The First-Of-Its-Kind Midwest Pizza Chain The Rest Of The Country Should Know About

New York-style pizza needs no introduction, and neither do Chicago's deep-dish or thin-crust varieties. The two might sit on opposite ends of the pizza spectrum but have gained popularity around the world just like their New York cousin. America has many popular types of pizza, each with different histories, crusts, sauces, cheeses, shapes, and toppings. Among this list sits one particular style with a really interesting backstory — and one Midwest chain deserves a special shout-out for both inventing it and spreading the love. We're talking about Buddy's Pizza, which has been selling Detroit-style pizzas since 1946.

The first thing you notice about Detroit-style pizzas is that they're square. It's why they're square that is interesting, linked as it is to Detroit's one-time position as the automobile capital of the world. The first square pizza pie was baked at Buddy's Rendezvous nearly eight decades ago, when Gus Guerra, who owned the bar, borrowed forged steel pans from local automotive plants to bake his pizzas in. The "pans," which were essentially spare parts lying around the factory, were square with raised sides. The result was a pizza with a soft, airy pie and caramelized cheese along the outer edges.

Gus Guerra sold the bar in 1953 to set up Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant, and while Cloverleaf remains a local institution, it's Buddy's that built on the success of the original recipe. Incidentally, both Cloverleaf and Buddy's made it to the top 3 when we ranked the absolute best pizza in Detroit, and today, the latter has 20 locations across Michigan. This is up from just 12 locations in 2018, when they announced a partnership with private-investment firm CapitalSpring.

There are a couple of factors that make Detroit-style pizza unique — the airy, focaccia-like bread, for starters. But before we get into why people love Buddy's, here's a quick tip: if you find yourself at a table gathered around an eight-square Detroit-style pie, fight for the corner piece. You might lose some friends, but the extra burnt-to-a-crisp cheese will make it worth your while. "Buddy's is hands down the best pizza I've had in my life," explained one Reddit user. "Perfectly crunchy, [the] sauce-to-cheese-to-bread/crust ratio is fantastic. It's worth a trip if you love a good crunchy pizza."

As with many expansions, though, there seems to be some debate over whether the newer locations match up to the quality and ethos of the original. "After trying several Buddy's in the burbs, I tried the original in Detroit," added another Redditor. "It was the best Buddy's pizza that I had ever eaten." But as for the more recent locations, they just don't seem to get the same rave reviews online. "Is it just me, or has Buddy's really gone to sh*t?" another Reddit thread asks, with a fair chunk of the over 350 responses responding in the affirmative.

But Buddy's carries on regardless, continuing to innovate as the brand goes. Earlier this year, the chain introduced smash burgers as part of a menu expansion, along with a smash burger pizza (the pie is covered with house-made ground beef and Wisconsin brick cheese, topped with lettuce and pickles). If you aren't in the mood for experiments, we recommend going with the OG — the Detroiter — which features pepperoni, Wisconsin brick cheese, a tomato basil sauce, shaved Parmesan, and a secret Sicilian spice blend.