# Tavern-Style Pizza Trend Gains Midwest Momentum

> Midwest pizza shops pivot to thin-crust tavern-style pies for shareable, grid-cut slices.
- Title: Tavern-Style Pizza Trend Gains Midwest Momentum · Eater
- Summary: Midwest pizza shops pivot to thin-crust tavern-style pies for shareable, grid-cut slices. Tavern-style pizza with thin crusts and grid cuts is becoming…
- Keywords: tavern-style pizza, midwest, chicago, milwaukee, st. louis, proof, la merna, ops, tavernetta, bar pies, food, culture
- Source: Eater — https://eater.com/trends/993640/tavern-style-pizza-thin-crust-trend-chicago-midwest
- Author: Bettina Makalintal
- Published: 2026-10-20T20:15:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: tavern-style pizza, midwest, chicago, milwaukee, st. louis, proof, la merna, ops, tavernetta, bar pies, food, culture
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Tavern-style pizza with thin crusts and grid cuts is becoming popular across the Midwest for shareability and casual dining.