Detroit-Style Pizza Catching On

[Bham1982]

You have strange taste in pizza, seeing that you chose Domino's as the one of these that is "maybe tolerable"

Really? You think it's worse than the other three? They're all pretty bad, but Dominos [[the new version; not the horrific older receipe), to me, actually tastes like something approaching pizza. Dominos tastes like a worse version of Cottage Inn [[I know, faint praise, but it's something).

In any case, there are so many other chains out there; unless broke and starving, no reason to ever resort to a $5 Hot 'n Ready.

[Spartan]

Really? You think it's worse than the other three? They're all pretty bad, but Dominos [[the new version; not the horrific older receipe), to me, actually tastes like something approaching pizza. Dominos tastes like a worse version of Cottage Inn [[I know, faint praise, but it's something).

In any case, there are so many other chains out there; unless broke and starving, no reason to ever resort to a $5 Hot 'n Ready.

Domino's is about the only pizza I wouldn't eat, unless it was free or the only option. For me, Jet's >>> Hungry Howie's > Little Caesar's >>> Domino's

[TexasT]

Domino's is definitely the most popular of the options, considering it's the #2 highest grossing pizza chain in the country behind Pizza Hut. Little Caesars is my least favorite of the four.

I'd never heard of Hungry Howie's before a few years ago but I've noticed you're starting to see them in college towns across the south. Still hasn't made its way to Houston though...

[Bham1982]

Domino's is about the only pizza I wouldn't eat, unless it was free or the only option. For me, Jet's >>> Hungry Howie's > Little Caesar's >>> Domino's

Yeah, I guess everyone has their own tastes. I really can't stomach HH or LC; Jets in a pinch but it's really greasy and gross; Dominos is really cheap and bad but doesn't have the greasiness and they have more variety in toppings [[grilled chicken, spinach, jalapenos) that help cover the cardboard.

If I have to go with a cheap local takeout chain, I'll pick Cottage Inn. Still not "good", but ok.

[nain rouge]

I think Domino's pizza is pretty good if you get the white sauce. Their pizza sauce still lacks, unfortunately. Hungry Howie's and Jet's are greasy as all hell but good for a major chain [[I think), especially if your go square. Obviously, you're going to get better pizza at a true sit-down pizzeria, but that's like saying you'll get a better sub at an old school deli than Subway - it sorta goes without saying.

Little Caesar's, though, sucks, but for the price it's acceptable.

[Bham1982]

ILittle Caesar's, though, sucks, but for the price it's acceptable.

I guess from this perspective I agree. It's cheaper than WalMart frozen pizza, so what do you expect? And it is indeed "hot 'n ready", if nothing else.

[TKshreve]

Many Hungry Howie's have converted their deep dish to "Detroit Style", with the rest of the chain to follow in the near future.

Jet's pizza has performed so well over the past few years it was hard for other chains not to get on board with this style pizza. People eat it up.

It is not surprising to see LC jumping on the band wagon either. How long were they going to get away with being the "voted best value" [[aka - cheapest $hi+ pie) pizzeria in the biz? It worked great for them going into the recessions and I give Mr. Illitch tons of props for seeing the competitive advantage in doing this. Once again he is steering the ship in the direction he sees as being competitive - and it lies in this type of product.

Cottage Inn, Jet's, Buddy's, Domino's, Shields, Cloverleaf[[??), LC's, HH's, Papa Ramanos, Club 500 [[old school throwback) and a handful of other small chains in this city are onto this.

Are they just all headed in the same direction? Is their safety in numbers? It's a pretty cutthroat biz for sure.

[EASTSIDE CAT 67-83]

Cals Pizza up on east warren got me hooked on the square cheesy goodness back in the day. I used to call in an order from work and always added a large antipasti salad to go with it, good stuff. I think they moved up to Harper down by the post office and then closed a few years back. Buddy's is just as good.

[Not In MI]

Does Detroit pizza involve running a deficit and requiring a bail out?

[Gistok]

Does Detroit pizza involve running a deficit and requiring a bail out?

Would you like some Whine with that cheese [[pizza)?

[Zug]

I never really thought about reversal of toppings as being a requirement, but I guess you're right about it being something that makes Buddy's even more unique & "Detroit."

Thinking about it...why does Little Caesars act like square pizzas are new whenever they roll them out. They had square deep dish already...now they're just going to cut them into squares instead of triangles, lol. And I'm pretty certain I remember square LC pizzas cut into squares years ago...

[Bham1982]

. And I'm pretty certain I remember square LC pizzas cut into squares years ago...

Yup, they had "Pan Pan" square pizzas back in the 90's. I remember those as a teenager.

[canuck]

Would you like some Whine with that cheese [[pizza)?

Excessively funny, period.

