Disclaimer: Buddy’s Pizza provided delicious food for our first taste. All opinions and drool-worthy photos are my own.
From the moment we stepped into Buddy’s Pizza in Auburn Hills, we knew it was going to be amazing. The smells, the atmosphere, the friendly people. On a Friday night, I knew Buddy’s was the place to be. There was a wait out the door and so many people dining, you could tell that this was a Friday tradition.
We’ve been living in Michigan for almost 7 years now. Even in Grand Rapids, we are constantly hearing about Buddy’s Pizza. When I saw there was a location by our hotel, I knew our Pizza Friday had to be spent there. If you aren’t familiar, every Friday we eat pizza as a family. Usually it’s homemade, but on special occasions we get pizza from a restaurant.
Looking at the menu, I saw so many delicious options: pasta, sandwiches, burgers and more. Since it was our first taste, I knew we had to stick with pizza. We’d driven 2 hours to get to the East side of the state, though, so an appetizer was also necessary. Cheese sticks are always a hit. They also brought over some chicken fingers and they were the best we’ve ever had! With a ranch dipping sauce, they were a hit for all of us!
They have a great drink menu, also. Ricky tried a special house brew and said it was great…especially after driving in the car with 3 crazy kiddos.
The week before our visit, I asked Twitter what I HAD to try at Buddy’s and everyone said the Antipasto salad. Ordering the small size, I figured it would be a small portion, but I was wrong! It was enough for me to share with the girls. Ever since, they’ve been asking for me to recreate that salad at home–probably impossible because that dressing was the best. There were big chunks of brick cheese and salami that were so fresh and tasty.
When it came to deciding which pizza toppings, it was a tough decision! Since our hotel had a full kitchen, we figured we could get 4 different toppings–leftover pizza is always delish, anyways! Our picks:
- Buffalo Chicken
- Motown Museum: cheese blend, pepperoni and BACON
- The Detroiter (one that everyone said was a MUST): cheese, pepperoni, tomato basil sauce, shaved parm with brick cheese.
- Super: the ultimate deluxe pizza with pepperoni, onions, green peppers, mushrooms and ham
The pizzas are square and you can pick 4 or 8 squares. Although the crust is thick, it’s light and crispy–not dense at all. Basically perfect. I’m usually a thin crust gal, but this is pizza crust done right. It’s evident that all the ingredients and sauces are fresh and homemade, everything is made with love.
As usual, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we had plenty leftover–a perfect midnight snack! Ricky has always used brick cheese to make his pizzas, but since we’ve moved from Wisconsin, it has been hard to find, let alone find a restaurant that uses it. I feel like the brick cheese makes the difference–it’s ooey and gooey (for lack of a better term) and really lets the toppings shine. Another pizza favorite is crispy pepperoni and Buddy’s gets it right.
Aside from the delicious food, everyone working there was SO nice and welcoming. If you look around the restaurant, you see people laughing and smiling–it’s the kind of atmosphere you want to be in after a long week.
My stomach is growling just writing about this meal. There are plenty of locations in the Detroit area, be sure to stop by if you’re close. I’ve heard rumors that it’s headed to Grand Rapids and I have my fingers crossed.
Have you been to Buddy’s Pizza? What do you usually order? I’ll definitely be back!
Keep in touch with Buddy’s on social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Buddy’s is one of my firms clients and just being around the team that works on it has taught me so much about Detroit Style Pizza. I didn’t know that was a thing before, but there is a certain process and way that they make their pizza to keep it unique. Their antipasto salad is SO amazing!