Costco's Most Expensive Frozen Pizza Is From A Classic Chicago Chain
There's a running list of Chicago pizza hot spots — from local favorites like Peaqoud's to the tourist frequented Lou Malnati's. It turns out, however, you don't need to travel far to get your hands on a deep dish pie. You will pay a price for it, though. Costco's most expensive frozen pizza is from the classic Chicago chain, Giordano's, which it sells as a 3-pack ringing in at $95. Broken down into three, small-sized deep dish pizzas, the frozen Giordano's come in at about $31 a piece. That's about $10 more than you'd pay for a fresh one, not including the tip. But, is it worth it?
If you've never had a Chicago deep dish pizza before, Giordano's frozen pies won't exactly measure up to what you'd get sitting down inside one of the city's many classic pizzerias. But, they do come pretty close. The pack found at Costco contains three, 10-inch deep dish pizzas — big enough to feed two or three people depending on how hungry you are. The pack comes with one cheese, one pepperoni, and one sausage pie.
After about 6 minutes in the microwave followed by an hour inside of your oven, you get an impressive cheese pull and golden crust worthy of breaking out your forks and knives. While there is a significant price inflation, the Giordano's frozen pies you get from Costco are a solid option if you're craving a classic Chicago-style deep dish pizza outside of Chicago. Just don't expect a perfect match.
Giordano's fresh versus frozen
Giordano's has been shipping its pizzas frozen via online order for years — offering diasporic Chicagoans a slice of home no matter where they might have relocated. It does scratch the itch, but real deep dish lovers can tell the difference between one that's frozen and one that's fresh. The most noticeable differences can be noted in the texture of the cheese, as well as the freshness of the sauce. Others have noted that the frozen pizzas contain noticeably less fillings and toppings as what you'd get if you were in the shop, which brings up another obvious catch which is the inability to personalize your pie with chosen protein and veggies.
Knowing that, the frozen Giordano's pizzas from Costco are an ideal option for those who haven't had an authentic Chicago deep dish before (and therefore, have nothing to compare it to). They're also a fabulous choice for those who are located outside of Chicago and are craving a deep dish pie. But, while it wouldn't hurt to keep a few of these packed away in your freezer for a rainy day, if you can order a deep dish pizza fresh, you should. Not only will you likely save yourself some money, but you'll also avoid the guessing game that is cooking these thick za's through. Plus, if you know the best ways to reheat deep dish pizza, you don't even have to eat it all at once.