Pizza is more than just food. It’s a source of pride, an American culinary staple, and a reason to argue about who does it best.
While New York and Italy might think they have the monopoly on great pies, the Midwest has been quietly (and deliciously) crafting its own unique takes.
Getting Regional
One thing is for sure: there’s no singular “Midwestern pizza.” Depending on where you are, you’ll find wildly different styles, each with its own fiercely loyal fan base.
- Chicago-Style: Think Chicago pizza, and deep dish probably comes to mind. But real Chicagoans know that their everyday go-to isn’t the towering, cheese-stuffed pie. It’s a crispy, thin-crust pizza, usually cut into squares.
- Detroit-Style: A deep-dish twist that’s nothing like Chicago’s. Baked in a rectangular pan, this pizza features a caramelized, crispy cheese edge and a soft, chewy center.
- Ohio Valley Style: A truly wild card from Steubenville, Ohio, this pizza is cooked with sauce only and then finished with cheese and toppings after it comes out of the oven. Cold. Yes, cold.
- Sota-Style: If you like your pizza loaded up, Minnesota’s take is for you. These thin-crust pies go heavy on cheese and toppings, and yes, they’re always square-cut. Sorry, NYC.
- Quad-City Style: This Iowa and Illinois specialty starts with a malty, molasses-infused crust and gets topped with fennel-heavy sausage before being cut into long strips. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and totally unique.
Farms Full of Pizza
A great pizza experience is about the setting, too. Enter the pizza farm.
They are working farms that serve wood-fired pies made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Picture a summer evening, a picnic blanket, and a hot, handmade pizza straight from the oven, enjoyed under the stars.
A to Z Produce & Bakery in Stockholm, Wisconsin, is credited with starting the trend in 1998, and now dozens of farms across the Midwest host pizza nights.
Want to plan your own pizza pilgrimage? Eater Twin Cities has a list of spots to check out in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
When Pizza Freezes Over
Not all Midwestern pizza is wood-fired and organic. The region is also famous for creating–and consuming–frozen pizza.
In fact, the area between Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska eats so many frozen pies that it’s called “the pizza cradle” by folks working in the frozen food industry.
Duluth, Minnesota, gave the world Totino’s Pizza Rolls, originally created by Beatrice Ojakangas in the 1960s and famously spoofed on SNL.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, has spawned household frozen pizza brands like Tombstone, Palermo’s, and Roma.
Pizza Museums
Given its Midwestern lineage, it’s only fitting that the first U.S. Pizza Museum was born in Chicago.
Founded by Kendall Bruns, a pizza enthusiast, the museum’s collections cover pizza history, pop culture, and memorabilia. While its physical locations were short-lived, Bruns still offers private presentations about his collection and pizza history.
“Every major city has multiple art museums. Pizza deserves at least two,” said Bruns, who graduated from the Art Academy of Cincinnati.
So next time you bite into a pizza slice, remember—you’re eating a piece of Midwestern history.