Stefano’s Chicago Style Pizza

We wish we would have read the reviews because we most definitely would have changed our minds. My friend and I has never been to Knoxville. We seen chicago style pizza and got excited, but if Chicago style consists of thick doughy dry bread and little to no sauce then we would have rather ate Pizza Hut or Papa Johns. We walked inside no greeting was given. We told the lady we were new to town she said «Okay» and that’s it. She just stood there. When we received our pizza, it looked good, but the bread was waaay to thick. The toppings were good but that’s it. We ordered half ground beef and pepperoni with green bell peppers on wheat bread. I have had wheat bread before but never that thick. We automatically assumed that Chicago Style was deep dish but I guess not. The pizza wasn’t horrible but not the best.

Stefanos is a bit of a blast from the past for me. There is a similar pizza place on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington called Pizzaria, and this place reminded me of Pizzaria very much.
Interior is wood throughout and homey and cozy. They could use a mop and a bucket and a dust rag with Endust, but I wasn’t completely grossed out. I like the salad bar but the toppings were minimal. What kind of salad bar doesn’t have carrots? The lettuce looked like it may have been chopped yesterday and the dressings were a disaster.
With all of that being said, the price was great. I was able to enjoy a 32oz Lagunitas IPA for like $ 4! The pizza was cheap and pretty tasty as well.
This place could use some improvement, but as long as a pizza place has decent pizza, I’m okay. Fun fact: the brah running the register had some leg damage and was a wearing some contraption that allowed him to rest his leg on a pad while walking, giving one the impression that he was a pirate with a peg leg if viewed from the right angle. Pirate fascination aside, that is awesome! 3.5 stars

The service there is AMAZING, especially from the manager, Andrew Crenshaw. The pizza was delicious and was made efficiently! I ordered the «lady vol» and it was by far the most authentic Chicago style pizza I’ve had in TN. I truly love coming through Knoxville to pick up one of the local greats!

You can always go across the street to one of the cheaper franchised pizza places (of which I admittedly order my fair share), but as far as value goes you would be better served by using a coupon at Stefanos and paying just a few dollars more. The pizza is very filling and well-​made. I usually do take-​out to avoid delivery charges but when I do get delivery it’s always very prompt.

My favorite pizza place ever. Cheap, delicious, and a peaceful environment. I went there all the time when I went to UT!

This TIED for my favorite pizza in Knoxville… And it’s totally affordable. My only issue is they have a small delivery radius. Besides that, the pizza sauce is AMAZING. I always get extra sauce with wheat dough. Tons of coupons when you take out, they take school coupon book deals, and have daily specials. Monday’s you can get a large 1 topping for $ 11.99 and get breadsticks thrown in.

Stefano’s has a solid product. I always enjoy their pizza… but I rarely seek it out. I will say though, I love their salad and pizza lunch buffet on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s an awesome way to try different items (like the whole wheat crust – yum!). Also, I like the fact that the «buffet» is really behind the counter, with employees serving what you request. This cuts way down on the germ factor!
If you’ve never had Stefano’s, it deserves a try. Just make sure you hit the lunch buffet.

Great. For a deep dish, the pizza is delicious. Place feels a little dirty, but the service is genuine.

Wheat crust all the way. They do dine-​in, take out, and delivery, so you have many an avenue to get this delicious, delicious pizza. A Strip landmark. Please don’t ever change!

The quest for the killer pizza continues. I found this pizza to be a bit too doughy and dry for me. It’s not deep dish, wouldn’t even classify it as pan pizza. I struggled with the dough yo, I ain’t playing. This place is a no frills type place, just booths and a TV. They did have 4 beers on tap and a decent bottled beer selection, they scored points for having Highland Kashmir IPA on draft. They have daily specials, we got a large, 3 topping pizza for 12.99 which is a great deal. We had the whole wheat crust with sun dried tomatoes, Canadian bacon, and pepperoni. The guys at the counter were quite friendly, pizza came out pretty fast too. I’d give this place another go. A word of caution, traffic construction is a nightmare right now on Cumberland and will get even worse once school kicks back in.

So much of the strip has changed since I graduated from UT in 2010 but this place is almost exactly how it was when I was a student. I hadn’t been in a few years so I was anxious to get back and try it. It did not disappoint. Their pizza is awesome. It’s not flashy. You won’t be impressed by the presentation but it tastes really freaking good which is all I care about. It doesn’t look like they have changed anything (except the TV’s) in years. This will turn some people away but it is a plus for me. It looks almost identical to the way it did in college. Get the whole wheat dough for your pizza. My personal favorite is pepperoni. It’s simple but so good just like the restaurant.

