The last time I had authentic, Chicago-style, deep dish pizza was when I was 12 years old. My family and I went all the way to Chicago on the train. It took three and a half days but it was worth it. That was more than 10 years ago and if I want to have that experience again I might have to hop back on that train.

Chicago Fire, located at 2416 J St., serves as authentic of a deep dish pizza as you can get in Sacramento.

Upon entering Chicago Fire, you try to fool yourself into thinking that you just walked out of the streets of the Windy City and into the safe and warm haven of your favorite pizzeria. The pictures of other classic pizza places adorn the walls; you take in a deep breath and that smell of pepperoni and mozzarella overwhelms you.

A flickering candle sits at your table as the dim lights and soulful jazz music sets the mood. You can’t help but be excited, then after 15 minutes of waiting without as much as a glass of water, your enthusiasm starts to fade.

You stop pretending that outside that window is the Sears Tower and realize that it’s a used tire shop. The lit-up Chicago skyline that rides along the top of the walls dividing the tables suddenly seems out of place, like the restaurant is forcing the issue. The cynicism and bitterness of living in the pseudo-big city of Sacramento starts to creep back into your psyche and you wonder, “In Chicago, do they have any Sacramento-themed restaurants?”

Of course they don’t, so why do so many cities have Chicago-themed restaurants?

The wonderful deep dish pizza is the answer, and in case you couldn’t tell, that was sarcasm. The pizza itself is not entirely bad. In fact, everyone else in Chicago Fire seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a bit; but the bang for your buck doesn’t exactly equal out.

The average cost of one of the three different styles of pizza offered at Chicago fire is around $20 to $25. The restaurant serves the thin crust, which according to its menu is a favorite of real life Chicagoans, the aforementioned deep dish, and the big brother of the deep dish, the stuffed pizza. The crust is deep and flaky with a layer of cheese covered by the toppings of your choice, as well as sauce made from premium plum tomatoes.

The pizza was good in the way that ham is good on Thanksgiving. It’s delicious, but you’ll never really be satisfied until you get the turkey, and in this case, until you go to Chicago. The stuffed pizza consists of one crust topped with cheese and toppings followed by an additional crust covered with the premium plum tomato sauce. For the privilege of going to a fairly upscale restaurant, that price range is not bad, but if good pizza is what matters most to you, there are far superior places.

Just a little farther up J Street is Original Pete’s Pizza, where an extra large pizza will run in the same price range as a medium pizza at Chicago Fire. It tastes better, serves more people and the service there is better. One drawback though is the lack of the deep dish option, in which case Chicago Fire comes out on top. If you are craving that not-so-ordinary pizza, that deepest of dishes, that authentic Chicago style, then take a chance and go to Chicago Fire.

Once I was served my water, the service remarkably improved. The pizza isn’t bad, maybe not worth the price, but certainly not bad. The thing to remember as well is that you’re not just paying for a pizza; you’re paying for an experience, for your train ticket to Chicago. Leave your coats and cowbells at the door and take in a deep breath letting the smell of sausage and fresh tomatoes surround you. Just hope that once you do get seated, you’re not that thirsty.

Matt Rascher can be reached at [email protected]