Via Chicago

I really wanted to love Via Chicago, especially as someone managing both gluten and dairy allergies. I built my own medium pizza with the gluten-free crust and the vegan cheese combo (Daiya and tofu ricotta). Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit the mark for me. The crust was thinner and a bit tougher than expected (definitely not worthy of the Chicago style title), but the biggest issue was the cheese… It was so heavy and overpowering that it completely overshadowed the rest of the pizza. Being from Chicago, I fully understand that Chicago style pizza has a lot of cheese, but when you’re working with alternative cheeses, certain alterations need to be made because they simply DO NOT cook the same as regular cheese options. The texture ended up being more slimy than satisfying, and there was more cheese than crust. There was actually more cheese than anything else, including the toppings that I added (pepperoni, pineapple and supposedly onion, but I didn’t see or taste that on the pizza) Ultimately, I understand that allergy-friendly options are often more expensive, but when I’m paying $35 for a medium pizza, I at least hope I’ll want to eat the leftovers. Sadly, that wasn’t the case here. While I appreciate the effort to offer gluten-free and vegan options, I don’t think I’ll be returning. If you’re looking for great gluten-free and vegan pizza in Portland, I’d highly recommend Boxcar instead, they do it Detroit style and they do it right!

Love this restaurant. The owner is real deal Chicagoan and super nice! I never knew I loved deep dish until I ate here. Been eating here since they opened. Also, the best place to get house made gluten free crust and house made vegan ricotta. Craving a pizza pie but don't eat wheat or dairy? This is the place!

The best GF crust! The Gluten-free Chicago Deep Dish Pizza is truly amazing. Legit GF deep-dish pizza like I’ve never seen before. Great menu, slices, small (full) bar, and people. Check this place out!