- Quick answer: where to start
- What makes pizza tavern style
- Where tavern style pizza came from
- Neighborhood traditions
- Where to eat tavern style pizza in Chicago
- Vito and Nick's Pizzeria, Ashburn
- Home Run Inn, South Lawndale
- Pat's Pizza and Ristorante, Lincoln Park
- Marie's Pizza and Liquors, Northwest Side
- Vito and Angelo's, Logan Square area
- Candlelite, Far North Side
- Michael's Original Pizzeria and Tavern, Lakeview
- Pizz'Amici, West Town, and Zarella, River North
- Flo and Santos, South Loop
- In the suburbs: Barraco's
- How to order tavern style pizza like a local
- Plan your Chicago pizza crawl with RestaurantListings
- The bottom line
Ask an out of town visitor about Chicago pizza and they will describe deep dish: a tall, buttery crust filled with cheese and sauce. Ask a Chicagoan what they actually order on a Friday night and the answer is often different: a thin, cracker crisp pie cut into squares, delivered from the corner tavern or the neighborhood pizzeria. Tavern style pizza is the everyday pizza of Chicago, and many locals argue it is the city's true style.
This guide explains where tavern style pizza came from, what defines it, how it differs from neighborhood to neighborhood, and where to eat the best versions in Chicago and its suburbs today. Every pizzeria listed was verified as open at the time of writing; a few are cash only, so check before you go.
For the classic South Side experience, go to Vito and Nick's on South Pulaski Road. On the North Side, try Pat's Pizza in Lincoln Park or Marie's Pizza and Liquors on West Lawrence Avenue. For history, visit the flagship Home Run Inn on West 31st Street. For a new generation take, book Pizz'Amici or Zarella. For more city dining, browse our guide to restaurants in Chicago.
- Thin, crisp crust. The dough is rolled out, often with a sheeter, rather than hand tossed, producing a cracker like crust that crunches when you bite it.
- Edge to edge toppings. Sauce, cheese, and toppings usually run nearly to the edge, leaving little or no puffy outer rim.
- Square cut. The pie is cut into squares, also called a party cut or tavern cut, rather than wedges.
- Fennel sausage. Raw Italian sausage, pinched into small pieces and baked on the pie, is the classic Chicago topping.
- Seasoned sauce. Many pizzerias use a well seasoned, slightly sweet sauce, often with oregano sprinkled on top.
The square cut is the signature. The center pieces are soft and loaded with toppings, while the edge pieces are crisp and crunchy. Families have long debated who gets which piece.
The style grew up in Chicago's neighborhood taverns, especially during the 1930s and the years right after World War II. Tavern owners wanted a cheap, salty snack that would keep customers at the bar ordering drinks. Thin pies cut into small squares were perfect: easy to share, easy to eat with one hand, and quick to bake. Many of those taverns became full pizzerias, and the style spread through the city's Italian, Polish, Irish, and other working class neighborhoods.
Vito and Nick's on the South Side began as a bar called Vito's Tavern in 1920 and says it served its first tavern pizza in 1946. Home Run Inn opened in 1947 as a tavern in South Lawndale. Milwaukee makes its own claim to the style, but Chicago is where tavern pizza became an everyday food for an entire city.
Thin crust remains hugely popular. Delivery data and surveys over the years have repeatedly suggested that Chicagoans order thin crust far more often than deep dish, though some pizzerias report a more even split. To see how deep dish developed alongside it, read our history of Chicago deep dish pizza, and for another Midwestern square cut pie, see our history of Detroit style pizza.
Tavern pizza is not a single recipe. Each neighborhood and family has its own approach.
- South Side and southwest suburbs. Expect very thin, well done crusts, heavily seasoned sausage, and old school bar atmospheres. Cash only policies and wood paneled dining rooms are common.
- North Side and northwest neighborhoods. Family pizzerias here often serve slightly sturdier crusts, generous cheese, and long Italian American menus alongside the pizza.
- The new wave. Since the late 2010s, newer restaurants have reinvented the style with naturally leavened dough, premium toppings, and cocktail programs, while keeping the cracker crust and square cut.
At 8433 South Pulaski Road, Vito and Nick's is the name almost every Chicagoan mentions first. The crust is thin with a toasty char on the underside, the sausage is well seasoned, and the room is pure South Side tavern, crowded with locals watching the game. It is cash only, so come prepared.
The original Home Run Inn at 4254 West 31st Street has served pizza since 1947. Its frozen pizzas are sold across the Midwest, but the flagship restaurant still serves tavern style crust with a square cut, plus a personal size pizza that makes it easy for small groups to try more than one pie.
At 2679 North Lincoln Avenue, Pat's is known for one of the thinnest, crispiest crusts in the city. It is also a full Italian restaurant, and it is a good choice before or after a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. It opens in the late afternoon on weekdays.
