Deep Dish And Beyond: 12 Food Chains That Came Out Of Chicago

In a nation full of diverse regional cuisines, Chicago is one of America's quirkiest (and most amazing) food cities. Yes, Chicago has its share of Michelin star restaurants, but are fancy plates the first thing you think of when you think about Chicago food? We'd guess that you're more likely to imagine interesting pizza or a stubborn refusal to put ketchup on a hot dog. Those are the type of offbeat tastes that are going to escape containment and catch on nationwide.

Honestly, it's one of the United States of America's great superpowers: Developing interesting regional tastes in food, then figuring out how to get those strange tastes to the masses. If you've ever folded a huge slice of pizza in half, you might thank New York. If you've ever put barbecue sauce on anything, you have Kansas City, the Carolinas, or St. Louis to thank. In recent years, more and more Chicago chains have gone nationwide. So if you ever find yourself at a fast casual restaurant with Italian beef juice dripping down your wrists, you will have Chicago to thank. Here are 10 national chains that were born in the Windy City.

If you want Chicago pizza, Lou Malnati's is going to be where a lot of people send you first. Whether you get a deep dish or thin crust pizza, the buttery crust is a revelation. The man himself, Lou Malnati, worked in pizza restaurants for more than two decades before opening his own spot. When he finally had a restaurant with his name over the door, he started expanding almost immediately. Why not? Chicago and its surrounding suburbs — Chicagoland — is always hungry for more pizza. Hey, so is the whole of the United States. Today, Lou Malnati's sells Chicago-style pies in Chicagoland, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Arizona.

If you eat a gluten free diet, Lou Malnati's has something for you. Yes, there are gluten free crusts — both thin crust and deep dish. That's not enough of a culinary challenge, though. For the truly gastronomically daring, Lou Malnati's also offers something called the crustless pizza. This mad scientist-level invention is a gigantic disc of sausage where the crust would usually be. The sausage is then covered with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Apparently, the fine folks at Lou Malnati's thought that people suffering from celiac disease was a tragedy that demanded radical action. The end result is a meaty monstrosity that the restaurant actually recommends ordering uncut.

A Chicago institution since the 1960s, Portillo's now slings classic Chicago street food in 10 different states. Not bad, considering that Portillo's began as a humble shack. Hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches (dipped or not), and Maxwell Street Polishes are the stars of the menu here. If it's food that you can picture the guys from the "SNL" sketch Bill Swerski's Superfans eating? Then it's probably sold at Portillo's.

Portillo's started expanding as early as the 1990s, even leasing the concept to Japanese restaurateurs briefly in the early '90s. In 2014, the company was sold to a private equity firm, Berkshire Partners. The firm has been aggressive when it comes to expansion, and for what it's worth? Founder Dick Portillo usually makes a personal appearance when a new Portillo's opens. Some diners in Chicago say the quality has declined since the sale to Berkshire Partners. Whether or not that's true, you can now get Portillo's in California or in Florida, among other places. Is a dip in quality a fair price to pay for being able to get a hot dog with sport peppers and celery salt across the country?

Now that Harold's Chicken Shack has gone national, you need to have an answer to one question: mild or hot sauce? The answer is both, but be forewarned that there's no buffalo, ranch, or honey mustard at Harold's. Just the Chicago original ketchup-based mild sauce and its spicier sibling. You won't mind, because it's the best basket of fried chicken wings you'll ever eat.

The best fried chicken in Chicago was a south side exclusive for a long time — unfortunately due to redlining. Founded by Harold Pierce in 1950, this chicken joint couldn't cross into the north side for years and years. For non-Chicagoans, that means huge swaths of downtown — plus all of Cubs territory — was closed to Harold's. The chicken shack expanding the way it has, both into the north side and across the nation? That is a victory over ugly, segregationist policies. Chicago is still overcoming those policies, with a little help from some tasty chicken. Today, the chain has locations as far north as Minnesota, as far west as California, as far east as South Carolina, and as far south as Texas and Georgia. The business remains in the family, too: Harold Pierce's daughter, Kristen, is the CEO of Harold's Chicken.

