disgusting. Clearly not what we wanted at all and super upset we spent money on something we threw away. Poor poor communication.

Ryan H.

Pizano's Pizza & Pasta presents an interesting quandary to its patrons...is it best to order their deep dish or thin crust pizza? Surely, a restaurant owned by Rudy Malnati Jr, - son of Pizzeria Uno founder, Rudy Malnati Sr. - must make some pretty excellent deep dish pizza. However, their thin crust pizza has been listed in the top ten in the Nation by USA Today and is apparently Oprah's favorite. Personally, I was stumped, so I went with the advice of our waiter and tried their thin crust. I'm sure I would have been happy with either option, but our waiter's recommendation definitely didn't disappoint me. The most impressive thing about Pizano's thin crust pizza is that it somehow manages to keep the consistency and flavor of a traditional Chicago-style deep dish crust in its compact form. Perhaps this is because Donna Marie Malnati, Rudy Malnati Sr.'s widow, is said to still be fashioning dough balls from their old secret family recipe in the basement of Pizano's Pizza & Pasta on State Street. The sausage was also really good on this pizza, and its flavor may have been allowed to stand out even more since it was on a thin crust pizza. If you want a thinner pizza that still maintains some of the typical Chicago flavor, then Pizano's Pizza & Pasta is your place (Giordano's thin crust is good but doesn't necessarily have the same flavor, and I did not enjoy the thin crust pizza from Gino's East). They also have other items on their menu that did not interest me as much as pizza, and their cheesy garlic bread was a good appetizer.

Daniel S.

We ate here before the Chicago Cubs game. This was around 4 P.M., on Monday when business was slow. At the time we sat down, our waiter let us know that it would be thirty minutes to the time that the pizza was ready. We were not in a hurry, and passed the time drinking beer, and looking at the pictures on the wall. It seemed that they serve Budweiser beers in bottles and the Miller Lite on tap. Looking at the pictures kept us occupied. In the back is a large painting featuring Sinfeld, Elvis, Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr next to two people. Of course this leaves customers like ourselves guessing who these two celebrities are. By the time we found out the two celebrities are the two owners, the 30 minute wait was nearly over. The service met my expectations. The waiter would routinely check on us. A nice touch was that he cut and put the first slices on our plates. The thin crusted pizza with pepperoni and sausage was large, delicious and filling. Definately worth the wait.

Matthew B.

Shame on you Oprah! You do a lot of things right but recommending this pizza is not one of them. The ingredients were fresh but the crust resembled a cardboard box. The search continues for a good thin crust pizza in Chicago. Yeah I get that the deep dish is what Chicago is known for but please don't tell me I need to board a plane to get great thin crust? Patrons do not come her for the atmosphere and the pizza did not impress .... The search continues.

Jeremy S.

I would not come here again. If I wasn't so hungry, I would leave now. ....the menu states "Home Made Ravioli" and I asked the server how often they MAKE the ravioli in house. The server told me that NOTHInG is home made and it is actually FROZEN RAVIOLI.

Jackson S.

Next time you're in Chicago and you want that famous deep dish pizza? Eff waiting two hours at Uno, Due, Giordano's, Gino's East, or Lou Malnati's. This little, unpretentious joint on State Street got us in, beered, served, and out within an hour, and had better pizza than ALL of the more famous joints, and I've had 'em all. Pizano's Pizza (right around the corner from our hotel) is the truth, and it felt like we were at our neighborhood corner pizzeria rather than the hyped up chain joints which are always crammed with tourists, rude servers, and a ridiculous wait.

Teresa H.

Definitely one of my favorite pizza places -- doesn't hurt that they're open late too for someone like me who is a night owl. Their thin crust never fails me and delivery is always fast.

Amanda J.

The Marks Special deep dish was delicious and the bartender was very friendly and helpful with drink selections. Atmosphere was nice and it wasn't too crowded. Short walk to needed public transit options.

Jamal N.

They are rude..... They put me on hold 4 times before I had a chance to make an order. And when I finally got a chance to make an order I was rudely hung up on... Decided to travel to the restaurant just to receive the same rude treatment I received over the phone.... No food is worth this bs.....

Lynda R.

Needing late night dining after the theater, we were hoping for some awesome pizza, but were sorely disappointed by Pizanos. We got a thin crust cheese with mushroom and onion, and pepperoni on one half. I would have been better off with a Tombstone. The onion tasted rancid (or was it the olive oil), the peperoni was dry, and overall a complete disappointment. I did nibble the crust which was acceptable and the only reason this joint gets two stars.

Rosemary V.

Learn about this place while on a pizza tour and fell in love with it. The thin crust was good but the deep dish was amazing which is why we ordered it when we went back for dinner. We had two pies, one with peperoni and one with Canadian bacon. The crust is baked with butter on it which made it taste like heaven. The pizza was extra cheesy and oh Gosh just amazing. Service Waiter was super friendly and for the most part attentive (he went MIA when we wanted to ask for the bill). Prices: Super reasonable...it was like $20 per person and that included 2 pies, 2 appetizers, and sodas. Either way, If you go to Chicago you must stop here for some deep dish. It has been 2 weeks since I've been back from my trip and I'm still telling people about this place.

d a.

Service was great. I got the deep dish and the crust needed something else, maybe salt. The sauce want very flavorful.

Ubz D.

Pizano's is far underrated as far as Chicago Pizza is concerned! I would say it is the best thin crust pizza in Chicago...even though the city is known specially for its deep dish, the thin crust at Pizano's is amazing! I would recommend trying this place at least once.

Alex S.

This pizza was AWFUL. I cannot believe any Chicagoan would give this more than one star. There are dozens of better places to try. It was completely dry, the cheese was hard and rubbery, and the crust was like eating a shingle. I've lived in Chicago a long time, and this is the worst pizza I've had here. I strongly encourage all those searching for a restaurant to stay far away from this "pizza."

Sarah S.

Pizano's Vs. Lou Malnati's for the best Chicago pizza....Lou's takes the star for me but Pizano's is still great. It's such interesting Chicago history that two feuding brothers own each uniquely Chicago chain and they are very competing pizza spots for the best deep dish in the city. The two pizzas are very similar but Pizano's has the edge in the crust arena. I went on Saturday and Grandma Malnati was actually in the basement rolling the dough....Who knows if that is actually true, but that's what we were told. Supposedly the Grandpa only gave the Pizano's-owning-grandson one special ingredient that Lou's is missing. And Oprah says their thin crust is the best in the city but seeing as I haven't tried it yet, I can't verify that. I do blindly follow everything Oprah says though, so let's just say it's the best thin crust in the city. :) The sausage on their deep dish is delicious and the pizza overall is fantastic! If anyone tells you they are taking you to the best pizza spot in Chicago and it's not Lou Malnati's or Pizano's...Don't believe them! Those are the top two!

Stephanie L.

I honestly don't know what the hype is about. Pizano's is clearly an authentic Deep Dish Pizza joint but, the pizza just didn't impress me in comparison to Giordano's or Lou Malnatis. We came for an early dinner and it's a good thing we did because this family friendly restaurant filled up so quickly as we were waiting on our food. I'm sure on most nights Pizano's has a line out the door. The pizza came out piping hot with gooey cheese. Since this was my first time eating an authentic Chicago Deep Dish, the first bite seriously was amazing. The crust was crunchy, not bread-like. The cheesy was plentiful and the sauce was more mellow/bland. BUT, as I kept eating, I also noticed that they definitely left out the sausage and this was a vegetarian pizza AND that as I ate the crust on it's own, it had a slight bitter aftertaste to it like too much baking soda in a cookie. This turned me off quick and what was a delicious pizza at first bite, wasn't as delicious towards the end. With so many other great pizza places in Chicago, Pizano's just doesn't cut it for me.

J T.

What a HORRIBLE experience. Just witnessed the GM berate an employee at the front of the crowded restaurant, then send him home. No customer should witness this. When confronted by a customer to say that his behavior was inappropriate, the GM's response was that the employee cost the restaurant a pizza! Really? What $10 bucks is worth the embarrassment we all felt for the poor employee? And now we all have this memory to remind us to never come back. What an uncomfortable dining experience. Pizano's needs to rethink who and why they make employees a GM. And if this is your standard we should all STAY AWAY!!

Lisa F.

Solid late night stop for take out meatball sandwiches, salad and pasta. Friendly staff, short wait for us. Fries didn't travel well - soggy by the time we got to them in 15 mins, sub salad if possible!

Natasha M.

Yum! Had the personal deep dish pizza with spinach, pesto, and fresh tomatoes. Really good! Service was excellent. I'm in town for the marathon and was eating at the bar, staff were friendly and helped me with recommendations for food and drink. I think I'll go back and try the thin crust before I leave town.

D H.

Great food. Great homemade rootbeer. The prices are great. A small deep dish is a large meal for one. The owner is so nice will come back when I'm in town.

A. C.

I only wrote a tip about how good the linguine is. But after having the cheesecake for dessert I had to amend my review. Amazing!

Kari C.

We stopped here for lunch right when they opened at 11 am. We got an appetizer and pizza. Really enjoyed the deep dish pizza, the crust wasn't chewy like bread but actually like a pizza crust which was nice. Service was good- fast and friendly!

Alan W.

Crispy crust, fresh mozzarella, tangy sauce add up to a good Chicago deep-dish pizza experience. Staff accommodated our large group, seating us rather quickly on a busy Friday evening. Only 1 local beer on tap, however. Attentive service.

Nicholas W.

"The best thin crust in Chicago". My review is going to be hard on them because of how high up on the pedestal they put themselves. First, the food. I know it takes 40 minutes to cook a deep dish pizza and that is fine but it should never take 40 minutes to cook a thin crust pizza or your doing something wrong. I would love to talk about the taste of the pizza but the pizza was way too hot which burnt all my taste buds and I was unable to taste anything for the next 24 hours. Also took forever to get me a pint of Sam Adams. Second, the atmosphere. Tables and chairs are uncomfortable and old. The old guy that was the host was annoying (hire a hot 18 year old like everyone else please). The decor was old and not charming. The place felt cramped. The only good thing I have to say was the waiter was a nice guy. Maybe a bit too old to be a waiter at a small restaurant.

Patrick C.

Never experienced deep dish pizza in my life so I stopped by here (close to my hotel) to try it during my first visit to chicago. The pizza was WAY better than I ever imagined. I always liked the crust and this was like crust heaven. I now crave deep dish pizza.....

Mark C.

Compared to the same pizza we had last night from Lou's, it was just OK. The service was great but the deep dish crust was simply bland. Next time we might try the butter crust or thin crust. Fun atmosphere and not too crowded despite being so small.

Raven T.

Really delicious pie. The crust was great and I love the simplicity of just tomatoes! Yum!

Christina F.

Granted, I haven't had the pizza but the salads and pasta I had for catering delivery were forgettable at best. The delivery guy sent the order to Milwaukee Ave when I said Michigan Ave...and thus our food was cold, no Parmesan like I asked, and not enough serving utensils. The salads were large and had a lot of toppings but it was impossible to toss so the folks at the end of the line were left with piles of lettuce and not much else. If our office didn't have a relationship with this place, I can guarantee I would order from someplace else next time.

Nancy C.

The deep dish pizza here definitely has a very similar (if not the exact same) butter crust as Lou Malnati's. I am not the biggest fan of the butter crust (I know, I know...), so I thought the pizza was alright. We got the vegetarian special and they kinda skimped on the toppings. I personally like the Giordano's vegetarian deep dish a lot more. The cheesy garlic bread was good. The waitress was also kind enough to give me crayons while I waited for my friend who was running late (which I took full advantage of)--an A+ in my book. Who says full-grown adults don't enjoy coloring before meals?! Yay!

James G.

I called for takeout last night. I wanted eggplant parmesan. The gentleman who answered the phone was friendly enough but not well-informed. I asked what came with it and he said pasta. I asked if I could substitute a side salad or soup for the pasta and he said no problem. I was put on hold and then told they couldn't accommodate substitutions. So he asked me which pasta I preferred. Spaghetti or mostacholi and I said neither. I went to pick it up, tipped him 20% on takeout and the total came to around $20. I got home to discover that it was barely cooked, zero marinara sauce on it, cold in the middle and the cheese wasn't even melted. Never ordering from here again.

David S.

Pizano's is the best pizza I have ever had in my life.

John F.

This pizza is the best! Hands down. Love the thin crust with pepperoni and sliced tomato. You will also never find better and more friendly service than here. The diet coke is just ok, a little flat, but otherwise this place is one of the all time best.

Mahsa T.

Pizano's knows how to make a pie--a pizza pie, that is. I don't know what is in the crust or how they make it, but that's my favorite part of Pizano's pizza. It's a bit sweet, buttery not greasy, soft yet crunchy. Aside from the crust being amazing, the toppings always feel light and fresh, never heavy like traditional deep dish pizzas. This particular location is cramped and busy, so expect a wait. Service is satisfactory. Decor is humble and homey. Great place to escape the cold and come in for some comfort food.

Michelle Z.

Pizza was delicious. Restaurant was just a little crowded. We were sitting in the back room and it felt like we were sitting on the laps of the people next to us. But it's worth it for the delicious pizza. Maybe go there on an off time and won't be so crowded.

Marey G.

I was in Chicago and decided to try this place since Oprah recommends it and I have to say their sauce is amazingly tasty and their sausage is delicious! I tried Pizza UNOs too and although Pizza UNOs has a better tasting crust Pizanos had a better tastin overall flavor to their pizza! I ate here two out of the four days I was in Chicago! The best thing is that they deliver!

Vicki C.

My friend and I were visiting from LA and had to get some "local" deep dish pizza during our recent visit. We did a quick yelp search and came across Pizanos. We called ahead to see how long the wait was, and the nice gentleman who answered the phone told us with certainty, "30 minutes." It seemed quite reasonable for a Saturday night, so my friend and I headed over. When we got in there and put down our names, the female hostess quoted us "45 minutes." No biggie, since she told us that we could place our pizza order since that would be how long it would take to bake the pie anyways. Fast forward to 75 minutes later - we've finally been seated (there are empty tables around us btw), but our pizza is not out yet. We're in a little bit of a rush, so we ask our server for the check to pay in advance. Another 15 minutes go by and our pizza comes out but no check... The pizza itself was quite tasty - the crust was crunchy and the center was not too mushy. I would have given the food 4 stars, but the service was really lacking. I understand a long wait, but I would have appreciated 1) an accurate time estimate (as we waited about an hour for our seat, I was still hearing the host quoting people 30 minutes. Indeed, I did see some people being led right in - perhaps they were regulars? Either way, if it's going to take an hour, please tell us! Then we have the option to go elsewhere or be prepared) OR 2) an apology (it was clear we were getting frustrated, but not once did the host, hostess, owner, or server apologize for the wait. They made US feel bad for asking about the wait and for our check).

Nicole S.

We went here based upon a co-worker's suggestion when I was telling her we were going to Chicago for a long weekend away. She knew we wanted the full Chicago experience so this was perfect for us to introduce us to some amazing deep dish pizza. We ordered a small deep dish pizza with mushrooms and sausage. We were actually discussing if we should order more, like an appetizer, but the woman next to us apologized for butting in but told us the pizza was enough. We were thinking 'oh she doesn't know us! We can take on a little pizza if we put our mind to it. we just walked 3 miles to get here." Well just to listen to the regular we didn't order the appetizer. Oh man she was right! The pizza was so rich, filling, fantastic. we stuffed ourselves silly on this deep dish and then walked back to the hotel and took a nap. We had such a huge food coma from the dough crust, fresh sauce, and melty cheese. It's a casual place so you feel right at home here with a nice crew serving you.

Dean P.

Recommended by a Chicago cop, who i bumped into while wandering around downtown Chicago, looking for a new pizza experience. I am originally from the Chicago area and I am generally starved for a good piece of pizza. I have found that almost any pizza from Chicago beets the #### out of the best pizza in Cincinnati, where I currently live. So I follow the directions from the policemen, and end up at Pizanos. A great name, with a great location and atmosphere. The pizza? Wow, I have never tasted a crust this bad. It was described as a butter crust (which I can certainly appreciate) but was more like a butter cookie crust. The cheese was uncooked and had the consistency of cottage cheese. The taste was no better than fair. Can't say I would want to give it another try. Dean Greater Cincinnati

Shin L.

Is this authentic Chicago deep dish? Regrettably, it was the only pizza place I got to try while visiting Chicago because Giordano's had a very long wait. I'll admit, I'll probably never be a fan of deep dish over NY style, but I love pizza to no end, so I've got to have some opinion on the deep dish. Our pizza came with basil, sliced tomatoes, sausage, and garlic. It was pretty good, but I couldn't have more than one slice in a sitting. The deep dish is so heavy on everything, which I understand people enjoy. There was a thick layer of cheese and the crust was almost like a buttery biscuit. Anyways, to avoid turning this into a Deep Dish vs NY style thing, I'll say that it did taste good and I hope to try more deep dish in the future. It's just too heavy overall for me to enjoy myself. Admittedly, the pizza tasted even better cold the next day.

Daniel C.

My friend and I stopped in here on a whim. We got a thin crust cheese pizza on the suggestion from Oprah and it was delicious! SO CHEESY! We ate half of it and took the other half home. Pizza took a bit of time but worth the wait.

D h.

reviewing as a bar since it has more a bar feel than a restaurant. the place is real small with the bar area in the front, than a small room in the back with lower eating tables. both rooms get pretty cramped, but it's because the atmosphere & food in this place is tremendous. maybe even better than the pizza is the bar back.....a classic, art deco style bar back that looks great. stylish wood, mirrors, etc., classic lockers on the bottom. decorated in classic chicago style with sports pennants and christmas lights. just perfect. bar top is classic wood with regular rail. bartenders are solid. pizza is incredible and pizano's has enough beers to satisfy all. not a craft beer place though (thank God, those places are popping up like nail salons, it's good to have a traditional bar). enough hdtvs to catch the game, gonna make a point to come back for a hawks or bears game.

Jim R.

