Despite having a thriving food scene that offers a limitless range of cuisines, two foods spring to mind for most when people think of what Chicago brings to the table. Along with a range of reputed Italian beefs that have earned Chicago the title of the sausage capital of the United States, the city’s pizzerias and deep-dish pizza providers have become synonymous with Chicago.
From the famed deep-dish pizza at places like Pequod’s Pizza to the Neapolitan-style thin-crust pizzas at the likes of Ravenswood’s Spacca Napoli Pizzeria, today there are an array of pizzerias in Chicago that have made a name for themselves all offering differing types of pizza.
In 2024, 3 of Chicago’s coveted pizzerias have made it into a ranking of the 50 best pizzas in the country.
Who has the best pizza in Chicago?
Dubbed the most influential pizza guide in the world, 50 Top Pizza last week announced its annual 50 Top Pizza USA 2024 list comprising the very best places for pizzas from all over the United States.
The highest Chicago spot mentioned in the ranking was Robert’s Pizza and Dough Company, ranked 10th best pizzeria in the country.
” Located just steps away from Michigan Avenue, the view overlooks Ogden Slip, a narrow canal with a dock for pleasure boats. The restaurant is well-maintained, refined, and informally elegant,” wrote 50 Top Pizza. ” The pizza dough is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making chewing a delightful experience. The toppings range from the most classic to the most imaginative, even in their names.”
“Among the pizzas, we recommend trying the Jay, with excellent sausage,” it continued, ” the outdoor space is beautiful in the warmer months, and the staff is super friendly, doing everything possible to make you feel comfortable.”
The aforementioned Spacca Napoli Pizzeria, at number 23, was the next to make the ranking. The Ravenswood pizzeria, famed for its Neapolitan-style thin-crust pizzas, was named one of the best pizzerias on the planet by 50 Top Pizza late last year.
” You sit down here and have Italy on your plate. Jonathan Goldsmith serves it to you, having made the “secrets” of Neapolitan pizza his own by “discovering” them directly at some pizzerias in Naples,” reads Top 50 Pizza’s eulogy to the beloved pizzeria.
” In particular, he prepares the pizza following all the specifications and the instructions of the masters who trained him in Naples. The result is a thin, crispy disc, also available in a gluten-free version, that welcomes classic toppings such as Margherita and marinara alongside more creative daily specials like Mortadella or Fiorentina.”
Following Spacca Napoli Pizzeria is Coda Di Volpe, a southern Italian restaurant in the Southport corridor of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, which was ranked 47th best pizzeria in the country.
“The spacious and very modern venue takes its name from one of the most typical grape varieties of Campania, a region in Southern Italy, from which an excellent white wine is produced,” wrote Top 50 Pizza. ” The menu also highlights the cuisine of the sunny south of Italy, which changes with the seasonality of the ingredients in order to always select them fresh.”
“The pizza is strictly Neapolitan, authentic, and certified. The wood-fired oven is custom-built by a master craftsman from Naples, Stefano Ferrara. Margherita with buffalo mozzarella, Diavola, are the excellent traditional pizzas, also worth trying are those with Soppressata and zucchini alla Scapece.”
While Chicago was represented 3 times, a whopping 10 different New York pizzerias were named in the list, including Una Pizza Napoletana in New York City, which took the crown as the best place for pizza in the United States.
Second was Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, followed by Philadelphia’s Pizzeria Beddia.
Read the 50 Top Pizza USA 2024 ranking.