This Michigan Pizza Hidden-Gem Roundup Proves The Best Slices Stay Quiet
Walking into Supino Pizzeria in Detroit’s Eastern Market feels like stepping into a well-kept neighborhood secret that the rest of the world is finally starting to notice. I remember the first time I escaped the chaotic hum of Saturday morning flower vendors and found myself in this cool, sun-drenched room where jazz plays softly against the clatter of pizza pans.
There is an atmospheric stillness here that contrasts beautifully with the industrial grit of Russell Street just outside the wide glass windows. The scent of fermenting dough and bright, crushed tomatoes acts as a sensory anchor, pulling you away from the market’s hustle and into a much slower, more intentional headspace.
Finding the best pizza in Detroit Michigan usually leads people toward the heavy, square-pan deep dishes, but Supino quietly champions the thin, foldable New York style. For those seeking authentic Eastern Market Detroit dining, this pizzeria offers a level of refined simplicity that feels both modern and deeply rooted in Italian tradition.
If you are looking for top-rated thin crust pizza in Metro Detroit, the char-flecked rims and thoughtful toppings here provide a texture that is rarely matched in the region. The room itself carries a stylish, uncluttered energy that encourages you to focus entirely on the crisp snap of the dough and the milky pull of the cheese.
It is a place where the staff moves with a calm choreography, resetting tables and sliding trays into ovens with a quiet efficiency that honors the craft. Consider this your field-tested guide to navigating a menu that rewards restraint and timing in the heart of the city’s most vibrant district.
Timing The Market Day Visit
Saturday mornings turn the Eastern Market into a vibrant parade of fresh peaches, colorful bouquets, and the steady beat of quick footsteps on the pavement. Supino opens its doors early enough that you can slip inside for a quiet slice before the midday crowds swell to their peak.
The room stays remarkably cool and the lighting remains soft, with downtown Detroit peeking through the wide windows as you wait for your order. It is a peaceful intermission from the outdoor shopping frenzy, allowing you to watch the city move while you sit in relative stillness.
The staff works quietly to reset tables between waves.
Order a classic red pie and take a moment to watch the blistering at the crust edge before you take your first bite. You can often hear the distinct, metallic tap of the pizza cutter hitting the pan, a sound that signals a perfectly baked and crisp foundation.
Weekday afternoons are the true sweet spot for those who want a whisper-quiet experience without any of the weekend distractions or long wait times. During these hours, you can easily find the perfect seat by the window to track the market traffic while your pie stays warm.
Find that perfect seat by the window to watch.
Understanding The Crust
The place prides itself on a dough that is thin and light, leaning much closer to a New York style than the buttery, oil-heavy pans Detroit is famous for. Every first bite announces itself with a distinct, audible snap, followed by a gentle chew that doesn’t fight back or feel overly elastic.
You can fold a slice neatly into a perfect triangle, and the point holds its structure without sagging or losing its toppings to the plate. Look for the little dark leopard spots near the rim, which indicate a high-heat bake that has developed a complex, slightly nutty wheat flavor.
The texture is the closest thing to an Italian memory.
Reviewers frequently chase this specific texture, noting that it avoids the greasiness often associated with high-volume pizzerias found in other parts of the city. The center remains soft enough to carry the sauce cleanly, yet it is robust enough to support the weight of multiple toppings.
If you happen to prefer an extra level of char on your crust, don’t hesitate to mention it when ordering a whole pie for the table. Asking the kitchen to keep the center just shy of a saucy spill ensures that you maintain the optimal fold for every single slice.
The point of the slice holds its structure beautifully.
Red Sauce Or White Pie
History at Supino is built on the foundation of two distinct styles: the bright acidity of the red sauce and the fragrant, creamy profile of the white. The red marinara reads as exceptionally clean and savory rather than sugary, providing a robust base that supports the cheese without drowning out the dough.
