Hungry Howie’s says it’s the first national pizza chain to release a Detroit-style pie “in its true form.”
Hungry Howie’s was founded in the suburbs of Detroit in 1973, but its selling point has been flavored crusts rather than specific pizza styles. Now the launch of a Motor City-style offering “marks a bold step in its menu innovation,” the company said in a press release.
Pizza Hut famously launched its own limited-time version of Detroit-style pizza in early 2021. It debuted to generally positive reviews, including mild praise from food writer Susan Selasky of the Detroit Free Press, and proved a hit with customers—to the point that Pizza Hut has brought it back as an occasional LTO since then. But not everyone was impressed. According to Deadline Detroit, Detroit native Chris Powers, co-founder of the Ivy and Coney sports bar in Washington, D.C., told The Washington Post that Pizza Hut’s version “looks like a Detroit pizza—all the cornerstone elements are represented. But they’re all a little off, so when you put them all together, it ends up entirely different….Anyone who grew up in Detroit would probably be offended.”
Related: What Are the Elements of an Authentic Detroit-Style Pizza?
Hungry Howie’s, however, has an advantage, as Jeff Rinke, the brand’s VP of marketing and product development, said in a press release. “Detroit is in our DNA.”
Rinke said the introduction of a Detroit-style pizza “is a full-circle moment for Hungry Howie’s. It’s more than a menu launch. It’s a tribute to our beginnings and a bold step in our flavor evolution. We can’t wait for fans everywhere to taste a slice of our hometown.”
Selasky and the Free Press team were quick to try out Hungry Howie’s version of the Motor City classic, too. In a mixed review, Selasky wrote, “Nearly the entire pizza had noticeable crispy edges from the cheese, though that crispiness was missing in some spots and the pizza, in general, looked a little overcooked. The crust is about an inch thick with a crispy bottom crust done to our liking. And the two wide strips with a sprinkling of Parmesan were plenty and had a nice tomatoey, pizza sauce flavor. But it turns out we found the pepperoni toppings lacking, and it didn’t matter ordering double pepperoni. While the toppings were under the cheese, like most Detroit-style [pies], neither one had any noticeable pepperoni. For that reason, the pizza got low marks, especially by one of our taste testers who is an avid and staunch double pepperoni pizza topping devotee.”
It sounds like the pizza makers at that particular Hungry Howie’s location don’t quite have the process down pat just yet. Melody Baetens, a food writer for the Detroit News, gave her pepperoni pizza higher marks and made no mention of a lack of pepperoni. But she, too, pointed to a couple of flaws, again likely owing to mistakes on the make line.
“The crust is definitely thicker than your average Hungry Howie’s round pizza and closer in density to old school Detroit-style pizza maker Buddy’s rather than fellow Detroit chain Jet’s, which is also known for thick, square slices,” Baetens wrote. “The bottom crust is golden brown, but more chewy than crispy.”
Baetens went on: “When the cheese does make it to the edge, the caramelization is a home run. Couple this with Hungry Howie’s signature flavored crust—you can add Cajun seasoning, sesame seeds, butter and Parmesan or other flavorings—and it really ramps up that burnt cheese edge. Unfortunately, there were a few bare corners on our pizza where the cheese didn’t make it to the pan as it is supposed to.”
For her part, Baetens said the Detroit-style pizza is “a worthy addition” to Hungry Howie’s menu and “an affordable option” for the style.
Hungry Howie’s Detroit-style pizza is now available at participating stores nationwide.
