Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
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Out and in town for some deep dish pizza? Grab a couple of girlfriends and drinks to go along with Malnati's classic! Gooey melty cheese with rich tomato sauce made for a savory and yummy filled meal. Service was friendly Thanks!
They were able to seat us right away which was great considering it was dinner time and the restaurant itself is popular. We ordered two small pizzas and it came out within 35 minutes which isn't bad at all considering they make it from scratch. Waiter was very attentive. Pizza was good however there was just so much grease, I got one with pepperonis and each pepperoni itself was like a little bowl of grease. I'm not sure if that's how all deep dish pizza is but oh my gosh. Still tasted good, however it was the type of meal you can only eat once in a while. I do recommend going, it's a quaint restaurant, we enjoyed it
The place definitely gives off a Family-style restaurant vibe. Personally, the upstairs area hit better for my style of dining--it felt a little more relaxed with a slightly older crowd. As for the food, I don't really have another Chicago deep dish spot to compare it to, but deep dish just didn't quite hit for me. I expected a little more in both flavor and quantity. The sauce was SLAMMING, but overall the pizza felt a little flat compared to what I had built it up to be. Service could definitely use a little pick-me-up too, as our drinks were forgotten on two separate occasions. Funny enough, after asking a local, they said deep dish really isn't their jam either. Either way, it was something we had to experience while in Chicago and we can officially check deep dish pizza off the Chicago bucket list!
Walked in around noon, quoted about 1-1.5 hour wait. Luckily walked to the bar and had 2 seats open. Two of us ordered: small - deep dish chicago classic $24.25 3oz ranch $0.95 It takes a long time for the pizza to bake ~40 min. Lou malnati definitely has a better crust than Giordano, though a bit on the wet side with the tomato sauce.
Listen I'm usually not a fan of deep dish in theory because to me I keep going a pizza need to be help in your hand not eaten with a knife and fork but when in Chicago you kind of have to do it And guess what? I did! And guess what? I actually liked it! I still prefer regular pizza but honestly this actually exceeded my expectations but I'm definitely not a huge sauce fan and this obviously has a lot but it is what it is The place had a sports bar vibe the service was good and we had a nice time Glad I tried it
Booked on OpenTable and got in easily at reservation time. 5/5 ravioli crisps were delicious. Airy and crisp and melty cheese. Got a side of delicious ranch. 5/5 Malnatis salad - this salad is everything. I don't know why it's so delicious but it is. A small fed 2 of us with extra left over. 4.5/5 Thin crust the Lou + sausage and pepperoni. The size was bigger than expected. I didn't care for the tomatoes personally but that's my own taste thing. I liked the thin crust and cheese. 4.5/5 Deep dish Chicago classic - good size, 2 pieces to share. Bestie loved the sausage. Sat in a corner for 2. Small space but it was adequate and quiet but we were pretty close to ppl next to us. There's a pretty big seating area in the back that's more open. Service was consistent but felt a bit rushed. Overall a great lunch experience.
It truly pains me to say that my longtime personal favorite Chicago institution may finally be slipping into the "too big for their britches" category. While I am not a native, I have been a frequent visitor over 20 years and always brag on Lou's as the best of the big boys and as good as several of the lesser known neighborhood spots. Sadly, my last two in person visits have more closely resembled the frozen product they ship from their website. The most recent visit last week included 11 other family members who were "first timers" that had trusted my recommendation for the good stuff only to be disappointed by both the temperature and small amount of both cheese/sauce. We shared several large, medium and personal pies across the menu and I honestly can't say a single one measured up to the standard they have set for decades. The always delicious butter crust saved this from being a one star review, but my next visit to Chitown may not include another visit to any of the way too many locations.
This location of Lou Malnati's is deceptively large. We went for a late night dinner around 9:45 PM on a Saturday and there were still plenty of tables even for large parties available. They do take about 45 minutes or more for their deep dish pizzas, so definitely not a spot to come through if you're in a hurry. Vibes are super cozy with plenty of huge round tables and booths as well as multiple large TVs on the wall. Totally see the appeal of coming here on a cold fall / winter night with a huge group to stuff your face. Deep Dish: The crust is almost like a thin biscuit with almost a buttery crumble mouthfeel. Sauce has a good amount of tang and there's a generous amount of cheese. I thought having the disc of sausage was a nice touch so that you actually got sausage in every bite. Thin Crust: This one is a skip for me. It's not bad by any means, but it's so much worse than actual tavern style that it isn't really worth trying. The sweet peppers are a nice touch, but the crust is just a little off and bland.
