Best Pizza by the Slice in Chicago: Where to Start

The best pizza by the slice in Chicago is not always the pizza Chicago is famous for. Visitors expect a wedge of deep dish, then find that the thin tavern pie cut into small squares is mostly sold whole. A true slice counter takes hunting, and a Logan Square shop sells slices.

What is the best pizza by the slice in Chicago?

It depends on what you want from a slice. If you want a crisp, cracker-thin base with a salty edge, you are looking for tavern style. If you want a tall wedge with a buttery crust and a pool of sauce on top, you want deep dish. And if you want something that folds in your hand and can be eaten while walking, you are looking at a New York style shop, which Chicago has too.

Whichever style you choose, judge the slice on four things: the crust at the edge, the sauce and cheese ratio, the way the slice holds up when you lift it and whether it tastes like it was baked recently or reheated twice. A slice reheated in a hot oven can be better than one that sat under a lamp, so ask what just came out.

Why is Chicago tavern style pizza rarely sold by the slice?

Chicago tavern style pizza grew up in neighborhood bars, where a whole pie arrived on a board in the middle of a table and everyone grabbed small squares. That is the point of the cut. A party cut gives you a dozen or more pieces from a single pie, and the pieces are meant to be shared with a drink, not carried away.

One local guide puts it plainly: because these pies are cut into small squares, finding a place that serves them by the slice is rare. That is useful to know before you go hunting. If you want tavern squares, plan on ordering a small pie with a friend, and treat a true single slice as a bonus.

Where can you get a single slice?

Look for three kinds of shop. A counter that sells pizza by the piece all day is the most direct answer to the question. A cafe with espresso drinks that also serves tavern or pan pizza may offer slices at lunch, so ask. And a South Side pizzeria that serves tavern style to a loyal neighborhood crowd is the place to taste the thin, crisp, square-cut pie the city is known for.

Menus change and a slice program can come and go, so ask at the counter whether slices are on offer before you cross town.

Can you get Chicago deep dish slices?

Sometimes. Deep dish takes a long time to bake, so most restaurants sell it as a whole pie and ask you to order ahead of your hunger. A few counters keep slices ready, and local food sites keep lists of Chicago deep dish slices for people who want a taste without committing to a full pie.

If you are curious, ask whether a place sells deep dish slices before you sit down. A slice is also a smart way to compare two styles in one afternoon: a tavern square at one stop, a wedge of deep dish at the next.

Which Chicago pizza neighborhoods are worth a detour?

Pizza follows the taverns, and the taverns follow the neighborhoods. Logan Square is a natural stop for a slice, since a shop there sells them. Bridgeport on the south side is home to a no-frills counter-service spot that specializes in tavern style. The Loop and the near north side are where you will find the shops that sell to office workers at lunch.

A good plan is to pick one neighborhood, walk between two or three stops and order a single slice or square at each. Chicago pizza neighborhoods reward a slow afternoon, because the best finds are often in a block you did not plan to visit.

How to order pizza by the slice without holding up the line

Know what you want before you reach the counter. Say the style and the topping together, such as "one cheese, one sausage," and ask whether the slice will be reheated. If the shop has a case, look at the slices on offer and choose the one with the crispest edge.

Pay attention to size. A slice from a large pie is a meal, and a square from a tavern pie is a snack. Two squares and a drink make a light lunch, and four make a full one. Ask for extra napkins, and eat the slice within a few minutes, because thin crust loses its crunch quickly.

What else should you eat around Chicago?

A slice stop pairs well with the rest of the city. The best tacos in Chicago guide covers the taquerias of Pilsen and Little Village, and the date night restaurants in Chicago guide is for the evening after a casual afternoon. If you would rather graze under one roof, read the Chicago food halls guide. The US guides page lists more cities.

How do you rate Chicago pizza by the slice?

A slice is a small bet, so rate it the way you would a full meal. Rate the slice by the dish, add a Pizza tag and write a line on the crust: thin and crisp, or pan and buttery. A Quick Service tag tells the next person the counter moved fast.

Keep a Chicago slice list, and follow friends whose pizza taste you trust, so their picks save you a wrong turn.

A slice is easy to forget and hard to rank from memory. Get the Mosey app, rate each slice by its crust, its sauce and its edge as you eat it, and keep a Chicago list that tells you which counter deserves your next lunch.