Gino's East

Ying Xiao 2 weeks ago

When in Chicago, how can you miss out on deep-dish pizza? We found this old restaurant that opened in 1966, and everyone was very satisfied. I personally would give it an 8/10, but everyone else gave it a 10. Chicago Fire: The ultimate pizza with lots of cheese and tomato toppings, the first bite was incredibly satisfying. The entire pizza 🍕 had only one Jalapeño pepper, the slight spiciness adding layers of flavor that was very pleasant. The only thing I wasn't used to was the thick crust; the layers were delicately flaky, but not crispy, instead powdery like a soft cookie. Besides the butter, it had no other flavor, and it felt cloying even at first bite. Legendary Hand-rolled Spinach Mozzarella Sticks: The crust was crispy, the filling was stringy, and the salsa was refreshing and helped cut through the richness. However, the spinach flavor was barely noticeable. The ambiance was interesting; everyone could scribble on the walls, sofas, tables… anywhere you looked. A sixty-year-old historical memory and public space.

Dominique Berger a week ago

Great service and an overall fun vibe! This was an especially memorable visit because this is where I watched the Knicks win the Championship! My group was here for a loooong time and we were treated so well. I’m from New Jersey and this was my first time trying deep dish pizza, so please take my review with a grain of salt. Upon being seated, we were promptly told that pizzas take an hour to bake which was of no issue to us. The sauce stood out to me as being particularly flavorful and I enjoyed the generous layer of cheese. I had some trouble adjusting to the texture of the crust - it was so buttery and crunchy that it was more akin to an extremely well done piece of toast that you have to work hard to bite through. We had leftovers and I ended up microwaving a slice the next day (yes, I know, forgive me as my AirBnB did not have a toaster and I did not want to preheat the oven), which led to a softer crust that made me nostalgic for those old personal pizzas from the Pizza Huts at Target. This was not the pizza experience that I expected, but it wasn’t bad by any means. I still prefer pizza from New York/New Jersey/Connecticut - to each their own! Would I come here again when I visit Chicago next? Definitely, and that’s because the unexpected star of the show turned out to be the spinach mozzarella sticks. They were perfect and I regret not taking a picture.

Ilhan Tanir 4 months ago

Surprising Meatballs, but the Bread Couldn’t Handle the Heat I originally came to Gino’s East on a recommendation to try their famous deep-dish pizza; I certainly didn't want to leave Chicago without tasting one of the city's most iconic dishes. However, once I arrived, I realized their signature pies are designed for 2–3 people and require at least 45 minutes to cook. Since I was in my final hour in the city and traveling solo—with no way to take leftovers on a plane—I pivoted and settled on the meatball sub instead. I almost never order meatballs or a meatball sub at a restaurant. I make a pretty mean meatball at home, and I usually don't have much confidence that a restaurant's version will measure up. However, Gino’s meatballs were rich, flavorful, and moist, with a distinct Italian seasoning that was perfectly executed. I was very happy to find such high-quality meatballs, which came served with a side of French fries. The "Structural" Issue My only real complaint is that the bread was quite lumpy and wet. While the tomato sauce was excellent, the bread simply couldn't stand up to it. I found myself wondering why the bread isn't made more resilient—perhaps toasted longer or even slightly charred—so it can hold its shape before dissolving into a wet dough by the time it reaches the table. I tried "998 different ways" to hold the sandwich together, but it was impossible; the bread crumbled and the meatballs fell out with every attempt at a bite. I eventually had to ask for a fork to finish my meal. While the taste was great, a sub you can't actually pick up is a bit of a disappointment.

Kevin Dao a month ago

Food was okay, but the service was abysmal. This must’ve be some kind of anomaly given the great reviews, but it’s unfortunate that my family got a bad experience. We went in the afternoon between the lunch and dinner rushes, so the restaurant was fairly empty and has little excuse for the poor service. We ordered salad, calamari, and a supreme, tavern-style pizza. The salad was standard. While the breading on the calamari was tasty, it was not crispy at all. For the pizza, while it was also tasty, our server asked if we wanted pepperoni, sausage, or both when we ordered, and did not clarify that getting both would be an additional charge. Furthermore, when we accidentally spilled a drink, no one came to help us until we flagged down a busser, who handed me their wet towel to sop up the liquid spreading across our table (I can’t blame them, they seemed to be very young and did not seem to have received any training from the restaurant). When the towel was not enough to clean up the mess, we needed to separately flag down our server, who dropped off a stack of paper napkins and did not offer to refill the spilled drink (to be fair, the restaurant isn’t obligated to offer a refill for a drink that we spilled, but it would have been nice for them to ask). The server only checked on us once the entire time. Near the end of our meal. the busser tried to take our food away before we were done eating, and he had no idea how to flag down our server when we were actually done! When it came time to pay, the lowest tip amount on the screen was 20%, which my family member felt obligated to pay because the server was standing there with the device.

Saminda 2 months ago

Gino's lived up to the hype. The deep dish is definitely worth waiting for, everything from the fresh ingredients, the heart sauce to the perfect crust was epic. We did a 50/50 of the Diavola (Spicy pepperoni, basil, white truffle oil) and the Spinach Margherita (Spinach cheese blend, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil) and both were delicious. Really remarkable flavor with each bite. My daughter enjoyed her Mozzarella sticks. Service was very friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. Great experience. Wish we could go more times during this short trip!