NOTE: If you’re looking for another Nashville Chicago-style pizza, check out 312 Pizza Company.
A couple of weeks ago we finally got our chance to see what the new Little Chicago restaurant on Demonbreun was all about. Though we had passed it several times, we hadn’t heard much about it, so we decided to do our own taste bud research (we can write this off, right?).
During our research, we decided it would also be a good idea to head to the actual city of Chicago that weekend to determine how Little Chicago’s pizza compares to big Chicago’s pizza.
Lunch at Little Chicago in Nashville
After looking at the super-diverse menu, ranging from burgers to pizzas to pitas, we jump straight for the Chicago-style, deep dish pizza. We are a bit skeptical because it’s hard to find a good deep dish pie outside of the Windy City, but we hope for the best while we wait.
We get our first glimpse and taste of Little Chicago’s deep dish pizza after about 30 minutes (it takes a while to bake a deep dish pizza). It looks tasty, and it is.
Little Chicago’s pizza is outstanding. The crust is a little “crackery” and not overly thick, as you can see in the picture. It’s a really nice blend of lighter sauce and thick cheese.
But how does it stack up against the real Chicago?
Lunch at Gino’s East in Chicago
Fast forward a couple of days. We’re in Chicago now. We go to Gino’s East, one of the most popular pizza joints in Chicago, to do a little more research (and maybe another business write-off).
Gino’s pizza is delicious. The crust is made from cornmeal (different than Little Chicago’s), the sauce is extra chunky, and the overall pizza is very thick. We eat every bite, no problem.
In Comparison
Little Chicago’s pizza really stands up to Chicago’s pizza. The styles are a little different, but the general look and taste are definitely in the same ball game. The biggest difference was the overall thickness and crust styles, which Little Chicago was a little slimmer on. We really liked the slimmer style of Little Chicago’s pizza, though, because it wasn’t quite as daunting as Gino’s or Lou Malnati’s (we went the Lou’s in Chicago, too… for research, of course).
We highly recommend doing your own taste test at Little Chicago. At the very least, you’ll eat a really yummy pizza.
If you’re a Chicago-style, deep dish lover and you’ve had Little Chicago’s pizza, we’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below. How do you think it stands up to the *real* Chicago pizza?
More Info on Little Chicago
To find out more about Little Chicago, including hours, location, phone number, and menu, check out their business listing.
Interesting.. Haven’t tried the pizza in this place, but it took them 30+ minutes to make 2 hot dogs the other day- menu is crazy– I don’t remember any Chicago place having so much variety…..maybe should focus on 1 item…
Billy, we felt the same way about the huge menu. Although, once we realized Little Chicago stays open until 5:00am, we figured that was part of the reason they have a variety of items on the menu. Those late night guests will probably be hungry.
A friend of mine and I tried little chicago, the other night for the first time, and found that it was very similar to Giordano’s that are all over Chicago, and Flordia!
I will agree that the crust was a little thinner, not by much though compared to Giordano’s this was a very good reproduction of Chicago Deep Dish (certainly better than Old Chicago which is pan pizza like pizza hut btw)
Really looking forward to the next time there!
As a Chicago Native that relocated here I will say that this is nothing like Giordano’s (Rumor is they may be coming to Nashville).
The statement about the crust being a little crackery is spot on and it was over cooked. (Not burnt but close) The reason is that they use a flour crust not cornmeal. I will also agree that the sauce was little, but there was a definite vinegar taste to it as well. Half way through my second piece it was over powering. The sauce needs more oregano and some garlic, maybe even a little basil.
All this may sound negative but I would go back occasionally but not my go to pizza place. Of course I’m still looking for a go to pizza place here in Nashville.
Pizza was delicious! Came in on Sunday and was shocked by the quality of this pie. Deep Dish is recommended, although the cook time is about 30 minutes… its definetely worth the wait.