[Downriviera]

Good to see a couple downriver boys making it big in the pizza biz in Austin. Brandon was telling me about their plans a few years ago and I'm glad to see they panned out [[pun intended). I think as with hamburgers, you need to separate the gourmet type pizza with the fast chain type pies. I would much rather spend a bit more and wait a bit longer to have a quality pizza. I won't touch a hot and ready ever even if it was free. FDA should stop them from calling it pizza. Give me a Buddy's with 5 toppings and the spice blend and a good bottle of chianti and I'm in heaven.

[Hypestyles]

hopefully it will catch on, and one of those restaurant shows like Guy Fieri's can come back to town.

[TexasT]

hopefully it will catch on, and one of those restaurant shows like Guy Fieri's can come back to town.

Saw that show recently - Fieri went to Traffic Jam. I am pretty sure he came here twice and wen. to Supinos. Adam of Man vs Food came to Slows. Also saw Zimmerman's "Strange Foods" episode - he went all over but really dug D'Mongos. That one show United States of Bacon was recently here. And Bourdain is coming back this spring or summer.

Yeah, I watch a lot of Food Network. Detroit gets a fair reprsentation.

[Maof]

True; I'm a fan of this style, and haven't tried it anywhere else. Usually "deep dish" means Sicilian-style, but Detroit has its own unique take.

Sicilian style or "scfinciuni" isn't really deep dish in the sense that it's not thick. traditionally, it's made in a cookie sheet and with no pepperoni. just your sauce, cheese and bread crumbs. if we had anchovies that was a treat. the closest to my grandmas is made at bommaritos in st clair shores.

[chicagoforlife]

Pizza Papalis is the one you are thinking of - it's more like Chicago style [[my favorite chicago place is Pequods in Lincoln Park, which interestingly is a mix of Chicago and Detroit. It's the thick pie-like middle of Chicago with almost a Buddy's style crust. Second favorite was Pizano's in the Gold Coast, which is straight up Chicago-style).

The best place to have Detroit-style pizza, in my humble opinion, is Buddy's. It seems to be the standard. The original one is in the city, but it's in a rougher area if that kind of thing bothers you. You can check out one in the suburbs too - Dearborn isn't that far. But I swear, the original is the best!

http://www.buddyspizza.com/locations.html

Buddy's needs to open a downtown location, for real.

The problem is not being in a bad area because I live in an iffy neighborhood in Chicago so I'm not worried about that too much. It's just getting there, I drive but I like to depend on mass transit and in Detroit that leaves me with the bus so that's the problem I had.

This is off topic but it'd be nice if downtown and midtown Detroit were connected and that expressway was removed, I think that's I-75.

I'm kind of replying to ya backwards lol, you're right on the place in Greektown and that wasn't bad to me. In Chicago I pretty much go with Connie's, Beggar's or Giordano's. Most Chicagoians would probably say Giordano's or Gino's East for pizza.

I love the Italian Beef from Mr. Beef that place on Orleans Street is the bomb.

Then you have Nancy's, Lou Malnatti's which I hate. There is also a pizza place in the Holiday Inn on Harrison in front of the post office, that place is awful. That's Arellio's, it's not even Chicago style pizza.

[TexasT]

The problem is not being in a bad area because I live in an iffy neighborhood in Chicago so I'm not worried about that too much. It's just getting there, I drive but I like to depend on mass transit and in Detroit that leaves me with the bus so that's the problem I had.

This is off topic but it'd be nice if downtown and midtown Detroit were connected and that expressway was removed, I think that's I-75.

I'm kind of replying to ya backwards lol, you're right on the place in Greektown and that wasn't bad to me. In Chicago I pretty much go with Connie's, Beggar's or Giordano's. Most Chicagoians would probably say Giordano's or Gino's East for pizza.

I love the Italian Beef from Mr. Beef that place on Orleans Street is the bomb.

Then you have Nancy's, Lou Malnatti's which I hate. There is also a pizza place in the Holiday Inn on Harrison in front of the post office, that place is awful. That's Arellio's, it's not even Chicago style pizza.

Malnattis? Giordanos?? Dude those are tourist joints! Over a decade living in Chicago between me and my husband I don't think we ever ate there [[even when he lived in the Gold Coast), besides samples at Taste. Get over to Pequods - most Chicagoans I know list that as the best. Constantly rated the highest by Red Eye and the like. Now Pizanos was founded by one of the Malnati brothers way back in the day but it isn't on the tourist trail. Mrs. Malnati, well into her 80s, still makes the dough [[unless she died recently). Check out the original - it is on State between Delaware and Chestnut, I believe. Pizanos is usually packed so order your pizza when you put in your name for a table so it is ready soon after you sit down.

You can take a cab to Buddy's. Do you use Uber in Chicago? You can use it here now too.

I don't think I-75 is too bad. Its like crossing I-90/I-94 to get to West Loop or Greektown in Chicago. I'd walk from my place in Wicker Park to downtown on nice days too, crossing the highways in Chicago. Walkways over the highway keep it from being a hindrance to a walkable city and Chicago and Detroit both have that. Illitch, the owner of Little Caesars and the Red Wings, has said he is building a $650M "entertainment complex" and it is speculated that it will be in that open area, connecting downtown and midtown. We will see I guess.

