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. Â At least Karma sent me there on the last day (without knowing it was closing) so we had one last experience. Â It was a place unto itself, with a Pizza unlike any other (the "Disc" sausage), but now you have to search out another location. Â R.I.P.
Review Source:I haven't been to Gino's East in easily 15yrs, possibly 20.
My son was our motivation for going back. Â 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. Â I used to go to Gino's frequently and it was always packed. Â Apparently, no more.
The place looks the same. Â 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. Â
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. Â 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.
Saw a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> coupon. It was just the two of us, so to use the coupon, we got an extra pizza to go to meet our 'quota'. In other words, did not spend less, but got more leftovers.
This used to be better. The flavors seem more bland with each visit. Of course deep dish is the way to get your pie. But it seems less worth the premium price each trip.
The restaurant was chilly. Service was mediocre. When the runner offered to refill our soft drinks he returned with the wrong flavor (reg. vs. diet) that smelled and tasted wrong (like smelly dish towels).
The pizza was not as warm as it could be, with no melty cheese, and crumbled sausage is a LOT less sausage. So little that we both, and the waiter had a hard time telling which half it was on. Â I think this place needs a new manager to keep an eye on the old recipes and attention to service. Unfortunately, business is so slow at night, that it would be hard to get their reputation back for a long while, especially in the winter (about 3 tables at 7pm during the week).
The dressings (a raspberry vinigrate and a creamy peppercorn) were great. On the side I got the perfect amount. But the pale ice berg was skimpy and flavorless water.
The leftovers still did not inspire, the sharp sauce taste is gone. The pepperoni is limited and flavorless, the cheese not fully baked, the crust not nearly as buttery as Lou Malnatis.
It is a good location - right at Golf and Algonquin, just East of Woodfield/290/53/355, a few minutes from 90/Arlington Heights RD (North to Algonquin, West to Golf, in front of Mejier in outlot).
I just love this place (meaning the Rolling Meadows location exclusively). Â The food quality is great, and the pizza, salads, and freshly baked bread are all awesome. Â The iced tea is always fresh brewed, and they have both Thin Crust and Chicago Deep Dish Style Pizza to satisfy all preferences.
Meanwhile, the service is almost always great with a big smile coming with it. Â The place is extremely comfortable, a great value, and the owners are nice people.
There is no other Gino's East Location like this. Â I applaud this restaurant for doing what they do so well. Â Please do not change a thing. Â You are great!!!!!
For the kind of restaurant you are, I give you five stars without hesitation. :-)
A few social organizations I belong to patronize Gino's East on a regular basis. Although I personally don't frequent this establishment other than meetings with these organizations, I don't mind meeting and dining here. Last evening, one of the organizations had their meeting at Gino's East. I ordered an Italian Beef Sandwich (my favorite of all restaurant meals) and I was served a very large sandwich on a long French bread roll. It was slathered with a very generous portion of medium-sliced roast beef. Although I would prefer the beef sliced a little thinner, it was very hot, and tasty. I asked for pizza sauce (not marinara which contains onion) and hot peppers. What arrived with the sandwich was french fries, and sides of au jus, sweet peppers, cole slaw, and very hot pizza sauce. The server said that the pizza sauce would arrive cold, but it was in fact very warm! A few friends at my table ordered salads and pizza. My sandwich arrived very quickly (about ten minutes), but my friends' pizza took around 30 minutes. We were disappointed that our server more or less disappeared after the food was served. One of my friends didn't get his beverage (I drank water), until snaring the server on a round about 30 minutes after his pizza was served. I would say that the food was good; I thoroughly enjoyed my selection.
Pros: Good tasting food, pleasant server (when he was around).
Cons: Numerous steps to get upstairs to our meeting room; crabby person who actually brought food (wouldn't accept ancillary food/beverage requests), very old and somewhat dirty decor (graffiti placed everywhere by patrons, allowed by management), "disappearance" of server after meals were served.
Would I return? I have to because of social organizations I belong to meet here.
