Pizano's Pizza & Pasta

Went to Pizano’s for dinner on Thursday. Called the E Madison spot for a reservation for a party of 4 but there was none available. Tried the N State St location, and they said I wouldn’t need a reservation - not sure why the disparity, but I was happy! Got there at 7:30pm and we were seated promptly. The ambiance was great and the service was generally good. Ordered a small salad, it was alright. Got a couple of drinks too, they were ok too. Placed the pizza order, it took about 45 minutes to be made, so Nov too bad. When the pizza came out, it was piping hot and generally good looking. On being served, we realized the slices lose some structure and sort of fall off a bit. Got a sense that there was too much moisture overall and the crust felt a little soggy. With that said, the taste was pretty good, just the structure didn’t hold. I would certainly recommend coming here when in Chicago, perhaps not my first choice if I could only do one deep dish! But not a bad second or third choice.

Don’t leave because you think they are full; they have a back dining room. Cute Chicago sports themed decor. I tried to make a phone reservation, but was told they only take reservations for four or more. Waitress told us all their pizzas, deep dish or thin crust, take 40 minutes; so, order an appetizer if you’re hangry. Also, the waitress told us they don’t take Apple Pay or any tap payment. You have to have a physical credit card or cash (who carries cash?). We ordered a medium deep dish Mark’s pizza, which comes with sliced tomatoes, basil, and garlic. The Cabernet was the perfect accompaniment. Pizza itself was a mozzarella bomb. Huge amount of mozzarella and I mean huge! Thin layer of sliced tomatoes in red sauce and topped with what seemed to me as a bit of fresh and some dried basil as well. I would have preferred more fresh basil. I could only eat about one and a half slices and my hubby had 2 slices. The medium pizza still had two slices left. All in all, a nice dinner.

A very Chicago pizza place!!! I felt like I was an extra on a movie set. The atmosphere when you walk into Pizano’s reverberates the true essence of the city. The food was is delicious and hearty. I highly recommend the Caesar for the table to start off with. The wine selection is fantastic and offers high quality vineyards like Meiomi. The chicken stuffed tortellini was absolutely a bite from pasta heaven!!!! The food came out within 20 mins after we ordered and about 10 mins after the salad. If you’re a first time visitor, this is where you need to come for an authentic deep dish Chicago pizza!!!!

Ok I did not know that Pizano's Pizza and Pasta has multiple outlets in the Michigan Avenue area in downtown Chicago but if I recall correctly this one is close to the Bean. It was a busy place during lunch hour and it was the weekend. We got a place right away which is great. The menu is largely Italian - pasta, risotto, salad but it was quite the struggle to find vegetarian options sober settled for a pasta in extra spicy marinara sauce. The cabernet I had was great. They have a bar so you can pair pair whatever drink that goes with your food. The lady who looked after us was just amazing - really friendly, quick to respond and in general just fantastic. I should have asked for her name so I could specifically mention our thanks to her for making it a pleasant experience circus despite the weekend buzz. It's funny how you remember a place so much for the place but because of one person who made it a pleasant experience for you. People matter... They also have street side seating which should be nice inn the evenings. I think they can easily accomodate about 80 people on a busy day. I just wish they include more vegetarian choices that is not necessarily a salad...

Pizano’s felt like a warm, nostalgic pause just off the Magnificent Mile—easy to walk to, but far enough from the noise to breathe. We showed up just after 4 PM and had no trouble getting a table. The space has that classic, wood-heavy, red-checkered tablecloth energy that so many places try to fake but few pull off. Gallery walls of Chicago icons, Bulls legends, and faded celebrity snapshots wrap the room in history—and yes, there’s still a little holiday garland wound around the ceiling like it never left. We ordered a vegetarian deep dish, split it, and paired it with a Pizano’s draft beer, which was much better than expected! The sauce was the standout—bright, tomato-forward, and generously ladled. The crust had character, with just enough crunch and butter to hold its own. The cheese, while serviceable, didn’t wow us, but the pie as a whole hit the spot. It was hearty, comforting, and exactly what we needed after a long day on foot. Would I go back regularly? Probably not. But for a once-a-trip experience, it earned its place. It felt like the kind of recommendation someone gives you with pride—and after one bite, you see why. 4+ stars: Friendly service, a reliable deep-dish institution with old-school charm and a sauce that carries the team.

