The 100 Best Pizza Spots in the Midwest, According to Yelp

The first place that comes to mind when you think of American pizza culture might be New York, but other locales across the country have developed their own distinct styles of the iconic dish. If you’re on the hunt for some of the best pizza in the United States, then it might be time to plan a road trip across the Midwest, because Yelp has officially released its list of the 100 best pizza places in the region. With all twelve states in the Midwest represented through at least two restaurants on the list, it’s safe to say your itinerary will take you a few delicious weeks.

The crowd-sourced review platform assembled its lineup based on both business rankings and the number of reviews that establishments received, as Yelp Trend Expert Tara Lewis told Food & Wine that “We identified businesses in the ‘pizza’ category with a large concentration of reviews mentioning relevant keywords, and then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords.” Each city could only have a maximum of five restaurants on the list, to ensure the businesses represented were geographically diverse.

Although no state was left out of the rankings, Lewis observed that “It’s no surprise that the Midwest loves pizza, but we found that to be especially true in Illinois and Michigan, which were both home to a whopping 16 pizza spots on this list.” Ohio came in closely behind with 13 pizzerias, then Missouri with 10, and next eight for Indiana. Considering that Illinois and Michigan are both home to cities with their own signature types of pizza, it’s no surprise that they made a strong showing. 

Detroit-style pizza is known for its rectangular shape, thick and chewy crust with a crisp bottom, and unexpected method of layering sauce on top of the cheese and toppings (a strategy for preventing a soggy crust that seems popular in the Midwest). Even thicker than Michigan’s trademark pan pizza, Chicago’s deep dish style is familiar to many people across the country for its depth and high walls. The thinner and crunchier crust of deep dish pizza typically contains thick layers of cheese, toppings, and sauce, layered in that order just like Detroit’s. Some people may also be familiar with the thin-crusted and square-cut tavern-style pies that are less-known nationally but locally beloved in the Windy City.

The number one spot on Yelp’s rankings is Loui’s Pizza in Hazel Park, MI, followed by Futuro in Indianapolis, IN at number two, and Pequod’s Pizza in Chicago, IL in third. Open since 1977, Loui’s is a no-fuss operation adorned with old wine bottles and memorabilia on the walls, serving up both Detroit-style and deep dish pizzas. 

The menu at Loui’s generally keeps it classic, but Lewis says that the restaurant “offers a secret fiery family barbecue sauce for its pies.” The Yelp spokesperson also noted that this appeared to be a trend throughout the Midwest as establishments are adding some heat to their menus. 

When asked if other themes appear throughout the list, she remarked that dietary-friendly pizzerias with gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian options are becoming more popular. Consumers are also looking for pies with out-of-the-box topping ensembles, “like the ‘12 South’ pizza at Pizzeoli in St. Louis, packed with smoked gouda, tomato jam, and bacon, or the ‘Schnabel Wobble’ at Brittany’s Brick Oven in Madison, Indiana, featuring shrimp, andouille sausage, and – étouffée sauce.”

If you’re searching for a traditional Chicago-style deep dish pizza, then Pequod’s would be the spot to go—after all, they’ve been slinging the city’s signature dish since 1970. For something with a creative list of toppings, as its name might suggest, then try Futuro and get a crispy tavern-style pizza finished with bacon and basil. No matter which place you visit from the list, you’re sure to find a pizza that can contend with the best of New York. These are the first 50 spots on the roundup of the Midwest’s best pizzerias, according to Yelp:

1. Loui’s Pizza — Hazel Park, MI
2. Futuro — Indianapolis, IN
3. Pequod’s Pizza — Chicago, IL
4. Tyler’s Pizzeria & Bakery — Reynoldsburg, OH
5. Milly’s Pizza In The Pan — Chicago, IL
6. In Forno Pizza — Avon, OH
7. Pizzeoli Wood Fired Pizza — St Louis, MO
8. Brittany’s Brick Oven Pizza — Madison, IN
9. Dough Daddy’s Pizza — Westmont, IL
10. Tasty Pizza — Omaha, NE
11. Santino’s Little Italy — Milwaukee, WI
12. Zazas Pizzeria — Chicago, IL
13. Il Rione — Cleveland, OH
14. Pie Sci — Detroit, MI
15. Iechyd Da Brewing Company — Elkhart, IN
16. Providence By The Slice — Kansas City, MO
17. Il Gusto Pizza & Pasta — Cincinnati, OH
18. Market 22 — Maple City, MI
19. Pangea Kitchen — Evansville, IN
20. Noto — St. Peters, MO
21. Orsi’s Italian Bakery & Pizzeria — Omaha, NE
22. The Brick Oven Bistro — Sandusky, OH
23. Fredi The PizzaMan — Melvindale, MI
24. Brimfield Bread Oven — Kent, OH
25. Young Joni — Minneapolis, MN
26. Ohio Pie Co. — Brunswick, OH
27. Mama’s Pizza — Saint Paul, MN
28. Baked — Galesburg, IL
29. Fast Eddie’s Pizza — Bellville, OH
30. Forno Rosso Pizzeria Napoletana — Chicago, IL
31. Izzy’s Pizza Bus — Omaha, NE
32. Freddy’s Pizza — Cicero, IL
33. Pomodoro E Mozzarella — Saint Charles, IL
34. Crafters Pizza and Drafthouse — Carmel, IN
35. I Tre Mori — Indianapolis, IN
36. Press Pizza & Pasta — St. Louis, MO
37. Ozark Mountain Pizza — Branson, MO
38. Two Cities Pizza Company — Mason, OH
39. Boludo — Minneapolis, MN
40. Gianorios Pizza — Winfield, IL
41. George’s Deep Dish — Chicago, IL
42. Uncle Leo’s Pizza — Saint Louis, MO
43. The Filling Station Microbrewery — Traverse City, MI
44. Salvatore’s Tomato Pies — Madison, WI
45. Jim’s Pizza Box — Milan, OH
46. Independent Ale House — Rapid City, SD
47. KJ’s Pizzeria — De Soto, KS
48. Branch + Daughter, Quality Meats and Market — Windsor, WI
49. Novanta — Madison, WI
50. Pizzeria DiLauro — Chagrin Falls, OH

To view the rest of Yelp’s list here.