As one who is sometimes forced to frequent establishments known for their deep dish pizza, and getting stuck ordering thin crust instead (due to the company one keeps), I have to say that I don't think I have ever had a deep dish Gino's.
Having said that, my meal here was, as the star rating states, A-OK. They were out of garlic rolls, and the fried raviolis were a tad too overdone, and the chopped salad that promised avocado as one of its ingredients was glaringly missing said ingredient... but hey... the thin crust bacon-and-mushroom pizza was pretty gosh darn tasty. Â Had the formers been non-issues, my rating would have been higher.
Ambiance... meh, I'm over it. I get the intended vibe but some of the graffiti was older than Girlspawn is... Â just saying. Made me feel a little icky.
Server was nice. And cute. Cute always helps.
Love the pizza, hate the restaurant. Â
This location is like the downtown location where people write on the walls, chairs, doors and pretty much everything- the complete opposite from the Rosemont location which is unautographed  (which I much rather prefer). Nothing better than going to a restaurant which promotes their patrons to intentionally make this place look dumpier and dirtier every year. Yes, I get it, the gimmick is "different" but in this case "different" is kinda grody.
Anyway, onto the pizza. I think this is one of the best deep dish pizzas in Chicago. Â After recently being reintroduced (it had been at least 6 or 7 years since I last had Ginos), I forget how good this pizza is. We got a medium sausage pan supreme for the two of us, and there was more than enough for leftover lunch the next day. The crust is flaky and crispy throughout the pie much like Edwardo's, however the crust, unlike Edwardo's, is not tasteless. Â The layered sausage is very much like Lou's, and it is an ample amount as it covers the entire pizza. The veggies were not too soggy and there was just enough (not too much) sauce on the pie. Â The cheese to other ingredient ratio is just right, not too much like Giordano's.
For one of my fave deep dish pizzas in the city, why only 4 stars and not 5? 2 things:
1) The medium pan supreme pizza cost $24.25 here, whereas at Lou Malnati's they charge $16.75 for the exact same thing. What the heck justifies the extra $7.50 here?!!?? I dunno!! I found it odd that the medium here is even more expensive than even a large at Lou's for if not the same thing, then something extremely similar.
2) The environment makes me consciously think about the movie "Contagion". Â Obviously, it's not stopped me from dining here cuz I'm not a total germophobe. The pizza is def worth overlooking this point. Â Or, there is always takeout!!
If you want to avoid the long lines of the Gino's in the city, this location is for you. On a Friday night we only waited about 20 minutes for a group of 5. We were seated promptly by our semi-awkward waiter who wasn't very friendly. The house salad was pretty delicious and I was surprised by how fresh the fried calamari was. It was cooked very well. The deep dish was great as usual-love the crust. We asked for a dessert since it was someone in our groups birthday but it never came. What a bummer. Other than that, service was prompt.
Review Source:This was my first night here on a business trip in Chicago and my colleague was raving about Gino's. I was excited to try this place out but it wasn't anything how my colleague has described it...
First off, the service was not good at all. Asked the waiter if they had a wine list? From her guest check, she shows me a handwritten list of beer and wine... Are you kidding me?! She could have read it out loud which i don't mind if she hasn't memorized the list but instead she straight up passes her list to me... owners of Gino's, please have a small menu with the list of adult beverages or make sure your server is fully trained.
After I ordered a glass of Cabernet, the wine is served in smallest glass i have ever been served. There was probably 3 to maybe 4 oz of wine... this is fine if the wine is about 3 to 4 bucks. I asked my server out of curiosity and she said $6.22 after Tax... Are you kidding me! What a rip off.
The food took about an hour after we ordered. I'm not familiar with deep dish pizzas but does it usually take this long for a small? I had the healthy deep dish pizza scared about how heavy this pie can be. The pie had tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, red onions, cheese and tomato sauce. Unfortunately, the pizza didn't have any flavor and the dough was really dry. I had one slice and didn't take any more.
My colleague had the bbq baby back ribs. Huge portion and it looked really good. The ribs had good flavor but they were not tender at all. You can tell by the texture that these ribs were not slow and low. They were so tough to cut that my hand was sore in the end.
