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    Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

    3.4 (422 reviews)
    ModeratePizza, Italian
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 1 week ago

    Order Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Takeout or Delivery

    Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Photos

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    LOU MALNATI'S PIZZERIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Bruschetta
    Arlene L.

    Delicious pizza, awesome happy hr 3-5:30pm! We happened to arrive during happy hour and what a great experience! We got deep dish and thin crust personal pizzas, meatballs, bruschetta, rumble in the jungle and malnati mule cocktails all for$5 each! What a great meal for a great price!

    Melissa D.

    This was our 3rd time to a Lou Malnattis as it has become our go to when in chicago. The service was super friendly from the moment we walked in.The pizza was delicious and filling as always.

    Inside ambiance
    Scott N.

    We travel to Chicago a few times a year. We recently started a search for the best deep dish pizza. We are still looking. Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is the second place we've tried. The first received two stars, so we're moving up. We had a 5 pm reservation on a Monday. The place was pretty empty. The indoor space had a bit of a cool vibe to it. Our waiter was helpful and generally available when needed. We were hungry. We don't always get appetizers, but mozzarella sticks were recommended so why not. The sauce was good, but the mozzarella sticks were nothing special. We ordered The Lou because it was pretty darn close to what we normally order when it comes to deep dish pizza - spinach and mushrooms. The pizza was tasty and I loved the sliced Roma tomatoes on top. The cheese had a nice pull and the flavor was pretty good. It wasn't outstanding. We compare all deep dish pizzas with Zachary's in the East Bay (we lived in Hayward, CA for seven years) and Lou Malnati's left us wanting more. We are heading back to Chicago in June and we'll continue our search for the best deep dish pizza Chicago has to offer.

    "deep dish" from 1/16/2026

    I provided Malnatis with feedback on the deep dish pizza disappointment from a few weeks ago. They sent me a nice follow up email and indicated a second email would follow to thank me for my feedback. I never received that second email. Nonetheless, we decided to give them another shot tonight. Exact same experience with a ridiculously thick crust and almost no cheese. The crust was overcooked and dry. This pizza just does not qualifies as deep dish. Again, I'm throwing out half a pizza because nobody wants a second piece. To mitigate our risk, we also ordered a thin crust pizza tonight. Unfortunately, that pizza was also overcooked, and the crust was quite hard. At least the Malnati's salad was really good. They sent me an email tonight again asking for feedback on this latest order. I completed the entire form twice, providing detailed feedback and photos, only to have the app fail twice when I tried to submit it. So, Malnatis, after several decades of you being my favorite pizza place I'm sad to say we're done. I've attached a picture of the second deep dish pizza that we received tonight.

    BT N.

    I ordered a personal pizza for take out and it was delicious!! I did the deep dish veggie with pepperoni. There were a ton of toppings on it and the tomato pieces were so juicy. It was cooked perfectly, I was debating requesting it to be cooked extra but I'm glad I didn't.

    Menus
    Erika S.

    My first time in Chicago so of course i had to try some deep dish. I have had Unos at home but the real thing is 10 times better! The personal pan was just enough for me. They lay the sauce on the bottom and the toppings on the top of the cheese. I was so happy enjoying this, i took some to go and even brought it back home to DC to eat.

    Deep Dish The Lou
    Ineke S.

    Went here for lunch with my sons. I had never had deep dish pizza and was worried I wouldn't like it - seemed like too much! What we liked: - very friendly server - The "Lou" was very tasty - not as heavy as I expected with a nice amount of spinach so at least you can convince yourself you're getting some of your veggies in - the butter crust is VERY nice - we also ordered a thin crust pizza with sausage and tomatoes - it was delicious What wasn't perfect: - the ravioli with sauce (maybe a bad idea to order pasta at a pizza place?) - it's a long wait for the deep dish (they do warn you, though)

    Perfect slice
    Desiree A.

    We ordered ahead of time and had the best deep dish in Chicago! The staff was nice and answered our questions over the phone. We didn't eat in the restaurant but ordering online was easy.

    Hot Honey Wings
    Kevin D.

