Detroit style pizza is baked in a deep rectangular pan, with the cheese pushed all the way to the edge and the sauce spooned on after it comes out of the oven. That combination gives you a soft, almost focaccia-like base and a crown of caramelized cheese around the border. The corners are the whole point.
It is one of the newest styles to take hold in Chicago, and it is spreading fast. It is also one of more than thirty styles you can eat in this city.
The pan is the origin story
The shape comes from the auto industry. The original pans were blue steel trays borrowed from Detroit factory floors, deep and rectangular, built for holding small parts rather than dinner. Bakers found they held heat beautifully and released a crisp base, and the style grew up around the equipment.
That history is still on the plate. The depth is why the dough can be thick and airy at the same time. The right angles are why the corners exist at all.
What to notice when you eat it
Start at the edge. When the cheese hits the wall of a screaming hot pan it caramelizes rather than melts, and it turns into a golden, crunchy rim that eats more like a frico than a crust. That edge is what people mean when they talk about Detroit style, and it is why the corner pieces disappear first.
Then work inward. The base should be soft and a little chewy, closer to focaccia than to a cracker. You want structure without heaviness. Because the sauce went on last, it should still taste bright and separate rather than baked into everything else.
Detroit style, deep dish, and pan pizza are three different things
These three get mixed up more than any other styles in Chicago, usually because all of them are thick and all of them come out of a pan.
| Shape | Sauce | The signature | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit style | Rectangular | Spooned on after the bake | Caramelized cheese edge |
| Deep dish | Round, tall walls | Chunky, on top of the cheese | Depth and heft |
| Pan pizza | Usually round | Under the cheese | Buttery, crisp fried base |
If you remember one thing: Detroit is a rectangle with the sauce on last. Everything else follows from that.
Where to eat Detroit style pizza in Chicago
Find a good spot near you, or make your way into the city and try these:
- Paulie Gee's in Logan Square
- Five Squared Pizza in Lincoln Park
- Union Squared in Evanston, and at Revival Food Hall downtown
- Fat Chris's Pizza & Such in Ravenswood
This style is gaining traction quickly in Chicago, so it is worth the drive if it is a hike from you. Order it, take the corner piece, and see whether the edge lives up to the reputation.
If you want to taste several styles back to back rather than chase them one at a time, that is the whole idea behind the Original Chicago Pizza Tour. Six styles, four neighborhoods, one afternoon.
Keep reading
- Deep Dish vs. Tavern Style: The Great Chicago Pizza Debate
- How to Reheat Chicago Pizza the Right Way
- The No-Fly Zone: Why Chain Pizza Isn't the Move
Common questions
Three things. It is baked in a deep rectangular pan, the cheese is pushed all the way to the edge so it caramelizes against the hot metal, and the sauce is spooned on after the bake rather than before. The result is a soft, focaccia-like base with a crunchy cheese crown around the outside.
No. Deep dish is round, built in a seasoned steel pan, and has a tall crust wall holding a heavy layer of cheese and chunky sauce. Detroit style is rectangular, lighter and airier through the middle, and its signature is the caramelized cheese edge rather than depth.
They are close cousins and people mix them up constantly. Both bake in an oiled pan and both get a crisp base. Detroit style is specifically rectangular with sauce added after the bake. Pan pizza is usually round with the sauce under the cheese.
It keeps the sauce bright and fresh tasting, and it stops the crust underneath from going soggy during a long bake. It also means the cheese sits directly against the pan, which is what creates the caramelized edge.
Paulie Gee's in Logan Square, Five Squared Pizza in Lincoln Park, Union Squared in Evanston and Revival Food Hall, and Fat Chris's Pizza & Such in Ravenswood are all doing it well. The style is spreading fast in Chicago, so new spots keep appearing.