The locals and reviews are mostly right! Lou Malnati's does a better job at striking a balance with the cheese and sauce. For Chicago style pizza it is not overly sauce nor overly cheesy in my opinion compared to like Giordornos and Uno's so I appreciate it being lighter in that regard. This location was close to our hotel (Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile) and they have two levels (or more?) so we were directed to the upper level for dining. Be prepared to climb a good amount of stairs if physically able. Since we had a late lunch, and this was an 8pm dinner reservation, we split a small margarita pesto pizza and a salad. It was enough to be satisfied. I also love that they have personal size pizzas. That and their affordable happy hour menu drew me in. Not to mention the recommendations online as must try pizza. Also be sure to allow 45 minutes of your experience for them to actually make the pizza. Ordering to go is another option but imagine the 45 minutes still stands. Luckily it didn't feel THAT long. Nice staff, TVs nearby and great to take the entire family. I saw cocktails being ordered also. Overall it was ok, and granted I didn't have a cheese with toppings to compare, but I would certainly return to try again or do their happy hour! Again, Very relieved at the cheese to sauce ratio here.
Solo diner on a Monday night. Most important - pizza (hot honey) was great! Although I thought it would be a little "deeper" but I just had a personal size pie. And I took advice from Yelp and grabbed an OpenTable reservation which meant I waited less than 10 minutes after arriving early. Negative was that beers were really expensive - nearly $12 for a regular sized draft. And service was not that attentive to me, but I also didn't need much so that probably contributed Recommend - and would like to go back with a larger crowd - was lively and fun!
Never thought a pizza place would be so memorable. Until now. Near the river sits a basement pizza shop that you cannot pass by. We arrived at opening to a line out the door. Found two seats at the bar and off we went. Salad, pizza, wings. Our tender was great and made sure not a single detail was out of order. Pizza was from another world, salad the same. But the WINGS.... A pizza place should t have wings that good. Not sure how to make this review more about the pizza and less wings but dang they were the best. This is a can't miss stop in CHI. Get the Hot Honey pizza and the wings!!
We stopped in for lunch and overall had a good experience with the service. The restaurant is on the smaller side and felt a bit crowded, with tables packed closely together. Both the host and our server were friendly and welcoming, which we appreciated. We tried the deep-dish pizza, but it was much greasier than we expected. I wasn't able to eat very much of it because of the amount of grease. The mozzarella bites were excellent, and the kids really enjoyed their chicken tenders and fries. Unfortunately, after our meal, multiple members of our family didn't feel well. While we can't say for certain what caused it, combined with how greasy the pizza was, it left us with a disappointing overall impression. Because of that experience, we don't plan to return.
My first time trying deep dish pizza. This place was popping - clearly a popular choice. We were lucky to be sat immediately but it got very busy with a wait right after 12 noon. The pizza took 45 minutes to come out but was solid. I got the Mike's Hot Honey personal size (6") and enjoyed it. Flavors were pretty good and serving size was just right!
Spent 5 days with my son in Chicago and this was our first stop. We're staying at the River north area and I made a reservation for Monday 7pm. However we arrived earlier than scheduled and we ended up getting settled at our hotel so we walked and went in early. We arrived at 4pm and they let us in - was perfect because it wasn't busy. It's my son's first visit to Chi-town so I think this is a good first meal. We got the Chicago meatballs so we can eat something as the deep dish pizza takes 30 mins. The meatballs are flavorful and filled us up until we get our pizza. We picked the Malnati's Chicago classic - medium. The butter crust is really good and the cheese to meet ratio is balanced. While it is deep dish - it didn't feel like it's super thick, I think the butter crust was the difference. It was quiet when we arrived and we were seated in the dining area by the back in the ground level. There was only 1 group and another couple when we arrived so it wasn't loud. I'm sure when it's peak hours it'll be more festive and busy. Great first meal - order some starters if you're hungry. Medium was quite big for 2 people but good if you want to have some slices to-go. read more
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Lou M.
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My first time having deep dish pizza! It wasn't bad. Was expecting more flavor to the sauce so the all of the reviews raving how good the sauce was. If you're in Chicago, you definitely have to try a deep dish pizza. Service was good. The wait time for a deep dish pizza is 30 minutes so be sure not to come starving. I also recommend making a reservation ahead of time. We came on a Saturday at 2pm and the wait was 1.5 hours for two people but we already had a reservation so there was no wait read more
This place is really busy and in the heart of Chicago. Expect to wait if you didn't make reservations. And it's very loud. Does it live up to the hype. No. Decidedly no. Maybe I am not a big fan of Chicago style pizza. I do know whatever pizza I had wasn't very good. The dough was not done through the middle. So bites of it was filled with raw dough. We had olives, and those taste very tinny - Like a strong metallic taste. Our other friend got an Italian beef sandwich that also wasn't very good. Kind of a tourist trap, is you ask me. read more
Out and in town for some deep dish pizza? Grab a couple of girlfriends and drinks to go along with Malnati's classic! Gooey melty cheese with rich tomato sauce made for a savory and yummy filled meal. Service was friendly Thanks! read more
They were able to seat us right away which was great considering it was dinner time and the restaurant itself is popular. We ordered two small pizzas and it came out within 35 minutes which isn't bad at all considering they make it from scratch. Waiter was very attentive. Pizza was good however there was just so much grease, I got one with pepperonis and each pepperoni itself was like a little bowl of grease. I'm not sure if that's how all deep dish pizza is but oh my gosh. Still tasted good, however it was the type of meal you can only eat once in a while. I do recommend going, it's a quaint restaurant, we enjoyed it read more
The place definitely gives off a Family-style restaurant vibe. Personally, the upstairs area hit better for my style of dining--it felt a little more relaxed with a slightly older crowd. As for the food, I don't really have another Chicago deep dish spot to compare it to, but deep dish just didn't quite hit for me. I expected a little more in both flavor and quantity. The sauce was SLAMMING, but overall the pizza felt a little flat compared to what I had built it up to be. Service could definitely use a little pick-me-up too, as our drinks were forgotten on two separate occasions. Funny enough, after asking a local, they said deep dish really isn't their jam either. Either way, it was something we had to experience while in Chicago and we can officially check deep dish pizza off the Chicago bucket list! read more
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Lou M.