Really sad about this experience. The tortellini with meat sauce was bland and terrible. Olive Garden does it better. I’m in the industry and recognize those torts, they 100% come in frozen. Really really shameful that they would serve soulless, unseasoned sauce. Did anyone in the kitchen bother to taste the sauce they served today? No herbs, no spices, no garlic, no wine, no sugar. This is supposed to be an Italian restaurant and you serve bland food? Your pizza is atleast good. We sat by the person rolling silverware and had clanking metal noises in our ear from them banging around the silverware tub. Maybe do that back in the kitchen?

First time in Chicago, and wanted to try some authentic Chicago deep dish pizza. I didn't realize that I had chosen the worst place to go to. We left over 3/4 of the pizza there. It was not even worth taking and feeding to the dogs. The cheesy garlic bread was lukewarm and bland. The marinara sauce was watery red soup at best. We ordered a medium pepperoni and cheese deep dish, which came out fairly quickly. Presentation was good, but the pizza was anything but. The sauce, much like the marinara was very watery, so much so that you can see chunks of tomatoes floating on the water. The cheese was bland and flavorless. And the crust was rock solid. I tried expressing my complaint to our waiter, but after he took our order and put our drinks back, we never saw him again. The Host in the attached picture, was mostly too busy playing on his phone and watching the horse race on the TVs above the bar. It took us 30 minutes to even get our check despite the building only being half full. When I did finally get the voicemail complaints, they told us we should have said something earlier.... I told them that they were ignoring us when we tried to flag them down, and he just shrugged his shoulders and said sorry. All in all, I wasted $65 stopping at this dumpster pile. We left and went to a different pizza place that we enjoyed immensely. Reading through the responses to other reviews on here, Pizanos is just putting a public facade of caring with cookie cutter responses.

Pizano's Pizza and Pasta in Chicago was the perfect spot to dive into the city's iconic deep-dish pizza. After a brief wait, we were seated and treated to a pizza that truly lived up to its reputation - rich, cheesy, and packed with flavour. The crust was wonderfully thick and buttery. Definitely worth a visit for pizza lovers!

I have lived in Chicago my entire life, and I call myself a pizza snob. Hands down, Chicago has the best pizza in the world. My very favorite pizza is at Pizano's, and my favorite Pizano's in on State Street. I belong to a synagogue around the corner from State Street Pizano's, and my friends and I go there often after Friday night services. Aside from having the best pizza in Chicago, their other food is great, and their staff is amazing. The managers are always wonderful and attentive, and the wait staff is fantastic. A few weeks ago, my friends and I went to Pizano's after services. I told our server, Marco, that my friend was celebrating his 90th birthday and asked if they could bring him a surprise dessert. The dessert they brought was my favorite, a warm chocolate chip cookie crust, with vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It is truly amazing. I would have gladly paid for it, but the management not only comped the dessert, they comped the entire check! Granted, my friends eat there quite often, but this was way above and beyond superior customer relations. To sum it up, Pizano's has by far the best pizza, and State Street has the best staff in the City of Chicago and beyond. There is no reason to go anywhere else for pizza, and I don't!

Fond recollections of a delicious and tasty deep dish pizza experience over 15 years ago at Pizano's in downtown Chicago had me returning on a recent visit. After having some lackluster experiences with deep dish pizza earlier in the week, I decided to switch it up to try out their thin crust pizza and it did not disappoint. We went with a medium cheese thin crust pizza. It was cooked to crunchy perfection that meshed well with the delicious sauce and cheese. Sometimes referred to as tavern style, this thin crust pizza may be winning me over as my favorite style of pizza when I visit Chicago. Ultimately, it boils down to the use of high quality ingredients and attention to food preparation, and Pizano's definitely delivered. I'd rate the overall experience a 4.5/5, but happy to round up thanks to the friendly service we received and the great interiors that pay an homage to pizza and Chicago sports history. They really don't make restaurants like this anymore with checkered tablecloths and old school vibes. Pizano's definitely makes my Chicago pizza recommendation list, so I'd recommend it to others, and wouldn't hesitate to return for another pizza experience.

