Best Deep Dish Pizza: Chicago Italian Beef & Pizza

Regional food pride has a way of weaving itself into a city's identity. The not-so-friendly competition that exists between the various barbecue regions of the South and Southwest makes for some heated debates. Tex-Mex vs. Cali-Mex mirrors the cultural hostilities between the two states more than any profound differences in cuisine. So to declare a best of category for deep dish pizza — an undeniably Chicagoan creation — is bound to ruffle some northern feathers. We are, nonetheless, confident when we tell you that Chicago Italian Beef & Pizza is the best place in Houston to enjoy not just a deep dish pizza, but a mom-and-pop, hole-in-the-wall neighborhood experience not dissimilar to what you might find in South Side Chicago.

Off Airline in the Greater Heights, the family-owned joint is famous, naturally, for their outstanding deep dish pies, which pack a mountainous amount of mozzarella into the bowl-like structure of their crusts. Favorites like the Alcapone are topped with the classics — Italian sausage, pepperoni, ground beef and Canadian bacon. Equally renowned are the authentic Italian beef sandwiches and Illinois diner staples like porky cheese fries.

1777 Airline, Houston
713-862-2828
chicagoibp.com

Readers' Choice: Star Pizza
Multiple Locations
starpizza.net

• Best of Houston
• Best of Houston® 2020