- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Gino's East
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
2801 N Lincoln Ave(between Diversey Pky & George St)
Chicago, IL 60657
Neighborhood: Lakeview
(773) 327-3737
- Nearest Transit:
-
Diversey (Brown Line, Purple Line)
Wellington (Brown Line, Purple Line)
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
154 reviews for Gino's East
Review Highlights
"I love the unique taste of Gino's East deep dish pizza."
(in 82 reviews)
"Oh, and did I mention it's BYOB."
(in 30 reviews)
"The sausage thin crust is really great."
(in 18 reviews)
Loading...
154 reviews in English
-
Review from Max L.
Chicago, IL
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was really surprised at how TINY this place is considering how enormous the other location is.
Our server was one of the most friendly, attentive, "I could not be happier doing anything else in the world" people I've met in a long time! (although difficult to understand).
The food was great! He suggested a different form of sausage, which was a giant sheet of sausage that covers the pizza instead of the usual nuggets.
BYOB is also always a great! Especially when they put your six pack in their fridge for you!
Everything was great and I'm really glad I finally made it out there. Will certainly be back soon! -
Review from Simeen A.
Chicago, IL
2/7/2012
Oh ick! I really haven't had BAD pizza in Chicago until I ate here. If you'd asked me before, I would have said all deep dish is sort of the same (I know, I know, but sorry, I can't really expound on the differences between Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, etc).
Anyway, as far as deep dish- or any pizza- this was a total disappointment.
Of course in deep dish, the crust is the majority of the pizza- this crust was awful. Heavy and bland and just... I don't know. Gross. And I got spinach as a topping- most places have sauteed spinach that you can tell used to be fresh. Here, it's like... a watery pureed version. Not good at all.
I love pizza- it's probably my favorite food in the world, and frankly I'm not super picky, but I'd never eat this again. There are SO many other good options.
*It is small but I'll give a couple stars for our nice server. Too bad the meal was so tasteless and sad. -
Review from Jean M.
Merrill, WI
1/29/2012
Rude, rude, rude!
NOT family friendly.
Disorganized line "outside" this tiny pizza place. Extremely arrogant and condescending attendant outside the front door - with no others waiting and a wind chill factor of 5. Obviously lacks social skills.
Small and dark inside. Cold feeling.
No pizza is worth the terrible treatment we received. -
Review from Kmberly B.
Denver, CO
12/30/2011
I've had better pizza, but I've also had worse. However, we had the best service possible when we went to Gino's East on Lincoln.
The overall establishment has been there for quite some time, and it shows. The decor and atmosphere are okay, and though BYOB is nice, it would have been nice if they had a few options in house too. Plastic silverware and dishware, along with paper cups is wasteful and just plain cheap, I feel that was the one big thing I would change right away.
The pizza was decent, but I really only give Gino's 3 stars. The fourth star is just for our server Dimi, he made the entire meal more enjoyable and anything we needed he took care of immediately. I actually would give him 5 stars if this review was just on service. -
Review from Eric B.
Chicago, IL
1/18/2012
Deep dish review: good but not the best. Plain crust. The gooey part was ok. I still think Lou's is the best.
-
Review from Jonathan H.
Chicago, IL
11/8/2011
I go here for lunch sometimes and like all Gino's the lunch special just can't be beat. A personal Deep dish, salad and a coke.
Place is always clean and the service is always good. Once they messed up my order, but gave me another pizza for free to make up for it. Which was cool. -
Review from Frank B.
Chicago, IL
11/14/2011
I am running out of Deep Dish Pizza spots here in the city known for the delectable morsel. I had read previous reviews that cited the pie as "good, but not the best in town". I couldn't agree more.
Granted you may want to eat a meaty pie as I stick to the spinach. Spinach was no bueno as in it looked like it came straight from a can (think old Popeye cartoons, remember how it used to shoot out of the can all clumpy like? You 'member!) I did enjoy the crust though. Bottom line: Meh, I still enjoy Giordanos. -
Review from Matt S.
Saint Louis, MO
10/24/2011
Two of my best friends and I ordered Gino's East Sunday night in Chicago and they came through with a great pizza. I went with the famous sausage patty across the pizza and it went over well for our Bears victory celebration. One of my friends grandfathers was best friends with the original owners of Gino's, He had some great stories about the Chicago Outfit and alleged shakedown attempts at the establishment. It was like taking a bite of of history.
