Lines are outrageous at dinner time
Empty during lunch. Maybe 5 tables occupied.
They just announced today that they’re doing takeout. You can order online and pick up.
Finally made it here over the weekend. Waited about 30 minutes for 4 people to get a table. Once we ordered it was another almost 40 min to get the pizza. The pies just take so long to cook so the table turn over is slow. I thought it was just fine. I agree i might just be a NY pizza guy. We got the 12 inch and it just felt not fully cooked through. It was better heated later. In no rush to go back. Lunch does look like a great deal at $11.
What was the inside like? Lots of “toppings?”
I’m not a huge fan of the way pepperoni cooks under a layer of sauce.
Have you been to other Chicago-style pizza places?
I got the crumbled sausage - I thought it was fairly plentiful. There is such a thing as too much when it messes with the ratios, so it wasn’t a crazy amount but it wasn’t cheap either. I actually like the meat / cheese / sauce but I ate around the crust. And I always eat my NY crust…
Only comparison I can make is to Hollywood Pies in their heyday and I preferred HP. I mean this may be sacrilege but I felt like an OG Pizza Hut deep dish crust has way more flavor than what I got at Gino’s. I kinda feel bad I took my coworker there =X but hey he was craving Chicago style pizza so…
Thank you for the info!
I was convinced when I heard they were opening, that I’d probably go there for Italian beef sandwiches.
I guess I should try the pizza. I did like Union Pizza Company on Rosecrans across from Grimaldi’s for deep dish.
Most people are NY pizza people when it comes to Gino’s. Chicago style deep dish is a novelty. People who live in Chicago and have good taste don’t crave Gino’s. It’s a tourist thing, along with most other deep dish. Chicagoans typically do round cracker crust, tavern style pizza, or NY or Neapolitan. The rare times they do seek out deep dish, it’s at places like Lou Malnati’s, Pequods or Burt’s where there’s actually an edible crust. Gino’s is bad enough in Chicago. I can only imagine how bad it is here.
Is Burt’s still open I thought he passed away? Remember riding the commuter train out to the restaurant years ago. Took forever but pizza was great.
If they opened a peaquods here I would rush over there the minute they opened.
Yes, Burt passed away in 2016 but new owners re-opened Burt’s Place in 2017. They are supposed to expand to my old hood, Old Irving Park, but I don’t think that has happened yet.
As for deep dish, I used to eat it maybe once a year and whenever we had people come to town, and we usually took them to Pequods. i’ll still try Gino’s once lines die down. They should probably take a page from Giordano’s, though, and let you pre-order your pizza while you are waiting for a table since it take 30-40 minutes to cook.
Had no idea new owners took it over have you been since the takeover is it still the same?
No, when I went back to Chicago last year I only went to Pequod’s.
There are at least three Chicago deep-dish pizza styles: the original developed at Uno’s around 1943, the caramelized crust version introduced by Pequod’s in 1971, and the “stuffed” version introduced by Nancy’s and Giordano’s in 1974.
That’s a common problem at deep-dish pizza places. They get busy, fall behind, and send pies out before they’re fully cooked.
Ah Pequod’s, they were prob my favorite when I lived in Chicago too. That cheesy crunchy crust …
Any of you remember that Nancy’s location that opened here a while ago? In Alhambra of all places. It didn’t last long unfortunately, but I enjoyed their stuffed-style deep dish. Didn’t get to try Nancy’s when I was in Chicago, but I thought it great for LA at the time.
Still curious to try Gino’s East, thanks @Ns1 for the lunch special heads up!
great place