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Walked in around noon, quoted about 1-1.5 hour wait. Luckily walked to the bar and had 2 seats open. Two of us ordered: small - deep dish chicago classic $24.25 3oz ranch $0.95 It takes a long time for the pizza to bake ~40 min. Lou malnati definitely has a better crust than Giordano, though a bit on the wet side with the tomato sauce. read more
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Lou M.
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Listen I'm usually not a fan of deep dish in theory because to me I keep going a pizza need to be help in your hand not eaten with a knife and fork but when in Chicago you kind of have to do it And guess what? I did! And guess what? I actually liked it! I still prefer regular pizza but honestly this actually exceeded my expectations but I'm definitely not a huge sauce fan and this obviously has a lot but it is what it is The place had a sports bar vibe the service was good and we had a nice time Glad I tried it read more
16 days ago
Booked on OpenTable and got in easily at reservation time. 5/5 ravioli crisps were delicious. Airy and crisp and melty cheese. Got a side of delicious ranch. 5/5 Malnatis salad - this salad is everything. I don't know why it's so delicious but it is. A small fed 2 of us with extra left over. 4.5/5 Thin crust the Lou + sausage and pepperoni. The size was bigger than expected. I didn't care for the tomatoes personally but that's my own taste thing. I liked the thin crust and cheese. 4.5/5 Deep dish Chicago classic - good size, 2 pieces to share. Bestie loved the sausage. Sat in a corner for 2. Small space but it was adequate and quiet but we were pretty close to ppl next to us. There's a pretty big seating area in the back that's more open. Service was consistent but felt a bit rushed. Overall a great lunch experience. read more
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Lou M.
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24 days ago
It truly pains me to say that my longtime personal favorite Chicago institution may finally be slipping into the "too big for their britches" category. While I am not a native, I have been a frequent visitor over 20 years and always brag on Lou's as the best of the big boys and as good as several of the lesser known neighborhood spots. Sadly, my last two in person visits have more closely resembled the frozen product they ship from their website. The most recent visit last week included 11 other family members who were "first timers" that had trusted my recommendation for the good stuff only to be disappointed by both the temperature and small amount of both cheese/sauce. We shared several large, medium and personal pies across the menu and I honestly can't say a single one measured up to the standard they have set for decades. The always delicious butter crust saved this from being a one star review, but my next visit to Chitown may not include another visit to any of the way too many locations. read more
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Lou M.
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This location of Lou Malnati's is deceptively large. We went for a late night dinner around 9:45 PM on a Saturday and there were still plenty of tables even for large parties available. They do take about 45 minutes or more for their deep dish pizzas, so definitely not a spot to come through if you're in a hurry. Vibes are super cozy with plenty of huge round tables and booths as well as multiple large TVs on the wall. Totally see the appeal of coming here on a cold fall / winter night with a huge group to stuff your face. Deep Dish: The crust is almost like a thin biscuit with almost a buttery crumble mouthfeel. Sauce has a good amount of tang and there's a generous amount of cheese. I thought having the disc of sausage was a nice touch so that you actually got sausage in every bite. Thin Crust: This one is a skip for me. It's not bad by any means, but it's so much worse than actual tavern style that it isn't really worth trying. The sweet peppers are a nice touch, but the crust is just a little off and bland. read more
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Lou M.
