Giordano's — Restaurant in Chicago

The food was very good and the location was perfect, however our experience was ruined by the horrific service. We were there for dinner on Saturday. It was the first time my friends and I came to Giordano’s and we quite enjoyed our deep dish pizzas, but our server Miguel was the worst server I have ever encountered and the effect that had on our experience cannot be overstated. I hate to describe this situation in such a negative way, but our server’s lack of care and respect was so baffling, I don’t know how else to put it. Throughout our entire time there he looked absolutely miserable from the way he greeted us by abruptly just saying “what do you want” to him rudely interrupting my friend while she was asking him a simple question about a drink she wanted to order. He seemed constantly annoyed for no reason and was so off-putting that it made us scared to even talk to him again.

Our drinks took over 15 minutes to arrive, and when he finally did bring them, he didn’t even so much as say sorry for the delay. Meanwhile tables that arrived after us got their drinks before we did. Our drinks weren’t even complex, it was 4 waters and a coke. We would have gotten different non-alcoholic drinks if our server hadn’t refused to make us any, even though he was also one of the bartenders. If they simply aren’t able to make a non-alcoholic version of a drink for some reason at this restaurant then it wouldn’t have been our server’s fault of course, but that’s still no excuse for his tone when speaking to us. Despite this, we still said thank you to be nice and friendly, and in turn he just grunted while walking away. This type of response was a common occurrence throughout the evening. My friends and I all work in the service industry and so we understand the problems that can arise in restaurants and the unfortunate things that can impact someone’s service. So we we stayed nice and respectful the entire time no matter how poorly our server was treating us, hoping that at some point it would get a bit better. But even though he had many opportunities to improve the situation, he never once even cared enough to try.

When we ordered our food, he rudely interrupted and dismissed my friend yet again while she was simply asking if it was possible to change a single pizza topping. He didn’t ask if we wanted anything else after dinner he just immediately brought us the bill after we said we needed a box for the rest of our food. At one point he ripped my other friend’s coke glass out of her hand while she was still drinking it just to get her a refill! For some reason he couldn’t wait 5 seconds for her to at least finish her sip and put down her glass first. This kind of behaviour is unbelievable and completely unacceptable.

On top of all this, after we had paid the bill we later realized that there was a charge for an extra pizza on our bill that we did not order. Luckily we were still able to go back to the restaurant and speak to a manager about it to sort things out. The manager was very nice and helpful and we were extremely pleased at how he handled the situation. He even refunded us the difference on the bill for the inconvenience which wasn’t expected at all but was very much appreciated. But we learned that this mess was caused by our server not properly taking accountability for a mistake he made. This just goes to show how far our server’s carlessness and inconsideration reahces. Not only did it sour our evening but we also could have easily been overcharged had we not realized his mistake. This disappointing and infuriating experience is so unfortunate given that Giordano’s seems like a good restaurant with well made food, but I will now think twice about ever coming...

