Eater Readers Have Spoken: The Best Deep Dish is...

A week ago, Eater highlighted Pizza Week by asking readers to definitely answer a question that has sparked countless debate in generations of Chicagoans for over 70 years: Which restaurant makes the best deep dish?

One week, 16 pizzerias and nearly 50,000 votes later, one champion has emerged: Lou Malnati's. After Pizzeria Uno took an early lead in the finals, Malnati's stormed back, winning the finals by a final margin of more than 5,000 votes due to its extremely loyal customer base. Chicago's loyalty towards deep dish is not lost on Marc Malnati.

"Cities have a few things to be proud of," Malnati says, "and (deep dish) is a product that Chicago can be proud of. This product has stood the test of time."

Malnati's fully embraced the deep dish poll, as Malnati notes that competition is a main facet that keeps his company going. "It's still snowing in Chicago and this was something that gave our troops a lift," he says. "We're offering free high fives to every customer that voted in the Eater poll."

Malnati says the steadiness of his company and product accounts for its customer loyalty. "We provide loyalty to to customers by providing a product that will not change...it's a staple of so many families across Chicagoland."

Congratulations to Lou Malnati's and to three other finalists: Pizzeria Uno, Giordano's, and Gino's East.
· Poll: Who Makes the Best Deep Dish? The Finals [-ECHI-]
· All Pizza Week 2014 Coverage [-ECHI-]
· Lou Malnati's [Official Site]