Credited as the birthplace of deep-dish pizza, has the historic Pizzeria Uno withstood the test of time or aged poorly? Read along to find out.
Chicago is known for many things, like the Sears Tower and windy weather, but it’s most notably characterized as being the birthplace of deep-dish pizza.
The story of deep-dish pizza starts all the way back in 1943 when Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo dreamed of creating a pizza unlike any other. They came up with a new style of pizza that had a deeper dish, crunchy crust, and inverted layers, giving birth to the deep-dish pizza. Thus Pizzeria Uno was open, with this new style as its highlight. Deep-dish quickly gained popularity and became a Chicago signature, shooting both Pizzeria Uno and deep-dish pizza into superstardom. Many other deep-dish joints like Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s have opened up after seeing the success Pizzeria Uno attained.
The original location of Pizzeria Uno is on the corner of Ohio and Wabash, and it attracts many who want to taste a slice of Chicago history. It’s proximity to the heart of the Magnificent Mile and Michigan Avenue make the restaurant a tourist hub. Countless flow into the restaurant in hopes of enjoying some authentic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.
Unfortunately, many leave the Chicago institution disappointed.
Customers complain of cardboard-like crust and overly bland pizza, citing the restaurant as a big letdown. Although they compliment the presentation and ambiance of the restaurant, they simply can’t get past the pizza that doesn’t live up to its name. The commercialization of the restaurant is likely the reason for the declined quality. With locations all over the country, Pizzeria Uno became more of a chain-style restaurant and lost its unique charm.
I would recommend skipping Pizzeria Uno and hitting up other pizzerias that deliver on both taste and charm. Burt’s Place, Bartoli’s, Lou Malnati’s, and Gino’s East are just some of the classic locations that many native Chicagoans have raved about. From buttery crusts to heavenly cheese pulls, these pizzas seem to have the it factor that Pizzeria Uno couldn’t quite deliver on.
Although Pizzeria Uno will forever remain in the history books as the legendary birthplace of deep-dish pizza, it may not be the place you would want to go to experience authentic Chicago style pizza right now. But you can still experience the essence of Uno’s because all of the current pizzerias in the Windy City draw some sort of inspiration from this historic institution. Every time you take a bite of deep-dish pizza, you are essentially tasting the masterpiece of Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo, so you might as well get a delicious bite instead of a bland one!