Pequod's Pizza — dependable italian in Lincoln Park. The kind of spot that earns loyalty, not hype. Ask questions, the staff has answers. "The sausage was extra seasoned, making it the most fragrant pizza sausage I've had to date" — Justin
Experience Breakdown
🍴Food
5.0
👥Service
4.9
✨Ambiance
4.6
💬Sentiment
4.6
sheldon cohen
628 reviews
Highlights
CozyOld SchoolFamily FriendlyQuick BiteGreat For GroupsHidden GemFast ServiceNeighborhood Institution
What Diners Are Saying
Diners loved
Knowledgeable staff
Some noted
I believe this place was once voted "the best pizza in the USA" and this has led to it's downfall.
I was really looking forward to trying Pequod’s after wanting to for so long. We made a reservation and arrived on time.
Pequod's deep dish feels more like cheese bread than a pizza pie. Each slice is 95% dense, chewy, flavorless crust.
“Oh Great, Another "Hidden Gem" I’ll Never Forget I’ve spent years trekking through the Andes, navigating the souks of Marrakech, and dining in the finest bistros of Paris, all in a desperate attempt to become a cultured human being”
“Oh Great, Another "Hidden Gem" I’ll Never Forget
I’ve spent years trekking through the Andes,...”
Oh Great, Another "Hidden Gem" I’ll Never Forget
I’ve spent years trekking through the Andes, navigating the souks of Marrakech, and dining in the finest bistros of Paris, all in a desperate attempt to become a cultured human being. And for what? So I could come to a dark room in Chicago and realize that my entire life’s journey has been a joke compared to a 10-inch circle of burnt cheese.
The Global Disappointment
The Crust: I’ve seen the sun set over the Serengeti, but apparently, the only "golden hour" that matters is the one where they caramelize a thick wall of double cheese against a cast-iron pan. It’s a crispy, salty, pepperoni-laden middle finger to every artisan baker I’ve met in Europe.
The Defeat: I’ve climbed mountains, yet I was brought to my knees by five measly inches of pizza. I had to stop halfway through, not because I was full, but because I realized I could no longer look my passport in the eye.
The "Best" Problem: Do you know how annoying it is to visit 40 countries and have to tell people the best thing you ever ate was served in a pan that looks like it hasn't been washed since the 1980s? It's humiliating.
"I went looking for the soul of the world, and I found it under a layer of crispy pepperoni in a Chicago basement. My travel agent is fired."
Congratulations, Pequod's. You’ve successfully ruined my ability to enjoy "authentic" food anywhere else on Earth. I hope you're happy with yourselves, because I’m certainly not—I’m just full and incredibly annoyed that I have to come back here.
sheldon cohen
Jan 2026
“Pequod’s was on my list before the recent TV hype.”
Pequod’s was on my list before the recent TV hype. I really didn’t expect I’d like it so much due to my past experiences with deep dish. WRONG! Pequod’s is its own “type”!! Outstanding!
Made reservations on line for 1pm on a weekday. I initially made the res for two but invited some new friends. I called 20m prior and asked to change to party of 6. No problem. Seated at entry. Only one person had tried Pequod’s previously (other location). Our server helped us decide with tips. She recommended pepperoni, sausage and garlic. Not my normal pizza choices, but I wouldn’t change it now and highly recommend. I had their house IPA from Spiteful and it went great with the richness of the sauce and charred cheese. Again, recommend. We were warned about the amount of time but honestly it didn’t seem so long. Service was always attentive.
The pizza is awesome! Their technique is completely different from what I expected and the end product is another level of pizza. The slices are thick and a bit messy, but it cuts well. Sauce is rich and tomatoey, the sausage was in nice meaty pieces and browned well, while the pepperoni was crisp. I really didn’t taste the garlic so much as it just melded with the flavor of the sauce. Great combo all around.
Everyone at the table seemed to really enjoy the pizza and experience. I certainly did.
K N
Jan 2026
“A local recommended us Pequod's Pizza for our first ever deep dish and they certaintly didn't leave us disappointed.”
A local recommended us Pequod's Pizza for our first ever deep dish and they certaintly didn't leave us disappointed. Ordered 2 standard pizzas for 4 and couldn't even get through half, immense and super delicious. Highly recommend this spot, super impressed.
Juan David Restrepo
Jan 2026
“Great stop on our trip to Chicago.”
Great stop on our trip to Chicago. Definitely get reservations!
Decent beer list with great deals on pitchers of beer. Pizza was our first deep dish in Chicago, enjoy the more crispy cheese on the edges, reminded me of Detroit style for sure. Fresh, hot, plenty of toppings. Jalapeño poppers were just ok, nothing magical there. Staff were all friendly, decent atmosphere inside.
Matt Mella
Jan 2026
“A Chicago pizza lover's happy place.”
A Chicago pizza lover's happy place! Fantastic deep dish pizza - but keep in mind that it takes about 45 minutes to cook.
