Gluten-Free at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

A’mazing pizza! I didn’t think I could ever have “real” pizza again. The deep dish is the real deal.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Ordered the gluten free deep dish 1 x Small Gluten Free Deep Dish Malnati Chicago Classic.

Ordered an hour ahead on a Saturday when the Bears and Cubs were playing plus Navy Pier summer fun, so needless to say we had to wait extra for our take out. (Twenty minutes extra)

Pizza was absolutely delicious! And not sick at all.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Base was a little undercooked but still yummy!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I ordered a cheese gf deep dish “butter crust.” While it was deep dish, it didn’t really resemble glutinous deep dish— the crust was still kind of thin and it was actually easier to eat slices by picking them up. It tasted good, though. Also note pizzas take 30 minutes so plan accordingly!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

Deep dish gf pizza crust was terrible imho. Can not recommend.

Love Lou’s, one of my safe places to eat downtown! They are very experienced. I ask them to not cut it in the back and note that it’s a severe allergy and everything is safe! They are very aware and experienced in making sure I’m safe! I always get the deep dish gluten free, it’s not as good as the regular but amazing for gluten free pizza!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Ordered a gluten free pizza. The crust wasn't very good and it was definitely cross contaminated. Be careful here

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

I've gotten the gluten-free thin crust from this location for years through takeout with no problem, but after going to sit down and eat inside, I had symptoms after 2 hours. Turned out to be the most severe celiac attack I've ever had. I actually felt like I was dying. Used to love it, but probably will never go back now.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much/None

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Thin crust Gf clearly marked on menu

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

The toppings were delicious but the deep dish crust was hard and difficult to chew. I had difficulty cutting it with a knife.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Good pizza. No issues!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Called ahead to order take out. Pizzas take 30 min. Had the thin crust since others had said the thicker one seemed doughy like it wasn’t cooked enough. Thin crust cheese GF pizza was just OK. It was a little overcooked so edges were really hard.

My husband thought the deep dish (not GF) was amazing. Didn’t get sick. They said they keep all GF stuff separate. $17 for a small mediocre Gf pizza. The medium deep dish that fed two was $19. Plus tax, the total was $40. Seemed pricy for what we got to me since we got no toppings just cheese pizza. The Gf thin crust pizza fed one person.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

I ordered the gluten free deep Small Gluten Free Deep Dish. I was pretty disappointed. I didnt Finish it. Keep in mind the sauce and cheese was amazing it was the crust that needs work . I honestly don’t know if the middle of the pizza was cooked thoroughly.

Honestly one of the worst gf pizzas I have had , the reason I ordered from here is because of the positive reviews but this might be one of the worst gluten free pizzas I have had.

Also the pizza is $48 and very small.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor

Lou Malnati's is one of the best places to get a deep-dish gluten-free pizza!

The ambiance at the downtown location is more like an Italian restaurant, whereas the Evanston location is brighter and feels more like your neighborhood pizza joint. There are only a few specialty deep dish options to choose from, but there is beauty in the simplicity. Lou Malnati's knows what they do well and the quality is consistently delicious!

I usually order the crustless (GF) deep dish, but on this trip, I decided to give the house pizza, The Lou, a try! While the crustless is only available as a basic cheese deep dish thanks to its sausage crust, the Lou had a mix of tomatoes, spinach, sauce, and cheese in multiple sizes on the house gluten-free crust! My GF pizza was brought out and served separately from the regular deep dish my group ordered (separate tray, pan, and spatula).

The only heads-up I will give is that the deep-dish pizzas do take about 30 minutes to make, so be prepared to wait a bit.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Safety Feature Ratings

• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for kids

Great pizza. I got a deep dish cheese pizza. They marked it on the receipt, but I ordered it on door dash so I wasn’t able to speak to anyone before hand. I didn’t have any symptoms after I ate it though.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

I’m not impressed. I did not get sick from it, so I’m happy about that, but the GF Chicago style pizza was meh. The crust was a gummy texture, which made me wonder if it was undercooked. I had the Chicago Classic, and was underwhelmed.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

Don’t get the deep dish gluten free pizza. We waited for 1.5 hours and the crust was horrible. It was so hard that we couldn’t even get a knife through it.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor

Great deep dish pizza however crust was a bit tough.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— No gluten-free information on the menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

The gf thin crust pizza was good. They do not have dedicated fryers for French fries.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Gluten free thin crust cheese pizza was great!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free fryer

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Everytime I’m in Chicago I have to eat at Lou’s! Absolutely love their GF pizza and salad. I’ve been celiac for 10+ years and have not had any problems.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

They now have both a GF pizza crust and a crust less pizza.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

No separate oven, but they keep the gluten free pizzas in a separate pan. Crust is a bit hard, but still one of the better pizzas I have had

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

So exciting to find gluten free deep dish! We absolutely loved the pizza and finally got to try a Chicago staple!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

For gluten free, this wasn’t my favorite crust. While I am new to Chicago deep dish, this pizza was super rock hard. It was almost impossible to cut through the crust and just felt too overdone. While the flavors were good and the atmosphere is fun, it’s not the best gluten free. I didn’t get sick thankfully, but I didn’t enjoy the taste either.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

Excellent! I have never had a deep dish pizza and was really excited to get to experience it while in Chicago!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

My gluten tester says it is gluten free, however I did not like the taste

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

The taste of the gluten free deep wish was ok, but I immediately got sick within the hour. They use the same tong to grab onto the pans while slicing for you and I doubt they clean it between each table. I think that’s what made me sick since I only had 1 slice from that corner. The person who took our pizzas after to be wrapped up to go also didn’t know what gluten was, so I just threw the entire thing away. Definitely stay away if you’re sensitive.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Average

Literally so good. My only complaint is the edges are a bit hard but the flavor is amazing and it didn’t crumple so it’s a 10 in my book. I don’t love deep dish so I didn’t get it but I loved that I had the OPTION. I feel like that’s so rare. I would definitely come here again.