Maybe they had an off night and got stuck with a waiter that's new and inexperienced. Perhaps, but I don't I'll be coming back here again.
When I lived in the area, Gino's East was my favorite pizza. Â So much so that since moving to Arizona ten years ago I've been on a quest to duplicate the recipe since there's nothing that even remotely resembles that glorious pie out here.
I'd usually go to Gino's when I'd be in town visiting, but the in-laws said last year the pizza had changed so we didn't visit last year. Â Thanks to a restaurantdotcom certificate, we did indeed make a visit this year-and the in-laws were right.
The pizza has changed, and not for the better. Â The crust is drier and the sausage puck is markedly thinner. Â It's still good, but not the sort of thing that would inspire a long distance love affair like it's predecessor.
This rating is more based on a personal feeling toward deep dish pizza. This restaurant makes a good deep dish ( we got the supreme) with buttery edges and good tasting ingredients, but it never taste as awesome as i expect it to...its good, but pizza casserole just isn't something i crave for..We also ordered sampler with fried kalamari, fried mushrooms, and wings...it was ok...
I did like how they had the place...pretty dark, and divey with writing all over the wall and booths...gave place a little character. I would come back and try the thin crust...
"Music is my drug and Eminem is my dealer." - Anonymous
You can expect beautifully out of place quotes, sayings and expressions such as this plastered on every inch of this place. Â It's their thing and yes, it's fun. Â I suppose you have to bring your own marker though because we were never given any writing utensils.
Beyond the graffiti is the pizza and the service, one delicious and one so-so. Â We were there for my girlfriend's birthday and they couldn't find our reservation, which would have been much more devastating if the place had been fuller. Â As it was it was just an annoyance, as they placed us upstairs, alone, with a waitress who seemed to keep forgetting to come up and check on us. Â It didn' t really matter, as long as we got our food, and we did - exceptional thin crust pizza and fantastic appetizers. Â Just writing these words makes me crave the hot baked cheese melted over the seductively saucy dough.
I need some pizza.
I have had many memories coming here throughout my childhood and they have all been positive. Â I love the graffiti on the walls and have even left my own mark.
The pizza is downright delicious. Â Deep dish pizza is my absolute favorite and I will always be a Chicago girl at heart, even if I live in Bahstahn. Â They always did a good job here and it is delightfully cheesy. Â The crust is always thick and buttery. Â You can't go wrong with a spinach with cheese or a sausage pizza!
Gah, I wish I could have a slice right now!
Deep dish pizza. Â I do not understand why you exist. Â
This was and Will be my last attempt to enjoy deep dish pizza. Â I had an open mind and high expectations but there really is nothing about it that makes it better than your average new York slice. Â I will give them that the sauce was actually very well flavored and the cheese was a good quantity but the crust is just so overwhelming that it really takes away from the pizza experience. Â Ginos does a strange almost pie-like crust that was interesting but ultimately didn't improve uponi your normal crust. Â It was a bit dry. Â
The thin crust pizza was an abomination. Â Some of my coworkers liked it better than the thick crust but I suspect they just really love cheese cause that thing was overloaded with cheese.
So that's that. Â No more pizza adventures in Chicago for me!
WTF Gino's. I went here for lunch the other day, excited for a deep dish personal pizza. Going to lunch is a rare treat for me, so if I actually break out of here to go -- I want good food.
I left pissed off because I was served a pizza that was unable to be cut and ended up as a mound of pizza goo on my plate. Not to mention the server was completely oblivious.
Disappointing.
My first visit to a Gino's East. Have always heard how great the pizza is, but as I've mentioned in other Chicago style pizza reviews, I'm just not a fan of the thickness, red sauce or disc of sausage dough fest.
Their pizza was ok. J really likes Chicago style so I gave it a whirl.
Staff very friendly. Our server Eddie was great and very attentive.
I enjoyed their buffalo wings although super messy and the actual wings were awkward sized, but good.
