Here it is, already the end of September 2023. And Neighbor Roy is feeling good enough to join me for lunch on Friday. I have missed the old boy for several weeks now following his recent heart surgery. I asked him via email what he wanted to eat this Friday and he replied emphatically, “Pizza!”

So I hunted around on Yelp for the best Tucson pizza place and up popped Transplant Pizza on East Speedway. Described as a Detroit-style pizza, I recalled that that meant a thick crust. Usually, I prefer a thin crust, but what the heck, we can give it a try. At least it will be different.

We arrived just after noon and the place was not at all busy. I sat down, told Roy what I wanted and he went to the counter to order. I noticed that he was up there for a very long time in discussion with the clerk. We he returned to our table, I asked him what that was all about. He looked somewhat dazed and replied, “WTH, that was $70 just for a lousy two large pizzas.” Yikes! I thought, “These puppies better be the best pizza on the planet.”

We waited and waited some more. Seemed like it took forever to get our lunches. But when our pizzas did finally arrive, the size was a surprise. They were HUGE. And very THICK!

They were also very good. They put the sauce on top after these pizzas come out of the oven. Then sprinkle cheese on top and put them back in the oven to finish cooking. Interesting process. Detroit Style Pizza has a soft and airy square crust, a crunchy exterior, and caramelized cheese edges. Very tasty!

We both took most of our pizzas home for another meal. I had two slices last night and still have two big slices left for lunch today.

I’ll let Neighbor Roy tell you about his experience at Transplant Pizza.

“You’ve come a long way baby. When I entered my teenage years at the end of WW II, I lived in a small Connecticut town, near Bridgeport, Ct. In this town, we had one pizzeria (in those days it was spelled Apizza and pronounced as A beets. I could never get enough of the New England-style pizza, adjusting to the change in spelling and content. One thing I do remember is that a pizza large enough to feed 5 hungry teenagers came to. $1.25 and no state tax. After WW II when I moved around to schools and to military service, I recognized that pizza had become a universal food. Jim and I have visited just about every pizza place in town–so when Jim suggested a visit to another new (to us) pizzeria along Speedway Blvd. I was game to try a deep dish billed as Detroit style. It is on the north side of Speedway at Swan and has a large Detroit sign inside over the place where you order. I was met by a polite young lady. Jim had expressed his desire for a large pizza with 1/2 sausage and 1/2 w pepperoni–sounded about right, so I ordered 2–with soda pop drinks and tax it came to over $66.00, plus tip. For a minute, I thought my hearing was going. She repeated the amount to which I agreed, though reluctantly. We waited a very long time for our orders to be delivered. This restaurant is large, well-lighted, and clean, they seem to do a large take-out business. The in-house patrons seemed not so large for the size of the facility. Finally, our order arrived, each in a special pan shaped like the pizza–the orders had been sliced into 8 pieces. The pieces were piled high with cheese and 4 pieces had pepperoni and four pieces with sausage. While 2 pieces filled me, to the point of putting the remaining pieces in my refrigerator for several days of snacks. When Jim asked me for my rating feelings–I replied 3 saguaros–no more– this overpriced restaurant is clean, well staffed, and has an appropriate atmosphere–but charging $30.00 for a large pizza cannot be justified to me. If you visit, please realize, it is a good pizza–just way too expensive.”

Where Neighbor Roy awarded Transplant only three Saguaros, I give them three and a half. After all, I didn’t have to pay for them. (It was Roy’s turn.) While these pizzas were very good, they weren’t as good as the ones we enjoyed at Barro’s Pizza in Marana which we awarded four Saguaros.

Transplant Detroit-Style Pizza

4603 E. Speedway Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85712
(520) 327-2394
11am – 8Ppm Every Day
Thanksgiving & Christmas – CLOSED