Stop #4 Pequod's Pizza

2207 N. Clybourn Ave.

Chicago, IL 60614

pequodspizza.com

Well, it’s official: The Chicago Pizza Challenge has a new leader! Pequod’s Pizza has taken the lead. Things with Pequod’s were pretty great from the moment we walked in the door until we left. It’s a family-owned establishment, and it felt like one. The staff was incredibly friendly, with at least 4 people thanking us for coming as we walked out the door. Pequod’s is your typical family-friendly pizza joint -- and let me tell you, they played some great tunes! This sentiment was echoed by several members of our group. Dan even went as far to say that “Taylor [Swift] could turn the atmosphere at a funeral into a 5.” (That girl just can’t lose!) They played hit after hit -- it definitely had our group singing along. The positive points did not stop there; the pizza definitely improved the experience. This was, overall, a great dinner, highlighted by our guest panelist: Judy Smith (Kevin’s mom in town for a visit)!

The only negative thing that anyone really had to say about the Pequod’s is that they do not offer any preset pizza combinations -- don’t worry, we have some suggestions for you if you decide to hit up Pequod’s (which we strongly encourage you to do).

Pequod’s Average Score: 4.26/5

Service: 4.44

Atmosphere: 3.50

Value: 4.17

Our Order:

1 Vegetarian Thin Crust (Spinach, peppers, green olives & mushrooms)

1 Hawaiian Thin Crust (Canadian Bacon & pineapple)

1 “Man Pizza” Pan Pizza (Sausage, pepperoni, peppers & onions)

1 Pan Pizza (1/2 Sausage, 1/2 Cheese)

We’ll start with the thin crust, which was a little thicker than expected, but still delicious. Mary echoed my sympathies by saying “This thin crust needs to go on a diet, it was looking a little thick tonight.” The crust was extra crispy all the way through and Pequod’s does not skimp on the toppings. These were, by far, the best Hawaiian and Vegetarian pizzas we’ve had. Here’s how the thin crust stacks up:

Crust: 3.72

Sauce: 4.28

Toppings: 4.78

Cheese: 4.39

Overall Quality: 4.61

Overall Taste: 4.28

Average: 4.34

On to the “Pan Pizza.” In my opinion, Pequod’s pan pizza is deep dish pizza, so keep this in mind when placing your order. Deep Dish or Pan, no matter your opinion, was delicious. Again, the toppings were plentiful -- the photos do not do the size of the sausage justice -- this was some serious sausage! The crust was, as Kevin so cleverly stated, “Carmelized, as publicized.” The carmelized crust just means that the cheese bubbles over and burns on the outside of the crust -- it made it extra crispy, and tasted pretty good. The bottom of the crust was pretty thick, but this was the best deep dish we’ve had yet. Here are the scores for the deep dish:

Crust: 4.25

Sauce: 4.28

Toppings: 4.72

Cheese: 4.22

Overall Quality: 4.50

Overall Taste: 4.39

Average: 4.39

Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed Pequod’s pizza. I feel like I haven’t really done the place justice. We all struggled to comment on it since it was so good. Mitch and Dan both felt that it was “hard to be funny about something so good.” So, I encourage you to go out and try Pequod’s for yourself -- I don’t think you’ll regret it!