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Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - River North

439 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60610-4512
312 828 9800
Ranked #65 of 4,430 restaurants in Chicago
4.0 of 5 stars 361 Reviews
Price range: $1 - $20
Cuisines: Italian, Pizza, Pizza & Pasta, Sandwiches
Good for: Families with children, Large groups, Local cuisine, Outdoor seating, Dining on a budget
Dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Delivery, Late Night, Dessert
Restaurant details
Good for: Families with children, Large groups, Local cuisine, Outdoor seating, Dining on a budget
Dining options: Lunch, Dinner, Takeout, Delivery, Late Night, Dessert
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361 reviews from our community

77% Recommend
    178
    103
    53
    20
    7
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Seattle
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2012 NEW

I highly recommend this restaurant. It has a lively, boisterous atmosphere with super friendly staff. We were warmly welcomed as we entered and our servers were extra friendly and helpful. The pizza and salad were delicious. We had a classic cheese deep dish. The crust was heavenly, a little like a pastry crust. Best of all this restaurant is so... More

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See 4 more reviews by c3travel for Chicago
NE Nebraska
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2012 NEW

The deep dish was very good. I'm not an expert on Chicago style pizza, but this was very good for our group. More

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See 9 more reviews by HuskerFan1022 for Chicago
Laguna Beach, California
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2012 NEW

Pretty Damn good I have to say although the best Chicago Style pizza ever is in Sacramento California at a little dive on 21st street called Zelda's. Back to Chicago, I'd say it's right about the same as Gino's. I' likely just pissed off a bunch of Gino's fans. Sorry! I really wish the pepperoni at LM's was cut a... More

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See 5 more reviews by BRH949 for Chicago
Toronto, Canada
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2012 NEW

Not as touristy as Giordanos or Pizzeria Uno/Duo and much better tasting paizza- order a small for two- more than enough- the sausage is very good- service excellent More

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See 2 more reviews by Travellingman2243 for Chicago
Boston
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 9, 2012

We ordered a deep dish (husband) and thin crust (me). Food was good. We got the low fat cheese option and we wouldnt have known the difference. The next day we ate at Pizano's. Lou Malnati's was much better. More

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See 9 more reviews by NicoleA for Chicago
Windsor, Ontario
Senior Contributor
41 reviews 41 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 8, 2012

Have eaten here four to five times - both lunch and dinner. Their deep dish pizza is heavy, but doesn't sit in your stomach like others such as Gino's East. The crust and sauce are lighter. Made the mistake of getting a medium for two people. Unless you are a glutton - go for small. Spinach bread is great, wings... More

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See 6 more reviews by rtan73 for Chicago
Washington, DC
Top Contributor
56 reviews 56 reviews
Reviews in 27 cities Reviews in 27 cities
210 helpful votes 210 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 6, 2012

I sampled a slice of Lou's pizza en route to a tea store and oil store on Wells St. during a Taste of Chicago food tour. Delicious and so fresh! Much better than Giordanos. We were told that the tomatoes are harvested from the owner's private vineyard and jarred and used directly on each pizza. Wow! You can certainly tell.... More

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See 5 more reviews by DC_World_Traveler for Chicago
Marion, Illinois
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 3, 2012

BEST Chicago style pizza ever!! The place was clean, the service was great, and the pizza was mouthwateringly delightful. I will go back every time I visit Chicago. More

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See 7 more reviews by Heather T for Chicago
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 3, 2012

This place has one of the best Chicago deep dishes around. Start off with the garlic bread and marinara sauce which is a great price and you get a ton of bread. For the pizza, get sausage with the buttered crust on your deep dish for more flavor. It was an awesome place I would go for sure and recommend... More

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See 4 more reviews by Jeremy O for Chicago
Nashville, Tennessee
Top Contributor
67 reviews 67 reviews
Reviews in 27 cities Reviews in 27 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 29, 2012

At the recommendation of TripAdvisor reviews and several friends, my colleagues and I ate at Lou Malnati's. The three of us ordered the Malnati Special (Deep dish pizza, a layer of sausage, tons of cheese, thick buttered crust and fresh sauce). The waiter told us a medium would easily feed 3 starving men...so we ordered a large for the 3... More

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See 2 more reviews by Danield528 for Chicago

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