We went during lunchtime and it was packed. Thank goodness my daughter made a reservation! (Highly recommend)
Our server was pleasant and attentive.
Noreen Morgan
Jan 2026
“I couldn’t stand another person telling me about Pequod’s Pizza and finally had to drop in to take a bite.”
I couldn’t stand another person telling me about Pequod’s Pizza and finally had to drop in to take a bite. 10 inch pizza with sausage, mushroom and garlic. Absolutely delicious. The sausage was thick and the mushrooms and garlic complemented the fresh, soft dough and crust perfectly. I get the hype and I am walking away.. satisfied.
Ryan Morgan
Dec 2025
“It was my first time eating at Pequods Pizza I recommend coming in hungry as the pizza is deep dish...”
It was my first time eating at Pequods Pizza I recommend coming in hungry as the pizza is deep dish style and very hearty.
The cheesy crispy crust is to die for. This spot is cool and close to DePaul college so it's busy all day long. Parking can be difficult depending on time of day but well with driving and circling the block a few times to get in so that you can enjoy the ambiance and food is well worth it.
Our waitress was awesome and so the CC staff work together in managing the tables. No one is left behind or without!
Marie
Dec 2025
“Really good food - we ordered a pan pizza, wings, and the salad.”
Really good food - we ordered a pan pizza, wings, and the salad. Food was delicious and we had a friend who was a vegetarian. They were able to accommodate him by putting the pepperoni from the salad on the side instead of serving it on the salad. Little things like that, but meant a lot because we've had issues with consistent service at different establishments and simple instructions. Food was top notch and everything came out in a timely manner. Service was great and checked in on us just enough but not too much like the fitting rooms at Express 🤣. Ample seating, great food, and enough tvs to be able to watch the game wherever you sat.
Manpriya Kaur
Dec 2025
“Such a Chicago institution, and still amazing.”
Such a Chicago institution, and still amazing. The caramelized cheese crust is heaven. Fresh tasting sauce. Really flavorful Italian sausage. Worth going every time I'm in Chicago.
Shiyin Wang
Dec 2025
“After some pestering from friends attempting to live their deep dish dreams vicariously through me,...”
After some pestering from friends attempting to live their deep dish dreams vicariously through me, intended up at Pequod's for Saturday lunch. I made a reservation just in case, which proved unnecessary.
I ordered a personal-sized pan pizza (what they call deep-dish). Since it was made to order, it would take 35-40min. Since I added sausage, onions, peppers, and jalapenos, it cost $18.82 ($11.75 base, $1.66 per veg topping, $2.09 for the sausage).
The marinara sauce tasted well seasoned, unlike Giordano's sauce that seemed to have become strangers with herbs. The sausage was extra seasoned, making it the most fragrant pizza sausage I've had to date. The caramelized crust exhibited a `I can't believe it's not burnt cheese` moment at first bite. The bread tasted quite, well, bread, but in a good way. It carries the fragrance of bake bread into the flavor, unlike some crusts that taste like the void.
Justin
Dec 2025
“Lifelong Chicago guy, first time here.”
Lifelong Chicago guy, first time here. Service was prompt and friendly. Pizza was delicious. We had a large deep dish with sausage and spinach. There was plenty of large chunks of tasty sausage and a good amount of spinach. Crust was good and the caramelized cheese legendary. There was 3 of us and we took almost half of it home. We made reservations and were there at a good time of day, mid-week @ 1:30pm. Busy but not crazy, a steady stream of pizza lovers. I’m not sure I’m on board with people who say it’s the best, but it’s in the conversation!
Jeff Rysiewicz
Dec 2025
“We were a party of 4 plus an infant.”
We were a party of 4 plus an infant. We reserved a table by phone in the morning from home and got a 12:30 slot. HIGHLY advise to do this or you won't have a spot to sit when you walk in and will have to return over an hour later, meaning you kill time somewhere. We ordered their salad to share. Very tasty! We had two pizzas...one pepperoni and green pepper, and the other sausage and pineapple. Both were excellent. They have a caramelized type crust. It is one thick pizza!!!
The sauce is also thick and has a nice sweet flavor. Our waitress was named Lilly. She was fantastic and I hope she gets recognized by management, as she really checked on us often to keep us happy. We sat at the high table in the lower area right near the window. We could see all of the in and out people and how they run the welcome desk. They are dialed in. The manager (I assume) is very tuned in to exact times and tables and also answers the phone to get people reserved. He never stopped moving or organizing things. He was a very nice guy, but you can tell he is one busy guy all day multitasking. Once you order your pizza, expect your order to take at least 40 minutes as they are that popular and busy. We had a couple drinks and enjoyed our time with family. I went upstairs to check out that area and was amazed at the amount of tables and space up there. It was packed with people enjoying their time with family and friends. I would definitely return. But, big advice again....call ahead and reserve your spot. I will attach photos.
