Tavern-Style Pizza
The pizza locals actually eat: cracker-thin crust, toppings to the edge, cut into squares (the party cut).
Pizano's Pizza & Pasta
Opened in 1991 by a son of Pizzeria Uno's founder. The buttery, crackly thin crust with caramelized edges is the draw.
Vito & Nick's Pizzeria
The cracker-thin party-cut pie every other tavern pizza gets measured against. A South Side institution for generations.
Pat's Pizza & Ristorante
Open since 1950 and close to the ideal thin, square-cut Chicago pie.
Pizz'Amici
A newer spot with the thinnest, crackliest crust in town. Critics rank it #1 for tavern-style, so go early.
Phil's Pizza
A cash-only Bridgeport counter serving beautifully greasy thin crust since 1960. Grab one before or after a Sox game.
Candlelite Chicago
A 1940s-era tavern with a vintage neon sign and a crackly, airy crust. The full bar-pizza experience.
Zarella
A polished, sit-down take on tavern pizza, right downtown. The easiest good tavern pie for visitors to book.
Middle Brow Bungalow
A brewery-café making sourdough tavern pies with crispy, flavorful edges. It's a Tuesday-only thing.
Flo & Santos
A South Loop Polish-Italian pub whose thin crust is named among the city's best. Handy before a game or after the Museum Campus.
The pizza locals actually eat
Tavern-style pizza has a cracker-thin, crisp crust. The sauce, cheese and toppings go all the way to the edge, and the pie is cut into squares (the "party cut") instead of wedges. It started in neighborhood taverns as a salty bar snack, and it's still what most Chicagoans order on a Friday night.
Good to know: the corner pieces are the prize. Sausage is the classic topping, and giardiniera is the local upgrade.
Wondering how it compares with the famous one? Read Deep Dish vs. Tavern-Style, or see our deep dish picks.