Try The Thin Crust, Not The Deep Dish, At This Chicago Hidden Gem Pizza Restaurant

We Chicagoans are always extolling the virtue of our favorite local joints, because this is a source of pride for us. Most of the pizza we eat isn't of the deep dish variety, but more of the thin crust, tavern-style, party cut (or whatever you want to call it) kind that's always cut into squares. My personal favorite is a more recent discovery for me, though it's far from a new joint — 2025 marks its 73rd year in business. It's a spot that doesn't make many top 10 lists, but every time I take a bite into those crisp squares, I fall in love with our pizza style all over again. That's why Frank's Pizzeria, up on the Northwest side of Chicago, is my personal hidden gem pizza place, and it's one that's worth seeking out when you're in the city.

You can find Frank's on Belmont Avenue in a little neighborhood called Schorsch Village, far from the skyscrapers (and overpriced restaurants) of our downtown area. You also can't miss its retro neon signage out front, which looks beautiful at night — you can almost feel the history of the place by just basking in its glow.

If you're visiting Frank's, try not to get too distracted by the many other items on the menu (though friends of mine highly recommend the meatballs and the lasagna). While Frank's does sell variants on deep dish, like stuffed and pan pizza (there's a difference), the thin crust pizza is the real move. That's because it's cracker thin (this isn't hyperbole), yet can stand up to a lot of sauce, cheese, and toppings while also staying crisp throughout every bite. My personal favorite topping combination there is Italian sausage and iardiniera, which pairs juicy and fatty pork with a spicy pop of pickled peppers in oil, but you can't go wrong with other choices or your own personal go-tos. You can even choose Italian beef as a topping, if you want to pair two iconic dishes together.

An insider tip: Though Frank's thin crust is thin, you can even ask for an off-menu extra-thin option. What's thinner than a cracker, paper? It seems architecturally impossible, but you can in fact order Frank's pizza this way, and this means you can really appreciate the thick and tangy sauce, rich cheese, and hearty toppings even more, as the crust becomes more of an exercise in crispy texture.

There's also something satisfying about the feeling of an old-school pizzeria in Chicago that you can't quite get anywhere else They're humble and never flashy, and having a square slice in surroundings feels like you're in a time capsule. There aren't a lot of pizzerias like that anymore (not to mention all the old-school pizza chains that have disappeared), since many have closed due to retired restaurant owners, normal business struggles, or changes in customer dining preferences. So when you find a place like Frank's Pizzeria, you want to add it into your rotation to appreciate it for what it is.

But one thing's for sure — you'll really want to come in for one of the thin crust pizzas at Frank's Pizzeria. They're some of the best in Chicago, despite the fact that the restaurant itself just never ended up getting the same level of attention as institutions like Vito and Nick's on the South side of the city. In my mind, it shouldn't be a hidden gem, but will always feel like one to me. Frank's is just one more place that makes Chicago feel like Chicago, so don't forget to give it a shot the next time you're in town and you want to eat like we do. You might even see me in one of the booths.