Famous Detroit Food: 12 Iconic Foods You Need to Try
Detroit is famous for cars, music, architecture and some seriously memorable food. You’ll find everything from thick, square slices of crispy-edged pizza to chili-topped Coney dogs. Motor City has developed a food culture that is all its own, but the Detroit food scene also reflects the many immigrant communities that have shaped the city, from Polish bakeries and Greek-influenced diners to Middle Eastern restaurants and neighborhood markets.
So, you may be wondering what food is Detroit famous for? We’re here to tell you there are plenty of answers. If you want to taste several Detroit classics while learning the stories behind them, join us on our Iconic Foods of Detroit Tour. You’ll experience a three-hour downtown food tour where we’ll get you full size samples of the iconic food and share the stories about the people who created the city’s most beloved food. You’ll sample everything from Detroit-style pizza, a Coney Dog, local soda, sweets and more.
But if you’re building your own Detroit food bucket list, here are 12 famous Detroit foods to eat.
1. Detroit-Style Pizza
Let’s start with the food that has gone from Motor City specialty to nationwide obsession, Detroit-style pizza. Unlike a traditional round pizza, Detroit-style pizza is baked in a rectangular steel plan, creating a thick, airy crust with crispy, caramelized cheese around the edges.
You’ll find this style traces its roots to Buddy’s on Detroit’s east side, where Gus and Anna Guerra began serving the square pizza in 1946. You may also be interested to know that local automotive manufacturing even influenced the pans originally used to bake it. For a first taste, try the original-style pizza at Buddy’s or seek out one of the many Detroit pizzerias putting its own spin on the classic.
Some of our other favorite Detroit-style pizza spots include Loui’s Pizza, Cloverleaf Pizza and Michigan & Trumbull.
Detroit Food Tip: Detroiters are serious about their pizza. Learn more about what Detroit-style pizza is, how it differs from Chicago-style pizza and more.
2. The Detroit Coney Dog
If Detroit has an unofficial food rivalry, it revolves around the Coney dog. A Detroit-style Coney is a hot dog topped with beanless chili, yellow mustard and chopped onions. You’ll find that the combination is simple, messy and unmistakably Detroit.
The city’s most famous Coney rivalry takes place downtown, where American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island sit next door to each other. And both have been serving generations of Detroit diners, and trying both has become a classic Motor City food experience.
Detroit Food Tip: If someone asks whether you prefer American or Lafayette, be prepared for a strong opinion. And you can learn the story behind the Coney and taste one yourself on our Iconic Foods of Detroit Tour.
3. Paczki
Detroit’s Polish heritage has given the city another beloved food, the paczki. You’ll find these rich filled pastries (pronounced “poonch-key) were traditionally made to use up ingredients before Lent. Today, they are a Detroit-area tradition, especially around Fat Tuesday. To taste one of our favorite paczki spots head to New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck.
For many Detroiters, paczki season means choosing a favorite bakery, ordering a box and debating which filling is best. You’ll find that raspberry, custard, lemon and apple are among the classics, while Detroit-area bakeries also offer creative flavors. The Hamtramck area is particularly well known for its Polish food traditions and paczki bakeries.
Detroit Food Tip: There are several great spots in the greater Detroit area to find delicious paczki, but some stand out against the rest. Learn where to get the best paczki in Detroit.
4. Better Made Potato Chips
Better Made potato chips have been part of Detroit’s food scene since 1930 and have become a classic local snack. Their distinctive red-and-yellow packaging is recognizable throughout Michigan and grabbing a bag is an easy way to take a little Detroit home with you.
Fun Fact: Wondering how quickly it takes to make this iconic Detroit snack? The entire journey from unpeeled potato to sealed bag takes roughly seven minutes.
5. Sanders Bumpy Cake
Detroit also has a sweet side and you’ll find that Sanders Bumpy Cake is one of the city’s most recognizable desserts. The classic chocolate cake is covered with distinctive buttercream “bumps” and finished with chocolate icing.
Fun Fact: This delicious Detroit creation came to be by accident. In 1913, founder Fred Sanders ran out of frosting while decorating a cake and improvised four long ridges of buttercream across the top before covering it in chocolate ganache.
6. Sanders Hot Fudge
While we’re talking Sanders, don’t stop with the cake. Sander’s hot fudge is another Detroit-area classic and this rich, warm and unapologetically indulgent fudge has earned a loyal following beyond Michigan. If you order it over ice cream you’ll understand why Detroiters have been putting Sanders chocolate on desserts for generations.
