Chicago deep dish, from North Shields to Newcastle

How Pigalos began in North Shields

Pigalos began with our head chef, Aaron, and a fascination with Chicago pizza: the enormous cheese pulls, and the pans he bought straight from the heart of Chicago, Illinois. In North Shields, during Covid, that fascination became our first little restaurant, Pigalo's American, which started life as a burger eatery. Burgers kept the kitchen busy, but in the background we were perfecting our Chicago dough recipe.

Our Chicago deep dish method

That dough is where a proper Chicago deep dish starts, and the pan is where it finishes. We spent our early days getting the recipe right, and the pans came straight from Chicago, Illinois. The result is a tall, cheesy deep dish with the kind of cheese pull that first hooked Aaron, and it became the pizza people started talking about.

From Nile Street to Bigg Market, Newcastle

That talk took off at our new home on Nile Street in North Shields, where we became Pigalo's Speakeasy and TikTok and Instagram did the rest. With a heavy heart, we have since closed that restaurant, but the story didn't end there. Our first restaurant in Newcastle city centre, Pigalos at Louie's Liquor Store on Bigg Market, is where it continues.

Burgers, deep dish and Sunday roast in Newcastle

At Louie's, Chicago deep dish is still what we're known for, but the menu has grown. If you're after burgers in Newcastle, try the PB & Duncan: double smashed patties stacked with American cheese, crispy streaky bacon, crunchy peanut butter and homemade chilli jam in a toasted seeded brioche bun. It contains peanuts. Burgers aren't the only addition, because on Sundays the kitchen does a roast too, in Newcastle city centre. Searching for the best burgers in Newcastle, or the best Sunday roast? Come and judge for yourself. What does the future hold for our little Chicago deep dish restaurant? Watch this space.