Everyone is always arguing about which style of pizza is the best, and in Illinois, you can get them all. We’re home to seven distinct styles of pie that make us the pizza capital of the world.
Whether you like it thick or thin, this list will have multiple varieties of pie you’ll certainly love if you don’t already. Read on:
- Deep-dish
Wikimedia Commons/Mad Mod Smith We’ll start with the classic. Illinois’ most famous style of pizza comes out of Chicago and is a delicacy for all who try it. When visiting the city, most can’t resist a trip to a restaurant like Lou Malnati’s or Connie’s for a slice of this pie.
- Stuffed
Flickr/Caribb Often mistaken for deep-dish, this is also a Chicago-style pizza. The main difference is that there is an extra layer of dough that sits between the toppings and the sauce. This allows the meat and cheese to bake together and not get dried out.
- Thin crust
Wikimedia Commons/Shsilver Step aside, New York. No matter where you go in this pizza capital, you’ll find this basic style of pizza. Everyone loves a good thin crust pie piled with delicious toppings. We’re not talking about hand-tossed like you get at Pizza Hut. Go to a local place to get this pie done right.
- Pan pizza
Flickr/Daniel Zemans If you love thick pizza but don’t get the whole sauce-on-top thing, then this is the pie for you. Cheese and toppings cover the whole thing, even over the crust, so every bite is magical. This may resemble the pizzas you made growing up.
- Pizza pot pie
Flickr/Kimberly Vardeman This Chicago invention can only be found at a few places around the state. Cheese, mushrooms, and sauce are placed in a bowl and covered with dough. As it bakes, the dough puffs up, and after it is done, the concoction is flipped over to make this bread bowl-style pie.
- Neapolitan
Pixabay/Lyciouse Wait a minute. This style of pizza isn’t native to Illinois. Coming to us from the hills of Tuscany, you can actually find wood-fired pies all over the state, which is why it’s included on this list. These rustic circles of deliciousness are full of flavor and freshness you can’t get any other way.
- Quad city
Wikimedia Commons/Lancaster314 Last but certainly not least, is this unique pie that helps put Illinois on the map as the pizza capital of the world. Its home is in the Rock Island/Moline area, near Iowa, but you can find it a few other places around the state as well.
What to try all these pies at once? There’s a pizza place in Illinois that makes every type pf pizza you can imagine.
Wikimedia Commons/Mad Mod Smith
We’ll start with the classic. Illinois’ most famous style of pizza comes out of Chicago and is a delicacy for all who try it. When visiting the city, most can’t resist a trip to a restaurant like Lou Malnati’s or Connie’s for a slice of this pie.
Flickr/Caribb
Often mistaken for deep-dish, this is also a Chicago-style pizza. The main difference is that there is an extra layer of dough that sits between the toppings and the sauce. This allows the meat and cheese to bake together and not get dried out.
Wikimedia Commons/Shsilver
Step aside, New York. No matter where you go in this pizza capital, you’ll find this basic style of pizza. Everyone loves a good thin crust pie piled with delicious toppings. We’re not talking about hand-tossed like you get at Pizza Hut. Go to a local place to get this pie done right.
Flickr/Daniel Zemans
If you love thick pizza but don’t get the whole sauce-on-top thing, then this is the pie for you. Cheese and toppings cover the whole thing, even over the crust, so every bite is magical. This may resemble the pizzas you made growing up.
Flickr/Kimberly Vardeman
This Chicago invention can only be found at a few places around the state. Cheese, mushrooms, and sauce are placed in a bowl and covered with dough. As it bakes, the dough puffs up, and after it is done, the concoction is flipped over to make this bread bowl-style pie.
Pixabay/Lyciouse
Wait a minute. This style of pizza isn’t native to Illinois. Coming to us from the hills of Tuscany, you can actually find wood-fired pies all over the state, which is why it’s included on this list. These rustic circles of deliciousness are full of flavor and freshness you can’t get any other way.
Wikimedia Commons/Lancaster314
Last but certainly not least, is this unique pie that helps put Illinois on the map as the pizza capital of the world. Its home is in the Rock Island/Moline area, near Iowa, but you can find it a few other places around the state as well.
What else about Illinois makes it the pizza capital of the world? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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