Only disappointment was that I didn't think it was as cheesy and thick as I have had there in the past. It felt like more of a pan than a Chicago Deep Dish. Sauce, however was fantastic! -
Review from kristina s.
Racine, WI
10/25/2011
I had to order Gino's East for a work lunch today and they did a great job!
It was prompt, on time and we also got an order of cookies for free with the order (they were still warm!)
I would recc'd ordering from Gino's for any type of work event. Oh and the pizza was delicious! -
Review from Monica-Tezla V.
Brooklyn, NY
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
bland bland bland
not worth it -
Review from Victoria V.
Chicago, IL
10/14/2011
I don't know what all the fuss is about over Gino's Pizza period.
This location had fast, excellent service. I'm more Meh over the pizza itself.
Instead of waiting in line for an hour at the downtown location I ordered over the phone and got delivery.
The crust? What's the deal? I'm not digging it. I ordered a cheese deep dish and it was loaded with cheese but the crust was bland and weird. It's yellowish and seems like a mixture of cornbread and pie crust. Except not tasty like cornbread or pie crust. Just bland, flakey yellow crusty weird.
But you know what is SUPER TASTY? The Spinach bread. OMG. Spinach and artichoke cheesy dip baked into a white french ish kinda bread. Yum. I shall be ordering that again. As for the pizza? It was cool to try "the original deep dish" of chicago but sorry my friends -- not really a fan. -
Review from Matthew S.
Skokie, IL
8/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I would first like to note that our server did a great job. He sat us outside and our waters were full the entire time. This was my first time ever having Gino's at one of their restaurants. A few months ago I heated up one of their frozen pizza's and I was impressed. That being said, the pizza I had tonight at the actual Gino's East tasted exactly like that frozen pizza.
I was surprised to see how dry the crust was and that the temp of the pie wasn't very hot. I would think that if it had just come out of the oven that you might have to blow on it a bit so you don't have third degree burns on the roof of your mouth.
Also, the chopped salad was awful. Kind of like having to sit through the MTV Music Video Awards. There is just too much great pizza in Chicago to allow me to do Geno's ever again and there are always hysterical reruns of Mash on.
Here are my current top five favorite Chicago Deep Dish Zahs:
5. Pequods
4. Gullivers
3.Giordano's
2. Lou Malnatti's
1. Burts Place -
Review from Margaret R.
San Francisco, CA
6/20/2011
Meehhhhhhh. I don't understand the hype. I felt like the doughy part of the pizza was too dry. I think Patxi's on the West Coast makes a better chicago style pizza..blasphemy!
The other stuff was alright....What did we get?
For appetizers we got mozzarella sticks and toasted ravioli. They were good, very cheesy, except one stick that had NOTHING in it. We didn't make a big deal about it, especially since one of us stuffed in his mouth and thus destroyed our evidence. lol
We also got 2 medium pizzas - the gino east supreme (sausage and peperroni (we got both), green peppers, onions). GAWd, the sausage layer was literally at least 1/2 inch thick. It was wayyyyyyyyy too much. I didn't like it.
We also got a meaty legend. Basically the same story. Way to heavy and not too good.
In the end, we had a good time though since it was a lot of people's first time having chicago style pizza.
Also, the waiter was awesome. He was able to accomodate a group of a 6 AND a bunch of other tables with good humor.
We definitely had to look for a place to itch our names into the place...the place is covered with them.Listed in: Chicago
-
Review from Lauren O.
7/30/2011
Before I begin this review, I have to explain that I went to Gino's on a weekend getaway a while ago and I am unsure about which location I went to while I was in Chicago.
So anyways..... I had been dying to try some real chicago style pizza forever. I live in Los Angeles and the closest I have had to Chicago style pizza is Numero Uno. *Hang head in shame*
So my Purdue Friends and I went to a Gino's location and had a pizza that was half supreme and half cheese deep dish style and calamari. The calamari was great and accompanied with hot marinara sauce; I love a good plate of calamari *drool*
The pizza was an experience. The crust was sweet and kinda tasted like it had a corn bread based crust. The pizza was so thick and it had the toppings on the bottom, cheese in the middle, more toppings and then sauce. You literally had to use a knife and folk to partake in the deliciousness of this pizza. I really liked the pizza and I am now a fan of Chicago-style pizza.
