13 Best Pizza Places in Chicago

Tell us about your first impressions when you arrived.
The drooping awning and neon beer signs clue you in to the no-fuss interiors of Burt's Place, a legendary pizzeria in suburban Morton Grove. Wood panel walls, vinyl booths, and knickknacks throughout the space are a charming throwback—you're here for pizza, after all. There's a catch here though: Because demand is so high and there's only so much dough the restaurant can produce in a day, you have to call ahead and pre-order your pizza, which will be ready upon your arrival.

What was the crowd like?
Locals and out-of-towners both flock for the signature pan pies, tucking into the thick slices with something like reverence.

What should we be drinking?
Some bottles on the short wine list are surprising finds, namely the easily drinkable Charles Ellner Brut Champagne, which you can get here for $60—a reasonable markup from retail. Other bottles are fairly priced, too. The beer list is fairly common though (Leinenkugel, Blue Moon, Peroni, to name a few).

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
The late Burt Katz, a legendary figure in Chicagoland, owned and operated Pequod's Pizza from 1971 until 1985, eventually selling it. Katz is the progenitor of the famed pizzeria's panned pizza—made with fresh ingredients, the crust is known for its cloud-like interior and crispy, crunchy chew thanks to a long fermentation process. Katz took his beloved recipe to suburban Morton Grove, where he founded Burt's Place and cemented his reputation as one of the area's masters of pizza, along with Ike Sewell and Rudy Malnati of deep-dish pizza fame.

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?
Under new ownership and management—Katz died in 2016—Burt's Place is keeping Katz's legacy alive, down to using the same recipes and pans for the pizzas. The respect for the pizza's history runs deep.

What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?
In a city known famously for its pizza, it's a bittersweet irony that arguably the best pizza around is outside city limits, but so it goes. Burt's Place, even without its legendary owner, is still worthy destination dining for pizza obsessives.