Buddy’s Pizza (Dearborn)
22148 Michigan AvenueMy favorite thing about getting sent to Detroit for work is getting the chance to pick up food that I can’t get on this side of the state.
One of the big ticket items for me is pizza…and not just any pizza of course, but a pizza that is unique to Detroit.
I had known for quite a while that I was going to be spending an evening on the east side of the state and I started looking along my route to see if there was a Buddy’s Pizza close. I don’t mind going out of my way for this delicious Detroit specialty but if there’s one along the way, even better.
The most convenient location for my trip that I found was the store in Dearborn. This location is on Michigan Avenue right next to the Bryant Branch Library The building butts up to the busy street that is also US-12 but there is no entrance to a parking lot anywhere. It’s actually quite confusing to find the lot behind the building. It would have been better had I turned before the restaurant on to Howard Street and used the access road, but I didn’t know that and turned on Mason Street then had to figure out which road went to Buddy’s and which went to the public parking lot.
I have loved Buddy’s Pizza since the first time I took my family to the original Conant Street location before a Tigers game. The pizza is so unique and so delicious that it makes it worth the trip every time.
I put in an order for a 8 Corner Detroiter. I actually thought it would take over a half hour so I was a little surprised when the guy on the other end of the phone told it would be 15 minutes. I was still about 35 minutes out so it didn’t matter that it would be quicker but I just figured the deeper dish would take longer.
I eventually found my way in to the Buddy’s Parking lot and started heading towards the door for the dining room. It’s right next to a huge outdoor patio that sits right along Michigan Avenue. It was a Tuesday afternoon before 3:00 so there’s no one actually sitting outside but it’s a great space for a few drinks and delicious pizza other than it being a little loud
Before I walked in the door I remembered most Buddy’s have carry-out entrances in the back. I should have seen it when I parked but I wasn’t paying attention. Sure enough, there’s a well-marked carry-out door just off the parking lot. Had I gone in the dining room door, there is a doorway that connects the two spaces so you can get to the carry-out from the inside as well.
My pizza was ready when I walked in and they guessed my name as I walked through the door…probably weren’t doing much as far as carry-out so early in the afternoon. I paid the bill, which was just under $20 with cash and headed in to the city to my job site for the evening.
I got in to the city and found a parking spot then popped open that box. The Detroiter is cheese, pepperoni, a tomato basil sauce, Parmesan cheese and Buddy’s Sicilian spice blend.
The thing that makes Detroit pizza different from Chicago, other than the shape, is how the crust is treated. They both use a pretty fat heavy crust to give it a rich, buttery, flavor, but Detroit is a true deep dish while Chicago is a thin crust on steroids. The Detroit pizza has a soft, doughy crust once you get past the outside buttery crunch. This pizza could have a used a little more sauce but other than that it was super tasty. The pepperoni’s were nice and crispy but not burnt. The sauce had a pop of fresh basil and the cheese was a perfect golden brown and delicious.
There is never a time I won’t stop at a Buddy’s Pizza. I seek them out whenever I have time when I’m in Detroit and I hope one of these days, they’ll make the move to the west side of the state. The world needs to know about Detroit pizza and it shouldn’t come from a chain that’s piggybacking off Buddy’s success. A delicious Detroit style pizza doesn’t cost $5…or whatever it is…a delicious Detroit style pizza can only come from the ones who invented it.
SW Michigan Dining 