We decided to visit Lou Malnati's while in Chicago because it came highly recommended, and…read moreunfortunately, while there were some highlights, the overall experience was underwhelming, particularly when it came to the service.
Upon arriving, the hostess initially told us there would be an hour wait, then, in the same breath, changed it to 45 minutes. We noticed there was a bar downstairs and asked if we could take a look. Her response was a bit confusing. She initially explained that they don't typically allow guests downstairs because they don't want the bar overcrowded, which is completely understandable. However, moments later, she told us we were more than welcome to go downstairs.
Once downstairs, we discovered a much larger lobby and waiting area than the cramped, overcrowded space upstairs. It honestly made us wonder why guests weren't being directed downstairs to wait more comfortably in the first place.
We decided to grab drinks at the bar, and I have to say, the bartender was easily the highlight of our experience! He was incredibly pleasant, welcoming, and genuinely the nicest staff member we encountered throughout our visit.
After approximately 20 minutes, we were seated. Our server took our order and informed us that the deep-dish pizza would take around 45 minutes to prepare, which was perfectly fine. We completely understood and appreciated the heads-up.
We started with the mozzarella bites, and WOW! Absolutely delicious! The breading was perfectly done, the cheese pull was incredible, and paired with the marinara sauce, they were heavenly. Easily a 10/10 appetizer that I would absolutely recommend!
For our pizzas, we ordered a medium deep-dish cup pepperoni, a customizable thin-crust pizza, and a personal regular pepperoni pizza.
When the pizzas arrived, the cheese pull was phenomenal! However, the deep-dish pizza was noticeably lacking marinara sauce. While the cheese was delicious, the pizza really needed more sauce to balance everything out. We asked our server for additional marinara, and unfortunately, the sauce didn't arrive until we were down to our very last slice across all three pizzas. At that point, what was even the purpose? This was incredibly frustrating, especially considering how much better the pizza could have been with the sauce we requested.
Unfortunately, the service continued to disappoint toward the end of our meal.
When we were ready to pay, our server was nowhere to be found. After waiting, I eventually had to get up from the table and physically locate him at the server station, where he was standing around talking with his coworkers.
I approached him and said, "Hey, I don't know where our server is, but can he come over so we can pay the bill?"
Rather than returning to our table to handle the payment professionally, he simply asked, "Cash or card?" while we were still standing at the server station.
As someone who values hospitality and attentive service, I found this incredibly unprofessional. Guests should not have to hunt down their server just to settle their bill, especially when that server is visibly socializing with coworkers instead of attending to their tables.
Overall, Lou Malnati's had some definite positives. The mozzarella bites were outstanding, the cheese quality was excellent, and the bartender provided the kind of hospitality we had hoped to experience throughout our visit.
However, the inconsistent communication at the host stand, delayed request for marinara sauce, and inattentive table service really took away from what could have been a wonderful experience.
Would I recommend the mozzarella bites? Absolutely, without hesitation! Would I rave about the overall dining experience? Unfortunately, no.
For a restaurant with such a well-known reputation in Chicago, I expected a much more polished and attentive experience. The food had its moments, but great hospitality should be just as important as great pizza.