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The locals and reviews are mostly right! Lou Malnati's does a better job at striking a balance with the cheese and sauce. For Chicago style pizza it is not overly sauce nor overly cheesy in my opinion compared to like Giordornos and Uno's so I appreciate it being lighter in that regard. This location was close to our hotel (Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile) and they have two levels (or more?) so we were directed to the upper level for dining. Be prepared to climb a good amount of stairs if physically able. Since we had a late lunch, and this was an 8pm dinner reservation, we split a small margarita pesto pizza and a salad. It was enough to be satisfied. I also love that they have personal size pizzas. That and their affordable happy hour menu drew me in. Not to mention the recommendations online as must try pizza. Also be sure to allow 45 minutes of your experience for them to actually make the pizza. Ordering to go is another option but imagine the 45 minutes still stands. Luckily it didn't feel THAT long. Nice staff, TVs nearby and great to take the entire family. I saw cocktails being ordered also. Overall it was ok, and granted I didn't have a cheese with toppings to compare, but I would certainly return to try again or do their happy hour! Again, Very relieved at the cheese to sauce ratio here. read more
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Lou M.
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Solo diner on a Monday night. Most important - pizza (hot honey) was great! Although I thought it would be a little "deeper" but I just had a personal size pie. And I took advice from Yelp and grabbed an OpenTable reservation which meant I waited less than 10 minutes after arriving early. Negative was that beers were really expensive - nearly $12 for a regular sized draft. And service was not that attentive to me, but I also didn't need much so that probably contributed Recommend - and would like to go back with a larger crowd - was lively and fun! read more
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Lou M.
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1 day ago
Never thought a pizza place would be so memorable. Until now. Near the river sits a basement pizza shop that you cannot pass by. We arrived at opening to a line out the door. Found two seats at the bar and off we went. Salad, pizza, wings. Our tender was great and made sure not a single detail was out of order. Pizza was from another world, salad the same. But the WINGS.... A pizza place should t have wings that good. Not sure how to make this review more about the pizza and less wings but dang they were the best. This is a can't miss stop in CHI. Get the Hot Honey pizza and the wings!! read more
2 months ago
We stopped in for lunch and overall had a good experience with the service. The restaurant is on the smaller side and felt a bit crowded, with tables packed closely together. Both the host and our server were friendly and welcoming, which we appreciated. We tried the deep-dish pizza, but it was much greasier than we expected. I wasn't able to eat very much of it because of the amount of grease. The mozzarella bites were excellent, and the kids really enjoyed their chicken tenders and fries. Unfortunately, after our meal, multiple members of our family didn't feel well. While we can't say for certain what caused it, combined with how greasy the pizza was, it left us with a disappointing overall impression. Because of that experience, we don't plan to return. read more
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Lou M.
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My first time trying deep dish pizza. This place was popping - clearly a popular choice. We were lucky to be sat immediately but it got very busy with a wait right after 12 noon. The pizza took 45 minutes to come out but was solid. I got the Mike's Hot Honey personal size (6") and enjoyed it. Flavors were pretty good and serving size was just right! read more
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Lou M.
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This Lou Malnati's is on the northwest side of Lou locations in Chicago. Wells Street is small, and the waiting area inside is not big. There are some outdoor seating and plenty of indoor seating, including an upstairs. Service was nice. They came by to ask us how we were doing - probably they could see us bored waiting for the pizza. Yes, the deep dish pizza takes a while to cook. We ordered several for our big group, so we knew there would be some time to kill. If I had known we could pre-order, I would have done so. The phone message system is not very clear. Also I made a reservation on Open Table, but the host wasn't really acknowledging them. I had to go check in to make sure they had my name down. Classic $38.25 (large, has 8 slices) / highly recommend this one. I love it so much! Hot honey $40.25 for deep dish large size - this was ok to try but not as strong as I'd like Margherita pesto - ehh, I wouldn't get it again The Lou - I also wouldn't get this again when the classic is so good! Can't wait to come back to Chicago for more deep dish pizza! read more
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Lou M.
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I lament the fact that all the Pizzeria Uno restaurants in Philly are long gone. There is an Uno Chicago Grill in the suburbs of Philly and I have gotten great deep dish pizza there. But thankfully I have been able to get to Chicago to eat at Lou Malnati's, which is that same style of deep dish pizza but done better. The Lou Malnati's father worked at Pizzeria Uno before the family branched out on their own. The Malnati Chicago Classic is an outstanding deep dish pizza. The Italian sausages are so flavorful. And you get a mouthful of sausage and cheese in every delicious bite. Lou Malanati's is another five star deep dish pizza spot in Chicago. More about taking Amtrak to Chicago: https://youtu.be/-QGqzFLrvyE?si=tY3MP6JpGKqY_qjH read more
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Lou M.
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First time in Chicago and every reel I saw said to come here for Chicago deep dish pizza. I arrived after 5:30pm and was seated immediately in a booth on the 2nd floor. Elliott was the server and took my order fairly quickly. I ordered a personal Deep Dish Margherita Pesto which Elliott made aware that it would take over 30 minutes to make as each pizza is fresh handmade and after finishing the pizza I ordered the Beef Sandwich with Fresh Fruit. The pizza crust was quite hard for my liking but it was delicious. I really enjoyed it. The beef Sandwich was good. Dipping the sandwich into the au jus enhanced the flavor. I was so full. Elliott was nice, accommodating and efficient. I will definitely be coming here again for the food and good, efficient service. Inside was cozy and very spread out. I liked that inside was cold but it was probably like that because two huge parties came in after me. read more
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Lou M.
