restaurants.

Lou Malnatis Pizzeria

The Open View

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is a four star restaurant in Chicago. Here's a place to get good food. Check out this affordable place in the River North area. It's known for its pizza. This place features outdoor dining. Upon entering the restaurant, you'll find a family atmosphere. This restaurant features private rooms, delivery, and catering. This place is good for groups.

Expert Reviews of Lou Malnatis Pizzeria

lilaguide | Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Editorial Review

all I can say is 'yum!' - simply the best pizza in the area... great food, not really stroller friendly, but sometimes it gets a little loud, so if your kids are restless, no one will even know... great food...
lilaguide.com - expert review - 02/08/2007
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Citysearch | Whether you crave deep dish or thin crust, this comfortable, casual pizza joint serves up some of the best in town.

Sports paraphernalia and framed jerseys from the likes of Magic Johnson and Ryne Sandberg hang on the walls in this local institution, staffed by a friendly crew and crowded with regulars in the dining room or...
citysearch.com - expert review - 06/07/2006
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lilaguide | Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

Kid friendly. Great Calamari.
lilaguide.com - expert review - 02/04/2005
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Metromix

great pizza, staff was friendly but a little uneven, definitely a great casual hangout with friends. my only complaint is that they do not have enough bathrooms (only 1 stall), which makes it a bit annoying...
metromix.com - expert review
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10Best

this old school pizza shop knows a thing or two about pies. locals swear by the deep dish crust that showcases all manner of toppings at this wells street favorite. try the "lou," named for the restaurant's...
10best.com - expert review
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Amazon.com

lou malnati's has an excellent buttery crust, this is what sets it apart. it has a little more breading on the base that a giordano's pizza and somewhat less cheese. it's great for eat-in, although in my...
amazon.com - expert review
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Gayot

lou malnati started his pizza operation in 1971 in the suburbs, and his sons, marc and rick, opened this location in the trendy river north area in 1986 carrying on the family tradition. burnished wood,...
gayot.com - expert review
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AOL CityGuide

buttercrust and suburban start make lou's unique...
cityguide.aol.com - expert review
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SearchChicago

one of the better chicago-style deep-dish pizza places in chicago. the excellent crust starts it off, but the flavor balance of toppings is right on the money. sports memorabilia decor, upbeat atmosphere...
searchchicago.com - expert review
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Chicago Reader

you'd be hard pressed to find more bang for your buck. gourmet and speedy deep dish for $6 at lunch. i'll be back again and again and then i'll go back again...
chicagoreader.com - expert review
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User Reviews of Lou Malnatis Pizzeria

Yelp.com Review - by Kathy P.

4 of 5 stars. Can I give you a big hug, Lou? Pizza is soo mouth-watering, especially with the mushroom/spinach toppings and the butter crust. Their antipasto salad is also phenomenal and the bruschetta is quite…
yelp.com - user review - 05/29/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Chayla B.

4 of 5 stars. Best pizza ever. I love this place. I will say... the service was lacking. Our girl was sweet, but a little slow and charged us for a drink we didn't get. Worse things have happened, but my experience…
yelp.com - user review - 05/27/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Ed F.

4 of 5 stars. We ordered the "Deluxe" deep dish pizza on a recent trip here. Cheese on the bottom, then the sausage and other toppings and the sauce on top. Not too saucy so the pizza doesn't get soggy - just…
yelp.com - user review - 05/25/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Victoria G.

5 of 5 stars. oh my
yelp.com - user review - 05/22/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Marty A.

5 of 5 stars. I'd give this 10 stars if possible. Of the "big three" the order of excellence is Malnati's, Gino's, then Uno.
yelp.com - user review - 05/12/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Joe S.

4 of 5 stars. yummy, yummy, yummy. Service was great and did I mention the pizza was fantastic! The crust was just awesome. It can be a bit of a tourist trap based on it's location, but still a great place to grab…
yelp.com - user review - 04/30/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Janssen M.

5 of 5 stars. Probably the best thing in the entire world to eat when you've spent the last 26 hours on Amtrak and have only ingested a corn muffin and four granola bars in that time span. I pretty much kicked in…
yelp.com - user review - 04/28/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Kali B.

