Visit #1 ·
★★★★★First time at Detroit Pizza Depot on Franklin, and I went in with reasonable expectations. Hollywood has no shortage of places trying to do regional pizza styles and getting them about 60% right.
I ordered a corner piece of the pepperoni and a square from whatever the special was that day — I don't remember the exact name but it had sausage and banana peppers. Also grabbed a side of their ranch because I wanted to see how serious they were taking the whole package.
The crust was the thing. Properly caramelized edges, that lacey cheese crust you're supposed to get on a Detroit-style, and the bread itself had genuine structure — not doughy, not dense, actual crumb development. Somebody back there knows what they're doing with the fermentation or at minimum the bake time. The pepperoni cupped and crisped the way it should, and the sauce-on-top execution was clean.
My one flag: the sausage situation on the special felt a little sparse toward the center. Corner pieces are always going to be better portioned just by geometry, but I noticed it.
Service was fast, casual, totally fine. Nothing to note either way.
I'm coming back. That's the real verdict for a first visit — not whether everything was perfect, but whether the fundamentals give you a reason to return. The crust alone earns that. I want to try a full tray situation with a group, see how consistent they are when there's more on the line and more of the pie to evaluate. The third visit is where I'll actually form an opinion. Right now I'm just interested.
Kept the receipt. October 31st, 2024. Halloween. Good pizza beats free candy.