From a San Diego guy. This spot was unreal! Jeff took care of me and that pizza is to die for. Thin crust and deep dish was money. Best pizza around

Ordered the appetizer calamari for $18 , was not worth the price not much on the plate , tiny pieces wasn't hot , forget it . World famous pizza old news maybe use to be , crust is like a cracker think it's frozen , ordered the mushroom pizza , sauce disappeared so it tasted bland like bread and cheese no taste.

I would go back to Pizano's just for the bread & olive oil they bring out - it was soooo good!!! Their pizza was good too. We got the thin crust which is normally not my first choice, but this one wasn't toooo thin so it was a perfect combination. I hate when pizzas are as thin as cardboard, but this one was not like that! The inside is a casual sit down situation. Our service was great. Can't wait to go back & try more things.

By far, the best deep dish pizza i ever had. Come here for pizza, good wine or beer, and that awsome pizza

It was tough to pick just one Chicago pizza restaurant with so many options!!!!! We really wanted to try an authentic 'Chi-style deep dish,' so we chose this place. We asked the server to recommend a classic Chi-style and added some veggies(onion) to it. Since the pizza takes time to prepare, we ordered pasta as an appetizer. The ravioli was excellent, and the pizza was definitely one of the best I've ever had! It wasn't overwhelming--just a simple pizza with fresh ingredients. I absolutely loved it here!

We always get deep dish when we're in Chicago. But we have Lou Malnati's and Giordano's back home. Pizano's is a great, different choice in that vein. The deep dish was fantastic and service was great. The dining area is filled with hockey memorabilia of you're into that.

We had the best Deep Dish pizza; I have ever tasted here at Pizano's! The Pizza was a meat lovers deep dish with a house salad. It was delicious! The service was outstanding. Our server was very attentive and had service with a smile. The ambiance was a throwback and trendy. I love the autographed pictures of sports athletes on the wall near the bar.

Tired but was not ready to visit with work crowd upon evening arrival and stumbled upon Pizano's. The bartender (Hector) was awesome and the individual deep dish hit the spot! (Rudy's special I think?)

Love the pizza here! Their thin crust is awesome, best we've had in the city. It has a great crispy crust and the sauce is not too sweet or too salty, just right. We recently tried their deep dish and loved it! There was a really nice layer of cheese and the amount of crust was perfect. I tired the specialty pizza with tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil and it was delicious. Very fresh!

We ordered garlic bread and a pizza. The garlic bread game out fast and was perfect. The side of marinara with it was delicious and you can easily tell it was fresh and made in house. We ordered a medium thin crust (smallest thin crust size available) with sausage, onion and garlic, well done. The crust was delicious. Sauce was tasty. Cheese was plentiful. It seemed a little light on onion and garlic but we did taste it. Overall, really enjoyed this pizza. I'd say the thin crust we got was a 8.5/10 itself. Service wise, our server was polite and quick. The staff works together well. Appetizer plates were cleared quickly upon finishing them. Drinks were refilled before they'd even get empty. Only thing was that i felt a little rushed leaving. I was caught off guard when someone that wasn't previously helping our table asked if we needed a box, next thing the pizza had been taken. Not a huge loss, but be more prepared than i was to say you want a box!

I got the individual deep dish with sausage. Being in Chicago I was expecting a really good deep dish style pizza. And it really didn't live up to the expectations. I was sat at the bar and was harder to eat, the pizza took way longer than it should have for a late lunch sitting. Don't be fooled into this sort of pizza is you're used to a real Italian or NYC style. Far too much cheese and really no sauce to be seen or tasted

Mediocre pizza. And who in the hell charges $20 for paper plates and utensils when someone spends $275 on 8 pizzas? Are you really that cheap?? Just reminds me of the cheap quality of the ingredients on the pizzas.

Food: just fine. Good quick spot for dinner when you can't get a reservation anywhere else. The Caesar salad was very heavy on the dressing so i would ask for it on the side. Thin crust pizza is a tavern style and extra greasy. Service: good service! Quick and efficient. Lots of people making sure our table wasn't too full/clearing plates, cups, etc. in a timely manner. Ambiance: looks like a classic Italian eatery on the inside with some patio seating. Right next to the L, but I wasn't bothered by the noise in the patio. You get some characters walking by being just off Michigan Ave!