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Pre-order your pizza and make a reservation It takes a while to bake a deep dish pizza, but it is good. The room is comfortable and the service is attentive. read more
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Lou M.
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I really try my best to find the silver lining in everything, but this place was so disheartening. Everything I read online and heard from family who live in Milwaukee and frequent Chicago talked up this place a little too highly. That said, it could just be this location and the timing. We went in as a party of 7 on a busy Friday at dinner time. To start, this place is FILTHY. I mean FILTHY. Every handle was greasy, every window glass or pane had fingerprints and smudges all over, and the floor looked like it hadn't been swept or mopped in a few weeks to a month. The bathrooms had toilet paper all over plus just looked nasty, like dive bar/club bathrooms, the railings to get upstairs looked disgusting. I mean this particular location was just gross, so I can only imagine what the kitchen looks like. Just from first glance, I honestly wanted to walk out and not subject my family to this place for fear of getting sick from the food, but I decided to go ahead anyway and hope for the best. Not sure what's going on, but hopefully management gets their staff to clean better or hire more cleaning staff? Had this place not been so famous and we hadn't traveled all day to get to this part of the country, plus driven over here and found great parking, I would have walked out. Seriously, it was that bad. Once you get past the filth, I'd say the staff was efficient but not super friendly. They weren't really willing to accommodate some of our requests, citing they're just too busy, for example, our seating requests to be out of the drafty area, as we had older folks in our group. That also added an extra layer of discomfort for us. Lastly, the pizza itself, we ordered: -Malnati Chicago Classic - this was a disappointing wet mess. Felt super soggy, like they rushed making it. Was not impressed at all. Again, could be THIS location and the timing? -The Lou - yes yes, this was much better, and we were beginning to feel like things were turning around. It made up for eating in a dust bowl. -The Veggie thin crust - This too was perfect for the health nuts in our group who didn't want to get too full. As well as a couple of bottles of wine, beer, and cocktails. Unfortunately, with such a bad first experience, I'm passing on this whole chain for next time. Will try some of the other somewhat hyped deep dish pizzas in town. They're busy here, though, so I'm sure they will be fine. Tip: If you still decide to come here, be ready to wait a while for better seating accommodations, there's mostly street parking, bring hand sanitizer, and good luck! read more
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Lou M.
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28 days ago
Yea, that hit the spot. On a busy Tuesday, the wait was about maybe 45 minutes. Not too shabby for the heart of downtown. Went and had some ice cream from Ghirardelli until it was our turn to deep dive into some deep dish pizza. The pizza, the boneless chicken wings, ravioli.....I was ready to crash for a nap after that. Fortunately, our hotel wasn't too far away of a walk. The place is set up nice, underground pizza parlor style. The Cubs/Dodgers game was happening at the same time. Got to watch some of that while we were at it. I will definitely be back! read more
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Lou M.
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3 months ago
Very classic ambiance, typical old Chicago look. They have seats ranging from chairs to booths. Great thing was that they had a booth for 2. We ordered 2 personal pizzas - The "classic" pizza was amazingly tasty. Sauce was rich, tangy with a flavorful bite of the sausage. The " Lou" pizza which was spinach and mushroom and garlic - this one was not as tasty. The tomato sauce in "Lou" was overpowering everything else. It's a good option for vegetarians, but not the best balance of flavors. read more
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Lou M.
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we came here as a big group and hungry. we didn't know that the deep dish pizzas take 35-40min to make, which is what our server told us when we sat down. we ordered some garlic bread to start and it was pretty dry and hard :( when the pizzas came, it was a pretty strange and inefficient format where the server asked everyone individually what they wanted before proceeding to cut a slice for them. this meant some of us were eating before the rest, and by the time the last person got their food, the first was done with their slice. the pizzas were also not very hot. later on it ended up being self serve anyway -- I wish we could just serve ourselves. the pizzas themselves were pretty underwhelming -- the crust was like a tart shell but hard and bland. the cheeses wasn't very melty and stretchy because the pizzas weren't that hot. there aren't a lot of good meat options too. read more
4 months ago
Was highly recommended to come to Lou malnatis to try deep dish pizza for the first time and it did not disappoint. I love that this location is open late so I was able to come here right after a late night flight. Location is a little confusing to find at night but manageable. Took the elevator to the restaurant and was seated immediately. Ordered the malnati Chicago and the malnati salad. Keep in mind that it takes about 45 minutes for a deep dish to be ready so be patient lol .We received our salad and it was delicious especially the vinaigrette. I literally scrapped my plate. When we got our pizza and took the first bite I loved it! I loved that it was super saucey it was the right amount of meat,cheese, and veggies. I can't wait to come back on my next visit to Chicago read more
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Lou M.