My wife and two friends were in Chicago on the Nov 1st weekend. We stopped @ Pizano's (Loop location) after a cold river cruise hoping to enjoy some supposedly very good pizza. We ordered both a thin crust (sausage,mushrooms & peppers) as well as a deep dish pepperoni. As an appy my wife and I had a bowl of minestrone soup to warm up. The soup arrived, it was hot but tasteless, It looked like minestrone but that was about it. It seemed like they ran out of soup and had to cobble two bowls out of whatever was left in the soup pot. Just add a little H2O and some frozen peas and carrots and presto you have instant minestrone. It was crap!!! The pizza arrived on time (1/2 hr) so we dove in. The thin crust was had a charred bottom and like the soup was tasteless reminiscent of something you buy @ a grocery store when you are in hurry. Tasteless frozen toppings perhaps!!! The deep dish was marginally better but it made my eyes sore looking for the pepperoni. Pizano's certainly didn't break the bank on the deep dish. There was 1 piece of pepperoni per slice, I guess you don't want the pepperoni to overpower the salty plain tomato sauce. Sorry we had to fly 2000 miles in order to have this experience!!

Dustin K.

First, I should say Pizzanos has the best thin crust pizza I have ever had. I've been a regular for three years and have probably ordered it 30+ times. So why ONE star, and why will I never go back? Last night I had the absolute worst customer service experience of my life, with someone who said they were the Supervisor. I ordered delivery, because I have some family in town and wanted them to try my favorite pizza. We ordered a pizza and cheese bread. When the order arrived the pizza was burnt (very badly, it should have never left the restaurant) and we were given mozzarella sticks instead of cheese bread. I called to ask if we could get a new pizza delivered (I have never done this) and the guy that answered was incredibly rude, telling me he couldn't believe I was calling to complain and that if I don't like their food not to order it. He literally used the phrase "it's not my problem." I could not believe it. I asked to speak to a supervisor and he said he was the supervisor. I asked to have his boss call me back and he laughed and took down my information. Eventually he said he would void the order and hung up telling me not to call back. I am still in shock over this experience and hope Rudy Malnati Jr. will see this review and deal with the employee appropriately. Pizzano's is famous for being a family owned restaurant with good service and great pizza. This should not have happened. I don't care how good the food is, customer service is key.

Laura D.

First plus is they are open late! We had just left a concert and were hungry. Pizanos was close by so we picked it up. 30 minutes for a pizza at midnight on a Friday? Not too bad at all! We ordered a thin crust since they are rated the best in town. The crust reminded me of Gino's deep dish, but only a thin crust. It was very good. The cheese was nice and browned evenly the toppings were plentiful while not being too much. The sauce had chunks of tomatoes in it which is so rare but I love! I didn't have a single complaint about the pizza. The flavors were perfect, sausage was nice and garlicky. Which some people may not like, but hey this is Chicago. I can't wait to order again when in town next and have had some drinks and want something to munch on.

Drew H.

Meh. I would not go here again. I had the deep dish vegetarian and it was unremarkable and bland. Service is good.

Patrick L.

You didn't really think I was gonna go to Chicago and not have pizza, did you? My friend took me here as part of our long walk around downtown, Millenium Park, Navy Pier, random streets, whatever. I think we walked around 6 miles total. Which is a good thing, because I definitely went into caloric surplus here. Sat outside at an unstable table. I ALWAYS get the table that rocks back and forth. My fussy female friend wanted to move, but I honestly didn't feel like it, so I just told her I'd keep my feet on the base so it doesn't move. We ordered a so-called medium pizza, with everything on it. Mind you, I did not get the deep dish, I went with the thin crust. Hey, with all the freakin' burgers, fries and crap I ate this trip, cut me some slack. Besides, I'm from the East Coast. To me, no pizza crust should be thicker than a thumbnail. The "thin crust" was still pretty thick by East Coast standards. Yet, it seemed to be made of cornmeal, which was a novelty to me, and lent a sweet-corn undertone to the pie. Between the two of us, the substantial pie disappeared in no time. You know I had something to drink. I took this opportunity to have a couple pint glasses of draft Fat Tire, taking me back to my days bar-hopping on Pearl St. in Boulder. Yeah, yeah, I could've had local 312, but Fat Tire pairs better with pizza. For being outside on a busy downtown Chicago street, I'd say the ambiance/people-watching was pretty good. I got to laugh and point at all the people who were heading back to the office after their lunch breaks, with full knowledge that that would be me in just a couple days upon my return home. Sigh.

Merrill O.

I love, love, LOVE this place for their pastas! There are a few Pizano's locations in the city now, but if you're going, you have to go to the original spot at 864 N State Street. Because this place isn't just about the meal...it's about the experience. This is a classic "neighborhood joint". No pretensions and few frills...it's all about the huge portions of wonderful, fresh-made pasta. And do yourself a favor...expand your horizons. Instead of traditional spaghetti, try the Pasta a la Franco, the homemade tortellini or gnocchi, the Hot Mama's Pasta, the Pasta Vodka a la Strauss, or any of their other wonderful creations on their menu. I'm telling you...you're going to love it!

Anuj S.

Ate here in person. The crust was still a bit too dry/brittle/tough. I gave this place more than it's fair share of tries. I thought the flavor of the cheese and tomatoes was really good, but the crust just doesn't cut it. Literally.

B A.

Good food. Honest management and servers. Open to end of hours they state on website. Lots of tv with all sports you can want

Jim M.

Complimenti alla cuoca (compliments to the cook): (com-plee-men-tee alla coo-oka) After three days I am still thinking about the thin crust medium pizza. I think I might renounce my Irish heritage if I could eat in this authentic Chi-town pizzeria on a regular basis . Good things come to those who wait, and you will, (30 minutes-read the menu, they tell you up front). The host was the biggest character I have ever met, I thought he was going to grab my face and kiss me on each cheek. I was treated like a regular, and every time I go to the Windy City from now on I will be Italian, at least for an hour.

Ashley J.

I'm sorry Lou's! ... I think I may have just found my new favorite deep dish pizza! We visited Pizano's yesterday on a Chicago Food Tour, and I cannot wait to go back! We sampled the deep dish and thin crust pizza's .. both were amazingly cheesy, piping hot, and crispy crusts. Unlike Lou's, Pizano's was more cheesy versus saucy. Even my boyfriend who doesn't care for Lou Malnati's loved the pizza. On our way out I saw trays of pasta, salads, bruchetta .. all looked great! Can't wait to go back and try more from their menu. The place is nothing fancy.. dark wood, checkered table cloths and all.. We got there at 11:00 on a Sunday morning and there were loads of people waiting outside to get a table - so I'm assuming that dinner time must be nuts. Not sure if they take reservations..

Carolyn S.

We are big, big fans of Pizanos. However tonight we ordered our usual deep dish pizza with sausage and were extremely disappointed. The cheese was rubbery, the tomato sauce was bland and the bottom crust was soggy!! What has happened? Not nearly as good as it usually is. Did they change ingredients in last 6 months? I'll think twice before ordering again. Uno's or Due's looks like I'm coming back to you!

Jeff G.

Great pizza!!!!! Very nice surprise to catch a pie here after "Rock of Ages" and find out the Malnati connection at this place is responsible for one of the best pizza joints in the city. We had an extra large thin with the garbage salad for four and it was just enough....no leftovers here! Salad was really solid also. We will be back!!!

Bill S.

We wandered in starving well after midnight and were delighted to find Pizano's still happily seating customers and serving the full menu. Great vibe from the minute we walked in. The server was friendly and helpful. Our food arrived quickly and was exactly what we ordered. We polished off the pizza in record time and was very good. Definitely going back! We've visited many other pizza parlors since moving to Chicago, and Pizano's remains our top choice. Consistently awesome and we particularly enjoy the location on Division in Wicker Park!

Noomi J.

Love the thin crust pizza. Their crust is better than Lou Malnati's. Service was good, nothing spectacular.

Hannah M.

"Voted best thin crust in Chicago" my ass. It tasted like pizza from a bowling alley. Chuck-E Cheese has better thin crust.

Tim H.

Ordered 'Hot' wings and a chopped salad. Salad was huge and full of fresh and tasty veggies & meat. The hot wings were cooked well but should've been labeled mild. Not enough sauce on them, and the sauce wasn't hot enough. Thankfully I had some Franks at home to spice them up. I may consider ordering the Ouch wings next time, though don't imagine they'll be much hotter...but the chicken was cooked nicely, so I'll chance it.

Lindsey W.

Love, love, love this place. Tried a few times, always bring out of towners looking for some decent pizza that's not a tourist trap. The bartender always gives hearty pours, great conversation. The wait is never as long as they say. I do like the deep dish, but the thin crust is my favorite. I literally crave it sometimes (read: I'm a fat kid at heart). The crust is buttery perfectly compliments the pizza. Even the mozzarella sticks and other fried items are worth trying. Just one note: always go to this location, the one in the loop is more of a bar and not as appealing.

Craig R.

Just finished eating my left overs from Pizanos, quite delicious! My fiancee and I went here yesterday for a quick lunch. We got some cheesy garlic bread and Ann Marie's Tortellini. The garlic bread was warm and crunchy and had enough cheese to make it very tasty but not too much that it becomes gross like you get from some places! Ann Marie's Tortellini was delicious! I'm a huge fan of Tortellini, and this is one of the better ones I have had here in Chicago. The portion was quite large and after both of us ate there was still plenty to be saved as left overs for our lunch today. The staff was very nice and the food came out quickly. If you're interested in watching football games they have quite a few TVs in the bar area as well. All in all a good experience and would return.

Maureen F.

Maybe it's Chicago style, but I didn't care for the crust. It reminded me of a pastry crust and not a pizza crust. The thin crust pizza was just OK and the thick pan pizza was meh. Long wait. Pricy! Won't be back.

Cindy L.

After a long airplane ride and being stuck in the air due to lightning in Chicago, my friend and I ventured out to pizano for our first meal of the day at 5:30pm... We shared a plate of bruschetta and a small deep dish pizza with mushrooms onions sausage and peppers. All pizzas take 30mins to make so definitely get an appetizer to start while you wait. This was my first deep dish pizza in Chicago; compared to Zachary's in Oakland and little star pizza in sf, the deep dish at pizano had lighter toppings but overall the pizza got soggy too quickly. My first slice was good but by the time I had my second slice I only ate the toppings. I was starving so this did satisfy me; if I wasn't starving I think this place would be 3 or 3.5 stars as I liked the Bay Area deep dish pizzas more. My friend also tried Gino's East and preferred Pizano's over it and Gino's is more well known, so I guess I chose a good first spot!

Chester W.

My friend raved about the pasta at this place so I decided to give it a try. Believe I got the Hot Mamma or something... was definitely tasty and I enjoyed it as far as Americanized pasta goes... but this thing literally destroyed my asshole the next day. I felt physically drained and exhausted after shitting this stuff out. I thought it wasn't the pasta, but I ate the leftovers for lunch and another tale of destruction began again. However, I'm willing to experiment a bit more with this place given all the great reviews. May stay away from the pasta though....

Shin M.

My fiance and I went to this place based on Yelp Reviews. We walked there to order a deep dish pizza to go. We waited 45 minutes until the pizza was ready. We walked home and opened the pizza and got a thin crust pizza with terrible toppings. We called to tell them we waited 45 minutes and got the wrong pizza and we were not going to walk all the way back over there. They offered to deliver us the right pizza for free, but we had to wait another 1 hr and 15 minutes. The thin crust pizza we received was disgusting so we didn't even eat it. The deep dish we got was not even good. Will never be returning here again.

Mike D.

I liked this place more than some of the large chains but mostly because it feels like a local hangout/dive bar. The thin crust wasn't the best Chicago thin I have had but it was definitely satisfying enough at 1:30 AM. Speaking of which, another great thing is that they are open late and the kitchen keeps cranking out the pies. Overall, a good experience; the pies could be just a little more crisp though!

Ian C.

I would agree with Scott C that this place is more like a joint than a restaurant. I wasn't to pleased with the service and wait time. I mean come on.. its a pizza... it shouldn't have to take over 30 minutes for a small size. I understand quality cannot be rushed, but over 30 minutes? It didn't help that it took over 5 minutes to get a waiter to refill the water cup. Don't get me wrong, they are super nice but the priorities doesn't see to be there. Just as the waiter said, believe him when he tells you a small is ENOUGH for 2 folks, because I was full off half of a 6' pie. Since it is a deep dish, you get more ingredients than a normal pizza. It was unbelievably cheesy and full of ingredients every bite. This place supposedly opens till 3 AM, this would definitely be a great place to have late night outings.

Melissa N.

The restaurant itself is nothing to write home about, but the pizza is so, SO good. Pizano's probably has the best thin-crust pizza in the city of Chicago, in my opinion. The crust is like nothing you've ever had before. So, so good! Check it out.

Stuart S.

What a great neighborhood place. I came to Chicago for the food and Pizano's did not disappoint. I walked by it on the way from another restaurant and knew it was the kind of place I wanted. Friendly service and the kind of food you simply don't get elsewhere. This is the real spirit of Chicago dining.

Andrew K.

I would have to say this is the best thin crust pizza I have ever eaten in Chicago. The crust is amazing and buttery and delicious. The toppings were fresh and delightful, and there was SO MUCH CHEESE :-) Along with our pizza, we ordered the calamari and it was perfect. Not rubbery, not too much batter, just simply amazing. As an FYI, the pizza's take a while to cook, but grab an app or some drinks and relax. ORRR, as we saw while dining...you can order a pizza ahead of time by calling in your order and it will be ready when you arrive in the restaurant. But then, you can still dine in and eat the pizza there :-) SO COOL. This is def a must see when you are in the city, whether you live there or you are just visiting, put this place on your itinerary for sure.

Evan M.

I don't get the love for this place. We ordered two deep-dish pizzas and one of the lauded thin crusts, and both were just OK. A friend with us who'd been there before asked for extra sauce to be added to the pizza, having told us that they could get very dry here, and what arrived was just a regular amount of sauce, so I guess he was right (or they ignored our request, which is another matter). The crust was a bit dry, hard and flour-y, not the delectable butter-flavored amazingness that I prefer out of Lou Malnati's. The crust was also incredibly salty. After a few bites, I was thinking just that when another friend blurted it out. It was that way on all our pizzas. Definitely took away from the experience. Cutting it was somehow so tough that all the toppings just fell away from the crust, and you were left with a slab of hard bread. Once you got all this mess in your mouth, it was not terrible, but not the transcendental experience I'd come to expect from deep dish. The thin crust was not as salty, but it was also not that thin. Looked more like a less-thick crust (think Pizza Hut pan pizza rather than NY slice). This place does have an old-school Italian family eatery vibe, so I'll add a star for that, but yeah, I'd rank it wayyyy below Malnati's (any location), below Giordano's, and about on par with Geno's--whose pizza is better but atmosphere and wait times are meh.

Tim H.

Their thin crust is awesome. I will rate their thin crust slightly better than Lou Malnati's. I never thought I would find a pizza better than Lou's. I feel less traitorous though because Pizano's is also in the Malnati family. I think Lou Malnati's deep dish is slightly better though. One difference is that Pizano's has chunks of sausage in the deep dish vs. a huge sausage patty that you would find at Lou Malnati's. I will get thin crust from to satisfy cravings. For deep dish cravings, I still will have to go to lou's.

H W.

Always busy, always friendly, and always the BEST PIZZA!!! Love the noise and the friendships.

Nancy H.

Something about a Malnati jr who opened up this place with a Malnati's recipe. Let me assure you - the taste of the Pizano crust (whether thin or deep dish) is almost indistinguishable from Lou Malnati's. The only noticeable difference is that the Pizano deep dish is half as thick! Boo! No bueno. No layer of sausage in every bite and majorly skimping on the tomato sauce, which is my favorite thing at Malnati's - the chunky tomato sauce. The perfect pizza party would be Pizano's thin crust , Lou Malnati's deep dish, and beer! You can place your pizza order before you're seated. Only problem I had was the restaurant being way too hot and stuffy!

Mindy A.

Well I live in L.A., so I'm not exactly a Chicago-style pizza connoisseur, but I thought Pizano's was pretty good. The crust was delicious and there was plenty of sauce and cheese. I guess my one complaint about the pizza was that for a high price (over $20 for a small), they were kinda stingy on the toppings. Other than the pizza, the service was good and the beers were pretty cheap. Also, we thought about going to Gino's East while we were in town because it's supposed to be so good, but every day, all day, there was a line around the corner at that place. At Pizano's, we got a table right away on a Saturday afternoon.

Bobby C.

On my third straight night of deep-dish pizza, I guess I must have been weary from stuffing myself, because I did not enjoy this place as much as Giordano's nor Ginos East. That's not to say I didn't like it, because it was super delicious. but after setting the bar so high, Pizano's came up just a bit short. So we got a small deep dish, half Rudy's Special (Cheese, Sausage, Mushroom, Onion, & Green Pepper) and half Mark's Special (Sliced Tomatoes, Basil, and Fresh Garlic). The first thing I noticed was that there was not as much cheese in the pizza as other places. There was an abundance of sauce and toppings, however. The stuff just didn't melt off the pizza the way I had hoped. The crust really made up for that because it was very tasty. The extra butter on the crust made a world of a difference because it made you really want to eat the crust, unlike at other pizza places that will have you avoiding the crust all together. The restaurant itself was a fun place, their walls were covered in Chicago memorabilia and were playing Frank Sinatra hits (had one song about Chicago) the whole dinner. There were also huge lcds along the ceilings above the bar so you can catch the game, so that was a nice touch. It is a smaller restauarant, so I can see it getting crowded at times, but we were lucky to have been seated immediately. Overall, it's a decent substitute for when you need deep dish pizza and don't want to wait in line at the other places, or would like to watch a game while you eat. I hear the pasta is worth a try so I'd like to try that next time I come to town.

Kristen K.

Not really a fan. Ate here with a friend and it was her first time visiting Chicago. She didn't even finish one piece. The crust was blan and wasn't a fan of chunky pizza sauce. However the appetizer of bruschetta was delicious

Bryan H.

Love the deep dish pizza here.... I always go with the deep dish sausage, however the thing crush isnt super thing and is actually really good as well

Sonia C.

