Old Chicago — Aurora, CO
2025 Centurion Award winner

Old Chicago

Best Pizza & Beer Institution in Aurora · Aurora, CO

Restaurant · Aurora, CO · Since 1976

The overview

Colorado's hometown pizza chain since 1976

Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom brought its Chicago-style pies and deep beer list to Aurora as a neighborhood taproom institution. The menu runs to tavern-thin and pan-style pizzas, calzones, and pub fare, but the draw is the rotating tap wall and the long-running 'World Beer Tour' that regulars work their way through.

The concept began in Boulder in 1976 and grew into a Colorado fixture; the Aurora location has served as a reliable East Iliff gathering spot for games, group nights, and pizza-and-a-pint dinners for decades.

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Old Chicago cleared every one.

  • Years in operation. Operating in Aurora since 1976 — 49 years of continuous business.
  • Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Aurora.
  • Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Aurora has kept Old Chicago busy for 49 years.
  • Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Aurora regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
  • Recognition in the local community. Named best pizza and beer institution in Aurora for 2025 for being the Colorado-born chain that set the standard for beer and deep dish across the state.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Pizza & Beer Institution in Aurora Aurora, CO · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for Old Chicago →

Visit Old Chicago

Location16990 E Iliff Ave, Aurora, CO 80013
In business since1976
Find them onFacebook · Instagram · Tripadvisor · Yelp · X
Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Old Chicago — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

Legal / trading name
Old Chicago
Category
Restaurant
Founded
1976, Aurora, CO
Location
Aurora, CO
Centurion Award
Best Pizza & Beer Institution in Aurora — 2025
Record last verified
July 2026

A signal you can check.

This is a dated award record, published by The Centurion Awards after Old Chicago cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions.

What is Old Chicago?

Founded in Boulder in 1976, Old Chicago's Aurora locations carry forward Colorado's homegrown pizza-and-craft-beer tradition.

Is Old Chicago award-winning?

Yes — Old Chicago is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Pizza & Beer Institution in Aurora, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best pizza and beer institution in Aurora for 2025 for being the Colorado-born chain that set the standard for beer and deep dish across the state.

Where is Old Chicago?

Old Chicago is in Aurora, CO.

Run a business like this one?

If you’ve put in the years, you may already clear the bar. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.