Just a public service announcement to readers who may be duped into thinking a pizza company ending in a vowel with four nice-looking Italian men on the box must offer decent pizza. Just avoid Rosati’s…
Rosati’s Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Review – AVOID!
I mentioned my diet earlier this week and really one of the only times it was broken in February was when I was in Chicago for Frequent Flyer University. I took an afternoon flight from LA and arrived around 10:30pm at the Hyatt Regency Chicago O’Hare, very hungry. Sure, I had protein bars in my bag, but I figured I’d treat myself to a late-night deep dish pizza as long as I was in Chicago.
Small problem: Lou Malnati’s was closed. Giordano’s was closed. What was I to do?
I almost just ordered a cheese quesadilla from the hotel bar. But scrolling through Postmates, I came upon a picture of a beautiful deep dish pizza from a pizzeria called Rosati’s. They were still open. Perfect, I thought!
I always make the mistake of ordering a pizza far too large for me, but figured I would take the leftovers home. Pizza is one of the few foods that can be-heated (or even eaten cold) and sometimes tastes even better on the second or third day.
The pizza arrived (I met the delivery guy in the hotel lobby) and I took it up to my room, noticing the four kind men on the box and really thinking I was in for a treat.
The pizza was wrapped in foil and still piping hot. I pulled the cover off and saw a greasy, but tasty looking sausage pizza.
Pulling a slice from the pie, I took a big bite…and was immediately devastated. The crust tasted like cardboard. Oh what a letdown. The sausage was nowhere near as tasty as Lou’s either.
I still managed to eat half the pizza, which is a huge danger in having junk food in front of you when you are hungry.
CONCLUSION
Simple lesson: stick to brands you can trust and don’t be duped by a nice Italian-sounding pizza company called Rosati’s (which apparently is quite a large nationwide brand that I had never heard of). Just writing this post makes me hungry for not just any deep dish pizza, but Lou Malnati’s.
Oh by the way, as bad as that cardboard pizza was, I’m glad I didn’t have that cheese quesadilla in the hotel bar. Apparently Victoria Walker from The Points Guy, a fellow speaker, made the mistake of ordering that quesadilla, got food poisoning, and was so sick she had to cancel her Saturday speaking appearance.
All I did was set my diet back a few days…
You don’t go to Rosatti’s for deep dish. You go for their Chicago style thin crust…
You also called deep-dish “stuffed crust” the other day…
You are correct. Rosati’s is fine for tavern style. I have had probably a hundred pizzas from Rosati’s over the last 40+ years. Didn’t even know they offered deep dish.
right
you go to Nancys the for good deep dish. started in the late 70’s
Please do not use the word “Italian” on this post. Whatever this is, it is not Italian pizza. As an Italian, I am offended. 🙂
I thought you were Brazilian
If it’s deep-dish, it can’t be Italian. 😉
Exactly- and any establishment selling it as Italian should be avoided because they clearly don’t know their pizza!
Just a note that Rosati’s only has one “t”. If you are gonna leave them a scathing review, at least get the name right! 🙂
Try Pequod’s next time.
This!
Pequods open until 3am. This should be number one choice anyways.
Pequad’s is not as good as Bert’s. And Pequad’s is better than Lou Malnati’s. ‘Nuff said.
We have one near me in Florida and everyone is correct. It’s not “Italian” and it’s not true Chicago Deep Dish.
But pizza is always a gamble and sticking to the chains and known brands can cause one to miss some incredible pizza by independent operators.
Ironic. A post about eating crappy calorie laden pizza, a day after posting about eating healthy on the road
Yes indeed!
The most ironic thing is that it looks delicious…….
The best one in Chicago is Art of Pizza. But yes, malnati’s is good if you’re not in Art’s delivery area
Reminds me of a day I was in Portland, ME on business. I had a hankering for lobster and asked my non-seafood eating associate where we could get some. “Oh, let’s go to Red Lobster”. she said. Umm, nope, let’s just forget it!
Very funny!! But, I did have a fantastic Lobster Roll at the McDonald’s there. Only offered in Maine and it’s not a regular menu item.
I had the lobster roll at a McDonalds in New Bedford, MA. It was better than some of the local restaurants.
NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! I LOVE ROSATIS!!!!!!!
You’re just wrong. Oh I have a love affair with this specific spot. I really, really love ROSATIS. You are right, it is no Lou Malnatis. But what you have to understand is that ROSATIS is the only place I go when I want a piping hot pizza at night and don’t want to pay the price or wait for Lous. You’re right, the Lous crust is better. You’re right, the Lous pizza is more flavorful. But ROSATIS is a beloved spot of mine for a different reason. They’re there for me when I want the pizza oven smell. The place literally is small enough that you know it is just a neighborhood pizza joint. They’re there for me when I am craving a pizza but nobody else is. They warm up my heart in no different way than in n out warms up yours.
Stop putting my home boys down! 🙂
The problem with Rosati’s is that the quality really varies by location. We’ve got one close to my office that’s pretty decent, but the one within a mile of my house is just brutal. I don’t generally order deep dish from there though. Their thin crust is better.
Rosati’s is a small pizza chain from Chicago. The deep dish is terrible, but the thin crust / tavern-style is decent (3.5/5). The problem with Rosati’s is the lack of “taste” consistency between their locations. They do have decent ribs and beefs (or at least they did in the past), but not all the time…haha… hence the consistency issue. My 2 cents.
