A very seriously fantastic pizza. I go back and forth between Shield's and Buddy's. And when in town visiting family, I like to alternate my visits. The pizza here is definitely worth the trip!!
(4)
Daron D.
Growing up in Detroit/Metro Detroit, shield's was always good pizza, but always second fiddle to buddy's pizza (similar places hence the comparison). After having it for the first time in 10 + years , I feel that exact same way. Came here on a Saturday and to my surprise, it was quite empty, started off with the wings in both plum and buffalo sauce (both sauces were good, but the buffalo was better), now while I hate big wings, these wings were way too small (still good though). Now for the pizza I had the meat lovers and a pepperoni/garlic pizza. While the pizza was very very good, the only negative thing I can say is that the ground beef here taste like it's seasoned with taco seasoning. Other than that though, it is pretty good pizza here. I just at the end, while it is very good, it will always be one step below buddy's in every aspect.
(4)
Eldwin L.
We unfortunately had a very bad time when we went the food was lukewarm and could have been better all in all just kind of average the larger problem was that he attentiveness of the servers which was lacking and the fact I think they're catering more to the bar crowd and that the restaurant crowd during the week there were three males in the bar who are extremely loud watching the basketball game and highly inebriated I will not disclose what department these individuals were from but when you have someone extremely vocal and with a very foul language stating that he would shoot the supervisor, and there fking punk bitches ,if he wants to fking try something .. This carried on for approximately 45 minutes all I can say is that I know and a high stress job you need stress relief but a family restaurant is not the place to do it and you might want to dial back disclosing names of cases and who your employer is one yelling that loudly a little discretion would be advised you can tell they are definitely regulars and the waitresses know them quite well but because of the limited amount of people in the restaurant the entire conversation these three gentlemen we're having was quite clear and mildly offensive to the individual I was with .my take on the evening. shoptalk really doesn't bother me but it probably should be either in a neighborhood bar where no one cares or at minimum a little bit quieter the fact that management or the staff did not correct this if not for the rest of the customers but to watch out for the individual that was yelling if he is such a regular is probably not the best way to run the business this was probably our third trip here and our last
(1)
Kevin M.
The crust was soggy. The toppings (a Margherita pizza) were sad - half green tomatoes, browned basil. The ambiance is reminiscent of a worn, smelly bar, sans cigarette smoke. And the service, while friendly, is as slow as Comcast's internet. Won't be a repeat here - much better options for pizza in the area.
(2)
Jeff H.
We came here with a large group (over 25) and the service was good. We were seated quickly and our drink orders were taken right away. The menu is pretty much any traditional pizza/pasta joint you've been in. My Son ordered the chicken alfredo and he said it was good. I ordered the Cajun chicken pasta and loved it. Some people in our group got the pizza and it was decent too. Saw someone in our group with a taco salad and it was huge! I gave it 5 stars because this would definitely be a place I come back to the next time I'm in town (I can't say that about all the places we hit) The only complaint I have is one of our servers was a younger kid and he was a little frazzled with the large group but he still pulled through.
(5)
Ashok P.
Food is good. But the service was an issue esp the hostess
(3)
Candance D.
Ok so my husband is big on me cooking at home. However, this food was so good we came back two nights in a row! They had live karaoke and the servers was awesome as they could be! If you haven't been go NOW
(5)
Jules V.
Well, this restaurant is known for its pizza. That's what makes me laugh. I've been here a few times, but the last visits were a few years ago. Ambiance is great. Even on the nights that they have karaoke, it's usually decent enough to listen to; I hate places where it's just someone screaming or slurring into a microphone. Decor is tasteful, a little outdated, but I don't care about that. We ordered breadsticks and a deep-dish vegetarian pizza. The breadsticks, all within the same pile, were either overbaked on top (and doughy on the bottom), or doughy all the way through. It felt like I was eating cheap canned biscuits that had been stretched out, then drizzled with a little garlic and butter. Mediocre at best. Then the pizza came. It was drowned in a sea of sauce, which meant that most of the cheese and toppings started to slide off. I also found the sauce to be a very unpleasant taste -- bland, tomato-like. Again, like someone found a can of spaghetti sauce and dumped it on there. Most pizza sauces are sweet -- this was definitely not. A friend and I had to force ourselves to finish the slices we had, then promptly boxed up the remainder. For a deep dish pizza, it doesn't have much to it. I found the crust to be bland, burnt in some places, too much butter in others. After this latest experience, I'll never bother going back. It's overpriced in general, but all the more given how terrible the food is. If you do get something, I'm begging you to get something other than the pizza.
(1)
Alexandra C.
First time at this location. Service was good, pizza and salad were great. Small antipasto salad enough for two people. Very good pizza!
(4)
Mychal T.
