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Chicago (Red)
Mon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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No I have not had this much food or pizza this week... But being on biggest loser and not actually EATING good stuff much for the next chunk of time, thought it would be good to catch up on great places i have been. Maybe if I think of how full I was after I went here I'll be full so here goes...
When I think of Chicago Stuffed Crust / Deep DIsh pizza, this is the bar by which everything else is judged. It might be overplayed but there is a reason for that. It's fantastic. I've had delivery, I've carried it home and I've eaten there. Each time better than the last. And as is true for all great pizzas, its almost as good cold as it is hot. Challenging to wait long enough for oven to warm up when reheating.
If it weren't for the fact that my arteries would be clogged I'd probably come here a bit more often. The other thing that really amazed me is that despite my usually endless appetite, two slices and I was full. That's a rarity sadly. My father had been in town, on business so he left me the leftovers which I turned into dinner for two more nights. It's very rare that I can do that with anything. And it wasn't easy resisting the calls of the pizza within the box until dinner time either.
are there better? probably somewhere, but im a fan and until i find it when i need a reliable pie I'll be getting it here.
This place is GROSS.
I talked to my server and she said that they don't even make their pizzas there! They get their dough frozen from some secret Giodannos factory and they thaw it and then bake it.
When have you had great frozen food? Sorry to burst the legend bubble, but this place is definitely NOT THE REAL DEAL!
On top of the fact that deep dish pizza isn't even pizza (it's a casserole! a freakin' CASSEROLE!), this Giordano's is always packed and the service is mediocre. I don't care if your restaurant is super busy and you're serving celebrities or if you're serving six people during a slow hour - I expect service to be friendly and prompt either way. I didn't really get the impression that the waitstaff here wanted anything to do with me or my friends who were hungry. This particular waiter would never smile and would scoff at our requests. It certainly wasn't a pleasant experience service-wise.
But, because this Giordano's is near the Loop, it's always buzzing with activity and makes for a good space to socialize and eat with family and friends in a big group. Definitely perfect for out-of-towners wanting a taste of Chicago. Just expect to wait at least an hour on the weekends to get in and get seated. Oh, and you'll have to wait another hour for your pizza casserole to arrive at your table.
An initial visit visit to Chicago is not complete until you try a Giordano's deep dish pizza. This establishment was my first introduction to the Chicago Pizza "pie" culinary experience. Although the service is mediocre at best, your not going there for the wait staff. One thing to note however is the wait time for the pizza to be made. Expect a 35-45min wait for your pizza to arrive on your table. Not a place to go for a uncomfortable blind date.
Took a group of co-workers here the other night. A few folks had been asking about chicago pizza and what came to mind was the stuffed pizza at Giordano's. We had a wait but that was ok since we found spots at the bar area. The food did not disappoint and people were talking about the pizza then next 2 days. The place gets really busy so I would order my pizza ahead of time and take it out. They do not accept reservations.
Service was ok noit great and could have turned out really bad - some of the hostesses were not that friendly but it could have been that they were really busy.
Yeah, Giordano's is a Chicago legend. Yeah, I need to always take out-of-towners here. Yeah, I don't really like deep dish or stuffed pizza much. Yeah, I need to always announce to them that Giordano's is not deep dish, but rather stuffed pizza, another Chicago classic.
That being said, I much prefer the Loop location! This one is too touristy, too loud, the service isn't good at all (I wish they did made a little more of an attempt to be nice to out-of-towners). The wait here is often more insane, the place itself is loud and crazy.
So given that Giordano's cannot be avoided, I pick the Loop location over the River North location!
This was my first Chicago meal. We had the ten inch special with sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions. Waiter tells us it'll be 20 min, so we start off with a cannoli. It comes out sprinkled with green specks of chocolate. The core is crunchy and the filling is just perfect-no hint of cheese scent and mildly sweet. Delicious way to start off the meal. The pizza arrives looking like a bowl of tomato soup. One bite into and I was filled with cheese and sparks of veggies, so much cheese. Not bad for a chicago deep dish pizza. Crunch solid crush holding the fillings intact. The ten inch supposedly serves one to two people and I can't imagine one person finishing the whole thing. For two grown gals we could barely finish one slice with the cheese expanding our tummies. :o)
I did not enjoy Chicago's deep dish pizza at all.
