Husband and I had to try Lou's during our trip to Chicago, but were on the way to the airport after so we were a little concerned about leftovers. To my delight - they offer personal sized pizzas which allowed husband to get the deep dish he was craving and me to get a "thin" crust. I say "thin" because it's thinner than a deep dish for sure, but its still pretty solid and has a great crunch. Service was quick, friendly and knowledgeable and they even offered to stash my luggage up front so I didn't have to roll it through the restaurant which was a much appreciated little extra. read more

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

Best pizza- the malnati Chicago classic deep dish Very cute establishment underground Casual diner style dining Expect to wait 30-40 minutes for your pizza But you can nibble on appetizers and have a nice cold one while you wait read more

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The locals all have their favorite for deep dish but I don't think it's Lous is the one for me. You have to try the staple if you're in the area so that's how I ended up here lol. Besides the fact that it's overpriced, it lacked any kind of flavor at all. Just cheese and sauce and soggy bread. I'll try another staple when I make it back to Chicago but I'll pass on Lou's for sure. Service was nice and I think they make them to order because there was a bit of a wait. I got my order to go so I can speak to any service past placing and waiting for my order. read more

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Really good. Deep dish. Flavorful. Thick slices of pepperoni. I think Lou's is as advertised. I go every time I come to Chicago. One thing is for sure, you're going to leave full as a cow. read more

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

Booked a reservation and pre-ordered a large classic deep dish pizza for 7 pm, but we didn't actually get our pizza until 8:10, which wasn't a big deal to me personally but just putting that out there that you still might have to wait a bit if you pre-order. I didn't mind waiting because it gave me and my partner a chance to look over the menu more and ask our server for recs, to which he recommend the Lou Malnatis salad. This salad honestly blew my expectations and I can see why it's such a crowd favorite - the roasted salami bits and gorgonzola cheese provided a really nice savory contrast with the sweet vinaigrette they used. When it comes to the deep dish pizza however, I think deep dish style just isn't for me. You can taste all the ingredients (the cheese, tomato sauce and sausage) but they don't really come together in a cohesive manner. I had one bite and I didn't really feel compelled to take another after, it reminded me of my own home cooking when I would add too much tomato sauce and overcooked the cheese on a lasagna. I'm not saying deep dish pizza or Lou Malnatis is bad necessarily, the service was friendly and attentive, I just think a regular pizza is more my speed. read more

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

Met a friend here for lunch today and it didn't disappoint! So happy to finally try the pizza here! We started with a Caesar salad. It was hearty! Good flavor. I hadn't had a Caesar salad before with tomatoes but it was good! We shared a small Lou Malnati sausage pizza and it was plenty for us to share! The service was great, great waiter and he was efficient! The location and ambience was great. It's bigger than it looks from the outside but we enjoyed it. The bathroom was shocking, only one stall for such a big restaurant. I would go back though! read more

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

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Came here for dinner with another couple, so there were four of us. We started with the bruschetta and really liked it. The bread was nicely toasted and crunchy, and the tomatoes tasted fresh and flavorful. For dinner we got a large vegetarian deep dish pizza. It was really good! The crust had crispy edges but was still soft inside, with lots of gooey cheese, veggies and sauce. Deep dish is definitely on the heavier side, so keep that in mind when ordering. One large should easily be enough for at least 3 people, especially if you're getting an appetizer. Also, deep dish takes some time to cook, usually around 30-60 minutes depending on how busy they are. They do tell you about the wait when you order, which I liked. I would suggest planning for the extra time or going a little early. We had the bruschetta while waiting, so honestly we didn't mind. I also enjoyed reading about the history of the place that they have displayed inside. It was a nice little touch and gave us something interesting to read while we were there. Overall, we had a really good dinner and left VERY full! Good food, nice atmosphere and definitely worth the wait for the deep dish. We'll be back! read more

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Went on a Sunday night around 5. There was an hour wait for a table, but luckily I was able to snag a seat at the bar where they have full dine in service for those over 21. Service was quick at the bar. I ordered a personal deep dish Margherita Pesto with the butter crust. It was a delicious pizza, not too saucy like some deep dish can be but a good balance of cheese, tomato sauce that had tomato chunks in it still and creamy pesto on top. A really nice blend of flavors. My only complaint is that the personal pizza by itself was not filling and I don't think the butter crust upgrade was worth it. They also don't have a side salad option, would be nice to add that as an option to the menu. The atmosphere is nice, in a basement with very cool decor. I would go back but would also try other deep places when traveling in the area. Overall food was good, a little pricey though. read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Margherita Pesto Deep Dish, Personal, Butter Crust - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

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

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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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

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Personal - Deep Dish Chicago Classic (sausage) - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been to Lou's a few times, but had to try the buffalo chicken deep dish for football season! I liked this a lot! It was a bit overcooked but overall pretty good and fun to try! The star of Lou's is always the Lou's salad for me. I love this salad so much. The mushrooms and black olives and bacon bits make it so flavorful!! read more

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

Delicious pizza! I had the Pepperoni jalapeño deep dish. Looked so good, I attacked it as soon as it hit the table hence the half eaten pizza photo . The service was great. The waitress was very attentive and friendly. The pizza came out quick. Highly recommend this place. Loved the decor and the atmosphere. read more

