Steel Pan Pizza

After decades of local pizza isolationism – “no, the best pizza is the pizza I grew up with!” – Americans have more recently warmed to the idea that there might be great pizza styles from cities and countries beyond their home towns. Operating from a small location inside Rodeo 39 Public Market, Steel Pan Pizza made its case for Detroit’s unique style by offering personal-sized pizzas that were full of character: roughly an inch thick thanks to a solid but not overly bready crust, mild red sauce, a strong layer of salty cheese, and your choice of toppings.

Eleven different pizzas, including a Classic Detroit with cheese and marinara, a Pepperoni with cup-and-char pepperonis, and varied mushroom, meat, chicken, and veggie options were available. Though we historically loved meaty and mixed meat-and-vegetable pizzas, Steel Pan’s basic ingredients were so fresh and perfectly cooked every time that we frequently reordered the Pepperoni, which let each of its core flavors (salty, sweet, spicy, umami) pop on top of the crispy-bottomed crust.

Each pizza is 6.5″ square – sized for a one-person meal, with the option of salads or fries on the side – and took around 15-20 minutes from order to pick-up. We frequently ordered one as an appetizer to share between people as we sampled other places at Rodeo 39, and always appreciated the quality and reasonable pricing. Unfortunately, Steel Pan closed in mid-2025 after roughly five years at Rodeo, and no new location has yet been identified for a reopening.