It's a catchy name, Pizzeria Uno, and it's got built-in advertising. Uno means number one, right? That's what the chain is counting on tourists and transplants asking. Sure, Pizzeria Uno gets credit for inventing deep dish, but why are we talking about the past? The restaurant has moved beyond mere Chicago. As of 2025, Pizzeria Uno has locations across 14 states. If you're in one of those states, go see what the big fuss is about at Uno's. 

Whether you are visiting Chicago or checking out the Uno's in your city, don't feel obligated to order deep dish. Chicago is actually famous for two different styles of pizza. Deep dish is the sauce-on-top monstrosity that all but requires a knife, a fork, and the meal ending after two slices. Thin crust, or tavern-style, is an entirely different experience. This is a pie with a crust as thin as a cracker, and it's cut into squares for maximum sharing. Well, that, and there's one more genius reason Chicago thin crust pizza is cut into squares: So that workers grabbing a slice on their way home won't fill up before dinner. Sounds to us like you should order both a deep dish and a thin crust. Uno's excels at both styles.

Of course Chicago had to do something different with popcorn, too. The Chicago mix is cheese corn and caramel corn. It's a heavenly blend of sweet and savory, sticky and buttery, and no one does it better than Garrett. The brand now has more than 50 shops all over the world, including places like Dubai and Singapore. Much like the Chicago-style hot dog, you're under no obligation to eat the Chicago way. Garrett Popcorn makes a delicious butter popcorn. If you still want to mix flavors? Getting a butter and cheese corn mix is an absolute umami bomb, a real treat for salt lovers. A butter and caramel mix? That's as close to cake as popcorn can get.

Of course, you can find Garrett Popcorn all over. Maybe a trip to Chicago is your first experience with Garrett, though, and you want to bring some home. One of the great things about Garrett Popcorn is there are locations in both Midway and O'Hare airports. Those big tubs of popcorn make for great gifts, regardless of whether or not it's the holiday season. Who doesn't love a massive amount of popcorn?

Known for its iconic old style stove logo and quirky decor, Potbelly actually got its start when Peter Hastings and his wife started selling sandwiches out of their antique shop. Hey, people love browsing antique stores without buying anything, why not also offer a modestly-priced sandwich, right? Regular customer Bryant Keil loved the sandwiches so much that he bought the store and turned it into a full time sandwich shop. Cut to a few short decades later, and now there are Potbelly Sandwiches across the country.

If you like a sandwich for lunch, it's hard to get better than Potbelly's. The menu is surprisingly diverse. You can fill your sandwich with various cold cut combinations — but there's also grilled chicken, a Cubano, and a pizza melt, among others. When The Daily Mail ranked the top 10 Potbelly sandwiches, the more adventurous combinations often ranked higher than classic cold cuts. Obviously, that's not to suggest that the cold cut sandwiches are lacking. We're just saying that if your job happens to be located next to a Potbelly's, you can happily get a different sandwich five days a week.

Wow Bao is one of those Goldilocks restaurants, where no matter how hungry you are, you can get the exact amount of food you want. Just one bao won't ruin your dinner, but four or five baos can be your dinner, you know? Maybe that's the point of bao. Maybe that's why the company opened its first location in a mall, Chicago's famous Water Tower Place, in 2003. Wow Bao has expanded from there, now serving up pillowy buns with delicious meat filling in 30 states.

If you're not in an area with a Wow Bao, chances are you see Wow Bao's products in your local grocery store. The company started offering frozen versions of its products in 2012. If you're skeptical of how the restaurant's food translates to the freezer aisle, rest assured. Wow Bao has some very respectable frozen bao and potstickers, good enough to make our best frozen potstickers list. You can chow down on something traditional, like teriyaki chicken, or get a little adventurous with something like a cheeseburger bao. It's hard to go wrong with a good steamed bao.

Yes, there are a lot of pizza places on this list. Is it any surprise? The city of Chicago loves its pizza — both styles, of course. At Rosati's, the thin crust comes with a heaping helping of cheese, with a crispy enough crust to stand up to the dairy pressure. The deep dish comes with enough chunks of tomatoes in the sauce to feel like a bonus pie filling. Make Rosati's the center of your Friday night, and your weekend is off to a good start. 

