The Seattle Square Pizza Power Rankings

There can only be one rectangular champion: the Detroit-style pies at Spark Pizza in Redmond. And not only is this the best square—it's one of the best pizzas we've ever sunk our teeth into around here. That's thanks to sauce jazzed up by both fresh and dried herbs, spiderweb-stretchy Wisconsin brick cheese, a toasted Cheez-It-like exterior, and extra smoky pepperoni topped with baked parmesan. Pair all of that good stuff with a crust that's sturdy along the bottom and springy in the middle, and you have a takeout pie that absolutely won't make it past the drive home. Just note that these beautiful hunks of midwestern joy are only available Tuesday through Saturday.

Coming in at a (very) close second is My Friend Derek’s. The pizza here is a perfect specimen of light and fluffy cornmeal-dusted crust, rich marinara loaded with nutty toasted garlic, and toppings that just hit right. Our recommended duo is a combo of pepperoni cups and castelvetrano olives that create a smoke-and-brine moment. To secure your pizza, place an online order (based entirely on Derek's whim as announced via Instagram), and then pick it up at the production kitchen on the corner of N 36th and Woodland Park Ave N.

The Mr. Pink pie at Dino’s is operating on a different playing field than anything else here—especially when ordered in rectangular form. This Jersey-style pizza is topped with sweet vodka sauce, globs of fresh mozzarella, ricotta dollops, and basil in a less-is-more distribution that lets the pink goods shine. The crust is thick and crunchy, and the whole bottom is so charred that it’s almost black in some parts, which (to be clear) is exactly how you want it.

Squares are part of Slice Box’s normal glass-case repertoire, which means there will often be multiple varieties waiting for a trip to the oven, whether that’s a duo of Italian meats or a tomato-free slice with mushrooms and pesto. It’s really that second bake that makes a difference—pepperoni crisps up, cheese brulees, and the crust seals in a good crunch. Not to mention that you’re in and out in less than five minutes, making a lunch run ridiculously simple.

The round pies and hoagie bread at this Downtown slice shop trend a bit dry and crunchy, so it's a nice change of pace to experience their dough in a thicker, chewier format. Only available on Fridays, Post Alley Pizza changes up their topping combination once a week—sometimes it's pepperoni and a drizzle of hot honey, and sometimes it's perfectly moist sliced meatballs and piped ricotta swirls. You'll want the latter.

This Fremont pizzeria has a knack for making bread-based parallelograms taste great—so it only makes mathematical sense that their sicilian squares are lovely, too. Made in limited quantities whenever the hell Tivoli feels like it, typically you’ll find one topping combination available, be it pepperoni or oyster mushrooms and char-edged onion slivers. The toasty cheese edges are a lactose-based hallelujah chorus, and the fluffy middle is lighter than air—an accomplishment made only more impressive by just how crunchy the bottom is.

This tiny house in West Seattle that happens to look like the one from Up does Detroit-style pies extremely well. You’ll find pizzas here made with a 100-year-old sourdough starter (her name is Betty), and topped with things like Filipino pork belly with sausage, and calamansi lime sauce or deconstructed clam chowder ingredients. It’s all excellent, down to every last crunch of pepperoni edge and frizzled cheese laced along the crust’s tall walls. And while there used to be a multi-month waitlist to get a box, same-day and next-day orders are typically available.

This bright pizza palace from the Stoneburner team serves blistery round pies and Detroit-style squares, among other things like cheeseburgers and tasty waffle fries. But you're really here for those pan pies, complete with a chewy focaccia-like crust fortress, edges of lacy cheese crunch, and a consistent layer of melted mozzarella. Earthy dried oregano imparts warmth to crushed tomatoes, and add-ons like goathorn peppers, maitake mushrooms, and hot honey make pies fun to customize.

While we’d normally ding a slice if it has a scarcity of cheese, we actually appreciate that in Dantini’s grandma-style pies. Mozzarella pockets show up when you need them between bites of sweet garlic confit, chunky san marzanos, and char bubbles. The dough here is a bit heartier—imagine a really good bakery’s crusty whole wheat loaf reinterpreted as a pizza.

From the masterminds behind burnt honey-sweetened cold brew comes a girthy pan pie situation that isn’t a total mess to eat. Anchorhead’s yeasty crust is crackly but soft, with a hefty layer of sticky mozzarella, and tomato sauce enhanced by just a hint of dried herbs. And while the pepperoni has a nice brittle crispness, we prefer the plain slab, especially drenched in their homemade dill-flecked ranch. Just be quick—sometimes Seattle U students will clean out the case at lunchtime.

In a narrow pocket of 400 Fairview’s food court, this promising al taglio pizza counter serves crunchy Roman-style rectangles worth rerouting SLU lunch plans for. You’ll see the usual tomato-splashed suspects done well—like a basil-brightened margherita or a classic cheese pie polka-dotted with crackly halal pepperoni. But Pizza By Ruffin doesn’t stop at the basics. Punchy green jamaican curry catapults an otherwise monotonous mushroom slice to another lunar plane, squash is paired with brie, and they’re even loading pies with gumbo ingredients.

This sports bar in Woodinville specializes in Detroit-style pan pies, and their sheer variety is astounding enough, ringing in at 33 different kinds. But this isn’t a quantity-over-quality deal—the pizzas are actually good. The lineup includes topping combinations that just work, like Beecher’s with prosciutto and Chardonnay butter sauce, or chicken tenders with bacon and ranch. But don’t ignore the Bo Knows, a standout slice that features fennel-kicked meatballs and strands upon strands of basil.