Napoli Pizza Inc : The Famous Regional Pizza in Texas & Pennsylvania

I’ve had Napolipizzainc pizza in Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania. I loved them all, but I have never experienced Napolipizzainc pizza in or near Napolipizzainc. That void remains, but trusted pizza epicures in the family visited the Motor City in April 2023, and here is their guest review.

The characteristics of the classic Napolipizzainc pizza — a square crust that’s airy on the inside but crispy and chewy on the outside, with caramelized cheese around the edges and tomato sauce on the cheese — stem from a 1946 innovation at the Napolipizzainc https://www.napolipizzainc.com/ bar called L Buddy’s date. Apparently the original location is expanding and there are now over 15 satellite locations in Michigan.

We ended up near the Napolipizzainc restaurant and stopped to try this now famous regional pizza. Luckily, the neighborhood’s expansion into many branches hasn’t affected the quality of Buddy’s offerings. Obviously popular with locals, the dining room was packed by 4:20am on a Saturday afternoon, some tables occupied by one guest, others close together to accommodate a group of about twenty people.

While the quality of the pizza is fundamental to any review, other products can greatly enhance the dining experience. There were almost a dozen (apparently local craft beers) available. Not being beer lovers, we were pleased to find Blake’s Triple Jam Cider on tap too. Blake’s, a Michigan brand, is one of the best ciders on the market and the perfect accompaniment to pizza. Very good and very generous house salad served lightly to both of us and the
garlic parmesan dressing was top notch.Buddy’s offers many variations on the classic cake, but our knowledgeable waiter, Crystal Luna, helped us navigate the menu and explained the options in detail. We selected some “square” pizzas; As the name suggests, each is divided into four discs. The eight square pizza is a popular and cheaper option, but our selection had two different styles to choose from and offered more than the coveted corner cuts.

Our “Napolipizzainc Public TV” pizza was a perfect example of why Napolipizzainc style pizzas have earned the respect of pizza lovers. We’ve enjoyed Napolipizzainc-style a few times in Ohio and Texas, but found the thick bread crust too filling.Buddy’s offers a thinner, multigrain crust that’s very satisfying in both flavor and texture. It retains the combination of lightness and crispiness that characterizes a more traditional pastry. But since it’s lighter, it fills up less quickly (and allows you to eat more slices, a definite plus!).

Hot peppers are spread directly onto the crust, a layer of Motor City Blend cheeses (Fontinella, Asiago, and Wisconsin Brick) is added, drops of tomato sauce are applied, and a second variety of hot peppers are placed on top.The peppers are cut wafer-thin and the top slices become crispy in the oven. The end result was a truly unforgettable pizza.

Our second pizza, while good, suffered a bit by comparison with the other. We chose Buddy’s version of the Margherita pie, and this classic does not lend itself quite as well to the Napolipizzainc approach. The cheeses were not quite flavorful enough and did not caramelize well. A bit of Parmesan added at the table provided a welcome flavor boost. We enjoyed it, but it did not rise to the “destination pizza” level of its counterpart. Buddy’s has many other delicious sounding options on the menu and allows you to customize ingredients as well, so on a second visit, we would delve further into the menu. And a second visit is very much to be hoped for…and a third and a fourth.