Is a square pizza a "Detroit Style Pizza"

**night-timer** · December-21-20, 12:50 AM

There's several establishments around the world selling square pizza, claiming this is the "Detroit Style" of doing things.

Is this correct, or are Detroit pizzas as round as everywhere else?

**Gistok** · December-21-20, 03:46 AM

Detroit style pizza are supposed to be square... made in a special metal tray that usually has industrial uses...

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/...-pizza-4718298

**Zacha341** · December-21-20, 05:41 AM

^^^ Does it double as an V6 oil pan, or oil catching tray for said leaking pan?

**jcole** · December-21-20, 08:31 AM

^^^^My understanding of it was that when Buddy's was just a bar on Conant workers from the local auto plants brought over the dark metal pans they used for holding bolts and such for the bar to use as pizza pans and some of those are still in use today.
Detroit Pizza is square with carmelized edges from the combination of the farmers cheese, high heat, and dark pans.

**Henry Whalley** · December-21-20, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

...carmelized edges from the combination of the farmers cheese, high heat, and dark pans.

Used to go there with my family in the 50's when I was a kid. Egg yolk was also brushed on the crust. The stuff served-up at Buddy's franchises today isn't as good IMHO. Now the pizza survives based on reputation more than quality.

**softailrider** · December-21-20, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Henry Whalley

Used to go there with my family in the 50's when I was a kid. Egg yolk was also brushed on the crust. The stuff served-up at Buddy's franchises today isn't as good IMHO. Now the pizza survives based on reputation more than quality.

I agree, not the same as it used to be. Haven't tried the original location lately though.

**softailrider** · April-29-21, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by Henry Whalley

Used to go there with my family in the 50's when I was a kid. Egg yolk was also brushed on the crust. The stuff served-up at Buddy's franchises today isn't as good IMHO. Now the pizza survives based on reputation more than quality.

I don't think the pizza they serve now tastes anywhere near as good as it used to. Maybe its the location I go to, but it is consistently mediocre. I haven't been to the one on Davision / 6 mile lately. I'm think Jet's is better tasting pizza these days.

**bust** · April-30-21, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

I don't think the pizza they serve now tastes anywhere near as good as it used to. Maybe its the location I go to, but it is consistently mediocre. I haven't been to the one on Davision / 6 mile lately. I'm think Jet's is better tasting pizza these days.

Given a choice between the Jets on Mack across from Parcells and the Indian/Pakistani place next to it I'll choose the latter any day. Half Italian-American; just sayin'.

**Zacha341** · December-21-20, 09:12 AM

^ Ummm, as usual I'm getting hungry. I have nothing but some frozen grocery store thing in my freezer. Argh...

.....

**softailrider** · December-21-20, 09:30 AM

The term "Detroit style pizza" means different things to different people. It's always square pizza, but to me it means pizza sauce on top of the cheese which is the "style' that Buddy's and Shield's always, and to this day still uses. Jet's Pizza, which uses that term to describe their product doesn't make it like that. Their pizza has sauce underneath the cheese, more like a regular pizza.

One thing for sure, it ain't exactly health food no matter where you get it.

**Zacha341** · December-21-20, 09:47 AM

For certain - a treat to be eaten infrequently! I love fresh pizza!

Healthy juicing and lots of water the next day perhaps...

......

Originally Posted by softailrider

...One thing for sure, it ain't exactly health food no matter where you get it.

**Meddle** · December-23-20, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

One thing for sure, it ain't exactly health food no matter where you get it.

Dairy, meat, bread/grain, fruit and vegetable all rolled into one.

**jcole** · December-21-20, 09:32 AM

You can get square pizza anywhere, but it sure doesn't always taste like Detroit Style, even in Detroit

**Kathleen** · December-21-20, 09:52 AM

Best ever "Detroit style" pizza for me...back in the early 80s...was from Club 500 on East Warren. I've never had another pizza like it!

**Dumpling** · December-21-20, 11:02 AM

[[Pizzas aren't on my regular diet any more at all

)

Jet's is one of the chains that makes a "Detroit Style Pizza"
and yes a heavy steel pan is essential to making this
pizza. I am not trying to sell Jet's in any way and mostly
have to pass up all of the numerous pizza places in my corner
of West Detroit and that are throughout the region as well.

