I have been to a few Lou Malnati's establishments. While they were good, Matt, the manager of this restaurant, was amazing! His staff was great. They were very attentive and professional. The food was delicious. We had a relatively large party and they accommodated and serviced us with no problem. We will definitely go back to this spot. read more

What a lovely place and world famous for a reason. Place was busy busy busy. Good thing we made a reservation. You know why you're here. The deep dish pizza. I got the Lou and wife got the Chicago classic. We also got a house salad and two iced teas. Came out to about $64 after tax and tip. Server was lovely. Place was clean and fun. Again, very busy but it meant also loud and energetic. read more

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A buddy and I decided we wanted some good ole Chicago style pizza. We decided to try this place because reviews were great on Yelp. But heads up...another site didn't rate it as well. Luckily, we made an online reservation cause there was a huge crowd waiting to be seated. But even with a reservation, we had to wait an additional 20 mins. Based on the wait and the crowd, I was preparing myself for an awesome delight! Like a few other reviews mention, if you order their large pizza, you're gonna be advised that it takes 45 mins. Oh well, more time for drinks and catching your team on one of their many TV monitors. Finally our pizza came...their Chicago Classic with a few extra toppings added. But that's this review takes a huge U-turn. Sorry all you Malnati' lovers, but this was the absolute worst restaurant pizza I've ever had! Zero flavor in crust and most toppings. It wasn't over or undercooked, it just had very little flavor. About the only part that flavor was the sausage and even that was weak. My buddy liked it, but he'll eat a rock if he's hungry and call it delicious. So he's no real second opinion. Maybe we got the rare pizza that just didn't come out right. Who knows. I wanna think that, based on the number customers that were eating here. So you should not take this review as definitive. The other food items may be what sets this place apart. If I ever eat here again, I definitely will NOT order their pizza. Maybe you'll get an awesome pizza. But if you don't, you've been warned! Ha! read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This review and rating are based strictly on the food itself, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend Lou Malnati's based on my experience. I AM OFFICIALLY DONE WITH CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA! I've only tried Chicago style deep dish three times, and this past weekend I decided to give it one final chance. While driving home, we stayed overnight in Chicago, and after hearing Lou Malnati's recommended by a handful of people, I figured this was the place that could finally change my mind. I placed an order for a 10 PM pickup and arrived right at 10. My first impression walking in was, "This is going to be good!" The restaurant was BUSY, the smell of fresh bread and pizza was everywhere, and I was genuinely excited. My brother specifically wanted to try the deep dish, so despite my previous experiences with deep dish, I went in with an open mind. Unfortunately, it only confirmed everything I already disliked about Chicago style deep dish. I finally understand why Italians are so particular about the proportions between the bread, sauce, cheese, and toppings ratio. For me, deep dish throws that entire balance off. I only started writing reviews because I want to give people a truthful opinion based on my actual experience so they have an idea of what they're spending their money on. I really don't enjoy leaving negative reviews, especially having grown up in the restaurant industry myself, but when something misses this badly, I think it needs to be said. With roughly 4,000 reviews and a 4-star rating, I expected this pizza to be decent at the VERY least. There were four of us, and because of my sister-in-law's dietary requirements, we ordered two medium pizzas: Cheese Deep Dish Italian Beef Thin Crust I had read reviews praising the crispy, flaky crust, freshness, and flavorful sauce. Well... something must have happened with our order because that was NOT what we received. Both pizzas were hard, stale, and surprisingly bland. The crust wasn't crispy and flaky, it was HARD. It honestly tasted like pizza that had been sitting out for three days and then reheated. The bread was dry, tough, and unpleasant to eat. Even the cheese deep dish didn't have that hot, gooey cheese pull you'd expect when opening up a freshly made cheese pie. And the sauce? Where was the seasoning?! It was incredibly bland. I'm not asking for anything crazy here... some salt would have helped! I know there's always going to be the great New York vs. Chicago pizza debate, but after three attempts at Chicago style deep dish, I've made my decision. NYC PIZZA WINS FOR ME, HANDS DOWN. 100%. I LOVE pizza, but this officially ended my Chicago deep dish journey. I spent over $60 for two really bad pies. Maybe this was simply a bad order or an off night, but I can only review what was served to me and what we received was extremely disappointing. The pictures speak for themselves. I'm not going to compare Lou Malnati's to another pizza restaurant because, based on this experience, I don't think that would be fair to the other restaurant. Again, this review is strictly based on the food we received that night, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend the pizza or this restaurant based on my experience. read more

