8 Michigan Detroit Style Pizzas With Perfect Corners
Detroit-style pizza isn’t just another pie but a rectangular masterpiece with crispy, caramelized corners that pizza lovers treasure.
Born in the Motor City, this deep-dish creation features a thick, airy crust topped with Wisconsin brick cheese that extends all the way to the edges.
The result? Those perfect, crunchy corners that have made this style famous far beyond Michigan’s borders.
1. Buddy’s Pizza – The Original Corner Kings
Back in 1946, Buddy’s invented Detroit-style pizza at their original location on Conant Street. Their perfectly caramelized corners come from seasoned square pans originally used in the automotive industry.
The cheese goes right to the edge, creating that signature crispy perimeter that makes you fight for corner pieces.
My uncle used to drive 45 minutes just for Buddy’s corners, claiming they were worth every mile of Detroit traffic.
2. Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant – Corner Perfection Legacy
Founded by Gus Guerra (who first developed Detroit-style pizza at Buddy’s), Cloverleaf continues the tradition of impeccable corners with religious dedication. Their blue steel pans create the perfect environment for cheese to transform into crunchy gold.
Each rectangular slice delivers that signature contrast between fluffy interior and caramelized exterior. The corners here aren’t just crispy. They’re practically architectural achievements, standing tall with sturdy walls of cheese-infused crust.
3. Loui’s Pizza – Corner Craftsmen of Hazel Park
Walking into Loui’s feels like stepping into a pizza time capsule, complete with Chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling. Their corners aren’t just crispy but practically legendary among Detroit pizza aficionados.
The secret lies in their decades-old pans that have seasoned to perfection. I still remember my first Loui’s corner piece at age eight, when my dad explained that good things come to those who wait for properly caramelized edges.
4. Shield’s Pizza – Corner Champions Since 1937
Shield’s has perfected their corner game across multiple metro Detroit locations. Their deep-dish squares feature a buttery, medium-thick crust that creates the perfect foundation for those coveted corners.
The cheese doesn’t just reach the edges. It transforms them into crunchy marvels. Shield’s bakes their pies at precisely the right temperature to ensure maximum corner caramelization without burning, creating that perfect balance of crunch and chew.
5. Michigan & Trumbull – Dreamtroit Corner Specialists
Named after the intersection where Tiger Stadium once stood, Michigan & Trumbull honors Detroit pizza tradition from its Dreamtroit location near New Center. Their corners achieve that perfect caramelization through careful attention to dough hydration and baking temperature.
The result is architectural: corners that stand at attention with structural integrity. Growing up, my family would divide pizza by who got corners and who got middle pieces, and at Michigan & Trumbull, even middle pieces have corner-like qualities.
6. Pie-Sci – Scientific Corner Precision
Pie-Sci approaches Detroit-style corners with scientific precision. Their Trumbull (Woodbridge) location experiments with the perfect ratio of dough proofing time to cheese placement for optimal corner formation.
Each square pan emerges from their ovens with textbook examples of what Detroit corners should be: crispy, dark, and full of flavor.
Their innovative topping combinations might get the spotlight, but pizza purists know it’s those perfectly engineered corners that make their pies truly special.
7. Palazzo Di Pizza – Royal Oak’s Corner Royalty
Palazzo Di Pizza might be newer to the scene, but their corner game rivals the old-school legends. Their dough undergoes a 48-hour fermentation process specifically designed to enhance corner development during baking.
Their pans receive special attention, with each one seasoned to create the perfect surface for cheese caramelization.
8. Niki’s Pizza – Greektown’s Corner Creators
Nestled in Detroit’s Greektown, Niki’s brings Mediterranean flair to their Detroit-style corners. Their square pies feature cheese that doesn’t just reach the edge – it climbs the walls of the pan to create fortress-like corners.
The feta-brick cheese combination creates a unique corner texture that’s both crispy and slightly chewy. When the weekend crowds flood Greektown, locals know to bypass the line and call ahead for Niki’s corner-perfect squares.