The 8 Best Tavern-Style Pizza Joints In Chicago

Having spent most of my life in Chicago, I've lived, studied, worked, and played all over the city grid. As a thin crust pizza junkie who eats it roughly once a week, I've consumed plenty of tavern-style pizza at a lot of different joints in my 50-plus years, so I consider myself a connoisseur, if not a credentialed expert on the subject. And since a Chicagoan never forgoes an opportunity to blow hot air (see origin of the nickname Windy City), I agreed to take on the very serious task of choosing the eight best tavern-style pizza joints in Chicago.

Although tourists typically associate Chicago with deep dish pizza, we natives know thin crust has always been where it's at. With origins in Chicago blue collar bars, where owners learned that cheap, shareable food attracted and kept drinkers in their watering holes, tavern-style pizza features cracker-like dough, zippy tomato sauce, greasy cheese, and minimal toppings. It's cut into squares, rather than triangles, making utensils, plates, and even napkins optional (pro tip: lick your fingers or use your softball shirt).

To compile this list, I scoured newspaper and magazine reviews, culinary authorities, and social media recommendations. Taking note of the places mentioned most often, and more specifically the ones that received emphatic praise for having the 'best' tavern-style pizza in the city, I cross-referenced with friends and family, and drew from personal experience to generate this definitive list.

Although this joint is relatively new, Pizz'amici's owners are experienced Chicago pizza makers with culinary bona fides. Landing a spot on Esquire Magazine's Best New Restaurants in America 2025, Pizz'amici is praised for having good vibes and perfect pies, with a 6-day, fermented sourdough crust that's "thin yet tensile" and sauce that's "zingy yet sweet."

Occupying a former barbershop in West Town, the restaurant is authentically all-electric, employing a two-pass sheeter to press the crust razor thin and an old-school PizzaMaster deck oven to deliver a crunchy, cheesy masterpiece. According to WBEZ, Chicago's NPR charter station, Pizz'amici serves up a "char-speckled base like a buttery Saltine, chunky tomato sauce kissed with sweetness, and just enough blistered cheese to encase fennel-scented sausage and paper-thin onion slices."

Calling it "Chicago's best new pizza" on Instagram, one reviewer recommends the sausage and hot giardinera, which is sourced from West Town grocer J.P. Graziano just a few blocks away. Dimly lit and infused with old-world charm, Pizz'amici's dining room has table seating for 30 and another seven spots at the bar. It's a tough reservation to get, but worth the wait, according to one fan on Reddit. "I would be hard-pressed to think of another Tavern style pizza in Chicago that I enjoy more ... If someone came from out of town and wanted to only try one pizza, this would be on my short list."

https://www.pizz-amici.com/

1215 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642 

(312) 285-2382

A Chicago sports bar with red leather booths, moody pendant lights, warehouse rafters, and exposed brick walls, Flo & Santos Pizza & Pierogi gets the vibe just right and cranks out some five-star tavern-style pizza, according to those who've made it their go-to joint. "This may be the most under the radar pizza in Chicago," one loyalist says on Facebook. "It is outstanding." A South Loop institution with culinary roots in both Poland and Italy, F&S pays homage to Chicago's immigrant ancestry, serving up thin crust pizza with both traditional and non-traditional toppings.

On Facebook, one F&S lover says: "Paper thin cracker crust. One of the BEST in city! Do yourself a favor!!! Lg sausage well done." On Facebook, another recommender calls it: "The most fire thin crust I ever had!! ... Half Marcos Italian Beef with giardiniera and half Flos Polish with kielbosa, sauerkraut, and applewood smoked bacon...to die for!!!"

For the full Flo & Santos experience, throw one of their signature pierogies on top or on the side. A Polish food you should definitely try at least once, these pillowy dumpling bites come with potato, cheese, meat, sauerkraut, or mushroom fillings and round out the Flo & Santos Italian-Polish, tavern-style pizza experience nicely.

https://floandsantos.com/

1310 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

(312) 566-9817

Setting the tone for a throw-back eating experience while drawing you into this iconic Rogers Park restaurant, the blinking martini marquee above Candlelite Chicago has been cracking wise, extending congratulations, and proposing marriage for 75 years. And the tavern-style pizza has been earning best in the city nods from Chicago locals for about as long.