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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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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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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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Service was very slow. Friendly, but s-l-o-w. We ordered food and drinks, and we waited a good 19 minutes for the drinks (beer, water, and cider, nothing fancy or time-consuming). When we were warned the deep-dish pizza would take 30 minutes, we ordered an "appetizer" from its own separate section on the menu. The meatballs arrived literally 60 seconds before the pizza, but were the best part of the dinner - the garlic crostini that came with them were terrific. We both found the pizza to be "meh", but our experience with deep-dish is basically from BJ's here in California, so it may be an acquired taste. Lou: if you want to offer appetizers, figure out how to make and deliver them *before* the main course arrives. read more

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

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Not what it used to be - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We are from the east coast and of course had to try Chicago deep dish pizza. I'm a big fan of hot honey so this was the perfect choice. The jalapeños were a wonderful touch of spice. We decided to do take out. We waited about 30 min, but we also ordered 12 wings (half bbq/ half garlic parm). read more

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - The Hot Honey Deep Dish - GF - Pizza Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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

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

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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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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

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

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EDIT: How am I not surprised that they would not acknowledge my negative review which was written back in September, but have been responding to reviews written this month in October? :-) Okay. Do what you all must with that information! This was supposed to be a lovely treat to the end of a Chicago trip, but it ended up leaving an incredibly bitter taste and feeling overall. I was excited to come here and try their pizza. After all, the high reviews and raving comments about their deep dish were enough for me to travel far to try. Upon being seated, my waiter forgot my water after he said he would go get it. He refused to make eye contact with me for the rest of the night and would not look in my direction. At one point, I yelled excuse me but he kept walking away. Eventually, I was given another waiter to help me. I find it weird that my previous waiter was continuing to serve the tables around me, take orders, bring them their drinks and food, but I was the only one who got switched to someone else. The new waiter and I had no problems at all, but it made me feel so conflicted about continuing my meal here. When you try to confront staff members and the manager about the possibility of discrimination from their waiter, expect that everyone will give you excuses and no resolution whatsoever. Tell me why a waiter would stop serving a specific customer and then continue to serve everyone else around? Would YOU as a customer feel comfortable to stay and eat? I would not. And when you try to ask for an explanation, all that's said to you is: "he's in training" And when you try to ask for a name to write a formal complaint: "we don't know his name". Hmm. Okay. Sure. Do better, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. I am appalled by the blatant disregard and lack of explanation for why a waiter would pass off a customer and continue to serve tables next door with NO explanation. Pizza was okay, but nothing worthwhile and with staff treating patrons like this, I would not bother coming here. Service is abysmal. read more

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

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

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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

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

I came to Chicago as a tourist and definitely wanted to try Chicago-style pizza. I didn't know much about the different types of pizza or what to order, so I decided to visit the famous Lou Malnati's. There are several Lou Malnati's locations in Chicago, and I chose the one on N. Wells St. because they offer a personal-size pizza, which was perfect for me. The service was great. Grace was very kind, friendly, and helpful. Since I was a tourist and didn't know much about Chicago pizza, I really appreciated her help and guidance. The deep-dish Chicago pizza was absolutely delicious! I really enjoyed my experience here, and I'll definitely come back to this location the next time I visit Chicago read more

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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The service was great. Sat down at the bar super fast. Very casual eatery. The pizza was disappointing. I have had much better deep dish in california. My heart is broken. Ravioli was pretty good. Wouldn't recommend this place though. read more

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We finally had a chance to get the true Chicago deep dish experience at Lou Malnati's. Overall, it was a great pie! We ordered a Medium classic pizza along with mushrooms, garlic and onions and it was enough to feed three men. The flavors were good and we enjoyed trying out this style of pizza. We also ended the evening with a slice of tiramisu to share and it was very tasty! I'm glad we got a chance to try it out while we were in town! read more

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

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Been to Lou Malnati's twice now given we recently visited Chicago a couple of times. First time it was just hubby and I and we shared a small pepperoni pizza. Second we visit with two friends, so we were able to sample more items. I'll have to say, everything we ordered was delicious. We love the vibe there and the service was great. I am no pizza connoisseur, but I do love the crust and the crispy cup pepperoni topping. I'd visit again the next time I go to Chicago. read more

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

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

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10/10 will recommend lol I had the deep dish pepperoni it was so yummy. First time trying a deep dish pizza and I would say I'm now a fan. The service was amazing and I was able to be seated quickly without a reservation. It's a nice location downtown Chicago! read more

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

Tried some deep dish personal pan pizzas and got the classic Chicago style and hot honey. Both were excellent! read more

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

Pretty good for a famous pizza place. We got the deep dish pepperoni in a size medium and it was too much for 2 people. So I guess that's a good thing! I really liked the red sauce and tomatoes on top just wished there were more. We ordered it to go and it was speedy! read more

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

I was super excited to try Lou's after hearing it recommended by so many people for Chicago deep-dish pizza. We ordered the Malnati Chicago Classic Deep Dish and the ravioli crisps. The crisps were addicting and didn't last more than a minute at our table. Unfortunately, the deep-dish pizza was just okay. The crust was doughy, and neither the sauce nor the sausage had much flavor. Maybe we just caught them on an off night. read more

We had a party of 8 people and came near closing time and they still sat us! Ethan was our waiter and he was the BESTTTT! Even though we stayed almost 30 min past closing Ethan had the biggest smile on his face the whole time, and made the experience very pleasant. As for the food we ordered two large deep dishes and they were delish. We finished almost all of it :) highly recommend this spot for some great service and authentic Chicago style deep dish. read more

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