No tips or hints about this place. Just enjoy :-) -
Review from Brandon V.
Chicago, IL
6/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's good pizza, and the server we had was extra-friendly. It's only for this reason that I gave three stars.
We came on a rainy evening, so no one could utilize the outdoor seating, and thus of course the inside was packed. There is very limited indoor seating and the waiting area is about as cramped as you can imagine.
The worst part though is the chaos that began to ensue in the midst of the waiting and the crowding. It really seemed like minute-to-minute, the staff had no idea what was going on with anyone.
A server came by twice to ask what we had ordered while we were waiting for the table. Two groups who arrived after us were seated before us.
After finally getting to our table, we were told our pizza was thrown away "by management, who decided it had been sitting in the warmer for too long" by the time we got a table, so we had to wait even longer. Then our replacement pizza came out with the wrong toppings. They did, however, give us our sodas and a free take-home pizza as a consolation.
There also were signs hanging all around that stated "This location does not accept Groupons". I didn't have a Groupon, but was a bit put-off that this location didn't want anything to do with me had I bought one.
I like Gino's, but I'll probably choose a different location from now on when I get a craving for it. -
Review from Lame O.
Fairfield, CA
11/14/2011
The best pizza in the universe! Every time that I've eaten here, I have been extremely satisfied. This location is not exactly like the original, so don't bring a marker and expect to write on the walls. The pizza is awesome. I always order the meaty legend, and it's always difficult for me to finish. They do have daily specials on pizzas, but I've never felt the need to change it up. These pizzas generally take anywhere from 20-30 mins to make, so if you are hungry try to get your pizza order in right away as soon as you sit down (if you already know what you want). You can order your apps at the same time and they will still be out way before you get your pizza. The last time I was down there the waitress was fantastic. She saw that I was drinking ice tea like a madman, so she was nice enough to leave a pitcher of it at our table, love that!
-
Review from Kent L.
6/15/2011
I'll preface this review by saying that I am a Giordano's man.. of the four main Chicago chains, I rank them as follows:
1. Giordano's
2. Gino's East
3. Lou Malnatti's
4. Uno's
Gino's deep dish is very similar to that of Giordano's (we ordered the large pepperoni). The main differences are the crust (Gino's is more flakey and cornbread-like while Giordano's is harder and more white-bread like -- lol, I know.. but this is the best I can do after having downed a few drinks tonight) and the distribution of tomatoes and sauce vs cheese (Gino's has a lot more tomatoes and sauce while Giordano's is heavier on the cheese).
Two things that bug the crap out of me about Gino's East (and it may just be this location), is that 1. They charge for refills on sodas and 2. They serve your food on disposable plates and make you eat with disposable silverware.
Though I definitely enjoyed the deep-dish at Gino's East, Giordano's is still my favorite of the chains. -
Review from Chris B.
Chicago, IL
7/25/2011
I do love Chicago style pizza and have tried at least 7 different places known for it in Chicago, this has always been last and I've tried Gino's 3 times. The crust is very bland, as is the sauce and not enough cheese. The best cheese on a Chicago style I've had is Giordano's but the best crust is probably Pizzeria Uno/Due. I do also like Lou Malnati's. But Gino's has never impressed me with their Chicago style, it is just the worst.
Gino's has decent thin crust though, and would go to this place more often just because of the BYOB and outdoor seating (complete with green astro turf). -
Review from Michelle G.
Chicago, IL
6/1/2011
Well I have to give my input on this great pizza place :P
One because this location particular I met the love of my life behind the counter back 3 years ago.
The place is great, love the old school decorations and the pictures are funny. Very homey feeling.
Now the best part: The PIZZA
All I have to say is WOW! Its such a great pizza. The toppings, the sauce, the cheese and the salads are amazing. You can really get the Chicago style pizza from Gino's.
The personel are good also. I rarely eat in because I work a little further than before. Where I would go each day ( YES! that good) lol
But I get it delivered and I still love it as much I did 3 years ago.