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We showed up to Lou's with incredible hunger. I was about to pass out I was so hungry! We got a quick reservation online and we were quickly seated once we showed up and checked in. Ambiance was nice, sports was on the tv and plenty of seating inside. We ordered Ravioli Crisps and two personal pizzas. One being the Deep Dish Malnati Chicago Classic and the other was Deep Dish The Lou. Ravioli crisps (3.5/5): Light and crispy with marinara sauce on the side, they are a solid appetizer and was the most unique for us. Deep Dish Malnati Chicago Classic (3.5/5): The quality of the crust and the sausage was really good. The sauce and cheese was good as well, but something about the package of the pizza itself wasn't blowing me away. Perhaps I'd have to experiment with special cooking requests for next time, since everything is made fresh and relatively customizable Deep Dish The Lou (4.5/5): This was the star of the show for our visit! We added cupped pepperoni as well. Something about the combo of the veggies, the cheese, sauce, and pepperoni was very delicious. The flavors bleded so well together. Highly recommend this one! Overall a great place to visit if craving Chicago Deep Dish Pizza! read more

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The staff was inviting and welcoming. We were able to order carryout even though they seemed very busy. Our order was ready in about 30 minutes. The restaurant was clean and bright. There are three parts and thankfully the takeout area an main seating for indoor eating are separate as to alleviate crowding. I ordered a personal deep dish cheese pizza and a kids chicken nuggets and fries. The pizza was so good and not very messy. The chicken nuggets were good and the fries are actually potato wedges. The portion seems more for an adult. I'm not complaining. It's worth the cost and amount. I live an abundant portion. read more