But "Detroit Pizza" would not be the same without that pan:

https://www.jetspizza.com/jets-detroit-style-101/

**Gistok** · December-21-20, 11:11 AM

The history of Detroit Style Pizza... and how it is going nationwide...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit-style_pizza

Back in 2011 the company that made the steel pans was moving operations to Mexico, and they didn't get operations going right away... and there was a serious shortage of the pans needed for the Detroit Pizza...

https://www.deseret.com/2011/2/8/201...s-scrambling#0

**313WX** · December-21-20, 01:27 PM

While Detroit-style pizza is square, not every square pizza is Detroit-style

That being said, the closest you're going to get to an authentic Detroit-style pizza outside of Detroit is Jet's Pizza.

**p1acebo** · December-22-20, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

While Detroit-style pizza is square, not every square pizza is Detroit-style

That being said, the closest you're going to get to an authentic Detroit-style pizza outside of Detroit is Jet's Pizza.

There was another thread going over best Detroit style pizza, and you would be surprised how many places there are in other states doing a good job with "Detroit style" pizza. It has definitely turned trendy, which I don't think is a bad thing.

**Jimaz** · December-22-20, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

There was another thread going over best Detroit style pizza, and you would be surprised how many places there are in other states doing a good job with "Detroit style" pizza. It has definitely turned trendy, which I don't think is a bad thing.

Here's another thread: Detroit-Style Pizza Catching On.

**Thetechnician** · December-27-20, 06:13 PM

There are many more establishments that give you "authentic" Detroit style pizza than jets outside of Detroit. In NYC for instance, there's "Lions, Tigers and Squares", "Emily's". In D.C., there's Emmy-Squared. All

I'll get slaughtered for this, but what do folks think about Lil Caesars Deep Dish as a Detroit style representation? It meets the definition [[crispy, caramel crust, wisconsin cheese). The sauce isnt on top though so not fully authentic .

**bust** · December-27-20, 07:48 PM

^^Pizza from that joint in NY that claims to serve Detroit pizza seems wrong. Maybe they got a few things right, but I never wanted to try it.

Don't know if there's new management, but ~2 years ago, before it became "Detroit" pizza, it was a worse than average slice joint, a la Ray's. A block away a "deli" wanted to charge me $2 for an apple -- ~15 years ago.

Here's their own promotional video-- Ever see anything like this in Detroit?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N75sf7HYB5E

Famiglia was bad enough NY pizza heartburn. I lived above one. I never wanted this.

Cold pizza makes a great lunch, except then.
But sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised.

I'll join you in getting slaughtered, but at least based on popularity, aren't Little Caesar's and Domino's as Detroit as you can get?

I never ate Domino's unless I was at someone else's house and they ordered it. But even though everyone knew there was much better, in a pinch -- and there were many pinches -- we ate a lot of Little Caesars as a kid. Never our favorite-- not even close. But good enough.

**Thetechnician** · December-27-20, 11:54 PM

Haha. That promo vid is the awful 😂.

They actually improved the mix though. It's different management from the previous typical nyc soggy slice that was there and has a bunch of Detroit nostalgia throughout the joint. The pie is actually really good. Expensive though - a small square will set you back $10 for a pepperoni.

**Thetechnician** · December-27-20, 11:57 PM

This video gives a slightly better view of their pizza.

https://youtu.be/lTCtn_QvDbE

**pjbear05** · December-29-20, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Thetechnician

There are many more establishments that give you "authentic" Detroit style pizza than jets outside of Detroit. In NYC for instance, there's "Lions, Tigers and Squares", "Emily's". In D.C., there's Emmy-Squared. All

I'll get slaughtered for this, but what do folks think about Lil Caesars Deep Dish as a Detroit style representation? It meets the definition [[crispy, caramel crust, wisconsin cheese). The sauce isnt on top though so not fully authentic .

Little Caesar's is crap, as is any pizza that uses a mozzarella/muenster cheese combo. Years ago the Publix grocery chain marketed Wisconsin Brick Cheese, which I would use on pizzas I would make from scratch. Then they just stopped, and never brought it back. Now I use slices of Boar's Head Mozzarella, which I get from Publix's deli counter. It's a whole milk cheese, rich and loaded with butterfat. Expensive af, but as they say, "compromise elsewhere".