I might be one of the only people who prefers Pizano's deep dish to their thin crust. The deep dish Rudy's Special was not as bready, cheesy, or as filling as Giordano's/Uno's/Gino's but the crust was crunchier and more delicate. I thought it was good and didn't feel gross after eating more than a slice. The sausage on it was tasty as well. Personally, I thought Pizano's deep dish was better than the pizza trifecta mentioned above because at least I could eat more of it and taste more than bread and cheese. After all the rave reviews about the thin crust, I was kind of disappointed to be served what my friend called "school pizza" - as in, the pizza they serve in public schools. Our Mark's Special was cut into little squares, and the taste was sort of bland. We could barely taste the basil and fresh tomato and the pizza needed plenty of chili pepper to make it more palatable. That said, the crust was quite crunchy and good. It might have been better had there been meat on it to spice it up. Overall, it's an ok pizza that will satisfy deep dishers and thin crusters. Wait is long (even on weeknights) but they allow you to put in your order while you wait, so the pizza's ready for you upon seating.

Anna R.

Buttery deep dish crust. Crisp. Right amount of cheese and toppings. Not covered in sauce nor goopey undercooked dough. Friendly easy delivery.

John M.

OK, first trip to Chicago and really wanted to have a great deep dish experience. Yelpers did not let me down! We showed up around 6:30 and there was a 30 min wait. They give you an option to order your deep dish wen you put your name on the list so the pizza is ready by the time you sit. I get they need to turn tables but I was after the whole experience. BTW, if you are looking for a quiet cozy place to have a romantic dinner, keep looking, it's busy and loud. We sat down at our table in the back room right next to the kitchen which was cool because I got to look at all the different dishes and pies that came out of the kitchen. Server was great and always made sure we had drinks. We ordered several things off the menu including a deep dish pizza and told the sever to just put it all in and bring it out as it came up in the window. She brought us each out a plate so we could share and off we went. On the food....... Bruschetta - Fresh light and perfect balance of flavors. I think the culinary world over uses Balsamic Vinegar and there was not a trace in this dish. I prefer having my Bruchetta served deconstructed but this was still great. Antipasto Salad - My son said, "uh, no thanks." then after being forced to have some kind of vegetation he would not leave the bowl alone. The salad was fresh the meats and cheese were high quality and the greens were not over dressed, yum! Fettuccine Alfredo - Homemade pasta, gotta love that. fresh and light, I prefer mine a little more cheesy but this really was a good dish, the server was available with the fresh grated parm to help me out. OK, now the pizza. Crust, was light, flaky, buttery and crisp. cheese was perfectly balanced with the right amount of saltiness and the tomatoes had a great flavor profile and were not too acidic. It was served piping hot and didn't last long! We visited many restaurants while we were in Chicago including one of the hottest new restaurants with a James Beard award winning Chef. this place was without a doubt my favorite. I just like the old school neighborhood Italian restaurant feel. Classic dishes done just right. If you go, don't be put off by the wait and I highly recommend ordering a few dishes and the deep dish, share and share alike and wait for the pot o gold at the end.

Brittany V.

Oh how I miss Pizano's! I lived a block away for 4 years, and so I've dined in and ordered in as well. The pizza is good, but I still salivate thinking about their cheese tortellini. Oh my word. It's probably best to go to the gym 5 times afterwards to make up for the caloric ridiculousness, but oh my it is so so good. Creamy sauce, perfectly cooked tortellini bursting with flavor. I've still never had tortellini this good.

Erin F.

Second year in a row we've come here on our annual Chicago trip. The deep dish is great, amazing. The sausage and peppers appetizer is fabulous, Lots of garlic to sop up with extra bread. This place gets crazy busy, so be prepared for a wait. There isn't much room to wait and have a drink and you're not supposed to drink outside...whatever.

Ejay D.

Only ordered thin crust pizza, and beer. the Pizza was so so, it helped to be a little buzzed, but dry and lacking sauce for sure. The atmosphere was cool, I'd hang there for a beer, or ten.

Scott C.

Pizano's is a small pizza place (I want to say joint as it seems more appropriate) near the Loyola University water tower campus. The place is small - there are tables that are a cozy distance from each other with the bar dominating the space. The wait staff here is friendly and good at their job - they were not overbearing at all and were helpful to fill our drinks when we were getting low. The pizza is good - very similar to Lou Malnati's in terms of the consistency of the crust. The topping were plentiful and the sauce was not memorable - I'm not sure if it was because there was so little of it or it was somewhat bland. All in all the pizza was good - I've had better (they still have a ways to go to match Bricks). The crowd was a mix of regulars, college kids and tourists stopping by for Chicago style pizza. At Pizano's they are in for a good meal in an intimate setting.

Ben T.

Goto for thin crust. Sausage is fresh, crust is great. Quick, great service

Richard L.

Very very good thin crust pizza. Friendly staff. Great bar vibe. What more can you ask for.

GraceFord X.

Great thin and deep dish pizza! The recipes somewhat resemble Lou Malnatis ( I think its the grandmother???) ...The deep is not TOO deep but perfect, the thin has that same butter crust. The sauce is very sweet and tangy with very chunky tomatoes. Delivery til 5 am is pretty awesome as well. The wings however, were kind of bland with barely any sauce on them. Do yourself a favor and skip those.

B G.

I'm giving this place 2 stars for the artichoke dip but the pizza is disgusting. Flavorless and just a waste of my belly space. Take the time to venture out to Pequods much better pizza and worth the trip. This is my second time in Chicago and I lovingly reminisced about Pequods for months...Pizano's will give me nightmares!

Sarah C.

Had to hit up deep dish on our Chicago trip, Giordanos was closed (boo) so headed to Pizanos nearby. Started with an antipasto salad and it was tasty, lots of Italian cheese, meats, veggies and a nice Italian dressing. Deep dish was great, crust wasn't TOO overwhelming and was nice and buttery. The tomato sauce was very good, almost a little sweet and lots of cheese to go around. Quaint and charming little spot, definitely hit it up for some tasty deep dish, Italian wine and salad.

emily h.

Ah, I can't believe I have forgotten to review this place. As Chicago's #1 pizza fan, it is my duty to be reporting the best and I think Pizanos is definitely one of the best!! We normally just order pizza from here. It is hard for me to say if I like the thin or thick better but I think I have decided I like the thin best simply because I can eat more of it!!! Strangely, the past 2 times I have had Pizanos we have dined in. I took this as an opportunity to branch out and try their pasta. (Well, sorta branch out. We still ordered a pizza, too! How could I not?) Their pasta was really really good! The Waiter told us they make a lot of it in house. Please believe me. I am a pizza expert and Pizanos is the real deal!

Kristina A.

Where to start. If I could give a "no-star" I would. We've been going to Chicago for 15 years. Two years ago, we happened across this place with friends, walked in and should have stayed out. First off, even though Oprah recommends the Pizza, one would actually have to be able to Order a pizza to give a rating. The first visit one of our party ordered Chicken Marsala - ok this is not a Mexican restaurant, this should be a no-brainer - but no.....it went back and they took it off the bill. Nothing that we ordered was worth a 1 star. This visit, after having walked to Wrigley Field, (from Downtown no less), we were in the mood for pizza.....wait....let's be brain dead and give this place another chance....... Strike 1: We walk in and the hostess and her friend are standing at the station chit chatting about their day - completely ignoring us. So we politely waited. Finally after they got done with their conversation, they turned to us and asked us if we wanted to be seated.....HELLOOOOOO.... then one of the hostesses with an attitude, instead of placing us at a table by ourselves., decides to put us smack dab next to a family with a child that was exploring their own flexibility. I looked and said, can we sit up front? Not one word out of her mouth, she grabs the menus and puts us up front without a word, then goes to sulk at the hostess station. Strike 2: There are 2 tables next to us., both have waiters....while we wait. NO ONE COMES OVER......the Owner, at least I think its the Owner walks through, sees us sitting there waiting, and completely ignores us and watches the TV..... Strike 3: The table next to us gets their pizza, and the server makes no eye contact with us, neither does the other server taking care of his table, mind you, the section we are sitting at in the front is miniscule. I look at the back, and see 3 servers standing at the end of the bar in the back talking, drinking completely oblivious to anything around them. Finally I think one is coming to see if we are ready to order, or to even say hello. He looks straight at me and then starts turning around. I'd had enough, and said, is there anyone taking care of this table?????? Instead of coming over, or even apologizing, he says, I'll go see if anyone is back there..... MEANWHILE, the hostess is smirking at the station......Time to Walk. So to sum things up.....there are plenty of restaurants in Chicago, don't waste your time and effort going to this place. The staff is self absorbed in themselves and the big screen TV and the Owner/Manager could care less whats goes on. The food is not worth the aggravation.

Lisa Z.

I order pizza from here pretty regularly, mostly for delivery, and I think the secret is their thin crust sausage. Usually it's good, but sometimes it can be less good. I think the secret is when they deliver to you. If you get it closer to when it's out of the oven, it's greasier and better. Sometimes it's less greasy and I don't like it as much then. My favorite is the thin crust sausage, but I like anything. I like how buttery the crust is, and how the sauce has chunks of tomato. They usually take 1 hr to 1 hr and 15 minutes for delivery, and are on time as to when they say!

Brad P.

The thin crust is fine. The deep dish is fine. I could show Oprah a thing or two about pizza.

Cody E.

I'm not from Chicago. After having some local beers and their deep dish pizza, I'm now a fan! Sat at bar and watched basketball and hockey. Nice people and service!

Carry B.

Best Pizza in Chicago hands down. I really like the old school feel at this particular location. Great service. I would recommend bringing anyone here. It's good for families too. If you are Italian you can bring your parents here and they would approve. They are open late night too! The Thin crust is to die for.

Amy L.

Thin with butter crust...It's so amazing..For this particular style, I know of no rival.

Amy H.

The first time I ordered Pizano's I went there and picked it up myself. I ordered a medium thin crust cheese pizza. I sat at the bar and ordered a vodka&cranberry (which was quite strong and good I must say) and waited patiently for my pizza. The host was nice and we talked about the pizza. He described it as "almost like a cracker crust... it's different than what most people think of when they think of thin crust pizza" and I was kind of afraid of it. Long story short, when he brought it out I took a gander at it (and a bite right there) and it was GOOD. Described perfectly too. So, to anyone who has never had Pizano's and is skeptical of their thin crust pizza, listen up... It's almost like a cracker... but NOT in the bad way. Buttery, cheesy, a bit of sauce, sprinkle a little salt on there and dip it in some ranch and you'll be in heaven. They cut the pizza in squares too. YUM. I've ordered from them 6 times already in the last month (hey, don't judge me) and I haven't had a bad experience yet. One time when it was delivered the toppings slid almost completely off, but I performed emergency fork surgery and it was good as new in no time. The end.

Melissa F.

i came to Pizano's on a Friday night last fall while i was in town for a conference for work. it was my escape from the quintessential conference "welcome dinner" which for me consisted of awkward conversation with pharma/medical/research professionals. i inevitably end up getting wasted and making a fool out of myself at these things, so i figured it'd be best to fly solo for the night. i wanted to try authentic chicago deep dish pizza (ny'er here) and am so glad i stumbled into Pizano's to do so. i got a spot at the bar and tried to order a slice--i was promptly laughed at, as it seems slices don't exist in the world of chicago pizza. ok, no big deal. i ordered a small personal pie. they told me it would take about 30 minutes--ok, fine, sure, whatever. you need time to prep your precious deep dish concoction, i get it. i'll wait here, have a few beers, and chat it up with the locals. everyone was ridiculously friendly and super chatty, which i dig when alone at a bar and am in a social mood (obvi). and the pizza was amaze-balls--way to go, Chicago! overall, a great experience. bonus points: it's in close proximity to some good shopping on Michigan Ave.

Nathan L.

Long waits but great pizza in Chicago

Amanda T.

Pizano's is a great little pizza joint on State Street.It has an old school feel to it and it's a place where everybody knows your name :) Bartenders and wait staff are always fantastic! Deep dish and thin crust are AMAZING!

Mary T.

September 2003, Pizano's was the site of "She's just not that into you," a one-woman show featuring me. A guy I had been seeing (read booty call) wouldn't stop incessantly calling and texting me so I met him here to nip it in the bud. Here's a tip guys, desperation is an equal-opportunity turn off! All I really remember about Pizano's is them being really cool when said guy made a bit of a scene after I told him buh-bye; in his defense he was pretty overserved at the time. Anywho, Craig B brilliantly planned a hump day event at Rossi's and we got hungry and ordered a few pizzas from Pizano's. I may be a bit biased since the pizza was free and I was starving, but I think it was pretty damn good. The butter crust was amazing and really hit the spot. The spinach artichoke dip was great too, but I think I'd prefer it served with regular italian bread, not the garlic bread. My only complaint is that I wish they would put the pepperoni on top of the cheese so it's easier to spot for those of us who don't eat it.* Bottom line: I would definitely have their pizza again and if I happen to be in the neighborhood I promise not to bring any more drama through the door! * It's entirely possible the boxes were labeled, but after a few drinks who's really paying attention to silly details like that.

Andrea R.

I like going out for the occasional pizza (crust, la madia, and bricks are among my favorites), but pizza delivery doesn't really do it for me. But perhaps that's just cause I hadn't tried Pizano's until the other night... I was celebrating a friend's bday at someone's apt. The hostess got some wine, pizza from pizano's for dinner, and then a cookie cake for dessert. Now, that's a way to celebrate a bday! I had two slices of the vegetarian thin crust pizza and it was absolutely delicious! And just the perfect amount of pizza so I was full, but still had some room for my much beloved cookie cake. It's not difficult to find good pizza in Chicago, but Pizano's is high on my list. And after the awful winter we've had I may just become a fan of pizza delivery.

Chuck S.

Forget reviews from large parties and out of towners. I've been living in and eating pizzas in Chicago for over 60 years. My take-out from Pizanos was dry, dry, dry. The same pizza from the Glenview location is much better!. Aside from the non existent parking this is not a good place to try an example of Chicago style pizza. I ordered at lunch time from the Dearborn location which was closed and told to pick up at State St.. Never again will I order from one of their Chicago locations! BTW, the State St. location for dine in is a dump!

Ken P.

Being from NYC, I could cast aspersions on Chicago style pizza in favor of the NY style thin slice, but the fact is, the two types of pizzas are worlds apart in similarity, making a comparison pointless. Each stands on their own merit. Instead, you should compare this to Uno's deep dish, which prior, was my experience with Chicago pizza. Man, what WAS I missing? The quality at Pizano's is leagues above. The sauce had a fresh, bright tang to it, and the cheese formed thick ropey strands as you bite into it. The pie crust was thick and flavorful with buttery goodness, which I loved, though the non-serrated knife they give you takes a while to slice through it. Get the pie with sausage, a Goose Island beer, pig out and go deep! You won't regret it! Oh, and remember! NYC pizza = hands. Chicago deep dish = knife and fork!

Justin K.

AMAZING! AMAZING! AMAZING! This is my unbiased and objective review of Pizano's. Got here on a Sunday night (4th of July weekend) around 7:30pm; prime dinner traffic. Having already gone to a few other deep dish style pizzerias we ordered our small Hey Hey JACK BRICKHOUSE Special (sausage & mushroom) while we waited for our table to open up. There was approx a 30+ minute wait. While waiting I made my way to the bar and had a few local brew pints (the 312 is an AMAZING wheat beer). During our wait, we had friendly conversation with the bartenders and got a complimentary beer refill for our long wait! That really shows me that they're concerned with their customers and that the wait is totally worth it! After checking with the manager how much longer it would be, he told me it would be another 10 minutes or so and that he would come by the bar to let us know. Sure enough, he came by, let me know that we were up next and they were setting up our table. (I really hate rude people that expect people to bend over backwards to make their dining experience perfect) If you go to a well known restaurant, it's not anyone's fault that the wait is long. Just make the best of it and order an appetizer or drink at the bar while you wait! The wait was long (no lies) but it was totally worth it!!! OMG...best deep dish I have EVER eaten! The sauce was amazing! The cheese was so delicious! The sausage had such an amazing kick and flavor! I actually thought the crust was perfect, but the GF preferred a softer crust. We saved room for dessert and ordered the Chocolate Chip cookie dessert which was topped with ice cream and whip cream! DELICIOUS! I'm sad that I won't get to eat Pizano's till I visit Chicago again. But I have to say that this is a MUST go for a true Chicago deep dish pizza! Be prepared for a wait during peak hours and pre-order your pizza while you wait. You will NOT be disappointed! =)

Jonathan L.

I've only had the Oprah-recommended thin crust at Pizano's and it definitely lives up to the hype. If you like sausage, try the Pat Brickhouse. I always order my pizza with a butter crust (why hold back). It doesn't make the pie greasy, so don't hesitate. The fried calamari is good and what you would expect at a pizzeria.

Huntting B.

What can I say...when it comes to Chicago pizza there are only three options, Uno's Giordano's and Pizano's. What I loved about Pizano's is that it still has the chicago style feel to it but it isn't nearly as heavy as Giordano's. Of the three this is probably my favorite. Come here if you want a taste of Chicago's pizza but you don't want to feel 200lbs heavier after you've had your meal. I've heard that students can get a lot of guff from the waiters and the owner, so if you look like the artsy type, be a little wary. I'd go back in a heart beat...but...to be perfectly honest, when I go to Chicago I only go here if I'm having pizza twice...I always start at Giordano's.

Matt M.

This yelp review is about the Pizano's Pizza on Division street. Last week a friend and I order two BBQ chicken salads from them. When the delivery arrived we realized we were given two caesar salads instead of two BBQ chicken salads, which is a simple mistake, however, when we called back we were treated disrespectfully. We were told that it was our mistake and argued with about the dressing we ordered on the side. The woman on the phone very rudely told us that our salads would be delivered in return for the caesar salads. An hour later our salads arrived, but without any dressing. We called back and spoke with the woman who answered the phone. We explained what happened and asked if some dressing could be delivered. She passed the phone on to another woman in which we explained the same thing to. She then passed us on to the manager, Sally. We then explained the situation to Sally and expressed our frustration that we were talking to so many people, only to get dressing delivered. We were asked what our problem was, and that we first ordered caesar salads and changed our mind to BBQ chicken salads, which was not the case. We ordered BBQ chicken salads from the beginning. We asked why we were being talked to so rudely. Sally claimed that we needed to order the ranch dressing specially and told us that dressing would be an additional charge, however the salad was delivered with BBQ sauce. My friend orders from Pizano's every week, the same salad, and had never been treated this badly. Sally's last comment was, "If I could get off the phone with you then I could call the delivery guy to get you your dressing." We hung up thanking her for her attitude and waiting another 45 minutes for our dressing. Our original order was at 5:30 pm. We did not eat until 8:30 pm. We expressed to Sally that this was awful customer service and extremely disrespectful. She claimed that the next time we came in that our meal would be comped. Well Sally, we're coming for it.

