Kim’s Uncle Pizza serves the same tavern-style pizza that Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream served in Bridgeport. Super crispy and with premium toppings, this is artisan Chicago style. The pizzeria was purchased by the Marszewskis, the family behind Maria’s Community Bar and Marz Community Brewing. Family members have fond memories of working at the pizzeria as teens and now have the means to give suburban Westmont destination-worthy pizza. 

Forno Rosso survived the pandemic, a challenging period when dine-in wasn’t reliable. Most pizzerias encourage takeout, but Forno Rosso adheres to the strict rules set in Italy for Neapolitan pizza. So takeout is a no-no; the belief is the pie’s quality will drop below acceptable standards during transportation. Now that COVID restrictions have relaxed, the dining room is once again full of guests enjoying some of the city’s best thin crust pizzas, made with ingredients imported from Italy. The West Loop location has also reopened after a remodel.

Crust Fund Pizza is the little pop-up that could. From John Carruthers, a home chef and marketing professional for Revolution Brewing, Crust Fund is a way for him to showcase his passion for pizza. He takes orders via Instagram (drops happen monthly). Customers don’t pay Carruthers though; they donate money to a charity of his choice in exchange for the secret back alley location where they can pick up a pie. The pizza is mostly Chicago thin crust, but look for a variety of specials. And be quick to lock in an order as drops sell out instantly.

This isn’t a misprint, as some of the city’s most inspired pizza comes from Superkhana International, a daring Indian fusion spot in Logan Square that uses a pizza oven instead of a tandoor for its naan. But the dough used for the pizza isn’t the same. It produces a thin, yet puffy crust. The toppings are South Asian influenced — there are also usually two or three pies on the menu and they rotate seasonally. Expect to find ramps, rhubarb — whatever’s fresh. Recent examples included a Margherita with Thai basil and tomato achar and a palak paneer with fried shallots, mozzarella, and spinach.

The Brooklyn-based pizzeria arrived with lots of hype surrounding its Neapolitan-inspired offerings and managed to live up to those lofty expectations. The wood-fired creations include Greenpointer (mozzarella, baby arugula, olive oil, lemon juice, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano) and Hellboy (mozzarella, Italian tomatoes, Berkshire soppressata picante, Parmigiano Reggiano, Mike’s Hot Honey). There’s a vegan menu that uses special dairy-free cheese, and the menu features Detroit-style squares with cup and char pepperoni. The Wicker Park location focuses on New York-style slices. Online ordering is available here. There’s also a location in suburban Wheeling inside District Brew Yards.

Chicagoans can appreciate good pizza, even if it’s New York-style. Jimmy’s features excellent crispy and chewy slices that beg to be folded and scarfed down. Call it the Great Unifier. Jimmy’s moved to a larger location in early 2022 and expanded its dine-in seating capacity. Online ordering is available here.

My Pi is another treasured Chicago deep-dish den with locations in the suburbs and Bucktown. This pizza stand specializes in the spinach soufflé which comes with gobs of cheese and spinach stuffed into a pie topped with a sweet and tangy sauce. 

The place is usually packed and there’s often a wait, but it’s easy to understand why people love the pies at Piece. The New Haven-style thin crust pizzas can be customized with red or white sauce and topped with an enormous list of eclectic ingredients, including mashed potatoes, artichoke hearts, broccoli, clams, and meatballs. Also check out the special pizzas featuring Doug Sohn’s (Hot Doug’s) Atomic Sausage and Honey Butter’s fried chicken. Online ordering is available here.

Novel Pizza Cafe, nestled in a residential near Harrison Park in Pilsen, is a throwback with vintage sports gear, a few tables, and a few seats at a counter near the window. This is a tribute to Filipino and Mexican immigrants with the signature tavern-crust pizza topped with Spanish chorizo and giardiniera. It provides a sweet and spicy kick. Look out for a rotating special. There’s also Chicago pan pizza which will have old-heads reminiscing about wiping their hands before so they don’t dirty an arcade video game. 

