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16 Places Dishing Up Detroit-Style Pizza

Where to find crispy cornered slices in the home of the square pizza

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Detroit-style pizza has earned a reputation as one of the best slices in the country thanks to its distinct rectangular shape, light and airy dough, crispy caramelized cheese perimeter, and delightful crunch.

It’s no surprise that Detroit-style pizza is catching on, and within the last decade, Detroit-style pizza restaurants have popped up all over the country with unique takes on the pan pie. The square pizza is extremely versatile, accommodating all types of toppings from charred and curled pepperoni cups to ghost pepper.

Fans of square pizza can still find the original recipe served at Buddy’s on Conant, where it’s been baked in blue steel pans since 1946. But there are many other worthy versions around the metro area to try. From über cheesy, sauce-on-top squares at Loui’s Pizza in Hazel Park to spicy Bangladeshi-style naga slices at Amar Pizza in Hamtramck, here’s where to check out Detroit’s regional style around town.

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Uncle Andy's Pizza

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This Berkley carry-out-only shop serves Detroit-style pizza with various toppings. The Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger features ground beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, and onions. A more classic approach is taken with the Supreme, topped with bacon, green peppers, ham, mushrooms, onions, pepperoni, and sausage. When building any pie, guests have the option to shift any topping to one side or the other or spread them across the entire pizza.

Palazzo Di Pizza

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This carryout square pizza spot in Royal Oak was co-founded by the late World Champion pizza maker and Detroit Style Pizza Company operator Shawn Randazzo, who passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer. Some say Randazzo helped spark the current Detroit-style pizza craze at U.S. restaurants by presenting the style on a national stage. The menu features a blend of traditional brick cheese and mozzarella with dollops of red sauce on top and fresh grated Parmesan. Toppings range from spicy peppers and sausage to chicken carbonara pizza, complete with bacon and alfredo sauce. A large pizza here comes in the form of two small pizzas for a total of eight crispy corners.

Green Lantern Pizza

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This old-school pizza parlor mini chain goes back more than 60 years to when Thomas and Irene Vettraino bought an old farmhouse bar in Madison Heights, complete with a Prohibition-era green lantern. The restaurant serves three styles of pizza, including a Detroit-style pan pizza covered in a thick layer of melty cheese and perfectly curled roni cups with little pools of grease at the center. Unlike the traditional Detroit-style, the sauce here is placed beneath the cheese rather than layered over the top.

Como's Restaurant

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Como’s, a longtime Italian restaurant at the corner of Nine Mile and Woodward Avenue, underwent major renovations, returning in 2019 with trendy Detroit-style pizza. Chef Zack Sklar’s version of the square pan pizza uses a sourdough starter that’s fermented for three days to give it a light, spongy, flavorful crust that’s complemented by toppings such as hand-cut pepperonis and Grana Padano cheese. This spot has vegan and gluten-free options on the menu, too.

Loui's Pizza

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Founded by a former pizza chef from Buddy’s and Shield’s, Loui’s in Hazel Park serves a hearty version of Detroit-style square pizza with a perfectly charred yet buttery crust, melted cheese, and robust sauce. Don’t forget to add an antipasto salad to the order and maybe a bottle of Chianti.

Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant

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This Eastpointe pizzeria was established by Buddy’s founder Gus Guerra and thus also claims to serve a version of the original Detroit-style pizza recipe. Per tradition, the pizzas at Cloverleaf are baked in a high-walled, rectangular pan in order to amplify the crunchy, cheesy corners.

The Detroit Pizza Bar

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In spring 2022, Marcus Jones and Akunna Olumba brought halal Detroit-style pizza and soul food to Livernois and 6 Mile. The Coleman Young pizza is a neighborhood favorite with ingredients of shrimp, crabmeat, lobster, cheese, garlic, and white sauce. The pizzeria combines quick and full service with the chance to enjoy pies on the building’s rooftop terrace during the warmer months. The pizzeria also participates in a profit-sharing model with its staff, which is made up of residents of the neighborhood.

Buddy's Pizza

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When people say Detroit-style square pizza, they mean Buddy’s Pizza. The restaurant has expanded to over a dozen locations over the years and is supposed to eventually go national. The restaurant on Conant is the original, the beloved, the often imitated but never (in the minds and hearts of Detroiters) surpassed. Plenty of toppings are available, but most go for the classic square pie baked into blue steel pans and topped with loads of melty, caramelized brick cheese, pepperoni, and a drizzle of red sauce on top.

a square pepperoni pizza being served onto plates over a black and white checked tablecloth with macaroni and cheese in a dish.
Buddy’s Pizza on Conant.
Michelle and Chris Gerard

Amar Pizza

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Hamtramck staple Amar Pizza fuses Bangladeshi, American, and Italian flavors into some really intriguing pies. While rounds and thin-crust pizzas are available, it’s hard to go wrong with Amar’s square pizza. Amar applies its own innovative twist on the old-school square by placing sauce underneath the cheese rather than on top, as well utilizing traditional Bangladeshi ingredients, spicy chicken naga, fry fish, and for the spice lovers, a fiery ghost pepper.

