Chicago Pizza, Gopalapuram, Chennai

Restaurant Name: Chicago Pizza, Gopalapuram, Chennai Restaurant
Phone: +91 6383914720, +91 7845739697
Address: 126, Cathedral Road, Opposite to Stella Maris College, Gopalapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Time: 12 noon – 11 pm
Meals for two: Rs. 600
Cuisines: Fast Food, Italian, Pizza
Facilities: No Alcohol Available

Chicago Pizza, Gopalapuram, Chennai: Decor

First things first. There is nothing Chicago about this pizzeria, except in the name. An out-and-out Delhi brand, Chicago Pizza came to Chennai and the rest of south India because the master franchisee made trips to the capital, and ate plenty of pizza at their outlet there. He liked it and when he decided to diversify into food, the natural inclination was to sell the pizza he so loved in Chennai.

Small, the outlet is done up in grey, black and yellow with splashes of colour in the form of salt, pepper and sauce holders. Then there are those ubiquitous wall frames that say stuff like ‘good food is good mood’, and so forth.

Chicago Pizza, Gopalapuram, Chennai: Food

Typically fast food, Chicago Pizza serves out of paper plates. I look and find it does have the recycle logo printed, taking me off my guilt trip. What I must tell you is that every ingredient, including the pizza sauce, comes from Delhi. Bread, mixed pizza base flour, ham, cheese, chicken, etc. Monday is the day the bread arrives. It is then frozen and used need-based through the week. Chicago Special Garlic Bread is tangy and spicy, thanks to the jalapenos and paprika. Onion brings its distinct crunch. The mix of cheddar in the cheese topping keeps the strings of mozzarella under control. Thin crusted, the Chicken Tikka Pizza has onion, capsicum and the Indian touch with Chicken tikka. It comes marinated and frozen from Delhi, so you get the typical north Indian taste.

Chicken Supreme Pasta, with pink sauce, is nothing remarkable: typical overdone pasta, barbecue smoked chicken with onion. Outsourced again, desserts are a work in progress.

Chicago Pizza, Gopalapuram, Chennai: Plus & Minus

Chicago Pizza a typical pizza joint: colorful and cosy. They sell pizza by the slice, so you can get as much as you want, or try different toppings and expect the same taste throughout India. This is national pizza brand, as all ingredients that go into the food are sent out of Delhi, ready to heat and serve. Supplies come in every week or 15 days, making me wonder about their freshness. Although it is called Chicago Pizza, it does not serve the typical deep-dish pizza with chunky sauce. I found the garlic flavor lacking in the garlic bread.