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I really debated over which Chicago pizza place to go ... doing online research, asking the concierge at my hotel, etc. Most of the forums I found online said Gino's won out in regard to taste. However, they did not have a reservation available and 'walk up' sounded very chaotic. Lou Malnati's had a reservation, so I went there as it seemed only a slight taste edge for Gino's. Has I to do it over, I'd have tried Giordano's or even Pequod's. My honest opinion of Lou Malnati's ... it tasted similar to the frozen variety of Chicago pizza I've bought at the grocery store. Not bad by any means ... but you could tell it was a chain. It just didn't taste fresh. And the crust was overwhelming, like eating a giant cracker. The restaurant seemed kind of dirty ... they filled 3 floors with tons of people. I can't believe how many rooms full of people there were. The decor was lame ... and felt bland and generic. I honestly couldn't wait to leave as it just wasn't comfortable, cozy or classy inside. It felt like a slightly nicer cafeteria at a factory. I asked to sit outside ... and the host just said 'upstairs' without even really even acknowledging my request. To use the term apathetic would be an understatement ... and this is the front line greeter! My waiter was awesome awesome awesome though ... super friendly, helpful and fun. We ordered a small sausage and a small cheese. The cheese was better ... the sausage seemed dry and bland. It took away from the acidity of the tomato sauce and didn't add anything other than salt. The pizza also wasn't as thick as some of the others we saw when walking past other restaurants. It wasn't thin ... but it also wasn't what I'd consider deep dish. Kind of disappointing. The crust was so dry and bland, we started cutting it off the edge of the pizza. 'Buttery' is not an adjective I'd use to describe it. At $20 for a small pizza ... it was also pricey. At first, the pizza looked so small I asked if they had mistakenly given us individual pizzas. However, a little goes a long way and this pizza will fill you up. Don't like the size fool you. Finally, it was almost like a comedy movie ... we were sat right next to a door that the staff brought the empty plates into. You wouldn't believe the racket ... it was almost like someone was hitting a steel pan against the wall, while clanking a stack of plates, while pouring silverwear into a drawer at the same time. I've never heard any restaurant kitchen as loud as this. Through the whole meal ... Clang, clang, clang! Rattle, Rattle! Clank, Clank, Clank! So annoying and they refused to move us. Bottom.line is the ingredients didn't seem fresh ... the pizza tasted like the frozen ones we reheat at home ... and the prices are high. The pro tip ... be prepared, Chicago 'deep dish' pizza takes 30 - 40 minutes to bake, so if you have young kids, it will be 30+ minutes before the pizza comes out. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Not as deep dish as we hoped. - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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First time trying Deep Dish pizza and for the longest time I was convinced that I would not enjoy it. I was under the impression that it would be sloppy and unpleasant... I was very mistaken. Lou Malnati's pizza was the absolute best, great crunch with an appropriate sauce ratio. Right off the bat you are given the heads up that the wait for the pizza is about 30 minutes and our pizza was out quicker than that. The service was quick and very helpful, our server went out of his way to plate our pizza for us. The ambiance was very casual. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Small - Deep Dish Chicago Classic - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was told by multiple people that Lou Malnati's is a must for first timers in Chicago. I arrived for a late weekday lunch around 2pm and a bunch of people were waiting to be seated. While waiting, I walked outside and noticed by peeking through the window that plenty of available tables were scattered throughout the dining area. I thought this was odd since the waiting area was quite packed. The restaurant is large and spacious since there is a takeout entrance on the left and dine in entrance on the right, though I saw diners seated to the left of the takeout entrance. My party of four was finally seated after 45 minutes of waiting for a table. Since we waited for a table for a while, we ended up looking at the menu ahead of time and decided on a The "Lou" in large with sausage added since it doesn't come with meat. The waitress quoted thirty minutes for the pizza but it actually took fifty minutes to arrive. By this point my party was extremely hungry after being at the restaurant for more than an hour and half. The waitress said it is customary to have the first slice cut for us, which I thought was a nice gesture. I did feel like the portions of cheese, sauce, crust, and toppings were just right. The cheese had a nice pull without being excessive. The sauce was flavorful without being overly salty. The deep dish crust had a crunch, but I wouldn't say it was crunchy. The toppings were good and the addition of sausage was the right call since it would've felt like something was missing if a protein topping wasn't included. My first Lou Malnati's Chicago deep dish pizza was good, but I wouldn't go through that excessive wait again. Perhaps it would've been better to just order ahead for takeout rather than dine in, but we wanted to have the full Chicago pizza experience as first timers in the city. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - The "Lou" with sausage - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We got it delivered and it was great! We got a deep dish and a thin crust. True chicago style dough I cannot edit to come back to Chicago so I can eat some more. The sauce is spectacular and you can see the fresh tomatoes on the sauce. The crust just has a beautiful delectable brunch and taste to it. We also got wings, those are fine but not the best. We tried the beef sandwich and that was not good, try the Portillo's version instead. Overall, great establishment. The delivery driver from the restaurant was so polite. read more

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Probably a 3.7. Full disclosure: I'm pretty ambivalent towards pizza in general. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't wait any amount of time for it. Food: Deep dish - we had "the Lou" and the classic Chicago. Both on buttercrust. Both were okay. The deep dish means you get a lot of sauce so it was very tomato-y. Too overpowering for me. Wings: buffalo was good. Garlic parm didn't really have sauce as you can see. Service: Accommodating as they let us have 2 flavours for a small wing order. But not particularly quick. Order ahead of time for the pies and then you can pick up or dine in. Ambiance: Not a hole in the wall. Pretty big chain and a well oiled machine. Not fast food. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Wings: gar parm + buffalo - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We got takeout, ordered 2 hours in advance. Overall the crust was very buttery, but the pizza didn't have much sauce. The top layer was a sausage patty which was excellent read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Medium - Deep Dish Chicago Classic - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Parking at this location super small. We made a reservation and I will say that our waitress tried her best. She was super nice and accommodating so she's the reason for the two stars. We understood that the deep dish pizza takes about 20 to 30 minutes so we knew that. Everybody at the table ordered a whole bunch of appetizers, some even ordered entrées. Everything that came out was either cold or flavorless. Made me a little sad because obviously we were hungry and we were already waiting for so long even the drinks took forever to come to the table. I wanted to go to the bar as I saw my drink sitting there for 20 minutes, just waiting to come. I know our waitress is busy with other tables, but it doesn't make me feel good when two other waitresses are standing by the bar talking while my drink is melting. The pizza came wasn't anything too exciting. I didn't even eat mine. I was so turned off by the whole experience. I wanted to take it back and reheat it obviously my mistake cause it was not good reheated. All in all maybe it's just this location because if this chain consistently gets four-star ratings, it has to be good, right? read more