The quality of the pizza has not changed in over 20 years. Great example of Detroit pan pizza. The crust is slightly sweet but wonderful, along with any sauce or toppings and you will be satisfied. Service was also great, nothing beats Midwestern hospitality.
(5)
Lois K.
Years ago this location used to be a post office. Then, back in the 70's a builder I knew well (my dad) built the Tel-Ex Shopping center and at the same time, remodeled the post office making it into a rib house. That lasted several years until unfortunately due to circumstances beyond his control, the restaurant closed. It sat there for a year or so until Shields bought it and opened. I love to go in there and sit amongst the Tiffany lamps and the ghosts of past. The pizza and antipasto salad, like Buddy's are always consistently delicious, a true Detroit gem.
(5)
Fai F.
How did I not know this place existed before? It's tucked into the Southfield office complex, so only discovered it on a business lunch. It looks like it can handle a large crowd. Lots of local Michigan decorations on the wall. Pizza is fantastic. You can order the four piece square pizza and get all the crust you can handle (my favorite part!!!) The crust is thicker than a regular pie, so don't go looking for New York. Apparently, they have deep dish, but this was perfect. We ordered two pies, one supreme style and the other vegetarian. Topping were noticeably fresh, chunky (sausage! ) and crunchy (the vegetables). This is pizza with a character. Two pieces were more than enough for me (I'm kind of tiny), but my large companions looked more than satisfied. If I was planning to be in the area, or just passing through on M-10 or I-696 on a special occasion, I would certainly come here again.
(4)
Sean G.
I'm probably going to get some flack from my fellow Detroiters for this, but... Buddy's is overrated. Yeah, I said it. It's not that their pizza is bad, but they have been overhyped and oversold by locals and tourists alike, and I'm here to say that they are definitely not my favorite "Detroit Style" pizza. Truth be told, Shield's is my master. Maybe it's because they were always my family's "go to" spot for square pies when I was a kid, but I'll take these guys over Buddy's any day. In the interest of full disclosure I have NOT had the benefit of trying all of the contenders in the Metro Detroit area, so I don't pretend to be an expert. That said, Shield's has yet to disappoint me. I was in for my mother's birthday dinner the other night and we ordered a couple of our favorites: An eight corner Polynesian pizza and an order of cheese bread. The Polynesian was on point and, as usual, covered with an abundance of toppings and an appropriate amount of cheese (Buddy's could learn a thing or two from that last bit). The cheese bread is always a winner, and may very well be the best I have ever had anywhere. It's warm, gooey, flavorful, and I really appreciate the way that Shield's uses cheddar to give it an extra kick. It wasn't terribly crowded, so service was lightning quick. Some people take that for granted when a restaurant is busy, but the speed of the waiter combined with his friendly attitude shows that the staff here actually cares about their customers. We will be returning without a doubt. I've been going here all my life and the quality seems to have gone UP if anything.
(4)
Dave F.
I love the pizza at Shield's, wayyy better than Buddies. We always go with the square deep dish with pepperoni and the house salad. Great for large and small groups. Never had a problem with the food or service.
(5)
Chris G.
I have been to this place 20 or 30 times and have always been satisfied. If you like Square deep dish pizza, then you will enjoy Shields Pizzeria. I usually get the supreme Pizza and a order of antipasto salad for the table. The portions are heavy so 2 to 3 squares of pizza will be the typical portion size.
(4)
Margaret A.
Great pizza , bread sticks , chicken wings. Nice classy place. Our lady server was fantastic . I think Kristin her name....we got our food so well prepared that most expensive restaurants don't do it. We went as whole family and everyone of us were satisfied Wow what a place!!!
(5)
Bernadine W.
I had a Groupon for shields. My daughter wanted to go to Buddy's pizza but sided with me for shields pizza. I was so embarrassed the salad lettuce looked like it came out of kroger dole bag chopped up with chopped up meat and cheese the pizza came meat lovers it was over cooked (burned ) the fish that my son had was taste less. Yep I should have went to buddy's restaurant their pizza is delicious all the time and their salad is very good I would never go back to Shileds
(1)
Leah S.
Highly recommended! Our group of 28 church youth from the ELCA Youth Gathering called in to see if they could accommodate us - no problem. They had a great set up for us and offered to give us a homestyle option or order off the menu. We went with individual orders. I sampled the fried portobello mushrooms -fantastic! The deep dish pizza - award-worthy! And the bread sticks - soft and warm! I ordered the strawberry spinach salad. They forgot my order and I was the last served - BUT they made it right by adjusting my bill. And it was worth the wait - fresh, substantial and the poppyseed dressing was perfect! Our waitress Terri was excellent - she rolled with our silliness and was very efficient and friendly. She should teach waitressing at restaurant school! We're from out of state and wish we could transplant this restaurant to central PA!