Miss Bonnie B.

I don't know Oprah... and I don't what she sees in their thin crust but the deep dish is where it's really at! We went to Lou's, Oven Grinder, and Pizano's on a extended weekender trip and this was by far our favorite. We ordered their thin crust (if you haven't gathered, this is Oprah's favorite Thin Crust spot and you know how she is about her favorite things...) and a deep dish because, well, we are in Chicago after-all. There was six of us and the deep dish won us all over by a landslide. Tip: Call in ahead... being hungry and having to wait thirty minutes after you order is not the business.

Jocelyn R.

Great pizza, reasonable prices, not kid-targeted, but OK for kids (there's a big difference!) friendly service - visiting Chicago, no need to go to one of the crowded touristy places, try Pizano's instead, you will be happy you did.

George N.

Found this place based on high Yelp ratings, and glad we did! Both thin and thick pizzas were fantastic! Highly recommend Rudy Special. Service was very good, ate the leftovers the next morning for breakfast, still wonderful. Highly recommended.

Mike A.

The deep dish here is off the hook! The crust on the deep dish is the best I've had, and worth the 30 minute wait

Anisha W.

I'm not a huge pizza fan and only indulge a few times a year. This restaurant seems like a real "cultural icon" within the city. I didn't know that before coming here, but it's something that becomes very apparent when you walk in the door. Get here early because on the weekend, this place gets a little packed. I sat at the bar and had a drink while waiting for my food. There was no bar drink menu, so it helps to know your mixed drinks. The drink was just ok; it was nothing to write home about. The conversation with the bar patrons was cool...easy....I always love meeting new people. Lots of tvs to watch the games, plenty of bar space to grab a single/double seat. All in all great place to catch a bite. My only compliant about this establishment is that I waited almost an hour to receive a small thin crust pizza. I hope this is not normal practice. Because by the time I actually received the food I wasn't really hungry anymore. Would I go back the next time I'm in town, probably, if I'm in the area.

Allison B.

Yummy thin crust friendly service :) low key, chilled out & timeless

Bob D.

One of those rare combinations of great atmosphere, great service and excellent food. If you're looking for a hoity toity posh Italian place, look elsewhere. If you're looking for some great pizza and a cold beer, grab a seat. Our waiter was out of this world good and even threw in a warm cookie desert for our anniversary. Was a pleasant treat and delicious to boot. The thin crust pizza was tasty, with a buttery crust, and a nice combination of toppings. Not too many, not too few. All in all, a great stop if you're in the area.

Karim V.

In Chicago on vacation, our cab driver suggested we try Pizano's; he said they have the best pizza in Chicago. We went and ordered a deep dish special with tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Overall, it lacked flavor (lately I seem to be on a bland food expedition or something). The pizza was thick, baked to perfection, and the sauce was tangy. A little salt or extra cheese may have helped put more pep in the pizza. As for drinks, the Stella is on tap and is the best I've had in quite some time. It was ice cold, crisp, and went down like water...the refreshing Stella! Next time I'll try a thin crust pizza; I believe they are known for that style so we shall see.

Dominick M.

This review is strictly for pizza. The best thin crust in Chicago, hands down. The deep dish is also phenomenal, especially fresh out of the cast iron pan in restaurant. Better than Lou's.

Katie B.

If they made deep dish pizza in Naples, Italy, this is what it would taste like. Simple, good quality ingredients. Good to the last bite! Different from other Chicago-style pizzas we tried, which is probably why the reviews on here are on one spectrum or the other. Everyone has their deep dish preference. Thanks again to the Yelp app for finding us an excellent dinner! We had wait for over an hour but it was well worth it - order pizza in advance or sit at the bar for first come first serve seating!

Sebastian Y.

I left full, but not satisfied. We ordered the large sausage and mushroom deep dish. It was not very good. Tasted like store bought tomato sauce and hunks of cheese. Lou's has a better crust, sauce, and cheese. The service was spotty and the pizza came out very slowly. I did enjoy the large flat screen tv's at the bar though!

Sarah S.

BEST THIN CRUST PIZZA O My gosh.. same sauce and ingredients and Lou's (same owners) and I love this just as much. Crust is not as buttery here, but still delish. Calamari is excellent also.. Damn now I am craving pizza

Joe E.

I was in town on business and wandering around with large group trying to decide where to stop for dinner, after seeking refuge in a tourist trap gift shop through an intense rain...we decided to go to walk back to Pizano's, just around the corner. At first I was sceptical. Kids, noise...I don't know, something was bothering me. But everybody else was ready to stop and hide from the weather so we did. As soon as they led us downstairs, I felt much better, not sure exactly why, just a shift in vibe, I guess. We all ordered appetizers (bruschetta, wings, cheesebread, and more I'm sure that never made it past me). My buddy and I decided to split a deep dish Rudy's Special. Easily one of the best pizzas I've ever had, right down to the crust. Everything about it just hit. Two pieces and I was in pain. Neither one of us are small guys, and we took half a pie back to the hotel. (mind you, I never saw it again, John!) Service was fantastic. Very friendly, and glasses stayed full, even with ten of us. Highly recommend.

Shradha A.

My best friend felt like deep dish pizza last night and we wanted to try something new - so upon Yelpers' recommendation we decided to walk over to Pizano's. The place is small and crowded - there was a consistent wait of 20-30 minutes all night, at least better than 1-1.5hr-long waits elsewhere! The deep dish cheese-spinach-basil was good, but slightly soggy because of the chunky tomatoes. This place is run by the same family as Pizzeria Uno and Due! And the person's name is Rudy Malnati (any connection with Lou Malnati too?). The deep dish style was very similar to the Lou Malnati pizza... chunky and crusty, but also somewhat soggy in the front. We also tried their bruschetta - the description on the menu card was a little misleading - it's small pieces of french bread with tomatoes on top - it doesn't actually come out of the over hot or anything... The food was good, but not great. Service was good, but not exceptional. I think this place is probably reliable and always on the pizza crave-list, but not one you'd crave specifically for. Note to self: they have spinach ravioli - to try next time! Btw, they have a $4 split charge unless it's pizza, and for the recommended # of people...

Carina R.

When we arrived in Chicago, we knew we had to do the whole deep dish pizza thing. I love how different parts of the country do pizza differently. We were shopping on the Magnificent Mile, and Pizano's came up as the place to go and was nearby. When we arrived, there was a bunch of people waiting to be seated, but we got seated right away since it was just two of us. The waitress was really nice and recommended some wine and beers for us and took our drink order. We decided to get a salad and the pepperoni deep dish pizza. The salad was really good. Yeah it was just salad, but still a good salad is a good salad. The pizza though was ok. I don't know if deep dish is my thing though. The crust was too crunchy for me. I like my crust soft and fluffy - it's a California thing, I guess. My husband didn't like it though. Deep dish was just not his thing. All in all the place was a nice place, deep dish just wasn't for us.

Delightful D.

Solid delish pizza. This was my first time going and honestly loved the feel for the spot very nice and cozy. Wasn't too packed at all even though it is in the middle of downtown. I had the rudy special which is thin crust with green onions, onions, mushrooms, cheese and sausage. It was truly amazing the standout to me was definitely the crust. Was very buttery and crisp for a thin crust pizza. I also had fried ravioli which was basic but still very tasty and an apple martini that left me very buzzed and satisfied. Definitely would stop in again if I was in the area and try some pasta.

Dan M.

Excellent thing crust pizza (and this coming from a deep dish pizza lover). The Malnati family can't help but make great pizzas (founder of Pizzeria Unos and Lou Malnatis - see other reviews), and now Pizanos. I've tried both Pizanos locations (other one in the loop), and both are really good. Staff is friendly. Thin crust pizza is nice and crispy with just the right amount of sauce and cheese. This is not NY style as you won't be folding a slice in your hands and doesn't have the grease pouring off your hands, but it is a nice crispy thin style with lots of flavor. Location has a good amount of flat panel TVs around the place, so great for enjoying your favorite sporting event while enjoying a local Goose Island brew while waiting for your pizza to cook.

Allison Z.

I can not understand how this place could get any good reviews. Granted, I only had the thin crust pizza, but it was enough to scar me for life from Pizano's. To start with, the price is ridiculous. The large half sausage/half veggie pizza was $31.00 (including delivery)! My boyfriend ate three pieces and the pizza was already a quarter of the way gone so it's not even that big. Next, we'll go to the taste, or lack of taste. The pizza was AWFUL. I mean seriously, inedible. The crust was gross and left a bad taste in your mouth, the veggies tasted like they had been frozen vegetables, and the sausage had no spice or flavor to it whatsoever. We probably would have been better off buying a frozen pizza from Jewel, that's how terrible this thin crust was. With so many other pizza places in the area, skip Pizano's and try something with actual flavor!

Nicole A.

Love, love, love Pizano's pizza with the right balance of cheese, sauce, pepperoni, and crunchy deep dish crust. The cheese tastes fresh and real, and not greasy, that isn't overbearing. You must, must, must get the deep dish with butter crust. I've frequented Pizano's many times, and even brought a whole pizza back to Wisconsin late one night. The bruschetta is very fresh and worth stuffing your stomach, and so is the skillet chocolate chip cookie which arrives in a cast iron pan, warm, chewy, with ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream. The drinks are good too! The inside is very small, but like a true pizzeria. Pizano's has some of the best prices in Chicago. The whole experience is well worth the belly filling and trips to the fitness center the next week.

Priyanka G.

After waiting for about 45 minutes to be seated, we had high expectations from this place. We ordered both the veggie deep dish pizzas, and unfortunately, both were disappointing. We actually left most of it, since no one was ready to have them! The cheesy garlic bread was not bad though. All in all, disappointing.

Craig R.

If you want good chicago deep dish pizza ...head here. The place is small and unobtrusive and you may just walk by it without a second glance. That would be bad .... the pizza here is outstanding. The place has a funky vibe that is not pretentious. You will leave here stuffed and VERY VERY happy. Go here now. You know you want to!

Matt H.

This was recommended to us by our concierge at the Waldorf Astoria, which is just around the corner. It's super small without any waiting area, so keep that in mind. It's definitely a local joint. I think we were the only "out of towners". The bar in the front was packed, but we were immediatly seated in the back, which was fine with us. My wife and I split a small deep dish pepperoni. Be prepared to wait 20 - 30 minutes depending on how busy they are. I liked the buttery, flakey crust. My wife, not so much. But overall, I would go back in a heart beat. It's unique and fun. FYI - If you get bored (like we did), you can ask for crayons and play games on the paper table cloth. You're never to old for tic-tac-toe or hangman!

Brian W.

THE BEST PIZZA IN TOWN...HANDS DOWN!!! ORDER THE THIN CRUST RUDY'S AND YOU WILL BE IN HEAVEN. Best Day to go is Thursday's. They have 5 dollar HUGE martini's you call it they make it. And when I say they, I mean the awesome girls behind the bar. Melissa, Sonya, and Oz are always on top of their game!! Roy, the manager, is always friendly and happy to see us. You must ask for Chach if you go...."Are you kiddin me? Forget about it!!" if you go you'll know what I am talking about. Great place for pizza, watch sports, and have a good time. My favority pizza joint in the city!

Jade R.

I am beyond appalled. The CEO never sent me the gift card he said he would send me. He left me a long voice mail message several months ago, saying he would send me a gift card for $100.00 to make it up to us, if I called the number he left on the message and gave the secretary my address. I merrily called the number as soon as I heard his voice mail message, thinking the CEO was so responsible and cool. I had new found respect for the restaurant. Boy was I wrong. Rudy Malnati Jr. was totally disingenuous. The incident happened on MAY 31 2010....and I STILL haven't received the gift card he said he would send. I called their office asking "what happened to my gift card?" countless times in the past 3 months and the secretary Estella always has another excuse for me: -"Oh, he just got back from town". - "Oh there was also another complaint around the same time and Mr. Malnati probably got confused. I will notify him on the matter." -"Oh he's out of town right now." -"Oh, I will have him call you when he gets back." Excuses excuses excuses. The CEO simply lied and did not live up to his word and he chose to avoid the matter and ignore it completely. I am disgusted with the level of apathy and insincerity behind pizano's pizza and pasta on State St. This matter is regarding a waitress with anger issues. You have got to read it to believe it. (see below)

Liv W.

Minestrone and house salad were AMAZING! Deep Dish Pizza!!!!!!!!!!! No words.... SO GREAT and DELISH. I LOVE the atmosphere of this place... like your Mom's dining room!

Billy H.

Second review for Pizano's. This has become our pizza place for downtown - surpassing Gino's East. The pizza just taste different than any other pizza I've tasted. It's incredible - something to long for! Great staff and service - keeps your drinks full before they hit the bottom. Love the stuffed pizza. I can't help but describe it as eating pizza on top of buttered movie theater popcorn. It's amazing. You can cut the edge of the crust with your fork. It just breaks away. Amazing food. I recommended adding the garlic and basil to whatever you normally get on your pizza. They put basil leaves on the pizza. A+.

Eric L.

We are from Houston, TX, so we decided our first meal would be pizza. The hotel concierge recommended Pizanos, located close to the Bean. We were told try the thin crust over the deep dish, since it is what Pizano's is famous for. The crust was cooked perfectly, flaky, and not too thin, with a simple roma tomatoe sauce and melted cheese to top it off. I am not a pizza connesiuer, since we don't have much to compare with in TX, but in my book it was the best thin crust pizza I've ever had! Conclusion: A must try if you are a tourist visiting the windy city!

Yu Z.

Pizza is good but if u come by yourself and ask for a table, they will skip u in the queue for five times.

Giuseppe D.

Nice little spot in a good location on State St. I know street parking is brutal for some so conveniently there's a garage located right across the street from Pizano's. Inside there's a pretty small dining area in the front where the bar is location. There's a few TV's, and this area is more for dining alone or with very small groups. Further in the back there's a larger area for bigger groups to dine. The service is always great everytime I come in. The pizza crust here is thick and crunchy. I always get a sausage and mushroom pizza from here; the thickness of the dough and crust and the load of toppings they put on more than fill me up everytime. Quality service, quality food, no real complains here except that the place is pretty small.

Cindy B.

If you're visiting Chicago, it's practically a necessity to seek out some authentic deep-dish pizza. We first tried Gino's East, which was really good but our colleagues talked me into more toppings than I really wanted (I'm a standard pepperoni kind of girl), which knocked it down a peg for me. At Pizano's, it was just me and the old man and we just happened to stumble in on accident on a Saturday afternoon. We were seated right in the front window, which was a nice little table. Our server was on the ball - greeted us right away, quick drinks, super friendly, etc. When our pizza came out, I was a little bit afraid that it was going to be overwhelmingly tomato-y given the color of the sauce (and lack of apparent seasoning), but no - it was perfect! The crust was amazing - not too thick, not too dry, not too crispy. Even with the deep-dish wait, I wish I'd waited a little longer to eat lunch after breakfast...I would have ordered so much more!

Jessica D.

Ok, Ok, Ok - the verdict is in! I reviewed the Madison location and was waiting until I tried the deep dish because the thin crust is superb and today was the day! I must say I am smitten. Pizano's has won my heart. I am a pizza fanatic as I've expressed many many times before but I couldn't believe this pizza won me over. I must admit since they are related to Lou's I kept comparing every bite and it's very close but not a knock out. Pizano's doesn't load the deep dish with tons of tomatoes and the crust blends easily into the taste of the pizza overall. I chose this as my last meal because I'm giving up pizza for Lent and was I ever so happy I did! Although I am a bit upset because I have leftovers and my BF gets to enjoy them now! Oh well c'est la vie

Gaby F.

Forget the deep dish that you can get at Uno and the like. Come here for the best thin crust. Atmosphere is, given its location, local, and if there is a game on they will be up at the bar cheering the local team on. The menu has no surprises and that is good, as they know exactly what they are doing. Don't go near the awful wines. When in Rome....stick to the extensive beer list. Try and get a table in the from room, not the back.

J and S.

My Favorite Chicago Pizza Place! We live down the street now, but are moving up to Lakeview next week... one of the saddest things about moving is leaving the convenience of going to Pizano's! They have the best deep dish pizza AND the best thin crust pizza in Chicago... yes the best of both. We switch off from deep dish to thin each time. Also, the mozzarella cheese sticks are AWESOME. Yes, I know thats weird, they are the same everywhere, but the are exceptionally good here! Make sure you go early as you will probably wait, it is small and the bar is always packed so you usually end up waiting in the TINY vestibule (or outside if its nice). You can order while you so you don't have to wait as long once you get seated! Not long ago we gave up a table for 4 (just 2 of us) to a group of 4 behind us and said we would wait for another table to open (figured it would be easier to get a table for 2 than 4). The manager/owner offered to buy us dessert and when we said we didn't care for any, he bought us a round of drinks! Free drinks just for waiting 2 more minutes... that shows they really care about their customers! The crowd: Regulars + tourists. You will see everyone from Chicago's finest to Tourists whose only grasp of what they want from the menu is "Chicago pizza". You may see the same guys sitting at the bar time after time, college aged kids showing their families around, actors, politicians, or your neighbor! Its kitchy and cheesy (the decor and the pizza) and I definitely suggest you go!

HalalBite F.

I had a chance to visit Pizano's where I ate a thin crust pizza with Gardnerella peppers and mushrooms. The hot thin crust pizza was extremely delicious and had all the makings of an excellent pizza. I normally do not like thin crust pizza but if I had to eat it, this would be the place to go.

Dennis S.

Consistently good, consistently delivered hot. That's a big issue with Near North Side Chicago pizza delivery. There are several others I love, but I won't order a pizza that takes 1 1/2 hours to arrive ice cold. Friends like the atmosphere of the restaurant too. I can't vouch for that - we've only had delivery, and it's always been excellent. The thin crust pizza has plenty of cheese, plenty of sausage, not overdone on the tomato sauce. It's good.

Glen W.

Best deep dish Chicago pizza I've had. Mark's Special plus sausage is the way to go, and don't forget about Holly and Little Rudy's Chocolate Chip Cookie for dessert.

R to the Y.