    A nice location, good service and apps, but only an okay pizza. In Chicago this time around, and there's a few things I got to try when I hit the city. The first up was a true Chicago deep dish pizza, so I found the closest place around to get one and made the trek. The location's pretty nice. It's mostly street parking but I think there was a lot not too far away. They have a nice terrace area and some roll-down openings to let some air in. Our server was nice but did take a while to get to us. The place recently opened so there wasn't many people there. The slow service would be a deterrent though if I was expecting expediency. We get the bruschetta and wings to eat while we wait for the pizza to cook. The wings are delightfully crispy and not overcooked. the hot honey was a little spicy, but not overly spicy. was more honey forward than spice. The bruschetta was great. garlic-y, fresh, with good tomatoes and just enough cheese to give it the salt it needed. Then came the pizza, which the server promptly took slices out and put on our plates. They ruined the picture, but it's a whatever. If this is Chicago style pizza, then I can respect the form but I am not a fan. The crust was very crispy, very cracker-like, with the flavor of butter. I really liked the sauce, the tomatoes were bright and fresh and the sauce was seasoned perfectly. The cheese was there, but very much just straight up mozzarella. The sausage "disk" that surrounded the pie was pretty novel but didn't really add anything other than a dense meat layer. Everything was executed correctly, the pie was cooked properly and everything was seasoned well. But this style of pizza is not my preference. It felt like I was eating a ritz cracker pizza with a sausage patty on it. Pricing wasn't too much. If memory serves, came up to 60 for a medium with two apps. A little pricy, but a fairly thick pizza. Overall, this location does a good job of representing Chicago's pizza style. They use fresh ingredients and have a good attention to detail. It's not for everyone, but it's a good place to try.

    Pizza toppings don't cover the crust
    Joshua S.

    I keep coming back to this place because it's so close, and they just keep messing up! No more. Not a well-run operation since it happens so often. This time, ordered carry out. Got home, wrong pizza, no salad dressing. Place was empty, so no idea why. The time before, the pizza was made terribly the toppings didn't come close to covering the crust (see the photo) And several messups before that. Just so disappointing...

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    1 month ago

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    2 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    4 days ago

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    10 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    28 days ago

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    6 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

    OMG, the chicken Alfredo is amazing. The portions to go are so generous. The ambience is great and the customer service is amazing as well.

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    11 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Excellent service. We placed an order for 4 pizzas and two salads. Everything was correct and the order was ready when promised.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    Lou M.

    Thank you for the 5-Star review Erin! We cant wait to serve you again!

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

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    4.2(2k reviews)
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    Spacca Napoli has been named the best pizza in Chicago and one of the best in the world, and it…read moresurely lives up to the hype.  My daughter and I came here once before, for the first time late last summer, and this time was our first time back this season!   Last time was on a Saturday and wait time for the patio was 45 minutes to an hour.  This time was on a weekday around 6:10 pm and there was no wait.  However, even for a Tuesday evening, the patio seating was constantly filled to capacity, and ambiance was truly relaxed and beautiful! This time I had a Funghi e Salsiccia ($22, blended San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, mushrooms, sausage, basil, and pecorino gran cru) and a Peach Tea ($6).  Daughter had a a Pistacchio Pizza ($23, fior di latte, sausage, pistachio cream, and basil) and a Campari Spritzer ($12).  The pizzas came out in about 10 minutes.  Like a typical Neapolitan pizza, their pizza crust was fluffy, chewy and tender, and the pizzas and toppings were fresh and flavorful.  Each of us could only finish half of our pizzas, and was happy to have half as leftovers for the next lunch.  Once again, we had a great experience, with efficient and friendly service and delicious food and drinks.  We will definitely come more frequent this Summer. We saw servers delivering Burrata and desserts that appeared to be so enticing, I would love to save some room and try those next time!

    The pizza was really well cooked and I liked some of the more unique/creative options…read more We started with the burrata which was superb. A ton of cheese, delicious toasted bread, super flavorful and very fresh. Loved it. Yes I realize we followed up this app of bread and cheese with pizzas of bread and cheese. Worth it. The Diavola was actually a bit spicy, which I really appreciated. The sauce had a good hint of sweetness to it and I quite liked the pizza overall. Thin crust in the middle with big poofy edges. The second pizza was a seasonal butternut squash pizza with walnuts which was far more unique and also really good. I would get it again as well.