You have to eat here. Great, Yummo pizza
p.s Nick- you are a good manager :P (Roy + Patty) lol -
Review from Katie L.
Philadelphia, PA
10/4/2011
Delicious deep dish pizza - my first experience! The crust at Ginos is more like corn bread - sweeter and mealy- when compared with Giordano's (which we had 2 days later). The sauce is fantastic and it makes a great meal after a long day!
-
Review from Eugene M.
Fair Lawn, NJ
5/15/2011
I'm a NEW YORKER so this is a biased review.
The place is small and crowded and the service is sub par with an poor selection of beverage items. I wish I knew that it was BYOB but ya know...
Takes about 40 minutes to prepare an "individual size" pizza which could probably feed a family of 8.
I ordered a classic sausage and mozzarella. Very good and quite filling. The vegetarian pizza filled with asparagus and other veggies was lackluster except except at 4 am leftovers which was delicious of course. -
Review from Crista L.
2/1/2011
One would think that a pizza place (i.e. Ginos East) would have the capability of fully predicting the outcome of melting chesse over bread.
One would think that the priority of a pizza place (i.e. Gino's East) would be to have a full understanding of what happens when cheese is melted on top of bread and/or dough!
(In fact I KNOW there are Gino's East locations that are capable, a server from another location recommended this creation to us)
((And quite honestly, the ONLY reason we visit Gino's is for the amazing dough + cheese combination that has been served to us in the past))
HOWEVER, at this particular location, the employees got all fvcked up over such a request. The conversation was as follows:
US: Can you melt cheese over the top of our bread sticks?
EMPLOYEE: You mean, you want garlic cheese bread?
US: NO, we want cheese melted over the breadsticks, just like they did last time.
EMPLOYEE: I'm going to have to ask my manager.
US: ((WTF??))
EMPLOYEE: My manager says we can do it this time, but he's not sure how it will turn out.
US: ((WTF??))
EMPLOYEE: Plus, it's going to cost you an extra dollar.
Not only did the reject on the phone not know anything about melting cheese over the top over dough, she also couldn't hear us when we offered our last name, our phone #, or street address. "...what...?" she kept asking. "....what...?"
((May I mention that this was phone call #2 to Gino's. On the first phone call, we eventually hung up the phone to get a breather. There was a lot of talking... a lot of "....what's...." but not a lot of anything getting accomplished.))
After entering the restaurant and noticing a sign mentioning that the Groupon sold for Gino's East was not valid at this particular location:
US: Oh, what's up with that Groupon? (talking amongst ourselves - NOT to girl behind the counter)
EMPLOYEE: Not for this location, but we will give you a discount if you have one.
US: We don't have a Groupon.
EMPLOYEE: Well you can just show it to me on your phone if you have the email.
US: We.Don't.Have.A.Groupon.
EMPLOYEE: Well we can't give you the discount if you don't have it here.
US: ((WTF))
I've never met a more pronounced dingbat in my life.
A super busy pizza place has no business hiring a young, idiotic, clueless, dingbat to answer their phones.
"....what...?" -
Review from Brandy Z.
Royal Oak, MI
9/1/2011
The place is not as original as the downtown Ginos East. Half take out, half dining area two booths 6 tables. In a neighborhood of apartments. No writing on the walls and no pizza served out on cast iron skillets but aluminum trays. Was close to where I was at and my room. this place seemed more flexible with my schedule of getting to bed early for my half marathon.. gotta load up on the carbs what better place to do it then one or the best pizza joints in Chicago. The quality of everything was not that great I thought the ceasar sald was the best at Ginos till I went to this one it was really basic and lacked flavor and freshness. Next time Ill go to the more original one.
-
Review from MaryAnne M.
Chicago, IL
9/16/2010
*Plastic forks and knives
*Plastic plates
*Plastic cups
(I can only assume they don't have a dish washing machine? )
*It's BYOB and there was a table of diners in the tiny restaurant with a case, yes a case of beer. And it was Ice House.
*They somehow managed to screw up a Caesar salad.
I didn't have the pizza, but my 14 year old nephew did and he loved it. But, he's 14 and a boy. So, that was a given. -
Review from Courtney D.
