Via Chicago — Restaurant in Portland

I wish I could give 4 and a half, but not quite 5. 5 is a little disingenuous, but they deserve more than just 4.

Cred: I am from Chicagoland. Yes people from Chicago actually eat Chicago pizza. Not all, of course, but yes, many do.

First off, the reviews from "Chicago people" who give bad reviews kinda suck. If you expect this place to be better, or even as authentic as, Papa Lou's or Giordano's, etc, you're an idiot. Nobody orders a New York pizza and complains that it's not like what they get in Rome. Get a life. This place has a great pie, with a Portland Flavor on a Chicago classic. Deal with it.

Food review: love it. I love Chicago DD, and this satisfies the need better than anywhere else in Portland, and even Seattle. Hands down.

A few caveats, though: order a whole pie. Seriously. Don't order from the display case and expect the full experience. The display case is pre-baked pies that are warmed up in the oven before served. It's like getting leftovers. Yes, they're still delicious, and good, but they are not the same as a fresh baked pie. If you got from the case, and complain of soggy crust, that's why.

Keep in mind, it takes a long time to bake, expect 30-45 minutes. We usually call ahead for dine in. It's a 30-40 minute drive for us to get there, which is about right, and it's totally worth it.

Also, do yourself a favor and order from the actual menu. A classic Meaty, my fave the Prosciutto Arugula, or a basic Pepperoni are all divine, just trust the menu maker. If you try a pineapple barbecue chicken and leave a review based on how you like your Pizza Hut, please, just....don't.

Great beer/cider selection, small venue, intimate environment, excellent pie and leftovers for tomorrow (just don't reheat them in the...

I really wanted to love Via Chicago, especially as someone managing both gluten and dairy allergies. I built my own medium pizza with the gluten-free crust and the vegan cheese combo (Daiya and tofu ricotta). Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit the mark for me. The crust was thinner and a bit tougher than expected (definitely not worthy of the Chicago style title), but the biggest issue was the cheese… It was so heavy and overpowering that it completely overshadowed the rest of the pizza. Being from Chicago, I fully understand that Chicago style pizza has a lot of cheese, but when you’re working with alternative cheeses, certain alterations need to be made because they simply DO NOT cook the same as regular cheese options. The texture ended up being more slimy than satisfying, and there was more cheese than crust. There was actually more cheese than anything else, including the toppings that I added (pepperoni, pineapple and supposedly onion, but I didn’t see or taste that on the pizza)

Ultimately, I understand that allergy-friendly options are often more expensive, but when I’m paying $35 for a medium pizza, I at least hope I’ll want to eat the leftovers. Sadly, that wasn’t the case here. While I appreciate the effort to offer gluten-free and vegan options, I don’t think I’ll be returning.

If you’re looking for great gluten-free and vegan pizza in Portland, I’d highly recommend Boxcar instead, they do it Detroit style and they...

Seriously good pizza. Terrible customer service. I'm from the Chicago area and I can say this pizza is authentic Chicago pizza. I keep coming back despite the service because the pizza is so good.

For example, I came here the other day after calling in an order at 5:15pm. I requested the pizza be ready by 6:15pm and they said no problem. I end up showing up around 6:35pm and the woman behind the counter said "let me check on your order, go wait outside." I say "okay". I'm waiting outside for 2 min, 5 min, now 10 min... at this point I'm thinking what the heck? They've had an hour and a half to make my one pizza, and even if it was taking longer than expected you think she would pop and say "it will just be a few more min I'm sorry for the wait" - I would've been understanding. So at 6:45pm I go back in (no other customers btw) and I ask her if my order is done yet. She grabs my pizza off the shelf and hands it to me and tells me the total. I ask her why she didn't come get me and she said it just finished (yeeeaah right...) no apology for being 30 min late, no explanation, nothing. I roll my eyes, pay, and go home to enjoy my...