The Best Deep Dish Frozen Pizza Comes From This Iconic Chicago Pie Shop

Thin crust pizza may be an East Coast favorite, but the Midwest makes a convincing argument for deep dish pizza. A classic Chicago-style deep dish pizza stands out with its ultra-high crust that surrounds a deep well of seemingly endless melted cheese and a thick layer of savory tomato sauce. If you're not in the Windy City, though, Chicago deep dish has become a popular frozen pizza option that you can pick up in any grocery stores across the nation. But who better to offer the best deep dish frozen pizza than an iconic Chicago pie shop?

In a ranking of six frozen deep dish pizzas, our all-time favorite was from Gino's East, an iconic and historic Chicago pie shop. We judged each frozen pizza according to depth of flavor, texture, and appearance, and Gino's East Deep Dish Uncured Pepperoni Pizza was leagues above the competition, starting with its authentic deep dish look that Gino's East has been lovingly cranking out of its pizza ovens since 1966. The outer crust is crispy and tall, rising far about the decadently cheesy and saucy filling. It's flaky, buttery, and thick enough on all sides to contain the overflowing goodness of cheese, sauce, and pepperoni. Every ingredient is top tier, from the whole milk mozzarella cheese with its creamy taste and impeccable melty pull to its rich and chunky tomato sauce. The pepperoni was also nice and thick, with a robust fattiness and spicy savoriness that didn't get lost in all the sauce and cheese.

Gino's East isn't just a beloved pizza joint for Chicagoans, as its frozen pizza line has garnered fan fare from every corner of the U.S. We found many glowing reviews from Meijer customers. One stated, "This is the only frozen pizza I will buy. It is better than 90% of takeout joints." At a fraction of the cost compared to other pizza chains, this deep dish pepperoni pie might also offer the best value for money. In fact, one customer proclaimed that it's the "best frozen pizza you can buy and perhaps the best pizza period." Many reviewers were quite complimentary of the pie's every element, but some singled out the sauce for its fresh taste and the fact that the "sauce [is] on top, which is amazing." We'd expect nothing less from an authentic Chicago pizza maker like Gino's East. In addition to a flaky, crisp outer crust, another Meijer reviewer also said it "stays slightly doughy" and commented on the "perfect mozzarella that stretches when you bite into it."

If you'd rather a vegetarian version, Gino's East Deep Dish Deluxe Cheese Pizza claimed second place in our ranking. But, for many, the uncured pepperoni simply adds extra meaty goodness to the plain cheese pizza. While one Meijer customer said that they could easily "eat this entire pizza" by themselves, you can always balance the pie with a fresh side salad. A Caesar salad would pair nicely, and there are plenty of store-bought salad kits to choose from.