Although most of Chicago’s beloved deep-dish specialists have been around for ages, a couple of newcomers are doing great things that merit major attention. At George’s in Edgewater, chef-owner George Bumbaris uses a sourdough crust with a dash of sweet that may remind diners of a Greek pastry. The crispy edges are covered in caramelized cheese, like at Pequod’s. The intriguing creations, which are named after famous Georges, range from Clooney’s ER (pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, bacon) to Michael’s S&M (spaghetti, meatballs, ricotta, roasted garlic). The restaurant has a huge delivery radius and now has room for 26 dine-in customers. Online orders can be placed here.

Pequod’s has become the standard for deep dish in Chicago with its unique caramelized crust. At Pequod’s, order pies loaded with sausage, spinach, ground beef, giardiniera, and more and see how a burnt, cheesy crust can drastically enhance an already-great classic. The original location is in Morton Grove. Order online here. Beware: Peak dinner times get busy, so be prepared to wait. Also beware: busy times may lead to an erosion in quality, so middle-of-the-week ordering may get customers a more delicious pie.

In 2020, Robert Maleski plunged into pizza making and launched a virtual restaurant before eventually moving into a permanent home in Uptown in early 2022. His take on pan pizza is inspired by Chicago legend Burt Katz (Burt’s Place) and sports a ring of caramelized mozzarella around the dough. The crunchy crust holds lots of cheese and tomato sauce, and is adorned with topping combinations like Que Suerte (pineapple, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, brown sugar bacon) and Craigslist.org (peppadew peppers, sausage, mushrooms, red onions, tomatoes, spinach, ricotta). All pies are also finished with dollops of fresh mozzarella. Orders can be placed here. A second location is now open in suburban Berwyn.

Rarely does tavern-style pizza get put together with the care displayed at Phil’s, located near Sox Park in Bridgeport. For fans of sausage and Italian beef on their pie, Phil’s is unmatched inside a small dining room. The pie keeps well, too — don’t worry about reheating it at home after a long drive.

Zazas is has built a Lakeview following with New York style pizzas that fall into the new Neapolitan category with thin, chewy, and foldable crusts topped with ingredients like truffled mushrooms, Calabrian chili, and soppressata. The rotating menu includes a bacon ham pie (red onions, Calabrian chili, cotija cheese, Sichuan garlic oil, scallions), a white pie (garlic, olive oil, whipped ricotta, mozzarella, basil, sesame seed crust), and a truffle mushroom pie (shiitake mushrooms, rosemary, garlic truffle cream, goat cheese, sea salt). Grandma-style pizzas are also available in limited quantities, and the restaurant is BYOB. Online ordering can be placed here.

“Professor Pizza” is a persona dreamed up by Anthony Scardino, a competitive pizza maker with an enthusiasm for sharing his Italian American roots with the world. The professor has operated out of numerous ghost kitchens and bars, but they have found a home in Old Town, taking over the former Roots Pizza under the same ownership of Fifty/50 Restaurant Group. Scardino slings New York, Chicago-tavern, Sicilian, and Grandma-style pies. Variety is the spice of life, and that’s a lesson the professor stresses.

Pistores in River North comes from the mind of a former fine-dining chef who is pushing the limits of what pizza can be — this is miles from the chain pizza that litters Downtown Chicago. Pistores offers thin- and Detroit-style pies with enticing ingredients like pesto, white anchovy, and butternut squash. It’s a pizzeria with a bit more elegance and subtlety. 

Quad Cities Pizza isn’t a gimmick. This style features malted crust and pies cut into strips. Roots Pizza is very kid-friendly, but not at the expense of quality. It’s a unique pizza experience where parents can order simple for the younglings and then indulge in ordering one of the specials with toppings curated by one of a list of top chefs from around the city, including taco pizza, Korean fried chicken, and tikka masala. The salads and cheesesticks are also top-notch. There are locations in West Town and South Loop.

Rich Labriola runs a baking empire (he also owns the Chicago locations of LA-based Stan’s Donuts) and several years ago, he opened a restaurant off the Mag Mile where tourists can find deep-dish pizzas without waiting in long lines, as is the custom at the usual downtown suspects. The pies come with a ring of caramelized cheese, the sauce is a nice balance between sweet and bitter, and the crust is rarely soggy. Toppings-wise, the Russo Sausage is always a crowd-pleaser. Place an online order here.