Pizza Express in Baltimore: Detroit-Style Square Pies and By-the-Slice Speed
Pizza Express is a counter-service pizzeria in Baltimore that specializes in Detroit-style square pizza, selling whole pies and individual slices during lunch and dinner hours. It occupies a small footprint suited to grab-and-go traffic and represents one of the few dedicated outlets in the city for the crispy, airy, rectangular format that has gained traction in major East Coast markets over the past decade.
What Pizza Express Actually Is
Detroit-style pizza differs sharply from the thin crust and foldable slices associated with New York shops or the thick, fluffy base of Sicilian pies. The dough is hydrated, allowed to cold-ferment, and baked in a rectangular steel pan until the edges caramelize into crispy, almost fried perimeters while the interior stays light and open. Toppings are typically applied under the cheese rather than on top, and the pie is cut into small rectangles. Pizza Express prepares this format fresh throughout service hours, which means a slice bought at lunch will taste different from one at 7 p.m. because the pie is actively being refreshed.
Menu, Pricing, and Signature Options
Whole pies range from $16 to $22 depending on toppings. A plain cheese pie costs $16; a pie with one topping runs $18; additional toppings add $1.50 each. Slices are sold individually at $3 for cheese and $4 to $5 for specialty options. Specialty pies change monthly but typically include combinations such as pepperoni with hot honey, sausage with caramelized onion, or Sicilian-influenced anchovy and olive. The shop also offers a limited selection of sides: roasted vegetables and simple salads priced $5 to $7.
Pricing places Pizza Express slightly above typical New York-slice shops in Baltimore but below full-service sit-down restaurants. A single slice meal (two slices, a beverage, a side) runs roughly $12 to $14.
How It Compares to Other Baltimore Pizza
Booeyland, located in Canton, bakes Neapolitan pies in a wood-fired oven, with whole pizzas starting at $14 and emphasis on San Marzano tomatoes and artisanal flour. That format prioritizes charred crust and a softer, foldable texture. Papi's on Pratt Street serves thicker, airy Sicilian-style rectangles with a similar monthly rotation of specials, but operates more as a full restaurant with table seating and a full bar. The original Italian-American corner pizzerias scattered across Federal Hill and Canton offer thin, crispy crusts and foldable slices for $2.50 to $3.50 each, representing the baseline for quick, affordable pizza in the city.
Choose Pizza Express if you want Detroit-style specifically, prefer eating standing up or at a counter, and value speed. Choose Booeyland if you want the wood-fired experience and traditional Neapolitan flavor. Choose a corner pizzeria if you want the lowest price and the most familiar format.
Who It Suits and Who It Does Not
Pizza Express works well for weekday lunch breaks, quick dinners before events elsewhere in the city, and people curious about regional pizza styles without the commitment of a reservation. The counter setup means no lingering; most transactions are five to ten minutes from order to payment. The slice option lowers the barrier to entry for solo diners or anyone hesitant to commit to a whole pie.
It does not suit groups seeking table seating, parties wanting a full beverage program, or diners who equate pizza exclusively with the thin New York model. Families with young children may find the counter format awkward, though takeout mitigates this.
What the First Visit Involves
Walk in and review the menu board, which displays the current specialty pies and daily slice options. Order at the counter, specifying whole pie or individual slices. If ordering a whole pie and the one you want is not currently out of the oven, expect a five to eight-minute wait; slices from an active pie are served immediately. Payment is card or cash. There is no table seating; grab napkins and find a nearby bench, curb, or head directly to your car or office.
Hours, Parking, and Logistics
Pizza Express operates Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed Mondays. Check the shop's website or call ahead to confirm seasonal hour adjustments, as retail food hours can shift with foot traffic patterns.
Street parking is available on the surrounding block and typically requires a residential permit or payment meter depending on the specific neighborhood; parking demand increases in the evening. The shop has no dedicated lot. Public transit access depends on location within Baltimore; confirm the nearest bus line via the MTA website.
Pizza Express fills a specific niche: Detroit-style pizza made fresh and sold by the slice or whole pie in a format that prioritizes speed over atmosphere. For anyone in Baltimore seeking that particular style, it offers the most straightforward entry point in the city.
