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| - Basis for my starred ratings (which skews heavily to the food or drink):
1 star: Never again.
2 stars: Poor food, poor experience, extraordinary measures in order for me to come back.
3 stars: Average, nothing really special, nothing particularly bad.
4 stars: Very good, would definitely return.
5 stars: A favorite, one of the best.
Full disclosure, former Chicagoan. The location on Rush in River North was my go-to. This location holds up and after all these years, still rises above the competition.
Waited in line for 2 hours today. Yes, I'm crazy. For food. Lou Mal's in particular. I'd been waiting for this place to open ever since I heard the news last year.
Wife and I ordered some beers and a large Classic. Saw a ton of people leave with to-go orders and leftovers of the thin crust and I wonder what they were thinking. If you come to Lou Malnati's, you come for Chicago deep dish. Everything else pales in comparison.
Got to meet Marc Malnati after dinner, which was awesome. He is, genuinely, one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Told him the truth - that Geno's was my first but that ultimately I fell in love with Lou Mal's.
So in the hierarchy of Chicago deep dish, Lou Malnati's - Geno's East - Pizzeria Uno/Due (the original two). Stick with the deep dish. You can do either sausage or pep, but the sausage just works so darn well with the rest of the pizza. Give in to the carbs, and the calories, and the cholesterol.
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