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If you’re in Chicago, someone has probably already told you that you need to try a deep dish pizza. It’s a rite of passage, even if you’re not a fan of the style (I’m definitely not). However, you don’t have to get it from a chain restaurant. Though there are plenty that pop up as recommendations, on my latest trip, I opted to visit the Exchequer Pub near the theatre. I’m glad that I did.

The restaurant is located on Wabash Avenue near the Loop and the lake. If you want to take a nice brisk stroll before or after dinner, it’s a great place to do it. Plus, it’s very close to the theatre, so it’s a perfect choice if you’re seeing a show.

With that in mind, dinner service is absolutely packed to the brim before the shows begin. During this rush, service was pretty slow, but just as in New York City’s theatre district, as soon as the curtains rose, the restaurant cleared out. Once that happened, the noise level dimmed and service sped up substantially. Tables got cleared and the wait staff could focus on the guests that remained.

If you’re a fan of sports, Exchequer also has a lot of televisions around. During my visit, the Blue Jays (my home team!) were in the playoffs and the bar changed the channels to show the game, much to my delight.

As for the food, what you can expect here is general pub food. While the deep dish pizza is the draw, there’s a large number of other pub-adjacent fried foods. Or, if you’re in the mood for something like a burger (as I was that night), they had a great option for that too.

Let’s talk about the pizza though – in general, I’m not the world’s biggest deep dish fan. That has a lot to do with a preference for minimal tomato sauce in pretty much everything I might eat. However, the vegetarian deep dish pizza really impressed me. It was tasty, had great ingredients, and wasn’t overtly saucy. Sometimes, with deep dish, that’s the only ingredient you taste, but they avoided that pitfall. I do think it’s still best to share as it’s a lot of food, but I would highly recommend Exchequer for a deep dish if you’re craving one in Chicago.

As for the burger, I was pleasantly surprised with both the taste and the mountain of delicious fries that came with it. There were so many that I couldn’t even finish, though they were really tasty. For the price, it’s a fantastic burger and a lot of fries, so I heartily recommend this if you’re looking for a burger.

If you’re in a rush when you’re in Chicago, you might want to skip Exchequer. After all, the theatre rush can really slow it down. However, if you have some time, want a really good deep dish, and are in the area, I think this is absolutely worth a dinner on your trip.

Ready to try the deep dish for yourself? Check out Exchequer’s website & menu for more details for your next Chicago visit.

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