Our Story
Chicago stuffed pizza since 1978. Built on quality ingredients. Proven over nearly five decades.
1978: A Promise About Ingredients
When Edwardo's Natural Pizza opened in 1978, the Chicago pizza scene was already fierce. To stand out, we made a bet that most weren't willing to make: we would not cut corners on ingredients. Ever.
Aged mozzarella, never a processed substitute. Real spinach leaves, not canned. Homemade pizza sauce built from scratch. The name "Natural" was a commitment before it was a brand: a declaration that this pizza would be made the right way, with quality ingredients.
The Chicago market responded. Our stuffed spinach pizza became a landmark dish: simple in its ingredients, extraordinary in its execution. A double crust encasing mozzarella and real spinach, all under a generous layer of homemade tomato sauce, baked until the bottom is golden and crisp and the filling is molten and rich.
Nearly Five Decades of Stuffed Pizza
Edwardo's Opens in Chicago
Edwardo's Natural Pizza is founded with a core promise: Chicago-style stuffed pizza made with fresh, natural, quality ingredients. The Original Stuffed Spinach Pizza is the signature from day one.
A Reputation Grows
Word spreads across Chicago's Near North Side and beyond. Critics and food writers take notice. The stuffed spinach pizza is named among the best in the city. The thin crust, introduced alongside the stuffed pizza, develops its own devoted following.
Midwest Recognition
Edwardo's earns recognition in critics' and readers' polls across the Midwest, in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. The restaurant becomes known not just for stuffed pizza, but for the standard it sets for quality ingredients.
One Location. Uncompromised Quality.
Edwardo's Natural Pizza operates from a single location at 1212 N Dearborn St, Chicago's Gold Coast. Carryout and delivery only. The same commitment to fresh, natural ingredients. The same pizza, perfected over nearly 50 years.
Quality Ingredients Is Not a Slogan
You can taste the difference between aged Wisconsin mozzarella and processed cheese. Between vine-ripened California tomatoes and what comes in a commercial vat. Between never-bleached flour and whatever's cheapest that week. These differences are why Edwardo's still has customers who drove across the city for a pizza in 1985 and still call to order today.
We don't put "Natural" in our name because it tests well in focus groups. We put it there because it's the operating principle behind every pizza we make. Quality ingredients. No shortcuts. Honest pricing. That's the deal, and we've kept it for nearly 50 years.
Acclaimed Across the Midwest
Edwardo's Natural Pizza has been recognized in critics' and readers' polls for favorite pizza across the Midwest, including Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. This isn't just local pride; it's evidence that the stuffed pizza we make at 1212 N Dearborn St is genuinely worth traveling for.
The thin crust, too, has its champions: diners who will insist, specifically, that the Edwardo's thin crust is the best in Chicago. Two distinct styles, one commitment to quality.
What Makes Chicago Stuffed Pizza Different
Chicago stuffed pizza is not deep-dish. The distinction matters: a stuffed pizza has a bottom crust, then a thick layer of cheese and toppings, then a second thin top crust, and then the tomato sauce goes on top of that second crust.
The double-crust structure means the filling steams inside, keeping the cheese and toppings moist and concentrated while the bottom crust crisps against the pan. The result is a pizza with unusual depth. You eat through layers, each one distinct. At Edwardo's, those layers are made with the best ingredients we can source.
Taste the Difference
1212 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610 · Open Daily 2 PM – 9 PM