Cook, IL
9/7/2011
A night of drinking and partying will make you hungry.. thank Jeebus for Gino's east! We were served right away, and the pizza came out not too long afterwards. I could only eat one piece as my belly was mostly full of liquor at this point.. However, on the second day. .. it tasted even better!! Gotta love pizza after a hangover! :-)
-
Review from Kylie H.
Chicago, IL
3/23/2011
As a Chicago newbie, I'm on a mission to find the best Chicago-style deep dish pizza. This was not it. The crust was totally bland and the sauce lacked any real flavor. It was just bad food, plain and simple.
The search continues. -
Review from Chizz P.
Chicago, IL
2/7/2011
I decided order pick up during the Superbowl for my boyfriend since im not much of a pizza fan. I ordered the large thin crust with sausage and a spaghetti dinner. I had a groupon but it wasnt valid for this location...which was a bummer since its a block from my place. I came in to pick up the pizza and granted I expected them to be busy, but not unorganized! I walked in and the girl at the counter just stood and stared at me until someone else finally spoke up. Then she said she misspelled my last name and told me was i sure i placed and order? ummm....duh. So i had to repeated the spelling again and then she admitted she had spelled my name wrong. Finally I got my food. NOT. they had trouble finding my order......took them 20 minutes to find it because they had "made" me a xlarge instead of large.
Now to the food...... ummm the pizza was dry and flavorless. the spaghetti was bland and lacked any flavor. The side salad was not even in bite size. The lettuce was in such large pieces. Ill stick to papa johns pizza now, cheaper and taste wayyyy better. -
Review from Al A.
Midland, MI
3/26/2011
The good news first about this location: 1) Parking available right in front, a Chicago rarity. 2) It's BYOB (although we did not know that until we got there) and 3) there were no lines and no waiting unlike then other two Gino's East locations we tried before going here which had lines outsidenin the freezing cold.
The not so good: 1) plasticware, 2) small neighborhood hole in the wall diner with not much atmosphere, except for the traditional red plastic checkered tablecloths and 3) the deep dish pizza was just OK.
Perhaps our expectations were high based on reviews and son's and friends recommendations. Maybe if we had been able to get to the other locations, it would have been more fun, since we heard you can write on the other location's walls with a sharpie and there is a lively environment. This was nothing out of the ordinary, but not bad overall.
Will try some of the other locations next time in Chicago. Just did not feel like waiting in line out in the cold this time. -
Review from Chris M.
Kansas City, MO
3/21/2011
My kids and I got side-tracked here (Lincoln Ave. location) because we plugged the wrong Gino's into the GPS. We were supposed to meet friends at the downtown Gino's, "on the 2nd floor," and had simply arrived at the wrong one.
After the painful headache of what is known as "Parking in Chicago," we arrived at this location, only to be greeted by the bitchiest waitress encountered on our entire vacation. Now, I'll lay a hefty portion of the blame here on my own screw-ups, i.e., not clarifying the location where our friends were; not being better informed about the expense of Chicago parking; not realizing that Chicago is the home of the hexagonal, one-way intersections; etc. However, I would have thought that common human courtesy would have allowed for the following exchange:
Me: "Hi! We're here to meet friends on the 2nd floor."
Waitress: "I'm so sorry. You are probably at the wrong Gino's. Our downtown location is the only one with a second floor."
Instead, our charming waitress immediately took us to a corner table without uttering a word. Upon repeating my desire to meet up with friends in a non-existent upstairs, she replied "here," put the menus down on the table, and walked off. We began to look around for stairs, found none, and out of puzzlement pointed to a closed door off of the dining area and shouted (the waitress was now back by the window to the kitchen) "does this door lead to the 2nd floor?" Well, I'm sure you can guess by now that our waitress, annual recipient of the 2010 Helen Keller Award for not speaking or listening to customers, simply ignored us. Fortunately, a helpful cook overheard the exchange, came over, and then informed me of what was admittedly my error to begin with. He explained where to go and the evening was salvaged (at the expense of more Chicago parking fees).
At the ultimate location, we had a great time...a very nice waiter, great Chicago-style pizza with an interesting corn-bread crust, and only a brief wait considering the time of evening we finally arrived. We had no trouble finding our friends and consequently enjoyed the rest of the evening.
