Giordano’s

Tough call on this one. The pizza was fine. I don’t really like Chicago style pizza, I know heresy… But, of the choices Giordanos is my favorite. The pizza here was consistent with the pizza I have had at other locations. The issue we had was that we waited for our food for so long we thought about having our address changed. Sure we were told it would be 45 minutes. But, after an hour the manager comes out and tells us there is no pizza for us. There is some cock and bull story about how all 3 of our pizzas fell on the floor. Yeah, right. But, in any event after sitting for an hour with 7 kids and 3 adults who were STARVING, we had no food.
The manager did right by us. He was great. His service was amazing. He seriously pulled the situation out of the fire. What could have been a scathing review was doused by the water of his good decision making. He took care of the situation. In about 5 more minutes he got us something. Not completely what we wanted but close enough for our purposes. We were good.
Feeling giddy on pizza fumes, we ordered dessert. We ordered ice cream, figuring it was already made and would come out fast. After 15 minutes we hunted the manager down to have try and see if our desserts had gone wandering. Seriously, you would think our waitress would have pushed our stuff the the front of the line. We had to ask for boxes 3 times. Finally a busboy got us some.
The waitress we had was very poor. Perhaps it was her first day, maybe she just broke up with her boyfriend, it is quite possible she was making out with one of the cooks. Bottomline, she could not get our orders correct and she royally messed up our service. The manager on the other had, top notch. Competitive stores, take note, recruit this guy he is the real deal. So, in the end, it was a bipolar experience.
Our guests got to have Chicago Pizza, and we left with our bellies full, and we missed a rain storm… so we still put it in the win column.

Tasty, buttery crust. This is what Chicago deep dish is all about. Other places don’t have the sauce they have. This sauce is a better balance of sweet and zesty. Others are a little too tangy for me.

I ate at this location a while back. I had heard about Giordano’s the moment I said I was flying to Chicago. It was apparently THE must go place.
Like mention by a previous review (Nancy O.), I think because of everyone else my expectations were far too high.
Yes, the pizza is good, but it’s not incredible or even great. It’s just good. I ate at this one, but I imagine all the Giordano’s to be the same. Of course, maybe since this one didn’t leave anything memorable on my tastebuds is one of the reasons it’s closed– just another pizza place.

Gave Giordano’s a try for the first time this past August, my experience was mediocre. Maybe my expectations were too high? I had a slice of their deep dish cheese pizza and sad to say I’ve had better deep dish pizza in Texas.

Giordano’s is a Chicago must for deep dish pizza. We love to go to the one by the theatre district when going to see a show.
They are always crowded but they take orders ahead and your pizza is done when you’re getting seated.
If you’re not a pizza fan they still have many great dishes.

I don’t care what people say. I’ve tried a lot of pizza here in CHI and this one is still my fave. Yes, there probably is a nostalgia factor since I busted my Chicago deep-​dish cherry here, but still. It’s consistently good whether I eat it there or get it delivered. I take all my out-​of-​town guests to the one downtown on Rush St. because it has a good vibe and fun décor. Call me a tourist after 4 years in CHI, but their pepperoni deep dish still rocks my pizza world.

This was the third stop for pizza in Chicago. I would rate this as second place to Lou malnati’s pizza. They both are pretty much the same but the crust wasn’t as good as the other place. Don’t get me wrong, their pizza was delicious and I would go back if I stop by in town again. My complaint was there was no host up front for 3 – 5 minutes to show us a table. Other than that the service was great and friendly. I am still full from eating there. Got the small deep dish with pepperoni and tomatoes. It fed 2 people more to the point we couldn’t finish the last pizza crust.

Can’t really bring myself to come back here — tomato sauce is an incredibly important part of a good pizza, and theirs is gross. Given how fattening it is, it needs to really appeal to your most basal culinary desires, otherwise it fails. This brand doesn’t do it for me.
I went once with my boss, to give us the opportunity to sit down and talk through some work issues. Because I knew I wasn’t that into the pizza, I decided on the spaghetti, which was overcooked and mushy. And on top of it? That sauce.

Was in Chicago for the weekend and had to try their pizza. We went to Giordano’s to try their stuffed pizza. I was full after 2 slices. I recommend going to Giordano’s in the Prudential building. I cant wait to come back some day.

