Midwestern tavern-style pizza, characterized by its thin, crispy crust and simpler topping combinations, has gained a notable following in Los Angeles, with several local chefs and pizzerias putting their own spin on this regional specialty. Originating in the Midwest, and particularly associated with the Chicago area, tavern-style pizza offers a distinct alternative to other pizza styles like deep-dish or Detroit-style square pies.
Aaron Lindell, a Michigan native and owner of Echo Park’s Quarter Sheets, described tavern-style pizza as the kind commonly served in neighborhood bars, roller rinks, and bowling alleys. Its hallmark is a lower-moisture, higher-fat dough that creates a thin, crackly crust, often with lighter tomato sauce and deeply caramelized mozzarella. Lindell developed his own bar pie recipe in 2023, combining elements of Midwest tavern style with influences from the Northeast to attract crowds during slower weeknights. His version is available for dine-in on select evenings, featuring toppings such as pickled peppers, olives, and vodka sauce.
Los Angeles is no stranger to this pizza style. Casa Bianca Pizza Pie in Eagle Rock, established in 1955 by a Chicago family, has long offered its own thin-crust pies, cut into triangles but echoing the crackly crust associated with tavern-style pizza. Other longstanding establishments include Fresh Brothers Pizza, founded in Manhattan Beach in 2008, which has expanded across Southern California, and Rance’s Chicago Pizza in Costa Mesa and Long Beach, known for a range of Chicago-inspired offerings including buttery pan and stuffed pizzas.
More recent entrants include Bar Next Door in West Hollywood, which added tavern-style pies to its menu in May 2024. Owner Lawrence Longo introduced three varieties named after notorious 1940s gangsters, with recipes developed by Rob Gentile, formerly of Stella. The pies are created at adjacent Prince Street Pizza, a New York-founded pizzeria with notable influence in the city’s example of thin-crust pizza.
Pizza podcaster Alex Koons launched Bar Pie L.A., a Monday night pop-up at Hot Tongue in Silver Lake, experimenting with a sourdough whole wheat crust pressed thin for a notably crispy finish. Koons aims for simplicity and approachability, with the hope of developing Bar Pie L.A. into a standalone concept.
Other venues embracing tavern-style pizza include Chicago natives Masa of Echo Park and Comfy Pup, the latter a pop-up started in 2020 that combines civic activism with culinary homage to suburban Chicago pies. Meanwhile, Gino’s East of Chicago opened its Sherman Oaks location in 2019, bringing a broad menu of tavern pies that include iconic toppings like Italian beef and spicy giardiniera.
Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake incorporates tavern-style options alongside various other regional pizzas, while Rance’s Chicago Pizza in Orange County continues to draw on deep-rooted Chicago traditions with a diverse offering of pan, stuffed, and tavern pies.
From longtime establishments to newer pop-ups, Los Angeles has become a notable hub for tavern-style pizza, reflecting both nostalgia and evolving culinary creativity around this Midwestern classic.