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.

**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.

**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

**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.

**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.

**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.

**Satiricalivory** · December-21-20, 03:48 PM

All Detroit style pizzas are square but not all square pizzas are Detroit style.

**Zacha341** · December-21-20, 04:04 PM

^^^ A-hah! That clinches it.

**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.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · December-21-20, 06:59 PM

Damn, now I’m REALLY craving a corner piece.

**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.

**48202** · December-22-20, 07:43 PM

All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are square.

Detroit style pizza is rectangular.

**jcole** · December-22-20, 07:52 PM

Not if it's a small 4 piece.

Originally Posted by 48202

All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are square.

Detroit style pizza is rectangular.

**48202** · December-22-20, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

Not if it's a small 4 piece.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a Papa Romano’s Four Corners. I miss them. Don’t remember the crust. Do they qualify as Detroit Style?

**Jason** · December-22-20, 09:03 PM

Personally, the crust is the distinctive element of the pizza and the cheese/sauce isn't very important. So I consider Jets to be Detroit style.

**jmpatrick** · December-23-20, 07:44 AM

Probably not a popular opinion, but I've always loved original Buscemi's pizza from the east side. Now even they are selling something called Detroit style, so I'm not sure what they consider the original stuff.

The problem with Buscemi's historically is that it can be woefully inconsistent from store to store. Any store not on the east side tends to suck in my experience.

**Bigb23** · December-23-20, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by jmpatrick

Probably not a popular opinion, but I've always loved original Buscemi's pizza from the east side. Now even they are selling something called Detroit style, so I'm not sure what they consider the original stuff.

The problem with Buscemi's historically is that it can be woefully inconsistent from store to store. Any store not on the east side tends to suck in my experience.

Twenty years ago I used to go nuts over their sauce and would always order as much extra on the side as possible.
Then over the ensuing years the recipe was changed again and again and I stopped buying from them.

And what was the name of the pizza that they sold at the Palace in A.H. when they first opened ? Oliver's ?
Great pizza that would give me the runs every so often. And I still miss them.