Pizano's Pizza and Pasta

I already reviewed another Pizano’s location in which I had a bad experience. I attributed it to it getting delivered. This time I sat down at the South Loop location to celebrate my birthday tonight. I’m not going to get into the history of how Pizano’s is tied to Lou’s and UNO’s, but it is very very similar to Lou’s. Well.. because it was founded by Rudy Malnati Jr. Anyway, there’s a couple differences to point out. Pizano’s deep dish edges are higher like a little wall, the sauce seems just slightly less chunky, and also a little less salty. All in all, the crust flavor and texture is almost identical to Lou’s. The flavor combination is just a fraction less flavorful than Lou’s. However, I’m also taking into account the thin crust. Reportedly the thin crust outsells the deep dish and I can see why. I don’t like Lou’s thin crust. I think it’s boring and lacks flavor. Somehow Pizano’s does it much better. It seemed like there might have been a little more sauce and cheese, but the sausage and pepperoni made it shine. Trying the cheese only thin crust, the cheese has a nice salty yet smooth buttery flavor to it. It’s top notch. I’m not sure I agree with Opera that it’s the best thin crust pizza in the US, but I can respect that take. Pizano’s is a Chicago staple and worth a stop.