Interior is whimsical with all the writing on the wall. As we were waiting for our pizza J mentioned that it had a feel of a place that Uncle Buck would patronize in which I agree.
Pop and water glasses are huge. They seem quite bigger than other places.
More of a 3.5. Not quite a fan, but the place is fun and I can see why people like it.
I was a devout Lou's fan all my life but now I have converted to a Gino's East girl.
Yes, Lou's toppings are definitely fresher but the flavor of the sauce on Gino's pizza is so robust and flavorful that it just overwhelmed me.
Key note: you can call in ahead of time and order your pizza so you don't have to wait 45 minutes after you order!
I really don't know about this place.
The last time I ate here, about 7-8 years ago, the waiter chased us out the door and bitched about the tip we left for him. What I should have done at that point was take all the tip money back. After that experience, I boycotted the place.
Until.
My friend and I were on a shopping excursion last week and I asked the dreaded question, What are you thinkin' for lunch?
I want Ginos.
She didn't want pizza but damnit she wanted Ginos.
UGH are you serious? Of all the places, you want Ginos?!
Next thing I know, I'm sitting in Ginos. Silently cursing myself.
The food here really isn't that bad. Huge portions. We split the spinach and artichoke dip and I had an Italian chicken sandwich.
Our waitress was very nice, on the ball with everything. But we were seated where we could hear everything that they were saying.
She was bitching about her job, the patrons etc...I was waiting for her to say something about us but she didn't. Smart girl. Â
Kinda funny yet kind of annoying. Â Maybe you had to be there. Â
Oh yeah, and I love the fact that they don't want you writing on the new tablecloths.
Before I was introduced to the "other" Chicago Style Pizza, our Friday nights were reserved for Gino's East.
A place to have fantastic meal and make great memories.
We had quite a momentous return, and to find that the pizza is every bit as good as when we first had it over a decade ago, our evening went without a hitch.
Can't wait to return.
Whenever I make a business trip to Chicago, I know I need to seek out a restaurant that has deep dish pizza.
I am crying because Gino's, curse you, has spoiled me for any other deep dish pizzerias anywhere around my California haunts.
Buttery, cornmeal crust? Sigh. And I don't even remember what kind of pizza I had anymore, it was just damn good is all I know.
Since I couldn't take the small pizza back to the hotel as leftovers (no  microwave, catching a flight), I bided my time and stuffed as much as I could into my over-bloated stomach. Managed three of four slices, sans crust on a couple. So worth the million calories I ingested that night.
And ... what is this? They SHIP pizzas?! Hmmmm ... I'll be right back.
We're doing it up, we're doing it big, and we're doing it....LATE....oops!!!!
Who would've thunk that on a Wed night, pizza places would be packed?! Not me, which is why I slacked on getting a RSVP for 30 people. When this place's competitor was booked, I called this place as an alternative, and I am very happy that we did!!!!
They were able to take all of us with such short notice, and the upstairs area they reserved for our party gave us a semi private dining section. Â Great for our large, rowdy crowd!!!! Â Lots of elbow room, and tons of space for the kids to run around, post dinner.
Kim M was a wonderful server, as she was quick with service and honest with our selections by making sure we didn't over purchase and being clear with how many pizzas would serve for our large army. She set up three large tables for us to sit at. In addition, she set up the appetizers and pizza on a side table, making it a self-serve buffet and much easier to serve our party. Â Good thinking!
Fabulous place for food, family and fun!!!
The Yelp photo of this place (2005) was just a tad out of date (just took care of that!) as the Cousins Subs is gone and it's now a Jimmy John's, this is a great one stop shopping center for the best Chicago pizza (and subs) in the suburb of Rolling Meadows. Â
Simply can not get into the "which ones is best" pizza war over Uno's, Duo's (the originals), Lou's, Edwaros of Hyde Park, etc. as we have tried all of them and  ya simply ain't going to go wrong here.  See, we don't have the real thing like this down here in Texas.  Just go and love it!  :)  Each pizza just mentioned is a masterpiece on it's own.  We fly from Texas no less than once a year to eat real pizza and love this place.
