Payne Stanfield

Review of Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

I visited Lou Malnati's back on June 13th this sum...

I visited Lou Malnati's back on June 13th this summer. I figured I'd go numero uno, the original location, to see what Chicago Deep Dish is like for the first time! I used to work in pizza for five years, and I'm avid fan of Detroit-style, pan crust. Andy and Maria were both hospitable servers to a fellow in his first weekend outing in Chicago and made me feel at home. The portions for the garlic bread and caesar salad were well more than enough for two people! I love huge portions for the price! I then ordered a variety of toppings on a small, deep-dish, buttercrust pizza (Pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onions, and ham with extra cheese), and as soon as they brought it to the table, my only response was "This is a small?!?". I could barely eat two slices after the appetizers and salad. They do not kid around when they say a small, Chicago-pan pizza can feed 2-3 people; it's like a hearty pie and a well-balanced meal for the starving! In fact, the pizza was so delicious, I almost called my ex-boss, a Detroit native, to break the bad news that there IS a superior pizza to his and Detroit's! I can't wait for the day that I have an excuse to come up to Chicago, because the first thing I'm doing once I get there is grabbing a deep dish pie from Lou Malnati's in Lincolnwood. Nothing beats one of the original deep-dish recipes of Chicago! You guys rock!