Great wings! I also liked the Golden Export lager. The chopped salad was also good. Will definitely be back when I'm back in December.

On a brief business trip to Chicago, I had a craving for some outstanding Chicago pizza after I arrived at my hotel, but I was too tired to go out and get some.  Using Yelp I located Pizano's, and ordered a pie delivered to my room.   When the pizza arrived I was positively blown away - it was AMAZING!  My pizza had a thin crust that was "party cut" (cut into small squares); the crust was crisp with a nice chew and very flavorful; the toppings were generous and obviously high-quality, and the overall taste profile was so good I even ate some for breakfast the next morning :-) It turns out that Pizano's was founded by the same family that created Lou Malnatis, so no wonder their pies are so good!  Next time I'm in town, I'll make a point of actually visiting one of their locations.

Good pizza & good vibes- nice ambiance around the holidays. I'd go again- especially nice for a group. Service was quite bad though & kind of rude? What can you do! Pizza really good tho!

This place is awesome! Authentic yummy deep dish Chicago pizza. We had small deep dish, good for 2 people. Order the Mark's special and add Canadian bacon! Good beer on tap, fun ambiance and atmosphere and great service and nice people!!

This place was popping!! Reservation is probably a must for dinner time. I saw lots of people doing takeout/pick up as well. This was my first time trying deep dish pizza, and I enjoyed! My dad said he liked that they put a lot of ingredients. We ordered a medium for 4 of us and we were SO full. Deep dish pizza took 30-45min to come out which we didn't mind, but something to take note of. Staff was super nice too!

This was my first time ordering pizza from this spot and I was highly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The delivery service was fast and the food was hot and fresh. If I'm in the downtown area again, I will definitely order and maybe try something else from their menu.

My husband had a difference of opinion on our favorite pizza in Chicago. Let me preface by saying this was our first time in Chicago, so we're not experts on Chicago-style pizza. After a lifetime of eating NY pizza, my husband preferred Giordano's and I preferred Pizano's. In my opinion, Giordano's cheese and crust are bland. They also just have just too much of everything. At Pizano's, the crust is amazing in texture and flavor. You can taste every ingredient and you don't need extra layers of crust or copious amounts of cheese to make up for that. My husband thought the Pizano's crust was too crisp, but he's also the one to leave the crust on the plate. Since I don't, the crust is important to me. I will say that I preferred the pizza sauce at Giordano's, but I choose crust and seasoning over sauce, so I prefer Pizano's. The buffalo wings were also better at Giordano's. Still, I would pick Pizano's over Giordano's any day. Service was great at both places. Both were equally busy, but luckily we didn't have to wait for a table at either place.

This visit gets a zero. We didn't eat this time. They refused to honor their hours. Pizano's closes at 10, which is great. We arrived 9:20. They wouldn't we've us. Locked the door and wouldn't allow us in. Waves is off to go away. It was quiet in there and they wanted to go home. Other patrons were dining, but they had already locked the doors, and would not let us come in to even order carry out. So, if you want to dine there later in the evening, be prepared to be at the whim of whomever, and whenever they decide to close up. I love this place. Used to. I'll go elsewhere now.

Our waiter Marco was informative and excellent with his service, got himself a 35% tip. The deep dish pepperoni was delicious but could use more meat, a bit heavy on cheese without the flavor of the pepperoni to balance it out. I enjoyed the casual, authentic Italian-American sports fan restaurant. It was clean, has a large bar, and room for bigger groups.

Really tasty deep dish pizza here with a friendly and attentive staff as well. They have a bunch of good options to choose from and their ingredients are really fresh and delicious. The pizza sauce is to die for. Easily walkable from the downtown hotels - don't miss this one.

Today my better half wanted me to try a Chicago pizza establishment for the first time. She talked it up so it had a reputation to live up too! Upon entering Pizano's, we were immediately greeted and sat at a table. The tables are a little crammed but the place is clean and comfortable. The interior is a classic Chicago pizzeria/Italian decor. We ordered a salad and Rudy's Special. The salad came out in a big bowl and it was delicious and crisp! Very tasty and not overly doused in dressing. The Rudy's special was fantastic! The sausage, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms were very fresh and tasty. The crust was light and flaky... just great! Overall, the decor, atmosphere, price, and quality of food was excellent and I would recommend them to anyone to try! Only thing keeping the place from 5 stars is the fact the tables are crammed close together.