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Great deep dish pizza, place was packed, but seated with our reservation within 10-15min. Place is clean and service was good. As expected a bit of a wait for the deep dish to cook, but it was perfect! So crispy, we got a buttered crust, gardeners , Easy cheese, Extra garlic , Green pepper , Onions , Hot Gadineria, Well done and it was delicious! read more

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I was visiting Chicago and really wanted to try Chicago-style deep dish pizza for the first time, so I stumbled upon this Lou Malnati's Pizzeria location near my hotel. They have many different toppings to choose from, as well as their signature pizzas. I came with a couple people, and we ordered two medium sized signature deep dish pizzas: the Lou and the Margherita Pesto. I really enjoyed them both, but there's something about the simpler pizza with minimal toppings that I'll always prefer. We also had enough pizza to take as leftovers! It took about 30 minutes for our pizzas to come out, which we were told is the standard time to make a deep dish pizza. Our waiter was also really friendly and came to check up on us while we were waiting for our meals. It was also pretty busy on a weekday evening, so we waited about 15 minutes for a table. I'll say it was worth the wait! read more

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Yum yum yum!! First time here and it definitely won't be my last! The deep dish here was perfection! Loved the sauce and the cheese pull! The crust was crispy on the outside and held up to the filling on the bottom too! Really enjoyed the original and looking forward to trying the hot honey one next time for a twist! The meatball appetizers were also a delight! Loved the sauce! read more

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Did not go inside, just went for pick up and my friend went in to get the pizza. Pizza was delishhhhhh YUM! Review from 6/27/26 read more

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First timer in Chicago so I had to collect opinions on the best deep dish Chicago style pizza...so, to State Street we go! We had the popular Malnati Chicago classic and it did not disappoint. The tomato sauce wasn't too brassy like they tend to be here in California so it was a win for us. The only negative was the pork sausage. I just don't eat pork like that but I made the exception this time! Crust was buttery and flaky just like deep dish pizza should be! Parking was a little tough on State Street but we found paid street parking down the street. We had a large party no reservations (it's totally casual) and they accommodated us with no problem. Our server was so sweet so we tipped her well. Bathrooms were clean! I would come again! read more

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Finally clearing out my drafts for this one but I tried their pepperoni deep dish pizza a while ago and was not thrilled at all. It kind of tastes like the school lunch pizza you eat that's circular and wasn't all the way hot either. When we came by we sat in the booth furthest in the back where there was a leak hitting the booth where I was right next to my leg. I would give the pizza a 3/5, it wasn't too bad just a normal deep dish pizza. The service was good and the waitress was kind and we enjoyed the overall vibe of the restaurant but did not enjoy sitting next to a leak. Luckily we ate pretty quickly that we were able to just slide down a tiny bit (we were next to the wall) to make sure the food didn't get hit. I think I'd take a chance at maybe eating here again in the future when I visit Chicago but not too sure read more

Our server was friendly but not super attentive. We ordered a deep dish pizza and tiramisu. The pizza was tasty but compared to what I had earlier in the week from a different establishment - it wasn't as good. The tiramisu was good. But again - I have certainly had better, but also had way worse. There were renovations in process so that did take away from the atmosphere a bit. But it was as you'd expect a pizza joint to be. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Deep Dish Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We ordered to-go because there was no seating! Naturally a popular place, we were recommended this place by social media. I took a look around before ordering, and the pizzas are huge. I knew I wouldn't finish it since I don't have a preference for pizza, so I opted for the personal pizza. My partner got cheese, and I got the hot honey pepperoni. It was fantastic; it was super oily, though, so I ate about 2 slices before tapping it. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant is popular and always busy, often with a line outside. We got lucky as walk ins on a Thursday evening. It's pretty noisy when full and I think I really noticed it because we were in the middle of a crowded section and next to a large party. Next time I'll ask to sit at a perimeter table. Friendly service from Cinthia. My boyfriend and I each enjoyed a personal pizza. He had a deep dish and liked the famous butter crust. I tried the crustless pizza. I loved it! Such a cool idea! The crust is actually sausage. Keto friendly. The sauce and cheese on top was very tasty and I added mushrooms to it. I would definitely have it again. The salads look amazing!! I'm definitely coming back to order all of them. Fun neighborhood spot! read more

