Giordano’s Secret Menu Guide 2026

Giordano’s secret menu guide: Giordano’s doesn’t publish an official secret menu, but regulars order off-menu hacks all the time, from half-and-half stuffed pies to tavern-style thin crusts baked well-done. Every trick in this guide works through the Create Your Own builder or a polite in-store request, and each one costs about $1 to $3.65 per extra topping.

Does Giordano’s Have a Secret Menu?

No, there is no official Giordano’s secret menu. Nothing hidden on the website, nothing you have to whisper at the counter. But don’t let that disappoint you, because the off-menu ordering scene at Giordano’s is genuinely good. The stuffed deep dish, the thin crust, and the extra thin crust can all be tweaked through Create Your Own, and most locations will honor half-and-half requests, extra sauce on top, and doneness tweaks. The only hard rule comes straight from Giordano’s own menu: on the specialty “Our Favorites” pizzas, no substitutions. So every Giordano’s off-menu trick in this guide routes through Create Your Own or a build that doesn’t change a specialty pie.

What Are the Best Giordano’s Off-Menu Hacks?

The best Giordano’s off-menu items are all builds regulars have worked out over years of ordering. None of them require a password, just a clear ask. Here’s the rundown of the ones that actually work.

The Half-and-Half Stuffed Pie

Can’t pick between two specialties? Order a half Chicago Classic, half Meat & More Meat. Just say: “Can I do half Chicago Classic and half Meat & More Meat on the stuffed deep dish?” Most locations price it at the higher of the two halves. It’s the oldest Giordano’s pizza secret item there is, and honestly the most practical, one pie, two pizzas, zero arguments at the table.

Extra Sauce on Top

Giordano’s stuffed pizzas already come with marinara ladled over the top, but sauce lovers ask for extra. Script: “Create Your Own stuffed deep dish with double cheese, and extra sauce on top.” It’s a $1.75 small to $2.55 large add (vegetable-topping pricing), and it changes the whole bite ratio.

The Tavern-Style Switch

Locals know Giordano’s does a tavern style, crispy, cracker-thin, cut into squares. Ask for it “tavern style, cut in squares, well-done.” The well-done bake is the key part, it gives you that blistered, almost burnt-edge crunch Chicagoans argue about. This is one of the best Giordano’s deep dish ordering tips for people who think they don’t like deep dish: it eats like a completely different restaurant.

BBQ-Basted Chicken Swap

The menu’s Bacon BBQ Chicken uses BBQ-basted chicken with balsamic onions. But you can ask for BBQ-basted chicken as your Create Your Own protein instead of plain chicken breast. Same $2.75 to $3.65 protein upcharge range, way more flavor. Say: “Create Your Own thin crust with BBQ-basted chicken, bacon, and balsamic onions, but on the stuffed crust.” That’s not a menu item anywhere, but the kitchen has every ingredient.

Giardiniera Everything

Giardiniera peppers are on the vegetable add list ($1.00 to $2.55), and a spoonful on a Meat & More Meat stuffed pie is the most Chicago thing you can order without ordering Italian beef. Ask for it “light” on half the pie if your table has a spice skeptic.

Crust Dipping Sauces

Giordano’s offers dipping sauces for the crust (marinara, ranch, buffalo, BBQ) for about $1.25. The marinara for a thin crust and the ranch for a stuffed crust are the two correct answers. This one flies under the radar because it’s a menu footnote most people skip.

How Do I Build a Giordano’s Create Your Own Pizza Like a Regular?

Giordano’s Create Your Own pizza is the real secret menu, and regulars treat it like a system. Start with the stuffed deep dish cheese as your base (small around $17.65, large around $24.95), then add vegetable toppings ($1.00 to $2.55 each) and protein toppings ($1.55 to $3.65 each). The sweet spot regulars aim for: three proteins max on a stuffed pie. More than that and the fillings fight each other, and honestly you stop tasting the cheese, which is the whole point of going to Giordano’s. A classic regular’s build is sausage, mushrooms, and green peppers, which is basically the Special minus the onion, or double pepperoni with toasted garlic and jalapeños for heat. For Giordano’s menu customization on a budget, stick to a cheese base plus one premium protein like bacon, the upcharge is small and the payoff is huge.

What Are the Best Giordano’s Deep Dish Ordering Tips?

Giordano’s deep dish ordering tips matter more than any off-menu trick, because the 45-minute bake time is the one thing that ruins visits. Giordano’s own menu says to allow about 45 minutes for deep dish, and they mean it, these are baked to order. The regulars’ playbook: order your pizza the moment you sit down, before you even look at the rest of the menu, and get starters (cheesy garlic bread, mozzarella triangles) at the same time. The starters arrive while the pie bakes, and the wait disappears. In a hurry? Order the thin crust, which bakes in about 35 minutes, or call ahead for carryout so it’s coming out of the oven as you walk in. And remember one slice of stuffed deep dish is a real meal, a large feeds four to six easily.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Prices last verified: October 19, 2026. See the official Giordano’s menu as the source of truth.

🔗 Related Reading