5 of 5 stars. Ok bizotches, sit up, pay attention, empty your stomach, and take the following quiz: If you are one of the following people:
yelp.com - user review - 04/25/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Wonnie K.

3 of 5 stars. I'm sorry to say this, but I honestly liked Zachary's deep dish pizza in Berkeley (California) more than I liked the deep dish in Chicago.
yelp.com - user review - 04/24/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Gil N.

5 of 5 stars. Great pizza, nice location, great service. The prices are reasonable and the portions are generous. I'm never disappointed at Lou Malnati's. It's a great place to meet friends, get together and have a…
yelp.com - user review - 04/18/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Barbara D.

2 of 5 stars. Is it me or does their pizza dough smell and taste like beer? Yeah, I love beer....just not my pizza tasting like it was drenched in it. O'well...
yelp.com - user review - 04/11/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Artemis B.

4 of 5 stars. When I first heard their name, I thought it was "Luminati's" --And perhaps a variance of Illuminati. A mystic pizza, if you will. Read the reviews. A New World Pizza Order is at hand. One that has…
yelp.com - user review - 04/11/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Jasbir S.

4 of 5 stars. I'm not a deep dish fan but man, Lou Malnati's is something else. You have to go here. Giardanos is for people who like crusts that are hard like crackers. Lou Malnati's is for people who like a…
yelp.com - user review - 04/07/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Annie W.

4 of 5 stars. Again, not the hugest fan of deep dish but I thought Lou's ranked way higher than Giordano's. First of all, the bottom crust wasn't all soggy and wet. We shared a medium salad and split a Lou's deluxe…
yelp.com - user review - 04/07/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Katherine H.

4 of 5 stars. My first real Chicago style deep dish pizza in..Chicago! This is way better than Zachary's on the West Coast (my previous only experience with deep dish pizza). For starters, my friends and I had…
yelp.com - user review - 03/28/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Bernard L.

4 of 5 stars. Great food, huge portions, really reasonably priced. That would sum up Lou Malnati's. Although the wait for a table of 4 was something like 30 minutes, it worked out perfectly because we pre-ordered…
yelp.com - user review - 03/28/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Mike A.

5 of 5 stars. Chicago's Finest, the second city is first in Pizza! For a real pie of a pizza you don't go anywhere but Chicago
yelp.com - user review - 03/27/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Leang E.

4 of 5 stars. There must be some reoccurring theme at Lou Malnati's where there's some requirement that you have to wait at least an hour to be seated or longer. Our party of 15 didn't get seated until an hour and…
yelp.com - user review - 03/17/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Susie S.

5 of 5 stars. All I have to say is BUTTER CRUST!!! and the best part is you can order it online: http://www.tastesofchicago.com So even though I am back on the west coast, I can still have my chicago pizza!!!…
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Ericka A.

4 of 5 stars. My first trip to Lou Malnati's was about a year ago. I'm planning on moving to the area and I was in town visiting some friends and checking out the sights over Spring Break, which also happened to be…
yelp.com - user review - 02/25/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Devika S.

4 of 5 stars. This is one of my favorite pizzas ever! Amazing, fresh taste and great crust! mmmm
yelp.com - user review - 02/23/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Xexilia B.

5 of 5 stars. Best pizza ever. No drawing on the walls and I like it like that. Nothing compares to Lou's. Every time I go home I must not miss Lou's.
yelp.com - user review - 02/21/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Julia T.

4 of 5 stars. Two words sum up why I love Lou Malnati's pizza - butter crust. That butter crust is fantastic. Crunchy, rich in flavor. So good. Their Minestrone soup is OK and the salads are pretty good for a…
yelp.com - user review - 02/19/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Michelle C.

4 of 5 stars. Lou Malnati's is higher up on my list of pizza places in the city. Everyone will give you a different opinion based on personal preferences, but I like Lou's pizza better, though we usually get…
yelp.com - user review - 02/17/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Amy L.

4 of 5 stars. I like pizza a lot. Pretty much anything that has bread and cheese will make me happy. I usually am partial to my favorite Gino's East, but my bf wanted to try Lou Malnati's. I had only been to the…
yelp.com - user review - 02/13/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Diana J.