My wife and I bought some gift certificates online for Pizano's that they decided they didn't want to honor anymore. Although we bought the gift certificates from a third party, Pizano's fully admits issuing them. They have just decided they no longer want to honor them (even though they are not expired!). If it weren't for the money that we are out on the gift certificates, it would not be such a big deal: from our one dinning experience there, we have found better food, atmosphere, and customer service at the local Olive Garden.

Brett V.

Worst pizza I've ever had, period. I have no idea what anybody rating this above 1 star is thinking. The pizza is basically a thin sponge with grease - but less flavor than a sponge. Avoid at all costs - threw away 75% of a $30 pizza (incl delivery and tip). Just horrible - how they stay in business is beyond me.

Kate C.

So I was here over the holiday recently with a friend who went to grad school in Chicago. She was like hey, do you want pizza or chinese? And we flipped a coin because I'm the most indecisive person ever... and after two faulty coin flips inside a walgreens to stay warm... we decided on pizza. So we hiked over to this joint, her fave pizza place on the red line. And I kept thinking about how every time I'm in Chicago I go to this little pizza place in the loop and I never remember what street its on or how to get there (I just wander until I find it)... and then BAM it turns out that they're both part of the same local little chain. Hah! It was meant to be, obviously. Now for the actual review: This place is sort of narrow and awkwardly shaped and always full. We managed to get seated right away, but we had to take chairs from other people'e tables and ended up sitting about four and a half inches away from some strangers speaking another language. The beer menu isn't real exciting, and neither is the wine, really. The bathroom was clean though, which is a bonus. And our server was great even though she had been there for eight hours and was slated to continue to close. Whatta trooper! Food-wise I can say the bruschetta is pretty good and the salad is good (of course drenched with a delicious Italian dressing). I've never had a pizza that wasn't deep dish. Their deep dish is a little different from what I'm used to. It isn't as thick as deep dish usually is and has barely any sauce on top. The toppings were pretty good and the sausage was perfect (not little round balls, like you usually see) -- flattened patty-style pieces embedded underneath everything else. Overall its quite good, but not mind-blowing. And you get CRAYONS to draw on your table. Totally awesome. My friend's piece of art was so fantastic she had to take it home. I hope its on her fridge now.

Katrina S.

Simply my most favoritest thin crust pizza in the WORLD!! It's really special. It's got the crispy, flaky butter crust which gives you that deep dish flavor without the bulk. The only VERY small objection I have is that I usually order green pepper and mushroom and the toppings are so finely diced I can barely tell if they are there - or just part of the sauce. But I forgive them because the most important thing is that it tastes good. And that it does very well! The atmosphere is quintessential Chicago old school pizza place w/ pics of celebs who have enjoyed Pizano's pies at the entrance, a long wooden bar that runs along the length of the main dining room where guys watch sports and regulars chat it up after work, checkered table cloths, you get the picture. Props to Pizano's!

Kristen N.

I moved to the city several months ago and practically live upstairs from this restaurant. It has become HANDS DOWN my favorite place to go in Chicago. The food is consistently amazing, the martinis are always perfect, and the atmosphere is what keeps me coming back. I'm originally from the Italian North End in Boston and this has all the authentic vibe I need. It's cozy and chocked full of both tourists and regulars that make it feel like family. I take everyone that comes to town here and they all love it equally as much. Tip: If you're getting something other than (their amazing) pizza and can handle your garlic, get the bread and oil to start. Also, Brian makes one of the best dirty martinis I've ever had.

Nick C.

Best pizza I've had so far in Chicago. Amazing thin crust. Buttery. Sauce is unique cheese fresh, perfect amount of toppings.

H R.

Food - The pizza is fabulous. I ordered the thin crust cheese pizza. Oh what an experience. The Spinach/Artichoke dip was okay not great. Too much oil in the dip and not very flavorful. Atmosphere - I saw Dennis Quaid there who is a frequent visitor to this place. Kathy Griffin also pops in occasionally when in town. Small but cozy. Service - Perfect. Not too much in trying to rush dinner and not to little where you are starving and dying of thirst. Very accomodatng.

Christina K.

I visited Chicago for the first time in February 2011 a few days after the blizzard and had always wanted to try some AUTHENTIC Chicago deep dish pizza. I had heard stories and seen pictures, but being from California I had no idea what I was in for. Based on the recommendations of some pedestrians on the street, we ventured in and found inside a little slice of heaven. The pizza was essentially a cheesy, saucy mess inside a bread bowl. I had to basically eat it with a spoon. Thank you Chicago for making my pizza dreams come true!

Aric A.

Had a great time this afternoon eating the best deep dish pie, enjoying a few beers and getting to know some local patrons . Our next visit to Chicago will undoubtedly include a visit to Pizanos.

Christine M.

I was looking forward to Chicago deep dish pizza, so I was disappointed that this pizza didn't meet my expectations. Reading the reviews, some love it, some don't. Perhaps it was the day that we went, but I've had better deep dish pizza in my local California restaurant. The crust was not deep. There wasn't enough cheese, either. However, the meat and vegetable toppings were delicious. Not outstanding and memorable, but tasty. I did enjoy my 1st visit several years ago - their pasta was mouth-watering. I was hoping the pizza would be, too.

Alison S.

FAVORITE Chicago pizza. Cornmeal crust is delicious. Get the Rudy's special. They focus on the crust, sauce, and toppings, rather than layering each piece with 2 lbs of cheese (like Giordano's, Gino's, Edwardo's, etc). Also, Pizano's has a great pasta menu, whereas the other places only have things like spaghetti and lasagna. Try Ann Marie's special or the pasta with italian sausage and garlic. I prefer the location on State, but it's very small, and I've usually had better luck getting a table at the larger location on Madison.

Pamela C.

Some of the best thin crust pizza in town. That buttery thin crust is awesome. I love/hate my BF for turning me on to this place. Leave room for dessert. I rarely eat dessert but you must try the home made chocolate chip cookie with ice cream (yes they even deliver this...). ::Drool:: Worth an extra hour at the gym.

Aimee C.

Thin crust pizza was divine. Crispy crust and still thin and flavorful. We had cheesy garlic bread with marinara. The sauce was heaven! Atmosphere was very fun! Loved it. Will be back.

Jennifer D.

My first deep dish and it was the most disgusting pizza I have ever eaten. The crust was like stale cardboard and the toppings were mushy with a visible layer of water on top of the cheese. My husband could only stomach 2 slices of his regular cheese deep dish. Plus, my drink tasted like dishwater. Huge disappointment.

Wilt C.

Visited this weekend for lunch and was underwhelmed. I guess they can survive with the tourists, and therefore ordinary food and lackluster service is acceptable. Too bad.

Brian N.

When i came down to Chicago to beat down there Bears, that's tomorrow night though, the first thing I did when my jet landed was go to Pizano's. The service here is great as is the atmosphere, they also have pretty clear high quality speakers. The food here is very good. The Calamari was slightly above average and the Garlic bread was very good. The Thin crust pizza is where this place shines. Better than most New York thing crust pizza places that I've been to. And if Adrian Peterson likes it, you better.

john g.

Great archodoke dip. Great deep dish pizza. It's a must in Chicago.

Kristin M.

OMG! Probably the best pizza I've had in my entire life!! We got the deep dish with fresh tomatoes, even though we heard the thin crust was amazing. Deep dish was the way to go!! So much cheesy goodness and perfect tasting buttery crust!!! I'd fly back to Chicago just for this pizza!!

Sam S.

Some of the best spinach and artichoke dip I have ever had. Pizza is made to order and delicious.

Feng Z.

A couple of things you should know about me: 1. Crust is very important to me. I'm not the type to just eat pizza and leave the crust. 2. I don't like Chicago-style deep dish pizza. So, I guess it was inevitable that I would end up at a place known for its thin-crust pizza. The crust is as good as advertised. It is buttery and crispy (who likes floppy thin crust pizza? I guess New Yorkers.). The cheese, sauce, and toppings were good but not standout. The pizza came out HOT (maybe a bit too hot as the roof of my mouth can attest). But, it's much better to be too hot than too cold when it comes to pizza. In terms of the logistics: We got seated next to the restroom (bad). There was no wait (good). Pizza took forever to come (bad). Waitress ran after me when she realized I left my credit card behind (good; especially since this came a week after I lost my ATM card somewhere else). It's a nice and cozy place but has a loud bar and many TV's. So, it's maybe not the best place for a date but great if you have a loud friend (or a quiet friend who you don't want to listen to). "What? It's so loud! Maybe we should just talk later!" Final verdict: 3.5 stars if Yelp allowed me to give half stars. So, instead I'll give Pizano's 4 stars. No one wants to lose an ATM card and a credit card within a week.

Raimi B.

This place was a giant disappointment. Pizza Hut has better pizza than this place.

Rich W.

For many, many years,starting in the 1950s, on Friday nights my friends and I ate pizza at Pizzaria Uno and Due. The reason, is we believed that these two restaurants made the best damn pizza in the world. We would often sit at the bar at Uno with Rudy Malnatti, Sr. and have a few beers with him. Over the years, the old gang went their separate ways with marriage, families, moving away, etc. It was a sad day when I read of Rudy's death. Fast forward to the 21st century: I generally stay out of Chicago these days. About a year or so ago, I and my son and his family had free tickets to the Shedd Aquarium and after spending the afternoon there, planned to have dinner in the Loop. My son and daughter-in-law love Italian food, and had decided to try Pizano's in the loop. When we were finally seated, I was facing the wall, and looked up to see a photograph of Rudy Malnati, Sr. I asked our waiter about it and he told me that Pizano's was owned by Rudy Malnati, Jr. (I had never met Jr, but was acquainted with Lou Malnati, who just before his death, started up the Lou Malnati's Pizza chain). Anyway I decided to order a traditional Chicago style deep dish pepperoni pizza for myself. When I took the first bite, it was like I was transported back to the 1950s/1960s. It was so great I could hardly believe it. I ate almost the entire pizza myself, with on;y one small slice for my son and D-I-L to taste, and one for the grandkids. It is, in my opinion that Pizano's is the world's greatest pizza. And at my age (70s) I've had a lot of pizza in a lot of different places. I wish that Rudy Jr would open a place in the NW suburbs. I can't afford to park in the city.

Francine R.

Pizanos opened up in Wicker Park yesterday. I was anxious to try their thin crust pizza because it's supposed to be really good. I ordered the Mark with olives. I was very disappointed. The crust was not buttery as described by many others. I found the pizza to be, overall, bland. I may try it one more time.

Brian P.

The 40 min wait for take out pizza is totally worth it. Let me say, if you're looking for deep dish, I would not go with Pizano's--the thing to get here is definitely thin crust--we had the Rudy's Special, and the sausage is Wonderful, and they really know how to get the flavor out of those vegetables. Nice amount of crunch, and the tomatoes are super tasty in the sauce. I like the amount of crispiness they get off the base/bread portion of the pizza, perfect amount of crisp, and not greasy! I love the interior, it's very humble and homey.

Sarah O.

We had heard good things and thought we'd stop in today. Great service, excellent toasted ravioli and loved the pizza! Had a basil and garlic thin crust and will be coming back for more!

Ash M.

We went there out to lunch with a couple friends. I ordered Sam's favorite and was pleasantly surprised! The bowls they give the pasta in are huge! None of us could finish! My pasta was lightly flavorful and savory. I would go there again for sure! :)

J. P.

Nice change from NY pizza (itself an endangered species in Manhattan for sure with travesties abounding) during a recent visit to Chicago. Arrived for a late-ish dinner; place was packed with raucous fans along the bar watching the MNF Bears-Packers game but that added to lively atmosphere. We were seated after a brief wait and got down to business, ordering a "Rudy's Special" (cheese, sausage, mushroom, onion, & green pepper) thin-crust medium to split and a couple glasses of wine while we waited. The pie arrived about 30 minutes later and was a sight to behold, wafting delicious aromas. Crust was thicker than expected but buttery, crispy and flaky: really good. Toppings were not piled on too thick -- tomatoes juicy and pleasantly acidic, cheese not at all bland and not excessive, sausages spicy and scattered in savory nuggets -- and though definitely hearty, the pie did not seem greasy or stodgy. Nice that it was cut into small squares -- we two famished travelers polished off all but one! Service was good-humored and friendly. Excellent place and one I'd gladly return to.

Jennifer P.

This IS the best pizza in Chicago. Hands down. We always order the thin crust (butter crust) pepperoni pizza. It is out of this world. We make special trips whenever we're in the city to eat there. The place is always packed for a reason.

Allison M.

Oprah recommended this place so we went! 'Tli then, the only deep-dish pizza I'd ever had was from the chain BJ's. Pizano's gave a new meaning to deep-dish for me. The TRUE deep dish pizza has a really flaky, crispy crust unlike BJ's soft mushy one. Had a vegetarian pizza and was blown away! The crust, the sauce, the flavor! YUMMY! Not to mention, we had a great server-Phil Word!

Cee. D.

Move over Pizzeria Uno/Due...... I heard about Pizano's on Oprah a few years ago and He, the Mr., hasn't turned back since. He/dd vegetarain, Me/dd Cheese&Sausage, sometimes with extra sausage and to top it off, a side of his/hers gardenia. For a delcious delight a few weeks later, I usually freeze a few leftover slices to throw in the oven, it tastes even better! Side note.....RIP Norm Van Lier, I wish I hadn't been so bashful, and had said hello.

Jaclynn D.

Excellent! Best grilled calamari ever, the seasoning was amazing. Perhaps very slightly overdone, but flavor made up for it. Great deep dish. Crust was very unique. Crunchy deep dish, nice! Also had server cary. He was perfect. Made out trip worth it. Very accomidating.

Amy K.

Why didn't anyone ever tell me about Pizano's pizza??? I started the night out a little disappointed because I heard that the plans changed from Pequods to Pizanos, but that ended up not being the case at all. We ordered both a plain cheese thin crust and one with sausage, pepperoni, and green pepper. Someone in our group swore by the plain cheese pizza with the thin buttery crust, and he was right. I enjoyed it more than the pizza with all the toppings because you could actually taste how delicious the crust and melted cheese were. The pizza actually reminded a few of us of Home Run Inn. Another great part - We arrived on a Friday around 8:45 p.m.. On the phone we were initially quoted a 45 minute wait time for a party of 6, and when we arrived, we were seated within 15 minutes. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive, always there for a refill when needed!

Stephen W.

In our pre-trip planning to Chicago we did not intend to go here, but fate took us here and we are so happy it did. We got the medium thin crust sausage and mushroom pizza. It was the best thin crust pizza I have ever had in my life, hands down. The crust was so light and crisp. The sauce was excellent. And the homemade sausage was so flavorful, just delicious. We could not even eat a medium between two people so we took it to our hotel and put it in the frig for breakfast the next morning, and it was still delicious. If I ever go back to Chicago this place will be on the must-do list. My one complaint was that it took a really long time so I asked about it and I was told that all the pizzas take a minimum of 30-35 minutes which I thought was odd for a thin crust. But when we finally were served the wait was well worth it.

Andy S.

Terrible!!! Should've known when I called to order and they didn't have ham or bacon. Really?!?!?! Quite #2 and #3 on most popular topping list. The cans of coke were delicious though.

Mary K.

Best pizza I have ever had... and I'm a Detroiter so it is difficult to say that it beats Buddy's. It beats Buddy's. I had the deep dish. We went with the standard, pepperoni, and it was amazing! The crust was crispy and buttery, the cheese was amazing (is there provolone in it??), the sauce was so simple... I imagine it's just crushed roma tomatoes... so fresh and wonderful. Way better than the giant packed place down the street that I had frequented on previous Chicago trips. The atmosphere is very casual... there's a bar... it's not very big... red tablecloths... The one small complaint I had was that the iceberg-based salad was drowning in dressing that was just ok. But I won't take a star off because it's my own fault I didn't ask for dressing on the side. I dream about that pizza. I am seriously considering another trip just to get it.

Anthony A.

For locals, I think this is the best deep dish in Chicago. Get the butter crust. Tourists can flock to the gut busting Giordanos or Gino's East and that's a fun experience. However, if you want to really enjoy deep dish and taste all of the crust and toppings, Pizano's is the place. Staff is also quite friendly. Highly recommend this as my go-to deep dish place. Thin crust is also good, but I would go here for the deep dish.

Jonathan S.

I was in town for Lollapalooza and looking for a great deep dish Chicago pizza. After asking around and getting a lot of recommendations, we settled in Pizanos and I am glad we did. I have read some reviews about long waits for tables and food, but that's to be expected at a joint like this. I have also seen comments about the pizza being greasy, but seriously this is a pie of deep dish cheese, pepperoni and sausage pizza - expect some grease and savor it. I ordered the cheese, sausage and pepperoni and it was delicious. Our server was terrific and attentive, the food was spot-on what we were looking for and I highly recommend a trip to Pizano's if you are down for some delicious deep dish.

Mike M.

This place came recommended by none less than Mr. John Kessler, long time Atlanta Journal's food critic a few weeks ago in his blog. So, while in chicago on a business trip I decided to give it a try with my colleague. We ordered the Italian Suasage and Peppers for appetizer and a small deep dish pizza with sausage, bell pepper, mushroom and onion. The suasage and pepper came first. Although the sausage itself was good, no credit to the chef as it is hard to screw up Italian sausage, but the rest, onions and green and red peppers were just soggy and cooked in liquid. Not appetizing at all. I have had much better Italian sausage and pepper on street corners in New York city. Then the deep dish pizza came in and I was hoping that it will stand up to all the rave reviews here. But the crust suffered from lots of juices released from all the onions and mushrooms they put in it and was quite soggy. Other than the side crust, the rest was a complete mush. A disgrace to pizza if you ask me. A waitress came by and we complained about the mushiness of pizza. She explained that the veggies release juices and that's how it is. But that is not a good excuse. Then our waiter came by and asked us about the pizza. I showed him the soggy crust. He asked us if we wanter something else but since I had already had 2 bad dishes, I gave them 2 stars only becasue the waiter removed the pizza from our bill. Note to Pizano's chef from another chef: You either have to use a deep dish container that had drainage on the bottom into another pan, or you simply have to pre cook your mushrooms and onions, let them release their juices,, and then add them to the pizza at a later time. There is no excuse that the crust should be so mushy. A total disgrace to deep dish pizza.

Amy G.

