Lou Malnati's : Deep Dish in Lawndale

Lou Malnati’s has long been my favorite deep dish pizza. I recognize that much of this opinion is based on nostalgia and refuse to argue the point. Reading the Sun-Times story today “Financial failure is a success story’ makes me like it all the more.

I did not know that for the last eleven years Malnati’s in partnership with the Lawndale Community Church operates the only sit down restaurant in Lawndale. They created a job training program for residents of the church’s recovery program Hope House and hoped the restaurant would attract other businesses.

It seems the surge in businesses never happened and the pizzeria has lost about a million dollars on the location. They even recognize that it would be, perhaps, more practical to use the money in other ways but persevere on knowing that they tangibly helped some people.

Many of us want to change the world, often it is better to just help a neighbor, and hope.

-ramon

I believe that it's Ogden and Cermak, since Ogden and Archer never intersect.

The family is very generous and very devout - I was acquainted with them growing up in Wilmette, and one of the children is married to a relative of relatives of mine. The Lawndale location is a great tribute to their resolve.

I just wish I liked their pizza.

I do like their pizza, and have since I waitressed at the Lou Malnati's location in Flossmoor Commons when they first opened many years ago. One of my weirdest memories is watching the glow from Washington Park Racetrack on Halsted in Homewood as it burned to the ground from the kitchen door to Lou Malnati's -- it was about 15 minutes away by car, but you could see the fire for miles.

Lou Malnati's didn't last long in the southern suburbs, but I still love their pizza. I think I ate it every night I worked there for about six months and still never tired of it. At the time they opened the restaurant, Lou was in the hospital, very ill. I think the restaurant was managed poorly from the start.

Suzy

I've eaten at/gotten carry-out from the Lawndale Malnati's twice, once a couple months ago. Both times, the pizza has been far, far below par for Malnati's, and I've given up on the food at this location.

The people working there, and every customer I've met, couldn't be nicer. And they've got some things on their menu that aren't on any other Malnati's menu (collard greens, peach cobbler), but the food just isn't there. It's a shame.

The last time I was there, for what it's worth, there was a group of about 90 teens from the church, and they were expecting a second rush of another 60 after some event there was over. So it's quite possible, on that occassion at least, that they were overwhelmed with the load.

edit: And, yeah, it's ogden and cermak.

gleam wrote:And they've got some things on their menu that aren't on any other Malnati's menu (collard greens, peach cobbler)

I can't speak for all their locations, but the Evanston location definitely has peach cobbler on the menu...

Oops, yeah, you're right. Okay, then, how about candied yams or harolds-style chicken wings? Those aren't available at most Malnati's