Before anyone gets too passionate, both sides have a point.
Chicago deep dish pizza and New York style pizza come down to a few big differences: crust, construction, sauce, and how you eat them. Chicago deep dish is thick, layered, saucy, and built for a real meal. New York style pizza is thin, foldable, classic, and easy to love.
The difference is less about which one is better and more about what kind of pizza you want right now. Sometimes that means a quick, foldable slice. Sometimes it means a deep crust, sauce on top, and something a little more filling.
And sometimes, the right answer is ordering both.
The Crust
Chicago deep dish pizza starts with a thicker, deeper crust. It is built to hold more: more cheese, more sauce, and more toppings.
New York style pizza keeps things thinner, lighter, and foldable. It is made for slices, quick lunches, takeout nights, and anyone who believes pizza should be easy to pick up and hard to put down.
The crust is one of the easiest ways to tell the two styles apart. Chicago deep dish is substantial and hearty, while New York style pizza is designed around a thinner, more flexible slice.
The Sauce
Chicago-style pizza is known for sauce on top. It is bold, visible, and not trying to blend in.
New York style pizza keeps the sauce under the cheese in the classic slice setup. It is balanced and familiar.
This is where people tend to get emotional. We respect it.
How You Eat It
New York style pizza is built for motion. Pick it up, fold it, keep going.
Chicago deep dish pizza is built for slowing down. It is thicker, heartier, and more of a sit-down meal than a quick slice situation.
One is perfect when you want something easy and classic. The other is perfect when you want pizza to be the main event.
Regents Does Both
At Regents, you do not have to choose a side forever.
We serve New York-style pizza with hand-spun dough, a thin foldable crust, and a stone-deck oven bake. We also serve Chicago pizza, made thick and hearty with two layers of dough, plenty of cheese, and sauce on top.
And you can also order your Chicago pizza Top Down, which is Regents’ spin on Chicago-style pizza, made without the top layer of dough so the cheese, sauce, and toppings get more of the spotlight.
Whether you are in the mood for a classic New York-style slice or a hearty Chicago deep dish pizza, Regents gives you both options.
So, Who Wins?
It depends on what kind of pizza you want.
Order Chicago deep dish pizza when you want something hearty, layered, and worth sitting down for. Order New York style pizza when you want something classic, foldable, and easy to share.
Order both when the table has opinions.
That is not avoiding the debate. That is understanding pizza.
