We Found Real Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Right Here In Mississippi
Chicago deep dish is not the kind of pizza most people expect to find in a tiny Mississippi town. That is exactly what makes this place so fun.
In a small town, thick pies come out with tall edges, plenty of cheese, and the kind of hearty build usually associated with a much colder city hundreds of miles away.
Then the menu throws in fried catfish, creating a combination that sounds unusual until you realize how well it fits the setting.
That contrast is part of the charm. Mississippi comfort food meets Chicago pizza without either side trying too hard to impress.
Even better, this is not a new experiment chasing a trend. The place has been around for more than two decades, giving people plenty of time to figure out that deep dish can feel right at home in Mississippi.
A Small Town With A Big City Appetite
Como sits off Interstate 55 in north Mississippi, a town where the pace moves slower than the traffic passing by.
The buildings along the main strip are old brick, sturdy and low, with the kind of storefronts that have watched decades roll through.
Nothing about the setting suggests a pan of Chicago deep dish waiting inside. That contrast is half the fun. Como sits about 45 miles south of Memphis just off Interstate 55, making Main Street an easy food detour through north Mississippi.
Word travels fast in a place this size. Saturday nights bring extra energy, with live bands and local musicians scheduled to start around 7:30.
What makes the spot worth the detour is the honest mix of influences. Midwest recipes sit beside Southern staples, and neither one feels like a guest. Fried catfish and Italian beef share equal billing.
Small towns keep secrets well, but this one has been leaking for years. Visitors come for curiosity and return for the food. That kind of loyalty is not easy to build, and it says plenty about what comes out of the kitchen.
That mix gives Como more personality than its size suggests. Main Street feels relaxed, but the menu inside gives a road trip a reason to slow down for a while.
Windy City Grille Plants Its Flag On Main
The name gives away the inspiration. Windy City Grille opened in 2002 and has kept its doors swinging ever since, which is no small feat for any restaurant, let alone one serving deep dish in cotton country.
You will find it at 217 Main St in Como, Mississippi, set inside the historic brick stretch that gives the town its character.
The building looks the part of an old Southern storefront until you read the menu.
The Chicago theme carries into the menu, where names inspired by places like Grant Park and the Magnificent Mile sit beside the signature deep dish pies.
The restaurant says it can accommodate up to seventy five diners, and a screened patio adds an outdoor option out back. The patio is the pick on mild evenings when the air cools and the bugs stay outside where they belong.
Doors open at eleven every day of the week. Closing time stretches to eleven on Friday and Saturday, ten most other nights, and nine on Sunday. Plan accordingly, because the tables do not stay empty long.
The setting helps the restaurant feel like part of the town rather than a roadside stop. Brick walls outside and a lively dining room inside make the contrast work.
Deep Dish Built Like A Proper Pan Pie
Order the deep dish and prepare to wait. Real pan pizza needs oven time, and the kitchen here does not rush it. Good things and hot cheese both take patience.
What arrives is tall and heavy, with a crust wall holding in layers of cheese, toppings, and chunky tomato sauce spread across the top.
A fork and knife are not optional. The first slice usually comes out with a cheese pull long enough to make the table go quiet.
Sausage is the classic pick and a smart one. The toppings are laid on with a generous hand, so nobody leaves wondering where the meat went.
Hot giardiniera is available as a pizza topping, adding a tangy, peppery kick to a deep dish order. It is a Chicago habit worth borrowing.
Thin crust also appears on the menu for anyone who wants a lighter round. Both versions get the same attention, though the deep dish is the reason most first timers make the drive.
Split one across the table. A whole pan is a serious commitment for a single appetite. This is not the pizza to order when everyone wants something fast.
The weight, layers, and oven time are part of the experience, so sharing one makes sense.
Catfish That Reminds You Where You Are
Pizza may carry the headline, but catfish is the quiet champion of this menu.
The current menu gives catfish several chances to shine, including fried catfish strips and the Navy Pier Fish Dinner with hush puppies and house made coleslaw.
Friday keeps fish in the spotlight with a Fish and Chips lunch special, while fried catfish stays on the regular menu throughout the week.
The cornmeal coating stays light rather than heavy, which lets the fillet taste like fish instead of batter. That balance is harder to hit than it sounds, and plenty of places miss it.
Pair it with the homemade onion rings, which are thick cut, hand breaded, and served with remoulade or ranch.
Having a Southern classic and a Midwest classic on the same table feels a little odd at first. Two bites in, the logic sorts itself out just fine.
The catfish keeps the menu grounded firmly in Mississippi. It also gives mixed groups an easy answer when somebody wants Southern food while everyone else wants pizza.
Italian Beef And Other Northern Transplants
Chicago natives passing through tend to test one thing first. The Italian beef sandwich is the benchmark, and this kitchen takes it seriously.
Italian beef comes piled onto a toasted hoagie with mozzarella and au jus, with hot giardiniera available as an extra. Eating one neatly is nearly impossible, so grab extra napkins and accept your fate.
Burgers cover another corner of the menu, giving anyone skipping pizza an easy alternative.
Toasted sandwiches, pasta plates, wings, and loaded fries or chips fill out the rest. Fettuccine Alfredo shows up for anyone who wants comfort food without the pan pizza wait.
Salads add a lighter option, with Caesar, Greek, spinach, and chopped combinations currently filling that part of the menu.
Appetizers deserve a mention as well. Fried ravioli make a fine opener while the oven does its slow work on a deep dish order.
The variety means a table full of picky eaters can all walk away satisfied. One person gets pizza, another gets a burger, and nobody has to negotiate.
The sandwich side of the menu makes the Chicago influence feel broader than deep dish alone. It also gives repeat visitors something different to order the next time around.
Saturday Nights Come With A Soundtrack
Music runs deep in this corner of Mississippi, and the restaurant leans into that heritage.
Saturday evenings often bring live performers starting around 7:30, filling the room with sound while plates keep moving.
The lineup changes week to week, with local bands and musicians handling the Saturday night soundtrack.
Live music starts around 7:30 on Saturdays, so plan dinner around the set if the music is part of the reason you are going.
Sunday brings a different energy. The Sunday Funday stretch runs from eleven in the morning until three in the afternoon, lunch included, and the mood is relaxed and family friendly.
Weekday lunch specials run from 11 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon, giving you a food focused reason to visit before dinner.
Big screens show sporting events, adding another reason the room gets lively on game days. The room can get loud, which is usually a sign you picked the right night to show up.
Come for dinner, stay for the set. The evening stretches longer than planned.
How To Time Your Visit Just Right
Timing matters with a deep dish order. The restaurant warns that its Chicago style pies can take longer to cook when the kitchen gets busy.
Doors open at eleven every day, and weekday lunch specials run until three in the afternoon.
Bring patience if you are ordering deep dish. The current menu specifically warns that cook times can run longer when the restaurant is busy.
A screened patio gives groups another seating option when the weather cooperates.
Como is about forty miles south of Memphis, which makes the trip an easy afternoon run. The exit off Interstate 55 puts you minutes from Main Street.
Pair the meal with a stroll around town. The old storefronts and quiet streets make a pleasant walk while the pizza settles.
Sunday closes at nine, earlier than the rest. Keep that in mind before a late arrival.