The Tavern Style Guide

Order the sourdough with cultured butter, honey, and sardines. Trust the sardines. The butter is hand-churned in house and worth every bite. Come on a Tuesday for Tavern Tuesday, a thin square-cut Chicago-style pie with a buttered sauce that works well on the thinner crust. The regular pizza is very good. The in-house NA IPA is the best version of that drink at any Chicago brewery. Soft serve is self-serve and fun, though rotating flavors sell out fast. Expansive patio with grass and flowers in summer. Large enough inside for groups and families.

Order the soppressata and mortadella tavern squares first. Wisconsin-sourced meats, good lace, and a Calabrian chile honey oil that makes every bite slightly addictive. The mozzarella sticks have an extraordinary stretch and a fry that holds — get them. Pastas are solid across the board. Bar program is strong with real NA options. Gluten-free pizza and pasta both available. Multiple distinct spaces inside: a nostalgic dining area, a lively bar, and a hidden downstairs taverna. Choose based on the night you're having.

The tavern pizza is the reason this makes the list alongside the best squares in the city right now. Paper thin, excellent lace, a sauce with genuine sweetness, and housemade sausage distributed perfectly across every square cut. The mozzarella sticks are a standout: soft pull, crunchy fry, the version you were hoping for. Pastas are worth ordering. Gluten-free options are available across a meaningful portion of the menu. The space feels like it has been there for decades. It opened in 2025.

Chicago tavern style done correctly. Paper thin cracker crust, square cut, traditional ingredients. This is a Lakeview outpost of a beloved suburban original and it brought its standards with it. Not a destination pizza. An excellent delivery option for nights when you want something technically honest and reliably good. Check for their occasional chef takeover specials.

A COVID experiment that became one of Chicago's best pizza spots. Pizza Matta from chefs Jason Vincent and Josh Perlman does New York and tavern style both — 48-hour fermented dough, premium ingredients, and a menu that includes a pizza called the Jerk Store. The mortadella is excellent. The wings and salads are not an afterthought. If you love Chef's Special, this is the natural next stop.