Welcome to Off the Eaten Path, a series where our Test Kitchen creator Noah Tanen dives deep into regional recipes. Next up? Midwest thin-crust pizza.
If you’re a Chicago deep-dish enthusiast, move along, this article is not for you. Ok, now that that’s sorted: Welcome to the inner circle of those of us who know that the true regional pizza icon of the Midwest is tavern-style. It’s cracker-thin, crisp, square-cut, and best enjoyed with a cold Old Style beer. Across the region, each city lays claim to a spin on the formula, and variations on the theme range from subtle to chaotic. The big question is: Which is best, and are they even distinct enough from each other to warrant ranking? Let’s find out.
I’m not trying to tell you that the pizza in Milwaukee isn’t great. It is, but it’s a hard case to make that it’s at all distinct from Chicago-style thin crust. But I’m willing to make that argument, and that’s not just because I need a 5 spot on this list. The main differences are that Milkaukee-style pizza makers tend to make their pies oblong rather than round (Calderone Club being one example) and they often lean into brick cheese, a Wisconsin product famous for topping Detroit-style pizza. It does add a buttery richness and creamy texture to the pizza, but Milwaukee is missing the distinctive style points it needs to climb higher on this list. Tasty? Absolutely. But if we’re talking identity, it’s a little too similar to Chicago’s more dominant thin-crust scene.
The pie in Dayton, Ohio, has everything you’d want in a Midwest thin-crust, but brings an interesting element to the table: unsweetened tomato sauce.Dayton keeps things acidic and tomato-forward. The crust is ultra-thin, of course, and the regional loyalty is strong, but most of main players in the Dayton pizza game are chains: Cassano’s Pizza King and Marion’s Piazza, meaning Dayton lacks the kind of mom-and-pop-shop pizza culture you find in some other cities on this list. With its no-frills sauce and standard line-up of toppings, consider Dayton-style the minimalists’ choice in a region full of maximalism.
This is where things get controversial. St. Louis-style pizza is a love-it-or-hate-it situation, all thanks to one ingredient: Provel Cheese. The processed amalgamation of cheddar, Swiss, provolone, and a dash of liquid smoke gives St. Louis pizza a signature gooey, and even slightly sticky texture. [Editor’s note: You’re being kind; it’s like rubber.] I love it, and while the scene is dominated by local chain Imo’s, there are plenty of local gems, like Nick and Elena’s. The crust? Shatteringly crisp. The sauce? Sweet, zippy. The overall experience? Unique. So why isn’t it higher? Because for every Provel devotee, there’s someone else who claims it tastes of singed, melted plastic. [Editor’s note: It me.] This pizza is a bold statement, and its divisiveness keeps it from the top spot.
Photo by Noah Tanen
Columbus thin-crust pizza joints, famous for absolutely overloading their pies with toppings, take the Midwest tavern-style template and push it to the absolute limit, Like, the literal structural limit of what an ultra-thin crust can support. The result is a pizza that is, in its own way, unnerving. The toppings are edge-to-edge, leaving no room for crust, and the sheer volume can sometimes be visually overwhelming, especially on a pepperoni pie. (If you have trypophobia, look away.)
Photo by Noah Tanen
Photo by Rudst licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
That said, it’s hard not to love—it’s maximalist, crispy, and texturally dynamic. While St. Louis-style is controversial, Columbus-style is just a touch unhinged, and I respect that. That said, there’s one Midwestern city keeping Columbus from reaching our top spot. Which brings me to…
For years, Chicago deep dish has received all the national attention, but its tavern-style is the true king of Midwestern pizza. Historically unverified origin stories aside, this is the archetype, the blueprint, for this entire genre of pizza: a shattering, cracker-thin crust, a balanced sweet and sour sauce, golden brown cheese, and the iconic square cut that makes it the perfect beer snack at bars all across Chicagoland. In fact, this is a pizza built for bars (or taverns) and one deeply rooted in the identity of Chicagoans. Much imitated, never quite replicated, the gold medal couldn’t go to any other city.
At the end of the day, these pizzas are all relatively similar, categorized by their distinctive thin crusts and square cut presentation. But appreciating regional pizza is all about splitting hairs, getting into the weeds, and basing strong allegiances off of idiosyncrasies. I’m all for that. Even for those cities towards the bottom of this list, Midwestern thin-crust pizza remains an overall elite category. Now go order yourself a thin-crust pie and argue about it.
Do you agree with our rankings? Let us know in the comments!