Love the city, not the pizza.
I ordered the individual personal pan pizza with mushrooms and it was pretty awful. The crust dominated the flavor and taste of the pizza and overwhelmed the cheese and mushrooms. The waitress was nice, but she was neglectful at times. I had the clam chowder and it was nice and hearty soup. The wait is the hardest part about this place. I had to wait 30 mins for a table because I was interested in trying a taste of Chicago. I guess you live and you learn. I don't think I will be ordering a stuffed pizza ever again when I'm in Chicago.
I was SO excited to try my first real chicago deep dish and the food certainly delivered! The pizza was great! We ordered a small with broccoli, pepperoni and green peppers - it was great!
BUT (could you tell there was a but coming?) the service was terrible. We arrived and the host was nice, told us to order the pizza while we were waiting for the table - bartender was ok but once we got to our table, the waitress came over after about 15 minutes, seriously! 15 minutes sitting at a table? how did she know we weren't waiting for an appetizer? I was so pissed. Once she came over, she was very unfriendly, didn't introduce herself and wasn't so helpful at all.
I try to give the benefit of the doubt to waitstaff (having waited tables for years, i know how the game works) but she was pretty terrible. Once we left, the manager was at the door and didn't even say thanks for coming. I wouldn't rush back here.
As a Chicago tourist, I was really excited to finally get a taste of the "deep-dish" pizza that everyone raves about when visiting the "Windy-City".
We arrived at Giordano's and were immediately seated. I guess this is a pretty big deal since they are usually overly crowded and backed up on pizza orders. The hostess suggested that the next time we visit, we order in our pizza selection by phone before we arrive, that way we won't be waiting 40-60 mins. for our pizza to arrive! (Good suggestion).
We had a great waiter with excellent customer service and knowledge of the menu and mix-and-match options (if you can't eat a small pie by yourself). He warned us that the pizza would take about 45 mins. to bake. It DEFINITELY took that long - my family and I were starving so, we ordered appetizers -- pretty tasty.
Finally the pizza's arrived and boy did they look HUGE. It was a new experience eating pizza with a knife and a fork, but totally necessary for these deep dish devils. The ingredients were excellent but, there was one thing that caught me completely off guard -- THE PIZZA WAS A BIT COLD! Now, I'll admit, I love my pizza fresh and hot right off the pan but, our pizza's were ... mildly warm! After taking 45. to bake, you would think that they would arrive piping hot but alas, they were not.
Huge bummer. We didn't mention it to the waiter because we didn't want to be those annoying "out-of-towners" so we happily plowed into our deep dishes. Like I mentioned before, the quality and taste of the pizza's were great. Just wish they were piping hot, but maybe that's just a personal preference of mine?
Overall, good pizza. Not the bang I was expecting but, definitely filling and relatively inexpensive.
Been to different pizza joints in Chicago, and I have to say, one of the best ones so far.
Service is great, pizza is good.
I have been a big fan off Chicago deep dish, and being that I only go to Chi-town once a year, I always have to make time to eat a slice or two.
I do admit that Giordano's is quite touristy and pizza is more liked stuffed than deep dish, but man is it good. Layers of cheese, meat, more cheese, and more meat. Topped of with a light and tangy tomato sauce.
I have been to Gino's East and Uno's, and for more local flare, I would recommend Uno's. Can't go wrong with what the locals recommend.
For a first time to the windy city, I would recommend Giordano's Pizzeria on Rush since it is right smack in the middle of downtown.
Giordano's Pizzeria on Rosemont sells frozen half-baked pizza's to take home with me, $50 for overnight delivery is a little much. I guess I will have to wait another year to dig into another slice.