I’ve had all the Chicago deep style pizzas and Giordano’s just isn’t a good one-I’ve had it a couple times since I moved here (2002) and I always forget why I don’t like it, now I remember… it’s bland–
Recently moved and there is a G’s right down the street from me, so last week I ordered the usual deep dish we get, and it was just blah-​Then on Sat. night I decided to try a thin crust and that was worse-​On top of that it wasn’t even that hot, I ‘m literally 1 ½ blocks from the place and it can’t be served to me hot?
There are so many more pizza places to try in Chicago than Giordano’s–

Giordanos is my favorite Chicago-​style deep dish pizza. There. I said it. Don’t hate me. I know I will be made fun of. Giordanos they will say? How can this be? You enjoy a chain restaurant pizza? Yes. And I have eaten at probably 10 different locations all over Chicagoland. I’ve even eaten at two Florida locations (don’t try this by the way, it tastes different down south)
The combination of crunchy crust, stringly cheese and sauce makes for the perfect slice of pizza. Eating with a knife and fork is a must. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a slice of deep dish heaven served one slice at a time.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
That’s what was going through my head as I realized I was lost in downtown Chicago on a chilly (somehow «chilly» doesn’t quite do justice) evening — the first of many in my new home of the Windy City. Yay!
Sh-​t. Sh-​t. Sh-​t. (As I realize, that my frost bitten ears might actually fall off)
So I see Giordano’s across the street. «As in famous Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Giordano’s?» Perfect! I am stoked because I can kill the proverbial 3 birds with one stone:
1) Try Famous Giordano’s Deep Dish Pizza
2) Get directions back home
3) Have dinner
The décor is just what you’d expect. It’s a cross between a sports bar and a Pizzeria Uno. The service was very friendly (I love the midwest hospitality). The place was crowded. I could see slabs of pizza everywhere. My face slowly regained feeling. I was in heaven.
Naturally, I asked the server what the most popular pizzas were. She said any of the listed stuffed pizzas (as opposed to the thin crust pizzas). So I went with the «Special.» It comes with sausage, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. That’s special? Okay. If you say so.
The pizza takes 30 minutes to prepare which was roughly the time I needed to properly thaw. 30 minutes later… Voila!
IMHO, the pizza underwhelms at first. The pizza wasn’t as hot as I imagined it would be for a pizza that just came fresh out of the oven. The ingredients are nothing special either — as in exactly what you would get from Pizza Hut. But as you eat the pizza, you start to appreciate the two things that are excellent; the two things that distinguish Giordano’s Pizza from that of its peers: the sauce and the crust.
Giordano’s pizzas eat really well. The pizzas should be a mess after one bite. They’re not. They hold up because they’re not greasy. The sauce is just the right amount. The crust isn’t oily, dry, or doughey. Goldilocks would be proud cause the dough is just right.
The prices seem steep, but are actually reasonable when you consider that 1 small pizza feeds 2 people at $ 20. I departed with some yummy leftovers and, more importantly, directions home! Overall, Giordano’s was a positive experience.

As clueless hungry tourists, our desperation drove us to what appeared to be a standard looking pizzeria. Hopeful, we thought it might not have even been a chain. Wrong!
Nice to know, though, that we can dine in the company of our fellow tourists, it’s comforting.
I did not have Chicago style pizza on my list of must-​have eats while being a tourist here, but it was desperate times. We got the stuffed pizza, with pineapple and ham. To tide us over for the 35 minute preparation time, we got a caprese salad.
The caprese was made with what appeared to be ginormous slabs of mozzarella, pale unripened tomatoes and a few grassy strands of basil. The mozz was good, at least, I happily ate that and hoarded the leftover plate of balsamic for dipping my hefty pizza crusts into.
Pizza was okay, nothing awesome, nothing horrendous. It’s not Giordano’s fault, but I’m simply not the kind of gal that likes huge portions. Our «small pizza to serve 1−2» fed two of us for three eating sessions, after taking home the leftovers. It did, also, cost over $ 17 for it.
Free refills on drinks, and they have root beer.
And nice location, going right out into a large plaza that’s perfect for taking pictures of downtown’s tall buildings. Hike up the pants real high and wear a fanny pack to fit in. Just like us!