3 of 5 stars. Upon my second trip to Chicago, I decided to try a different pizza place. This place was quite good, fresh, with friendly service.
yelp.com - user review - 02/10/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by RA A.

1 of 5 stars. Not Good, at all. All Crust. I ordered a large deep dish pizza and the amount of cheese was about the same as you would find on a a standard thin crust pie. No layers of cheese in it. I was shocked,…
yelp.com - user review - 02/09/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Phillie P.

4 of 5 stars. Never ate at this location. I used to make a stop here to get a couple of frozen pizzas to take to my girlfriend in Indiana. She loved Lou's pizza. I'd get on her bad side by saying that I just ate…
yelp.com - user review - 02/06/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Lisa B.

5 of 5 stars. I grew up eating this pizza, and it still remains #1 in my heart, even though I'm far away in Florida. Don't get me wrong, I've also been to Gino's East and Giordano's, but they can't quite wow my…
yelp.com - user review - 02/04/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Josh L.

1 of 5 stars. On a recent bachelor party trip, I was waiting and anticipating Chicago deep dish pizza. We must have picked the wrong place. It wasn't filling in terms of ingredients but also I wasn't full at all.…
yelp.com - user review - 01/29/2008
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Decent

Not the best pizza in Chicago, but still pretty good. I would recommend this place, at least to try... I wasn't disappointed. I guess if you follow hype, then you may be disappointed, but like I said, it was...
citysearch.com - user review - 01/26/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Julia S.

4 of 5 stars. For the best deep dish pizza, Lou's was my favorite when I was in Chicago. I made finding the ultimate chicago style pizza a personal quest so trust me, I tried a lot of pizza places. And by far my…
yelp.com - user review - 01/14/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Ben B.

5 of 5 stars. Simply the best pizza in the city. The sauce is chunky and delicious - absolutely mouthwatering. And yes, the buttercrust is worth the few cents it will cost you. Unlike some deep dish joints where…
yelp.com - user review - 01/12/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Alexis K.

3 of 5 stars. Waitstaff is tip-top, hot stuff. Some of the best service I've had in the city. Very at home nice. However, I wasn't impressed with the food. I'm not a fan of deep dish (sorry, Chicago!) so I ordered…
yelp.com - user review - 01/10/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Karen K.

2 of 5 stars. So disappointed! After hearing a bunch of reviews about how this is THE place for deep dish pizza in Chicago, I was really let down. Maybe because it was overly hyped and I expected too much. We…
yelp.com - user review - 01/04/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Amesa C.

3 of 5 stars. Awesome pizza & service but DAMN the wait for a table on a Saturday night is almost 2 hours! I know, they have GREAT pizza and I LOVE it but it just stinks waiting for a table and salivating while…
yelp.com - user review - 12/21/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Erica A.

5 of 5 stars. Is the .75 cent butter crust charge a scam or is it not? I taste no difference. This pizza is so rich and buttery and delicious, I've never seen the need to pay an extra .75 cents for extra butter…
yelp.com - user review - 12/17/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Kathleen A.

5 of 5 stars. Lou's wins my customer service award. This place was crazy the night they lit the Mag Mile lights and I had a major miscommunication with the hostess. Long story short, I thought that putting my…
yelp.com - user review - 12/16/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Bernard M.

4 of 5 stars. Giordano's or Lou's? Tough call. I love Giordano's stuffed pizza better than standard pan pizzas from Gino's. Lou's is just a notch above Gino's, but I still give the edge to Giordano's for my…
yelp.com - user review - 12/04/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Amy C.

4 of 5 stars. I only had Uno's and Giordano's before Lou Malnati's. Lou Malnati's was the freshest tasting one but surprisingly the butter crust was not all that special. I didn't like Giordano's the first time I…
yelp.com - user review - 11/26/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Ellen M.

3 of 5 stars. Love Lou's, Love this location second only to the original in Lincolnwood, Very good butter crust deep dish, I will however agree with others that prefer dining in versus delivery, It's hit-or-miss.
yelp.com - user review - 11/25/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Christine M.