Singing its praises on Facebook, one fan says: "This was the thinnest crust ever, I mean it! I swear it was the lightest pizza box I ever picked up ... Sauce was nice and tomatoey, not too sweet, sausage had good flavor." Eater Chicago agrees, putting Candlelite on its 2025 list of Chicago's Best Tavern-Style Thin-Crust Pizza Restaurants and praising its "cracker-thin-crust," topped with ingredients like Italian beef, shrimp, and barbecue chicken.

"Absolutely excellent!!! In my top three," another recommender says on Facebook. "Order extra because the crust is so thin you need more to get filled up!!!" Co-owner Pat Fowler says the crust recipe is a family secret. "There are some specific ingredients that help keep it nice and crispy," he says in an interview with Block Club Chicago, "and that's as much as I can say for now." Fowler and company keep the lighting dim to make the joint warm and inviting, while peppering the brick walls and television screens with Chicago sports memorabilia and live broadcasts.

https://candlelitechicago.com/

7452 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60645

(773) 465-0087

This family-owned, Lincoln Park treasure earns emphatic recommendations on social media and some best in city, thin-crust love from Eater Chicago, which calls its no-frills dining room "friendly" without being pretentious and its pizza right up there with the greats. "Pat's Pizza has the best tavern-style pizza in Chicago. Period," a regular concurs on TikTok. "I've been obsessed for more than two decades."

Declaring a thin-crust from Pat's "among the best in Chicago," a Facebook video reviewer talks to third-generation owner Gina Pianetto about why Pat's Pizza lands on so many lists of Chicago's best. Pianetto says the process begins with rolled dough that's exactly "seven papers" thick and air-dried for six days. After being lightly dressed with sauce, cheese, and house-recipe meats, each pizza rides on a 500-degree Ferris wheel of a cooker called a Faulds oven. "They're not in business anymore," Pianetto says. "It's the only oven we've ever used." For quality control, her dad used to lift a square from a freshly cut pizza to examine the density, she says. " As long as he saw air pockets, he was the happiest guy ever."

With its carry-out business servicing Rose's Lounge across the street, Pat's stays true to its tavern-style pizza roots, offering party-cut perfection to drinkers who need something to soak up the Old Style. It's "hands down best thin crust around," one fan insists on Facebook.

https://patspizza.brygid.online/zgrid/themes/13142/intro/index.jsp

2679 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

(773) 248-0168

Wood paneled walls, checkered tablecloths, Tiffany-style pendants, and candlelit booths give Frank's Pizzeria the old world ambiance we all expect from an Italian joint that's been around since the 50s. Often referred to as "Frank's on Belmont" to distinguish it from other establishments with similar names, this Schorsch Village eatery earns accolades across multiple platforms for its tavern-style pizza. The cracker-thin crust – prepared from an old family recipe – crisps up perfectly and holds toppings like a champ, according to those well-acquainted with Frank's tavern-style pizza. On Reddit, one repeat customer calls it: "Some of the best —and thinnest— tavern-style around," while another commenter on Facebook says: "Been eating there all my life...haven't had better pizza..."

Frank's also makes its own Italian sausage with just the right seasoning, and uses a Faulds oven for a slightly charred, well-done finished product that keeps customers coming back. "It is absolutely one of my favorites," one fan says on Reddit. "A little-known trick: You can ask for an extra-thin crust and they will happily make one for you."

With all the love and recommendations, Frank's can get pretty busy. They do have carryout and delivery, but the experience may not be the same, according to those in the know. "Their pizza is best piping hot out of the oven," a regular claims on Facebook. "If ordering takeout, in my opinion it would be best to eat it in the car instead of driving it home."

https://www.frankspizzachicago.com/

6506 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60634

(773) 570-2384

No self-respecting Chicagoan would propose a list of the city's best tavern-style pizza joints without including thin-crust GOAT Vito & Nick's. One of Chicago's best hidden gems, according to culinary authorities and regulars, this south-side pizzeria got more love and more "best" designations than any other establishment in my research, receiving high praise from the likes of Guy Fieri, Barstool Sports, Check, Please!, and WGN. Claiming on TikTok that her grandmother invented tavern-style pizza after WWII, third-generation owner Rose George says Vito & Nick's dough recipe has been handed down but not written down. "Same flour, same yeast, same oil, same everything..." With lighting, tile, and brick reminiscent of a bygone era, the vibe hasn't changed either, according to George. "Everybody tells me they feel like they're sitting in grandma's basement."

