Mystery Diner in Lake in the Hills: Dino’s delivers big on promise of quality pizza

Boasting a wide selection of pizzas, pastas and sandwiches, Dino’s Pizza and Pasta in Lake in the Hills can be a little hard to spot at night, but it’s well worth it.

It was a cool December day when this Mystery Diner decided to head to Dino’s, so the piping hot pies and delicious bread really hit the spot.

For an appetizer, my fellow diner and I decided to split the Dino’s garlic sticks for $4.75.

Breadsticks can be bland and doughy at some restaurants. But this was not the case at Dino’s.

Our order came with four, nice-sized sticks, topped with butter and a fresh garlic spread. It was a perfect starter. The breadsticks were fluffy on the inside, but still had a nice bite to them for an appealing texture.

On the side was a small cup of tomato sauce filled with delicious chunks of actual tomatoes, and peppered with herbs. I wish I had gotten an extra side of the sauce, and will do so next time I go.

The garlic was flavorful, but did not overpower the breadsticks; instead, it was a tasty complement. I definitely suggest sharing the generous starter with someone else to leave room for what’s to come.

Dino’s offers a number of enticing-looking crust options, so there’s something for everyone, whether you want Chicago-style deep dish or stuffed, a crispy thin crust (that according to the Dino’s website is what makes them famous), or a pan pizza ($15.25 for a small).

One of the intriguing offerings is dubbed a double dough, which Dino’s calls their version of hand-tossed pizza. You can get a small pizza for $13.75, or for those with larger appetites, an 18-inch pie is $6 more.

For those who are gluten-free or gluten-sensitive, they have a gluten-free, 10-inch, thin crust for $13.

My guest and I decided to give both the thin and stuffed pizza a try. The small thin-crust pizza cost us $12 for cheese, and to a stuffed pizza, at $16.25 for cheese, we requested pepperoni for an additional $1.58.

The thin crust, as advertised, was crispy and well-done, but not burnt. The sauce Dino’s used was robust, not too thick and not too thin, with a number of spices that kept it interesting, and the cheese was tasty and perfectly salted.

But for me, the stuffed, deep-dish-style pizza was truly a treat. With the sauce on top and a generous helping of cheese, making for a picture-worthy cheese pull, one slice will be all you need, but the rest of the pie warmed up well for leftovers the next day. We chose pepperoni for this pie, which gave the pizza a meaty kick.

Both pizzas had the perfect cheese-to-sauce ratio.

On my next visit to Dino’s, I’ll try the pasta dishes, such as lasagna for $10.25, or mostaccioli for $9.25. Maybe I’ll even splurge and get it baked for a dollar more.

Dino’s delivers to Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Huntley, Crystal Lake and Lakewood. You can order from them using Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Northwest Herald. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Dino’s Pizza and Pasta

WHERE: 6 Miller Road, Lake in the Hills

PHONE: 847-658-3300

INFORMATION: dinospizzalith.com