Chicagoan checking in. The pizza you see in this post is the style we're eating 95% of the time. Growing up, my family probably had deep dish 2-3 times a year or when someone out of town is visiting.

The deep dish varieties you speak of are just coming from different restaurants. Lou's is on the thinner side of deep dish where as Giordano's has thicker crust and more cheese. Lou's my favorite and is the spot I take people who want to try deep dish.