(5)
Sidney T.
To this day, even though I no longer live in Southfield or MI, Shield's has been one of the best places I've had pizza. Period. The crust, the sauce, the toppings....they're everything.
(5)
Ken B.
Pizza was tasty, the service was dreadful, our waitress took 20 minutes to come to our table in an empty restaurant. Our pizza arrived cold, and asking for refills of soft drinks was never honored. A once great pizza establishment turned into a terrible experience.
(1)
Craig S.
Been the for lunch and dinner time 6 times in the past 8 months. Look at the dated posted of course lol. always helps. I agree with others... "Great pizza , bread sticks , chicken wings." Fast service each time I went and yummy food.... just wish there was beer specials : ( Go if in the area...thumb up : )
(4)
Phil P.
Was in town last weekend on business, and had a free Sunday night. So it was either order pizza and eat in the room, or take a short ride... the latter prevailed. Decided to sit at the bar instead of taking up a table to myself. The bartender was very friendly, I think her name was Tara? Anyway, chatty and efficient without being overly-hovering. . But the Greek pizza, (sigh) was disappointing. The crust reminded me of Jet's Pizza, but the cheese wasn't even melted in the center. There was way too much Feta, and although I like Feta, half the amount would've been perfectly balanced. 3 stars based solely on service.
(3)
Chelsea H.
Pizza was bland and soggy. I find brick cheese to be awful, but even ignoring that personal preference, the pizza had no redeeming qualities. They use dried basil on the margherita, which is inexcusable. The breadsticks (which were free) were like the frozen foodservice type favored by elementary school cafeterias. The salads were also pretty sad and were mostly just iceberg lettuce with a few things on top for decoration. This is the type of food I'd expect at a child's birthday party, the clown wandering the dining room affirmed this feeling. There was a menu of daily specials featuring more exotic offerings like fried catfish and salmon, though I'd hesitate to order an entree from a pizza restaurant that can't even get pizza right. Service, however, was very good.
(2)
Regina B.
It's ok I only go once a year when my old high school class has and event. Last I was here I think it's was 2 years ago I had an appetizer chicken strips . 2nd time there In July 2015 I had was chips and nacho dip not bad but the drinks are high rum and coke $7.00? Plus the drink was a little watered down Will not do buy that again. Even though I only come here once every few years this will not be my hangout.
(3)
Dan K.
Great pizza and fun sports setting for Detroit fans. Deep dish small square was more then enough for one. Crispy outer crust, gooey inside, lots of sauce-perfect!
(4)
RAY S.
I recommend the pizza here because that's what they're known for and that's what tastes the best on the menu! I always get the square deep dish with pep,sausage and ham. Get the deep dish, I think they're tastier than the round and more filling. One person can only eat about 2 deep dish slices. Service could have been better but it wasn't too bad. I understood it was busy. Other than the pizza, it's a regualar bar complete with pool table, darts, and what else... a fully stocked bar!
(4)
Ryan P.
I go there after work some Fridays. It is a nice atmosphere, no screaming kids and not packed. There is room to breath and socialize. Seating at booths, tables and at the bar. Food is good and there is a variety. When my clients ask for a place to eat, shields is one of my first suggestions.
(4)
Lisa R.
This is a pretty great place. The food is good and you can custom-make your own pizzas, there's a big beer selection, and the prices are reasonable. It's a cool restaurant in terms of layout and ambiance, but I agree with other reviewers that it can get super loud. Seems like they have a lot of birthday parties and stuff like that, so good luck to you if you're seated right next to a table of 20 people. But, since it's so big, you probably wouldn't have a problem being moved to another part of the restaurant. I do feel that service is pretty slow overall, even though the place is never packed while I'm there. Probably that's my biggest complaint. Overall it's a cool place.
(4)
Cherice J.
Shield's is a pretty good pizza spot right outside of Detroit. I have been coming here for years, as it is right down the street from my home. I recently went here to watch the NBA playoffs because they have a lot of big screen televisions. The place is actually pretty spacious and the menu is extensive with bar foods and pizza varieties. I last had a meat-lovers pizza and potato wedges, and they both were yummy. Please be advised the bar service wasn't the best in the world, but maybe they were super busy the last time I went. This is a cool place to meet up with friends, I also believe they still have a billiards table near the back if you wanted to get a game going.
(4)
Heather J.