I've been vegan for the last 9 years -- and live in NYC. This is the first time in a looong time I had really amazing pizza (sorry all of NYC, don't hate me). We waited the loooong wait for the deep dish basil & tomato, and man was it worth it. The staff was friendly, had a cutesy little ambience -- but who cares, the pizza is really all that matters.

Beth C.

We went here because it was highly recommended by a friend who raved about the pizza. I didn't like my pizza at all. The ingredients weren't fresh, and it was tasteless. My friends didn't enjoy their meals either, and it was very expensive. I wouldn't go back here because of the food.

John R.

Pizano's ties Louisa's as my favorite deep dish in the city, BUT they have my favorite chicago style thin crust in the city. The deep dish is fresh and has all the intangibles of a chicago-style deep dish: thick crumbly crust, plentiful fresh cheese, thick sauce with the right amount of chunkiness, and the meat-ball-sized, juicy, mild sausage. The quality and flavor are definitely top notch. There's just a little extra kick to the flavor that sets this place apart. This flavor is also there on the thin crust. The sausage and other toppings, cheese , and sauce are fantastic. The crust has a hard exterior with sharp edges that give it a unique texture when combined with the flavor make it delicious. The inside is small and a throwback pizza joint. There is a wait, but they do a good job of getting you in.

Crystal Lynne C.

First of let me disclose that the only "Chicago"-style pizza I've consumed in the first twenty-five cents of my life has been Armand's. I would sadly like to announce that they are way, way, WAY off. I'm one of those people that tosses the pizza crust aside unless it's the last slice and I happen to still be hungry. Who has time for regular ol' crust when you can just pick up another slice and get to the good stuff? I want cheese, I want sauce, and I want toppings! Pizano's has almost no crust. It's good stuff to the brim. It's like a crispy wonton bowl for cheese and sauce. It's like a taco salad but greasy carbs instead of that foliage nonsense. The dough to cheese ratio was one-to-one. I know some yelpers have complained of Pizano's pizzas' resemblance to sting cheese, but I LOVE STRING CHEESE! I loved it so much, that I had the waiter wrap up the remaining half in tinfoil so I could smuggle it onto the plane ride home where I presented it to Cuong... and where I proceeded to devour half of his half anyway. I just checked their website, and apparently they are planning to start shipping frozen pizzas door to door. This is awesome because I actually considered driving 12 hours back to Chicago this weekend for some delicious deep dish action.

Bernice W.

I had this place for lunch, my pizza took a super long time, but it was pretty good. i found out that Lou Malnati's is actually a family company of Pizano's. The Host/Manager was very friendly, funny, and talkative. i ordered the cheesy garlic bread (definitely much more delicious compared to many other places), and a "thin crust" pizza. I got the mushroom and italian sausage pizza. it was very delicious, the dough/crust was not soft or soggy, but not too burnt or crunchy either. i'm sure i'll be coming back

Tony G.

Best thin crust pizza in the city hands down!!! When I first came to eat here I got deep dish and was less impressed. The thin crust is so much better...butter crust is divine!

Hugh R.

Man, THIS is pizza. I ordered the small "'Hey Hey' Jack Brickhouse Special" for myself, thinking, "hey, it's ONLY a 10" pie, right? That's a snack for a big guy like me." Well I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't finish the whole thing. (To be fair, the Pizano's website indicates this pizza serves 2.) Too many years living in the land of the thin crust, I guess. Delicious pizza, and I'm considering having some shipped to my home in Boston.

Zeen A.

I went there again last night for the first time in about a year and totally forgot about how absolutely awesome the pizza is there! I'm a big fan of thin crust and deep dish pending on my mood and very few spots in the city can do both well (it's usually one or the other). The deep dish isn't TOO deep and the thin crust isn't TOO thin...like baby bear's porridge, Pizano's Pizza is just right. Oh, side note, try to get Angelica as your server...she's the dope.

Nellie K.

The two stars is only for the pizza. The buttercrust is truly outstanding, whether it's here at this location or any other Pizano's locations. The problem was the service. We had a family lunch here recently with our children, and the waitress seemed very impatient with our ordering time. I'm talking 5 or 6 minutes. 5 or 6 minutes is not an eternity, and the place was not even that crowded. Being patient should be a hallmark for any waitress/waiter. In this case, it was a waitress, and she was very short with our party. Furthermore, we had to get our own napkins and we had to find her when we wanted drink refills. She was simply no where to be found. On top of all this, the food took a very long time to come out. We only ordered two thin crust pizzas- nothing complicated. If it were up to me, I would have left her NOTHING for a tip. However, my relative enjoyed the pizza so much that she still left a tip. Similarly, the bill seemed awfully high for what we had ordered. I'll stick to the Pizano's in Glenview. I've had nothing but good experiences at that location. They are definitely more family friendly, and the service is much better. Just for the record, my wife use to be a waitress, and we always tip very well where ever we go; but, the service at this Pizano's location was very bad. Even the server ( some young girl ) was rude. I told her when we entered that we had a party of 4 adults, and 5 children and she just rolled her eyes. I thanked her for seating us, and you know what she said ? NOTHING. This is my first truly negative review on Yelp, but I feel that it is definitely warranted.

David S.

Was there last week with a big group of people. We are in the basement. Staff was friendly and attentive. Pizza was good. We had some salad and pasta to start. Very fresh and tasty. We had both thin crust and deep dish pizza and everyone at our table enjoyed the meal.

Matt G.

I really wanted to give this place a 4 but the $5.50 I paid for a beer has made me lower my stars... We had a thin crust cheese (a staple pizza if you will) and it was really great. Interesting taste, not something I've really had before but if I had to compare, it was probably most similar to Lou Malnatis thin crust. Cozy atmosphere off the beaten path in the gold coast. I nice place to hole up and forget about winter.

Brad M.

Flew in from Cali just to try Chicago pizza (not, actually went to a Notre Dame football game). I was not disappointed at all. The pizza was awesome, service and bartenders top-notch!

Beth S.

I am updating my review. My favorite pizza, hands down. For some reason, tourists tend to stop me on the street to ask me stuff (directions, etc.). Twice now, somebody has asked for pizza places, and I have excitedly told them PIZANO'S! This pizza is my favorite -the thin buttery crust. I am not a deep dish fan, and have never had theirs, but the thin is the best EVER. The staff is great, at both Madison Street & Chestnut. All of our colleagues who travel to Chicago on business go here now too. Calimari good. Onion rings good (they might not be on the menu, but they certainly make them). The new Pizano's Express delivery/pick up location is also great. They must know my voice now when I call. I am truly one of their best customers.

Noelle B.

Great pizza and service. There was a long wait which was to be expected. But they let you order your pizza when they put your name down for a table. Huge plus. Once we were seated we only had to wait about 10 minutes for our pizza. Otherwise it would have taken another 45 minutes. After being in the city and overwhelmed by the choices of places to go to eat, we hailed some cops and asked them. They recommended Pizano's and it was a great choice. Our waiter was attentive and nice. The only drawback was that the bartender didn't know how to make a Sidecar. So I opted for a Blood Orange Martini that they were advertising. The martini was good but I wish they could have made the drink I originally ordered.

Rachel W.

Just yum. This is for thin crust only, we had about 15 pizzas here at work for lunch and pretty much all needed to take naps in the afternoon as we stuffed ourselves silly. I think there was a salad, but who wants to waste room on salad when there's pizza in the room?

Janelle M.

We were visiting from New Jersey and had to try some "local" deep-dish pizza. We didn't know where to go, but we were told about 4 or 5 of Chicago's favorite pizza joints where we "couldn't go wrong." We decided on Pizano's. Look, I'm not here to compare this stuff to NY or NJ pizza and blah, blah, blah. I'm into pizza and while I prefer some types more than others, I'm here to give Chicago deep-dish a fair shot. So it comes out in the deep dish pan and we scoop it onto our plates. The crust was really hard, as I imagined it to be soft and buttery from reading other deep-dish reviews. As I cut through my piece, the knife made a loud noise as it broke through the crust and hit my plastic plate. There was a ton of cheese and if I had picked the cheese up with my fingers, I could have removed it all at once as it was like a tough layer of mozzarella (reminiscent of a large wad of chewed bubble gum). And then the sauce, always my favorite part, was decent, but not used sparingly on the pie. We'll definitely give Chicago deep-dish another chance the next time we're in town, but definitely not at Pizano's.

Dutch B.

Fab Pizza- get the thin crust, they nail it everytime.. Pete the bartender is a good dude. This place is super cozy and old school.. i'll be back for sure..

Lora S.

I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT! I've never ordered anything here that was not completely satisfying. If the food cost less, I would probably eat there or order takeout three or four times a week. If I have the money, I try to order at least once a week. Absolute Favorite: PAT BRICKHOUSE SPECIAL, Sometimes I get it with ground beef instead of sausage, but it's delicious either way. Definitely don't forget to sprinkle some crushed red pepper on it. I don't want to list the whole menu, but some more favorites are: Holly and Little Rudy's Chocolate Chip Cookie (GOTTA HAVE IT), calamari, chicken wings, sausage and peppers If you haven't been to this restaurant before, you must try it ASAP.

Dave K.

Good pizza, spaghetti, etc. You may have to wait for a table if you dine in, but grab a drink at the bar and enjoy the old school ambience until you can be seated. You can also order food at the bar or take advantage of carry out and delivery service. Street and garage parking is available in the neighborhood as is public transportation.

Gannon B.

I recently went on a day-trip up to Chicago to the Art Institute, and as my fiancee and I were walking along we happened to come across Pizano's. We had never heard of it, but we stepped inside. We were seated in a matter of about 15 seconds (on a Friday night). From there the waitress was extremely relaxed, while keeping everyone else good to go at their table. We had ordered the spaghetti with meat-sauce and fettucini with chicken. As soon as we ordered, they brought out a wonderful basket of bread and butter. Within about 3 minutes of them bringing out the bread, our meals were in our hands. Not only were the meals delicious, but everything was overall great, such as the little candle on the table (nice little romantic date). It's a little dark, and I saw a few elderly people take out their cellphones to light up their menus, but honestly it isn't that difficult to read them (keep in mind we went at night).

Chris C.

This place is top notch. My wife and I are always going back and forth between this place and Pequods as contenders for our favorite pizza in the city. Pizanos definitely wins best cheese! Really good stuff. I've only had the pan pizza, but from what I understand the thin crust is quite excellent as well. I definitely prefer this location. I've actually been to all three, but the other two feel a bit like chain franchises. They are still good, but don't have the atmosphere of this original location. Oh yeah and they have some devilish desserts! They do the thing where they bake a cookie in the bottom of a pan and put ice cream on top of it. Great stuff. I think there are even three different varieties. Anyway, don't take my word for it, try it for yourself!

J. Kate W.

The first time I ever went to Pizano's (Gold Coast) Dennis Quaid walked in and had a beer at the bar. This experience was an indication of the awesomeness to come. I love this restaurant! The sausage and mushroom deep dish pizza is worth the 30 minute wait for it to cook. You can tell that they use quality ingredients, especially the sausage. Also, the fried calamari is an appetizer worth the calories! I took my sister from Virginia Beach to Pizano's and she insisted that I take her back the next night. We had the exact meal, and server Mauro (who took great care of us both times). It was an experience worth reliving.

Anthony S.

Consistency-tough. Taste-fresh side but mediocre. Fill factor-high. Rating-2

Melissa M.

My co-workers and I wanted to order lunch in and decided to give Pizano's a try. We ordered thin-crust pizza and french fries for delivery. Let me start with the fries... NASTY!!!!! They looked like they had been double-dipped (in the frying oil) three times over. When they arrived they were brown (clearly overcooked), cold, and tasteless. Now for the pizza... while it had potential... I decided it wasn't for me. The crust looks like it's made of some kind of corn meal and is super GREASY. It would fall apart everytime you picked up a slice and the cardboard underneath was grease-soaked when we were done. I may (or may not) give Pizano's one more chance at redemption and go eat there. Maybe it was a bad delivery day, but it didn't really leave me with a desire to try it again.

Marjon B.

The Hot Mama's pasta is perfect. I've tried to recreate it, but Pizano's just does it all too well.

Bill K.

We ordered a deep dish with mushroom/pepperoni and a think crust white tomatoes/garlic. Both pizzas were good enough, but it was unanimous that Giordonna's was better.

Ken N.

Down to zero. "Oh the feeling...when you're reeling...you step lightly thinking you're number one...down to zero with a word...leaving...for another one..." Holy crap, it was zero f*cking degrees Fahrenheit! Sure, we were cold warriors, the effete actors from LA who SCOFFED, SCOFFED, I tell you, at what was one of the coldest Chicago winters in a generation. And damnit, we were downtown at the Art Institute. My wife, who gets cold IN LA, didn't even have gloves! We fart on you, rest of country who think LA is inhabited by pussies, we FART on you! But dang, zero? That's cold. And it was windy, the Hawk was coming off Lake Michigan and the radio said that brought it down to 30 below with windchill. So why, oh why, would we leave the lovely warm confines of the Chicago Art Institute for Deep Dish Pizza? Because our fellow Angelenos said that Pizano's was better than Lou Malnati's. Lou Malnati's (cue angel music). We walked in 45 degree angles, as compact as we could be, as little skin showing as possible, the steam on my glasses f*cing freezing ON MY GLASSES! Damnit, Chicago, how can you be so bitter? It...was...worth...it. Pizano's is basically a sports bar, TVs tuned to a variety of sports, photos of every Chicago sports team spanning the 20h Century and beyond, and no one in their right mind would expect any food item to be the BEST, no matter what the category. We got the deep dish, fully aware that our beloved Chicago guides would judge us insane to believe this was better than Lou Malnait's. We got the sausage because we liked sausage. We split the Caesar's salad because you can't sin like this without SOME roughage, right? The crust. The crust makes it the best. Everything else was Lou Malnati-worthy (there's a family connection, I'm told), but the crust...the crispy, buttery, crust, baked to perfection in the cast iron pan...makes it...the best...Chicago...deep...dish...pizzaaaaaa!

Colleen C.

GREAT pizza...for delivery, eat-in or takeout...for sure. We used to order this during latenight study sessions at Loyola's downtown campus, always hit the spot! Their thin crust is divine...fresh ingredients. Takes a bit to get your order in the evening, but defnitely worth the wait. I was so sad when they closed the Wrigleyville location, it was such a great spot... For sure, get it. Pizza makes me happy. Pizano's makes me ecstatic.

Lisa M.

We ordered a deep dish pizza. When I think of deep dish, I think of soft and bready. This was not it. The crust was hard and dry. Also, the pizza was on the salty side, and the mozzarella cheese was rubbery. Between the other chain places, the small holes in the wall in the neighborhood, and my own homemade pizza, I can always do better than Pizano's. First and last time.

David K.

If this was based solely on the pizza, I would have to give Pizano's a 4 or 5 star rating, but the service experience we had there drags it down. First off, we got there with a party of 7 at lunch, which admittedly can be hard to seat, and they initially tried to sit us at 2 seperate, cramped tables. The person who'd made the reservation asked to be seated at an open table with six spots, and just add a chair. The hostess tried to tell us we couldn't do that, and only after we insisted that we'd sat as 7 at that very table a few weeks ago did she finally relent. OK, no big deal. It's lunch, servers are frazzled, I get it. While waiting for them to set up the table, I notice a sign in the kitchen that is clearly visible from the dining room: "STOP GIVING OUT SO MUCH BREAD!" Huh. So we get seated, and our server must have had some sort of memory problem, because he was completely unable to remember who ordered what, or even that we had ordered at all. We put in an order for appitizers, and then 3 minutes later he comes back and asks us if we want to order appitizers. All of this has been, up to this point, just mild annoying and somewhat comical. But the final kicker is this: one of our party asks for another lemon for her iced tea. The server says "Well, you know we normally don't give out extra lemons for free...this one is on the house, but just so you know we'll have to charge for the next one...." Wow. I guess margins there are so tight they have to watch every slice of bread and lemmon that goes out the door. Anyway, like I said, the pizza is pretty awesome, but don't go in expecting to get any free citrus fruit.

Dan M.

First time visiting Chicago with friends from CA. We heard deep dish Pizza is a Chicago specialty so we wanted to try a few places out. Our Hotel happened to be located near Pizano's and so we though hey we have nothing to lose. To keep it short and sweet, we were very impressed. Their Pizza was tastier than the rampantly popular Lou Malnati's, and even though we thought Lou's pizza was delicious, Pizano's still took the prize! Very friendly bartenders and employees. You will NOT be disappointed. Keep up the good work! Next time we're in town from Los Angeles, we will definitely be paying you another visit!

Damian C.

I have to agree with most of the reviews here and say that it is likely to be the best pizza I have had so far in Chicago. If you are fan of Lou Malnati's (which I am), you will definitely be a fan of Pizano's. The atmosphere, decor and friendly waitstaff make the whole dining adventure great. Also, I would suggest ordering the brusceta as an appetizer - you can't go wrong with it! I try not to go to too many restaurants more than once since there are so many to try in Chicago, but Pizano's will definitely be one I go to again..and soon!

Christine S.

I'm in love with Pizano's thin crust pizza... I've had their deep dish --- meh --- but their thin crust is to die for! How I wish I could eat pizza every day and not gain a pound... How I wish Pizano's was calorie free... But it's not... And when I get to eat pizza, I'm picking Pizano's! Oh and did I mention I live NO WHERE near Pizano's? I could care less, I'm still going to make the treck down there to dine in or carry out (very worth the drive)

Brittany F.

This place was pleasantly satisfying. I cant comment on the pizza because I had a pasta and my boyfriend had the eggplant parmesean sandwich. Both of these items were delicious. My pasta had a healthy amount of garlic that really made the dish. The portions were large and the atmosphere was very cozy...red and white checkered table cloths and everything. The place kind of had a neighborhood bar feel. The service was a little slow, but all in all I'd definitely come back again and would plan to try the pizza.

ForTheLoveofFood M.

