Buddy's Pizza

I had been wanting to try out Buddy’s pizza after hearing about it from others. I decided to try it for lunch and had a good experience. I love the authentic Detroit style pizza and the Vernor’s float (it doesn’t get much more Michigan than that)! I went for lunch and was happy that they had several lunch specials. However, it would be nice to offer a pizza with more than 1 topping for the special. The restaurant was impeccably clean and the staff were friendly. If you want to have a true Michigan eating experience, Buddy’s is a good bet!

Picking up my order was very quick. Although there wasn't any warning there was a door hidden in the back specifically for pickup until I already arrived and parked up front, seeing the signs expecting it to be around the corner then ending up at the furthest point of the building. The food left a lot to be desired. While it had a decent taste, nothing really stood out as a "WOW! This is good!" I would say the pizza is more along the lines of sports bar "They have it, so I'll order because its convenient" kind of pizza as opposed to something that would really stand out and make ke want to go back again.

The service was great. The food is American Italian. The pizza is a unique spin on Detroit style with caramelized edges and is thick,m. The interior is clean and well maintained. Food was delicious. Do yourself a favor and try the Lemon Cake - divine!!

Excellent pizzas and very delicious! I heard alot abour Detroit style pizzas, and I was not disappointed for trying it for the first time in Buddy's. Staff very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend.

She didn't give me my lemons :( Other than that it was a GREAT first time experience. I got to look around and observe what other people were eating, and their reaction...everyone looked happy ESPECIALLY the burgers. I've never had a Detroit style pizza fresh (I've tried frozen) and I LOVED it!! I've always loved those crispy, buttery crust with deep dish pizzas like Pizza Huts pizza. Buddy's was great!

Buddy’s Pizza offers an exceptional dining experience with their delectable pizzas, some of the finest I’ve savored! The veggie sampler, an inventive twist on traditional tempura, adds a delightful variety to the menu. The ambiance is vibrant and inviting, enhancing the overall enjoyment. The convenience of bill payment through a QR code scan is a thoughtful touch, streamlining the process for customers.”

This was not a good day for Google to prompt a review. I'll keep it short. Seated quickly, drinks came fast, and the salad was great - but Italian sub was burned black inside and the fries (mine and my son’s) were cold. Our waitress vanished after dropping off the food. When my son spilled water, we had to get napkins from another table, grab more ourselves, and even get towels from the bartender. The waitress walked by, saw the spill, saw our efforts, and ignored us completely. She didn’t return until it was time to pay - we had to go to the bar to request boxes - and when she finally noticed us standing... No apology. No acknowledgment. This was not our first questionable visit here. Plenty of other pizza places nearby treat customers better. This was our last visit to Buddy’s. TLDR: Burned food, cold fries, and a waitress who ignored us even while we cleaned up our own table. Buddy’s Pizza in Okemos just lost our business.

The service here is great. We have been multiple times and each trip the staff has been kind, quick, and accommodating. The food is American Italian. The pizza is a unique spin on Detroit style with caramelized edges and is thick, but not as thick as Jets. The interior is clean and well maintained. The price is I bit more than traditional pizza joints. Their children’s meals are certainly worth the price.

Ordered from Buddy's for the first time because Jet's wasn't accepting orders. Good pizza. Unfortunately I ordered and paid for two chocolate chip cookies and ended up with one double chocolate cookie. Guess I should have told my husband there should be two cookies.

First: service is fast and efficient. Second: place is nice looking and a few screens in the joint showing you sports. Third: the food. Well had the anti-pasta salad that was good, fresh but nothing special. After all shouldn't it have olives at least? Otherwise it's basically just simple salad with plenty of small cut deli meat and a few tomatoes with lots of lettuce but the portion is very generous. Next the pizza: it's not round and advertised as Detroit style. I got the Henry Ford, thin crust and for me at least it was swimming in grease. Hard to taste the flavor of the pizza. Although it says four pieces for the small rectangular pizza, guess because it is thinner they cut it into six decent sized pieces. With the salad, I could only finish two pieces but I was put off by the grease. Overall, a decent place where you can get burgers and pasta dishes as well. One person on our party ordered a burger and said it was really good. Next time I'll go back and try one of the hamburgers.