So very good. We went there to have a couple drinks and get a deep dish sausage pizza and it was so good. The staff was so friendly and the pizza was delicious!

When I went out for my birthday, I ordered a deep-dish pizza along with two other pizzas. It smelled slightly off, but I thought it was heady cheese. I took it home. I got sick later that night. When I smelled a piece of garlic from the takeout pizza, it was rancid. I called, I sent a message on their website. The manager emailed me. When I called back to ask for a refund for just the pizza I threw out, he told me I did not get sick, and they use fresh garlic, so it could not be the issue. Never go back. I would not trust their food safety.

Great place to eat pizza the story The two brothers the best pizza pie that I've ever had. If you're in Chicago you should check this place out.

BEST GLUTEN FREE PIZZA! Takes quite awhile to get your pizza because it's fresh and 100% worth the wait. Excellent service from our server. Going back... today! YUM!

Chicago Style We were staying a few blocks away at the Knickerbocker and were on the hunt for a good deep dish pizza and saw Pizano's. I think we hit just before the rush, which worked out well for us and were seated immediately. Out waiter was very attentive in all ways. Very nice...I'm SO sorry I don't recall his name! He tried to upsell us on appetizers and drinks but we knew that a deep dish would fill us up and more, so we sadly didn't partake. This is a restaurant but also has a full bar, so is probably great for watching sports and throwing back a few too. The pizza was made fresh, which can take some time but worth the wait. This was my first time having deep dish (Chicago style) pizza, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. It was good - fresh tomato sauce on top. Super filling - there were two of us that shared a small. That was plenty of food. In a way I'm bummed we didn't have the appetite for desert. I would have loved to try it here. Coming from the west coast, I'm not sure when I'll get back to Chicago. However, if I ever do I will be checking out Pizano's if its near where I am to try other menu items!

Best pizza I ever had EVER! I've ordered from there a few times now and this is now the only pizza I will get. I ate the pizza so fast I keep forgetting to take a picture lol

Stumbled upon this place over the weekend when my partner and I were craving some Italian but did not want to drop the big bucks on some of the other gold coast options. When we arrived it was a little before rush hour, and were seated promptly. The space is quite large with ample seating. We loved the classic Italian decor, with the fun blackhawk team swag throughout. Nice Chicago touch. We ended up ordering the cheesy garlic bread to start, which was delicious. We then both ordered pasta dishes for our entrees, which were average. Nothing to write home about. We felt like the prices were still a little steep for what we were getting, but given the location, it was decent. Pasta was fresh and tasty, good serving size too. Overall it was an average experience I would say. I would not go out of my way to return, but if I found myself in the area again I would stop in. Worth a shot. We look forward to trying the pizza, which appears to be what they are better known for.

It's my first time to Chicago so I wanted to try Chicago style pizza. We was walking in the area so we walked in. We was greeted and promptly seated by the window which we absolutely like. Our waiter was right there to also greet us. We ordered side salads which were surprisingly large and fresh. For pizza we ordered Chicago style 1/2 all meat and the other 1/2 ham and pineapple. The pizza was great. The place has what I would think a very Chicago feel and vibe. We had a great experience and recommend.

Outstanding chicago deep dish and tavern style pizza. Excellent choices for pasta, sandwiches, salads, and sides. I love taking my family here. Wonderful wait staff and management.

I walked in as they looked to have been opening up. I ordered the Chicken tenders with garlic bread and had a seat at the bar to wait. It was great service and they even gave me a glass of water to wait with. It didn't take them very long to come out and i was already on my way to eat them at home. They seemed like a very good clean taste; no gaps of unwanted experience. it seemed like they may have taken them from a freezer and heated them up, but there were absolutely no unsavory parts of the chicken and they were steaming hot and well cooked through. They tasted very similar to the tenders you'd receive in a sports stadium (so good). If you're craving tenders and don't want to gamble at a place that may not have adequate taste, this is a very reliable place. The garlic bread was very good as well and was in a very large quantity. (weird, as of today i don't see it on their menu)

honestly the pie sucked! sauce: nothing special, hardly noticeable asked for sausage with peppers and onion. Sausage wasn't even visible on the pie. finally, I found a piece and it was sliced so thin I could see through it! No flavor, boring, disappointing!