Great pizza, when you can get it. Tonight they had closed up early — the second time this has happened to me recently.

Ordered Stefano’s delivery last night. It was our first time having it, but it certainly won’t be the last.
It’s advertised as Chicago Style, but don’t think that this means it’s it’s deep dish. It’s a great pan pizza though.
The pizza had a great crust, an absolutely crazy amount of cheese. The sausage was quite flavorful, which is often rare for a pizza topping. Also, it was huge. We got the «Lady Vol,» which had a great combination of flavors. The tomatoes were a bit odd, but still pretty good.
We also got some wings, honey bbq. While they were pretty okay, the ½ pound order was a mere 5 wings. This was really disappointing.
Overall, we got a large pizza and wings for $ 25. They also delivered it in 24 minutes, which is super fast.
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It does not reheat well, just for the record.

Pizza is decent however the claim «chicago style» is ridiculous. The pizza shouldn’t even constitute as deep dish, don’t be fooled it’s pan pizza. If you’re looking for deep dish pizza in knoxville I’m afraid to disappoint but there is no legit contender.

The pizza is the best we have ever tasted — hands down. We’ve been eating at Stefano’s for years. The whole wheat crust is a must and the cheese is plentiful and delicious. For a snack or dessert, try the cinnamon sticks; they’re absolutely delicious! The only suggestion we would make is updating the décor. The tables aren’t dirty when we dine in, but they’re so old. The chairs could use a little matching, as well. A little updating would go a long way!

Definitely not the best pizza place on the strip. It IS the only place you can get somewhat close to a «Chicago style» pizza. However the pizza is very greasy.

Stefanos… oh man.
No I am not talking about the evil lothario dude from «Days of Our Lives» who was in Jaws 2.
I am talking about wheat crust, top o the line pizza sauce smothered in cheese like you wouldn’t gd believe!
Oh man I remember it like yesterday…
1994 sometime in the summer my father buys that big fat coupon book, you remember those right they used to sell em in the school or whatever. Anywhoo gets a coupn for Stefanos. We go there and I had reservations about it, the smell of what I attributed to feet permeated the air, I was reluctant. My father orders a large cheese pizza. I walk over and see a set of arcade consoles, Galaga, Indiana Jones and the temple of doom, the joysticks covered in a light bit of grease. Of course I am just watching the demo till the pizza comes out, pop was too stingy/​frugal to give me a few quarters.
The pizza comes, the traditional red tumbler plastic lucite acrylic cups with the pitcher of sprite. We guzzle, we play games… we have fun.
Probably my first foray into chicago style/​pizzeria style pizza… I’ll never forget it.
Stefanos glad to see you are still kickin’ it… hopefully old school.
To me the corner stone of a great pizza is the sauce and Stefanos had it, I can’t quite find it anywhere today but it was memorable and delicious.

This pizza is very good. However, this is not your traditional Chicago-​style pizza. The sauce is on bottom, and the toppings and cheese are on top. I tried a medium white crust pizza with sausage and onions. The flavor was good, and not what I expected. I think since it’s supposed to be a Chicago-​style pizzeria, I was expecting a thicker, heavier sauce. The crust was a nice balance of soft with crispy edges and bottom.

Stefanos is delicious! It’s like pizza hut as far as the thickness but less greasy. They REALLY give you your money’s worth on the toppings, just look at the photo I added. My pizza had plenty of sauce, good quality toppings, and was absolutely covered in cheese. If you are in the mood for deep dish style pizza then look no further because stefanos is the best for this style I’ve ate in Knoxville!

Local college favorite and pretty much the only stefano’s pizza joint around. All others got closed down during the buy out.
A lot of locals come and eat here and you’d might even run into a mini reunion. The people are nice and the bathroom is clean for what it is. Nothing has changed in place in regards to ambiance. The pizza goodness remains the same if not better
The pizza is amazing. Cast iron pizza pan like deep dish style. Very similar to Chicago style pizza. They make their own dough and let it rise overnight. Sauces are also made from scratch and you can truly taste the homemade.
Need I say more? Go get yourself a slice or a whole pie.