White pies lean into a different kind of luxury, often featuring mushrooms or fresh arugula that let the natural flavor of the wheat peek through more clearly. I like the strategy of alternating a slice of each to fully experience the impressive range of the kitchen’s seasoning and melt.
I like alternating a slice of each for range.
The cheese blend is carefully selected to melt into even, shimmering puddles that never turn rubbery or tough as the pizza begins to cool. It leaves a mild, lingering finish that many reviewers mention as a highlight of the overall flavor profile of both the red and white bases.
If you are deciding by the slice, the best play is to grab one classic red and one daily special to see which lane you prefer. Once you have found your favorite, you can commit to a whole pie that is tuned perfectly to your specific tastes.
Grab one of each to find your personal lane.
Order The Funghi When You See It
Vibe meets the forest in the funghi pie, which comes stacked with an earthy mix of mushrooms that perfumes the entire table before the pan even lands. These slices tend to gleam with a light moisture rather than dripping with grease, signaling a perfect balance between the toppings and the oven heat.
The white base allows the fungi to speak clearly, highlighting the browned edges of the mushrooms that take on a satisfying, slightly nutty character after their time in the fire. Regulars often call this out as the mandatory order when they are bringing a group of friends for a long lunch.
The thin crust keeps the entire meal feeling light.
Because the crust is so thin and the toppings are handled with restraint, eating a second or even a third slice feels entirely reasonable and not overly indulgent. It is a sophisticated choice that rewards those who enjoy the deeper, savory notes of a well-crafted vegetarian pizza.
Tip: ask the staff which specific mushrooms are in play that day, as the mix can change based on what is freshest at the market. You can also request a touch more oven time if you prefer your mushroom caps to be extra crisp without losing their interior tenderness.
The slices gleam rather than drip with any oil.
Rucola Salad As A Sidekick
Place and history collide when you order the rucola, a bright and peppery arugula salad that has become a staple sidekick to the thin-crust pies. The lemon citronette dresses the greens with a light touch, ensuring they stay bouncy and fresh rather than wilting under the weight of a heavy oil.
There is a quiet, local thrill to laying a cool tangle of these greens directly onto a hot cheese slice just before you take a bite. That sharp temperature and flavor contrast turns a standard pizza lunch into a much smarter and more complex sensory experience.
Contrast turns a good bite into a smart one.
Some diners prefer to swap the heavier labne dressing for the lighter citronette, especially if they are planning the “salad-on-pizza” move mentioned by many frequent visitors. It snaps the richness of the cheese and dough into a much sharper focus, making the whole meal feel more balanced.
Strategy: order the salad early so it arrives at the table well before your pie is pulled from the high-heat oven. This allows you to stage a few forkfuls aside to crown your first two slices while the crust is still at its most audibly crisp.
Arugula arrives looking bright and feeling exceptionally peppery.
Cheese Bread, Then Pizza
Sensory oddity or genius tempo-setter, the cheese bread is frequently called out by regulars as a quiet show-stealer that shouldn’t be overlooked. It is rolled just as thin as the pizzas and layered with a blend of mozzarella, provolone, and gouda that is baked until the edges turn lacy.
The cheese pulls are stretchy and satisfying without being stringy or difficult to manage, brushing against a sense of pure nostalgia without feeling too heavy or greasy. Having bread before a pizza might sound redundant to some, but here it works as a perfect judge of the day’s melt.
Staff move it quickly if your time is tight.
It allows you to evaluate the salt levels and the dough’s crunch while you take your time deciding on the final toppings for your main course. Because the kitchen staff moves these orders quickly, it is an ideal starter if you are trying to squeeze in a meal between market stops.
Tip: if you are sharing appetizers with a group, try to save one or two strips of the cheese bread for later in the meal. You can use them to dip into any leftover marinara sauce from the meatballs to ensure that not a single drop of flavor goes to waste.
Pulls are stretchy and satisfy every childhood pizza craving.
