Big Al’s Chicago Style Pizza
“If you're ever in the Financial District and seeking pizza, this is the place to go.”
“No question about it, Big Al's is some of the best pizza around, especially in FiDi.”
“There is a $10 minimum for credit cards, so bring cash unless youre getting a whole pie.”
Big Al’s Chicago Style Pizza
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
5 reviews
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Foodie foul! FOODIE FOUL! ***throws the yellow flag at Al***
Chicago style pizza?! A big ol' NUH-UH! I call bullshit. I call a big round pile of hot steamy bullshit!
First, what part of Chicago you from, Mister Al? Hmm? I mean, I'm from Chicago and can tell you this pizza is by no means a mere comparison to Chicago pizza. Let's break this down.
Deep dish pizza. That's the stuff that we feed tourists, celebrities, and super models. And it doesn't matter because most celebrities and supermodels are going to throw it up anyway.
You have to go downtown to find many places that make deep dish pizza. It is a very specific style that isn't just a thicker crust made by adding more yeast and stuffing a big ball of dough in a deep pizza pan, while foregoing the pulling and stretching phase in normal pizza dough preparation. The crust is a mix of an Italian style dough that is enriched with butter and has CORNMEAL. Yes folks, must have cornmeal in the dough and on the bottom to keep it from sticking.
Then, the cheese goes on the crust first, followed by the toppings, then the sauce. It is not like any other pizza.
By the way, deep dish pizza was created by a Jewish guy named Ike Sewell. He hired Italian cooks, so it's not a genuine Italian thing.
Al's has one pizza sitting there looking at you with the yeast belching out of the crust. That must be the almighty alleged deep dish. Ahem.
Next. Thin crust. Chicago's pizza is primarily thin crust. A crispy thin crust, cut in squares. Made like most pizzas with the sauce on the bottom, followed by toppings and cheese, blah-de-blah-de-blah. I didn't see no thin crust crispy square things here. No. It was the traditional New York floppy, soggy, fold it like an envelope before you take a bite pizza being sold by the slice.
You get 2 stars because the pizza you sell isn't bad. It's just severely mislabeled. But the yeast belching dough frisbee you are trying to pass as Chicago style has got to go!
I usually avoid any pizza place that thinks affiliating itself with another state is a selling point, but I honestly didn't notice Chicago on the signage.
This pizza isn't the worst pizza I've ever had, but it might be the most boring. I wanted to identify why I didn't like it..the sauce was bland, sure, but it goes beyond that. At least it was thin crust, none of this deep dish nonsense. But I wouldn't come back even if I was desperate.
The guys behind the counter were friendly, the place has a mafia theme (pictures of the Godfather, Frank Sinatra, a bloody handprinted "mafia application"), and a perplexing choice of spices- I've never seen Cajun spices, pimenton, or parsley offered at a pizzeria before- whose using this stuff?! I had to hunt around for the lone oregano shaker.
It is on a side street but people working locally will be able to find it. Not very busy at lunch. Most of the pizza is New York style. Probably best to stay with the simplest toppings. I sampled a mushroom pizza slice which looked great but tasted awful. Counter help is nice enough. The place looks like a dump, Seems like most of their business is whole pies to go.
You ever eat something and it instantly changes your life? Thats what will happen to you when you eat Big Als Buffalo Chicken Pizza. I brought a pie home to my friends in New Jersey, and even after having to reheat it, they were all losing their damn minds. Their buffalo chicken pizza is something I would commit felonies for. And, fortunately, it doesn't stop there. Although nothing they have even comes CLOSE to being as magically delicious as the buffalo chicken pizza, all their other flavors are delicious as well. And I don't know why the hell its "Big Al's CHICAGO STYLE Pizza," as most of the pies are thin crust.
The store itself is in a tricky spot; kinda like one of those places that you have to know about to know about. (Luckily for me its in the lower lobby of my building! whoo hoo!) Its like halfway underground, on a tiny little side street (Thames) next to a shoe shop. When you walk past you have to actually look down to see it. You will miss it if youre not careful, and you will be sorry you missed out.
By financial district standards, its a pretty good deal too. Slices are a couple of bucks and a whole pie is between $15-20. There is a $10 minimum for credit cards, so bring cash unless youre getting a whole pie. They also have subs, heros, garlic knots and calzones if you want to switch it up. Seating is cramped and it fills up pretty fast so I'd suggest getting it to go.
Just MAKE SURE you get the buffalo chicken pizza. You will NOT regret it.
If you are in a mood for greasy pizza, this would be the place. It's not as greasy as people say it is, but it's pretty good, slices are big, crispy crust, bountiful of cheese and tomatoes. They have their own orange cream soda. Garlic knots are decent, comes with a tomato type sauce for dipping. The prices are decent, not too expensive and affordable in the financial district. They were closed down once for not satisfying departmental health codes, it's NYC, have you had a chance to see the rat map? Every place has them.