Be it resolved that more delicious Michigan restaurants thrive in favour of spendy, trendy, blendy chains. I heard some of the hype about Shields -- best pizza, awards from all sorts of publication -- that promised to take me on a delicious culinary experience. Handmade pizza on deep dish crust is a kind of magic, and fresh ingredients is double magic. Nothing beats double magic when done right. Does Shields enchant the tastebuds? Alas not, it's a dud like that forgettable Nick Cage movie which wasted Monica Bellucci's profound talents. I went here with my coworkers, and peeked at Yelp to determine what fellow reviewers thought or suggested. The restaurant is a family-type affair, like TGI Friday's gone Midwestern middleground. I expected flash on the servers. We were all highly disappointed Flutterby the clown wasn't making an appearance that day, and condemned our silliest office-mate to ordering a bag of popcorn off the specials menu. He did actually have food, for what it's worth. The dining room spreads out enough that you aren't dining atop your neighbours, a plus, and clearly they accommodate large groups. We sat quickly and ordered drinks. Negative star one is earned from the drinks. I asked for a cup of hot tea, about as plain a drink you can get after water. Hot water + teabag = tea. My cup and the attendant glass pot were filled with water cooler than a faucet turned on hot. I figure she nuked the mug in the microwave for 45 seconds and brought me the tepid concoction. The refill, after I was loathe to mention anything too noisily, was not improved and both times, the drinks took an awful long time to show up. The menu is pleasantly extensive and a survey of typical American-Italian fare, separated into large salads and soups; sandwiches; pasta dishes; and of course pizza in the middle. Daily specials added some non-standard choices and, I noted, a dessert pizza in either cherry or apple, no half and half. I would want half and half, because that would be tasty. But grown up metabolism says veer with caution. I split a margherita square pizza with my boss, and added the fajita soup on the side. Apparently there's a problem in kitchenland at Shields for getting temperatures above child-approved zones. My soup was, at best, warm. Left out on the curb warm, popped from a can and scared by a flare of the gas grill warm. I finished it mostly due to sheer starvation and then the meals arrived. The breadstick was tasty, and the server added two (since my boss and I also split the soup/salad tack-on). Note, there's no +$X.49 for a side salad or soup as many places have. You pay full price for a bowl, which is teensy for the cost, and not worth it. From the consensus among my coworkers, the salad was worthy of consideration; everything else was unappealing or disappointing. The Cajun pasta was more cream sauce than spice, noodles were undercooked in another pasta dish, and the seafood platter was far too battered, tasteless (bland), and dripping oil missing from the Gulf Coast disaster. Now we know where it got sponged up to... The pizza, though, was a 3-star event. Crisp, tasty, with a huge beefsteak tomato slice on top, this is what I wanted. Two pieces of the square is _more_ than enough for one hungry person. I felt a bit overfull. The sauce isn't too salty but veers towards sweet; good if you like that, huge downer if you want tart punch. The crust was particularly chewy and soft. It was the only good thing about the meal aside from aforementioned breadstick. Proximity should win points but I won't be coming back unless I'm dying for a pizza. There are oodles of better pizza places around (Jet's comes to mind) with consistent food and a less toddler-running-amok atmosphere.
(2)
Marissa K.
I love this pizza! I've been coming to Shield's since I was five and it's always an awesome treat. My family and I always get an antipasto salad and deep dish pizza. They changed the lettuce they use from romaine lettuce to bagged garden lettuce which I don't like as much, but I request romaine anyways. The service is always good and I enjoy the atmosphere.
(5)
lori t.
Adequate food with reasonable prices, but the service depends on which waiter/waitress is assigned your table. Very noisy restaurant when events and parties are present.
(2)
Steve H.
It seems I rarely go longer than two weeks without taking my co-worker pal out to lunch at Shield's. Keep in mind, the middle of Southfield is in pretty short supply of sit-down eateries. And if you'd like a cocktail with your meal, the list is reduced even further. But Shield's almost always beats out Friday's when you've gotta get out of the office for an hour. Shield's food isn't the greatest, granted. It's really just typical bar food with a dash or two of Italian and Greek stuff thrown in. I like the Broadway burger (who can go wrong with bacon AND BBQ sauce?) and the pizza is always reliably edible (though I'm sure it improves exponentially when you walk into the place already drunk). There seems to be a fair amount of turnover in the wait staff. It's almost like people leave the place just as I start to remember their names. My personal suggestion, sit in one of the two booths closest to the bar. You'll usually end up with the bartender as your waitress, which more or less guarantees that your server is always at your elbow. By the way, the drinks tend to get stiffer the further you venture past your first. But from me, this is a compliment.
(3)
Rose P.
The food is always fresh. I especially like the sauce that they use on their pizza. There's something unique about it (it's sweet). I have never had a bad dining experience here.
(5)
Ariella G.
So I may be a bit biased as I have been spoiled by Chicago stuffed pizza, but Shield's pizza is just okay. Better than frozen but definitely not worth an extra workout at the gym. Salad was pathetic but this is not a health spa. Service was very efficient and friendly. If you have to eat here, fine but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat Shield's pizza.