"There's alot of good pizza in this city but Vito&Nick's is the absolute best," one devotee says on Facebook. Well-done with charred edges and grease-dappled, bubbly cheese, the pizza is "phenomenal," according to another Vito & Nick's enthusiast on Facebook. "Frankly, I don't see how it could get any better. The sauce and cheese ratio for that cracker thin crust seems to be just right."

"Deep dish, that's for those north side people up in Wrigley Field," a territorial Vito & Nick's customer says on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. If you're looking for iconic thin crust and an authentic Chicago experience, get yourself to the south side asap.

https://vitoandnicks.com/

8433 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60652

(773) 735-2050

Featuring beer, wine, and menu ingredients sourced within 150 miles of its Logan Square location, Bungalow by Middle Brow is the only brewpub that made our list. The interior is narrow and industrial, with concrete, metal, and reclaimed wood finishes setting the tone for a hipster experience. There's also a sail-covered patio with Edison string lights and picnic table seating, but don't let the trendy, farm-to-table vibe fool you – this joint has legit, old-school, tavern-style pizza. But only on Tuesdays.

Earning a spot on Food & Wine's Ten Must-visit Pizzerias in the U.S., Bungalow by Middle Brow features different types of pizza throughout the week and has been praised in the media for its Neapolitan and Detroit-style pies. But some of the loudest buzz has been for its tavern-style pizza on Tuesdays.

A reviewer on Facebook describes it like this: "It's paper thin, I'm talking single sheet of printer paper thin ... but somehow still holds up. No flop, nice char, and that crispy undercarriage ... Some of the best thin crust pizza in this city." On Reddit, another fan puts Bungalow by Middlebrow's tavern-cut pizza in the city's number one spot, saying: "The slices are basically one bite, so I say no more, ok one more, and then before I realized it I've eaten 142 slices."

https://www.middlebrowbeer.com/

2840 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

(773) 318-0452

Launched in March of 2025, this joint is relatively new, but it gets both the vibe and the pizza just right. Jumping crust-first into Chicago's tavern-style pizza renaissance, Zarella sets the scene with three distinctly different spaces – a bright modern barroom, a dimly-lit old-school dining room, and a swanky, '50s-style basement lounge.

The lovechild of two accomplished Chicago chefs who used to compete for clientele but joined forces to build something new together, Zarella also features artisan pizzas and holds a spot on Eater's list of Chicago's Best Pizza across multiple categories. But it's their tavern-style that's got everyone all worked up. In a review on TikTok, Barstool Sports says Zarella is "crazy busy" with people lined up outside when it opens at 4 and "may be some of the best [thin crust] I've had in the city."

Zarella also garners its share of praise on social media. "Such a nice fluffy bite," one recommender says on Reddit. "Did not feel like cardboard at all. So good. We both agreed it's our #1 tavern [style]." Calling it "as thin and crispy as it gets," a Facebook reviewer confirms, Zarella is the "best new pizza in Chicago."

https://www.zarellachicago.com/

531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654

(312) 470-0250

With Chicago being home to some of the best Italian restaurants, choosing the eight best tavern-style joints for this article was not an easy task. Drawing from decades of personal experience eating tavern-style pizza in and around Chicago, I considered the universally agreed-upon components of a perfect specimen – crisp and airy crust, tangy sauce, bubbly cheese, strong seasoning, and fresh, traditional toppings – and looked for places that got it all right. Though pizza quality and taste were my primary qualifiers, restaurant ambiance was also considered, since vibe is important to the tavern-style experience and thin crust pizzas are best enjoyed onsite, directly out of the oven.

I also talked to friends and family about their preferences and pored through articles from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Eater Magazine, Esquire Magazine, Chicago Public Radio, and Food Network for recommendations. From there, I looked for mentions on Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram to compile a rough list, zeroing in on posts and comments asserting that an individual pizza joint was the "best" in the city to compile my final list.