The Iconic Chicago Pizzeria Guy Fieri Featured On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives

The world of pizza is a contentious one in Chicago. The Windy City is world-famous for its pies, and the pride locals hold for its world-class food scene runs as deep as their signature dish. But the ongoing debate over who serves the best pizza will always rage on. However, there is one iconic location that can say it was selected as a standout by Guy Fieri: Vito and Nick's Pizzeria.

Vito and Nick's became one of Fieri's favorite Chicago restaurants after it was featured on his hit show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." But what originally caught the celebrity chef's attention was the fact that Vito and Nick's doesn't serve deep dish — its signature product is actually Chicago tavern-style pizza, the Windy City's other famous pie type. During his visit, Fieri tried a cracker-thin cheese pizza topped with eggs and fried pepperoni. He loved the crunchy, thin crust but admitted that eggs weren't his favorite. "If you're not a big egg fan, the only way to eat eggs is to have one on a pizza with thin crust from Vito and Nick's," Fieri said on the episode.

Vito and Nick's has been slinging out pizzas for nearly 80 years, and the family behind the business has owned taverns in the city for even longer. It all started back in 1920 when Vito and Mary Barraco opened their first location. By 1945, Vito's son Nick joined the family business and, with the help of his mother, created the secret recipe that eventually earned Vito and Nick's a spot in the Pizza Hall of Fame.

For the better part of a century, Vito & Nick's has been a local hotspot, with many regulars who return time and time again. Folks on Facebook have called it an "institution" with "absolutely top-tier pizza." But what customers love most is the restaurant's character. "Dining in at Vito & Nick's is like traveling back in time," one Reddit user said. "The entire experience is so classic OG Chicago, from the locals to the bartenders." It's no secret that Fieri felt this exact way, and he offered his own thoughts on the bustling atmosphere, saying, "This isn't just coming in to get a pie. This is an event."

Of course, there are some other offerings to enjoy on the menu, like sandwiches and pasta, but the pizza is the main draw. You can order either cheese or sausage and then add toppings like pepperoni, sliced beef, egg, and more. The sausage is particularly popular, as is the pizza Fieri sampled, known as the "Breakfast Pizza." The egg is just another contentious topic to add into the mix, since the deep-dish versus tavern-style debate wasn't enough fuel. So, if you ever find yourself in the Windy City, do like Fieri and give one of the absolute best Chicago-based pizzerias a try.