(3)
Valerie G.
Another solid occasional stop on the lunch rotation - If pizza is what we are in the mood for, Shield's is our go to. I am a big fan of Shield's pizza - it is deep dish... thick and doughy and the toppings and sauce are fantastic. Two slices a person is a pretty good rule of ordering. Like Buddy's they put the pepperoni under the cheese so it doesn't get nasty and burnt. They have a good selection of fresh vegetable selections for your pizza as well - sometimes the "vegetarian" selection at pizza joints consists of tomato sauce, canned mushrooms and onions. Shield's has much better options, including spinach and artichoke hearts and FRESH mushrooms. What good is a pizza with out a salad? The antipasto is a favorite of mine - and comes in all sorts of sizes that are great for sharing. As bad as it may be for me, I enjoy their housemade Italian. Obviously if I cared about eating things that were good for me, I wouldn't be at a pizza place in the first place. Also noteworthy are the breadsticks that you get when you ordered a salad - garlic, parmesany goodness is what they are. Totally chewy, not ever hard. And of course - they have restaurant ranch available for your dipping pleasure for you ranch-lovers out there. I will admit that the service at this particular Shield's is not anything to rave about - but I have never had horrible service. We can usually make the few minute drive there and back and eat our salad & pizza in an hours time - which is about typical for us for lunch. There are 3 separate "rooms" in this Shield's, including a bar - as well as an outdoor patio area for summertime eating. Apparently you can also order your food to be eaten at the Golden Tee if you are that kind of person. :) The parking situation can be atrocious at times - but we usually find a way to make it work. Shield's is a-okay on my list.
(4)
John W.
The food here is good but the service is so-so in my recent experiences. I sat in the bar area (tables) the last couple times and it takes a long time just to get the drinks out. I think they are understaffed. The last time I was here they had the music absolutely BLASTING LOUD, again only in the bar area... for 8 pm on a Monday night it was tough to keep conversation with my group! As a whiney old man that I sound like now we should have just sat in the other areas of the restaurant; it's a fairly large place. There is screened-in outdoor seating here on the side away from Telegraph Road facing the rear parking lot. It's nice when the weather warms up a bit as it gives you some shade along with a nice breeze and still keeps the bugs away from your food. I recommend the pizza here, it's really good!
(3)
Tyler P.
Not bad. The service was friendly and the beer was cold and reasonably priced. I ordered and antipasto salad and a small pizza. I thought the salad was put together "cheaply". Very little meat and it certainly did not look like the photo on the menu! The pizza was thick crust. Plenty of toppings and sauce. My only complaint was that the sauce was too sweet for my taste.
(3)
Mic M.
Its been a pretty long time since my last time here, and thanks to Groupon I had another opportunity. So it was clown Friday or kids day or something like that, which was fine and created an interestingly colorful atmosphere. But this sort of worked against me a little later...more about that in a bit. First of all, it seems the section we were in, fell into some void or grey area, and as such the server took a long time to get there, in fact she took care of tables before ours, that came in after us. Mistakes happen, so I didn't stress it too much. Finally we put in the order and asked for our drinks, which came sort of quickly after that. The antipasto salad was not too bad, the ingredients were good, but the dressing was a little more tangy than I would like (too much vinegar it seemed). The bread sticks that came soon after, were awesome. The super pizza was "super", it was prepared nicely, had a lot of great ingredients and was quite tasty. I gotta say though, its no Buddy's! Now for the kiddie thing...oh lucky me, the booth right next to mine had the "typical" modern day trendy parents with their precious little window lickers. So instead of putting the children on the side of the booth where NO people were sitting, I was lucky enough to have both of their bundles of joy behind me,. Yep, mommy and daddy ignoring as these little balls of wonder, as they hung over the back of the booth, with their circus balloons that bobo the clown just made them, fashioned after a dinosaur...oh and these were not herbivore's nope, they were man eating dinosaurs that little trevor had trying to EAT ME! Yep there was his balloon, at the side of my head poking me...I sorta took the balloon and tossed it back to them, and finally the parents paid attention. and Both of these little precious ones started howling. Damn I wish these parents with this sort of sense of entitlement would get a handle on their kids...yeah it was clown day or whatever, but it wasn't YOU DAY! All in all this visit was just okay, I would certainly go back, BUT I would not go out of my to go back.
(3)
Jess T.
