Yelpers have strong opinions about pizza. And everyone has strong opinions about every new best-pizza list that’s based on Yelp reviews. The latest one, ranking the top 25 spots for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, certainly won’t be an exception.
Because, according to that list, Chicago-style deep-dish pizza that’s actually made in Chicago doesn’t quite measure up to similar pies made in, oh, say, California or Missouri.
So, once again, the Yelpers have spoken, and the rest of us will say, “Huh?”
Related: This pie won 1st place in the traditional category at Pizza Expo
Chicago pizzerias didn’t even make the top 5 on Yelp’s new list, and only one managed to squeeze into the top 10—the sports-themed Michael’s Original Pizzeria & Tavern at No. 10. And just two more made it onto the top 20 ranking: Bacino’s of Lincoln Park at No. 19 and the globally acclaimed Pequod’s Pizzeria at No. 20.
None of that is to suggest the deep-dish pies from these top-rated pizzerias are anything less than amazing. After all, you don’t have to currently live in Chicago to make a terrific Chicago-style pizza. In fact, we love to see so many independent pizzerias nationwide—from Queen Creek, Arizona, to Birmingham, Alabama—represented here. One should also keep in mind that Yelpers often review not just the pizza itself, but the overall experience, including the service and the atmosphere, at the pizzeria. And many of them have never actually set foot in Chicago and can only review the pizzas they know.
So, yes, this list will stir up a little controversy and debate, but that just means Americans are passionate about their pizza—and that’s a good thing. On with the rankings!
Topping Yelp’s list is Heirloom Pizza, with two locations in Monterey County, California, at No. 1. Co-owners Michael Foley and Kristen Wood opened the second Heirloom store in Old Salinas last October, complete with a tiki bar and a stage for live music. Writing for the Monterey County Weekly in 2018, Taryn Yudaken took note of the huge crowd, the short wait time and the “multitude of modern light fixtures” that “provide a soft glow.” In other words, the total experience.
Yudaken’s take on the restaurant’s namesake deep-dish pie, the Heirloom? “There was no graceful way to tackle this pizza mountain, but each forkful brought interesting flavors and textures,” the reporter wrote. “The bacon delivered delightful chewiness alongside mushrooms and spinach. The caramelized onions added a touch of sweetness. The only topping I could do without was the gorgonzola, which seemed a little overpowering.”
For No. 2, you’ll have to journey down to Carmine’s Pie House in Jacksonville, Florida. In a recent March Madness-style reader poll by the Florida Times-Union, Carmine’s made the final four before falling to Moon River Pizza, which then lost to Serafina’s Pizza in St. Johns. According to the Times-Union, Carmine’s pizzas “routinely draw diners from well beyond its 32204 ZIP code. And its Chicago stuffed pizza pie rivals some of the originals from 60610, making it just one of a handful of Northeast Florida pizzerias to serve true deep-dish pizza.”
The Vero location in Queen Creek, Arizona, part of a chain founded by Chicago’s Scarnato family and owned by franchisees Kris and Scott Benedetto, came in at No. 3. Vero’s pizzas are offered in three pricing “tiers,” with tier 3 at the low end and tier 1 at the high end.
At No. 4 is Two Cities Pizza Company in Mason, Ohio. The “two cities” in the name point to the two pizza capitals that inspired the menu—Chicago and New York. Founded by Sean Spurlock and Zach Greves, the first location opened in 2015 and the brand has since spread to West Chester, Ohio, as well as Suwanee, Georgia.
You’ll have to return to California to try the pies at the No. 5 restaurant on the list: Tony’s Little Italy in Placentia. Founded by Tony Manzella, who was born in Palermo, Italy, and owned a pizza shop in Chicago before relocating to Placentia, the family-owned pizzeria opened in 1978 and is still going strong after its founder’s death in 2021. “I’m originally from Chicago so I know what I’m eating,” one Yelp reviewer wrote. “I’ve tried other places that claim to serve Chicago pizza, but they don’t even come close to Tony’s!”
Rounding out the top 20 of Yelp’s top 25 spots for deep-dish pizza:
No. 6: Taste of Chicago, Addison, Texas
No. 7: Tortugas Pizza, Birmingham, Alabama
No. 8: Masa of Echo Park, Los Angeles
No. 9: Bourbon House Pizza, Florence, Kentucky
No. 10: Michael’s Original Pizzeria & Tavern, Chicago
No. 11: Mr. Gilberti’s Place, Hollister, Missouri
No. 12: Mario’s Seawall Italian & Pizzeria, Galveston, Texas
No. 13: Third Coast Pizza, Lenexa, Kansas
No. 14: Giorgio’s Chicago Pizzeria & Pub, South Barrington, Illinois
No. 15: Windy City Pie, Seattle
No. 16: West of Chicago Pizza Company, Seattle
No. 17: Chicago Guys Pizza Co., Las Vegas
No. 18: Rocco’s Little Chicago, Tucson, Arizona
No. 19: Bacino’s of Lincoln Park, Chicago
No. 20: Pequod’s Pizzeria, Chicago
In case you’re wondering, Yelp explained how this “all-time list of the top Chicago-style pizzas” was compiled: “We identified businesses in the pizza category, with a large concentration of reviews mentioning ‘Chicago style pizza,’ ‘Chicago-style pizza,’ and ‘deep dish pizza,’ then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning ‘Chicago style pizza,’ ‘Chicago-style pizza,’ and ‘deep dish pizza.’”