3 of 5 stars. I had read the reviews and had the Lou Malnati's at their Lincoln Park location and thought I would give this one a try. After tonight though I'll have to say it's definitely not the best deep dish in…
yelp.com - user review - 11/25/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Abigail T.

3 of 5 stars. 3 stars.......why? Because I can and because I have DEF. had better pizza. As a Chicagoan.....naturally, I'm a fan of the deep dish pizza. I adore other spots' pies, but it's unfortunate that I…
yelp.com - user review - 11/20/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by cs r.

5 of 5 stars. I consider myself a pizza snob... I've grown up in Chicago on some of the best pizza known to mankind! I'm always amazed that a Domino's or Pizza Hut could possibly make a profit in Chicago 'cause I…
yelp.com - user review - 11/18/2007
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GREATEST PIZZA ON THE EARTH

THIS IS THE BEST PIZZA IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD.... SCREW THOSE BAD REVIEWS BELOW, THERE OBVOUSLY HAVE NO TASTE BUDS! LOU MALNATIS PIZZA IS THE GREATEST! EVERYTHING ON IT IS PERFECT, FROM THE CRUST, TO THE...
citysearch.com - user review - 11/16/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by john c.

1 of 5 stars. i can't tell you how gross that pizza is....there are not enough words in the dictionary....hmmm, wait..... let's try and describe deep dish pizza...
yelp.com - user review - 11/16/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by BettyNEithon T.

3 of 5 stars. I came here with a bunch of other academics during a conference. The pizza was edible and thick, but it was definitely not in flavor country. I tried the supreme and veggie versions, and like someone…
yelp.com - user review - 11/15/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Robyn H.

4 of 5 stars. In Chicago, there are many partisan issues. Cubs versus Sox. Tribune versus Sun-Times. The most important, by far, though, is which of the home-grown pizza institutions has your loyalty. There are…
yelp.com - user review - 11/14/2007
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Best of the Best

Definately the best pizza that my family has ever had, especially if you order the house speciality, the crust with butter. Talk about mouth watering and the dessert pizza is awesome, don't pass it u
kudzu.com - user review - 11/12/2007
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Huge pizza.

Even the personal size feeds 2, maybe 3! Thick traditional crust, with lots of toppings. Not at all healthy, but that's not why you go there.
kudzu.com - user review - 11/07/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Lisa K.

5 of 5 stars. Holy Crap this place is great! The deep dish, and the Malnati's salad... I could have stayed there all day!
yelp.com - user review - 11/07/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by JoKr M.

1 of 5 stars. I was expecting a lot from this place. Everyone told me that this was the home of the best deep dish pizza in Chicago. We got the sausage and mushroom pizza with the butter crust, and ordered it…
yelp.com - user review - 11/04/2007
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Great pizza, but not the most fun place to eat...

Sure, it's downtown and convenient for a quick lunch -- just blocks from the Loop, but this location of Lou's is pretty small and cramped. The pizza is great, though. My fave Lou's is the one up north in...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/31/2007
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Best pizza ever

My husband and and ate here while we were on vacation. We had the absolute best pizza ever and the salad was so good that I ordered the salad dressing online and tried to recreate it at home. The bo
kudzu.com - user review - 10/30/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Greg P.

4 of 5 stars. I found out about this place from a co-worker and Food Network. If you plan on ordering from the website, I recommend starting out with the Tastes of Chicago sampler. Well worth the $$ and you will…
yelp.com - user review - 10/30/2007
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Best pizza in the known universe

This is the best za' in the known universe. And everyone who knows me knows I am not prone to exaggeration! You should also know that I am not even a pan crust pizza fan but this is the exception. I grew up...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/27/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Amanda S.

3 of 5 stars. Tasty! So we all know the pizza is pretty good, but may I also reccommend the breaded mushrooms with ranch dip? Delicious!
yelp.com - user review - 10/27/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Shanin B.

5 of 5 stars. Chicago-style deep dish pizza. The butter crust just melts in your mouth. And is oh so good. But, it does take awhile to bake, so be patient.
yelp.com - user review - 10/27/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Jay R.

5 of 5 stars. I consider their butter crust deep dish to be the best pizza in the world. Need I say more?
yelp.com - user review - 10/26/2007
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BEST Pizza (and I live in Manhattan!)