Fun Fact: Sanders ran classic ice cream parlors and generations of people grew up eating their hot fudge sundaes and hot fudge cream puffs at family celebrations.
7. Faygo Pop
While technically it’s a beverage, no list of famous food from Detroit would feel complete without Faygo. The Detroit-born soft drink brand dates to 1907, when Russian immigrant brothers Ben and Perry Feigenson began making beverages in the city. Today, Faygo is famous for its huge variety of flavors and its deep connection to Detroit and Michigan.
Rock & Rye, Redpop and Cream Soda are among the flavors visitors may encounter, but the best choice is whichever one catches your eye.
Fun Fact: Faygo was practically a Michigan-exclusive secret because unfiltered water caused the soda to go flat after a short time. It wasn’t until the 1960s that chemists installed a proper water filtration system to give it a nationwide shelf life.
8. Vernors Ginger Ale
Another Detroit-born classic is Vernors, a ginger-flavored soft drink with roots going back to the 19th century. One fun way to enjoy it is a Boston Cooler: Vernors blended with vanilla ice cream into a creamy, fizzy treat. It’s not your average soda float, and that’s exactly the point.
Fun Fact: Vernors is the oldest surviving ginger ale brand in the United States, first served to the public in Detroit in 1866.
9. The Boston Cooler
Even though we already told you about Vernors, the Boston Cooler is so good that it deserves its own spot on the list. Despite the name, this sweet Detroit-area specialty isn’t associated with Boston. It’s a creamy combination of Vernors ginger ale and vanilla ice cream, traditionally blended into a thick, frothy drink. If you’re looking for famous Detroit foods to eat that are a little less obvious than pizza and Coney dogs, add a Boston Cooler to the list.
You may be thinking why is this delicious treat named after Boston if it has nothing to do with the East Coast city? Food historians note that “Boston Cooler” was once a generic catch-all term used across the United States for various soda fountain creations. The name became official when the Vernors company trademarked “Boston Cooler” in 1967.
10. Detroit-Style Chili Cheese Fries
You’ll find that Detroit Coney Island culture extends beyond the hot dog. Chili cheese fries are exactly what they sound like, crispy fries covered in chili and cheese. They are a natural companion to the city’s Coney tradition and you can taste variations throughout Detroit’s classic diners and Coney Island restaurants such as American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island.
For visitors who aren’t ready to commit to the full Coney dog experience, chili fries offer another way to experience the city’s signature chili.
Detroit Food Tip: Traditional Detroit chili gets its distinct flavor and texture from beef heart. While some modern recipes substitute it entirely with finely ground beef, authentic old-school recipes still include organ meat.
11. Pierogi and Polish Comfort Food
As we already mentioned, Detroit’s Polish heritage is especially visible in the Hamtramck neighborhood and along with paczki’s you’ll also find pierogi. These dumplings are filled with ingredients such as potato, cheese, sauerkraut or meat and are among the region’s most popular Polish dishes and we recommend stopping by Polish Village Cafe.
Fun Fact: The Guinness World Record for the fastest pierogi making was set by Beata Jasek in Kraków. She made 1,066 pierogi in just one hour, averaging one every 3.4 seconds.
12. Middle Eastern Food
Detroit’s culinary identity would be incomplete without the food traditions of its large Middle Eastern and Arab-American communities. The greater Detroit area, particularly Dearborn, is internationally known for its Middle Eastern food. You’ll discover that shawarma, hummus, falafel, grilled meats, fresh-baked breads and other specialties are now an essential part of the region’s dining landscape.
Detroit Food Tip: Our favorite spot is Al Ameer in Dearborn where you’ll find a 100% halal certified menu of authentic Mediterranean cuisine.
The Best Way to Try Famous Detroit Food
On our Iconic Foods of Detroit Tour, you’ll spend three hours exploring downtown with a local guide while tasting some of the city’s most recognizable flavors. The experience includes Detroit-style pizza, a Coney dog, local fizzy favorites, potato chips and Detroit sweets, along with stories about the places and people behind them.
For groups, we also offer private and customized food experiences, making Detroit’s culinary scene a fun option for corporate outings, reunions, school groups and other special occasions.
Taste Detroit for Yourself
So, what food is Detroit famous for? You should start with the classics, Detroit-style pizza and a Coney dog. Then branch out to paczki, Better Made chips, Sanders Bumpy Cake, Faygo, Vernors and the many international foods that reflect the city’s diverse communities. The best part is that there isn’t one single definition of famous Detroit food. The city’s food story keeps growing, while its classics remain firmly rooted in Detroit tradition.
Ready to eat your way through the Motor City? Check our tour calendar for more availability.
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