Our waiter was amazing! Food came out hot and fresh! Any questions we had he was able to answer and also give great recommendations!

Always a must when I am in Chicago. Never had a bad meal. The garlic bread is heavenly. Light with a crispy crust, not too buttery and delightfully garlicky. In addition to garlic bread, we ordered a bowl of spaghetti in marinara and a chicken parm sandwich. Sandwich was tasty and HUGE. Definitely more than one meal. Fries were great (and I'm not a huge fry eater) - these were worth it. Service was quick and attentive - which can be rare, post-pandemic.

Wasn't impressed. I ordered the Rudy's Special pizza, I requested thin crust, well done. The crust to me, wasn't that thin and it was not crispy. The ingredients on the pizza were very bland & the sauce wasn't tasty, bland. The delivery was on time & the delivery person was very nice. I will not be ordering from them again.

My friend and I were looking for a great place to eat while walking through Chicago and stumbled upon this legend. We don't know Chicago super well, so please give us some credit. The service was Great and ambiance was welcoming and warm. The staff took COVID protocols pretty seriously which we appreciated. My friend and I ordered the thin crust Rudy's Special and it was special alright. The crust wasn't paper thin like some place but more of thicker cracker which was great. We ordered the medium and it was the perfect size for both of us. Highly recommend hitting this place up if deep dish isn't your cup of tea.

My husband and I had Pizanos for dinner tonight. Service- amazing. Wonderful staff and service. Location and atmosphere- loved it. Food- mixed bag. My husband LOVED it. I did not and here's why. I wanted to try Chicago thin crust pizza. I don't care for Chicago deep dish. Pizano's thin crust texture and taste, for me was just like a deep dish just thinner. Not tavern thin. Doesn't seem like "normal " pizza dough. (Guess I'm more Ny than Chi) For me it's not pizza. And this is personal-Please don't let this review stop you from trying their food. The sauce on the pizza was great. The cheese and sausage was tasty. I just did not like the crust at all. My husband really liked it so try for yourself.

This place is adoooooorable. Love it! Super neighborhood feel. In the summer the doors on State Street are open, providing open air dining for the tables closest to the street.

Best non-deep dish pizza in Chicago that I've tried. Love the crust and generous with the toppings. House salad is fairly standard, but house dressing was nice and zingy. Good service from staff, ambiance is standard local Italian joint. Prices are fair as well.

Delicious chicago deep dish pizza. Servers were helpful, we wanted to try everything. Shared a chicken Alfredo (very deli), small chicago deep dish, fried ravioli, and wings. Overall, it was really good.

The restaurant seemed to have a nice relaxed vibe. I got carry-out so I did not stay. My pizza was ready on time and it was still very warm. I did not particularly care for the deep dish crust. It was bland. Tasted like plain flour. The overall flavor of the pizza was okay though.

First time here. Enjoyed the wood work on the walls. Nice service food was ok. We had pizza and chicken. Honey mustard sauce is amazing. Pizza was cool, I'm really particular about my pizza.

Cute atmosphere with good pizza and service. I sat at the bar and ordered pizza and drinks. The bar tender was attentive. It wasn't very busy on a Thursday night. I ordered the thin crust pepperoni. It takes about 30 minutes for the pizza so order right away if you are hungry.

This Pizanos has a very friendly staff. They were very welcoming and had my pizza out in no time. I ordered a large deep dish with sausage. The pizza itself was a little too thin for my liking, but other than that it was a very tasty pizza. I would say if you're a fan of both Lou Malnatis and Giordanos, and you want what they both have in one pizza, then I think Pizano's might have that. Like giordanos, Pizanos pizza was very cheesy. The cheese was a little salty, but was still tasty. The sauce was chunky and acidic and the sausage was very flavorful. The end crust was a tad burnt which was perfect. But the bottom crust was very hard. I like a crispy crust, but damn this thing was rock solid. Probably the worst part to an otherwise decent pizza. I wouldn't mind returning and actually dining in when allowed to, as the interior seemed like a cool spot to chill.