Where are you in Chicago, Hyde Park? Humboldt Park?

[MidTownMs]

Really? You think it's worse than the other three? They're all pretty bad, but Dominos [[the new version; not the horrific older receipe), to me, actually tastes like something approaching pizza. Dominos tastes like a worse version of Cottage Inn [[I know, faint praise, but it's something).

In any case, there are so many other chains out there; unless broke and starving, no reason to ever resort to a $5 Hot 'n Ready.

Hey..there's a lot to be said about Hot 'n Ready...

[chicagoforlife]

Malnattis? Giordanos?? Dude those are tourist joints! Over a decade living in Chicago between me and my husband I don't think we ever ate there [[even when he lived in the Gold Coast), besides samples at Taste. Get over to Pequods - most Chicagoans I know list that as the best. Constantly rated the highest by Red Eye and the like. Now Pizanos was founded by one of the Malnati brothers way back in the day but it isn't on the tourist trail. Mrs. Malnati, well into her 80s, still makes the dough [[unless she died recently). Check out the original - it is on State between Delaware and Chestnut, I believe. Pizanos is usually packed so order your pizza when you put in your name for a table so it is ready soon after you sit down.

You can take a cab to Buddy's. Do you use Uber in Chicago? You can use it here now too.

I don't think I-75 is too bad. Its like crossing I-90/I-94 to get to West Loop or Greektown in Chicago. I'd walk from my place in Wicker Park to downtown on nice days too, crossing the highways in Chicago. Walkways over the highway keep it from being a hindrance to a walkable city and Chicago and Detroit both have that. Illitch, the owner of Little Caesars and the Red Wings, has said he is building a $650M "entertainment complex" and it is speculated that it will be in that open area, connecting downtown and midtown. We will see I guess.

Where are you in Chicago, Hyde Park? Humboldt Park?

Not really, Giordano's is everywhere here, there are at least 20 locations. I know where Pizano's is at, it's a decent place.

Where exactly is Buddy's located? I don't think I've ever come across that place. I liked the place in Greektown though.

The thing with the expressway is that the Kennedy/Dan Ryan is a little ways west of downtown, it seems like I-75 in Detroit is almost cutting right through downtown.

And nope, I'm in Bridgeport.

[TexasT]

Not really, Giordano's is everywhere here, there are at least 20 locations. I know where Pizano's is at, it's a decent place.

Where exactly is Buddy's located? I don't think I've ever come across that place. I liked the place in Greektown though.

The thing with the expressway is that the Kennedy/Dan Ryan is a little ways west of downtown, it seems like I-75 in Detroit is almost cutting right through downtown.

And nope, I'm in Bridgeport.

The highway is closer to the central business district but my point was more that it doesn't affect foot traffic so it's a non factor.

The same way Chicago built theirs for walkability:



So did Detroit:



Now compare that to say, my hometown of Houston, where you have to cross under a 6-8 lane highway [[dark, dirty, and wet) to get to our Midtown:





Or, also in Houston, meander through whatever the hell this is to get to another popular residential area of downtown Houston:



Detroit's highway is closer to its CBD than Chicago's [[but does not cut through it by any means), but it's still set up to be a nonfactor when it comes to being able to walk from downtown out to other areas.


Oh and Buddy's is at McNichols and Conant. You could take the bus straight there but it's a ways out of downtown. That's why I was saying they should put a location downtown. I'm not a native - only been here since end of last summer - but Buddy's seems beloved. They should come on down here!

[Spartan]

Oh and Buddy's is at McNichols and Conant. You could take the bus straight there but it's a ways out of downtown. That's why I was saying they should put a location downtown. I'm not a native - only been here since end of last summer - but Buddy's seems beloved. They should come on down here!

I don't see any way Buddy's would open a location downtown because it would take too much business from the original location. I'm not sure a lot of people would go out of their way, into a fairly sketchy area, just to go to the original Buddy's. Although, I suppose both Warren and Dearborn locations are not really that far away, so maybe it could survive it.

[TexasT]

I don't see any way Buddy's would open a location downtown because it would take too much business from the original location

Don't dash my dreams of Buddy's on my lunch break!

Although I haven't tried this Nikki's yet...

[Spartan]

Don't dash my dreams of Buddy's on my lunch break!

Although I haven't tried this Nikki's yet...

It is a bit surprising that there isn't more Detroit-style pizza around here. I haven't tried Niki's yet, but that's the only place I know of that sells the stuff. Sit-down pizza in general is a fairly lacking market I think [[Niki's, Papalis are the only downtown places I can think of). There are a few places like Cottage Inn, Slices, Dominos as well. It always amazes me that there is no Little Caesar's downtown [[aside from stadiums).