A Detroit-style pizza hits all the right notes — a thick crunchy crust, caramelized brick-cheese edge called the frico and rich red sauce spooned over the toppings. Find the real deal at these seven Motor City institutions, including the spot where the glory began.
Buddy’s Pizza
This is the birthplace of Detroit-style pizza, so it’s “no surprise its pies rank among the best,” said Detroit Metro Times. Back in 1946, Italian immigrant Gus Guerra borrowed forged-steel pans from an auto plant and made his first square pizza, its interior “soft” and bottom crust “crispy.”
The rest is history, with countless other pizza places putting their own spin on the style. Buddy’s dough is “light and airy” and the “gooey, flavorful” cheese “caramelizes into crispy perfection,” said Detroit Metro Times. There are multiple locations; the flagship is at 17125 Conant St.
Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant
Gus Guerra didn’t just leave his mark at Buddy’s. After selling the pizzeria (and his recipe) in 1953, he went on to establish the beloved Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant in Eastpointe, which his family still operates today.
The menu features a build-your-own pizza option, alongside more adventurous specialties like the BLT with bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise and the Mexican Pizza covered in ground beef, banana peppers, green peppers and cheddar cheese and served with sour cream and salsa.
Grandma Bob’s
Grandma Bob’s “creative” flavors bring traditional Detroit-style pizza into a “new age,” said Bon Appétit. Take the Lobster Roll Pizza. It’s a classic, crispy square pizza topped with lobster, “herbaceous” crème fraîche, crushed kettle chips and chives, with drawn butter and lemon on the side for your “dipping and drizzling pleasure.” Vegans can also get in on the fun combinations; the Big Mack is loaded with Impossible Burger, vegan mozzarella and Thousand Island dressing, pickles, white onion, iceberg lettuce and sesame seeds.
Loui’s Pizza
This “iconic” pizzeria “stands in a league of its own,” said the Detroit Metro Times. Loui’s pies start with crusts that are the “ideal mix of crunch and fluff,” and only get better as a “bold and tangy” sauce is “generously ladled” over an “abundance of cheese.” The atmosphere inside the restaurant is “just as inviting as its pizza,” with wine bottles hanging over the tables covered in checkered cloths.
Michigan & Trumbull Pizza
There’s always a new pizza to try at Michigan & Trumbull. The menu is “guided by Detroit’s seasons,” with monthly specials featuring locally grown ingredients, said Bon Appétit. While Detroit-style pizza is known for its “racing stripes of red sauce,” Michigan & Trumbull has a robust selection of white pizzas, like the Cadieux e Pepe, which “reimagines” cacio e pepe, and the Bagley Chorizo with pickled red onion and cilantro ranch. For the “staunch traditionalists,” you can build your own pie with red sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and whatever toppings you’d like.
Shield’s
Open since 1937, Shield’s is a “real old-school pizza restaurant,” and you can savor history in every bite, said Tasting Table. Pies are cooked in pans that have been used for years, and it’s almost like the flavors from the past are “infused into every new pizza made.”
For all of its “fantastic” pies, said Tasting Table, Shield’s uses the customary brick cheese, which melts all over the crust. There are nearly a dozen specialty pizzas to choose from, with the spicy Gold Medal, featuring Italian banana peppers and sweet red bell peppers, an award winner.
Sicily’s Pizzeria & Subs
Sicily’s, known for its sourdough crust, has been feeding Detroit since 1989. Fans appreciate this twist on the traditional approach, along with Sicily’s dedication to using locally produced ingredients. Other menu items that set the place apart include the Tomato Pie, which eliminates the mozzarella, and the East Coast White Pie that’s heavy on the garlic and multiple cheeses.