So I don't do bad reviews. Look at my profile, there you'll see. It is going to be long, but I need to tell the whole story. Went in had a 30-45 min wait for a table of 10. No problem. Hostess took our order. Two large thin crust, one large deep dish. Asked for all three well done. Tried to order a salad but the hostess very kindly told us that we'll be able to order the salad once we were seated. Got our receipt and waited for the text. Walked around and looked at the shops for a bit. Started to head back before we even got the text that our table was ready. We sat down in the waiting lobby for about a minute and then we were seated. The gentleman who was our waiter who I will give the benefit of the doubt that maybe he was having a "bad" day. Maybe he was burnt out from a long shift, or maybe just life with any personal problems he might have going on. We all are human after all.  My wife who wanted a salad asked him what comes on the salad. The waiter almost looked bothered and I can understand why, all the ingredients that go into a salad, and to name them on the spot. On top of that, the lack of the specifics. What salad is my wife talking about? The waiter mumbled something which neither my wife or I knew what he said, but got the gist of his actions when he pointed to the menu. So my wife looked at the salads, ordered a Cesar with the ingredients she didn't want on the salad.  I was honestly bothered by the way he handled that question/situation. Waiter then asked us what we wanted to drink. He went around the table remembering our orders. Shortly after the waiter came out with the drinks, but forgot a couple. Maybe 8-10 minutes passed after we got our drinks. We then started asking amongst ourselves "where's the food?" Maybe 5 minutes after that  the waiter and another gentleman came out with our food. So this next part is a toss up. From my experience, every Giordano's that I have ever visited up until this visit. The waiter will serve the deep dish pizza. Going around the table, asking who wants a slice. Anyone who has ever been to a Giordano's knows that the server knows exactly how to cut that gooey cheese, that stretches for miles when you yourself attempt to serve that second slice. He left before we could even ask him for some silverware. There was not enough silverware on the table for all of us. We started to eat and noticed that the pizzas were not well done.  The pizzas in fact were almost cold. Just warm enough to eat. We continued eating cause we were hungry.  Then I noticed the cheese on the deep dish was not that gooey cheese that stretched for miles. I tacked it up to the pizza not being hot. After a while my wife told me that the waiter had forgotten her salad. I told her don't worry about it. Annoyed at this point by the waiter and the quality of food. The waiter never refilled our drinks. He showed up when we were ready to leave. Asked us if everything was ok. I told him "no, the pizza was not well done and not hot. And you forgot the salad." He then went ahead and asked me what I meant by the pizza not being well done. I told him the pizza was not well done. I asked him for some boxes and the check. My wife at this point went and asked for a manager. The waiter came back about 5 minutes later with our salad. Which I turned down. I then went ahead and asked him for the boxes again cause he didn't bring them. My wife talked to the manager. We were not trying to get anything for free , we were just bringing the situation to the Managers attention. They did take drinks...

Giordano’s – Navy Pier Chicago: Iconic Deep Dish with a Side of Smart Service

If you’re visiting Navy Pier and want the full Chicago experience, Giordano’s is a must. We recently stopped in and tried a few different pizzas—and everything about the experience was worth it.

The Food: We ordered three pizzas: • A deep dish cheese • A deep dish pepperoni • And a thin crust pepperoni

Let me start by saying—everything tasted great. The deep dish pizzas were rich, cheesy, and packed with flavor. The crust had that classic Giordano’s buttery crunch, and the cheese pull was Instagram-worthy. The cheese pizza was indulgent and comforting, while the pepperoni deep dish added that satisfying salty, meaty kick.

The thin crust pepperoni was also a hit—it offered a completely different texture and flavor profile: crispy, light, and still full of flavor. It’s great if you want something less heavy but still loaded with taste.

Wait Time: There was a 25-minute wait to be seated, which wasn’t too bad considering the location and popularity of the spot. But here’s the pro tip that saved us a ton of time—you can pre-order your deep dish pizza before you even get your table. Since deep dish takes about 50 minutes to cook, we placed our order while we were waiting to be seated. By the time we sat down, we didn’t have to wait long at all for the food.

**If you’re dining here—especially for deep dish—do yourself a favor and pre-order if there’s a wait. It’s a game-changer.

Service: The staff was friendly, attentive, and efficient. Despite being busy, they kept things moving smoothly, made sure we had what we needed, and our server was happy to answer questions and make suggestions. You could tell they’re used to handling big crowds without letting service suffer.

Drinks: We also grabbed a few drinks, and they were spot on. Cold, refreshing, and well-made. Whether you want a soda, a local beer, or a cocktail, they’ve got something for everyone.

Atmosphere: The Navy Pier location is lively and family-friendly, with a great mix of tourists and locals. You’re right on the pier, so there’s a fun buzz in the air and easy access to everything else the pier has to offer before or after your meal.

Final Thoughts: This is classic Chicago. If you’re coming to the city and want a true taste of what makes Chicago deep dish famous, Giordano’s is a safe bet—especially this Navy Pier location. The food is great, the experience is smooth (if you plan ahead), and the staff makes you feel welcome.

Would I go back? Absolutely. Next time I’m on the pier, I’ll be back—probably with more people and a...