Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, Deep dish pizzeria in River North, Chicago, US
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria is a deep-dish pizza restaurant in the River North neighborhood of Chicago. The pizza is built with a buttery crust, a layer of Wisconsin cheese, house sausage, and California plum tomatoes on top.
Lou and Jean Malnati opened the first location in 1971 in Lincolnwood, just north of Chicago. Over the following decades, the family expanded the business into a chain that now reaches several US states.
The restaurant keeps its family-run character through generations, reflecting Chicago's food heritage through traditional deep-dish pizza methods. The way pizza is made here connects people to a long local tradition.
The restaurant is open daily starting at lunch and offers both dine-in seating and delivery. During peak hours, especially at dinner time, a wait is common, so arriving a little early or outside rush hours helps.
In a deep-dish pizza from this place, the sauce goes on last, placed on top rather than at the base, so the crust stays firm during baking. This reversed layering order is what keeps each component in place through the long cooking time.
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