Right now, I feel three things:
1. Satisfied that I indulged in Chicago’s famous deep dish pizza while visiting for the week.
2. Sad that I had to throw away ½ of a SMALL pizza because there is no refrigerator in my hotel room.
3. Amazed at how BIG a SMALL (1 – 2 person) pizza is at Giordanos.
I’ve been to Chicago a couple times before, but this time, I was set on trying deep dish again and comparing it to Little Star — my only SF comparison. To compare, Giordanos is: hefty, cheesey and tasty. Little Star’s is: fresh, gourmet and crusty. So, just different. We’re comparing the real thing to the gourmet version. Which do I like better, I don’t know… both are ridiculously delicious.
I’d definitely recommend heading over to Giordanos and downing a couple ice cold 312s (Chicago’s local brew) with a deep dish. If you’re a couple, I swear a small pizza will be JUST fine. Try the «special» — sausage, onions, peppers and mushrooms and you’ll get a little of everything!

I’ve been here twice with my guy. Both times I didn’t enjoy the pizza very much.
I just think it’s dry and way too much cheese. I know a pizza is suppose to have cheese, but I don’t like that much on it.
My guy seems to think they have gone down a bit from the day too. He feels they skim on the ingredients.
I prefer Pizzeria Due.

Just got back from Chicago and went to Giordano’s for their famous stuffed pizza! This is authentic Chicago-​an pizza. It was amazing. Also a gut bomb so go hungry.
The only downside would be the wait time… Pizza takes a good 45 minutes to make. Other than that I highly recommend this place.

Deep Dish = Stuff Crust = YUM! :D
SOOOO good… not like the oily kind that you would find at Pizza Hut and so forth, no no no.
This thing is delicious! I would seriously consider moving here for this ^^*.
I got the Tropic Delight, theyre very generous on the canadian bacon/​ham (layered underneath the cheese) in a 10″. It ran about $ 18, which is not bad bc its filling.
Go forth and have one to enjoy! :D

We order from here from work and the food is okay. I just went here this past Friday night for a rehearsal dinner. While I wasn’t in the wedding or even a member of the family, I could see the stress in the eyes of the bride and her family. The bride had made a reservation for the back room months in advance. Then the day before the event someone at Giordano’s booked the same room for 3 bus loads of people. Sure I understand you need to make money for your business, but you should always accommodate the guests that have booked well in advance and not have 50 people standing your lobby.
So once that was all settled and we were seated we were having issues getting everyone enough soda and water. When the food came out, some of the pizzas were cooked and some where not. Good think I don’t like Chicago Style Pizza so I didn’t have to worry, but lots of people were unhappy with the uncooked pizza. They did have these french dip things that were outstanding.
Overall would I have a huge private event here again, no, but would I order from them sure. And now that I know their french dip things are great, I’ll be definitely eating that.

Don’t hate me, but the deep dish pizza I had in Chicago (at this Giordano’s) pales in comparison to the deep dish pizza in California at Zachary’s Pizza. It was good if have nothing but mediocre pizza to compare it to then it’s fabulous. I wanted to love it as much as all of my friends from Chicago do, but I can’t.
I think the produce is better in California so the sauce and tomatoes are so much better.

This past March, I had a premium orchestra seat ticket for the Chicago Lyric Opera and only two hours before a Thursday evening performance. Options are relatively few in this part of the Loop since it is a more business-​oriented area of town. But alas, I found the Giordano’s in this neck of the woods and managed to finagle a booth just for myself. I generally would not consider such a tourist-​frenzied place for a solitary dinner, but an opera lover has to eat, right? I have to say that the high-​volume atmosphere does not lend itself for personal meditation, especially since the big screen TV was right above my head. Every time I looked up from my Chicago guidebook, there were about three dozen people staring right over my head… and yelling because it was Final Four time.
When my ten-​inch Giordano’s Special stuffed pizza came, I felt like the world was watching me imbibe the calories. Alas, with a bounty of sausage, mushrooms, peppers and onions, the pizza tasted so good, especially with the mozzarella cheese oozing, that I grew indifferent to the crowd. The hard part was actually finishing half of it and having the waiter take the rest away. Unfortunately I couldn’t consider a doggie bag when I was going to be in the third row of the opera house. Believe me, if it was a Britney Spears concert, I would have been chewing on it while she sang «Ooops, I did it again…» But for a formally attired performance of Gluck’s «Orfeo ed Euridice», I’m afraid the smell of cheese and pepperoni would not go over well with the season ticket holders. It was bad enough that I belched loudly during the opening aria.
FOOD — 4.5 stars
AMBIANCE — 2.5 stars… points off for the big screen TV over my head
SERVICE — 4 stars
OVERALL — 4 stars