OK, so two stuffed pizza places in two nights may mean I never make it back to my wife alive, but hey, what ya gonna do, it's Chicago babay. After many varied recommendations by former Chicagoans we headed here just to try ad compare the original, tha real deal.
Bunch of us split a spinach stuffed and yes it was damn tasty, nice crunchy crust that held together, solid layers of natural goodness in the middle. The place is a little more tacky/touristy than say Due was but it's much bigger and feels like a large pizza place that's been around a while. Have to say this place made good pie but also made me realize that Zach's is actually pretty hard to beat in Cali.
Prefer Due for atmosphere and much cooler/friendlier staff but the pie is def worth a visit here.
Giordano's at one time was a decent Chicago pizza, today it's always different and always changing. Not a favorite of mine or even a place I send tourists to. It's a pizza hype. Their pizza is average.
This location's best is that its in the city, its busy and that's it.
Chicago pizza just isnt my thing, and Giordanos is not even one of the better chicago pizzas. Too much everything. Too much crust, too much sauce, and just smothered (strangled really) with WAY too much cheese, and im someone who has never said the words "too much cheese" in one sentence before.
I'll pass.
The staff is nice, the food is CONSISTENT, and I just think their deep dish has a little something different than some of their competitors. No need to get all technical and go crazy with detail. You're going there for the pizza and it is GOOD and never disappoints.
I don't know why I can't give them 5 stars - but they are a solid 4.
As far as deep dish pizza goes, Giordano's is absolute tops. The flavors are outstanding, with a great crust and sauce that compliments the flavor well. Portions are perfect, with not too much sauce or too much cheese, its nice when you're not being smacked over the head by an overdose of a particular flavor.
The service at Giordano's is significantly better than the other big pizza chains. Even when its really busy, as it always is, it seems like we're well attended to and treated very well.
The biggest problem with Giordano's is that there is always a wait of at least an hour or more, unless you get there for lunch right when they open. They won't take reservations, so you have to wait around all night for it, so its not something I frequent. But if you want the best deep dish pizza around, Giordano's is the place to go, if you can stand the wait.
pretty good casserole. not pizza.
I like thin crust pizza. But before I get Yelp rocks thrown at me, I am proud to say I dove in whole heartedly into a famous deep dish with no signs of slowing. We got a stuffed cheese and sausage pizza and it was divine. The crust was amazing (like a pie crust and dinner roll) and it was a perfect compliment to the ooey gooeyness of the cheese.
The spaghetti and meatballs should also be noted. Yes, I ate that too. In the same sitting. We went at 3:30p and didn't have to wait very long to get seated, served or to dig in.
Probably the second best Chicago pizza I have had after Lou Malnati's.
Its a little thicker and cheesier, and the crust isn't as good (I think the crust is the key at Lou's), but it is still an excellent example of Chicago deep dish. I would probably give it a 5, but I have gotten orders where the cheese was sometimes just too overwhelming. It doesn't seem to be the most consistent place.
BOMB!!! pizza crust is made with real butter... we are fat americans but who cares!!!!
This place currently has a yelp average of 4 stars... Which leads me to believe that either only idiots, or people who don't know what good pizza taste like are reviewing it.
Really? Really????????? You people truly believe that this place is what deep dish is about? If I were to Yelp Chicago, you would all lose a star for even having this place open.
Basically, if you like large layers of flour encrusted cheese with marinara on top, then I think this is your place. But if you like REAL pizza then please stray far from this tourist trap. I was a tourist coming here... so I should know. Especially after talking to natives who laughed at me for even going to this joke of a pizza place.
Anyways... it wasn't the worst pizza ever... but my god... I can't believe they haven't been sued for causing a million heart attacks. And to be honest... i can melt my own cheese in flour with marinara on top.
Did I mention that there is usually a 30 minute to hour long wait? And BTW, they are ALL tourists. No true native would ever wait for this shit.
