Giordano’s

Hey everyone!

Since today was Memorial Day, lots of the typical touristy places we still want to check out were closed. Since we hadn’t yet sampled Chicago’s famous stuffed pizza – a must-taste for all tourists! – we decided to give it a try for lunch today. We opted for Giordano’s on 53rd street and Blackstone Avenue in Hyde Park, but the Chicago hotspot has several locations throughout the city. Check out their official website for more locations and a menu:

http://giordanos.com/

When we arrived around 12:30pm there were only half a dozen other diners in the restaurant. The bright, warm lighting and walls covered with vintage Chicago posters lent the two large dining rooms a cheery vibe despite their emptiness. Our server was chirpy and helpful, though once the lunchtime rush came in and the rooms started to fill with hungry tourists and locals, it was hard to get drink refills and other personal table attention. The menu has tons of options, but we 100% recommend the stuffed pizzas – Chicago is the home of this tasty treat! Deciding how much to order is always tough, and we found that one small Giordano’s stuffed pizza is enough for two (maybe three) people. Don’t order too much, ’cause this stuffed pizza will definitely stuff you! The mushroom and pepperoni pizza caught our eye, and we primed our palates with a house salad (lettuce, tomatoes, and thinly shredded white cheese, tossed in a lemon vinaigrette).

One tip we discovered – order your pizza ahead of time. While we sat anxiously awaiting our pizza with grumbling tummies and hungrily picking at the remnants of our salad, other diners came and went, receiving their pizzas within 10 minutes of sitting down. We waited a full hour for our one small stuffed pizza (the advertised wait time is 40 minutes). Though it was worth the wait, pre-ordering is clearly the way to go! Make sure to clear a few hours out of your busy touring schedule before committing to Giordano’s. Here are a few snapshots of our trip: