We Traveled Across America to Find the Best Pizza (Detroit vs Chicago vs New York)

In this quest, we're not just eating pizza. We're judging it. Every city is fighting for the same crown. Best pizza in America. And we're judging them on four separate things. The crust, the flavor, the experience. And most importantly, would we choose it again? By the end of this trip, one city takes the crown. This is our pizza pilgrimage across America and it starts in Detroit. We are here at our first location, which is Michigan and Trumbull, here to try their deep dish, Detroit pizza. That's a mouthful. And it has arrived. It has. This is the Detroit style pizza. This is the first one we're trying. Yes. We're going to be trying three different places. Because we have to give it a fair crack if we're waiting to see what it's like. And we do. And one of them was the original Detroit style pizza as well. Stay tuned for that. Stay around for that. So we have got a half and half here, haven't we? We did indeed. Would you like me to read off what we got? Yes. Okay. We got a pepperoni red sauce. Yeah. Detroit style. Yeah. With pepperoni, pickled chilies. Yeah. And homemade coat honey. Ooh, okay. And on the other side of the fence, we have a white Detroit style. Yeah. With mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, oil, cracked black pepper. My mouth is watering. They look delicious. I'm going to go to the pepperoni because I think that's the most traditional one. Okay. And it is a deep dish. And apparently, ooh, look at that cheese is on top. Yes. Tomato lays on top. And I think the cheese. Oh, look, cheese is on the base. Weave it straight in. Oh, I feel like I'm slacking. Oh, let me have a go. Hang on. Oh, my God. Oh, word. That is amazing. So the base is breadier. It's a really nice combination because it's very soft and crispy. But the base is really doughy. Yeah, it's fluffy, isn't it? And fluffy and bready. Because if you look at that, you can see it's kind of a bready consistency, don't you? It's not heavy though. No. But I want to try this one. And do you know what the pro move is? It's taking the corners first because you get two sides of that. That's my favourite. That is outstanding. That's my favourite. It's like garlic bread. But the bottom of it is so fluffy and light, isn't it? That is delicious. So out of the two, the white sauce, the red sauce, which is your favourite? I think the white sauce, just because it's like mozzarella and garlic. I love garlic. I just think I like that one. This one's not bad. I really like this one, but this is a lighter. I prefer the white one as well, but I think it's more nostalgic because that does remind me of the garlic bread we used to get in England. So on to our next location. Pie Side treats pizza like a science experiment. And that's exactly the point. Detroit style dough becomes a blank canvas here. Their menu constantly rotates, inspired by seasonal ingredients and wild ideas. Toppings you'd never normally trust on a pizza. Somehow work when you've got a crust this good. Pie Side proves Detroit style isn't fragile. It can evolve and still win. We are here at location two, which is Pie Side. Spelled slightly strange. It is. P-E-I. But it's C-I. Yes, and it's a play on sci-fi. That's why. Oh my goodness. That's why I married her, she's so pleasant. So we've got a pepperoni here. Yes. All pepperoni. This is location two. Yes. The last one is going to be the original one. Yes. But look at that string of cheese. Look at that. Wow. This has the thick square base. The tomato is underneath on this one. Oh, that's different. Yeah. And do you know what I like the most? Look at these bits of cheese on the edge that are stuck up. Look at that cheese, straight in there. And the base on this one looks more well done, doesn't it? Look at that. And this place is slightly different in that it sells slices as well as full pies, doesn't it? And this is really cheesy. Is it? I'll be the judge of that. And the base, there's a reason that the base is so crispy. There's no oil there at all. Oh my goodness. And that pepperoni is very delicate. Yeah, it's not got as much flavour as some I've ever had. I like that. Yeah. You can taste it's there, but it's not. Some of them you get are quite strong. And overwhelming. Yeah. I kind of like that more though, personally. I like the delicate. What does that say about me? You're delicate, I guess. Oh, and then it's got, this looks a little darker on the sides. How does it taste? How did you like that? I think the first place we went to had a slightly more cheesy flavour to the third section. To me, why have you just picked that up and you've got more on your plate? What's going on here? I thought... What's going... Hey! I thought I was just... I thought I was just sneaking the burnt bit out of the way and then all of a sudden I was caught. What's going on? I like that. Everything's really delicately balanced. The flavours are really good. I am massively enjoying this. Yes. Anyway. Yes, we should finish this. We're going to finish this and we will meet you at the final place. Buddy's Pizza isn't just a restaurant. It's where everything started. Founded in 1946, Buddy's accidentally created the new pizza style The square shape. The thick, airy dough. The cheese pushed all the way to the edge creating those iconic crispy corners. This isn't designed. It was discovered. And every Detroit style pizza that exists today traces back to this room. After trying modern interpretations and creative twists. This is the benchmark everybody has to beat. So we are at the original Detroit style pizza location. And what's it called? It is called Buddy's. Buddy's. So as I share this out, I'm going to tell you the story. So Buddy's started in 1946. So it wasn't Buddy. He was an Italian immigrant apparently. But wanted something that mimics Sicilian style pizza. Oh. And that's where it started. Oh wow. First observation is this looks a lot thinner than the rest of Detroit. Yes. So it's base. Then there's cheese. Pepperoni. Cheese. And then dollops of tomato sauce. Okay. And the base looks crispy. But not as crispy as one of the ones we had earlier. And that tastes very, very cheesy to me. It does. Yeah. It's a lot creamier the cheese on that, isn't it? Still got the same kind of density to it though. So it's still got that cheese pull with it. But I don't think I've ever had this kind of cheese before. It's a chewy cheese. Yes. And it's very. I always think cheese tastes a bit sour. Now the pepperoni on this looks a lot smaller than the other one. Even though that's not really the gauge that we're working for. Let's see. Let's try it. What I can say is all the bases have got this crispy bottom to them. Yes. And spongy top. Haven't they? And I want to try the tomato on its own to see. Oh, that's a sweet one again. That's a sweet. Yeah. The cheese is on the side, but it's not burnt. It's not welded. Yeah. Not as deep as the other one. So there's not as much of it. In fact, on this piece, there's literally none at all. It's not very deep at all, but it is equally as delicious. And now I've got a gauge of what the original Detroit pizza tastes like. I think you should meet us outside for us to cast our votes and tell you which one we like the most. Absolutely. OK. Let's go. OK. Well, I'm going to finish this first. Our whistle stop tour has now come to an end here in Detroit. So we have to gauge and judge which one we as Brits thought was the best. Yes. Between one, two and three. Yes. OK. So number one. Very, very good indeed. I love the fact that it was so deep. The base was really pillowy and soft. I think they were all deep in fairness. Although number three, less so. Yes. Number two. I really like number two. However, I'm not altogether sure that was traditional deep dish. And the reason I say that is not the base, but it was the way that they put the sauce on the bottom. Then they put cheese and then pepperoni. And from everything we've read, that was the wrong way to do it. It should have been base, cheese, topping and then tomato. Anyway, we need to decide which one we prefer the most. OK. I'm going to say number one. Oh, you stole it from me. Number one it is. That is our winner. But in all honesty, I don't think you'd be disappointed if you went to any of these three places. No. And now we have to go, Andrew. Detroit has set the bar high. Crispy, comforting and completely unique. But now we're heading somewhere that believes pizza should be bigger, deeper. And taken very seriously. Next stop, Chicago. We are here at Chicago's oldest deep dish pizza location. This is Pizzeria Uno. And it started in 1943 as the original creators of that deep dish pizza, which is still famous today. We've never had deep dish before, so we don't know what to expect. But we do have 45 minutes to wait. We do because it takes that long for them to bake that pie. So watch as we go through this epic pizza journey. I can't wait! Have you ever noticed, Andrew? What's that? How cold it gets. These nights are drawing in. Feet are feeling so, so cold. Well, mine don't. Because basically you've got the warmest socks in the house. Look, we didn't want to start a Patreon and we also didn't want to beg for money. So we made these instead. Warm, cosy and non-slip. Perfect for those cold winter nights. We have five separate colours available and the link is in the description below. So if you want to help support this sinking ship with free shipping, grab yourself a pair today. While socks last. And we have pizza. We have indeed. This looks spectacular. First thing I notice is the tomato is on the top. Yes, and it's chunky as well, isn't it? It's really chunky. I've never seen a pizza with that thick kind of big pieces of tomato. It's just so thick. And it's kind of noisy outside. I'm going to have to excuse the noise. I should show, let me do it this way. Look at this. I'm going to take my first bite. My mouth is watering. Look at that cheese and sausage. We've got cheese and sausage, didn't we? Yeah, now many of you know that we're not big fans of tomato. But this is different because it's kind of like a blended tomato. I'm trying to convince myself. I'm just going with it. Okay, look at that. That is just like all cheese. It is all cheese. And look at the base. It's not as thick as I thought it would be. No, I thought it was going to be thicker than that. Yeah. Oh my. That's very civilised, wasn't it? Oh my, good gracious me. I'm Mary Poppins. You are. Where's Nick Van Dyke? The tomato, that... That is delicious. Is that tomato? Is it tomato on its own? Yeah. It's sweet. Yeah. It's very saucy. I don't know if it's supposed to be so saucy. It's very... It's not. It doesn't taste like a fresh tomato. No, it doesn't taste like any tomato I've ever had before. No. So you've got like a very, very thin base. You've got cheese and then you've got sausage and then you've got the tomato on the top. You have. And this is thick, isn't it? Look how thick this is. It is thick, but it's not as thick as I thought it was going to be. I, for some reason, thought it was going to be like this thick of this. And it's not like that. But the base... I'm just going to try the base on its own. All right. It's crispy. That sausage is nice as well, isn't it? And buttery. I'm going to try the back part because sometimes that's the best, isn't it? That's what I was... Yeah, that's what I just tried. It was really good. Look at that. It's quite crispy and crunchy. Somehow the base is not soggy. I thought it would have been a lot soggier with all that tomato, but obviously it's not. It's kind of cooked upside down, though, isn't it? Because the tomato is on the very top, not the bottom. It's like base, cheese, sausage, tomato. It's really noisy, so I think we should finish these. Yeah. And then we'll meet you at our next place. We are here at Lou Malnati's. Yes. For our taste of Chicago-style pizza. Yes, we're going deep into deep dish pizza. We are, and we got here at just gone 11 o'clock, thinking nobody would be here. Nobody eats pizza at 11 o'clock. Well, apparently everybody had the same thoughts as us. Apparently everybody eats pizza at 11 o'clock. Because it's quite busy in here. So we put our order in and it's a 30-minute wait. It is 30 minutes, so... So we're just people watching. Yes, like ourselves. Look, what's come out? Let me move this so you can all get a stupendous view of this. This is amazing looking, isn't it? It has these... Again, this one has these big chunks of tomato. Yeah. On there. And this is a sausage one. Yeah. And can I just talk about the cheese? It's still going. Oh, look at that. Oh, that looks stringy, cheesy, gooey goodness right there. I just need to eat it now, don't I? You do. So this doesn't have a very thick base on it, does it? No. This has their signature butter crust, trademarked crust, doesn't it? It does. And the tomatoes apparently are specially seasoned. They're a bit more tangy. They've got a tang to them. But how is that butter crust? Is it buttery and crusty? The cheese is just melty, chewy goodness. How good is that? The base on that is really crispy. Yeah, but thinner, isn't it? It's not overwhelmingly thick. No. So I think going into this, I thought the Chicago beef dish was going to be really thick, like this big of base, and it's not like that. Yeah, when you see the pictures, they're like three inches thick, and you assume the base is going to be the same as that. But there is big chunks of tomato on this as well, isn't there? There is, but they're not obnoxious because they're not fresh. Should I try that on its own? It's up to you. It's tangy, isn't it? It's tangy. It's lovely. It's not bad. Juicy, tangy. That's nice, actually. I like that. Maybe we're coming around to tomatoes. Yeah. I don't know. But this... Who said you can't grow with age? Well, we should have grown a lot then with our age. This is lovely. So, Lou Malnati, a little fact for you. Okay. This place... The person that owned or owned or owned this place used to work for Pizzeria Uno as management. And Pizzeria Uno was the original one in Chicago that created the deep dish phenomenon. Yes, it was him and his father. And when his father died, Lou thought he was going to get more of the same running. Ah, I see where this is going. But that didn't happen. No. So he left and started his own. Wow. Quite some sex. Quite successfully, some would say. Easy for you to say. He had a chain when we were in Chicago. What I really like about this one. Yeah. It's really crispy. I'm going to try that crust at the back because that crust is quite thick. It's not overly thick. The whole thing is really well balanced. The sausage goes well. The sausage is seasoned. The crust, the base is still crispy even though there's so much tomato on there. I really like it. Yeah, I like this one. We're going to finish eating this, walk it off, and then go to our next place. Another one? Another one. Wow. We are at, I think it's Perut, Perut? Easy for you to say. Yeah, which has been voted number one pizza restaurant in the US. And also it happens to do deep dish. And there's a lot of debate out there because I've been looking on those Reddit threads about this place. So I can't wait to try it. We've placed our order. Another 30 minute wait, which is great because it leaves space to get ready to try this. We will be back when it comes out. It's come out and look at the colour of that crust. Wow, that looks amazing. It is very dark. And this one, oh, look at the cheese. Oh, look at all that cheese. Wow. This one doesn't seem as tomatoey. This one seems thicker. It does seem thicker. You're right. Definitely seems thicker. How does it taste? It's really good. It's definitely thicker. This looks more like a lasagna than a piece of pizza. It does, the crust is a lot more bready on this. I'm going to try some of this well done bit. Oh, that is just all cheese. That's very chewy. Very chewy, the crust. There is an argument to be had whether that is charred, grilled or burnt. There is. Which is well done. But I've not tasted it yet, so let's go. Well done. Ah, actually, that is well thicker, isn't it? That is so much thicker than the other two, don't we? It's got a lot of cheese as well. They've not scrimped on the cheese, have they? The sausage is probably the most tasty part, aren't it? Yeah, it's really gross. It's got a little bit of like an aniseed kick to it. It's like an Italian sausage. Yeah, it's nice that. And the tomato tastes lovely. And we've got all the condiments here. Yes. I'm not putting this cheese on. Every time I put parmesan on, I always think it tastes a bit... I don't know if I'm a fan of parmesan on pizzas. I think pepper is always good. It's got chili flakes in it. So we're going to finish this off and then we're going to go somewhere else and let you know which one is our favourite. Stay tuned. And we are back outside and this is our conclusion. A slightly wet conclusion. It just started pouring down. Anyway, let's talk about the deep dish pizzas. Which one was your favourite? The... my opinion? Yeah. The Lumin... Malnasi. That's the one. He was my favourite too. It was... I mean, we don't know what we're eating. We don't know what we're doing. We're just trying it. As Brits here in Chicago, and I really did like Lou Malnati's the best. Chicago deep dish is bold. Heavy, comforting and divisive. But now we're heading to a city that believes pizza should be simple. Fast, foldable and unapologetic. Next stop, New York City. We have got our first taste of New York pizza right here. Yes. So what did we get? We got cheese and tomato. We went purist and I've always seen people fold it. There's no folding in that, is there? That crust is very crispy, but the bottom of it is completely dry. Nice. I'll take that off your hands. That was... to be fair, that was straight fresh out of the oven as well, wasn't it? So... but that feels really soft. That tastes delicious. Wow. That tomato sauce tastes... wow. That tomato is really sweet. It is sweet. Garlicky even. Yeah, it's got... it feels like it's got a few herbs in there. But how do you get the base? I don't know. So it's not greasy. There was not an ounce of grease on that. This... It's like paper thin, isn't it, as well? Perfect snack for you. Yes, yeah. And it's got quite a char to it, hasn't it? Now we have tried our first slice of New York pizza. We have to go to other places. So we're going to finish this and catch us at our next spot. Scar's Pizza is where New York tradition meets obsession. Scar's pimento melts his own flour in-house, using techniques inspired by the city's original pizzerias from the early 1900s. The result is a slice that tastes familiar, but sharper, cleaner and more intentional. This is old school New York pizza rebuilt with modern precision. So this place is pretty famous all over the interweb, isn't it? It really is. And we just got a cheese and tomato, didn't we? This is a giant slice, isn't it? It is a giant. Do you know what I really love? What? How they give you two plates. Yeah, yeah. Love that. Instead of designing a plate that's big enough for both, they use two plates. And this one full. Look at that bowl. Look at the size. That is nearly as big as my head. It's huge. So it's quite interesting. You can sit inside this place and there was no queue whatsoever. There's nothing at the tables. But the line to just get a slice was amazingly long, wasn't it? That sauce is so delicate, isn't it? It's so light. And the cheese on top is perfect. Yes. It's, there's no, it's not a massively cheesy taste to it, but it's creamy and salty. And the tomato sauce isn't bitter or anything, is it? No, it's sweet and delicate. Just like me. Nobody thought I was ever delicate. And then the base of it is chewy, but crispy. Yeah, so the pizzas are all kind of ready in slices, aren't they? And then they just throw them back in the oven to whichever one you decide to choose. You know what amazes me? What's that? There's no grease. It's completely dry on the underside. Yeah. Let me try. Oh, it's so good. And you can fold it. Apparently, that's what you should be able to do with a New York slice. You should be able to fold it. It's meant to be a food that you can walk and eat. That is really good. It is good. Mama's Two takes everything New York pizza is known for and turns up the volume. Started by Frank Tuttelamondo, this spot is famous for its thicker, crunchier crust and unapologetically bold toppings. We are at our next stop. We are indeed. Which was Mama's Two. Yes. And we had a slight debacle. We did. With this. We were trying to stay as consistent as possible with all of the same pizza. Yeah. Unfortunately, they didn't have them. I asked for cheese and they said they didn't have it, which they may sound like they just didn't make them. Yes. And we didn't realize until afterwards that they were just out. Yes. So this does have pepperoni on it. But it's a lot smaller. Yes. And the last one, it is. And twice the size. Twice the price. But we're going to go through the price at the very end. Still nearly as big as my head, though. But not quite as big because you've got bigger. OK, so, you know, we're talking about the grease. Yes. And we're like, oh, it doesn't come off. Well, let's see. It's not really. There you go. It's not really dripping off. But it's not on a double plate, is it? No. Let me hold that plate for you. There you go. Now, this looks like it's got fresh parmesan grated on top of it. And then I saw them. They were actually spraying it with some kind of oil before they gave it to us. I think. Or basil. Oh, wow. Kind of folds reasonably well. And the bottom of it is nicely crusted. The base on that is chewy and crisp. Yes. Wow. Yeah. I forgive you for not having just cheese. It's quite well toasted again. Doesn't taste burnt. I think it's like a coal. I think the coal fires gives it that colour. This is a lot more tasty because the herbs and the cheese on the top really add to it. Yeah. And that crust has got salt in it. It's crispy and chewy. It is just a explosion in your mouth of heavenly, epic proportions. Have I given you any more descriptive words? No. It's absolutely delightful. Oh, OK. I think we should go to our next place. Yes. And we'll meet you all there. Yes. And now we have L'Industrie. L'Industrie. You do indeed. And the chef that makes these is actually from Italy. Really? Yes. Now, it's not as big as some that we've had. No. In fact, that's almost the smallest one, isn't it? Yeah. And it looks a lot more tomatoey than the rest, doesn't it? It does. And this is a margherita. Yes. And it does have basil on there. Yes. And there was a little bit of a wait for this one. But it did seem to go quite quickly than mine, didn't it? And you get to watch them actually make it there and then. So that holds its own straight away. And the bottom is probably the most brown that we've seen. It's crispy, again, and chewy. And that is... Oh, wow. That tastes really good. This pizza, I just, I can't get over how they stay so dry. Yes, yeah. Because look at the front. Look at the glisten on that. And then that, completely dry. Yes. Keep your hands... Let me try a bit of the crust. And I don't even need it. That crust is delicious. Listen to that crunch. So after three cities. Nine legendary pizza spots. And more slices than we care to admit. Which style of pizza actually wins? Detroit surprised us. Chicago challenged us. But New York reminded us why simplicity matters. And honestly. There isn't one perfect pizza. There's just one perfect pizza for you. And this was America's Pizza Story.