I work in the building across the street, and we have gone to Shields a few times for lunch. This seems like a popular spot for pizza, but I don't get it. First of all the service tends to be slow. This is the lunch rush - we only have an hour!! Can you please put my order in and get me my salad?! Is it really that difficult? They have the lunch special for a reason, because its FAST! Its not useful if it is not served quickly. Often the server can not perform more than one task at a time. "I would like the check, and a box please" . . . . .and then only the check, no box, ever. The pizza is square pan pizza, that to me is just too greasy. I am not a fan of this type, I like thin crust, so it better be great pan pizza for me to be impressed. For those that like this type of pizza - great good for you, but its not for me. The atmosphere is a smokey mess! Its lunch time, I don't want to come back to work smelling like I went to a bar. Side note - I don't want to smell smoke in a bar either, but that's another subject. If I get a pizza craving while I'm at work, this is my last option. Its not fast or convenient.
(2)
Jessica S.
Only have had pizza & bread/cheese sticks. All BOMB. I usually get veggie pizza +/- a few things. service is always good. i love love love it here.
(5)
J.D. B.
My favorite pizza in the world and also my last meal (if I get to choose). This very small chain and also Buddy's are the last I know of Detroit Style pizza. I first had Shield's as a kid in Ypsilanti (where the Cottage Inn Pizza is located on Washtenaw now). Then I was able to get it and had a birthday at the Novi location, which is now the Library Bar. So now when I'm in town I make the journey from the Ann Arbor area out to Southfield... and the trip is worth it every time! I also make a point to introduce any visitors I bring to Michigan to real "Detroit Style Pizza." If you aren't familiar Detroit style is known for the following characteristics: 1.) Being square 2.) Cheese baked to the edge of the square pizza in the deep dish pan so the cheese is brown and crispy at the edges 3.) The sauce is put on last on the top of the pizza. This pizza is more like Chicago style in that it is difficult to pick up a piece and eat, but better eaten with a knife and fork a la Chicago Style pizza. Another thing I miss about the local pizzerias in Michigan is the customization of each of the base components of the pizza. The dough is specially made, the sauce is custom and even the cheeses are a custom blend from the dairy for delivery to the restaurant. The local places decide how gooey, melty, cheesy, tasty and chewy they want their melted masterpieces to be by varying the percentages of each of the cheeses among mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, asagio, etc. In the case of Shields the cheese is full of Italian flavors (Asagio and Parmesan) and seems to separate in your mouth without hardly chewing at all! I truly believe the best pizza is that where a cheese only pizza is delectable... any toppings are just "gravy". A consequence of the "restaurant chaining" of America these types of place are disappearing more and more. There are legends from the heyday of Shields shipping pizzas to the Carolinas and even to Hawaii for party of Michigan Ex-pats that couldn't stand to be away from Shields. I myself have had them "half-bake" the pizza so I could freeze it and carry it on a plane back to California to share with others. So you could consider me somewhat obsessed. I hope upon reading this you give Shields a try. They are a great local chain and are keeping the tradition of Detroit Style Pizza alive.
(5)
Zach W.
The rating is only for carryout pizza. Bought a few pies for a party recently and everyone loved it. Deep dish with a good balance of dough (scrumptious with just the right amount of crispness), sauce, cheese & toppings. Sauce on top which works fine, but can be strange for some folks. Lousy service; only one person at the register who also was taking phone orders (constantly getting put on hold) and servicing carryouts (and making change for the kids who wanted to play a video game). Inexcusable for such a popular restaurant. Expect to wait.
(4)
Richard K.
A very seriously fantastic pizza. I go back and forth between Shield's and Buddy's. And when in town visiting family, I like to alternate my visits. The pizza here is definitely worth the trip!!
(4)
Lois K.
Years ago this location used to be a post office. Then, back in the 70's a builder I knew well (my dad) built the Tel-Ex Shopping center and at the same time, remodeled the post office making it into a rib house. That lasted several years until unfortunately due to circumstances beyond his control, the restaurant closed. It sat there for a year or so until Shields bought it and opened. I love to go in there and sit amongst the Tiffany lamps and the ghosts of past. The pizza and antipasto salad, like Buddy's are always consistently delicious, a true Detroit gem.
(5)
RAY S.
I recommend the pizza here because that's what they're known for and that's what tastes the best on the menu! I always get the square deep dish with pep,sausage and ham. Get the deep dish, I think they're tastier than the round and more filling. One person can only eat about 2 deep dish slices. Service could have been better but it wasn't too bad. I understood it was busy. Other than the pizza, it's a regualar bar complete with pool table, darts, and what else... a fully stocked bar!
(4)
Heather J.