Z's Villa

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Tucked inside a big Victorian house in Milwaukee Junction, Z’s Villa is known for its massive outdoor area filled with patio games and beach volleyball. The square pan pizzas here are topped with a three-cheese blend and served whole or by-the-slice. Customize the pizza with toppings like pepperoni, kielbasa, hot peppers, and anchovies.

Shield's Pizza

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Founded in Detroit in 1937, Shield’s is known for its pan pizzas. The metro area chain, which reestablished itself in Detroit proper in 2019, offers a classic version of the square with sauce on top of a generous helping of brick cheese.

Pie-Sci

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Neighborhood pizzeria favorite Pie-Sci serves an eclectic selection of rotating pizza specials with punny names. Customers can order a round pizza here, but the square slices with crunchy corners and a buttery crust are superb. Creative options have included the Detroit Brussels Harder with

garlic oil, mozzarella, oven-roasted Brussels sprouts, feta cheese, bacon, and balsamic glaze drizzle. Pie-Sci is also vegan-friendly.

Belle Isle Pizza

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West Village’s carryout shop Belle Isle Pizza serves hand-tossed, thin-crust, and Detroit-style pizza. The menu features a variety of Detroit-themed signature pies, including the 7 Villages, made with a fresh-herb ricotta sauce, mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan cheeses, gourmet mushrooms medley, arugula, and olive oil.

Michigan & Trumbull

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The family-run shop embraces an old-school pizzeria aesthetic and pays homage to fast food favorites with options like the McLovin — the square pizza version of a cheeseburger complete with sesame seeds. Fill out the order with sides like the deep-fried Boblo Boat calzones or barbecue chip-flavored waffle fries. The ownership plans to serve out of Corktown until July and then relocate to Detroit’s Elijah McCoy Neighborhood. Be sure to keep an eye on the spot’s social media for updates.

Grandma Bob’s Pizza

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Shortly after opening, Grandma Bob’s embraced the Detroit-style pizza, and it quickly became a hit. Choose from options like sausage pistachio or a Hawaiian-style square with chorizo, pineapple, onions, and pickled jalapeno. The restaurant also features plenty of vegan options and rotating specials that tend to sell out quickly.

Sicily's pizzeria and subs

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The popular neighborhood restaurant on West Vernor in Southwest Detroit serves a version of the Detroit-style square pie with naturally leavened sourdough, but cut in the same fashion as a round pizza, giving guests thick, triangle slices instead of little squares. The ranch-based Angry Bird is among the spot’s specialties, featuring hot chicken, beef bacon, jalapeños, and mozzarella. What’s more, the beloved pizzeria boasts a spacious dining room.

Uncle Andy's Pizza

This Berkley carry-out-only shop serves Detroit-style pizza with various toppings. The Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger features ground beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, and onions. A more classic approach is taken with the Supreme, topped with bacon, green peppers, ham, mushrooms, onions, pepperoni, and sausage. When building any pie, guests have the option to shift any topping to one side or the other or spread them across the entire pizza.

Palazzo Di Pizza

This carryout square pizza spot in Royal Oak was co-founded by the late World Champion pizza maker and Detroit Style Pizza Company operator Shawn Randazzo, who passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer. Some say Randazzo helped spark the current Detroit-style pizza craze at U.S. restaurants by presenting the style on a national stage. The menu features a blend of traditional brick cheese and mozzarella with dollops of red sauce on top and fresh grated Parmesan. Toppings range from spicy peppers and sausage to chicken carbonara pizza, complete with bacon and alfredo sauce. A large pizza here comes in the form of two small pizzas for a total of eight crispy corners.

Green Lantern Pizza

This old-school pizza parlor mini chain goes back more than 60 years to when Thomas and Irene Vettraino bought an old farmhouse bar in Madison Heights, complete with a Prohibition-era green lantern. The restaurant serves three styles of pizza, including a Detroit-style pan pizza covered in a thick layer of melty cheese and perfectly curled roni cups with little pools of grease at the center. Unlike the traditional Detroit-style, the sauce here is placed beneath the cheese rather than layered over the top.

Como's Restaurant

Como’s, a longtime Italian restaurant at the corner of Nine Mile and Woodward Avenue, underwent major renovations, returning in 2019 with trendy Detroit-style pizza. Chef Zack Sklar’s version of the square pan pizza uses a sourdough starter that’s fermented for three days to give it a light, spongy, flavorful crust that’s complemented by toppings such as hand-cut pepperonis and Grana Padano cheese. This spot has vegan and gluten-free options on the menu, too.

