Detroit-Style Pizza in Portland
East Glisan Pizza Lounge has served Detroit-style pizza in Montavilla since 2015, when we were one of the first places in Portland making it. Our Detroit is a light, airy pan pizza with a crispy bottom and a crispy cheesy edge on every piece. It's on the menu every night we're open.
How a pizza from Detroit ended up on NE Glisan
In 2015 we were looking for something new to get people's attention and fill some slower nights. Kristen noticed Detroit pan pizza was catching on around the country, and we didn't know of anyone in Portland making it yet.
We didn't have a chef at the time, so Kristen worked out the dough at our kitchen table at home. We started serving it on Tuesdays only, then added Saturdays. Now it's every night.
What makes ours different
We go for a lighter, airier crust than many Detroit pizzas. The bottom gets crispy, and the cheese runs down the sides of the pan and turns into that crunchy, caramelized edge.
The pans matter. Ours are made in Spokane, Washington, and they're as close as you can get to the original steel pans from Detroit. Those pans were first used to hold parts on the auto assembly lines.
The sauce goes on after the pizza comes out of the oven. That's the part that makes it Detroit.
Every piece is a corner
Our 8 by 10 inch Detroit is cut into four pieces, so every piece has two crispy cheesy edges.
What to order
Cheese and pepperoni. Our most-ordered Detroit. Cheese blend, pepperoni, and marinara.
EG Pepperoni. A regular favorite. Tomato and pesto sauces, mozz, pepperoni, nicoise olive, fresh mozz. (Contains nuts.)
Puttanesca. Ours alone, and a favorite. Spicy, garlicky tomato sauce with caper, nicoise olive and chili flake under a four-cheese blend, with whole nicoise olives on top. Add anchovy at no cost.
Build your own. Start with cheese blend and marinara and add up to three toppings.
Detroits start at $19. Most specialty Detroits have a vegan option (+$2).
Gluten-free and vegan Detroit
Our gluten-free Detroit is made with Caputo gluten-free flour and bakes in the same type of pans for the same crispy edge. It starts at $23, and there's a vegan option (+$2).
FAQ
What is Detroit-style pizza? A thick, rectangular pan pizza that comes from Detroit in the 1940s. The crust is crispy on the bottom, the cheese goes all the way to the edges so it caramelizes against the pan, and the sauce goes on after baking.
Is it the same as Chicago deep dish? No, they couldn't be more different. Chicago deep dish is a tall, pie-like pizza with the toppings and cheese layered inside a deep crust. Detroit is closer to Sicilian or "Grandma" style pizza: a pan pizza with an airy crust and crispy cheese edges.
How big is it? Our Detroit is 8 by 10 inches, cut into four pieces so every piece is a corner.
Do you have a gluten-free or vegan Detroit? Yes. Our gluten-free Detroit uses Caputo gluten-free flour, and most pizzas have a vegan option with vegan mozz or our house cashew cheese sauce. The BeHive vegan sausage and pepperoni contain gluten, so skip those on a gluten-free pie.
Can I get it for takeout? Yes. Order online for pickup or delivery at egpl-take-out.square.site.
When can I get it? Every night we're open: Monday 5-9, Thursday 5-10, Friday 5-11, Saturday 5-10, and Sunday 5-9. We're closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Come in for a Detroit.
8001 NE Glisan St, Portland. See the menu or order online.