Also, don’t be duped in to Deep Dish Pizza period. Some dude created one many years a go and somehow people think Chicago is Deep Dish. Gives us a very bad name. Those of us from Chicago area never had a deep dish growing up. Nope, never, nada. Known for very thin cracker like crust, same as Milwaukee and St. Louis. My wife is from CO and she cant wait to go to N. IL and get a real thin Pizza (and Chicago Dog).
Don’t be duped at any level. Just say No to Deep Dish !!!!
Absolutely agree!!!!
Yes, Chicago thin is its own thing. But I don’t know why some so-called Chicagoans are embarrassed of deep dish and claim only tourists or transplants eat it. Having been born and raised in south suburban Chicago, I can tell you everyone I know from Chicago loves deep dish. So many varieties, from Burt’s and Pequods, to Lou’s, to Giordano’s, to Louisa’s, to many newer takes on it. My experience is that out of state transplants to Lakeview, Rogers Park, and similar Northside areas are the only ones embarrassed of deep dish, and those folks fit a demographic profile.
They’re not “so-called”, they are just as much Chicagoans as the locals who enjoy deep dish. To sat they are state transplants is just nonsense.
I fully agree with your review of Rosati’s. I will add that everyone needs to avoid Rosati’s even for their thin crust pizza. It is bland and boring regardless of toppings. There are MUCH better choices in Chicago. By the way, deep dish pizza only came into vogue when tourists went to Uno and Due in the 60s and 70s. I grew up in Chicago and knew REAL Chicago style pizza as being crispy thin crust with an abundance of Italian spices. The best were made in ma and pa places all over the city. Such places still exist. Deep dish is still considered to be touristy or for those who transplanted into the city from elsewhere. As Mr. Bill stated above, don’t be duped into thinking that deep dish is Chicago style.
You ordered from a franchise and it’s not good pizza. Next time order from Little Angelo’s which is across the street in the shopping center with Target. He’s also open until 4am. Angelo’s sausage is made fresh at the restaurant and is his late grandfather’s recipe. He makes his own Italian Beef and it’s one of the best in the Chicago area just like the pizza. The hamburger is also freshly ground at the restaurant. He learned from his father and uncle at their restaurant when he was a kid.
I couldn’t agree more. A lot of businesses at ORD order from this place. Mine included!
I’ve had Roasti’s thin crust pizza where I live in the Phoenix area, and it’s usually quite good. But I’ve never tried its deep-dish pizza. However, there’s really nothing like Uno, Due, Giordano’s, or Lou Malnati’s when it comes to deep dish (not thick crust) pizza. I ate at the original Uno, Due (same ownership), and Lou Malnati’s when I lived in Chicago back in the ’60s and ’70s. Giordano’s hadn’t opened yet, and Lou Malnati’s only had one location. Uno and Due north of the Loop were it for what is now a chain. But all are operating or have operated in Phoenix (where a large number of Chicago transplants, like me, live). In fact, there’s a Giordano’s only about 5 minutes from my home, and Lou Malnati’s isn’t far away.
Apparently, the Giordano’s near me has recently closed. I went there only a couple of months ago. Oh well.
I ordered pizza from this place once under the same circumstances… Late night arrival to ORD and a stay at the Regency. I hope yoy got upgraded to a two level suite and enjoyed your ‘za downstairs.
Yeah so there’s a thing called Google you could’ve consulted regarding GOOD deep dish pizza in Chicago. Pequods, Ginos East, Unos, Dues. I would choose these over your preferred choices of Lou Malnatis and Giordanos. This is a sad article from a sad man who chose to not do his research on Chicago Deep Dish Pizza and goes so far to show his ignorance by calling it Italian.
Oh please. It was 11pm and I was at O’Hare. I wasn’t going to go into the city for a late night snack. I was confined to the places that would deliver to me, which were Dominos or this place.
If you’re staying near O’Hare and find yourself in this situation again, your best bet is D’Agostono’s. Their deep dish and thin crust pizzas are both excellent!
Next time your in Chicago and have a little time on your hands and want a GREAT PIZZA hope a cab to Oak Park and go to “SALERNO’s Pizza” on Roosevelt Road and Wisconsin Ave. in Oak Park
Who eats rosatis
Their thin crust is pretty decent.
In terms of deep dish, others do it better.
You weren’t duped. You ordered a deep dish pizza, and that is what they gave you.
Too bad it didn’t taste good.
Sorry to hear about your bad pizza experience.
As far as the bar food at the Hyatt Regency at the Chicago O’Hare Airport, I assume you are talking about the Red Bar. Up to 2019, before the Covid-19 era, I would attend a conference at that Hyatt every year. I have always enjoy the food and service at the Red Bar … including the “ cheese quesadilla” … and never had “food poisoning”.
Maybe the Red Bar food quality has changed with the Covid-19 restrictions and staffing challenges.
Thanks for your article!
Correct! I did mean Red Bar!
I had uno in Orlando and had the worst heartburn i have ever had. Prefer malnatis in Chicago but have had uno there, no problem.
I wasn’t duped, I got a bad pizza, live and learn, don’tbuy it again. Writers must be giant wusses.
Yep, just a big wuss.