Loui's Pizza

Founded by a former pizza chef from Buddy’s and Shield’s, Loui’s in Hazel Park serves a hearty version of Detroit-style square pizza with a perfectly charred yet buttery crust, melted cheese, and robust sauce. Don’t forget to add an antipasto salad to the order and maybe a bottle of Chianti.

Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant

This Eastpointe pizzeria was established by Buddy’s founder Gus Guerra and thus also claims to serve a version of the original Detroit-style pizza recipe. Per tradition, the pizzas at Cloverleaf are baked in a high-walled, rectangular pan in order to amplify the crunchy, cheesy corners.

The Detroit Pizza Bar

In spring 2022, Marcus Jones and Akunna Olumba brought halal Detroit-style pizza and soul food to Livernois and 6 Mile. The Coleman Young pizza is a neighborhood favorite with ingredients of shrimp, crabmeat, lobster, cheese, garlic, and white sauce. The pizzeria combines quick and full service with the chance to enjoy pies on the building’s rooftop terrace during the warmer months. The pizzeria also participates in a profit-sharing model with its staff, which is made up of residents of the neighborhood.

Buddy's Pizza

When people say Detroit-style square pizza, they mean Buddy’s Pizza. The restaurant has expanded to over a dozen locations over the years and is supposed to eventually go national. The restaurant on Conant is the original, the beloved, the often imitated but never (in the minds and hearts of Detroiters) surpassed. Plenty of toppings are available, but most go for the classic square pie baked into blue steel pans and topped with loads of melty, caramelized brick cheese, pepperoni, and a drizzle of red sauce on top.

a square pepperoni pizza being served onto plates over a black and white checked tablecloth with macaroni and cheese in a dish.
Buddy’s Pizza on Conant.
Michelle and Chris Gerard

Amar Pizza

Hamtramck staple Amar Pizza fuses Bangladeshi, American, and Italian flavors into some really intriguing pies. While rounds and thin-crust pizzas are available, it’s hard to go wrong with Amar’s square pizza. Amar applies its own innovative twist on the old-school square by placing sauce underneath the cheese rather than on top, as well utilizing traditional Bangladeshi ingredients, spicy chicken naga, fry fish, and for the spice lovers, a fiery ghost pepper.

Z's Villa

Tucked inside a big Victorian house in Milwaukee Junction, Z’s Villa is known for its massive outdoor area filled with patio games and beach volleyball. The square pan pizzas here are topped with a three-cheese blend and served whole or by-the-slice. Customize the pizza with toppings like pepperoni, kielbasa, hot peppers, and anchovies.

Shield's Pizza

Founded in Detroit in 1937, Shield’s is known for its pan pizzas. The metro area chain, which reestablished itself in Detroit proper in 2019, offers a classic version of the square with sauce on top of a generous helping of brick cheese.

Pie-Sci

Neighborhood pizzeria favorite Pie-Sci serves an eclectic selection of rotating pizza specials with punny names. Customers can order a round pizza here, but the square slices with crunchy corners and a buttery crust are superb. Creative options have included the Detroit Brussels Harder with

garlic oil, mozzarella, oven-roasted Brussels sprouts, feta cheese, bacon, and balsamic glaze drizzle. Pie-Sci is also vegan-friendly.

Belle Isle Pizza

West Village’s carryout shop Belle Isle Pizza serves hand-tossed, thin-crust, and Detroit-style pizza. The menu features a variety of Detroit-themed signature pies, including the 7 Villages, made with a fresh-herb ricotta sauce, mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan cheeses, gourmet mushrooms medley, arugula, and olive oil.

Michigan & Trumbull

The family-run shop embraces an old-school pizzeria aesthetic and pays homage to fast food favorites with options like the McLovin — the square pizza version of a cheeseburger complete with sesame seeds. Fill out the order with sides like the deep-fried Boblo Boat calzones or barbecue chip-flavored waffle fries. The ownership plans to serve out of Corktown until July and then relocate to Detroit’s Elijah McCoy Neighborhood. Be sure to keep an eye on the spot’s social media for updates.

Grandma Bob’s Pizza

Shortly after opening, Grandma Bob’s embraced the Detroit-style pizza, and it quickly became a hit. Choose from options like sausage pistachio or a Hawaiian-style square with chorizo, pineapple, onions, and pickled jalapeno. The restaurant also features plenty of vegan options and rotating specials that tend to sell out quickly.

Related Maps

Sicily's pizzeria and subs

The popular neighborhood restaurant on West Vernor in Southwest Detroit serves a version of the Detroit-style square pie with naturally leavened sourdough, but cut in the same fashion as a round pizza, giving guests thick, triangle slices instead of little squares. The ranch-based Angry Bird is among the spot’s specialties, featuring hot chicken, beef bacon, jalapeños, and mozzarella. What’s more, the beloved pizzeria boasts a spacious dining room.

Related Maps