It's March Madness at Gino's East! Â Every Monday in March they have a special: One medium, one topping pizza for $9.99 (you can pay extra for additional toppings). Â I'm not sure if all the locations are doing it, but this one sure is. Â Now did I know that last night, when we spontaneously decided to go here? Absolutely not, but I'm sure glad I found out. Â I used to frequent this location when I worked in Schaumburg, they have good lunch specials. Â This was my first time back, in a couple of years.
It's the same Gino's East as all the others, with writing all over the walls, and ceiling. Â I had a pen handy so I scribbled something on the wall. Â We went with the aforementioned pizza special, and ordered a medium, deep dish, sausage & pepperoni. Â We also ordered a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and Buffalo chicken wings for appetizers. Â The wings came with a side of bleu cheese, and they weren't that spicy to me, but they had enough zing to make it tasty. Â Our waiter told us the pizza would take 30 minutes, but it was ready in about 20.
The server came by and broke us off a slice, and it was on like Donkey Kong. Â It was a sausage, pepperoni, cheese, and golden crust dance party on my taste buds. Â I suddenly remembered why we used to go here for lunch several times a month...it's because the pizza is damn delicious!!! Â Its amazing how memories can come flooding back, once you get a reminder. Â We were actually on our way to Lou Malnatis, but I'm glad we came here instead. Â I eat enough at Malnati's, its good to be reminded how good Gino' East is as well. Â We live in deep dish pizza heaven my friends, and if a New Yorker ever tells you that their pizza is better...please feel free to slap them.
When it comes to deep dish pizza, the only two places that really matter in Chicagoland--and the world, for that matter--are Gino's East and Lou Malnati's. Sure, Giordano's is good if you want stuffed pizza, and the original Pizzeria Uno and Duo are similar to Lou's but generally inconvenient and filled with tourists. So with a number of locations for each, my choice for pizza (except on the rare occasion I want thin crust, stuffed or frozen) is almost always either Gino's East or Lou Malnati's.
I have eaten at each dozens if not hundreds of times, and the deciding factor is usually based more on the location than the pies themselves, which can vary slightly on each visit. But at their very best, I think Gino's is slightly better than Lou's, and my recent visit to their Rolling Meadows location didn't disappoint (although I stupidly forgot to take home my leftover slice). Their pizza is truly one of my favorite meals at any time.
Even their salad is quite good; before my pizza I got a mini-house salad which was quite large and fresh, with an excellent raspberry vinagrette dressing. I can't imagine you live in the Chicago area without having heard of Gino's East (or Lou Malnati's for that matter), but if you're new to town or visiting, do yourself a big favor and check it out.
A group of my friends go here every Friday. Â I have been a couple of times and I think it's an A+ establishment. Â When I have gone, we usually have taken over the bar area with our group, had lots of drinks, pitchers of beer or whatever, and ordered lots of food! Â They have great spinach artichoke dip, and you definately can't go wrong with any pizza you get here. Â In fact, wish I had some now. Â I get that there are so many pizza places in the area, but a few are great, and only a couple are fabulous.. Gino's east in one of them. Â I used to live across the street from the Libertyville location, and that one was great too...
Give this place a chance. Â It's wonderful. Â And if Mike is working, tell him I said hello :)
How can you live in Chicago and not love Chicago style pizza? Â Ofcourse, there are Lou Malnati's, Gino's East and Giordanos. Â All three are excellent choices in my opinion. Â I love all three pizza places but I actually prefer Gino's East pizza a hair better than Lou's. Â (Although, if you bring a Lou's Pizza over, you are definitely welcome to come over any time you want!)
Gino's East has the familiar saaaauusage disc that is it's own layer which covers the circumference of the pizza. Â It then has just the right amount of sauce and awesome crust. Â What separates this pizza for me from other pizza joints is the crust. Â It's just a matter of preference though. Â
As far as in-restaurant dining experience, it is really casual. Â Casual to the point where you can bring in your Sharpies and scribble and doodle to your heart's content on the wall! Â It's pretty "graffiti-filled" in there. Â It actually is pretty cool and unique a place I've been to for casual dining. Â
Pizza's can take some time, as they make it upon your order. Â You might as well order a drink, bring markers and order some appetizers to kill time. Â It's definitely worth it!
