Our Story
What started as three chefs working for the mouse, turned into Orange County’s first Detroit-style pizza joints.
WHY DETROIT STYLE PIZZA IN SOCAL?
Detroit Pizza tells a story of resourcefulness. Known as being an industrial mecca often referred to as Motortown City, back in the forties, Gus Guerra of Buddy’s Pizza began using the steel pans typically used for automotive parts, readily available in the area to make their versions of a Sicilian style pizza. Their decision to do so created a new distinct style of pizza with a unique texture profile. Detroit pizza puts a lot of focus on the quality of the crust. The main goal is a marriage of crisp bottoms and edges with a light and airy crumb with enough chew so that you know you’re not eating cake. Those textures don’t often coexist and if they do, the moment is fleeting. Often, crisp edges are met with a dense and tough crumb, Detroit pizza isn’t just a vessel for cheese and toppings with a throw away crust but a celebration of finely crafted dough all the way through that is accented by the flavors of the cheese and toppings.
BUILDING A PERFECT PIZZA
The few pizzerias that have Detroit Pan Pizza as a staple run it alongside more mainstream pies as an afterthought without the focus to do it justice. The other places that produce it well, run for limited times as “pop ups” or weekly specials. Not everyone has an opportunity to travel the U.S. and sample the local cuisines. We seek to provide an authentic food destination experience by bringing Detroit’s unique pie mixed with seasonal, chef driven themes to the Orange County and surrounding Los Angeles area. Steel Pan Pizza embraces the aesthetic of industrial square pans, caramelized crusts and hearty midwestern cuisine which convey the pride, resilience and underdog spirit of the Motortown City.