Tavern-Style Pizza Trend

Tavern-style pizza, known for thin, cracker-like crusts cut into lattice squares, is gaining popularity across the Midwest.

“The pizza you get every week, or if you go to a kid’s birthday party, it’s always tavern-style.”

Midwest Pizza Preferences

Chicago, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and St. Louis all promote tavern-style pizza as a regional staple.

“The pizza you get every week, or if you go to a kid’s birthday party, it’s always tavern-style.”

Tavern-Style Pizza Features

Tavern-style pizza offers lightness, crispness, and shareability with grid cuts that fit on cocktail napkins.

“A pizza yields more slices when cut into a grid than into triangles.”

Chicago Roots

Proof in Portland, Oregon, serves tavern-style pizza to honor its owners’ Chicago-area upbringing.

“The pizza you get every week, or if you go to a kid’s birthday party, it’s always tavern-style.”

St. Louis Connection

Mike Fadem, from St. Louis, created the 'tavernetta' pizza inspired by his hometown’s thin-crust tradition.

“It’s maybe not the best version of tavern pizza.”

New York Adaptation

Bar Next Door in Los Angeles added tavern-style 'bar pies' to extend dining time and encourage longer stays.

“That’s the whole goal for us: for people to stay a little longer, drink more.”

Tavern Vibe

Tavern-style pizza thrives in social settings with shared meals and casual dining experiences.

“At taverns, diners are beckoned to sprawl out and stay awhile.”

Regional Variations

Tavern-style pizza has regional adaptations, from Chicago to St. Louis to New Jersey, with unique toppings and styles.

“It’s maybe not the best version of tavern pizza.”

What Happens Next

Tavern-style pizza continues to expand with new locations and adaptations across the Midwest and beyond.