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I've had Lou's before, believe it or not, we ordered a frozen deep dish and had it shipped to us and it was so good, I had to try this place in person. Believe it or not, the highlight of the meal was the salad....the crafted dressing was delicious and it was served in a generous size. The personal size deep dish was tasty, but skimpy on ingredients. was surprised by that.. read more

It had been almost exactly 5 years since I've been back and consistency is there! The butter crust is such a unique and distinct part of Lou Malnati's. It tastes like a crouton honestly but the crunch and sturdiness is so good. This was my first time dining in and on a Friday night at 7:30pm, we were quoted 30 minutes which was accurate. You're able to order the pizza early and once you're seated, you can order any apps. A small size actually feeds a good amount. +Calamari fritti - difference from before, these are all rings now. The batter is thicker but still crispy. + Malnati's salad - A must order! It was saucy like a chopped salad but the salad was still crisp and the dressing was amazing. It tasted like a done up bruschetta with all the chopped tomatoes. Was a big fan. Pizzas - we ordered 2 smalls and 1 large and that was plenty for 5 people and we had leftovers too. + Malnati Classic - the deep dish is not crazy deep and has a layer of cooked ground meat like a lasagna. The meat texture is like a flat meatball. + The "Lou" - vegetarian pizza and as a thin crust this reminded me a lot like flatbread + Mike's Hot Honey - in thin crust form was my favorite pizza. The pepperoni cups were plentiful and the hot honey gave it a nice sweet/spicy compliment. Lou Malnati's is a Chicago staple for a reason! read more

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A busy establishment, especially when there are a lot of tourists. had to wait about 15 min and was recommended to place our order ahead of being seated. That's absolutely true because even then it took about 30 min to receive the pizzas. this was our first Chicago deep dish pizza experience and it was interesting. We got both the deep and deep thin crusts which were both very different from each other and from anything we've had before. it's very dense and heavy so one piece goes a long way! They have a very large dining hall so be patient. It's a bit on the loud and a tad hectic side and we were also chilly. read more

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Very cheese and tasty. Not sure if Chicago style is my favorite but it was good to try. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We came here during the week after craving some deep dish pizza. Lou malnatis is my favorite chicago style pizza but for some reason this location seemed a little off. For appetizers we got the calamari and lou malnatis salad. The calamari was pretty expensive and tasted rubbery. We were expecting it to be crispy but the portion size was nice. The salad had no where near the normal amount of toppings a salad here has but it was fresh and had the same iconic taste it usually does. For pizza we got the large deep dish with pepperoni and sausage. The taste of this pizza is always a 10/10 but it seemed like the middle part wasn't cooked all the way through and was not hot. I know that can be an issue with larger pizzas so we were too upset about it. Overall lou malnatis is the best pizza chain in Chicago. Im not sure if its this location or what but everything seemed a little off from the dozen of other locations I've been to. Not to mention the price was $145 for all of this and 2 drinks. I would probably come back here being that its so close to my apartment and they are renovating/expanding but it probably couldn't hurt to try a different location either. read more

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Pizza is good. Restaurant is clean and service was quick. Honestly not much to ask for here, they hit every want you would have for visiting a pizza place. I'd like it more if it was cheaper, but also im personally not a fan of the combos they have, so i had to order a cheese and add toppings. But it's delicious! read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Pepperoni pizza thin crust - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here super late in the night after we landed hoping for some delicious deep dish Chicago pizza... we got it... we ate it... forgot to take a picture of it! Well at least I took a pic of the beef sandwich which did not disappoint! Warm, delicious & ohhhh my how juicy! Well worth the long day of travel to come by Lou Malnati's & grab a bite. Service was very warm & the restaurant for being under renovation was well kept & clean! read more