And one more thing... I am pretty sure that I will never eat a deep dish pizza again after experiencing this crap. It has ruined me. Wayyyy to heavy, wayyyy to much cheese, and wayyyy lacking on quality.
Jesus Christ... you guys are making a killing off of first timers huh?
Well... I'll be straight up... your deep dish blows, and your lack of quality in the ingredients shows.
On the plus side, the service was pretty good and everyone was nice. The atmosphere is good, and you are obviously staying open for some reason.
Anyways, sorry... but you really were the worst ever. Oh and thanks for making me have gas for a week. Yikes.
Yes, I was a tourist.
No, I had never had "real" deep dish Chicago pizza.
Did I like it? Not really. The ingredients just didn't taste like quality for me. The small size was more than enough for 2 people to share...the bf and I had one slice left over and at the thought of eating it later, we didn't even want to take it home (a major shock for us!)
I won't return here, and I wouldn't recommend it to other people.
Cause you're sweeter than apple pie
Everything that you want you got
Girl you know that you need to stop
Most beautiful thing in sight...at GIORDANO's PIZZERIA! - Colby o' Donis (What you got)
This is the very first thing we ate when we came to Chicago. It was on my list of places to try and it was conveniently located two blocks from our hotel. The waiting time for this place in the afternoon was crazy! They let you order your pizza before you even sit down (which is kinda neat because it saves you time since it takes 30 mins+ to make) but it didn't really seem like we saved much time because we probably waited for 45 mins+ on a non-weekend lunch and even after sitting, it took another 15 mins for the pizza to come. Either way, we couldn't wait for true chicago-style pizza and after the hour wait...it probably wasn't worth it.
We were extremely hungry and if you're extremely hungry, almost anything tastes AT LEAST good. Maybe chicago pizza isn't my thing either, it has alot of cheese and you eat it like a pie. I do have to compliment the crust because it was delicious but i wish i found out how good it was by itself before the end of the meal. (towards the end when i was getting full i just pealed off the pie crust and ate that)
All in all, its really filling and if you look around at the tables around you, almost no one finishes their pizza so whatever you think you'll be able to eat, order 1 size smaller than that and you'll be good. At least I got to say i've had chicago style pizza - you silly silly food.
Food: 3 stars --- Service: 3 stars --- Atmosphere: 3 stars --- Price: 3.5 stars
I really like this place. It's good deep dish style pizza that we can't get in San Diego. Long waits, but it's worth it. If you are a party of two, you only need a small. Trust me.
This is the one and only Giordano's I've been to.
I went with high expectations after hearing about their famed Chicago-style deep dish pizza, but was disappointed and found it quite pedestrian.
Next time I'm in Chicago, I'd rather try the original Uno's.
I saw this place on the Travel Channel and initially didn't plan on eating here. But when we came across the restaurant while exploring downtown, I went crazy and coerced my brother and cousins to eat!
We all planned on trying the famous Chicago deep dish pizza and for some reason we ordered the vegetarian deep dish. I'm not completely sure why we did that, but it didnt' matter! The 2.5 inch thick PIE was so full of vegetables that midway through the pizza my brother asked: "oh shoot, there's no meat in this huh... why am I so full?" After two slices each we still had a fourth of the pizza left and found ourselves in a complete 'food-coma.' Poor waiter, had to put up with our consistent 'can I have more ice?' for nearly 45 minutes after we finished eating! Haha...
Personally I'm a thin-crust pizza kind of girl, not that I'm watching my weight I just like that crisp-crust-crunch but this pizza was eye-opening!
So overall, DELICIOUS!!!
"It was good, but it wasn't like omigawddd good".
-TW
Long wait yet efficient in that the restaurant allows you to pre-order you pizza while you wait. Downside: cold pizza :/
I ordered a pizza split into 2 choices: combination & Hawaiian. These pizzas are filled and gushing out CHEESE!!! But what about the marinara sauce? The sauce department was lacking big time.
Service was weak sauce. Har har!
This is what Chicago pizza is all about.
