Cloverleaf Pizza

Detroit-style pizza was born of the city’s ties to making cars. Rectangular steel trays like the ones found in auto factories were used to shape the pizza known for its square pieces, airier crust and caramelized edges thanks to Wisconsin brick cheese

Cloverleaf Pizza in the Detroit suburb of Eastpointe, Michigan, has stayed true to those roots. After Gus and Anna Guerra sold Buddy’s Rendezvous, a bar on Detroit’s east side where Gus first developed his deep-dish square pizza in 1946, they purchased a small tavern in Eastpointe that resembles a farmhouse and opened Cloverleaf Pizza. The Guerra family has been a constant in the restaurant’s 70-year history, with the restaurant serving as not just a spot to grab lunch or dinner, but a slice of Detroit history.

Gus Guerra brought the original recipe created at Buddy’s Rendezvous, which was adapted from his family’s recipe for sfincione, a Sicilian pan pizza. That recipe is still used today by co-owners Jack Guerra and Marie Guerra Easterby, Gus and Anna’s son and daughter. The modern-day dining experience at Cloverleaf Pizza remains rooted in family tradition. Inside, the space feels like a throwback to mid-century Michigan, complete with warm wood tones, vintage booths and family memorabilia lining the walls. 

The approach to the food has remained the same, from the dough to the sauce to the cheese blend to the baking method. The menu includes classics like old-fashioned pepperoni and Italian sausage, and locals love the selection of specialty gourmet pizzas like the Hawaiian and the BBQ Chicken. Pasta, salads and fried appetizers round out the menu, making it more than just a pizza spot. 24443 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe, Michigan 48021, 586/777-5391, cloverleafrestaurant.com