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You don't visit Chicago without trying pizza before going home so that's exactly what we did. We dined here on our last night in Chicago. We got here just about they were about to close. A new employee who was training assisted us. He's quite friendly in spite of being new. When there's something he's not sure of, he asks someone else to help. We got the deep dish with sausage and a margherita pizza. I'm not a fan of sausages but somehow, the one we ordered was really good. We finished the entire pizza and had a few slices left to go. read more

I love pizza so much and am a huge fan of trying different kinds while traveling. Although it's not my first time having deep dish, it was definitely my first time having it in Chi-Town - where it all started! Little did I know it would be this freakin' good. I guess the only things to come out of the Windy City aren't just the Chicago Bulls, the White Sox, Al Capone, and Home Alone.. to name a few.. I had no idea deep-dish pizza could be this addicting - I finished my pie within minutes. The price was a bit high for a personal pie, but it was absolutely worth every penny! I'm feelin' it babyyy!!! Yum-licious!!! read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - PERFECTION IN A BOX. - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was another famous deep dish establishment. We were not that hungry but we decided to still try it out. We got the classic small size deep dish pizza. It had sausage and cheese. Everything was really fresh but would have to say that the sauce was lacking. The sauce is all fresh tomatoes and it still has a bit of chunks. Compared to their other popular deep dish pizza Pequod's I would said has the better sauce. It has more flavor. The crust in a bit town because I like the thin flaky crunch from Lou malnati's but at the same time I like the crust from pequod's because it has the char torched cheese. Both charges for their toppings. But Lou malnati's does offer their set pizza orders. So if you're stuck and can't decide they have ones already set with incidents. The restaurant is very clean and big. It leave a bar/restaurant vibes. The server was nice and didn't feel pressured to order more food than what we asked for.i appreciated that a lot. He also warner us it will take 30minutes, which it did feel like a true 30minute wait. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Arguably the best deep dish ever had. Butter crust, such sweet ripe tomatoes and a creamy mozzarella cheese pull. Got the classic and it was so stinkin flavorful and worth the wait. read more

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We visited this South Loop location to avoid the crowds north of the river, and it was definitely the right move. I didn't make any reservations and just walked into without having to wait. I ended up with the Malnati Chicago Classic and I now understand why this place is a legend. This pizza is heavy in the best way possible. The vine-ripened tomato sauce cuts through the richness of the cheese and the lean sausage. The tomato sauce had a natural sweetness that I didn't expect. The sauce is different from other pizza sauces that I have tasted in the past. It tasted so fresh and helped balance out the rest of the flavors in the pizza. Though I have to say, the crust surprised me the most. As someone who is not a fan of thick crust pizzas, I was expecting this pizza to have a super thick doughy crust. To my surprise, the crust was the perfect thickness without being too thick. It was crispy, buttery, all while being sturdy enough to hold it all together. Keep in mind though, deep dish pizzas take time to bake (usually around 45 minutes) but since mine was a personal size pizza, the waiter told me that it would be ready in about 30 minutes. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Malnati Chicago Classic (personal size - $15.35) - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I had high hopes for this place. We were staying at a hotel real close by and figured we would try this deep dish pizza since we tried several others during our last trip to Chicago. Since I was in town for a work event, I suggested this place for some coworkers that were looking to meet up for dinner. We walked over from our hotel around 5:30pm and it was packed! We originally were planning for 7pm so it's a good thing we arrived earlier. We were told that it was going to be 45 minutes because that is how long it took to cook the pizza and it was also about that wait time for a table. It was honestly so chaotic in how things were done. You have to place your order prior to sitting down so everyone that was sitting at our table had to let them know who's name the table is under and place the orders separately to have on separate checks. Unfortunately, while hubs & I were placing our order, some toolbag was screaming at the counter, at no one in particular, so I could not hear was the employee was saying. We figured out when our pizza arrived that she was asking us if we wanted the traditional pizza, which included sausage all over the pizza and we did not want. We did not get sat at our table until 1 1/2 hours after we put our name down-double the time we were told. Luckily the pizzas arrived almost as soon as we sat down. My friend's husband wanted to order a salad and another pizza to go so he did that as soon as our server came to order our drinks. Our server moved pretty quickly and was there to just do his job. We were complicated regarding splitting the checks because there were 4 of us who worked for our company and needed the receipts for reimbursement. The server split everything accordingly and used our cards correctly. I was not fond of the pizza, many people at our table had several heartburn , and amount of grease upset our stomachs. I am willing to try Lou's again but it will not be my first choice. The staff at the front, taking orders, were the best part. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Drinks - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This visit ended up being a mixed experience that landed squarely in the middle for me. The space itself is much larger than I expected, which was nice, but the vibe was confusing. The decor almost felt more like a Mexican restaurant than an Italian one, yet there was rock music playing and sports on the TVs. None of it was bad on its own, it just did not feel cohesive. Service was honestly pretty rough. It took a long time for a server to come by the first time, which gave me enough time to figure out my order by the time they stopped by to say hi, so that part did not bother me too much. What did bother me was how long it took to get a simple pop. It showed up late, and that ended up being the only one I got for the entire meal. After ordering, my server never checked back in. The only other time a server came by was when someone else dropped off the food. I didn't see my actual server until they dropped off the bill, which came roughly 20 minutes after I'd finished eating. Thankfully, the food absolutely carried the experience. The mozzarella bites were excellent. Super crispy on the outside with perfectly melted cheese inside. And the personal size Mike's Hot Honey deep dish pizza was genuinely fantastic. Incredible cheese pulls, the perfect level of spice, and an impressively crispy crust. It really was everything you want from deep dish. Overall, the service left a lot to be desired and the atmosphere felt a bit all over the place, but the food was strong enough to keep this from being a total miss. read more