Meatballs And Marinara Interlude
Local detail shows up in the polpette, which arrive at the table tender and napped in a house-made marinara that is dusted with a fine layer of Parmigiano Reggiano. The side of crusty ciabatta gives you a legal license to scoop and swipe the plate until it looks like it has been professionally polished.
It is a small plate that acts as a savory promise of exactly what the red-sauce pizzas are going to deliver in terms of quality and brightness. The sauce leans toward the savory side with a gentle, natural brightness that makes it very friendly to the lighter pizzas that follow.
The sauce-to-bite ratio stays perfectly harmonious.
Visitors often pair these meatballs with the signature cheese bread without feeling like they have overloaded on heavy proteins before the main event. It is a balanced appetizer that showcases the kitchen’s ability to handle simple, traditional Italian flavors with a very high level of execution.
Strategy: if you are sharing this plate with the table, don’t be afraid to ask for an extra slice of the toasted ciabatta. This ensures that everyone gets an equal chance to enjoy the sauce and that the harmony of the table remains intact through the course.
Polpette arrive looking tender and smelling of fresh herbs.
Slices Vs Whole Pie Strategy
Seasonal quirk or daily habit, deciding between a quick slice or a whole pie depends entirely on your current level of appetite and your schedule. The by-the-slice service is designed to move fast, which is a handy play for those navigating the busy Saturday market hours on foot.
Whole pies shine brightest when you want total control over the bake time and the specific distribution of your favorite toppings, especially if you like a firmer rim. Reviewers often note that the weekday afternoon hours bring a much calmer room and significantly shorter wait times for custom orders.
Buy a slice first if you are curious.
If you are eyeing a daily special but aren’t quite ready to commit to a full eighteen-inch pie, buying a single slice is the perfect way to test the waters. Once you’ve confirmed your preference, you can order the full version tuned to your specific desired level of doneness and crispness.
Mention your heat preference to the server when you are ordering whole pies to help the kitchen fine-tune the final result. This ensures you get that legendary Supino crunch without sacrificing the soft, foldable center that makes the style so iconic.
The service moves fast during the peak market hours.
Service Rhythm And Seating
Hidden element of the Supino experience is the staff’s calm choreography, which defines the atmosphere just as much as the thin-crust pizzas themselves. Hosts bus tables with speed, line cooks slide trays with precision, and the servers have a reputation for remembering faces even after months between visits.
The room feels uncluttered and stylish, featuring large windows that frame the industrial beauty of the city beyond the intersection of Russell and Watson. Late afternoons are a hidden gem of a time-slot if you want the space to chat and watch the ovens in action.
Thoughtful details make quick meals feel entirely unhurried.
Visitors frequently mention the cleanliness of the facilities and the small, thoughtful touches that make a quick lunch feel like a proper dining experience. It is a professional environment that manages to stay warm and welcoming regardless of how many people are waiting outside.
Tip: the corner window seats are the most coveted spots in the house because they allow you to track the market traffic from a distance. They also provide a great ledge to keep your pie warm on its tray while you enjoy the jazz and the view.
Servers remember faces even after very long gaps.
What To Do When Toppings Tempt You
Visitor habit dictates that menu add-ons can add up very fast, leading some reviewers to balk at the final cost of a fully loaded custom pie. The trick to maximizing your value is choosing toppings that fundamentally change the texture of the slice, rather than just adding a new flavor.
Roasted garlic, fresh arugula, or an earthy mix of mushrooms each alter the way the thin crust behaves under the intense heat of the pizza oven. Start with a lean base and let the high-quality cheese blend lead the way, then add only one or two elements that break the monotony.
You will taste more and spend much less.
By limiting your additions, you keep the point of the slice tidy and ensure that the integrity of the fold remains intact from the first bite to the last. It also allows the quality of the house-made dough and the bright marinara sauce to remain the primary stars of the show.
Strategy: if you are on a budget, split a classic red pie with a friend and supplement the meal with a single slice of the daily special. This provides the contrast you crave without stacking up multiple topping fees on a single large order.
Choose toppings that alter the texture of the crust.