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This was my first time trying deep dish and it wasn't bad! The hot honey was pretty good, and the cheese had an awesome cheese pull. We ordered it to-go, which could've been the reason the crust was a little soggy. The wait was about 1 hour for the pizzas, which i'm unsure if I would wait again for that long. I would recommend ordering it in the restaurant instead of taking it to go! read more
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Lou M.
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We preordered our pizza for 8pm, we ordered two pies one thin crust and one deep dish. The deep dish was pepperoni and the thin crust was regular cheese. When we got there at 8, we get seated in about 10 minutes, we had informed the server that our order was pre-ordered but they apparently forgot the pepperoni. So we sat and ordered drinks and waited, when it finally arrived it was very hot and fresh. I was anticipating this pizza for over 8 years since the last time we were in Chicago and fell in love with it. What a let down, the crust was crunchy but it absolutely had no flavor, the cheese and toppings were ok, but it was a disappointing experience. They say the recipe wasn't changed but you can taste the differences. Ambiance was casual dinner type restaurant and had a nice sports bar. read more
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Lou M.
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I enjoyed their deep dish pizza well enough. The crust is crunchy and thick and holds up well to the sauce. The sauce seems house made as it has a strong taste of fresh tomatoes. Tasty, but I personally prefer a more robust marinara. The cheese was very thick, gooey, and was a typical pizza mozzarella. Our waiter was not great. We were there at 2:30 on a weekday in a sparsely populated restaurant and he still took a long while to service us. I am a server as well and he could have just been having a bad day. Prices were higher but not robbery considering location. Good choice to check off having decent deep dish, but not the best. read more
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Lou M.
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This was my second visit to Lou Malnati's, and after coming back again on another Chicago trip, I ended up bumping my review from 4 to 5 stars. This time I skipped the deep dish and ordered the lasagna instead. It was rich, cheesy, comforting, and honestly perfect after a long workday downtown. The sauce definitely leans sweet, which I personally liked, but I know that can be hit or miss depending on what style of red sauce you prefer. The bar was completely packed when I arrived, which says a lot on a random Wednesday. Even having to grab a table, the service was great. read more
We waited about an hour to be seated, and we ordered right away and took 40 minutes to get our food. We kind of disappointed with the pizza especially for how long we waited for it. The crust felt uneven and dry on the malnati special. We honestly would've been just as happy or happier with a frozen pizza. It is obvious this is more of a tourist place, and I wish we made time to try other pizza in Chicago. read more
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Lou M.
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Just arrived in Chicago from Los Angeles and felt since it was my first time in Chicago I had to get deep dish pizza. It is a small place with an upstairs that I did not see how large it was. The decor was pretty straightforward. Staff were all friendly but it seemed like they were stretched thin. We loved the bruschetta and Caesar salad. The hazy rotating beer was good. However, we were not that impressed with the pizza. It wasn't bad, but not that impressive. Prices seemed reasonable. read more
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Lou M.
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Pro tip: pizzas take 45 min to cook. First off, make sure you understand that there's a difference between deep dish and a NYC slice. Once you have that understanding, get your taste buds ready and pull out the fork and knife. Highly suggest the OG Chicago pie -- a buttery and flakey crust, despite being thick, with a layer of cheese, then tomatoes, and some carefully layered in sausage. Yum!! Two slices was more than enough to feel satisfied. read more
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Lou M.
