Vito & Nick's - a small pub on the south side that has been churning out delicious thin crust pizzas for over 100 YEARS and has earned rave reviews from celebs like Dave Portnoy and Chicago natives. These guys have one of the oldest claims to the style having been a tavern during the great depression. Gotta pay tribute to one of the OGs. https://maps.app.goo.gl/xy8nt3ToYTQGzr6f9
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What is Chicago Tavern Style Pizza?
Ryan Leonard • Apr 30, 2022
Is Chicago Style Pizza Deep-Dish, or Thin crust?
The short answer is both.
While the city did invent the iconic deep-dish, the vast majority of Chicagoans actually prefer thin crust pizza commonly known as tavern style pizza. Although some Chicagoans will fight you on the name, the style originates in 1920s taverns, so it's called tavern style.
Tavern style pizza has a long history in Chicago. It features a super thin and cracker-like crust that is crispy and flakey but not hard. It's firm enough to hold a perfect amount of sauce and toppings without flopping over. Then, it's cut into small squares perfect for passing around the bar or table.
This style of pizza traces its origins back to the Great Depression when bar owners needed a way to entice customers to stop by and stay longer. They'd serve up these square cut slices on napkins to thirsty patrons to keep them drinking without filling them up. It's just the right amount of salty goodness to keep you thirsty and hungry for more.
Over the years square cut thin crust pizza has gained popularity and spready around the Midwest. St louis and Ohio both have claims as the original tavern style pizza creators but good luck convincing any Chicagoans of that (myself included).
Fast forward to 2019 and Chicago native Jared Leonard brought this tradition to Denver, with Grabowski’s Pizzeria in Lakewood, CO.
Jared knows his pizza and has absolutely nailed the cracker crust on his tavern style pizza. Grabowski’s also offers a full service bar and even an arcade where you can book
private events. When you're in the neighborhood definitely stop by Grabowski’s for authentic Chicago pizza experience.
Some Chicagoland Favorites:
Villa Nova - their sausage pizza is a local favorite, and for good reason! It's made with their famous fennel-heavy sausage blend, which is specially prepared for them by the same meat shop they've been working with since 1955. The sausage is applied generously and evenly applied to their thin crust so you get a bite of sausage on every square. Personally, I haven't had a better sausage pizza anywhere else in Chicago. https://maps.app.goo.gl/g1ZHz2psxH261GN28
Barnaby's - famous for their crispy cornmeal crust pizzas with extremely thin crust. The cornmeal is a unique taste that seems to generate a love it or hate it response. Barnaby's has been serving pizza for over 40 years. I grew up eating the pizza at their Des Plaines location which was closed in 2021 and is not expect to reopen. Fortunately, there are other locations. Unfortunately, not all Barnaby's locations are the same. The Niles location doesn't quite compare to the taste you'd expect at their Des Plaines location. The next best location is in Northbrook and they're still serving pizzas 7 days a week.