I was bummed to miss Buddy's on a recent trip to Detroit, but happy to discover a new location had recently opened that I could hit on an East Lansing/MSU campus visit with my kiddo. The whole place looked new and clean, and our server was great. The individual house salad serving was more than enough for the two of us, and the four-square traditional crust Spicy Italian pizza was just right. They graciously honored our request to leave sauce off my kiddo's half. To top it all off -- a Vernor's (Michigan-made ginger ale) ice cream soda. Yum. My only small complaint -- the Buddy's Old-Fashioned seemed a little off somehow. Too strong, maybe? Our server said the bartender was new, so hopefully they'll work out the kinks and hit their stride.... Overall, a great meal.

Don't believe the hype. The Okemos Buddy's location is not great and ill-deserving of the #1 rating. Expensive, not enough toppings or sauce for what you pay, which is a lot. Detroit-style Pizza needs to have a lot of sauce on the top and they barely drizzle it on. Absent the toppings and sauce, it's just bready, lackluster pizza. Disappointing the last two times we've ordered from here, which constitutes a trend/choice IMO. Back to Cottage Inn for us.

A secret you may not know.... Buddies thin crust, 4 square pizza!!!! All the amazing pizza classics, plus build your own!! Soooo gooood! Chicken fingers! Perfect light coating, hot, fresh, NOT TYSONS FROZEN! Salads are great, house dressing. Antipasto is s favorite. We need this restaurant in Okemos!!

Pizza was fantastic. Took a little longer than expected for it to come out given how empty the place was. We also had trouble ordering a second round of drinks, every time they'd stop at the table they left so quickly afterward that we couldn't grab them. It was nice though as a party of 8 to walk in at dinner time and be able to sit down right away.

Terrible customer service. Our order was messed up and the GF pizza was a joke. It was the worst I've had and that is saying a lot. I've been GF for nearly a decade. This restaurant has a good location and should be killin it. Instead it was nearly empty on a Friday night. Management/ownership should seriously look into training. I will never go back.

I'm surprised to see the negative reviews of this particular location. I did not have any issues with service or the food when I was here - the Hawaiian Detroit style pizza I ordered was absolutely delicious, as was the Caesar Salad I ordered. My server Jenna was absolutely wonderful - she was very sweet and made sure my experience dining here was a great one. Not sure what the deal is as to why some people don't like coming here but I certainly would eat here again next time I'm in the Lansing area.

The pizza is good but jets is better in my opinion. The place has a 3 star average that's where I put it. Nothing special. The restaurant is brand new and is nice inside. Service was ok.

I was dropping my son off at Michigan State University and really wanted to get a Detroit-style pizza. It was fantastic! Nice restaurant, nice people. great service. Highly recommended.

THE FOOD WAS GOOD, reviews be misleading. Service was amazing and the food tasted great. I'd come here again. I got the mozzarella sticks too, it was amazing. Top 3 cheese stick and they gave 8. The food was gas! Buddy's is W eats

A new location for Buddys...and they are REALLY busy! Our order definitely was late by 30 min...but we suspected it might be as they are in the throws of being new and getting used to things. We hope others will be patient too. The food...a Detroit pizza and chicken tenders were both good. Better than expected. BUT not so much better or different as to warrant their prices...definitely higher than their local competitors. So, that being said, we'll be back and try some other things but not as often due to the chaotic newness and higher prices.

My most favorite pizza place! Best food and service and quality is always consistent!

Prepare to be uninspired. Buddy's is probably the most mid "Detroit-style" pizza I've ever had. The crust is fairly bland, it isn't remotely flaky or crunchy, but rather fairly soft and doughy. The large family style salad is good, but seriously, there are better chain pizza places with sit-down style options on the same road. I've been there 4 times at varying times (I have a family member that comes to visit that loves this place and I just don't get it). The service was good and that's the only reason I'd give this 3 stars instead of 2.

The service was great!! And the restaurant was clean and the pizza was great. I love the large family salad. We rented the side room for a birthday celebration it was perfect!

My favorites are the salads and fries (make sure you get it hot). The pizza is a hit or miss. I've come here a few times. Cooking is inconsistent One night I went the crust on the pizza was crunchy and caramelized on the edges then 2 nights later it was edges were burnt (black cheeze) and the bread was soft (not in a good way) and so were the fries (soft). Went there with a friend and she can only eat GF. We shared a GF pizza and it was a mess. The dough couldn't hold it's shape (couldn't pick it up without it just falling apart in a mess) and it didn't even seem like "bread".

A fun spot to enjoy good food and interesting surroundings. Especially fun for anyone familiar with Detroit in the 50s-90s. Great murals and other memorabilia. The Detroit style pizza is unique and absolutely delicious. I recommend Buddy's!

My first Buddy's Pizza experience during their charity soft opening. Lots of staff on hand, Melissa was our server - she was nice. We tried a few different offerings they had. The medium size salad was a very big serving for 3, we had left overs. The wings were solid and the pizza was tasty. The pizza was thinner and lighter for Detroit style pizza that I've had previously. I'll be back again. They have some good happy hour priced items during the week and all day Thursday.

I grew up in the Metro Detroit area and enjoyed Buddy's often at the locations there, so I was very excited when a Buddy's opened in Lansing and even more excited when a location opened in Okemos, very close to home. We have had carry-out several times from the Lansing store and it has been hit or miss. We had carry-out from the Okemos store a month or two ago and it was good but for some reason not as good as I recall from my Detroit days. We decided to try dining on their patio recently. The food was good but still not quite what I remember from my youth. Can't exactly put my finger on what's different. However, we enjoyed our dinner and will frequent this location. Our server was lovely and did a nice job. The patio is ok... It overlooks the parking lot and busy Grand River Ave but that's all they can do at this location so it's fine. It's not huge... I think 8 tables? Maybe 10. Rather uncomfortable chairs and our table was wobbly and kept spinning Main issue with the patio is that there was a weird smell like sulfur or rotten eggs out there. Not sure what that was but we eventually got used to it. I hope that can be sorted out because it was unpleasant. Overall, glad to have this Buddy's in Okemos. We will be back.

Not Detroit-style pizza, Not Buddy's Pizza. I came to this location with my parents who have been coming to Buddy's for 67 years. We ordered our usual: 1 large 8-corner pepperoni and an Antipasto Salad. The antipasto salad was what we remembered although we were confused when we had to toss the dressing in ourselves. The pizza was a major disappointment. This was not a deep dish crust and had to be half the thickness of a traditional Buddy's pizza you will get in the Detroit area. Additionally, it was doughy and didn't have the traditional caramelized style that make's Detroit style pizza famous. It was hard to tell the difference between this and a pizza you can get at a frozen food section. Please, work with the owners of the original Buddy's Pizza so that your pizza can live up to the standard that Buddy's Pizza has set for 70 years. You are diluting the brand.

We arrived during a very busy dinner service and we were extremely pleased with the hostess and our server Brad both of which went above and beyond to take care of us and let us know they appreciated us! We selected and enjoyed the classic favorites: antipasto salad and a Sicilian pizza. It's been many years since I have lived in Michigan and could enjoy Buddy's... but I have to say the food tasted as wonderful as I remember, and maybe even better! Thank you for making our visit such a pleasure! btw- love the QR code check out too! Looking forward to dining at Buddy's every time we come back to MSU!

Waiter was great Food beyond trash I work in serious cook from scratch kitchens just looking for chicken Alfredo $17.99 for trash No flavor or seasoning in the chicken like it was naked Noodles had absolutely no flavor Like do y'all not add cheese to Alfredo ? Or garlic powder ? No need to come back I make pizzas on my own so definitely not risking it Mad we didn't remember to use the free kids food vouchers but y'all I'll give ''em away You guys Definitely need to taste your menu cause I'm afraid it's flavorless

Stopped for an early dinner (5:15pm), they were not busy. I tried the hamburger, it was good. I was disappointed in the fries. I know we are going thru some difficulties with the price of food but I would have liked a few more fries, I got 8

Gotta say this place is consistent, not in a good way. I keep trying to give them chances, but I am out of patience. If you absolutely have to experience this place, avoid the "steak" sandwich at all costs. Shredded Steak-Umm on an undersized finger roll. Literally 4 bites of shredded beef product, accompanied by undercooked potato wedges. What a disgrace, and it is evident that this location will be following the west side closure soon if this is the food quality they are passing along.

