When it comes to pizza dough, there are two main types dominating the United States: New York style pizza dough, and Chicago deep dish. And while it’s that super thin New York pizza crust, compared with the thick, deep crust of Chicago style pizza that most people recognize first, there are other differences between these two types of pizza pie.

The first is probably that, because the crust on Chicago pizza is so deep, there’s a lot of room to stuff tons of toppings into it – usually the toppings alone are an inch deep. That’s good news for those who like their pizza with the works, and just about every different topping you can think of. New York pizza on the other hand is super thin, typically made for pepperoni and pepperoni alone. Of course, you can have different toppings on your NYC pie if you choose, but it’s best to keep toppings to a minimum so it doesn’t weigh down that thin crust.

Also because the two different crusts are so different, New York pizza is much more convenient. It’s still one of the most popular NYC street foods today because you can hold it in your hand and just grab it and go. Chicago deep dish however, often needs to be eaten with a knife and fork, and it definitely needs a plate to keep it from falling all over the place (and onto you!)

For those who like a non-greasy pizza, Chicago deep dish is often best as there’s all that crust to help soak up any excess oil, resulting in a drier pizza. One of the trademarks of New York pizza though, is that grease that drips off of it, and often down your hand, which is one of the things many people love most about this style of pizza.

Of course, upon more careful examination, there are probably hundreds of differences between these two very different styles of pizza. These are the biggest ones though, and are the ones that often make NYC or Chicago pizza the favorite among their crowd.