A Chicago classic & a true South Side staple. A golden-fried dough pocket filled with gooey cheese & savory pizza toppings. Simple, delicious, & iconic.
Q: What is a Pizza Puff at Nicky’s of Beverly?
A: A Pizza Puff is a Chicago-exclusive street food classic — a golden-fried dough pocket filled with gooey cheese & savory pizza toppings. It’s a South Side staple & a must-try for anyone new to Chicago food culture.
Q: Is the Pizza Puff a Chicago original?
A: Yes — the Pizza Puff is a uniquely Chicago creation, found almost exclusively in Chicago & its suburbs. Nicky’s of Beverly keeps this beloved South Side tradition alive.
Q: How did the Pizza Puff come about, and why is it only a Chicago thing?
A: The Pizza Puff’s roots actually go back to tamales, not pizza. A Chicago food company that had been supplying tamales to hot dog stands since the 1920s was asked, decades later, to come up with something pizza-flavored that those same stands could fry to order using equipment they already had. The result, introduced in the mid-1970s, was a hand-stuffed dough pocket filled with Italian sausage, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. The same family-run company still makes the Pizza Puffs found at hot dog stands across Chicago today, which is a big reason the dish has stayed such a local secret.