We're delighted to see that you enjoyed your visit and appreciate…
Obviously when I found out we were going to Chicago, I knew I absolutely had to try deep dish. And I also knew I wanted to go to a Lou Malnati's location, since that's the chain I'd heard about the most. We showed up without a reservation on a very busy evening, so it was almost an hour of waiting before we were shown to spots at the bar, which suited me just fine because I'm always okay to sit at the bar. I felt like a cocktail and the Chicago-Style Bloody Mary ("Tito's Handmade Vodka, house tomato mix, pearl onion, tomato, Sport Pepper, pickle spear, celery salt rim") sounded quite tasty. And indeed it was. The balance of flavors was nicely done and the alcohol level was perfect. (I should also mention I'd been waiting for my chance to try the infamous Malort liquor, so when I spotted it on the shelf, I asked our super friendly and helpful bartender for a shot. She gave me a little smirk when I asked for it, which I thought was amusing, and then offered up a generous pour. It was...interesting. I'm glad I tried it but it's not something I need to ever drink again.) The star attraction, of course, was the deep dish. We opted for the Malnati Chicago Classic ("Made with Lou's lean sausage, some extra mozzarella cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce on Buttercrust") and it was phenomenal. It was so cheesy and delicious, and that sausage was top-notch. I enjoyed the heck out of it, and I can safely say it even exceeded my already-high expectations. I'm so glad we hung around for Lou Malnati's. It was totally worth the wait. read more
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Lou M.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We truly…
Out of curiosity I decided to place an order for pickup because I always see lines for this place. To be fair, I haven't yet had "chicago deep dish" so my expectations were pretty high since it's supposedly the bomb-diggity. So I called ahead at 1:05pm to ask about their lunch specials since I saw it advertised on social media but don't recall details and the fella who answered the ordering line said "I don't think we have anything like that", when I said I saw it online he said "well maybe you are right but I don't know about it".... Okay so you work the ordering phone line! How do you get paid to work here and not know or even care enough to find out? That is seriously lazy. Anyhow, with pure curiosity I decided anyways to order a deep dish personal sausage pizza with red sauce and cheese. The website said $14.99 and I could use grub hub or pay at pickup. I opted for pickup since it's just a short walk. I walked over. They wanted to charge $19.98 at pickup and I asked why while showing them my phone with website pulled up. I was initially told because I added sausage. Well I didn't add anything. I just ordered the standard sausage pizza. Logically I asked to see a menu. Their in-house menu also showed they do in fact offer a lunch special which includes a personal pizza with salad for $15.15 so I showed it to the cashier. I said so for 16-cents more I can get the salad too, I'll do that. She looked confused and said "oh you don't want this pizza then?" She was about to toss it in the trash can. I smiled politely and said "yes I'll take the pizza and for an additional 16-cents I'll also take a side salad". Then she proceeded to tell me salads are $15 and up if I wanted to order it and it might take about 15-20 minutes extra because they were busy if I wanted to wait. So I pointed to the menu's lunch specials, she said "let me get a manager". Omg. The manager came out, I said "can I just get this special which includes the personal pizza and side salad for $15.15 to go?" She replied "I'll do it for you this time, but you would have needed to place your order that way if you wanted that". I went on to explain I asked about it over the phone but the order-taker didn't know about any lunch specials so I just ordered the pizza" the manager smiled and said "no problem, I'll talk to my staff" and proceeded to offer me a complementary beverage. Well, I got home, opened the bag and the pizza was cold, totally dripping in grease and not even cut. Also quite small, it's smaller than a standard salad plate and $15.15+ tax. I put it in the oven for a few minutes. It was only ok, not very cheesy and honestly nothing to rave about plus with all that ordering headache I don't think I will ever bother going there again. Couple of things: train your staff to know what specials are available. Consider keeping pizzas warm until customer pickup. Truthfully most people probably would have just walked out empty handed with all that ridiculousness. I definitely did not feel it was worth the price, and my sanity was tested. Maybe I'm not much of a Chicago deep dish fan afterall. Meh! At least I gave it a chance. read more
I might've cheated a bit because I got a personal pan of deep dish and although it was delicious...I was told it isn't the true experience. However what I tasted was GREAT. I got the original but added hot honey, the sweet heat with that delicious sausage (I've literally never tasted anything like it) was GREAT. I did a To go order, they young lady that took my order was kind, but that's about all I have for comments on Service. The place was very busy so that's always a good sign. I definitely will come back and stay at the restaurant just to see how the taste compares. read more
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Lou M.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us! We're…
11 days ago
The pizza was really good. The bruschetta was absolutely amazing and refreshing. The atmosphere is super cool and it's like underground a little bit. The service was nice. Our waiter doesn't eat pizza but he was a chill guy and my family and I had a fun time with read more
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Lou M.
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In Phoenix, when a friend and colleague of mine comes to town for business, we typically take a work lunch at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. From the delicious deep dish Chicago-style pizza to the lunch specials to the great service, I've been impressed with the pizza taste and uniqueness. Since I was traveling to Chicago with that same friend and other friends, it only made sense that we did the same in Chicago. Five of us made a reservation on Open Table and went to this location last Saturday for lunch, and we enjoyed the food, the service, and the ambiance. When two of the five of us showed up at the time of our reservation, they offered to let us sit down in the dining room, though we waited until at least two others arrived before sitting. The servers were attentive with ordering, and we received food and drinks in a reasonable amount of time. We did get a bit confused with two Lou Malnati's locations in River North (as the other is on Michigan Avenue), and our Chicago local who joined us went to the wrong location first, but they were close enough to walk between. This location is open Monday through Thursday from 11 AM to 11 PM, Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 12 Midnight, and Sunday from 11 AM to 8 PM (though it's possible the Sunday hours close earlier just because tomorrow is Easter). I thought it stayed open in general on Sundays until 11 PM. While there are many kinds of pizza, there is something special about Chicago-style, which has flaky, buttery pizza crust, an exclusive sausage blend, vine ripened plum tomatoes from California, and Wisconsin cheese. There are at least 60 locations in Chicago, 2 in Wisconsin, 2 in Indiana, and 6 in Arizona. You can also use the app or the website to order pizzas to ship nationwide or local delivery orders (or pick up orders). You can join Lou's Rewards by going to https://www.loumalnatis.com/rewards. Each time you eat at Lou Malnati's, you earn 10 points for every dollar spent, and then you can use the points for different rewards. You get a free small pizza for your birthday and a bonus pizza for signing up. You also will get personalized offers throughout the year and are the first to learn about anything new at Lou's. I certainly recommend that you try this amazing pizza, especially if you have never had Chicago-style pizza before! read more
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Lou M.
