The Best Tavern-Style Pizzas In Chicago, Ranked

Pizz’Amici’s pizza has some of the thinnest, most crackly tavern-style crust we’ve encountered in the wild. It’s layered with toppings like peppery sausage or giardiniera, tangy sauce, and salty cheese that drapes over the edges like someone coloring past the lines. You might have to battle some families with pizza-rabid children for a spot at this West Town restaurant, but their tavern-style is worth planning your week around.

Vito and Nick’s has been around since the 1950s and is a Southside institution worthy of its place in the Chicago Pizza Hall of Fame (which doesn’t actually exist but probably should). Their cracker-crust pizza is super thin and crispy, with bubbly browned cheese and spicy tomato sauce. It's the kind of pizza you can eat a lot of, and you should plan on doing just that.

You might already be familiar with Middle Brow’s regular pizza, which has a puffy sourdough crust. But on Tuesdays this Logan Square spot serves tavern-style pies, and they’re fantastic. The crust is very thin with crispy burnt edges, and a sweeter sauce than what you’ll normally taste on their regular red-sauce pies. The best part is that the cracker-thin crust still has the delicious sourdough flavor that we expect (and love) from this place.

Zarella is the pizza-focused Italian spot in River North from the team behind Alla Vita and this place is a crowd-pleaser. The menu: uncomplicated. The neighborhood: busy. The booths: big. There are dueling pizza styles, tavern and “artisan” (thin but with a puffy edge) and both are great but we're here to talk about the tavern style. It has a tangy crust, bubbly browned cheese, and admirable structural integrity that keeps each slice (even the middle ones) delightfully crispy. 

Professor Pizza has a take-out and delivery-only spot in the West Loop, along with a large brick-and-mortar under The Second City in Old Town. Their tavern-style has a thin but durable crust that holds up to toppings and a garlicky red sauce. We're fans of the sausage and pepper that's piled with mozzarella, sausage, roasted peppers, peppadew, and whipped ricotta (along with sauce and parm). We don’t understand how this pizza manages to stay crispy, but it does, and it’s delicious.

The tavern-style pies at Novel Pizza in Pilsen trade in the thin, cracker aesthetic for a more substantial pita chip-esque crunch. But aside from the excellent crust and delicious spicy tomato sauce, it's their unique combo of housemade sweet longanisa and tart giardiniera that merit some trailblazer award from whatever the pizza Oscars would be. And if you want to be a pizza pioneer yourself, Novel also has a build-your-own option.

This West Town spot has a whole range of unique toppings—like cacio e pepe, mushroom and parmesan cream, and sausage and spicy giardiniera. Whatever you get, each pizza has a crispy crust with a slight fluffy chew towards the center. And since every pie comes in smaller 9” sizes, it’s easy to have a solo meal or order several if you're with pepperoni-only purists.

Phil’s in Bridgeport is cash-only, counter-service, opened in 1960, and has a retro interior complete with a tin ceiling. Their thin crust pies are beautifully greasy, and generously topped with thick sauce and a blanket of cheese. It’s one of the more substantial tavern-style’s you’ll find in town. Our go-to order here is sausage with giardiniera, which adds a delightful amount of heat.

This Pat’s in Lincoln Park has been around since 1950, and has no affiliation with the other Pat’s on this guide. This is pretty much the platonic ideal of a tavern-style pie: cut into cute little squares and spread with a thin layer of tangy sauce that helps maintain the crispiness of the crust. You can dine in, but we like getting it for carryout—it reheats wonderfully.

If you ever wondered, “What does the lovechild of an al pastor taco and tavern-style pizza taste like?”—well, stop asking questions like that to strangers and just swing by this Albany Park pizzeria. The al pastor pie is Bellona’s signature, and it’s excellent. The crispy thin crust and tart tomato sauce nicely complement the seasoned pork, pineapple, and jalapeños. Bellona’s is delivery or take-out only, but we can confirm it tastes great in the back of an old sedan and during endless rounds of Catan.

Cracker-thin crust, spicy tomato sauce, and an even disbursement of toppings are why Pat’s South Loop is on this guide. The cheese is generous without being overwhelming, bubbly but not burnt, and the pie has an ideal ratio of sauce to cheese to crunchy crust. There’s really not much more one can ask for in a tavern-style pie. It’s carryout-only, and if you’re lucky they’ll occasionally throw in a can of Pepsi.

Candlelite Chicago is a Rogers Park staple known for its giant neon sign that publicizes local birthdays, marriage proposals, and important messages like “Nick Finally Moved Out!” But even more iconic than its 70-year-old sign is Candlelite’s pizza. The pies at this spacious neighborhood sports bar are very thin with a fantastic crackly crust, yet the underbelly maintains a pleasant airiness and chew. The crust is the perfect vehicle for standard pies like the Deluxe, which has an ideal ratio of zesty tomato sauce to cheese, plus sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, and mushrooms.

The tavern-style pizzas at Nueva Italy in Rogers Park are on the thicker side compared to other pies on this list, but they still have fantastic crispiness. The slightly thick dough holds up well against the tangy tomato sauce, cheese, and classic toppings like sausage and pepperoni or less traditional ones like gyro meat. We also recommend upgrading to a rich butter crust (a buttery version of the regular) for just two bucks—a perfectly good use for the $2 bills that you somehow accumulated throughout the years. The restaurant is small and only does delivery and takeout—but if “patience” isn’t a soft skill that made it onto your resume, they have a perfectly usable bench in front that’s ideal for instant pizza consumption.

There are several locations of this iconic Southside pizza spot, which has an equally iconic ordering situation: You call a central number, a real live human being will answer the phone, you tell them which Italian Fiesta you want to get your pizza from, then they’ll place your order. Wait time varies (it can be anywhere from 25 minutes to three days—yes we’re serious), but one thing is guaranteed: The pizza will be great. The thin crust is a little soft, topped with a sweet sauce and lots of cheese. The whole thing reminds us of cafeteria pizza bread in the best way possible.