On more than one occasion, I have found myself compelled to order takeout from this place, and I live an hour away from their nearest location.
Yes, I have in fact, crossed the state line to get this pizza. Definitely not something I would want to eat every day - or even every month. No, I prefer my arteries unclogged, but man, whenever I'm in the mood for Chicago-style pizza, there really is no other choice.
The biggest drawback is the wait. There have been several times where I have been in the area and thought "Hey! Let's get Giordano's to bring home" but unless you've got an hour to just sit around, that's really not an option because it takes that long to bake. So, after years of trial and error, usually what we do is get in the car, begin the drive to IL and call on the way. The pizza is done by the time we get there and we just warm it up a little when we get back home. The whole process takes some planning, but it's well worth it! This is a 2-3 times per year ordeal but we just don't have ANYTHING that comes close to this level of pizza-y goodness where I live.
When I told people that I was stopping in Chicago for the night while on my road trip, I was told to make sure I ate a deep dish pizza. I have never had a deep dish pizza, let alone see one in person, so I was intrigued. Giordano's was one of the places that was suggested so I thought I would check it out since I was in the neighborhood. The place was packed, people waiting outside and at the bar inside. I was told it would be a 45 minute wait but I could order my pizza while I waited so that I wouldn't have to wait so long once I got my table. I thought this idea was genius because I was already pretty hungry was wondering if I should go somewhere else where the wait wasn't so long. I'm glad I stayed.
After a few drinks, we got our table where the waitress took our order for bread sticks and the Greek salad. The atmosphere was great. There was all sorts of photos of famous people from Chicago and the place was still pretty popping. Our Greek salad was tasty. Nice creamy feta and real anchovies on top too. Our pizza arrived not too long after.
We ordered the special which had sausage, onions, green peppers and pepperoni. I thought it was amazing! The crust didn't taste like the regular pizza crust I was used to. It had a different texture too. I like how it was still cheese in the middle but wasn't soggy and actually held it's shape when it was on my plate, like a piece of pie.
We ordered the 10-in and that seemed to be perfect size for three people, especially if you get bread sticks and salad before. I can't wait to visit Chicago again so I can try other types of deep dish pizza!
When it comes to Chicago-style deep dish pizza, there are a handful of famous names that are tried and true. Many of them (including Uno, Gino's, and Malnati's) are well-known far beyond the city limits. Another powerhouse in the Chicago pizza scene is Giordano's.
There are 13 locations in the city and twice as many in the suburbs. Each of them look a little bit different from the rest, but you can usually expect to find red-and-white checkered tablecloths, wood-backed chairs, silver-topped red-pepper and parmesan shakers, and exposed brick. The Rush Street location (just off Michigan Avenue) has two floors and is a popular tourist destination. Admittedly though, it's been quite a while since I've actually been to a Giordano's restaurant, because I usually just order in.
A surprising rarity among pizzerias, both the thin-crust and deep-dish are excellent here. The thin crusts are cut into squares (none of that New-York triangle business) and come with plenty of cheese. The deep dishes are the heavyweight champs and take a little over a half-hour to bake. And remember, these 'pies' are thick and heavy, so it's not likely you will get through more than one or two slices. Be sure to bring plenty of friends, or you'll be taking home plenty of leftovers. Not that that's a bad thing.
This is possibly my most ambiguous review ever. Nothing really excited me here, nor did anything turn me off.
We had Giordano's. The next day we got some eating tips from a Chicago restaurant insider telling us that Uno's is better. Darn.
Not that Giordano's was bad. The pizza was decent. I would've liked a bit more red sauce on my pizza, but otherwise tasty.
The wait was long, but shorter than expected. I'll explain: We got there on a Saturday night at about 730. They said the wait was about 1 hour 15 minutes for the 2 of us. But in the end, we were seated at about the 35 minute mark.
You order your while you wait for your seat. The pizza itself is said to take about 35 minutes to cook. So if they time things right, you have a hot pizza ready as you are seated. Interesting system. Doesn't really add or detract from the experience.