I lived four blocks from Pizzano's for two years and it was so great to have such an amazing place to rely on for late night pizza and pasta. My old roommate and I couldn't get enough of this place, I feel like we had it once a month if not every other month for sure. The one i used to go to was on Madison, between Michigan and Randolph- and it was great! Inside it's pretty dark and a little loud, but you'll soon forget about the sound as soon as you order. And even better, if you sit outside it's perfect and the wait-staff is amazing. I've had almost everything on the menu, but first things first, the pie. Pizzano's has some of the best "deep-dish" pizza I've ever had. I put deep-dish in quotes because it's not your typical cheese-infested, great-wall-of-china- thick crust. The crust is deep, but it's light and buttery, with the cheesy oozing in its rightful place, on top of the toppings. The tomato sauce tastes fresh and the real slices of tomatoes, takes it over the edge. The stringy cheese will rise from the crust when you lift it from the pan, which makes the experience even more delectable. You really can't go wrong with this pizza, it's outstanding. The pasta is equally great. Each person gets a large, and when I say large, I mean LARGE bowl of pasta, which it's almost guaranteed you to take home left-overs. (Completely worth it). The bowl of pasta is about 3-31/2 inches deep and about 5 inches around. HUGE! I tend to get their shrimp Alfredo (as you can tell I'm a fan of white-sauced pasta and seafood). Between the flavors of the sauce and the veggies, it's the perfect combination. You can't go wrong. If you have room and a few extra dollars, I HIGHLY recommend ordering the calamari for an appetizer and their peanut butter cookie for dessert. The calamari is crisp and crunchy with the perfect blend of seasonings. The peanut butter cookie literally melts in your mouth. . Everyone needs to try Pizzano's at least once while visiting or living in Chicago, if you don't you'll be missing out on some of the best pizza, you'd ever have. I would like to point out that I love Chicago deep-dish pizza, but finding a pizza that takes it own twist on the famous pie and pulls it off in a brilliant way, earns my respect and 5-star review.

Laura W.

updating the amount of stars as Pizano's has reached out and provided an opportunity to make the situation right and have provided me with a credit to come back and have a better experience. I am truly hoping that it is a better experience--but even if it isn't, I applaud their customer service.

Karen C.

Anyone that has gone out to eat with me knows how particular I am about my food. Until the last year I hadn't tried many different types of food and if I like something I usually stick with it and order it again and again. Well, I've been eating plain cheese pizza forever. I honestly never thought I'd want to try anything else, but, well, I'm getting ahead of myself. After an afternoon at the museum, a friend brought me to this fine establishment for a late lunch. The place was mostly empty when we arrived, but then it was a Wednesday at about 3pm. My eating companion was in dire need of some greasy sustenance to cure the hangover that he was in the death grip of. Our waiter was prompt, engaging, and didn't seem to mind when my companion brought in his own coke. He found the soda pop to taste odd. I didn't really notice, but he disliked the taste so much he actually went out and grabbed a coke from somewhere else and poured it in his cup. Anywho...as my companion was beginning to sweat out all the liquor from the night before we started with the fried calamari. I say we, but really, I mean him. I don't eat seafood of any kind. However, it did seem to help add a bit of color back to the old man. We ordered a half cheese and half Mark's Special (Sliced Tomatoes, Basil, and Fresh Garlic) with pepperoni on buttercrust. Well, whenever you order a half and half pizza some of one side inevitably ends up on the other. As such, my first few slices had the delicious flavor of garlic and basil without the grossness of pepperoni. A whole new world of pizza was opened to me in that moment. I cannot stress enough how big of a deal this is for an avid cheese pizza lover such as myself. I am a pizza convert, wholly transformed and enlightened. Praise Mozzarella! Oh, and I can't forget about the crust. It was crunchy on the bottom, soft on the top, mouthwatering fantastic taste all around. Overall, the place is a treat. It has photographs covering the walls, an Italian gentleman with a contagious laugh and a ring on this thumb, and a warm feel. I'd like to go back...so I will.

N A.

Out of the 4 top 10 deep dish pizza places in Chicago (according to Yelp!), we picked this one. The place is quaint and welcoming. We sat at the bar since there was a long wait for tables and I ordered a 312 beer - first time I ever tried it but quite nice and refreshing. The bartender was helpful and quite the character (very funny). We ordered the House Salad - the Italian dressing was sooo good! Light and flavorful, not overly oily. The salad itself was nice but had too many onions (even for me since I quite enjoy them. My boyfriend wasn't too thrilled). We then had their small deep dish pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms (I know they are very well known for their thin crust but the objective was to find my boyfriend a good deep dish pizza in Chicago). A small was definitely enough since it was quite thick and filling. Lots of cheese!!!! The layer was crazy thick but it was delicious. The ingredients were fresh and the sauce was nice. The crust was delightful, not overly buttery and almost flaky (pastry-like). I was very impressed and so was he. Definitely loved Pizano's and hope to return there on our next visit to Chicago.

Nancy H.

We stumbled upon this place walking around. It was SOOOOOO much better than Giordano's. This is what deep dish pizza should taste like. The quality of the ingredients, clearly better than Giordano's.

Lena D.

Just ordered PIzano's deep dish from grubhub. They were very quick to deliver but should have spent more time on the food. AWFUL. I mean just awful. I don't think I've ever had such a bad slice of pizza anywhere but considering it's Chicago, I would hold it to a different standard. I ordered from Pizano's based on reviews I've read but cannot honestly say that I would ever order from them again. Just bloody awful.

Sao-Mai N.

I took my parents who were visiting to Pizano's to check out Chicago pizza. This was a Saturday evening so I can understand it being very crowded, but there was no waiting space unless you're backed up next to someone trying to eat their food. We got seated right by the door, in a really cramped spot. We didn't have silver or napkins. The service was rushed and the waiter un-attentive. I give it three stars because the pizza was delicious, but I wouldn't return. It was a very unwelcoming experience.

Mihir P.

So close yet so far. I've been looking for good east coast style pizza and Pizano's was recommended highly. The service was sweet and patient. However our pizza took forever to come. The restaurant wasn't eventcrowded. Our round pepperoni pizza finally arrived, but it was cut into squares. Why do the pizza shops here do that? Anywho, the sauce, cheese and pepperoni were good. The crust on the other hand had a texture similar to a Ritz first and then a graham cracker. Let me explain: at first bite, my top teeth easily break through the Ritz but then have a bit of trouble getting through the graham. The crust is also really dry with lots of nooks and crannies - you know where this is going. Would I go there again? The pizza is pricey and is adequate...so until I find something better, I may just have to.

Nicolas H.

This is solely based on the thin crust, but damn is that a good pizza. The crust was perfectly cooked and extremely tasty. The cheese wasn't the best I've ever had, but not the worst. The pepperoni was nicely concealed under the cheese and the sauce was good. I'll have to come back for the deep dish, but it sure will be hard to not order the thin crust again...

Andrew M.

I think this place is too often overlooked in discussion of Chicago pizza. I don't consider myself versed in every Chicago pizza joint, but I've been here a bunch of times and the deep-dish pizza is terrific. There can be a little bit of chaos getting a seat in a somewhat cramped space, and the service can feel a bit slow (not helped by deep-dish factor), but this place is a favorite of mine.

Paula D.

Second time in town and second time here. The salad is fresh chopped and the dressing is wonderful. My favorite is the thin crust pizza with anything on it.

Jackie P.

When I ask for thin crust I want thin crust! Not the sorta thick but could pass for think crust this place serves up! Boo! Hiss! And yeah when I order a side salad with ranch dressing and I tell you I am at a bar that doesn't serve food please send me the ranch dressing and a fork! Is that too much to ask? So on a snow night and stuck at a bar I received a not so thin crust pizza with a salad that had no ranch dressing or a fork to eat it with. Why three stars you ask? Because they quoted me a time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. It took them less than an hour.

Melissa H.

I don't come here for the pizza. Sure it's great, and Oprah talked about it or whatever - but that's not why I love this place. It's across the street from my parents pad so whenever I venture down from Andersonville this is our haunt. Actually, it's always my parents haunt. They eat out all the time...they just always go to the same places. Anyway... I dig this place for two reasons - the bartender knows us, so the drinks are always stiff ones; and the barbecue chicken salad. Weird, I know, to order a salad in a joint like this. But it's my version of heaven.

Amy M.

It was my first time in Chicago, so naturally I'd want to try out their famous deep dish pizza. I can't remember which one we ordered and apparently, it wasn't very memorable. I personally love thin crust pizza, maybe we should've ordered that in lieu of the ever-popular Chicago deep dish pizza. Anyway, the flavor of the pizza was good (much better when hot), but by the time I got to my second slice, it was already cold. And luckily for us, when we were waiting to get seated (on a Monday night @ 9pm), we saw a steaming hot plate of buffalo wings being delivered to a table of patrons sitting nearby...so of course, we ordered some buffalo wings, which I'm glad we did because it added some excitement to the meal. Overall, I thought the atmosphere was casual and cozy, servers were nice, and the food was about average. PS...Don't forget to pre-order your pizza while you wait for a table, it nearly took an hour for ours!

Ellie Y.

Based on the reviews, we might have just had an off experience. We showed up at 9:15 on a Friday night and there was a wait list, so we got on it and were handed a buzzer and said it would be about 5-10 minutes. After about 20 minutes we notice that people are walking into the restaurant and being seated, so my husband comes up and they realize they stopped checking the list. People make mistakes, but we were hungry and tired, but we can forgive that. They sat us in the basement where there were about a dozen tables, of which only 3 were occupied when we arrived, which is what actually annoyed us about the wait. The wait service was spotty, and when we were ordering the waitress casually asked marinara for our breadsticks, which we said sure to. After the bill arrived that tiny suggested cup of sauce was $3. It wasn't listed on the menu, and I hate getting stuck like that. All this stuff can be forgiven if the food rocks, right? We had deep dish, and the crust was bitter, almost like it had some type of cleaning agent in it. EW. Did I say ew? Because I meant ew. Given the wait for our seating and the cook time wait, we just avoided the crust. I think it was my husband's first real Chicago pizza experience in Chicago, and it pretty much sucked. Fortunately a trip to Giordano's a few days later saved Chicago's pizza reputation.

Marie M.

They have the best Thin Crust pizza i've ever had. Their deep dish is good too, I had better though. The atmosphere is really nice, i love that it is kinda small and all the servers are friendly. Price very reasonnable for the area. The missing star is for the not very friendly hostesses (and I mean all of them, because I went there many time and they were NEVER friendly nor smiling).

Don B.

Met a friend for lunch on a Saturday. Walked right in and sat at the bar but there were plenty of tables open. The bartender was very friendly and got us our drinks right away. It was both of ours first time here, we got the Rudy's Special and it was excellent, probably the best thin crust I've had in Chicago. Overall food and service were both great, I will definitely be back.

Pete L.

On my resent visit to Chicago, friends and I decided we have to have "Chicago Pizza!" -with so much choices, we looked it up in Yelp and a guide book that a hotel gives out when you check-in...can never trust an advertisement in a hotel guide book... but Pizano's turns out to be a real thing. Place seated about 10~14 table (and I think they also had a extra tables in the back) feel family owned pizza place with a good service and friendly suggestion on food selections. Wait for a table was about 35~45 min, but with a host suggestion to order the pizza in advance help out getting food serve with in 10 min after we were seated. Tell will also do half - half topping on the pizza but it might coast extra. Overall great place to eat and I would go again on my next visit to Chicago.

Mandy P.

When friends come to visit, we tend to take them out for deep dish pizza (how cliche). This is my pick for such pizza. Pizano's has a mom and pop vibe, good pizza, and a quarter of the wait that you get around the corner at Giordano's. As a bonus you can get a deep dish chocolate chip cookie - phenomenal!

Summer S.

I was very impressed with the thin crust pizza. It was completely different from what I was expecting. The crust is unique--crunchy and the dough is similar in look to a graham cracker crust in that it looked like it was packed in the pan rather than rolled out. I ordered the BBQ chicken pizza. It wasn't doused in BBQ sauce, which didn't overwhelm the other ingredients and allowed for a slight taste of BBQ sauce tang. We had terrific service as well. Our waitress was attentive and we always had what we needed. The restaurant had a nice family and neighborhood feel to it.

Erika G.

Cute, friendly, unpretentious place to kick back and have an after-shopping drink downtown. Friendly, chatty, cute bartender. Not intimidatingly swank, and NO attitude. Only had drinks here, but the food smelled VERY good.

Lindsey B.

My first Chicago deep dish!! Amazing. Totally better than expected. We got the pepperoni-sausage. We also got a thin crust veggie. The deep dish exceeded my expectations full circle. I really didn't know what to expect from a deep dish, I just knew I didn't like a SUPER thick crust. Well, this pizza was the right amount of thick, deep any whatever other adjective is appropriate. The cheese was so fresh and the crust was light, delicious and almost pie-like. We also had the anti-pasta which was full of fresh meats and dressed perfectly. Only downside was the hour-long wait but is WAS worth it. We were able to put our pizza order in when we put our name in so that was also helpful. Definitely a pizza I am now craving, back in California.

ryan w.

One night I dragged my dad and sister into this place despite their bitching about the historically long waits for a table. Totally worth it. About a half hour into our meal, a monster-sized white SUV pulled onto the sidewalk in front and none other than OPRAH walked out! After talking on her cell phone for a minute she came into the restaurant looking buzzed and giddy (and thin, you haters). Silence fell over the dining room and then - not making this up - a middle-aged woman called out, "Yaaaaaay, OPRAH!!!" From then it was a fucking lovefest, man. Everyone in that place, diners and staff included, stopped to greet the Queen of Chicago. And Her Highness delivered, carefully walking through the dining room and waving to us stunned plebes as light applause and supportive hoots trailer her and her bodyguard to a private table in the back. Even my dad, stoic and grouchy to a fault, got in on the act. "Oprah, Where's Gail?" he called out. The old man seemed genuinely concerned, as if it troubled him to see the Queen dining alone. I don't even watch Oprah or dig her whole persona but I left Pizano's that night feeling refreshed, as if I'd discovered The Secret to wealth and happiness, or finally reconciled the chasm between Mars and Venus...or...never mind. Another time in here, my ex-girlfriend scolded my 8 year-old cousin Roman when he said that Superman Returns was the "bestest movie in the world." Ex: "It's best movie, Roman, not bestest." Roman: "Oh." Ex: "Best." Roman: "I like Superman." Ex: "Say it the right way now. Best." Roman: "Superman." Ex: "Best, honey. Remember, it's best." God damn schoolteachers - can't leave the job at work. Anyway, the pizza here is pretty good. Thin crust with a hint of cornmeal and the meat toppings all have that hearty, marinated-in-grease-all-morning flavor; you know, it has a hint of blood, but in a good way. After the crunch comes the gore - it's zombie food. Reminds of the pie at The Original Gino's on Rush Street, but less time-consuming and artery-clogging.

Michael M.

Pizza is terrible! If this guy is Lou Malnattis son then Lou kicked him out of the kitchen before he learned anything. Try the original...

Michael H.

Great lou malnati's style crust. Not exactly thin, but not thick.

meg g.

Benet, Erik and I eat a deep dish sausage with extra sauce every Friday. That can't be good for the arteries, but I truly believe Pizanos is worth the risk.

Christine C.

The Four Seasons Hotel recommended that we come here for some deep dish pizza. We were not disappointed. The walk was about 3 blocks and the weather was snow flurries! It was only a 15-20 minute wait and in that time we were able to place our order for a Small Rudy's Special (Cheese, Sausage, Mushroom, Onion, & Green Pepper). Once we sat down we also ordered the Large Pizano Salad...this was the best combo for the two of us. We truly enjoyed our Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Our waitress was Angelica and she was awesome. Very attentive to make sure that we had everything we needed. When we asked her at the end of our meal for things to do on a Sunday night, she was really enthusiastic and gave us a list of several things to do! I love it when people are excited about their city and want to show out-of-towners the best of their city! Thanks Angelica...we took you up on some of those recommendations!

andrew c.

I was gonna give it a 4 because I just gave Pequod's a 4 and I rate them both as having a great pan pizza, however, Pizano's thin crust allows me to rate them slightly higher. Pizano's on State St. has been my most consistent bet for pizza in Chicago over the last few years. Their pan and thin pizzas are amazing. My favorite is Mark's Special (sliced tomatoes, basil, and fresh garlic) add sausage if you like. The portobella mushroom appetizer and the pizano's salad are good starters. They have a respectable history, yet aren't as celebrated as some of the other local pizzerias (lous, uno/due, etc) although I heard Oprah said their thin crust was her favorite a few years ago. Bonus Points: last year on Valentines Day, they made me a heart-shaped pan pizza and my girlfriend loved it.

Nick A.

Good buttery crust..very greasy..Quick delivery..not enough sauce though..for the price it should be a damn near perfect pizza

Jennifer F.

Very long wait for nothing to special pizza. We waited a long time for a table, even longer for our food. The waitress seemed to be miserable. I think their reputation exceeds them a bit, and Im not being snooty about Chicago pizza because I am a new Yorker. I love the stuffed crust pizzas in Chicago and thought we would try a thin crust on our visit this time. The crust was quite yummy but I feel I do a better job myself at home. Just OK for me...sorry

Candace P.

Yum. Yum yum yum yum yum. After deciding that I had to have some Chicago pizza, we did some research and - even though Gino's East was right next to our hotel - decided to venture over to Pizano's. So glad we did! It was a weekday, so the place was very empty, but the owner and servers were extremely friendly, and you felt like a 'regular' right away. We had the mozzarella sticks (very basic but good!), and a thin crust sausage pizza. Oh the pizza! The cheese is so fresh and taste, the sauce is very light with fresh tomatoes, and the crust is buttery and crunchy! Just a little goes a long way, and we were stuffed before even half the pizza (smallest size is a medium) was gone. The decor is tacky and old school Italian, in a good way. Definitely worth a visit - cheap and delicious!

Maria C.

After being let down at Gino's East during a visit to Chicago we were pleased to have Chicago Pizza redeem itself when we tried a deep dish at Pizano's. The pizza was good and the fried ravioli were excellent.

Meghan G.

I ate here after class (Loyola's Water Tower campus) the other day- it was delicious. Yelper Matt G. and I are trying to eat at only "new" (to us) places, and this was on the list. We were charmed by the 50's and 60's-chic "Uncle Tony's Basement" decor- it is certainly not fancy, but exactly what you want from a Chicago dive. The pizza (thin crust- evidently it is their specialty) took 30 minutes to arrive, as they warned us. Bite One: HOT!! but wait... Bite Two: The crust...its so buttery and crunchy... Bite Three: The top is almost carmelized.... NOM NOM NOM (pizza craze) I always enjoy a good slice of pizza, but this was delicious! It was only $13 or so for a medium cheese thin crust, but they got us on the beers. I will be back (sans alcohol) to enjoy this amazing Chicago tradition- it is definitely the best thin crust I have ever eaten, and this coming from a gal who grew up in NY!

