Tucked into Seattle’s Tangletown neighborhood at 2108 N 55th St, My Friend Derek’s built its reputation as a cult-favorite pop-up before growing into a full-time Detroit-style pizza shop.
One reviewer called it plainly the best Detroit-style pizza in the Seattle area, adding it ranks among the best pizza in the city overall regardless of style.
Why This Tangletown Pizzeria Has Locals Talking
The shop earned enough grassroots buzz that one customer review described Derek as making “the best detroit-style pizza in town hands down,” praising his ability to cook the crust perfectly every time for that “delicate but firm crispy exterior and fluffy interior.”
At the same time, you’ll also find plenty of people saying that it’s simply “the best pizza in town,” specifically pointing to the caramelized, cheesy crust edges and advising newcomers to “eat the corner slices first.”
That reputation carried through as the business transitioned from pop-up to permanent storefront, and its ordering page confirms the shop still runs a tight, appointment-style pickup system for its most popular pies.
The shop keeps a distinctly limited schedule built around its Detroit-style format, serving pizza on weekday evenings while switching to a dedicated lunch menu of focaccia sandwiches on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 AM to 2 PM, giving regulars two entirely different reasons to visit depending on the day.
Food Highlights
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Derek’s Fav: Red sauce gets topped with smoky pepperoni cups spread generously enough to average roughly 15 per slice, castelvetrano olives for briny balance, Grana Padano, and mozzarella, and this Derek’s Fav pizza carries the shop’s own namesake endorsement as a top pick straight from the ordering menu itself, with one food writer calling it a “menu mainstay” that “never disappoints.”
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Cheese Pizza: A simple blend of cheese and red sauce lets the crust and sauce quality speak for themselves without any distracting toppings competing for attention, and this Cheese Pizza was specifically praised by one reviewer as the best way to “really enjoy the quality of every piece,” from the crust to the sauce to the cheese, with a separate customer flatly calling it “the best cheese pizza I’ve had in years.”
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Supreme: Pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, red onion, bell peppers, and black olives all stack together generously on one heftier-than-average pie, and this Supreme pizza appears repeatedly in customer photos as one of the shop’s most frequently ordered loaded options, often photographed side by side with the shop’s other signature pies for comparison.
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Mushroom with Garlic: Mushrooms pair with roasted garlic prepared almost like a garlic confit and tangy Mama Lil’s peppers for a savory, slightly spicy topping combination, and this Mushroom with Garlic pizza was singled out by one reviewer with a simple but enthusiastic “so good,” while another customer specifically urged readers to “please please PLEASE get the garlic” as a topping.
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Sausage & Jalapeño: Sausage pairs with sliced jalapeños for a spicier, heartier topping combination that holds up well even after a reorder following a rocky first pickup experience, and this Sausage & Jalapeño pizza has shown up consistently enough in repeat customer orders to suggest it’s become a genuine go-to request among regulars.
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Cheesy Jalapeño Bread: A focaccia-style bread, closer in texture to a soft loaf than a traditional crust, gets loaded with melted cheese and jalapeños as a side option alongside the pizza, and this Cheesy Jalapeño Bread was called out by one customer as a standout addition to their order, right alongside a large pizza topped with sausage, mushrooms, and a generous amount of garlic.
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Weekend Focaccia Sandwiches: House-baked focaccia gets served fresh during the Saturday and Sunday lunch window from 11 AM to 2 PM as the base for a small rotating sandwich menu, including a weekend-only Italian sandwich layered with deli-sliced meats, and this Weekend Focaccia offering has become a standalone draw for anyone visiting specifically for the lunch menu rather than the evening pizza service.
Atmosphere
My Friend Derek’s carries the feel of a neighborhood secret that outgrew its pop-up roots, and one reviewer described picking up an order at “a corner dive spot in Fremont,” calling the whole experience “easy and quick.”
Happy regulars have noted that Derek himself is “always so pleasant and friendly,” adding that they’ve grown to love the smell of pizzas cooking on the days he’s open since they live nearby.
The shop’s own site leans into that humble, unpretentious identity, branding itself simply as serving “pretty good” Detroit-style pizza rather than overselling the experience, even as its cult following continues to grow across the city.
Bottomline
My Friend Derek’s earns its cult following in Seattle by treating Detroit-style pizza as a genuine specialty rather than a novelty format. Whether it’s the reviewer-approved namesake pie or the weekend-only focaccia sandwiches, this Tangletown shop gives Seattle diners a reason to plan their visit around its limited but focused schedule.
Address:
2108 N 55th St, Seattle, WA 98103
🕔 Open Tue–Thu 4:00 PM–9:00 PM, Fri 4:00 PM–9:00 PM, Sat–Sun 11:00 AM–2:00 PM, Mon 5:00 PM–9:00 PM