Marie's, at 4129 West Lawrence Avenue, is part pizzeria, part cocktail lounge, and part liquor store, with a red upholstered bar and a retro atmosphere. Its thin crust is a longtime neighborhood favorite.
At 3644 West Fullerton Avenue, this family pizzeria has served thin crust for decades and is a frequent pick in local polls. It opens in the afternoon and is a popular delivery choice.
Candlelite, at 7452 North Western Avenue, is a long running bar and pizzeria known for tavern style pies with a thick, rich sauce. It is a neighborhood gathering place with sports on the screens.
At 4091 North Broadway, Michael's serves both tavern style and deep dish, which makes it a smart pick for groups that cannot agree. It does not take reservations and gets busy on weekends.
These two newer restaurants represent the modern tavern pizza revival. Pizz'Amici, at 1215 West Grand Avenue, pairs cracker thin pies with creative cocktails and is open Wednesday through Sunday. Zarella, at 531 North Wells Street in River North, is a stylish Italian American restaurant where reservations can book up weeks ahead. Both keep the square cut and crisp crust while upgrading ingredients.
At 1310 South Wabash Avenue, Flo and Santos combines Chicago thin crust pizza with Polish dishes, a fitting mix for a city built by immigrant neighborhoods. It is convenient to Soldier Field and the Museum Campus.
Just southwest of the city, Barraco's is a South Side and suburban favorite for thin crust pizza and Italian dinners, and it was among the tavern style picks in a 2026 local readers' poll. Its Evergreen Park location at 3701 West 95th Street is open around the clock, and there is also a Crestwood location. The suburbs are full of other neighborhood pizzerias worth exploring, many run by the same families for decades.
| Pizzeria | Neighborhood | Address | Known for |
|---|
| Vito and Nick's | Ashburn (South Side) | 8433 S Pulaski Rd | Charred thin crust; cash only |
| Home Run Inn | South Lawndale | 4254 W 31st St | Flagship open since 1947 |
| Pat's Pizza | Lincoln Park | 2679 N Lincoln Ave | Ultra thin crust |
| Marie's Pizza and Liquors | Northwest Side | 4129 W Lawrence Ave | Retro lounge atmosphere |
| Vito and Angelo's | Northwest Side | 3644 W Fullerton Ave | Family thin crust for decades |
| Candlelite | Far North Side | 7452 N Western Ave | Rich sauce, neighborhood bar |
| Pizz'Amici | West Town | 1215 W Grand Ave | Modern revival with cocktails |
| Barraco's | Evergreen Park | 3701 W 95th St | Suburban favorite, open 24 hours |
- Get the sausage. Fennel flecked Italian sausage is the definitive Chicago topping.
- Ask for it well done if you like extra crunch; many pizzerias will leave it in a little longer.
- Bring cash to old school spots, and expect to wait at popular places on weekends.
- Fight for the right piece. Center squares are soft and loaded; edge pieces are crunchy. Both have loyal fans.
- Pair it with a cold beer. The style was born in taverns, after all.
Planning a group pizza night? Our guides to splitting the bill and how much to tip keep things simple, and our article on what makes pizza authentic explains why crust, sauce, and oven matter so much.
A tavern pizza crawl is one of the best ways to see Chicago's neighborhoods, from the bungalow belt of the Southwest Side to the North Side's family pizzerias and the new restaurants of West Town and River North. Use our Chicago restaurant guide to plan the rest of your meals, and browse our Italian restaurants near you directory for red sauce favorites in any city.
Tavern style pizza is Chicago's everyday pizza: a thin, crisp, square cut pie born in the city's taverns in the 1930s and 1940s. Classics like Vito and Nick's, Home Run Inn, Pat's, Marie's, Vito and Angelo's, and Candlelite keep the tradition alive, while Pizz'Amici and Zarella show how a new generation is reinventing it. For more stories behind America's regional pizzas, explore our American food history collection.
Frequently asked questions
Tavern style pizza is a thin, cracker crisp pizza with toppings spread nearly to the edge and cut into squares rather than wedges. It is the everyday pizza of many Chicago neighborhoods.
The square or party cut began in taverns, where small pieces were easy to share and eat with one hand while drinking. It also creates soft center pieces and crunchy edge pieces.
It developed in Chicago's neighborhood taverns during the 1930s and especially the years after World War II. Vito and Nick's says it served its first tavern pizza in 1946, and Home Run Inn opened in 1947.
Surveys and delivery data have often suggested that Chicago locals order thin crust more often than deep dish, though some pizzerias report a more even split.
Fennel seasoned Italian sausage, pinched into small pieces and baked on the pie, is the classic Chicago topping.
Yes, Vito and Nick's on South Pulaski Road is known for being cash only, so bring cash when you visit.
Reviewed and verified by the Restaurant Listings Editorial Team for accuracy and relevance. Our content is researched using official restaurant sources, public records, government agencies, and recognized food safety and hospitality industry resources.
Last reviewed: October 2026
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