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Walking through my hometown, Chicago, is exhausting and it really works up my appetite. Earlier in the day, I had visited Stan’s Donuts and then I left there and began to shop and sightsee. I have not been back to Chicago for a little while so I wanted to see everything like it was for the first time!
I found great shopping and great eats and treats along the way. Anyone that knows Chicago knows that Chicago has a pizza pie like no other. Chicago’s Famous Deep Dish Pizza is not for the lightweight, rather you need to buckle down and get totally serious with your eats!
I headed to a pizzeria known for it’s Chicago famous stuffed deep-dish pizza and I ordered up one of Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizzas to celebrate my travel! Lavishly live food out loud and learn where to find Chicago’s Famous Deep Dish Pizza and if it’s worth the stop!
Seeking Chicago’s Famous Deep Dish Pizza
Being born and bred in Chicago, as a child, there are 2 things I remember and know about Chicago! There is endless shopping that you just can not pass up! Then there is the famed Chi-town pizza. Shopping brings on an appetite. Of course, my 2 favorite things to do are shop and eat!
After a quick stop at Macy’s and the famed Chicago Water Tower Place, I decided lunch was in order and I wanted my hometown’s famed Deep Dish Pizza! As a young girl, we had our favorite Deep Dish spot called ‘Down The Hatch’ it was close to our first home in Arlington Heights before we moved to Schaumburg.
My family made sure we always had access to this fabulous restaurant and I will never ever forget the pizza. Simply outstanding. While it is no longer there, my memories will forever live on!
Did I Find Chicago’s Famous Deep Dish Pizza?
To satisfy my craving for fabulous Deep Dish pizza I headed to another famed Deep Dish, pizza joint. My destination was at 730 N. Rush Street, Chicago, IL 60611, Giordano’s! Before you even ask, no they were not expecting me, but I was still set on getting in and tasting!
Did you know that there are over 50 locations of Giordano’s Pizza nationwide? Maybe it is more of a chain, but I have to tell you, it is Deep Dish done right!
GIORDANO’S PIZZA – Chicago’s Famous Deep Dish Pizza? Is this it?
Trendy, basic, and appealing all in one glimpse. Spacious interior seating, with room for those huge Weekend, crowds yet, better to visit during the week without all the hoopla (IMO). The service is on par, not fantastic, just on-par with an establishment of this size.
Inside you will note a pretty basic interior, basic tables, and chairs, nothing too fancy, but plenty of booths and tables for the crowds!
Lunch Pronto Menu with Chicago’s Famous Deep Dish Pizza
If you head here for lunch, either call ahead and order and pay so your lunch is waiting (if you are in a hurry) or order off the lunch pronto menu which is what I did. On average, a full deep dish pie can take up anywhere from 35-45 minutes to cook, so you can’t order that if you are in a hurry.
The lunch pronto menu allowed me to order fast because they were ‘prepared’ ahead of time and ready and waiting for the lunch crowd.
The lunch deal is really reasonable, I mean we are in Chicago, so only spending about $10 on lunch, seated is something else right? The INDIVIDUAL 6″ CHEESE STUFFED DEEP DISH PIZZA came with a side salad and I think the salad was the best part of the meal, to be honest.
THE SALAD
The mix of greens and Parmesan just are addictive and the assorted mix made it perfectly lip-smacking yummy! The salad is so fresh, possibly one of the best I have ever had anywhere, and that’s crazy considering I am in a pizza place right?
One thing I would love to address with Giordano’s is the pathetic side bowl that the salad comes in, I would rather you ‘DUMP’ the salad on my dish with the pizza than encase it in that small, hard to dig into the bowl!
Pizza Overall – Is it Really the Famed Chicago Deep Dish Pizza?
Here is the pizza when I cut it, take a look at the crust, sauce and the cheese is below deck. Fabulous right. I have tried Deep Dish pizzas in Pittsburgh and countless other states, and they don’t even come close to our Famed Chicago Deep Dish Pizzas.
Don’t go here thinking it will be the best ever, but do know it will be better than 99% of the other Non-Chicagoan Pizza Deep Dish Maker Wannabees that just can’t get it right! (It’s kind of like San Fran and their Sourdough.)
I will say this. The deep-dish I consumed here was great, not the best. However, it is better than I have had in most other states and pizzerias, imitating the Chicago famous deep dish pizzas.
Now let’s crack this baby open and see what she is made of….
Can you see the sauce and the flakiness of the crust? It is hard to believe that a sauce-boat (or so it would appear) could house a crust that is flaky, yet tender in the middle. This pizza reigns supreme.
Let’s just look at this one more time and crave it!
TIPS FOR DINING AT GIORDANO’S
Please note that a typical deep dish pizza can take anywhere between 35-45 minutes to create, so just packing on in a booth and order is not going to solve Hungry.
Loading up on Starters is great if you have a lot of people with you. Considering splitting a pizza or inviting the bottomless pit with you. Otherwise, order alcohol and you will thank me later.
The deep-dish pizza is filling and just trying to tackle the side salad and single-serve pizza left me filled beyond, and I felt sad to leave 1/4 of the pizza behind! Consider the thick crust and amount of sauce. Right there you have a meal.
Know your food limits and unless you are taking food home (leftovers) don’t cave into the trap of Starters. Unless you are ordering starters because you just can’t stave off the hunger while you wait! Otherwise, opt for that beverage! (remember don’t drink and drive, call LYFT or UBER).
Remember to join the email list, so you can get a free appetizer! Right? I just got done telling you not to order a Starter now I am telling you to sign up and get one free! These are all just tips for everyone, so I have to share what I know!
Do whatever floats your pizza world! Consider this a Free item, but maybe you want to pass on it? However, if you are ready to feast on the beast of a pizza, ignore the app offers! There’s no way to eat it al!
FOOD & TRAVEL
For this particular trip, it was the closest I could come to true Chicagoan Deep Dish. There was no time to travel into suburbia to seek out a hidden gem of a pizzeria.
Fast service makes dining here easy, especially during lunch hour, even with a LIGHT staff. However, that said, just go to Eataly Chicago for the real foodie experience. I forgot about it until I began walking my lunch off.
There are multiple locations of this brand throughout Chicago and our nation, so Google it and see if you can get there because it is well worth the stop.
Treat this as a tourist destination and come hungry because you definitely can lavishly live food and travel out loud while enjoying Chicago’s Famous Deep Dish Pizza. ~Dana XO ~