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    Spacca Napoli - Dining room

    Dining room

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    Burrata - Always get the burrata

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    Little Lark - Pepperoni pizza and Potato pizza. Both soooo fiyaaaa

    Little Lark

    4.2(13 reviews)
    1.6 miAvondale

    There were a lot of little things I liked about this place, but overall I was expecting a bit more…read morefrom the food. Starting with what I liked: The restaurant had a good vibe and a great outdoor space. (Unfortunately, it was too cold to sit outside). The service was great, I loved the arugula salad and the bathrooms were really spacious and clean. As for the food, it was good, but definitely not the best pizza I have had. We had the Margherita pizza and the pepperoni pizza. Very thin and light crust for the Margherita pizza and not a lot of cheese. The pepperoni pizza was decent and the pepperoni was a bit spicy. We also had the burrata appetizer and the walnut, pesto and blood orange accompaniment was an interesting twist. We also had the Quattro Formaggi Funghi pinsa, which is a flatbread special they have on Thursdays. It wasn't bad but also nothing stood out about it. We ended with the tiramisu and the chocolate mousse. I felt like they both tasted similar and they were both just fair as far as desserts go. Overall, there were some great things about Little Lark and I feel like it would be a great neighborhood place to meet friends and the outdoor patio would be great for warm weather. I just found the food to be good not great.

    Wanted to love this place. Woodfire pizza oven, modern concept, open kitchen, lots of indoor and…read moreout door space, great for the neighborhood. But...it was a bad experience. Arrived around 8pm on a Saturday. About 15 people in the main dining room and one family sitting outside. Two parties were waiting by the hostess stand for about five minutes, so I walked inside and asked the staff if we could sit anywhere because it was pretty open and they said no we'll be right with you if you could head back to the hostess stand.. Finally hostess comes by then proceeds to ask for parties phone number so they could enter it into some program before seating us. We've been waiting to seat us... Waiter came by, who we thought was a bus boy because he was busing tables all night. He took our order and was never seen again for the rest of the night. Each time somebody else came to check on us or bring us our food or drinks. We did see him busing tables. We ordered a pizza and asked if we could add one additional topping and was told they cannot do that. Pizzas are freshly handmade and I highly doubt that it's impossible to add one additional topping. I'm assuming the waiter/bus boy didn't know how to enter it into the computer and didn't want to be bothered asking a manager. Pizza came out. It was fresh but bland very disappointing. Crust was perfect. Ingredients were very nice. Ordered a glass of wine and it tasted like vinegar had to send it back. There was a party in the separate room, approximately 40 people - which is the saving grace for me for this place and I will consider coming back if they make improvements. For a party of that size, they need a dedicated wait staff. There has to be consistency with service. You can't have five different people coming to one table every single time. About a training of the staff, I highly doubt you can't add a topping or ask something not to be on it. Establishment is missing managerial guidance. If I had to guess, the hostess was the manager but was running around all over the place. For that matter, none of the staff were sitting down the entire night always on the go. I wonder if this establishment is a passion project, someone who was retired and decided to get into the restaurant business. Couple tweaks and this place can be a hit.

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    Little Lark - Indoor bar area. Lovely space and service. Give them your money.

    Indoor bar area. Lovely space and service. Give them your money.

    Little Lark - Tiramisu

    Tiramisu

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    Pequod's Pizza

    Pequod's Pizza

    3.9(8.9k reviews)
    2.9 miDePaul
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    The wait time can be so long here, but the pizza is phenomenal and I'm all for it! I love deep dish…read moreand a good solid pizza and Pequod's delivers! A slice is a lot but it's so good that you end up eating more. You can also reserve via Tock, but beware that the normal dinner time can be booked out early! We got seated immediately upon check-in and service was nice and fast! Definitely prefer the deep dish over the thin here. My party just wanted to try the thin here as well since we've tried deep dish and like it.The wings were a little small (some pieces) but fried crispy and nicely with good buffalo and barbecue flavor. Until next time!

    My hubby & I treated our "sudden" guests from Paraguay to deep dish pizza on Thursday (6/18). Due…read moreto all the hype I've heard and read for a couple years about Pequod's in Lincoln Park, we took them there. We still prefer Lou Malnati's, hands down. Hubby & I shared a salad... I make better salads and dressings! We ordered a large pan pizza which was overly salty with burnt crust edges. The cheese and tomato sauce were really good, but the saltiness killed it for me. The place was packed and very noisy. Not sure if it was quieter on the second floor. When you have lots of customers, it's important to have a system of checking the status of the restrooms very often. They were quite neglected. We often have out-of-town and foreign guests to host and show off our city to. We always include a deep dish pizza meal for their experience, and usually at Lou Malnati's. Always a great experience, especially the branch in downtown Naperville- consistently good. And Lou's really makes the best salad than anywhere! Sometimes for a potluck contribution I just pick up a Lou's salad, guaranteed to make everyone happy. However, our guests enjoyed the pizza and dessert; thus, I can give 3 stars for our experience at Pequod's.

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    Small deep dish with pepperoni

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    Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - pizza - Updated July 2026

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