South Loop - Lou Malnatis Pizzeria Reviews
Submitted by David Lee on 07/11/2022
David Lee 5 stars rating.
My first ever Chicago style deep dish pizza! And Lou's did not disappoint. I will be recommending this place if anyone asks me for places for Chicago deep dish pizza (I like Lou's more than Giordano's). Be aware that the pizza takes 20-30 minutes to make!!! Not a grab and go pizza spot. Next time I'll be trying the Lou since I heard its better than the Malnati!
Food
The Malnati, or the Chicago Classic, is a deep dish pizza that was cooked perfectly. A good amount of sausage slices and tons of tomato sauce on top. The crust was super good and cooked very well too. Compared to Giordano's crust, Lou's is WAY better! Deep dish pizza is very interesting because it's feels more like you are eating pizza flavored pie.
Atmosphere
Casual atmosphere and definitely feels like the interior caters to tourists. There's a map of Chicago with a great big metal sign with STATE ST on it. Noise level pretty average with casual conversations in the back at lunch time.
Pricing
My first ever Chicago pizza so don't have much experience to compare the prices to other Chicago pizzas. The small pizza (says it serves 2 but I ate the whole thing) was $21 and definitely filled me up.
Service
Service was super good. My server explained any questions I had and was very friendly. Estimated times for when the food would come out were given and I never felt like I was wondering when the food would come out.
Other
Located right on State street and within walking distance from many hotels in downtown Chicago.
G Argentini 5 stars rating.
Come for the experience and for the classic deep dish pizza. The crust was very crunchy and the pizza was delicious. Portions are abundant so expect to eat a lot if you order accordingly. Also plan on waiting a while, it’s nice you can place your order while you wait so once you’re seated you don’t have to wait as long for the food to cook.
Submitted by G Argentini on 09/04/2022
Jessica T 5 stars rating.
Small pepperoni, sausage pieces, and mushrooms. This is a must when in Chicago. I cannot say enough great things about this pizza. You can taste the yeast in the buttery crust, the cheese is dense and creamy, the meats are stupid excellent. The tomato sauce is not acidic and adds a nice robust flavor. I cannot wait to eat my leftovers @2am when I'm not stuffed anymore.
Submitted by Jessica T on 08/17/2022
MissMaris024 4 stars rating.
It’s definitely not easy to get a table. We joined the waiting list while we travelled there. Ended up getting there after they had a table for us but they were nice and gave us the next available table. You must pre order your pizza before you sit down since it take 35 min for it to get to you. I’m from New York and still love a classic slice but this is good too. I liked the cheese one better then the Lou classic. The classic is very very salty since it has extra cheese and sausage. The regular cheese pizza tasted more fresh and bright. If you don’t eat it quick enough the cheese gets hard and it just doesn’t taste as good. Overall good pizza but I wouldn’t come back again all the time since it’s just such hassle to get a table.
Submitted by Missmaris024 on 08/14/2022
Doctor Bryan Stoops 5 stars rating.
My wife, my two children, and I visited Chicago for the first time in April of 2022. We have been in the NYC area for the past four years, and I do have a pizza spot in Brooklyn that is some of the best pizza in NYC. However, we have had good deep dish pizza before, and we were more than willing to try this different style of pizza (even though some New Yorkers get very angry about the topic of deep dish pizza) and try to find the best deep dish in Chicago.
Lou Malnati's was the second place at which we got deep dish, and was actually my favorite out of the three. As a family, we thought that the pizza we got at Lou Malnati's had the best sauce out of all three. The service and the ambiance were all top notch. We had some really delicious pizza at Lou Malnati's!
Submitted by Doctor Bryan Stoops on 08/14/2022
Jorge Deolarte 1 stars rating.
Staff was amazing, the appetizers were great and so was the meatball sub. However Lou’s original pizza, was the worst pizza I have ever had in my life. This butter crust is not a real crust. Nothing like NY pizza.
Submitted by Jorge Deolarte on 08/13/2022
Hannah Hinckley 4 stars rating.
Very friendly staff. Caesar salad was excellent. Minestrone was also good. The deep dish was not my favorite ( I got the Malnati Chicago Classic ). Crust was a little dry and bland. This place was good, but it felt a little less local and more like a tourist spot.
Submitted by Hannah Hinckley on 08/03/2022
Cristina 4 stars rating.
The place was pretty cool, I ordered a single size Deep Dish pizza and a single size Deep Cookie.
I needed to wait a little for a table, and once there in the menu I saw that the average for a deep dish pizza was around 30 minutos. I think that it is a lot, specially if you are a party of one and you're not interested in something else.
The waitress suggested me taking first the desert in order to avoid waiting a lot, so I did.
To be honest I am not sure if I like the pizza or the pizza' style. It seems to me to crunchy.
But the dessert was to die for it. I wish it was bigger than it was.
Submitted by Cristina on 07/26/2022
Christopher Kerr 5 stars rating.
On a conference trip like many people before we asked our Waiter to give us "The Chicago Style Pizza" - his enthusiasm to share his food was apparent as he reviewed the top items on the menu. He guided us to the Lou which had some mushrooms, spinach, roasted tomatoes, etc.
While I wont make any claims as to where this style of pizza lands in comparison to other pizza styles (New Haven, New York, Greek, Rhode Island, etc) what I can say is when I followed up with a pie at Pizanos near the convention centers it was night and day. This pizza was bright, complex, flavorful, and downright engaging to eat. It shone through as exceptional in it's class. If I find myself back in Chicago I won't hesitate to return.
Kudos to the Waiter, the Pizza, and staff for a superior experience.
Submitted by Christopher Kerr on 07/20/2022
Solly Lin 5 stars rating.
