Detroit, Michigan

Detroit-style rectangular pan pizza, with its crispy cheese edges and sauce on top, has evolved into a national obsession that costs 15% less than a comparable Chicago deep-dish. Buddy’s signature pie, baked in a blue-steel pan at 550°F, creates a lacy cheese crust that 78% of Midwest food critics rate as crunchier than the rival from #4 Chicago. This style’s rise is dramatic: sales of Detroit-style frozen pizzas jumped 240% from 2019 to 2023, proving its appeal beyond regional borders. The precise layering—Wisconsin brick cheese, tangy sauce on top, and a light, airy dough—makes each bite a textural contrast that tavern-style thin crust cannot replicate.