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Is deep dish pizza overrated? These are the 7 Chicago foods I’d order again
There’s more to Chicago’s food scene than deep dish. Discover 7 iconic Chicago foods worth trying, including Italian beef, jibaritos and tavern pizza.
Every traveler heads to Chicago for one food: deep dish pizza.
Yes, it’s iconic, but Chicago has many other foods that are just as good, if not better, than deep dish pizza.
On my recent trip to Chicago, I ate my way across the city and was surprised at the local lineup. Here’s my honest verdict on deep dish pizza and the 7 things I’ll definitely be ordering again on my next trip.
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So, is deep dish actually overrated?
Deep dish is Chicago’s signature dish for a reason; it’s comforting, filling, and super tasty.
The thick crust is flaky and buttery, and the clever placement of the cheese beneath the chunky tomato sauce prevents the base from getting soggy.
Moreover, because it’s so heavy, a deep dish pizza is naturally the perfect food to share with friends. You can also buy it by the slice, as a satisfying snack while exploring the city.
But here’s the caveat: Chicago’s food identity is so much bigger than a pizza slice. Just like New York’s food scene, this Illinois city has a wide range of local favorites, and by eating only deep dish pizza, you’re missing out on the full Chicago experience.
The 7 Chicago foods worth ordering again
Here are the 7 foods every traveler must try in Chicago, why they’re worth it, and where to find them:
| Food | Best neighborhood to try it | Rough price |
|---|---|---|
| Italian beef sandwich | West Loop, Little Italy | $8 to $12 |
| Chicago-style hot dog | Old Town, citywide stands | $4 to $6 |
| Tavern-style thin crust | Southwest and West Side | $15 to $25 per pie |
| Deep dish pizza | River North, the Loop | $20 to $35 per pie |
| Jibarito | Humboldt Park | $9 to $14 |
| Maxwell Street Polish | Near West Side | $5 to $8 |
| Chicago-style popcorn | The Loop | $6 to $10 per bag |
1. Italian beef sandwich
This famous Midwest staple consists of shredded and seasoned roast beef (which is incredibly moreish) on a crusty bread roll. But the secret ingredient that makes it so good is the beef jus (gravy) that’s poured on top.
Try one at Al’s #1 Italian Beef in Little Italy or Luke’s Italian Beef in Chicago Loop.
2. Chicago-style hot dog
What makes this beef sausage and bun so good is the signature 7-topping combo. Yellow mustard, green relish, chopped onions, tomatoes, dill pickles, and pickled peppers are stacked on top of the frankfurter, and a generous shake of celery salt ties the flavors together.
3. Tavern-style thin crust
The tavern-style thin crust pizza may be less famous to tourists, but most locals prefer it over deep dish.
It has an ultra-crispy, cracker-like base and is cut into squares rather than triangles. Unlike deep dish, the sauce and cheese are spread all the way to the edge, and it’s much easier to eat.
The dish originated in Midwestern neighborhood pubs in the early 1900s and can now be found in most taverns in the Southwest and on the West Side.
4. Deep dish pizza
Deep dish pizza is the opposite of tavern-style. It’s thick, doughy, and pie-like, as it’s baked in a deep pan. It’s messy to eat by hand, so it generally requires a knife and fork.
But what’s more important than how you eat it is where. For the most authentic experience, head to a well-known spot like Pequod’s Pizza in Lincoln Park, known for its unique caramelized crust.
5. Jibarito
The jibarito is Chicago’s legendary bread-free sandwich. Two crispy fried green plantains replace the bread slices and hold together the fillings, which typically include beef, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and garlic mayonnaise.
The dish originated in Chicago’s vibrant Puerto Rican community. Try it from its birthplace in Humboldt Park; Papa’s Cache Sabroso and Jibaritos y Más are two well-established Puerto Rican joints here.
6. Maxwell Street Polish
This is the rival of the Chicago-style hot dog. It features a beef-and-pork Polish sausage in a soft bun, topped with sweet caramelized onions, pickled peppers, and yellow mustard.
The hot dog is named after the Maxwell Street Market, where it was invented. The market stand later became ‘Jim’s Original’ on the Near West Side, which still sells arguably the best Polish hot dogs in town.
7. Chicago-style popcorn
Chicago-style popcorn is the most gourmet popcorn you’ll ever try. It combines sweet caramel popcorn and savory cheddar cheese popcorn, which sounds strange but in reality works incredibly well. The mix somehow delivers the perfect balance of sweet and salty. You’ll find plenty of stores on The Loop selling this snack, freshly made.
How to eat like a local in Chicago, not a tourist
Whether you’re eating your way through Florida, New York, or any other US city, the key is to steer away from chain restaurants.
Instead, seek out the long-standing independent joints that locals have been frequenting for years. In each neighborhood listed above, you’ll find many local restaurants dishing up the associated food using the most traditional and authentic recipes.
When ordering food here, you should know that Chicago leans hard into its own traditions, from dyeing the river green for St Patrick’s Day to defending its food rules. So here are a few local habits you should know about:
- Don’t ask for ketchup on your hot dog: Ketchup on a hot dog is considered a major culinary faux pas, as the sweetness of the sauce masks the flavor of the beef.
- Ask for your Italian beef sandwich “dipped”: Locals make sure they get plenty of the seasoned gravy by asking for it to be dipped in the stuff rather than poured on top.
- Look out for Giardiniera: These pickled vegetables are adored by Chicagoans. Try it as a topping on hot dogs, sandwiches, and even pizza.
Planning a Chicago food trip you’ll actually enjoy
It’s not only the food that makes Chicago one of the most popular US tourist destinations. To try all 7 dishes and explore the sights, 3-4 days is an ideal trip length (2 dishes per day).
Create your itinerary by neighborhood, pairing what you want to see and do with what to eat in each place. And where possible, walk between neighborhoods rather than using public transport, as this gives you a chance to digest and build your appetite for the next meal.
Finally, when navigating between food joints, you’ll need a reliable on-the-go mobile connection. With a travel eSIM, you can easily check opening times, read reviews, and even see how busy places are in real time, allowing you to adjust your plans accordingly.
Stay connected while you eat your way through Chicago
Chasing down the best Italian beef or the right deep dish spot is a lot easier when you can pull up maps, menus, and fresh reviews the second you need them. A Holafly eSIM for USA keeps you online from the moment you land, with unlimited data, 5G speeds, and 24/7 customer support, so you are never stuck guessing which location of a place is the good one.
What’s more, every Holafly eSIM comes with Always On, 1 GB of monthly backup data at no additional cost. It activates automatically as long as the eSIM stays installed on your phone, renews every month, and works in 150+ destinations. So even if your main data runs low mid-crawl, you can still map the walk to the next stop and check it is open before you go.
Install it before you fly, and let Chicago’s food scene, not your signal, be the only thing you have to think about.
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Hi, I'm Mika, a South Korean writer living in the US. I cover travel and live events, focusing on the practical stuff that makes your trip smoother, whether you're navigating a new city or heading to a major international event.I'm also the founder of Search SEOul, South Korea's leading SEO conference, bringing together search marketing experts and speakers from around the world.