Jim P.

The service was great; the deep dish pizza wasn't anything to write home about, but their thin crust looked amazing as it was delivered next to us. 69% bar, 31% restaurant.

Lindsey S.

Some of the best pizza I've had in Chicago, friendly helpful staff (one waiter even stood on a chair with several cameras to take pictures of the group of girls I was with), good location with easy parking, but dingy, dark interior.

Lauren S.

Thanks to Pizano's, every other pizza I try to eat grosses me out. I can only eat Pizano's now. Thanks a lot, Pizano's!

Matthew C.

Our server was absolutely incredible, she was so nice and friendly, always there when u needed her and anticipated your every need, a true gem. There were 3 of us dining on Sunday night. We ordered Mark's special a medium deep dish with tomato, basil, mozzarella and fresh garlic, the menu said it serves 3 which it did but if you've got 3 hungry or really hungry guys I might recommend moving on up to the large. The pizza was great and came out in only 20 minutes. Although the decor was tragic (paper plates with santa on them decorate the walls for christmas, soooo tacky, they obviously need a gay in the family, but with that said personally I could care less about decor as long as there isn't bright direct lighting shining in my face. So I guess this means the only small thing they could improve is if they put the basil on the pie after it was cooked because you lose too much flavor when it goes in the oven.

Rebecca S.

Best Chicago-style pizza in Chicago, hands down. That's all that needs to be said.

Dave L.

If delivery didnt take so long, It would surely get 5 stars. The best thin crust pizza I have ever had.

SaSa ..

This is my favorite pizza place in Chicago. The crust is amazing - flaky and rich, but it's not overpowering. The sauce is slightly sweet, and there is plenty of cheese and toppings. As others have noted, the wait is typically 30+ minutes for your order to arrive, so order an appetizer to hold you over. I've always had good, attentive service, with quick refills on drinks, and quick clean up after the meal. My only complaint is the smoky environment. The smoking section is right near the front door, and I find that the smoke wafts around much of the restaurant. As a non smoker, I'd prefer if the smoking section were tucked away in the back. The easy way to solve the smoke problem is to order takeout - which we do too often!

Sy S.

This was started by Lou malnati also and it is in the top 3 for the best chicago pizza. They have the only thin crust that I would eat in chicago! Do not miss this place.

tessa c.

they use imitation brand cola and overcharge for it. how do i know this? after i tasted my friend's flat cola the server admitted it but couldn't give the real thing cos the owner was there on the night of our visit. meh! otherwise both times i went for pizza with my out of town friends it was very delicious! highly recommend and i like that it's open til 2 am on weekends. one of the few places in the loop open that late.

Aaron H.

I was in Chicago for a day last week, and was told to go to Pizano's for some good Chicago deep dish pizza. I cannot even begin to express how disappointed I was in the pies. I really enjoy chicago style and have made deep dish pizza several times before based on a lou malnati's recipe and it came out many times better than this even on my first attempt. Their crust was burned on the bottom on about half the pie, the dough was pressed way too thick on the corners and it was very dried out. Sauce was completely lacking in flavor/quality/quantity. It looked like they opened a can of store-brand budget diced tomatoes (you know, the ones that are half green and have stems included) and dropped 1/4 cup on top of the pie. Too salty also. Nothing good to say about it except that the sausage was good. I had 2 friends with me who will eat pretty much anything and even they thought it was bad. Will definitely not go back and would not recommend Pizano's to anyone.

Anonymous P.

One of the best pizzas I've ever eaten. I enjoyed this way more than Giordano's and Gino's. Butter cracker crust. Amazing, rich mozzarella. Light sauce. Perfect.

Liz A.

I went here once with friends and was so hungry, we waited 45 minutes and put in our order while we waited. I thought the food was fantastic but literally would have eaten anything you put in front of me. I thought the food was fantastic. Then I went back two weeks later and thought it was so-so. I might recommend but really, it was just general and the deep dish isn't classic Chicago style. I recommend the thin crust. Also, there is always a huge line during tourist season and in the winter there is no where to wait (except outside) because the place is so tiny.

Drucilla D.

The greatest pizza ever!! I HIGHLY recommend everyone try it. The service is a little too slow for my appetite (pizza's take 25-45 minutes to cook) but it is definitely, definitely worth the wait. Try the Cheesy Garlic bread in the meantime. It's open late and they do deliver and offer take-out, just call 45 minutes before you want to eat and it'll be perfect. Also, a good place for an occasional celebrity sighting - I dined there at the same time as Vince Vaughn and Cole Hauser while they were in town shooting THE BREAK-UP. No one bugged them (though we did stare on occasion) which was really cool. Also, if you're a Louis Prima or Dean Martin fan - you'll love the soundtrack at Pizano's. I definitely do - those are my boys.

ryan w. v.

I live above Pizano's so I have eaten there many times. My family LOVES it and thinks it's the best pizza in Chicago. I wouldn't go that far, but I do enjoy the thin crust pizza. Expect to wait about 30 mins or so for it to be brought to the table, but order minestrone soup or cheesy garlic bread while you wait. 'Brant's Favorite' is a great dish that I order often. It's spicy and fresh. 'Holly's Chocolate Chip Cookie' dessert is very good too, but make sure to split it with friends.

Maggie H.

The red and white checkered tablecloth gets me everytime. It lures me with promises of authentic Italian cuisine with old-fashioned taste and a regular crowd. Pizano's is an Italian bar/restaurant that you might not notice on the flashy stretch of State before the Rush and Division madness. I have to agree with everyone- the buttery crust of the thin crust pizza is delicious. How many deep dish pizzas can a gal have? I also love the four cheese homemade tortellini. For dessert, we opted for Holly's Chocolate Chip Cookie. A HOT chocolate chip cookie in a pizza pan with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream that makes you forget all about your pizza and pasta. Landing the perfect table can be tricky. In the summer, sit by windows that open onto the sidewalk. Skip the dining room in the back of the restaurant for the main dining area or even a seat at the bar. What keeps me from going back (and my waistline in tact) is the long waits we have endured for our food. I am pretty sure it's the pizza, but if only, some corners could be cut!

Hello S.

THEEEEE Best Pizza!!!!! I always picked Lou Malnatis over Giordanos, Unos, etc. but ever since I was introduced to Pizanos I don't even think about Lous anymore. Their thin crust is amazing and so is their thick. I can never choose so we usually get both. They are good on the drink refills. Cheesy Garlic Bread is awesome, and their house salad dressing is good too. My only wish is that they took reservations!

Sarah B.

This is the kind of pizza joint I wish I had in my neighborhood. Red-checkered-vinyl tableclothes, easy-going service, wine and freshly made pizzas. Not too touristy, take a date, a study group, family, or go solo.

Gavin G.

top notch pizzas are made and eaten here. i've had the deep dish and the thin crust, both are awesome. the thing i like is that on the deep dish they don't go too nuts with the cheese; it's not like crust, toppings, and then 3 feet of cheese. just a tasty layer, not overboard. the crust is great. my only complaint [and it's minor] is that the sauce has tomato chunks. i hate tomato chunks...

Steve R.

Not too bad of a place but I went expecting a deep dish pizza and it was in-between deep and thin. It was like they started to make the deep dish and never finished it. That being said it was pretty good. I would go back for sure.

rob m.

since this place has been reviewed to death, i'll keep mine short since i have been ordering pizanos for 10 years...the state street location will probably have better service than the loop location, the THIN crust pizza is my favorite in chicago, the pan pizza is average at best and not nearly as good as its cousin, lou malnatis....ordering carryout from the downtown location is a mistake as you will have to fight through the bar crowd to pay the bartender directly, you know how hard it is to get a beer at a crowded bar, try having to pay for a pizza amongst people trying to get drinks, i stopped ordering from them as it became too much of a hassle...seperately, i used to order delivery twice a week when i was dating a girl downtown and they really need to install a computer system if they haven't yet, also the pizza was never the same price twice which we always got a laugh from when it showed up....peace

W W.

The pizza here is pretty gross. If you are going into the restaurant even to pick up a pizza, you will come out reeking of smoke. It just seems really dirty to me. Also, the few times I did order there, they screwed up my order.

Julia B.

Fabulous pizza, pasta and salads. They have an OK wine selection. The atmosphere is a little romantic and very cozy. I would definately come back when I am craving Italian again!

Lisa K.

I think I have found a little gem. For all you tourists, locals as well (which you probably already know about this place) who enjoy spending a day of shopping up and down the mag mile and are looking for some great pizza, I would definitely recommend Pizano's Pizza found at the cross streets of State and Chestnut. I will say that I didn't get the typical Chicago style deep dish, which isn't really pizza, it is more like lasagna. The buttery thin crust, toppings, and cheese are awesome. The atmosphere was great. The prices are typical for pizza. The waitress was really nice. As a side note, I had ordered from Pizano's prior but only as delivery. There was an issue with the delivery and I didn't get the pizza til almost 2 hours after I ordered it. So as a way to say, sorry, the restaurant gave me my pizza for free and with the option for another free pizza. I thought it was a nice touch. I think it speaks well for the eatery. Come check out my blog to read about other great, and well not so great, Chicago restaurants...Where will I go next? lisak22.wordpress.com

Joseph S.

A few co-workers and I went to Pizano's for lunch yesterday . Everyone ordered the fettucine alfredo . What a disappointment ! It tasted like it was a month old and had been watered down . Sad to see a once good establishment cut corners to serve an inferior product . Very disappointing . I work in food service as a chef .

Amanda M.

Yummo! I highly recommend the thin crust. Also had a house salad and a whiskey sour -- both were delicious. Everything is fresh and tasty, and the environment is warm and inviting. Definitely worth the wait!

Dean K.

I sometimes get the most wicked cravings for this place. Their thin crust pizza, all buttery and caramelized on the bottom, just cannot be beaten. The cheesy garlic bread is a really good way to tide yourself over while you wait. Plus it's really inviting inside, especially near Christmas.

Yina S.

Great service! The server gave us a free dessert and it was very delicious! (it was like a chocolate pie in deep dish pan.) I went in with a group of 10 people. We only had to wait for about 5 minutes and got sat immediately. We ordered some appetizers, salads, and half cheese half pepperoni deep dish pizza.(Also had thin crust pizza but don't remember the name of it) Deep dish was alright, it was little too greasy for me. The crust of both deep dish and thin crust pizza were very hard. They were too hard for me to bite off to eat them. (I am a big fan of crunchy food...I can handle most of hard and crunch food) It is very close to the BEAN and millennium park. We were very tired to go to any other restaurant. I wouldn't recommend it, but it is not that bad especially if you are really hungry

Michele M.

In from outside of Philadelphia. Wanted authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. I go to Yelp frequently for reviews. We are staying near Pizano's and wanted to give it a try but was wary because of some of the poor reviews. I am glad I ignored them. Both service and food was outstanding. We sat at the bar and had the best bartender. He was funny and very accommodating. Pizza took almost exactly 30 minutes (as stated by establishment). And it was amazing. Crust was thick, but yet not heavy or too filling. I suspect that many of the negative reviews were posted by rivals (as I've seen such stories on 60 Minutes) or by those travelers that are inherently impossible and nothing will make them happy other than a free pizza and a personal server to attend to every whim. Yes, it was a bit expensive, but not overly so. You definitely get what you paid for. I plan to return when visiting Chicago and directing travelers here. I always go to Yelp for reviews, but never became a member. I did so tonight so I can post a review to counteract those who are posting poor reviews. This place deserves a better higher average rating. At least 4.

Regina S.

This place had me stumped. Having grown up in Chicago, I thought I had tasted just about every version of thin, deep dish and stuffed pizza. But no, Pizano's threw a wrench in that. The ambiance of the place is spot on for a cozy neighborhood feel - soft lighting, red & white table cloths, knick knacks everywhere, along with Christmas decorations tucked in about every nook and cranny. Loved it! We split a nice house salad that was super fresh, crunchy and refreshing. A thin crust sausage and mushroom came next. Even the look of the pizza was different. Usually a blanket of cheese covers the toppings, but this had some bald spots revealing the sauce underneath. I even saw the shredded ends of the cheese, which was a first for me. Yes the crust was buttery, but rather thick to be categorized as a Chicago thin crust. It reminded me of a Lou Malnati's deep dish dough, without the deep dish. I enjoyed it, but the flavor profile and the texture was strange to me. The sausage was not the plump well seasoned nuggets I am used to and the shrooms didn't add anything to the flavor profile. Did I eat it? Yeah, we managed to finish off most of the pie. But that was more as a result of hunger, than delight in what we were eating. Best of the Windy City?? Oh no, no, no.

Jennifer P.

Order the thin crust! It has a lot of flavor and it's crispy. Don't ordered the deep dish!!!! there is hardly any sauce, and it is not very good. Go to Lou manaltis! The service kinda took too long to me.

Tom D.

Threw away the delivery, it was pretty bad. Pizza was hard, like a cracker. Very burned. Spinach dip was also terrible. But we used the toasted bread to make mini sandwiches. So that was what we ate from the dinner, the bread.

Edward H.

Very disappointing, in fact I don't believe this store is still owned by the Malnatis, the quality just wasn't the same. The deep dish was flat and the crust was hard and in fact a little burnt, the sausage wasn't the same it had a slight after taste and the sauce was just plain. The service was good, we also ordered a pasta dish which was good. Another party with us ordered the thin crust sausage pizza which was ok the crust was hard an over done. Not only was the food disappointing the price for drinks is rediculous, a house Gin and Tonic was $12.90 a beer averaged $8.00 ea and parking in the area is expensive and difficult to find. Over all I would avoid this place and make the trip to the real Malnatis pizza. I'm not a fan of deep dish pizza to begin with but when I do have deep dish I go to Malnatis I would suggest you do the same.

Kris L.

This review is for delivery pizza. We ordered the thin crust because we had heard great things. I wanted to like it, really. It was a crunchy thick crust topped with chunky sauce (aka pieces of tomato only) with tons of cheese and little flavor. I really wanted to like pizanos but even giordanos thin crust is better. This pizza needed much more seasoning or something besides grease to add flavor! Price wise it was steep for quality. Delivery took over an hour for one thin crust pizza. I will stick with giordanos, lous, and piece in the future.

B A.

Good food. Honest management and servers. Open to end of hours they state on website. Lots of tv with all sports you can want

Mindy A.

Well I live in L.A., so I'm not exactly a Chicago-style pizza connoisseur, but I thought Pizano's was pretty good. The crust was delicious and there was plenty of sauce and cheese. I guess my one complaint about the pizza was that for a high price (over $20 for a small), they were kinda stingy on the toppings. Other than the pizza, the service was good and the beers were pretty cheap. Also, we thought about going to Gino's East while we were in town because it's supposed to be so good, but every day, all day, there was a line around the corner at that place. At Pizano's, we got a table right away on a Saturday afternoon.

Sable B.

Delicious! You need to get the combo cheese and meat ravioli appetizer- so, so good. We're only in town for a few days and it's where I wanted to go ALL. THE. TIME. The atmosphere and service is great as well. This is the first time I tried Chicago deep dish and I thought it was good, but nothing fantastic. Not sure if it is just the style of pizza or theirs? Either way, I feel like their other items are better. Plus, if you're a Michael Jordan fan the #45 jersey is hanging up at the bar, signed in a case with a little plaque.

Erica B.

Best pizza I have ever had. Wonderful, thin, buttery crust . Love their pizza.

Nora L.

I did not like their crust, don't know what it is but it doesn't seem like real pizza dough to me.

Kerri V.

We tried Pizano's tonight for the first time and unfortunately I don't think we will be returning customers. We ordered a Caesar salad and 14" pepperoni pizza, both of which were fine, nothing to write home about and certainly not worth the $37 we spent. It also took over two hours from order placement to delivery, understanding that it was a Friday night with a few big games on, we thought it would be closer to 60 minutes. Two hours is insulting. Overall I wouldn't recommend this place. Not because of the food quality, but the wait time was not worth it at all.

Triphena W.

Great place for deep dish if you're shopping around Michigan Avenue. I've had the Hey Hey Jack's Brickhouse Special (sausage and mushroom) and the Mark's Special (sliced tomato, garlic, basil). Both are fantastic. My brother preferred the Mark's Special. I always want sausage on my pizza; thus I really liked the Brickhouse Special. Their sausage is tender but not as greasy as Vito and Nick's. Pizano's is very generous with their sausage (read: you get sausage in every bite). The deep dish crust is similar to Lou Malnati's but is perhaps slightly more firm (ie harder to cut through with a butter knife). Overall, I think I might prefer the sausage deep dish at Lou Malnati's by a hair (I think the Lincolnwood location tastes better than the other locations for some reason). The deep dish at Pizano's (and Lou Malnati's) is different than Pequod's. The bottom crust at Pequod's is thicker and sometimes comes out a little dry. But the lip of the pizza crust is caramelized at Pequod's which is yum. I liked the thin crust at Pizano's, but I wasn't mesmerized by it like some are. We upgraded to the butter crust, but I don't think it elevated the pizza significantly. The crust was thin but substantial enough that the square slices didn't droop much under the weight of the cheese, sliced tomatoes, etc. I thought the amount of cheese and toppings to crust were well proportioned. The servers are friendly and the bussers are quick with refilling water and removing dirty plates. Today (Saturday) around 12:30pm, three of us were seated immediately but the restaurant was filled before 1:30pm. The restaurant space is small and a little dark due to lack of windows, but the atmosphere doesn't matter much when all you want is to feast on pizza with friends. I recommend their deep dish.

D H.

Great food. Great homemade rootbeer. The prices are great. A small deep dish is a large meal for one. The owner is so nice will come back when I'm in town.

A. C.

I only wrote a tip about how good the linguine is. But after having the cheesecake for dessert I had to amend my review. Amazing!

Kari C.

We stopped here for lunch right when they opened at 11 am. We got an appetizer and pizza. Really enjoyed the deep dish pizza, the crust wasn't chewy like bread but actually like a pizza crust which was nice. Service was good- fast and friendly!