The food here is four-stars if you're looking for Chicago-style pizza. Two or three if not or if looking for decent service from the N. Lincoln location. -
Review from Amanda S.
Chicago, IL
1/10/2011
Sucks. Get Lou's.
The crust has no flavor and neither does the sauce...so what's the point? I'd rather save the calories than eat this fatty tasteless pizza. -
Review from Sarah W.
Chicago, IL
12/11/2010
Ordering delivery? Try Giordano's or Edwardo's instead.
I've eaten in at the Gino's on Mich Ave before and loved it. I was so excited to have a Gino's in my new neighborhood. I ordered at about 2:30 and the projected delivery time was 3:50. I know the drill, it takes a long time to cook deep dish, and even though I only ordered a personal pizza, I was fine with it. However, they were 20 minutes late on top of this. The pizza was cold and bland. The salad that accompanied it was full of water -- apparently someone forgot to drain the lettuce?
Next time I'll take my business elsewhere. -
Review from Bridget K.
Scottsdale, AZ
2/22/2011
I had heard quite the buzz about the deep dish from Gino's East and the fact that I didn't try it has been making me have bad eater's remorse.
When I stopped into the Gino's East on Lincoln I was greeted by a friendly staff in the very small dining room that they have. Immediately I was helped and chose one of their oatmeal choc. chip cookies and the flatbread pizza from the kids menu.
The food was alright, but I didn't feel like it was anything out of this world. I think what made Gino's East a pleasant experience was the helpful staff and loyal neighborhood feel.
I would recommend Gino's to a family ordering pizza to celebrate a soccer win or a 4 year old's birthday party but I'm not sure this spot is for everyone.
Lastly: this place is BYOB. -
Review from Cameron W.
Ann Arbor, MI
8/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Solid. And byob is a big plus. I recommend the all meat deepdish.
-
Review from Tom P.
Chicago, IL
11/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Pizza - nom nom nom. Could feed an army. Surprisingly good crust for a deep dish. And how can you beat a full layer of sausage?
People - very friendly staff.
Size/wait - very small, very few tables (unless it is nice enough to sit outside, in which case this place doubles in seating). Dine-in or carry out, either way just be sure to call ahead.
Overall - solid, but nothing special. If you are looking for Chicago deep dish, this is a good representation, and you shouldn't be disappointed by anything but the wait - although that goes for most any of the Chicago-style joints. -
Review from Robert S.
Chicago, IL
8/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
Good food as usual I have eaten at this location a couple times now
we were on the Mag Mile walking around and wanted some dinner, I wanted to do either Italian Beef or Pizza, so at first we walked by the other deep dish place just off Michigan and there were people all over waiting for a table, so then we walked the other direction and checked Gino's, but same thing line out the door so we walked back to Michigan ave and got a cab and headed to this location, and it was a good idea we got there and the place was packed inside and out but not running out the door
So we looked at a menu and put in our order while we waited for a table, and we were told about a 25 minute wait but we had a table in like 15 and waited maybe another 15 for our pizza
they have BYOB at this location so most of the people out side had beer they had brought with them, was kinda funny listening to some of them as we waited for our pizza, we got a 4 meat deep dish and it was good as usual filled us up and we had 2 slices to take home as we got medium pizza
then it was just a 3 or 4 block walk to the Brown Line so we could head back to the Burbs -
Review from June J.
Beverly Hills, CA
7/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've found out I'm not a big fan of the deep dish. It's too doughy for my liking. I heard their thin crust is simply amazing. I'll have to try it next time!
-
Review from Jenna S.
Chicago, IL
6/11/2009
So I've decided that Gino's is my favorite Chicago Style stuffed pizza. From now on, I will take family and friends here when they want some real Chicago pizza.
Which brings me to this location - so awesome! Don't want to wait in line? Want a table immediately? Want friendly service? Come to Gino's on Diversey! My friend and I came here yesterday because she wanted some real Chicago pizza and we decided that the Gino's on Erie is just too inconvenient (no parking lot, yo!). But this Gino's has a parking lot right out front - oh, and tons of street parking. Sweet.