Be it resolved that more delicious Michigan restaurants thrive in favour of spendy, trendy, blendy chains. I heard some of the hype about Shields -- best pizza, awards from all sorts of publication -- that promised to take me on a delicious culinary experience. Handmade pizza on deep dish crust is a kind of magic, and fresh ingredients is double magic. Nothing beats double magic when done right. Does Shields enchant the tastebuds? Alas not, it's a dud like that forgettable Nick Cage movie which wasted Monica Bellucci's profound talents. I went here with my coworkers, and peeked at Yelp to determine what fellow reviewers thought or suggested. The restaurant is a family-type affair, like TGI Friday's gone Midwestern middleground. I expected flash on the servers. We were all highly disappointed Flutterby the clown wasn't making an appearance that day, and condemned our silliest office-mate to ordering a bag of popcorn off the specials menu. He did actually have food, for what it's worth. The dining room spreads out enough that you aren't dining atop your neighbours, a plus, and clearly they accommodate large groups. We sat quickly and ordered drinks. Negative star one is earned from the drinks. I asked for a cup of hot tea, about as plain a drink you can get after water. Hot water + teabag = tea. My cup and the attendant glass pot were filled with water cooler than a faucet turned on hot. I figure she nuked the mug in the microwave for 45 seconds and brought me the tepid concoction. The refill, after I was loathe to mention anything too noisily, was not improved and both times, the drinks took an awful long time to show up. The menu is pleasantly extensive and a survey of typical American-Italian fare, separated into large salads and soups; sandwiches; pasta dishes; and of course pizza in the middle. Daily specials added some non-standard choices and, I noted, a dessert pizza in either cherry or apple, no half and half. I would want half and half, because that would be tasty. But grown up metabolism says veer with caution. I split a margherita square pizza with my boss, and added the fajita soup on the side. Apparently there's a problem in kitchenland at Shields for getting temperatures above child-approved zones. My soup was, at best, warm. Left out on the curb warm, popped from a can and scared by a flare of the gas grill warm. I finished it mostly due to sheer starvation and then the meals arrived. The breadstick was tasty, and the server added two (since my boss and I also split the soup/salad tack-on). Note, there's no +$X.49 for a side salad or soup as many places have. You pay full price for a bowl, which is teensy for the cost, and not worth it. From the consensus among my coworkers, the salad was worthy of consideration; everything else was unappealing or disappointing. The Cajun pasta was more cream sauce than spice, noodles were undercooked in another pasta dish, and the seafood platter was far too battered, tasteless (bland), and dripping oil missing from the Gulf Coast disaster. Now we know where it got sponged up to... The pizza, though, was a 3-star event. Crisp, tasty, with a huge beefsteak tomato slice on top, this is what I wanted. Two pieces of the square is _more_ than enough for one hungry person. I felt a bit overfull. The sauce isn't too salty but veers towards sweet; good if you like that, huge downer if you want tart punch. The crust was particularly chewy and soft. It was the only good thing about the meal aside from aforementioned breadstick. Proximity should win points but I won't be coming back unless I'm dying for a pizza. There are oodles of better pizza places around (Jet's comes to mind) with consistent food and a less toddler-running-amok atmosphere.
(2)
Chris G.
I have been to this place 20 or 30 times and have always been satisfied. If you like Square deep dish pizza, then you will enjoy Shields Pizzeria. I usually get the supreme Pizza and a order of antipasto salad for the table. The portions are heavy so 2 to 3 squares of pizza will be the typical portion size.
(4)
Margaret A.
Great pizza , bread sticks , chicken wings. Nice classy place. Our lady server was fantastic . I think Kristin her name....we got our food so well prepared that most expensive restaurants don't do it. We went as whole family and everyone of us were satisfied Wow what a place!!!
(5)
Craig S.
Been the for lunch and dinner time 6 times in the past 8 months. Look at the dated posted of course lol. always helps. I agree with others... "Great pizza , bread sticks , chicken wings." Fast service each time I went and yummy food.... just wish there was beer specials : ( Go if in the area...thumb up : )
(4)
Phil P.
Was in town last weekend on business, and had a free Sunday night. So it was either order pizza and eat in the room, or take a short ride... the latter prevailed. Decided to sit at the bar instead of taking up a table to myself. The bartender was very friendly, I think her name was Tara? Anyway, chatty and efficient without being overly-hovering. . But the Greek pizza, (sigh) was disappointing. The crust reminded me of Jet's Pizza, but the cheese wasn't even melted in the center. There was way too much Feta, and although I like Feta, half the amount would've been perfectly balanced. 3 stars based solely on service.
(3)
Chelsea H.
Pizza was bland and soggy. I find brick cheese to be awful, but even ignoring that personal preference, the pizza had no redeeming qualities. They use dried basil on the margherita, which is inexcusable. The breadsticks (which were free) were like the frozen foodservice type favored by elementary school cafeterias. The salads were also pretty sad and were mostly just iceberg lettuce with a few things on top for decoration. This is the type of food I'd expect at a child's birthday party, the clown wandering the dining room affirmed this feeling. There was a menu of daily specials featuring more exotic offerings like fried catfish and salmon, though I'd hesitate to order an entree from a pizza restaurant that can't even get pizza right. Service, however, was very good.
