Gino’s East of Chicago

Cuisine: Pizza.
Specialty: Deep-Dish Pizza/Chicago-Style Pizza.
Location: All Throughout Chicago.
Price: $25+ for a huge 11” deep dish pizza.

Gino’s East is the second of the legendary triumvirate of Chicago pizza. Again, like Lou Malnati’s, it is a large chain, which I’d normally consider a big con, but I’m much more open to the idea of a great chain pizzeria after tasting Lou’s amazing pie. That said, I was expecting something like a nice little pizzeria or sports bar, somewhat in the vein of Lou Malnati’s. I couldn’t have been more wrong, though.

Upon walking in, I was struck by the grungiest, dirtiest-looking, tackiest bar I could have imagined, with writing and graffiti over every single wall, every single table, and every single photo. It was a shocking contrast going from the clean, orderly Lou’s to an absolute dive (in the full sense of the term).

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That’s not to say that Gino’s East doesn’t have its charm, though. The whole graffiti thing is obviously just a gimmick, after all. You’re supposed to be shocked and even slightly offended the first time you eat here. But that’s exactly was sets Gino’s apart from all the other nameless pizzerias, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen a pizzeria quite like this one.

It really is hit or miss, though. Some will love this place beyond belief, defending the raggedy, deteriorating semblance as the restaurant’s character. Others—and I do lean towards this group—will think it a dump in need of some renovation. Coming from an economic perspective/background, though, I do have to say that Gino’s provides a good you just can’t get anywhere else, and I’m not talking about the pizza.

On to the service. Again, with chain restaurants, I’m not a fan of reviewing service, since it really depends on where you go. I do have to say, though, that my waitress was extraordinarily nice, helpful, and sweet, despite the heavily tattooed exterior. And she was even half psychic! For example, I wanted some water (and I drink aton of water), so instead of bringing me a refill, she brought me the whole pitcher. It seems like such a small thing, and yet it makes such a difference when you’re sitting there for 45 minutes, waiting for pizza. I’m not the only one who loved her, either—I could overhear others complimenting her on how perfect her service was. For a hellhole, then, Gino’s East surprisingly had some top-notch service.

But none of that matters if the pizza isn’t up to snuff, especially in Chicago, the land of the deep-dish. Gino’s East has even more to prove, though, since its pie has the dubious distinction of taking the longest to make. Now, I know that I said that Lou Malnati’s had a long wait time—25 to 30 minutes for just one deep dish pizza. So I was expecting a wait here, too. But when the waitress told me that the house pie took 45 minutes to an hour, I just couldn’t believe it. What pizza has ever taken 45 minutes to bake? Still, it was the house special, so I felt like I had an obligation to order it. So there I sat, staring at ugly, graffiti-laden, practically decaying walls for 45 minutes. I swore to myself, amid the incessant prattle of the dining hall, that if this pie disappointed I would raise some hell on this joint with a scathing review, channeling the true wrath of a gourmet glutton.

Thankfully, though, not only did the pie live up to the hype, it surpassed almost all expectations, easily trumping all of its competitors in the deep-dish arena. I won’t give away too much detail (full analysis is below), but the pie just had everything you could want: deliciously savory sausage that was properly distributed, a very crispy but chewy crust, and a thick layer of oozing cheese. It was slightly too saucy, but really, it was a knockout in every way.

That leaves one question unanswered, though: Why exactly does this pie take so long to make? To begin with, there’s the whole deep dish crust, but that one typically takes about 30 minutes. The true reason—and this really is the secret to Gino’s amazing pie—lies in the special patty sausage. Like Lou Malnati’s, Gino’s also makes its own homemade sausage (and I’m beginning to think that might be a trend among the premier Chicago pizzerias), but this one comes in two varieties—crumbled and patty. The patty is what Gino’s is known for, and it basically involves cooking a whole, even layer of sausage perfectly across the whole pie. Still, for Gino’s to make its customers wait that long, you know it’s got to be confident in that sausage, as it should be, considering the taste.

Gino’s East, then, is a place that stands out in every way, contradicting almost every commonsense notion you might have about pizzas and pizzerias. It embraces the dirtiness of pizza-making, serving up everything in a dump of a joint, covered with graffiti; the service is warm, prompt, and attentive; and the pizza takes way too long to really be classified as “fast food” in any way.

Yet, the whole experience comes together as nearly unforgettable, as Gino’s serves up easily the most delicious deep-dish pizza among the three big houses of Chicago pie and does so in just about the most unique environment possible.

What I Tasted: The Gino’s Supreme (Deep Dish Pizza with Patty Sausage, Fresh Onions, Green Peppers, and Mushrooms)

This pie is excellent, not really failing in any department and easily trumping the one I had at Lou’s that was done in a similar fashion (i.e. cheese on the bottom, then toppings, then sauce). The balance in flavors is better, as the cheese is thicker and the toppings are overstuffed, helping to counter the strength of the tomato sauce. The cheese is especially nice, just gushing and oozing all over the bottom.

Moreover, the format of cheese on bottom and sauce on top really helps the crust to stay crispy and flaky without becoming soggy. It shows, too—the crust is golden, approaching the look of Lou Malnati’s buttercrust in terms of flavor and texture, in that the crust is crunchy but retains a nice chewiness so that it easily blends with the rest of the pie. Partially because it is much thicker, though, Gino’s crust has a softer inside, making it very, very slightly mushy in the middle of the thick corners. But you really can taste that butter flavor on the crust, which makes it delicious nonetheless.

No discussion about this pie is done, though, without mentioning the sausage, which is phenomenal. The 45 minutes were indeed worth it, as this sausage is succulent, firm, and never mushy, and it is very nicely seasoned with slightly gritty basil, adding some nice texture and a refreshing zestiness that helps to balance the heaviness of the other ingredients. Best of all, the sausage is PERFECTLY DISTRIBUTED IN EVERY BITE. I know I’ve talked about “perfect” distribution of ingredients a little bit too much in other reviews, but here, it’s the real deal. Since the sausage is cooked like a patty, the whole pie has literally a layer of pure sausage on it, overcoming the distribution problem that plagues almost all pizzas.

There are solely two legitimate complaints I can levy against this pie. First is the crust, which is both a positive and negative—positive in its intense, buttery flakiness, and a negative in that it’s just a bit too doughy and neutral in taste (I do slightly prefer Lou’s crust). Second—and this is a very minor complaint and probably a matter of personal preference—it’s very slightly too saucy, overshadowing some of the other flavors, especially that of the fantastic sausage.

Scoring

Ambience: 2.0/5.0 (not formally considered in the overall score)
Service: 4.5+/5.0 (not formally considered in the overall score)
Taste: 4.7/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0+. More expensive for a reason. Trying finding patty sausage anywhere else.
Overall Score: 4.7/5.0. Gino’s pizza has it all, any way you slice it (pun intended)—intense meatiness, fresh tomato sauciness, gooey cheesiness, a crunchy and cakey crust, and a fantastic synergy of flavors.