“ I last came to Pequod's Pizza in 2012 when locals passionately swore that it was the best spot for Chicago Pizza. Bloggers wrote about Gino's and Lou Malnati's, but locals were telling me about Pequod's. Fast forward to today: In December 2024, yelp listed Pequod's as the top place for pizza in the country. Though I always take those lists with a grain of salt, I vividly remember my pizza experience here from over a decade ago (refer to my previous review about the experience). Aside from the great pizza, the reason that I chose to come here was practical. Since I was in town alone for business, this was one of the few places where I could get a Chicago Pizza Pie as an individual sized deep dish. Unlike 2012, I was able to secure a reservation for dinner in advance through Tock, so this was even more accessible than it was back then. Today I indulged in a pint of beer, I had five buffalo wings while I waited 40 minutes for my fresh baked pizza pie, and I had a personal pan pizza with pepperoni and sausage. The beer was ice cold, the buffalo wings were ok, and the pizza was what I remembered - it's the reason for coming. The pizza crust is thick and buttery like a dense pie crust. Cheese caramelizes on the exterior of the thick crust thanks to the cast iron pans. The tomato sauce was sweet and steaming. The meat added nice saltiness. Is it the best pizza in the United States as Yelp stated? That depends on your preferences. I don't tend to prefer deep dish to a neopolitan pizza. But if you compare pequod's deep dish to other Chicago deep dishes, then that's when this becomes an apples to apples comparison. To me - I really like it and I'd recommend it! ”

“ Been on my list for SO long. This place is divisive - either ppl are like this is LIFE CHANGING or this is quite regular. Despite being incredibly busy, our server was very efficient. There's two levels inside with some booths and some regular seating. My first bite, I found it heavenly! It was so soft, the cheese pull was immaculate, I was floating. The caramelized side crust was so exciting (just like the Taiwanese garlic breads with the greasy cheesy crust). Chicken (large) comes with 9 pieces, can do half buffalo half bbq. Juicy, standard! Pequod's salad (half) was perf for 2 ppl, nicely textured and yummy creamy garlic dressing (similar to ranch)! ”

“ This place lives up to the hype! I'm not a big deep dish person but this place was yummy. We got a half salad, mozzarella sticks, and a small pizza to share. LOL we definitely underestimated our ability to finish the pizza. My partner got giardiniera on his side and it was fire -- the pickled peppers cut through the cheesiness. I'd highly recommend adding some type of spicy or acid to your pizza. Elle was so nice and was on top of it -- she helped recommend specific dishes l. ”

“ So delicious! Took the advice of those in the know and ordered a small pan for the two of us and thank goodness we did! What a pizza! One of the best I've ever had seriously. It was spicy, saucy & cheesy. The crust was slightly charred and just scrumptious. Pequod's tells you that carry out may not be quite the same as it is in the restaurant, but we decided to chance it. We still thought it was amazing so I can only imagine what it must be like right out of the kitchen! Next time, we'll definitely plan our trip around getting to go visit them in person! Highly recommend it's classic Chicago; don't miss it! ”

“ Updating my review since I finally made it back to Pequods! I still stand by this being the best deep dish in the city. Highly recommend making a reservation, and keep in mind that the pizzas take 45 min - 1 hour to bake once you order. We ordered a large for 4 of us which was the perfect size - 2 pieces per person. The space is cozy; I definitely like the upstairs vibe better. Good place for big groups too, and very affordable prices!! Need to come back more often for sure. ”

“ After many years of not visiting Pequods after a mediocre first experience I finally went back and my view improved. Highly recommend making a reservation if you can as they are highly hyped and always busy. My group got chicken wings and mozzarella sticks as an app while we waited for our pizza. I would definitely skip those as they were underwhelming and the smallest chicken wings I've ever seen ha. The pizza is of course the star of the show and it was delicious this trip! I get the hype around the caramelized crust now. I enjoyed it a lot but still not my fave deep dish in the city. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back but if I was with a group I wouldn't object! ”

“ Everyone should try pequods at least once. Once you try it you'll definitely be back but everyone needs to try it to understand just what everyone else is going on about. The crispy crunchy crust is awesome and totally worth the hype it gets. It does come out dark but it's like eating a crust of pizza chips it just rocks. My one ding is that I find your experience greatly depends on if you get sat down or upstairs. I love downstairs, every time I've been sat upstairs I've either been vaguely forgotten about or surrounded by multiple parties with loud kids. It's unconfirmed but I have a feeling the upstairs space is the family zone bc it's more spacious but maybe that's just me. Still love it here and will be back. It's such a classic and so different from any other deep dish option. ”

“ Ordered takeout, and had to try both a thin crust and pan pizza to see what Pequods is about! 10" Small thin crust: sausage, garlic, giardiniera, onion, green pepper --While I enjoyed this, I can't say that it is my thin crust pizza of choice. While I ordered it well done I wished the cheese was a bit more toasty. Overall, good! But I would order the pan pizza over this any day. 10" Small pan: Sausage, pepperoni, mushroom garlic, giardiniera --Loved the caramelized crust. That may be the best part of it. Great ratio of cheese, sauce, and toppings. It's not a deep dish pizza, but rather a pan pizza. It turns out I may prefer it! It's not too much cheese and not too much sauce, which I find to be the case at other Chicago favorite pizza spots. Would recommend and will definitely crave this. ”

“ We've been wanting to try Pequod's Pizza for quite some time, and we finally got the chance to visit last weekend. Upon arriving, the space initially seemed a bit cramped, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that there was an additional seating area on the first floor, which is where we were seated. The hostess, while very friendly, appeared to be juggling quite a few tables, which might have been a bit overwhelming for her. One thing to note is that the restaurant operates through a QR code system for ordering, which, while convenient, wasn't entirely intuitive at first. We had a few questions about the menu, but our waitress was quick to help us and answered everything with a smile. She also kindly informed us that there would be a 45-minute wait for the pizzas, but assured us that the appetizers would be served promptly, which was great to hear. To pass the time, we decided to order the cheese garlic bread as an appetizer, and we were glad we did--it was delicious and hit the spot. Additionally, the staff made a point to constantly refill our glasses of Coke without us having to ask, which was a nice touch and made the whole experience feel more attentive. True to their word, after about 45 minutes, our pizza arrived at the table. We had ordered a small deep dish pizza, half Italian beef and half pepperoni and sausage. The pizza was absolutely fantastic--it lived up to the reputation as one of the best deep dish pizzas in Chicago. The flavors were rich, the crust perfectly crispy, and the fillings generous. Every bite was worth the wait. One tip I'd offer is to definitely consider ordering appetizers while you wait for your pizza. It helps to pass the time, and you won't leave hungry. As for parking, we didn't notice any spots directly in front of the restaurant, so we opted for a cab, which seemed like the most convenient option. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend Pequod's for anyone craving great deep dish pizza. ”