Beer & Pizza Tourism, Chicago

My girlfriend's family is from Chicago, and they've taken me to all the big named deep dish places that city has to offer. Lou Malnati's was my favorite, personally. All were good, but Lou Malnati's stuck out to me. Both the taste and, the way they'd pronounce it: until I saw it written down, I thought they had been saying "Illuminati's."

 

Don't forget Local Option: All the beer, much less snobby douchery.

 

Pequod's is the best pizza on Earth. Local Option is walking distance from there.

 

Depending on the time of day, you are insane if you think Map Room or Hop Leaf will be quiet. And yes, Local Option is loud, but a friendly sort of loud.

 

Go to Local Option, always a few rare keg only stouts (BA stouts) from the Midwest there. And pizza is pizza. If you find a place with fresh local organic ingredients to me that is better than any of the famous chains in Chicago. I would say the Cajun/Creole food at Local Option beats pizza any day.

 

The last two times I was there it was incredily laid back, they were weekdays but they had the front window open and it was just extremely relaxing, the first time was music-less and the second just light stuff liek the temptations and steely dan.

 

Beer: Fountainhead, Hopleaf (Drink here. Don't eat.)
Local Option(great taps, but might be metal as fuck.)
Owen&Engine (Good taps, best burger in town)
Bad Apple (Good taps, good burgers)

Pizza: Malnati's (classic deep dish), Pequod's (thick crust), Great Lake (not deep dish, but far and away best pizza in town)

 

Burt's is worth the train trip (he started Pequod's). I work right by there and live in the city. The train takes 20 minutes from the Western stop and a little closer to 30min from downtown. I would vote for Burt's/Pequod's and Map Room/Local Option or even Delilah's.

If you make the trek out to Burt's, just make sure to call your order in ahead of time.

 

Clark St Ale House has an awesome patio and great beer selection. I was there over St. Patty's and they had Bourbon County bottles, 120 Min bottles, and many good draft selections.

Lou Malnati's on the pizza with butter crust.

 

Ha, my wife is a lifelong Chicagoan and still calls it "Illuminati's". For great beer and great pizza in one spot hit Piece, although the pizza isn't Chicago style it's damn good pizza. Avoid Uno at all costs.

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Pizza tourism related:
http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...eed-ideas-on-where-to-visit.9849/#post-115324

 

Map Room during the day is like a library!

 

Don't forget Piece. Great pizza and great beer.

 

I love Piece. It's become a necessary stop every time I'm in Chicago. Beer and pizza - plus you can walk to Map Room. I think it was the BBQ chicken pizza I had last time that was FANTASTIC. Maybe not the type of pizza you're looking if you want the deep dish but damn tasty!

 

If you're willing to go to Burt's, you should absolutely go there. Remember that you need to call at least a day in advance with your order, and definitely order something with sausage (he gets a blend specially done for him). Lou's is the best of the famous ones in River North in my opinion.

If you decide you don't want to deal with Burt's, then Pequod's is the next best thing (Burt created their pizza, although I thought their sausage was not very flavorful so I'd recommend pepperoni there), and Pequod's is not terribly far from Local Option either. Local Option tends to have more rare and big beers on tap than most of the other bars and might be what you're looking for. Map Room does typically have some on tap and the big bottle list too, and is probably my favorite bar (I also enjoy Owen & Engine for when I want to get some great food with my beer).

The volume at Local Option will depend on the crowd, and what mood Tony is in if he's there. I think the music and volume of the music is pretty much at his whim. I've been in there when the volume is mostly from the people in there drinking, and I've been in there when the music has been jacked way up, and when it's been totally dead.

 

piece for both beer and pizza. pequods for pizza. i'm not a fan of deep dish but i'm known to eat it from time to time. pequods. a little blasphemy, but i have yet to eat at lou malnetis. been a chicagoan all my life. there are other good pizza spots that i LOVE but not in the same neighborhood. with the expcetion of Dantes pizza. MMMm

 

Completely agree with both. Pequod's is the best and most unique authentic Chicago pizza.

 

beer: local option, hopleaf (also eat mussels), map room
pizza: lou malnati's or gino's. or pequod's if yr a hipster who is too cool for the original chicago pizza scene.