Seattle’s Best Deep-Dish Pizza, Detroit-Style (2024)

Dave Lichterman is Seattle’s deep-dish equivalent of that moment in Pleasantville when the black-and-white world bursts into full color. He left tech to apply his meticulous brain to a caliber of Chicago-style pizza this town had never seen: a marvel of Maillard reaction and sog mitigation. These days, his pies anchor a low-key bar on Phinney Ridge, where house topping combos make liberal use of sport peppers, roasted garlic, and candied bacon. (And a 12-inch pie reallydoes serve four ravenous adults). RIP Lichterman's other spot, Breezy Town, but those Detroit-ish pies surface at Windy City, by the slice, on Fridays and Saturdays.

Though the Italian beef sandwiches and tavern-style pies command attention, this friendly parlor's origin story centers on deep-dish pies. Owner Shawn Millard's cornmeal-crust pies come in 9- and 12-inch sizes; thanks to the wonders of geometry, that larger pie sports roughly twice the volume of the small-size one. Beneath a surface layer of tomato sauce lurk topping combos like spicy Italian sausage and broccolini and a ham and pineapple pie known as the Antichrist. West of Chicago's pies travel well (the company began as takeout only) but the restaurant is a very pleasant hang.

New York and Chicago pizzas share equal billing at this pair of neighborhood restaurants that feel built for Little League after-parties. The deep-dish side of the menu spans 11 combos, from a sausage-topped Mike Ditka homage to pineapple with pepperoni. Pies arrive tableside in their round pans, with puffy cornices and a surface of chunky tomato sauce.

The California-based chain has a location on Ballard Avenue with the old-brick neighborhood’s standard-issue “been there forever” aesthetic. These are the sort of pies that put skeptics off deep-dish, given the big, bready jolt of crust around the edges. But the online ordering interface is incredibly convenient (you can even specify whether to pre-slice that pie) and bursts of fresh garlic and tangy sauce keep this pizza’s midsection on point.

This turbo-talented neighborhood restaurant makes a more traditional pizza worth a visit. But co-owner Jason Stoneburner taps into his Detroit childhood with some square (okay, technically rectangular) pan pizzas. They come off as rustic—not at all fancy—but bear the stamp of a canny chef—excellent texture, that edge of crispy cheese. The toppings are a little cheffy, but who’s going to argue with combos like harissa sausage and roasted Walla Walla onions? Sunny’s square pies come in two sizes. Make sure to come early on weekends.

Once upon a time, Moto was but a humble pizzeria in a West Seattle tiny cottage. Well, it still is that, but the mania for Lee Kindell’s Detroit-style pies have propelled them into additional locations, not to mention T-Mobile Park; now he speaks at national conferences about his use of pizza-making robots. There’s a reason it’s so hard to get your hands on one of his deep-dish pizzas: flawless high-hydration dough, uncommon toppings like dungeness crab or beef adobo, the realities of supply, demand, and hype. This is pizza you preorder and put on your calendar, though Kindell, thank goodness, recently added some walkup availability.

When Shota Nakajima took over the food counter inside the Redhook Brewlab, he applied Japanese sensibilities and ingredients to Detroit’s pizza traditions. The resulting square pies feel both familiar and new. The soft interior is a swerve away from Seattle’s sturdy crusts, channeling french bread pizza and Japanese milk bread, wrapped up with that crisp-cheese exterior. Garlic honey amps up the classic pepperoni pie, and other toppings include teriyaki short rib, kimchi and pineapple, and a fried chicken version that borrows from Nakajima’s karaage shop next door.

Brandon Pettit may make cerebrally beautiful thin-crust pies across town at Delancey, but his Olive Way pizza bar (no minors, open till 2am) leans hard into the chef’s Jersey roots: thick-crusted squares that riff on Sicily with bright sauce, first-rate toppings, and a high quotient of char. Pettit’s pizza scholarship surfaces in those caramelized crusts, but Dino’s also does some thin pies, combining tavern vibes with high-quality cheese.

Renee Erickson transplanted Rome’s square pizza culture into Seattle’s roundest landmark—namely a midcentury Jetsons-go-to-Italy den of glamour beneath the Amazon Spheres. The menu centers on sturdy rectangular pies with restrained toppings, equal parts classic (pepperoni, margherita) and seasonal (leek with lemon, mozzarella, and black lime). Divvy up a whole pie with chic two-toned scissors, or select individual squares from the glass case by the door. Pizza anchors a full Ericksonian dinner menu of salads, small plates, and secondi.