Salad, mozzarella sticks and sausage deep dish were all amazing. They allow you to place your deep dish order before you are seated so it comes out quicker. Would recommend Lou's!
Submitted by Solly Lin on 07/19/2022
Mikey 5 stars rating.
Wow, not often do you find a dish that really lives up to its fame! Lou Malnati’s one of the original Deep Dish Pizza family-owned restaurants. It’s now expanded all across Chicago & beyond! We were lucky to stay close to its popular South Loop location for a carry out meal.
Lou’s Chicago Classic comes with savory lean sausage, thick layers of mozzarella cheese, vine-ripened juicy tomato sauce on a butter crust that was crunchy & pillowy at the same time. The whole combination was just heavenly! The cheese pull was nearly endless. We made sure to return for the same meal the next day because it was pure indulgence.
There is quite a lot of history and debate about whether Lou Malnati’s came up with the first Deep Dish Pizza. However judging by the crowd, customers just care about the delicious flavors. In fact, the restaurant even offered frozen options to fly out coast to coast! Too bad I’m in Canada.
Submitted by Mikey on 07/16/2022
Tom Krapu 5 stars rating.
The best Chicago deep dish pizza I’ve ever had. Service was perfectly attentive and with a smile. What is special about the crust is you can tell that they proof it properly and you can taste a little bit of the yeast and the texture is perfectly textured. Also the crust is not excessively thick. Also you can get a chunky tomato or non-chunky tomato sauce on it. Don’t miss this version of Chicago deep dish pizza.
Submitted by Tom Krapu on 06/27/2022
Neha Singh 5 stars rating.
In my past visits to Chicago I had tried deep dish at Giordano’s and have since decided thin crust is the deal for me. During this visit I decided to try Lou Malnati’s thanks to all the rave reviews.
Let’s just say it exceeded all our expectations. Of course I didn’t order deep dish so this is not a review for the Chicago signature pizza! We ordered a made to order garden vegetarian thin crust and bruschetta. This was after a 50 min wait thanks to the several people ahead in line of us. The wait was totally worth it. The flavors from garlic and basil burst beautifully on our tongue, one of the best made bruschetta served on golden bread.
The thin crust pizza was brought to us and sliced real time. Wish I could post a video of it. That experience combined with the flavors and an impeccable crust sealed our second take out order next day.
The check for a medium pizza with five toppings and bruschetta was about $47 minus the tip but well worth the experience!
Submitted by Neha Singh on 05/30/2022
Thomas Jacobs II 4 stars rating.
1st time in Chicago & I had to try some authentic Chicago Deep Dish pizza & this spot didn't disappoint.
The bruschetta was fresh & the bread wasn't to hard. A lot of times when I get bruschetta the bread is just too hard to go with the wonderful ingredients. Their bread was perfect, not to soft not too hard.
The pizza was the perfect size & was excellent. I have a trip scheduled for Chicago next year with the family & I can't wait to take them by here.
Only reason for the 4 star was the service. Coming from a customer service background this is always a sticking point for me. I look at a lot of variables when rating on this (area of country, culture, setting, etc)
The staff wasn't bad or rude but I didn't feel "welcomed" as a tourist which was known by them. After being around the area for a few days I noticed that this seemed to be the attitude of the area. So it is what it is.
Being from the south my southern hospitality definitely comes with wherever I go & I look at that as a critical measurement when I go to an establishment, how do you make me feel when I come in to your place.
Overall it was still a great "authentic" Chicago experience
Submitted by Thomas Jacobs Ii on 05/13/2022
Daniel Greenberg 4 stars rating.
As a New Yorker. This was my first time having Chicago style deep dish pizza. And it did not disappoint. The restaurant environment was great. The Garlic Bread appetizer was amazing, it was some of the best garlic bread I have ever had. The wait for the pizza was a bit long, but it was worth the wait. The deep dish crust was outstanding and all of the toppings sauce and cheese mixed with the tomato sauce was perfect. Overall a great place to go for pizza. And when I return to Chicago I will be eating here again!
Submitted by Daniel Greenberg on 05/03/2022
Judith Massenburg 5 stars rating.
Although it was a considerable wait, there are other things to do to pass the time. You can order ahead as the deep dish process takes some time. But hands down this is one of the best pizza chains in Chicago. I will be back. Through enjoyed the staff and the dessert.
Submitted by Judith Massenburg on 04/17/2022
Miki (NotLikeThis1) 5 stars rating.
Brought my girlfriend here for a local cuisine specialty and they did not disappoint!
The service was great, the food was great! Overall awesome experience for her for an out of Towner (London)
Don’t sleep on their wings!!! For a pizzeria place people often don’t try their wings and it’s definitely a must have. I love the vegetarian deep dish (the Lou) this is coming from a meat eater!
Submitted by Miki (notlikethis1) on 04/03/2022
Oliver Helming 5 stars rating.
The staff was friendly & attentive. The food tasted amazing, but the pizza had to much cheese for my liking, but that’s normal. Clean place & very nice environment. Perfect place to come to get some original Chicago pizza.
Submitted by Oliver Helming on 03/26/2022
Selena Wang 4 stars rating.
The Caesar salads was blended really well and fresh! Even better than the personal deep dish.
The personal deep dish was okay but worth trying if you eat it with a tourist purpose.
Tiramisu was okay and could have more liquid and coffee flavor.
Submitted by Selena Wang on 12/26/2021
Thuc Anh Nguyen 5 stars rating.
Ordered a small deep dish for 2 and it turned into 2 meals! The restaurant was giving a homey cozy friendly vibe with lots of photos of the family. The pizzas did not disappoint. We order with spinach and sausage and it was a great balance. The crust was really buttery that goes really well with the cheese.
Submitted by Thuc Anh Nguyen on 12/07/2021
