Best Vegan Deep Dish Pizza in Chicago, IL
If you’re visiting Chicago you can’t leave without having the iconic Chicago, saucy, cheesy, deep dish pizza.
However, if you’re vegan, you might be thinking “I bet there aren’t any vegan options.” I’m here to happily tell you you’re wrong and will be pleasantly surprised!
While in Chicago, I tried out two spots that make the best vegan chicago-style deep Dish Pizza.” In this blog, I will talk about the taste, overall experience, and which I liked best. I will also explain why Chicago deep-dish pizza is so special.
What is Special About Chicago Deep Dish Pizza?
If you’ve wondered what makes the deep-dish pizza so special in Chicago pizzerias, you’re not alone, I too wanted to know the answer.
Back in the 1940s when Italian immigrants flocked to Chicago for factory jobs, they brought their love of pizza with them. They then decided to create something hearty and convenient that would combine the best of both cultures. You will find out how special this pizza is once you end up sitting at a local pizzeria trying out the cheesy deep-dish pizza.
Chicago Style pizza is different from other pizzas in the sense that they are baked in a deep dish pan, the toppings are placed at the bottom followed by the cheese and topped with the sauce last. It is baked for about 25-30 min to give the cheese time to melt. The pizza then results in a flaky, thick with a cheesy feel, and an iconic taste.
Vegan Deep-Dish Pizza To Try Out In Chicago!
Whenever you visit Chicago and want to go with the tradition of having a deep-dish pizza, here are your options as a vegan in the town.
My Pi Pizzeria
2010 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Located in the hip and chill Bucktown neighborhood My Pi is special to vegan locals because they have a full vegan menu of pizzas and sandwiches in addition to their traditional menu. Here you can choose your size from Small (1 person), Medium (2-3 people) or Large (4-5 people). I ordered my pizza with spinach and artichoke as toppigng and everything was on point. Their crust was the perfect texture and sauce was seasoned perfectly. The best part was that the cheese melts and oozes out like any other pizza! Their pizza was full of flavor in every bite.
My Pi Pizzeria has a Vegan Menu!
They have plenty of other toppings including vegan meats so don’t forget to try out other kinds of vegan deep-dish pizzas when you’re at My Pi Pizzeria.
My Pi has been around since 1971 and the owner used San Marzano tomatos because they were less acidic and catered to his sensitive stomach, therefore he called it My Pi If you want to know more history behind the restaurant you can check out the story in my video below along with my detailed experience at the pizzeria.
Kitchen 17 Vegan Pizza
Kitchen 17
2554 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Kitchen 17 is situated in a very cute street in Lakeview. It’s a very pleasing and artistic neighborhood as Lakeview is popular for arts and culture. When hanging around Lakeview in Chicago, you must check out the live music venus, theatre, dance, and comedy.
Kitchen 17 is a full vegan restaurant. However, after many customers began to request a vegan Chicago Style pizza on the menu, they started serving pizzas once a week. But, the overwhelming response from the public has added the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza to their regular menu.
Kitchen 17 Pizzeria
Ok now for the important part, the taste test. It was saucy, cheesy, and crispy like the former. The flavor was great and they even make their own mozzarella cheese which I do really appreciate. Although it was delicious, the reason it wasn’t my top was because I personally would’ve like a thicker crust.
Conculsion
It’s hard to say that one restaurant was better than the other. However, out of the two places I tried, I have to admit My Pi was my favorite and what I consider to be The Best Vegan Deep-Dish Pizza in Chicago. Really you can’t go wrong with either one, this was just my personal preference.
To know more details about my experience make sure to check out my YouTube video and channel to see vegan food in other cities.
Make sure you check out the restaurants and let me know which one best suits your taste buds.