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Lou Malnati's is a must-try for anyone in the Chicago area. Their deep dish pizzas are a classic, and for good reason! I went to this South Loop location as it was closest to the Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain, which was where I walked from. At around 6pm on a Monday, the place was packed with people waiting for their take-out orders for pickup but there was no wait to get seated inside. This location was spacious and had a nice Chicago-themed decor. The deep dish pizzas do take about 30 minutes for them to cook, but this is expected for deep dish pizza anywhere. Just be warned and account for that in your plans. The waiter was patient in walking me through the menu, but ultimately I decided on the personal Deep Dish Mike's Hot Honey pizza. The Deep Dish Mike's Hot Honey pizza was the perfectly balanced combination of sweet and spicy from the hot honey, with the giardiniera adding an extra kick to the meaty sausage and pepperoni pizza. The red sauce on the pizza was tangy and not too overpowering. The crust was the star of the show! It was butter and crispy, without it being soggy. For one person, the personal size was just the right amount of food. If you are feeling a bit more hungry, then perhaps get the small or get a second personal size so you can try another one of their deep dish pizza! Out of all the deep dishes I had in my time in Chicago, Lou Malnati's stands on the top. Next time I am in Chicago, I am definitely making a stop at Lou Malnati's. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Deep Dish Mike's Hot Honey - Personal size - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I absolutely loved this place, the best pizza in Chicago by far. The only downside is the amount of time I had to wait to be seated and the amount of time I had to wait for my pizza to arrive at my table other then that everything else was amazing. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Medium - Deep Dish Chicago Classic - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My pizza was completely undercooked. I was so hungry that I didn't notice during my first few bites, but once I looked closely, I realized how pale and yellow my crust was compared to the other tables. When I brought it up to our server, he dismissed it, claiming it was normal so customers could "pull the cheese." He then told me I should have ordered it "well-done," completely shifting the blame to me. He showed zero empathy and made no effort to correct the mistake. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Visible Dough. - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We first went to the shop nearest to the river but the wait was over 1 hour long, so we walked 10 minutes to this shop where we were able to be seated immediately. We ordered the Malnoti Salad which was delicious. Then we had 3 pizzas for 7 ladies which was way too much. We had an equivalent of a whole pizza left over. The deep dish pizzas were heavy and filling. Not our normal diet, but we enjoyed it. Service was top notch, very attentive. Would recommend this Chicago experience. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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