Giordano's

Giordano's origin story begins with the Boglio family in Torino, Italy. The family emigrated from Italy to Argentina in the post-World War II period, settling in Buenos Aires where Efren and Joseph Boglio grew up. By the late 1960s the brothers had decided to emigrate to the United States, settling in Chicago in the early 1970s with limited English-language skills and modest resources. The decision to open a pizzeria came from family kitchen traditions; the brothers had grown up cooking what they called "Mama's recipe" — a layered stuffed pie from Torino that combined a double crust with cheese stuffing and tomato sauce on top.

The first Giordano's opened in 1974 on the south side of Chicago. The brothers introduced their Italian-family stuffed pizza recipe to the Chicago market at a moment when Chicago deep-dish was already established as a regional pizza tradition but the stuffed-pizza variant had no prior local presence. The novelty of the format — the dramatic cheese-pull from the deeply layered structure, the substantial volume of cheese, the inverted tomato-sauce-on-top arrangement — resonated with Chicago diners and the restaurant grew steadily.

By the 1980s Giordano's had expanded to multiple Chicago-area locations and was firmly established as one of the city's defining pizzerias. The Boglio brothers sold the chain in the 2010s; subsequent ownership transitions and a brief bankruptcy reorganization have not significantly altered the menu, the recipes, or the restaurant atmosphere. Giordano's currently operates more than 75 locations across multiple states, with the Chicago-area locations remaining the brand's identity center.

The structural difference between Giordano's stuffed pizza and the classic Lou Malnati's deep-dish format is the operational decision that most distinguishes the two Chicago pizza traditions. A classic deep-dish (Lou Malnati's, Pizzeria Uno, and similar) consists of a single deep-pan crust, cheese on the dough, sausage or other proteins, and crushed tomatoes on top. A Giordano's stuffed pizza consists of a bottom crust pressed deeply into the pan, a substantial layer of mozzarella (and any chosen toppings), a second thin top crust pressed over the cheese filling and sealed at the edges, and a layer of crushed tomato sauce on top of the second crust.

The result is a substantially taller pie with a more dramatic cheese-pull and a different eating experience. Cutting into a Giordano's stuffed pizza requires a sturdier knife and produces a longer cheese strand than a classic deep-dish; the photographs and videos of stretched mozzarella across the dining table have become one of Giordano's most distinctive social-media identities. The trade-off is the longer bake time (45-60 minutes versus the 30-45 minute classic deep-dish standard) and a denser, heavier per-slice eating experience.

The Lou Malnati's versus Giordano's preference is a genuine ongoing Chicago debate. Most longtime Chicagoans have a strong preference one direction or the other and will defend their choice vigorously. For out-of-town visitors, the recommended approach is to try both during a multi-day Chicago visit — one at Lou Malnati's for the classic deep-dish, one at Giordano's for the stuffed variant — and form your own opinion. The two pizzerias together represent the full spectrum of Chicago deep-dish dining.

The Famous Stuffed Pizza is the obvious headline order and the item most first-time visitors should specifically request. Standard sizes run from individual (6-inch, sufficient for one person) through small (10-inch, two people), medium (12-inch, three to four people), and large (14-inch, four to six people). The classic build includes mozzarella stuffing plus your choice of toppings; the chain's signature Special Stuffed Pizza adds sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions to the standard stuffing.

Beyond the Famous Stuffed, the menu includes thin-crust pizzas, classic deep-dish pizzas (Giordano's makes a more traditional single-crust deep-dish in addition to its stuffed signature), pastas (lasagna, baked ziti, fettuccine), salads, sandwiches, and various Italian-American appetizers. For first-time Giordano's visitors the recommendation is clear: order the Famous Stuffed Pizza, share with companions, and skip the alternative pizza formats. The thin-crust and the standard deep-dish are well-executed but are not what distinguishes Giordano's.

Wine, beer, and full bar service are available. The beer selection emphasizes Chicago-area craft brewers (Goose Island, Revolution, Half Acre) alongside standard domestic and Italian imports. The wine list is moderate and emphasizes Italian reds (Chianti, Montepulciano, Barbera) that pair with the tomato-and-cheese-forward menu. Dessert options include tiramisu, cheesecake, and various Italian-style sweets.

The Rush Street flagship is a substantial sit-down restaurant with full service, multiple dining rooms across two floors, and a separate bar area. The atmosphere is genuinely Italian-American Chicago — exposed brick, warm wood, framed family photographs, vintage Chicago and Italian memorabilia on the walls, and the busy energy of a downtown ethnic neighborhood restaurant. The restaurant gets crowded at peak dinner hours (Friday and Saturday evenings, 7-9pm) and frequently has 45 to 75 minute waits during these periods plus the 45-60 minute pizza bake time on top.

The operational reality of stuffed pizza dining is the long bake time. Visitors should plan for a 90-minute to 2-hour dinner experience total — substantially longer than a typical American restaurant dinner and notably longer than even a Lou Malnati's deep-dish dinner. The recommended approach is to order the pizza immediately on seating, order salads and appetizers (the antipasto salad and the toasted ravioli are the consensus picks) to bridge the bake-time wait, and pace your evening around the rhythm of the meal rather than treating it as a quick dinner.

Reservations are accepted for groups of 6 or more; smaller parties are walk-in only. For visitors who want to skip the dine-in wait entirely, takeaway pickup is available with phone or online orders; pickup is typically ready 60 to 75 minutes after order placement. Many Chicago hotels offer Giordano's delivery through partner delivery services, which is a standard recommendation for visitors who want stuffed pizza in the hotel room after a long sightseeing day.

Giordano's Rush Street location combines naturally with a downtown Chicago day. The natural sequence: morning at the Route 66 Begin Sign and Art Institute on Michigan Avenue, late morning into the Willis Tower Skydeck, lunch in the Loop, afternoon along the Magnificent Mile or at Navy Pier, and a 6 or 6:30pm dinner at Giordano's. The Rush Street location is roughly a 20-minute walk from the Begin Sign — comfortable in good weather or a short rideshare in winter.

For Route 66 travelers planning multiple days in Chicago, the recommended pizza sequence is Lou Malnati's one night and Giordano's another night, with a midday Portillo's lunch in between for the Chicago dog and Italian beef. The three-pizzeria sequence covers the full spectrum of Chicago's defining quick-and-casual food traditions and produces enough leftover pizza for late-night hotel snacks and breakfast.

For visitors based at a Magnificent Mile or River North hotel, Giordano's is generally within walking distance. The location is one of the most consistently recommended Chicago dinner destinations by hotel concierges, particularly for visitors who specifically want stuffed pizza rather than classic deep-dish. The pizzeria is also a standard pre-or-post-theater dinner option for visitors attending performances at the nearby Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, or Magnificent Mile theater venues.