Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria at 6649 N Lincoln Ave in Lincolnwood, at Lincoln and Pratt, is the original location of the deep dish chain Lou and Jean Malnati opened on March 17, 1971. Lou’s father, Rudy Malnati Sr., worked at Pizzeria Uno in the 1940s, which is why the family says it had a hand in the dish’s creation. The pie has changed little: a flaky, buttery crust the company trademarked as Buttercrust, a sheet of sausage that covers the whole pizza in the Malnati Chicago Classic, chunky tomato sauce on top and Wisconsin cheese. Thin crust, salads and pasta fill out the menu.

What to know

• The company now runs about 80 restaurants across four states.
• The Lincolnwood original has a full dining room and bar and takes reservations; most other locations are carryout and delivery only.
• Frozen pizzas ship nationwide through Tastes of Chicago, the company’s mail-order arm.
• Wikipedia cites a 2025 Yelp ranking that named Lou’s the top pizza chain in the country.
• Lincolnwood is off the L grid, so most people drive.