So, enter two friends hungry for some yummy stuffed pizza. There's only one occupied table in the place. Now, let me say that this location is tiny. I think there were only about eight tables in the whole restaurant. This is more like a "Gino's Light" location. So we're invited to sit wherever and our server immediately brought water and took our drink orders. The menu is great for such a small location. You can get tons of salads, some appetizers, Italian entrees (pastas) and - of course - pizza! Many types, sizes and toppings.
This is when we notice the best part of the menu - the $5.99 lunch special. Yep, $5.99 gets you either: a) a huge slice of stuffed pizza (your choice), side salad and a pop or b) a personal stuffed pizza (your choice of one topping, extras $.50), a side salad and a pop. Awesome!!!!!! This is exactly what I had planned on ordering, anyway, but I just paid way less.
The side salad was good but I only have one complaint (rather, suggestion): get some fat-free Italian dressing on your menu! That was the one dressing I wanted and they just didn't have it. I've honestly never heard of a restaurant not having a fat-free/lite choice for salad dressing in the last five years. Go figure. Was it still delicious Italian dressing? Yes! I just wanted fat-free. Anyway.... the pizza was cooked to perfection and the crust was super buttery and crispy. YUM. I couldn't even finish my entire personal pizza because of that salad before hand (they really shouldn't call it "side" because it's a whole large salad) so I got to take some tasty leftovers home.
All in all, a great experience. Much less frustrating than going to a larger location downtown but you still get the same delicious pizza. I'll definitely bring out-of-town guests here from now on because it's so close to our house and we can park. Awesome! Oh, and if you don't feel like eating in the restaurant, don't forget they have a take-out window right at the entrance. You can get your yummy lunch special to go! Oh, and did I mention it's BYOB?! YES!! This Gino's is BYOB so you can come have a yummy stuffed pizza dinner with your favorite wine or beer. Awesome!!Listed in: Bring Your Own Booze!!, Tourist in Chicago
-
Review from Joe M.
Chicago, IL
10/30/2008
I imagine it must be pretty tough being a pizza place in a city like Chicago. The competition is stiff and your clientele is a metropolis whose populous prides themselves on the appreciation of the very food you prepare. To open a pizza place in Memphis is one thing. To do so in Chicago is completely another.
That said, at one of Chicago's better-known pizza joints, I ironically find the non-pizza entrees to be where the place really shines. The pizza is so-so, but the stromboli and sandwiches are tops. The outdoor seating area isn't bad if you plan on eating pretty quickly, but being on the edge of a parking lot between a 5-point intersection, a Lady & the Tramp romantic dining experience it is not.
In the dining area, the pictures of famous people and landmarks with a Gino's pizza box pasted in are pretty cool and you'll find yourself looking at them if you ordered pick-up, as it always seems to take 5 to 10 more minutes for your order to be ready than what they said on the phone.
This is a good place to go if... you can ignore all the fuss and just want a meatball sandwich. -
Review from Alex F.
11/15/2007
The 5-stars here are solely based on the pizza.
For those who said Gino's stuffed pizza is anything less than some of the best in Chicago, I harbor a deep-seated hatred for you that I hope never surfaces, for the sake of humanity. Not really. But kind of.
With all seriousness, almost everything about this particular location frankly sucks. There are about 5 parking spots, 13 seats, and you eat off of a plastic plate. Ambiance: 0. Date spot? Never.
But DAMN the pizza is so good! First, they offer a FOUR MEAT pizza. Sausage, pepperoni, Capicola ham, and Genoa salami. This jubilee of meats could not be tastier. Crust: Good. Sauce: Great. This ranks in the top 5 for sure.Listed in: Pizza Places
-
Review from Brandie T.
Chicago, IL
10/28/2007
I was next door doing laundry, and needed sustenance while I did so. I had taken note of Gino's the last time I was at the laundromat and decided to wander over there after I put my clothes in the washer.
After perusing the menu - I decided on a Spinach Stromboli. I asked the guy about it and he told me the flavours it came in. I'd never had Stromboli before and I like spinach, so I decided to give it a try.
It seemed like it took forever - but I have to say that I was really impressed with what I got. The serving portion (to me) was HUGE. I ate SOME of it, and took the rest home for a snack later. (it was even good cold!)