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Gluten free options, yes. But the Chicago style gluten free deep dish pizza was mediocre at best. Toppings were delicious, however the crust was chewy and challenging to eat.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Cross contamination 😔 Flavor was delicious but GF crust was so hard you could hear it scrape my teeth and I got sick from a cross contamination

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

I’ve always loved deep dish pizza so when I got diagnosed with celiac I was worried I’d never be able to enjoy it again. Thankfully, I live right by a Lou Malnatis location and get their deep dish GF pizza all the time!! It is definitely the most authentic GF deep dish crust and I’ve personally never gotten sick from their pizza (I’ve ordered it a ton).

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

They have the thin and deep dish crusts made off site to help minimize the cross contact. But due to this they have limited sizes available. Also, just me personally, I don't care for thee flavor of their crusts.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

Didn’t get sick, I feel fine. So that’s good. The pizza sauce was the blandest I have ever had. I wouldn’t eat here again.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Poor

Very concerned about cross contamination and was delighted with the food. Had the deep dish pizza ( first time since celiac) and was so pleased with the taste and texture. The service was great. They have some really good people there.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Delicious! Best attempt of gluten free deep dish I've had. Plenty of sauce and cheese, gf dough is chewy on the bottom and crunchy on the sides. I ate this with no reactions… (gluten, mushrooms, coconut, nuts and honey). Kinda pricey-$25. Ask for a fork and knife to eat it with and parm cheese to add on top. Staff follows safety precautions and was really kind.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Incredible gluten free deep dish! I order the gluten free crust regularly and have never gotten sick

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I got gluten free deep dish. Spoke with my server (Lori) about my severe wheat allergy. Asked for clean gloves and utensils along with fresh ingredients. She went back to the kitchen and told them, then came and told me what she told them. Server was amazing and assured me that they are very very cautious with allergies. Didnt get sick!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked
• Food comes out flagged or marked gluten-free

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for keto
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Offers delivery
• Offers online ordering

Went here on a whim since I saw some good reviews about it and had a wonderful experience! It is really cute, in a good area, and was not packed on a week night. The staff were all extremely nice and took precaution when told about my allergy. Overall, the food was excellent, had the GF deep dish as well as some chicken wings which were made to be gluten free. I will definitely come here again when I am back in town!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Was so excited to hace a Chicago deep dish pizza but that crust was almost inedible. Almost broke a tooth on it becuase it was so rock hard. Be careful!! I ended up just eating the toppings off.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

I was thrilled to find a few gluten-free option on the menu. I ordered a Malnati’s salad, clearly labeled as GF. I indulged in the Chicago Classic deep dish pizza— with the gluten free crust. It was everything I hoped for, a deliciously authentic taste of Chicago in every bite.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for kids
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout

Atmosphere was quaint, service was good, and was thrilled to have a chicago deep dish pizza. What a treat! I had the pepperoni and didn’t have any reaction. The bottom crust was tasty and a good texture. Outer crust was a little tough, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of eating something I’ve been missing out on.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

G-Free by choice may be okay. Not so for Celiac. Called ahead to ck if possibly Celiac friendly at all. Employee we spoke with sounded “confident” that they were. However, specific questions indicated the contrary. He became more doubtful the more we spoke.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

I got the GF crust deep dish, and was exposed to gluten. I felt discomfort after the first day but wasn’t sure and then I had left overs two days later and things escalated. Today feel horrible. There is clearly something in the crust that’s not safe!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Below Average

They prepared a gluten free deep dish to go with the fixins. They only offer small size for gluten free. It was great! A little on the pricey side but it was a wonderful pizza!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Got deep dish... man did I miss this

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

First time here. Had the crustless deep dish! The waitress was very very nice and knowledgeable about gluten allergies. She made it a point to let the manager know and then alerted the kitchen and the cooks, made sure the message was made down the line! The deep dish is full of Roma tomatoes which was honestly the only thing we didn’t like haha! Also ordered I think it was called the Maltini salad, really good! All and all didn’t get sick and will try the gluten free thin crust next time!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

We went here multiple times on my trip, it was so good. I got the Chicago classic deep dish with the gluten free crust, and it was so delicious! Even the people I was with who can eat gluten really enjoyed it. I get what people are saying about the crust tasting cracker-y, but I think it’s buttery, keeps the crust from falling apart, and is just delicious

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Other dedicated kitchen equipment (oven, toaster, pots, pans, utensils, etc.)
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dinner
• Good for lunch
• Good for takeout
• Good with other allergies
• Offers online ordering

Hubby likes the GF deep dish. He has had no reactions after eating pizza here.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Some

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Great experience here! Got both the gf thin crust and the gf deep dish and both were sooooo good! They seem to have very good procedures in place to prevent cross contact.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu