In a surprising twist, Yelp’s recent ranking for the best place to find Chicago-style pizza in America has landed not in Illinois, but in California.
Despite Chicago’s reputation as the birthplace of deep-dish pizza, Yelp’s methodology for determining the top spot involved analyzing reviews mentioning “Chicago-style pizza,” “Chicago-style pizza,” and “deep dish pizza” to compile a list of restaurants. These establishments were then ranked based on the volume and ratings of such reviews.
The list featured 25 restaurants, with 22 in the U.S. and three in Canada, each ranked separately.
Interestingly, the highest-ranked restaurant in Chicago itself, Michael’s Original Pizzeria and Tavern in Uptown, only secured the 10th spot on the list.
Among other Chicago-area restaurants on the list were Georgio’s Chicago Pizzeria & Pub in South Barrington (No. 14), Bacino’s of Lincoln Park in Chicago (No. 19), and Pequod’s Pizzeria of Chicago (No. 20).
However, the top spot went to Heirloom Pizza in Monterey, California, making it the ultimate destination for those seeking authentic Chicago-style pizza, according to Yelp’s ranking.