I would absolutely not recommend this restaurant. The hostess and staff greeting were very kind and accommodating, however, we waited 20 mins to get any kind of service at the table. I ordered a burger. It came out cold and was missing cheese and instead of taking it back to throw it back on the grill or in the microwave, i got a plate with a wet thing of cheese. after i had the burger taken of my bill the server was very rude and abrasive. just not good food. go somewhere else if you want to have a mediocre dinner.

We tried Buddy's again, but this time we did carry out. With the service and managerial pieces removed, this pizza is still completely underwhelming. You just cannot get the gluten free crust right. My "pizza" looked like a casserole in a box and didn't stay together at all. All the toppings slid off the odd crust. I'll stick with OC, they do GF crust right.

Not the Buddy's I remember. Buddy's should be about great Detroit style pizza. The ham and pepperoni pizza we ordered on Friday night was undercooked and chewy not crunchy and caramelized like I remember. The cheese tasted off and the crust wasn't very thick like I remember. If this is a franchise maybe you are not following the original recipe or skimping on Ingredients. If I was the owners of the original buddy's I would be embarrassed to serve this pizza.

Our server was really friendly and very attentive. The menu offers a verity of food. The food was very good and reasonably priced.

The pizza was good and the choice of crusts and toppings was very good. We ordered a salad to share which didn't come until after we had been served our pizza. The salad was mediocre and had too much iceberg lettuce and too little romaine. The salad dressing was great.

Bread has a paper element when you bite in it and the flavor is similar, you'd think the sauce could save the day...incorrect it's like tomato toothpaste they gladly served over my paper bread. tried once and it was an atrocity against my stomach I'm still recovering. and was even debating writing this review but I love pizza too much to let this go unpunished.

Half sized pizzas for full sized prices. The food tastes pretty good, I guess, or perhaps I was just extra hungry after the extra long wait for my food.

Went to the soft opening charity event with my wife. This restaurant is a welcome addition to this side of town. We split cheese fries which were as decadent as you might imagine. Well cooked and a nice balance of cheeses and bacon. We also split a small Detroit style pizza. It was as good as the other Buddy's location we've been to. The service was very good. There were one or two very minor hiccups that had more to do with it being everyone's first week on the job than anything else. Everyone was very friendly. We will return.

We met up at the Okemos Buddy's tonight to enjoy a family dinner with our college aged kids (and our high schoolers). Okemos was midway between our home in Livonia and CMU, Alma and UofM and we love our local Buddy's so we thought we'd give it a try. So glad we did! Chelsea did a great job taking care of us, the food was hot and tasty, care was taken with our GF son's meal, and the drinks never ran dry. Restaurant was clean and service was prompt. couldn't have asked for better service! thank you!

My first time & my husbands second time here. We sat in Francesca's section outside on the patio. She was very friendly, attentive & took very good care of us! The food came out fast too and was super delicious! Definitely will be back :)

The delivery estimate is totally off. There's a giant crowd here, all frustrated while waiting. Staff totally overworked, total mismanagement. They don't know how long things take. Bad experience.

Buddy's Pizza in Okemos is a perfect addition to the town; the restaurant is such a positive representation of Detroit, filled with so much history of the city, and is truly the best pizza around, as no other pizza place can recreate the Original Detroit Style Pizza like Buddy's can. The staff and management were both friendly and professional, and all of the food was over the top amazing. Service was incredible, even during soft opening and it was so nice to see so many new employees excited to work and enjoying their jobs! I am looking very forward to coming back!

We had good food and good service here on one of the busiest weekends of the year. I recommend any of the pizzas and the antipasto salad.