Reader: Whether Deep Dish or Thin Crust, You Won't Find Great Pizza Here

Is Chicago-style deep dish a pizza or a casserole? That's a question coming up again now that Giordano's has just debuted its first Denver outpost at 1600 California Street, right by the Target that opened earlier this year on the 16th Street Mall. While Windy City expats are definitely fans of the place, several homegrown pizza joints already specialize in deep-dish pies, including Crush Pizza & Tap, which changed its name from Denver Deep Dish in October, and Wyman's No. 5.

Pizza eaters have plenty of opinions about deep-dish joints in general, and Giordano's in particular.

Says Raab:

Hot circle of garbage.

Adds JP: 

That's not pizza.

And Johnny piles on: 

Pizza is something utterly different than this. It should have another name completely.

Replies Bill: 

It’s okay, everyone. We can have more than one style of pizza. It’s darn good. But I also enjoy Marquis Pizza. The same style over and over is booooring. Jimano’s is the Chicago style I grew up with. Yummy. Pizza for breakfast!!

Wonders SP:

 I guess it's better than the New York style available in Denver??

Counters Chuck: 

This isn’t pizza, it’s a casserole. NY or nuthin’.

Comments Suz: 

Doesn't matter what kind of pizza a Denver place thinks it's serving, whether deep dish or thin crust. You won't find any truly great pizza in this city.

Explains Daniel: 

Denver is a bad place to try and cook good crust...Altitude has overcome greatness forever.

And Keef concludes: 

 Call me when Lou’s or Gino’s East shows up. Giordano’s isn’t good deep dish.

Keep reading for more of our pizza coverage.

"Chicago Invader Giordano's Is Now Serving Deep-Dish Pies on the 16th Street Mall"

"Denver Deep Dish Adds Styles, Changes Name to Crush Pizza & Tap"



"Famous Original J's Pizza Expands to Six Days a Week in Five Points"

Giordano's isn't the original Chicago deep-dish pizza, but it's one of the founders of the stuffed-crust variety and has served Chicago since 1974. There are now nearly twenty Giordano's pizzerias in nine states, mostly in the Great Lakes region, but with tentacles extending as far as Nevada and Florida.

Other Chicago favorites have crossed into Colorado, including Uno Pizzeria & Grill (quite possibly the inventor of the style) at 16375 East 40th Avenue. California chain Patxi's has gained a foothold in Denver with three pizzerias serving Chicago-style pie, and other chains have joined the fray, including Jimano's and Nicolo's.

And that's just Chicago-style pie. Pizza joints in Denver also specialize in New York style, Detroit style and even the Colorado style introduced by Beau Jo's. (As for that altitude issue, Famous Original J's Pizza is working on it, as owner Joshua Pollack did at his Rosenberg's Deli.)

What do you think of Denver's pizza scene? What are your favorites? Post a comment or email your thoughts to [email protected].