Our service was mediocre too. Not bad.
Generally, everything was ok. Nothing notable, for better or worse.
Went here for a late night bite after a cocktail reception for some "real food." It was really good. The staff was very friendly and accomodating to our large group (11 people).
The food was really good. It was my first time trying Chicago style pizza and it was really good. I had cheese stuffed with pepperonii, sausage and jalapenos. Not too expensive, with a couple pitchers of beer it came to $13 a person.
I'd go back if I was in the area again.
Besides the 45 minute wait, Giordano was a pretty awesome Chicago pizza experience. Piping hot deep crust with fresh veggies, sausage, and tons of gooey mozzarella. Crust is crisp on the outside and warm and soft inside. It was so good I actually ate half of an XL which has to be at least 5000 calories. I then inevitably passed out on the subway to Wrigley, succumbing to the food coma.
After walking around downtown Chicago for an eternity searching for this place, we finally found it. It was to be my first taste of Chicago style pizza.
We had to wait for a table but we got to pre-order the pizza so we wouldn't have to wait long. or so we thought. After about 15 minutes we were seated. It was almost another hour before the pizza finally came out.
I was not that impressed with the pizza. It was ok. I thought the crust was aiiiite. We asked for ranch and the waitress asked "For your crust?" No biatch, its for the whole damn pizza cause thats how us Californians roll!
Pizza like this is not worth waiting an hour for, even if the company was okat best. JK, Bella!
I am glad to have crossed this off my "Things to do while in Chicago" list!
No reservations. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon =( Bad idea, unless you like 2 hr waits. I suggest coming after the rush like 3pm-5pm.
The pizza was huge and super cheesy!! we got the stuffed supreme and i loved the tomato sauce on top. but unfortunately it didn't do it for me. I think I'm a die hard Zachary's fan (Berkeley, Ca).
but I would most definitely come back here when I return to Chi-town.
Great deep-dish pizza. Be prepared for a long wait. First you order and then you are seated an then your pizza is served about an hour later. But yum.
Oh, the ooey gooey goodness of steaming hot cheese! I ordered a small special that included, crumbled sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, and sweet onions. The pie is presented on a riser set at eye level just for you to marvel at this simple, yet perfect culinary creation. As I am being served the first slice I am getting excited about what is in store for my tastebuds.The slightly tart smelling sauce teased my senses. I take my first bite and close my eyes savoring the explosion of flavors filling my mouth. The best part was the crispy crust. It had a hint of cornmeal and light taste of olive oil. The staff was very friendly and helpful. My only waning is it takes 45 mins for you ZA so don't order the deep dish if you are in a hurry.
Classic traditional Chicago pizza spot. Pretty good deep dish. 3.75 stars.
Cost to worth it ratio: 3 ($20 for small)
Highlights:
- Deep dish special: fresh tomatoes on too with hidden sausage, green peppers and onions within. Comes with mushrooms too but we skipped those. Working your way to the bottom you'll find a thick layer of cheese and a pastry base. If that's not enough dough, you still have the über thick crust which manages to be crispy and chewy at the same time.
- Bar area: crowded section to wait in. They have some fun cocktails like the Italian screwdriver (vodka, amaretto, grapefruit and orange juice). Bring ids to the bar, as they card everyone.
- Ordering process: put your name in, order your pizza at the counter, and wait for your name to be called. Streamlines the process a bit--when you sit down your pizza is not far behind.
Lowlights:
- A bet there are better pies. This one was good, but didn't knock my socks off.
Good start to our Chicago eating tour--we'll be looking around town for more pizza eats.
I'm not a big deep-dish pizza fan so take that into account when reading my review but the pizza was fine. We ate at the bar since the wait was 40-50 minutes which when added to the 40 minute wait to cook the pizza makes for too long of a wait!
It's not a pie that I would order all the time but maybe every once in awhile.
This is Chicago pizza.
If you are looking for the best pizza in town - this is it!
The End.
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