The Best Pizza Restaurant In America, According To Yelp Elites

Pizza is one of the most universally loved foods. This immense love has resulted in pizza being widely available all across America, ranging from local shops to fast food pizza chains (which we have ranked). Even big celebrities have favorite pizza joints (and you can still visit Frank Sinatra's favorite NYC pizzeria).

We all have our personal preferences when it comes to pizza places, but according to Yelp Elites, there's one pizza place that ranks supreme: Pequod's Pizzeria. Located in Chicago, it's famous for its unique approach to traditional Chicago-style pizza. Its pan pizzas are praised for having perfectly crunchy crusts, which is due in part to the way that Pequod's caramelizes cheese onto its pizza crusts — an approach that has helped put the pizzeria on the map and earned it the highest Yelp Elites rating in 2024.

In addition to securing the top pizza spot according to Yelp Elites, Pequod's Pizzeria also gained television fame when it was featured on the hit chef-centric show "The Bear," only further attracting customers to the restaurant. Since then, the love for Pequod's Pizzeria has only gotten stronger, with a nearly unanimous love being continuously expressed for the pizza spot online. With so many stellar reviews on Yelp, it's safe to say Pequod's Pizzeria definitely earned its crown.

Pequod's Pizzeria was founded by Burt Katz in 1971 in the Morton Grove suburb of Chicago. Although there are many different types of pizza out there, Pequod's Pizzeria focused solely on Chicago-style pan pizza. From the start, the pizzeria's unique approach to pizza crust, particularly the approach of caramelizing cheese on the edge of the crust, made it a popular spot.

Word of mouth continued to spread and founder Burt Katz enjoyed success until he sold the business in 1986 to Keith Jackson. Despite the change in ownership, Pequod's Pizzeria remained successful, resulting in a second location opening up in the Lincoln Park suburb of Chicago in 1992. Pequod's Pizzeria's reputation only continued to spread after this, establishing itself as one of the go-to late-night pizza spots and pizza delivery service.

As for the pizza itself, the caramelized cheese crust that started it all remains as popular as ever. You can attach just about any topping combination to it, from Canadian bacon and green olives to giardiniera and ground beef. Additionally, you don't necessarily have to trek to the restaurant to try that famous pizza crust; frozen cheese, sausage pan, and pepperoni pizzas are currently available via nationwide shipping so you can bring a taste of Chicago home with you. Pequod's is yet to join the pizza chain that made the first-ever delivery into space, but that may be on this pizzeria's future agenda!