Pizza might have Italian roots, but Americans have truly made this cheesy delight their own. From coast to coast, the United States boasts an astonishing variety of regional pizza styles, each with unique crusts, toppings, and preparation methods.
Whether you fancy a foldable slice from New York or a deep-dish masterpiece from Chicago, there's an American pizza style to satisfy every craving – including some that have won our hearts here in the UK.
1. Brier Hill Pizza
Named after an Italian neighbourhood in Youngstown, Ohio, this old-school pizza is a testament to Italian-American heritage. The star of the show? Sweet bell peppers that roast to perfection atop a thick, crusty base.
What makes Brier Hill unique is its complete absence of mozzarella. Instead, you'll find a generous sprinkle of Romano or Parmesan cheese, giving it a sharp, distinctive flavour that cuts through the sweetness of the peppers and rich tomato sauce.
Originally created by Italian immigrants working in the steel mills, this Friday night tradition continues in many Ohio homes and pizzerias today, keeping its working-class roots alive.
2. California Style
Born in the health-conscious Golden State during the 1980s, California-style pizza throws the rulebook out the window. Imagine a thin, artisanal crust that serves as a canvas for the most unexpected ingredients – from Thai chicken to peaches and goat cheese.
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and his restaurant Spago popularised this free-spirited approach to pizza-making. His famous smoked salmon pizza with crème fraîche and caviar became an instant hit among Hollywood's elite.
The focus on fresh, seasonal, and locally-sourced toppings reflects California's farm-to-table ethos. It's not just pizza – it's edible California sunshine on a plate!
3. Chicago Deep Dish
Forget everything you know about pizza – Chicago's deep dish is practically a savoury pie! With walls of buttery, cornmeal-enriched dough standing two inches tall, this heavyweight champion requires a knife and fork to tackle properly.
The layering is backwards compared to traditional pizza: cheese lines the bottom, followed by toppings, and finally crowned with tomato sauce. This clever construction prevents the cheese from burning during the long bake time.
Created in 1943 at Pizzeria Uno, this hearty style was designed to satisfy hungry workers with a complete meal in one slice. One piece might fill you up, but you'll still want another!
4. Chicago Thin Crust
Living in the shadow of its famous deep-dish sibling, Chicago's thin crust is the city's best-kept secret. Cracker-thin and impossibly crispy, this style snaps with a satisfying crunch when you bite into it.
Unlike New York's foldable slices, Chicago thin crust is cut into small squares ("tavern style") rather than triangular wedges. This party cut creates coveted corner pieces with extra crunch and makes sharing much easier at pubs.
Toppings extend right to the edge, and the sauce tends to be chunkier and more heavily spiced than other styles. Ask any Chicago local what they order on a weeknight, and most will point to this understated classic.
5. Colorado Mountain Pie
Developed in the high-altitude ski towns of the Rockies, Colorado Mountain Pies are built to satisfy ravenous appetites after a day on the slopes. These magnificent beasts feature braided, honey-sweetened crusts that rise like the mountains themselves – thick, chewy, and substantial.
The honey in the dough isn't just for flavour; it helps the yeast perform better at high altitudes where baking can be tricky. Beau Jo's, the style's creator, serves these pies by weight – starting at one pound and going up to a whopping five pounds!
Locals finish their meal by drizzling honey on the crusts for dessert. It's like getting a pizza and pudding all in one go!
6. Columbus Style
Hailing from Ohio's capital, Columbus-style pizza breaks all the rules with its distinctive thin, crispy base that somehow manages to remain chewy in the middle. The magic lies in the dough, which is proofed and rolled with a special technique that creates its paradoxical texture.
Perhaps the most defining feature is how it's cut – into small, irregular squares rather than triangles. This "party cut" makes it perfect for sharing at gatherings, though you might fight over the corner pieces!
Toppings extend right to the edge, and the cheese – a blend that often includes provolone – is piled generously but never overwhelms the thin base. It's a masterclass in balance.
7. Detroit Style
Born in the Motor City, Detroit-style pizza pays homage to the city's automotive heritage by being baked in rectangular blue steel pans – the same ones originally used to hold small parts in car factories. The result? A pizza with a thick, airy focaccia-like base and irresistibly crispy, caramelised cheese edges.
Wisconsin brick cheese is the traditional choice, creating those signature charred corners that pizza enthusiasts fight over. The sauce is typically applied last, in racing stripes across the top, earning it the nickname "red top" pizza.
Once a regional secret, Detroit-style has recently exploded in popularity across America and is gaining fans here in the UK too.
8. New York Style
The quintessential American pizza experience involves a massive, foldable slice from a New York pizzeria. This iconic style features a hand-tossed thin crust that's crispy along the edges but soft and pliable enough to fold lengthwise – the only proper way to eat it according to locals.
Legend has it that New York's tap water is the secret behind the distinctive crust that manages to be both chewy and crisp. The traditional toppings are simple: a light layer of tangy tomato sauce and full-fat, low-moisture mozzarella cheese.
Sold in enormous 18-inch pies or by the slice, it's designed for busy New Yorkers to grab and eat on the go. No plates required!
9. Ohio Valley Style
Found primarily in eastern Ohio and parts of West Virginia, Ohio Valley pizza plays by its own unique rules. The base is a focaccia-like crust with a distinctive cracker-like crunch, baked completely before any toppings are added.
Here's where it gets interesting – after baking, cold toppings are added to the hot crust. The cheese melts slightly from the residual heat but remains partially unmelted, creating a fascinating contrast of temperatures and textures.
DiCarlo's Original Pizza House pioneered this style in 1945, and locals queue up for these rectangular trays cut into squares. First-timers might be confused by the cold cheese, but converts swear there's nothing better!
10. Quad Cities Style
Spanning the area where Iowa and Illinois meet along the Mississippi River, Quad Cities pizza boasts a crust unlike any other. The secret? Malt in the dough, giving it a nutty, almost toasted flavour that's immediately recognisable to locals.
The pizza is cut into strips using scissors rather than a wheel cutter, creating long, rectangular pieces instead of triangular slices. This unusual cutting style originated from the region's many Italian delis and sandwich shops.
Another distinctive feature is the spicy tomato sauce, heavily seasoned with red chili flakes and ground cayenne. Toppings are generous but always buried beneath a blanket of finely ground cheese for perfect melting.
11. St. Louis Style
Cracker-thin and crispy enough to shatter with each bite, St. Louis-style pizza refuses to bend or fold. The unleavened crust contains no yeast, giving it that distinctive crunch that locals adore and visitors either love or hate – there's rarely middle ground!
The real showstopper is Provel – a processed cheese blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone that melts into a gooey, almost buttery texture. Unknown outside the region, this divisive cheese has a tangy flavor and strings less than mozzarella.
Cut into small squares ("party cut" or "tavern cut") rather than wedges, this style originated at Imo's Pizza in the 1960s and remains beloved by St. Louisans everywhere.
12. Taco Pizza
The brilliant fusion of Italian and Mexican cuisines, taco pizza emerged in the American Midwest during the 1970s and quickly captured hearts nationwide. Happy Joe's in Iowa claims to have invented this cross-cultural masterpiece, though many pizzerias now offer their own versions.
A standard pizza crust provides the foundation, topped with refried beans or taco sauce instead of marinara. After baking with seasoned beef and cheese, it's finished with cold, fresh toppings – shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and crushed tortilla chips for that essential crunch.
Often served with packets of taco sauce on the side, it's the perfect solution when you can't decide between pizza night and taco Tuesday!
Comments
No Comments