Thank you for feedback! We look forward to welcoming you back soon.…
I went out with a group for the obligatory deep dish experience. A friend recommended this location, and we head a pretty great time. Entering the building and coming down the stairs had me thinking this was a much smaller place. But then we turned the corner towards our table and the whole place opened up. We took a few minutes to discuss the menu. As we had some vegetarian party members, we had to figure out what we were ordering. We went the pesto deep dish, and a thin crust with pepperoni. We also grabbed a few appetizers, since the server informed us the pizza could be up to 40 minutes wait. The bruschetta and the mozzarella bites were both solid choices. We ate every last bite. When the pizza arrived, the server cut it up for us and served us our heaping slices. The sauce was, in my opinion, the star of the show. For the deep dish, we could have used a bit more pesto. Plenty of bites we could barely tell it wasn't just a plain pie. For the thin crust, the pepperoni kind of overshadowed the amazing sauce. But still very yummy. We all had a bit of a sweet tooth, so we couldn't leave without trying the chocolate chip pizza, which comes in a little pan of its own. The cookie was great, with a nice finish on the bottom and sides. The ice cream was already a bit melted when it got to us, so perhaps it needed to be served a bit more quickly. All in all, I'd eat here again, but I think I'd like to try some alternatives as well. read more
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Lou M.
Thank you for feedback! We look forward to welcoming you back soon.…
7 months ago
I love Chicago. I have been several times. It is a great City, but I have to admit I did not go to Chicago to get the best deep dish pizza to be had, I ordered it, flash frozen, from a website called Goldbelly. It is the best website for great food and other things. It all comes when promised and it is so frozen. There are clear instructions on what to do with the expensive pizza you just bought. We are hooked. We are now also hooked on Lou Malnati's deep dish. It is the best deep dish you will ever have and there is enough to feed 4 people. They are ever so deep filled with the best sauce and cheese and the crust is so good. You just have to try it. It is just perfect. I called them to thank them for the great pizza and they were so very nice and hope we will come to Chicago soon and I think we will. I have seen photos and the place looks so cute and fun. Enjoy. read more
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Lou M.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're…
3 months ago
Trying authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza was at the top of my list, and Lou Malnati's did not disappoint! This was my very first Chicago deep-dish pizza experience, and now I understand why everyone talks about it. The buttery crust, layers of cheese, flavorful sauce, and generous toppings made every bite worth the wait. One thing I would definitely recommend is making a reservation if you can. This place is popular for a reason! We waited a little over 35 minutes for a table, but luckily a couple of spots opened up at the bar, and we grabbed them right away. The atmosphere was lively, the staff was friendly, and the pizza was everything I hoped it would be. read more
Business owner information
Lou M.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We're…
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More info about Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
439 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60654
River North, Near North Side
Directions
(312) 828-9800
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http://www.loumalnatis.com
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Ask the Community - Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
Is this place open on Christmas Day?
Not sure. Best you contact them directly or the location you wish to dine in. Much luck to you!
Between the shipped pizzas (cheese, sausage, pepperoni, spinach and veggie) which are the 2 best?
I'm sure it all depends on your tastes. I would send them to my parents when they wintered in Arizona and they liked the sausage, pepperoni and cheese. Turns out other parts of the country don't have access to the same flavored sausage that we do…
Are the wings breaded?
Does this location have frozen pizzas for take out?
Not sure BUT you can order and get them shipped to your address anywhere In the states
Are dogs allowed in the restaurant or in outside seating?
Service dogs with credentials are allowed in the restaurant, pet dogs are only allowed in the outside seating. We saw a couple with their dog outside.
When is the best time during weekdays to dine in and avoid the crowd as much as possible?
We went about 2 PM for lunch and it was busy but no problem getting a table. Another time we went for an early dinner around 5 or 530 and it was also no problem.
Do they sell deep dish by the slice?
No they do not. That said, I've never heard of any place doing this. How would that even work? its a deep dish
If it possible to pre-order a pizza over phone and then come in to dine?
No. It is not. I called and asked them this exact thing today, 3/17/19. You're allowed to order over phone for delivery or takeout, but not for dining. Once you arrive, if there's a wait, you can order your pizza so it's cooking while you're waiting…
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Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - pizza - Updated September 2026
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