The food was great - the service was meh, and the atmosphere was blah.
I like the style of pizza Gino's East serves - I just do. Â The pizza came out hot and great, and reheats well the next day.
The service was meh in that while the pizza is great, it takes forever to come out. Â Our server also didn't show up after the food arrived until he dropped off the check.
The atmosphere was blah - i guess I'm getting too old to appreciate all the graffiti on the walls and the tablecloths. Â I saw it as just dirty.
I'll stick with pickup or delivery!
This place needs an overhaul! Â I always feel so dirty being in there and eating a meal. Â The grafitti thing? Â Tired and overrated. Â Plus all the lights and decor are outdated and the booths are so hard and uncomfortable they hurt my back! I always expect to see a bug run out from somewhere, and I have watched the rickety old steps "give" when someone steps on them. I'm just waiting for this old dingy place to crumble down...
Well onto the food- totally delicious, this is my favorite pizza ever. Appetizers are tasty too, love the reasonably priced light and airy garlic rolls.  I love the pizza options (like taco) but don't love that for dinner you cannot get a "personal" pizza, they only sell large sizes which is much too large and expensive  for 1 person when everyone wants something different.  Would love to see them sell mini personal pizzas for dinner, and redo the entire interior.
I must say that I work in Rolling Meadows and this place does the lunch special magic! Â $8 for an individual deep dish, salad and drink? Wow, not bad at all. Â
The salad is fresh with crisp lettuce, carrotts, and fresh cheese w/ a side of bread and your choice of dressing. Â
The pizza (of your choice) is quality and I recommend the pepperoni or broken sausage, no sausage patty, ewww. Â They give you a plastic fork and knife, but you may need your own in cutting the pizza. Â Yum!!
Definate Quality for the lunch rush for $8.00 you will be taking some pizza home w/ you.
First time I've been to Gino's East in, oh, fifteen years and still so good! Â I met my husband and kids and was pleasantly surprised at how little this Gino's East has changed (need to go back another night and check to see if stuff I wrote in high school is still legible!).
We ordered cheesey garlic bread (a bit too much cheese for me) and spinach sticks (why doesn't anyone else have these? Â THEY ROCK!). Â Pan pizza was all good!
The kids had a fun time writing on the table cloth and trying to read (albeit they cannot under normal circumstances) everything they saw on the walls.
I'll take away a star because, well the bathroom was kind of gross and the women's only has two stalls and one was out of order.
Other than that, staff was incredibly friendly and service was pretty darn good. Â We'll go again sometime soon.
Skip the thin crust pizza and go straight for the deep dish, especially if you're a sausage lover. Don't fear the patty! If you order a sausage pizza, they'll ask if you want a patty or broken up sausage. The patty is literally a flat piece of sausage that covers the entire pizza- sausage in every bite (but 67,006 calories)! This place has friendly service and a cozy atmosphere, plus they have an amazing lunch special- a personal pan pizza, a salad, and a drink for $6.25.
I don't necessarily agree that they have the best pizza in Chicago- I prefer My Pi or Nancy's- but this is right around the corner from where I work so it's convenient and a good value.
My heart lies with Chicago-style deep dish. Â Forgedabout that wimpy, greasy, limp, have-to-fold-it-to-eat-it New York garbage; Gino's East will make you a believer.
The best deep dish out there for my money. Â Every time I'm in Chicago, which isn't often enough, I make it a point to juice up on some Gino's East pizza, even if it's out of my way.
Bring a Sharpie or a white paint pen to write on the walls!
Some people claim that Gino's East in downtown is better, but I think that is more of a myth than reality. Â I find no difference and Pizza here is excellent. Â This place does get pretty crowded on Fri & Sat nights, so plan accordingly. Â However, compared to downtown location, it's much easier to get a table here.
Good for chilren as they enjoy writing on the walls.