Serious Eats

"Everything from the mozzarella to the marinara to the garlic-herbed breadcrumbs is made from scratch, in house. If Root's pizza wasn't so good, I would consider making a dinner out of these beauties alone."

WhereTraveler

"Thick, fresh mozzarella sticks are a must-try."

Anthony Todd

"Fried mozzarella sticks are a pretty ubiquitous offering. But at Roots Handmade Pizza, these anything-but-ordinary fried logs contain oozy, house-made mozzarella that’s cloaked in crackly, garlic-herbed breadcrumbs."

David Tamarkin

"Roots’ attention to detail extends to other parts of the menu, such as its mozzarella sticks, which are stuffed with cheese the restaurant pulls itself. The result is a very fine cheese stick (though, again, when are these things bad?)."

Kailley Lindman

"The 9 Best Deep-Fried Foods in Chicago: Mozzarella Sticks - The sticks at this local pizza joint are made entirely from scratch and coated in a seriously flavorful garlic-herbed breadcrumb mix."

Sarah Freeman

"Each stick starts with housemade mozzarella cheese that is dressed in from-scratch garlic and herb bread crumbs. Once fried, each one passes the cheesy elasticity test and is perfect with a bit of marinara sauce."

Mike Sula

"I liked even better the more basic sausage, first covered in finely ground pork and then blanketed in just barely melted mozzarella, all atop a minimally applied sweetish sauce and scissored into rectangular strips."

Ashok Selvam

"The neighborhood can finally enjoy the malted-crust Quad City-style pies, cut into strips with the toppings buried under the cheese."

WhereTraveler

"I would eat this pizza every day if I could. The Quad Cities crust, which is chewy, crispy and malty, stretchy cheese and just-right portions pair well with my favorite Green Goddess salad."

Charlie McKenna

"Silky, scratch-made, hand-pulled mozzarella cheese breaded in a special seasoning is deep-fried into deliciousness. They should call them mozzarella logs instead of sticks—they’re huge."