I've been to all the famous Chi-town pizza joints. Lou Malnati's is far superior to each one. Make sure to get the butter crust. I have them shipped to me in Manhattan everyonce in awhile. I'm so jealous of...
menupages.com - user review - 10/24/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Rob C.

3 of 5 stars. the crust is a bit thinner, ingredients stacked less high than its competition, a bit more liquidy on top. also an interesting crustless version.
yelp.com - user review - 10/20/2007
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Best Pizza Ever

We got to Lou's whenever we are in Chicago and get it Fed-Ex'd a couple of times a year. It is the best! Nothing in California compares (and I'm from here). The butter crust just melts in your mouth. The...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/17/2007
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Best Chicago Pizza

Was just in Chicago and had to stop off and enjoy Lou's again. Once again it didn't disappoint. Nice piled on sauce and toppings and the buttery crust makes for a full meal of it's own. As for the recent...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/15/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Danvin R.

2 of 5 stars. With much hype and anticipation, I had to try Lou Malnati's when I visited Chicago. Sorry to say... I was sadly disappointed. Words of the buttered crust wasn't true and the pizza was practically…
yelp.com - user review - 10/05/2007
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I converted to Lou's from Due's because they didnt sell out.

I dont know about the reviewer who had the soggy crust, that doessnt sound like Lou's pizza but I guess mistakes do happen. I have never had a soggy crust-the crust is buttery and crispy, when I eat there...
citysearch.com - user review - 10/04/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by akzidenz g.

4 of 5 stars. without a doubt, my favorite chicago style deep dish pizza. i think its either the nice, greasy, buttery, and oily crust or the thick layer of juicy, fattening, spicy sausage they put on the pizza.…
yelp.com - user review - 09/24/2007
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"Ama-Za-Zing"

My group and i visited Lou's on 9/9/07 while attending a conference in Chicago. It was recommended by one of our group who had visited before. It was thee best pizza we all had EVER eaten. We were amazed at...
menupages.com - user review - 09/12/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Jason B.

5 of 5 stars. Visiting from San Francisco..... Who knows which one we ordered from, but it was delicious. After a late brunch at Bongo (see my review for this five star experience), I wasn't too hungry, but knew I…
yelp.com - user review - 09/10/2007
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The WORST!

I completely agree with Jamaal23's comments. I tried Lou's for the first time today and it was disgusting - the crust was SOGGY. I ordered the Lou and it was the most flavorless pizza I've ever had, and the...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/09/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by abs t.

1 of 5 stars. Absolutely disgusting. Blah!! Man, was I disappointed in this place. A co-worker convinced me that Lou's was truly the best Chicago pizza - "way better than Giordano's" he said - so I finally decided…
yelp.com - user review - 09/09/2007
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Best pizza you can get

Take a look through the reviews --- without exception the older reviews are 4 or 5 stars. It looks like a coordinated anti-Lous campaign has dominated the last month or so and I have no idea why! Having grown...
citysearch.com - user review - 09/03/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Evann G.

4 of 5 stars. Mmmm... buttercrust. That's really all there is to say that hasn't already been said. It's Chicago-style pizza. It's better than Pizzeria Uno/Due. My boyfriend and I disagree on where it falls in…
yelp.com - user review - 08/28/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Pooja N.

4 of 5 stars. Free lunch? Yeah!! Our office had ordered pizza from here today. Wasn't exactly piping hot from the oven but damn, it was good. I tried both the thick and the thin crust pizzas.The spinach thick crust…
yelp.com - user review - 08/28/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Varsha L.

4 of 5 stars. I definately think Lou's has the best deep dish for the chicago chains! I think I like their crust and the tangy tomato sauce!
yelp.com - user review - 08/28/2007
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Lou's too overrated!

This place was horrible. If you want to believe the hype & what food network has been forcing down my throat and others please waste your money here! The pizza was horrible from the sauce, to the tastless...
citysearch.com - user review - 08/24/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Jean L.

4 of 5 stars. We were stuck in Chicago due to the storm so decided to go to downtown and try out the famous deep dish pizza. We got 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 lou special. I gotta say it was much better than…
yelp.com - user review - 08/24/2007