Oh sure, some grouse that a Pequod’s deep-dish pizza isn’t a pizza at all — more like a casserole, or if they want to be really rude, like a Chicago River barge heaped with toppings.
But what do they know?
Pequod’s keeps amassing the awards, including being ranked the best pizza in America, according to a just-released Yelp Elites 2024 survey.
“You can’t truly say you have a favorite Chicago-style deep dish pizza if you haven’t been to Pequod’s. They’re known for their caramelized crust. Highly recommend you get sausage and/or pepperoni as your meat, and add veggie toppings as you like. 16-inch /large can easily feed 3 normal adults. The huge plus is that they’re now offering reservations which means you get to eat on your time! Pro tip: Order immediately when you get seated.” according to comments by Yelp Elite, Eric W.
What is a Yelp Elite?
“The Yelp Elite Squad is a fun group of passionate locals writing, photographing and adventuring their way through the city and beyond. Elites receive a shiny badge on their profile and are invited to attend exclusive events with other locals in the community,” according to the online reviewer service.
Rounding out the Top 10:
- Bestia, Los Angeles
- Lombardi’s Pizza, New York
- Mama D’s Italian Kitchen, Newport Beach, California
- Base Camp Pizza Co., South Lake Tahoe, California
- Secret Pizza, Las Vegas
- Prince Street Pizza, New York
- Olio e Piu, New York
- Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman, Kapolei, Oahu
- CUCINA urbana, San Diego
Other Chicago-area pizzerias making the Top 100 list:
- Piece Brewery and Pizzeria (No. 17)
- Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. (No. 27)
- Spacca Napoli (No. 44)
- Calo Pizzeria Restaurant & Lounge (No. 91)
- Coalfire (No. 98)
- Chicago has six pizzerias on the list of 100 best. New York and California both had 10 each.
How did Yelp conduct its survey?
They used a host of criteria, including the total number of “five-star” reviews for each pizzeria.
Yelp also said that while pepperoni remains the most popular pizza topping, some restaurants are “borrowing from broader culinary trends,” including New York’s Prince Street Pizza, with its “hot-honey-drizzled Naughty pie,” and Pequod’s, which offers jalapenos as a topping.
