Gino's East Of Chicago

closed!!

I've been coming here since it opened 29 years ago, I had my Wedding Rehearsal dinner here 27 years ago, and now it has closed forever, so that another Panera Bread can be built on the site.  At least Karma sent me there on the last day (without knowing it was closing) so we had one last experience.  It was a place unto itself, with a Pizza unlike any other (the "Disc" sausage), but now you have to search out another location.  R.I.P.

I haven't been to Gino's East in easily 15yrs, possibly 20.
My son was our motivation for going back.  He had a taste for deep dish pizza and we decided to head out to Gino's rather than do take-out from Lou Malnati's.

On a Friday night Gino's was dead.  I used to go to Gino's frequently and it was always packed.  Apparently, no more.

The place looks the same.  Graffiti everywhere, kind of a dive vibe.. excellent, just as I left it.

On the upside, the deep dish pizza was also just about the same as I recall.
Crunchy crust with a bit of a corn meal flavor versus wheat flour.  
I always liked this difference but some might not.
The ingredients seems to be about the same as I remember as well.

Overall, Gino's is a good place to take a crowd of people.  Get a couple large pies and hang out, talk, get loud, write on the walls etc..

Not bad, not bad, not bad at all.
Hopefully it's able to make it long enough for us to go back.