1444 Lake Drive SEThe days I work in Grand Rapids I end up getting home pretty late and after everyone has eaten dinner. J will usually do fast food from somewhere knowing I will likely grab something in Grand Rapids or along the way for myself.
There’s a pizza place in Grand Rapids I’ve really been wanting to try. Friday is typically pizza night in our house but I decided to bring pizza home on Wednesday night and throw every one off. I’d share if I had to but I was really hoping to keep this one all to myself.
Quarantino’s was started out of necessity. The small carry-out restaurant on the corner of Lake Drive and Atlas Avenue SE got it’s start during the height of the 2020 quarantine. The owners of That Early Bird and The Little Bird restaurants needed to pivot due to the changing landscape of dining out during the summer/fall of 2020. What they hit on was a delicious Detroit Style pizza carry-out joint.
The menu at Quarantino’s is super simple. They have pizza. There are a couple of specialty pizzas to choose from or you can just create your own. They also have a couple salads and bread sticks. There are several vegan options as well as an option for a gluten free crust.
The night I ordered, there was a special for the Simply Red pizza, breadsticks and a Caesar salad. I decided to do that so I could try a little bit of everything. I used the online ordering options. The cost before tip was right around $20.
I found street parking near the restaurant and walked about a block through the snow. The restaurant is pretty large but it’s not set up for anything other than carry-out. The space was a pastry shop before it was a pizza joint and there could be a dining room with several tables but right now, there’s just an order counter right as you walk in and a few chairs to wait if the pizza isn’t ready.
My pizza was just coming out of the oven when I got there so it took a few minutes to box up. The guy working the counter came out with one box and a to-go container for the salad. He could tell I was about to ask about the breadsticks but he cut me off and said it was all in the same box.
I didn’t want to wait until I got back to Kalamazoo to eat so I pulled out a slice when I got back to my car. I’m so glad I didn’t wait. The pizza is one of the best Detroit style pizzas I’ve had. The crust is so buttery yet soft and spongy with those delicious burnt bits around the edges. The Simply Red pizza is just a cheese pizza which is usually pretty flat and flavorless, but not this pizza. The sauce was fresh and the crust….if you’ve never had a good Detroit style pizza you don’t know how much the crust makes this type of pizza. Quarantino’s knocks it out of the park.
I couldn’t have a slice of pizza and not try the breadsticks too. Were the same delicious crust with a thick layer of cheese on top plus marinara and ranch on the side for dipping. These were a hit once I finally got home to the family but I had about half of them before they got that far.
The Caesar salad was simple. Greens, Parmesan cheese and a Caesar dressing with kettle chips on top. That part threw me a little. I don’t eat a lot of salads so it may just be me but I have never seen a Caesar with hips on tap. I guess it’s just a type of croutons. This is the part L wanted when I got home. I gave her half and she took the ranch from the breadsticks and put it on the salad. I took the other half of the salad and ate it as is/
Big fan of Quarantino’s here. I get in to fights all the time with co-workers about Chicago style pizza. I can never figure out how they can trash Chicago pizza but love Detroit. I like both. They’re different pizzas and both are oh, so delicious. Quarantino’s nails the Detroit style. I really don’t know how anyone else could do it much better.