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Sorry, Chicago. Yelp ranks top 100 pizza spots in Midwest and the Windy City might get mad
By Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY,
3 hours ago
Yelp has made finding the perfect slice a little easier, compiling a list of the top 100 pizza joints in the Midwest . Surprise: Chicago did not take the No. 1 spot.
This year’s rankings, released on Tuesday, including all styles of pizza, from Detroit-style squares to Chicago's famed deep-dish pies. Also, making the cut are fresh takes on Chicago’s tavern-style pizza and the classic St. Louis pizza, which has a thin crust almost like a cracker, according to Kathy Passero, who helped research and compile Yelp’s Top 100.
“The Midwest has long been an essential slice of pizza tradition in the U.S., giving rise to many iconic styles of the beloved dish," Tara Lewis, a trend expert at Yelp, said in a statement. "No matter your preferences, there's something for every pizza lover on this list."
To come up with the rankings, Yelp considered pizza joints from across the region, including Iowa, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Yelp then narrowed down the list by using a large concentration of reviews that included relevant keywords and ranked them using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords.
So who edged out Chicago? Which state had the most restaurants on the list? See below to find out.
A slice of Loui's Meal Lovers Pizza, a "longtime bestseller" at the Michigan-based pizzeria. Anthony B. on Yelp
Address: 23141 Dequindre Road
Fun fact: The family-owned restaurant has been serving up Detroit-style pizza for almost 50 years, according to Yelp.
With a ranking of 4.4, customers particularly love the barbecue pizza. One recent reviewer raved about the big portions ("I am a big guy and only finished half") and pointed out that he really "loved the corners with the crunchy texture."
A slice of Futuro's Detroit-style Bacon Basil pizza. Vanessa L. on Yelp
Address: 19 Cruse St.
Fun fact: Chef Luke Tobias and wife Sarah St. Aubin turned a COVID-19 pizza-making hobby into a fulltime career, opening Futuro a year after they began to make pizzas customers could order online and pick up from their porch.
A cheese, pepper, and sausage slice from Pequod's. Wendy W. on Yelp
Address: 2207 N. Clybourn Ave.
Fun fact: Jay Esper, manager at Pequod's Pizza, describes the pizza made at the restaurant as a cross between "deep-dish and Detroit-style." And what makes it unique is its "soft, fluffy middle combined with the crunchy crust and caramelized cheese edge," Esper shared with Yelp.
A "Mediterranean" pie come Tyler's Pizzeria and Bakery, which comes complete with tomatoes, red onions, banana peppers and goat cheese topped over a white sauce. Tyler's Pizzeria & Bakery
Address: 7516 E. Main St.
Kelsey Tyler, a Tyler’s Pizzeria & Bakery employee, told Yelp that her family fell into the pizza-making business by accident after a permit issue. The family-run shop has been open for 13 years, working every day to make the wood-fired, handcrafted and sourdough-crust pizza they are known for, according to Yelp.
A pepperoni, Calabrian chili honey, pesto, peppadew peppers, and ricotta pizza dubbed the "Onlypans" pie at Milly's. Milly's Pizza in the Pan
Address: 1005 W. Argyle St.
Fun fact: The reason why customers always get the " perfect crunchy crust " at Milly's is because they never pre-slice their pies, a practice that prevents sauce from dribbling into the dough, according to Yelp.
A classic Margherita pizza from Pizzeoli Wood Fired Pizza. Orlando P. on Yelp
Address: 1928 S. 12th St.
There are always enough pizza options at Pizzeoli, which has over 40 flavor combinations to choose from, according to Yelp. While their pies may be inspired by "Old World–style pizza," they "are richer, heartier, and more decadent" because they are a Midwest shop, general manager Josh Grisa told Yelp.
A snap of the popular "Schnabel Wobble" complete with garlic shrimp from Brittany’s Brick Oven Pizza, a restaurant in Madison, Ind. Chad T. on Yelp
Address: 2034 Lanier Drive
Fun fact: Brittany’s makes "quirky pies" with unique ingredients like shrimp or hot ghost pepper flakes to make one-of-a-kind slices, according to Yelp. The flavor combinations have put the "mom-and-pop shop on the pizza map," Yelp says.
A 12-inch cheese pizza, cut tavern-style, from Dough Daddy's Pizza based in Westmont, Ill. Joe G. on Yelp
Address: 649 N. Cass Ave.
Fun fact: Best friends Ray Schwitz and Matt Rowley run operations at Dough Daddy's, making handcrafted thin-crust pizzas topped with made-from-scratch ingredients, according to Yelp.
A Spinach Feta pizza from Tasty Pizza, a Nebraska based pizzeria. Nicole C. on Yelp
Address: 1418 S. 60th St.
Fun fact: Owner Mary Joseph was originally selling pastries before realizing she preferred savory over sweet, according to Yelp. What hasn't changed, according to Yelp, is the emphasis on homemade taste.
See where the other 90 Midwest spots rank below
The Midwest may not be the pizza capital of the world, but it's a region full of people who love pizza. Pizza is actually a "pretty popular" food category in the Midwest, according to Yelp. Yelp
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