Depending on who ask, Chicago-style pizza can mean one of two very different things: deep dish or tavern. Within those categories are even more differentiations — is it a stuffed pizza or a deep dish or a pan pizza? What about a tavern style versus a thin crust versus a cracker thin crust? Some of the oldest and most experienced pizzerias in town demonstrate what sets each apart.

Pizzeria Uno introduced deep dish pizza  in 1943, marketing a “buttery, ‘out-of-this-world’ crust that had a tall edge like a fruit pie.” The ingredients are layered atop each other and baked, with the cheese under the signature tomato sauce. Not long after the deep dish was invented, the stuffed pizza spin on the style debuted, adding a thin layer of dough to separate the sauce from the rest of the pie.

Where the deep dish is a multi-pound main attraction, the other respective Chicago pizza is the tavern style, with a light and paper-thin crust cut into small, handheld squares made for sharing at the table.

Many say that deep dish and stuffed varieties are designated for tourists, while Chicagoans prefer the tavern style. However, most pizzerias in town make both Chicago-style pizzas, and the ones we spoke with said their sales are evenly split.

One thing that Chicago can agree on is that sausage is the official pizza topping. Chicago’s history with sausage dates back to the meatpacking and butchering industries that were big here in the 1800s, which is why Chicago’s hot dogs are a claim to fame.

Deep dish pizza in Chicago

Deep dish is the image that comes to mind when people say Chicago. The most renowned pizzerias in town built their fame on deep-dish pizza, including the original Pizzeria Uno as well as Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s.

Pequod’s

In Lincoln Park, Pequod’s sets itself apart in the deep dish category with its signature pan style and additional layers of cheese. Fresh mozzarella is blended right into the crust, and a small layer is added around the rim of the pan to promote a caramelized edge.

Stuffed pizza in Chicago

Stuffed pizza and deep dish may look the same on the outside, but there is one small but very important difference: a paper-thin layer of dough between the toppings and the sauce. The addition keeps the ingredients from mixing together and the sauce from penetrating into the toppings.

“When you bite into the stuffed pizza, you get a distinctive flavor of the ingredients, like biting into layers as opposed to a whole mixture of ingredients, like you do with deep dish,” says Dave Howey of Nancy’s Pizza.

Nancy’s

Rocco Palese and his wife Annunziata (“Nancy”) introduced stuffed pizza in 1971 after immigrating to Chicago from Italy. The style quickly grew in popularity, and Nancy’s remains king, with locations throughout Illinois and now across the country. Despite its growth, Nancy’s stays true to its roots, using the same family-owned farms today that it used 50 years ago.

Chicago’s Pizza

Martin Flores immigrated to America from Mexico when he was 16 years old with the dream of opening a restaurant. He founded Chicago’s Pizza, what he calls the “American dream pizzeria,” in 1991 and has expanded to three locations throughout Chicago, which are run by Martin’s children and nephew. The popular neighborhood shop is best known for its stuffed pizza because of its buttery, flaky crust and its dedication to scratch-made ingredients such its marinara and proprietary-blend sausages. There’s even a gluten-free option.

Tavern-style pizza in Chicago

The legend behind the invention of tavern style dates back more than 80 years when bartenders at neighborhood taverns began making the small and affordable pizzas as an incentive to keep their patrons drinking. As Tony Scardino of Professor Pizza explains, it was their version of having peanuts and snacks on the bar, a salty, non-filling bite that curbed the beer munchies but wasn’t too filling. The bartenders would provide free, small, square slices of the pizza to guests, so they could hold a sturdy slice of pizza in one hand and a cold beer in the other.

Candlelite

For more than 70 years, Candlelite has been one of Chicago’s most popular tavern-style pizza institutions. The original location is in the Rogers Park neighborhood, and its famous cracker-thin crust has earned a loyal following, especially for the Candlelite White Pizza. Now with a second location in Lincoln Park at the iO Improv Theater, the popular pizzeria is available closer to downtown. 

Pat’s Pizza

Pat’s Pizza in Lincoln Park is one of the oldest thin-crust pizza shops in the city. The third-generation, family-owned pizzeria is helmed by Gina Pianetto and continues the nearly 75-year-old preparation style and recipe for its signature thin crust. The dough is prepared and sits for seven days before baking to create a sturdier bottom.

“Letting it rest allows the dough to dry out more,” says Pianetto. “By removing some of the moisture, it makes for a crispier bottom. That’s one of the reasons you are able to hold a lot of ingredients on the thin crust.”

Vito & Nick’s

Vito & Nick’s is said to be where thin crust pies originated in Chicago. The pizzeria began serving thin crust pizza 80 years ago, and while it has moved locations a few times, the secret family recipes have stayed the same. The small but mighty shop produces more than 1,000 pizzas a week, which is no small feat considering it does not offer delivery and is a cash-only business. “My dad always said if they want it, they will walk to get it,” says third-generation owner Rosemary Barraco-George.

Professor Pizza

When Tony Scardino made the decision to learn the art of pizza making, he took it seriously, traveling to San Francisco to train under two World Pizza Champions and participate in the World Pizza Expo. Scardino brings his experience back to his hometown of Chicago at Professor Pizza, where he serves five styles, including thin-crust. The specialty is the Deluxe Sausage & Pepper, served with whipped ricotta and sweety drop peppers.