Metro Detroiters don’t need a reason to indulge in Detroit-style pizza; there are tons of delicious options tempting pizza lovers across the region every day.
But with National Detroit-Style Pizza Day coming up this Friday, there’s really no better time to celebrate the square Detroit delicacy. And we don’t want to just celebrate the pizzas, we want to declare the best Detroit-style pizza shop in Metro Detroit!
That’s where you come in: Be sure to vote in our bracket each day this week to narrow down the top Detroit-style pizza contenders. We’ll announce the winner on the June 23 holiday!
Pizza bracket -- cast your Round 3 votes!
Detroit-style pizza has taken on many adaptations over the years, and you can find a variety of classic and modern takes across Metro Detroit.
Who do you think serves the best Detroit-style pizza? We’re pitting 16 of the most popular local spots against one another -- you can cast your vote below. (Not loading? Click here)
What is Detroit-style pizza?
Our region-specific pizza is characterized by its square, deep-dish shape and crispy dough edges. Some locations -- like those who claim to follow the original Detroit-style pizza recipe -- cook the pizza with the sauce on top.
The square, deep-dish pizza can be traced back to a man named Gus Guerra, who owned a neighborhood bar called Buddy’s Rendezvous decades ago. In 1946, Guerra decided to add pizza to the bar’s menu, and his wife reportedly borrowed a dough recipe from her Sicilian mother.
And thus, Detroit-style pizza was born.
After selling Buddy’s Rendezvous in the 1950s, the owners founded Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant. Cloverleaf claims to still make the original recipe developed by the Guerras to this day.