Technically, Ferdinand Rosati opened his first restaurant on Coney Island in 1895. In 1906, however, Ferdinand packed up and moved to Chicago. He opened a pizzeria on Taylor Street. And 21 years later, his son, Saverio, opened another pizzeria, and in 1964, Saverio's sons opened locations in the suburbs. In the 21st century, Rosati's has 200 restaurants across the United States. Whether you're in Missouri, Nevada, Georgia, or wherever, you can enjoy a good, solid thin crust or deep dish pizza from Rosati's.

Between its no-frills black and white logo and an interior that looks like a movie set for a political thriller, Morton's The Steakhouse feels like a standard-bearer for steakhouse chains. Coming from a city that got a large portion of its wealth on the backs of cattle stockyards doesn't hurt Morton's credibility, either. Now, the chain has restaurants in 23 states, Washington, D.C., and the territory of Puerto Rico — but those are only the U.S. locations. Morton's also has spots in Canada, Mexico, and across Asia. Hey, people like their steak.

Morton's legacy goes beyond a world-class steakhouse. Arnie Morton, founder of the restaurant, is one of the people responsible for the massive annual food festival, Taste of Chicago. The inaugural extravaganza was held in the summer of 1980, and Taste of Chicago was an instant success. To this day, the festival remains a summer high point in the city, attracting hundreds of vendors and even musical acts like Janelle Monae or The Roots. If you're in town, check out Taste of Chicago. Maybe you'll get to experience the next big chain before it goes national.

Another pizza place that many Chicagoans will swear is the best in the city. They make a great thin crust and deep dish at Gino's East. The crust is a little less buttery and more flaky than somewhere like Pizzeria Uno's. Whatever your preference, Gino's East is a true Chicago original. Luckily for the rest of the country, though, the restaurant has expanded beyond Illinois to Wisconsin, Los Angeles, and all the way to Singapore. One tip for finding Gino's East in Chicago: Lake Michigan will always be to your east, so look toward the lake for guidance, if you're downtown and want Gino's. 

Don't have a Gino's East next to you? Check the freezer aisle of your grocery store or gas station. You might find some frozen deep dish, or even thin crust, there. The spinach and cheese blend deep dish is truly wonderful, a vegetarian option that's hearty enough to make you forget about meat. If you are craving meat? Go for the crumbled Italian sausage, definitely. 

First opened on the south side of Chicago in 1974, the ultra-cheesy pizza joint now has locations in nine states. Giordano's is all over the city. If you have friends or family visiting from out of town, and you don't want to venture downtown for your deep dish? Chances are, there's a Giordano's nearby.

If you're looking for an authentic taste of Chicago deep dish, order The Special pizza. Sausage, green peppers, onions, and mushrooms nestle between layers of cheese and sauce, and it's almost like an Italian sandwich in pie form. If you like cheese, you want Giordano's thin crust. These square-cut slices are roughly the thickness of a weighted blanket. Every bit as comforting, too, as long as you're not lactose intolerant. The crust on the tavern-style is not as buttery or flaky as somewhere like Lou Malnati's, but we don't say that to disparage Giordano's. The thick cushion of cheese, the sheer volume of the stuff? That's the star of the show for Giordano's tavern-style.

City of big shoulders, city of Big Macs? Come on, though, everyone knows that the original McDonald brothers opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino. Well, what about when the McDonald brothers wanted to franchise? They got into business with Ray Kroc, who had a vision for how McDonald's could succeed all over the globe. Kroc opened his first McDonald's in nearby Des Plaines. That was the birth of McDonald's as a chain, and it's close enough that Chicago will claim it. The original San Bernardino McDonald's is a museum now.

McDonald's might be a global powerhouse today, but there's something you have to understand about Chicago pride. The metropolis of the Midwest got the nickname "Windy City" because of how hard city advocates campaigned to host the 1893 World's Fair. More than a century later, viral TikTok historian Shermann "Dilla" Thomas would claim that everything dope about America comes from Chicago. Not even a ubiquitous global entity like McDonald's can escape Chicago residents' braggadocios nature. If a Chicagoan squints hard enough, they'll tell you that a carton of fries looks like the downtown skyline. Rock 'n' roll, indeed, McDonald's.