(2)
Regina B.
It's ok I only go once a year when my old high school class has and event. Last I was here I think it's was 2 years ago I had an appetizer chicken strips . 2nd time there In July 2015 I had was chips and nacho dip not bad but the drinks are high rum and coke $7.00? Plus the drink was a little watered down Will not do buy that again. Even though I only come here once every few years this will not be my hangout.
(3)
Dan K.
Great pizza and fun sports setting for Detroit fans. Deep dish small square was more then enough for one. Crispy outer crust, gooey inside, lots of sauce-perfect!
(4)
Bernadine W.
I had a Groupon for shields. My daughter wanted to go to Buddy's pizza but sided with me for shields pizza. I was so embarrassed the salad lettuce looked like it came out of kroger dole bag chopped up with chopped up meat and cheese the pizza came meat lovers it was over cooked (burned ) the fish that my son had was taste less. Yep I should have went to buddy's restaurant their pizza is delicious all the time and their salad is very good I would never go back to Shileds
(1)
Leah S.
Highly recommended! Our group of 28 church youth from the ELCA Youth Gathering called in to see if they could accommodate us - no problem. They had a great set up for us and offered to give us a homestyle option or order off the menu. We went with individual orders. I sampled the fried portobello mushrooms -fantastic! The deep dish pizza - award-worthy! And the bread sticks - soft and warm! I ordered the strawberry spinach salad. They forgot my order and I was the last served - BUT they made it right by adjusting my bill. And it was worth the wait - fresh, substantial and the poppyseed dressing was perfect! Our waitress Terri was excellent - she rolled with our silliness and was very efficient and friendly. She should teach waitressing at restaurant school! We're from out of state and wish we could transplant this restaurant to central PA!
(5)
Sidney T.
To this day, even though I no longer live in Southfield or MI, Shield's has been one of the best places I've had pizza. Period. The crust, the sauce, the toppings....they're everything.
(5)
Ken B.
Pizza was tasty, the service was dreadful, our waitress took 20 minutes to come to our table in an empty restaurant. Our pizza arrived cold, and asking for refills of soft drinks was never honored. A once great pizza establishment turned into a terrible experience.
(1)
Daron D.
Growing up in Detroit/Metro Detroit, shield's was always good pizza, but always second fiddle to buddy's pizza (similar places hence the comparison). After having it for the first time in 10 + years , I feel that exact same way. Came here on a Saturday and to my surprise, it was quite empty, started off with the wings in both plum and buffalo sauce (both sauces were good, but the buffalo was better), now while I hate big wings, these wings were way too small (still good though). Now for the pizza I had the meat lovers and a pepperoni/garlic pizza. While the pizza was very very good, the only negative thing I can say is that the ground beef here taste like it's seasoned with taco seasoning. Other than that though, it is pretty good pizza here. I just at the end, while it is very good, it will always be one step below buddy's in every aspect.
(4)
Alexandra C.
First time at this location. Service was good, pizza and salad were great. Small antipasto salad enough for two people. Very good pizza!
(4)
Mychal T.
The quality of the pizza has not changed in over 20 years. Great example of Detroit pan pizza. The crust is slightly sweet but wonderful, along with any sauce or toppings and you will be satisfied. Service was also great, nothing beats Midwestern hospitality.
(5)
Eldwin L.
We unfortunately had a very bad time when we went the food was lukewarm and could have been better all in all just kind of average the larger problem was that he attentiveness of the servers which was lacking and the fact I think they're catering more to the bar crowd and that the restaurant crowd during the week there were three males in the bar who are extremely loud watching the basketball game and highly inebriated I will not disclose what department these individuals were from but when you have someone extremely vocal and with a very foul language stating that he would shoot the supervisor, and there fking punk bitches ,if he wants to fking try something .. This carried on for approximately 45 minutes all I can say is that I know and a high stress job you need stress relief but a family restaurant is not the place to do it and you might want to dial back disclosing names of cases and who your employer is one yelling that loudly a little discretion would be advised you can tell they are definitely regulars and the waitresses know them quite well but because of the limited amount of people in the restaurant the entire conversation these three gentlemen we're having was quite clear and mildly offensive to the individual I was with .my take on the evening. shoptalk really doesn't bother me but it probably should be either in a neighborhood bar where no one cares or at minimum a little bit quieter the fact that management or the staff did not correct this if not for the rest of the customers but to watch out for the individual that was yelling if he is such a regular is probably not the best way to run the business this was probably our third trip here and our last
(1)
Kevin M.
The crust was soggy. The toppings (a Margherita pizza) were sad - half green tomatoes, browned basil. The ambiance is reminiscent of a worn, smelly bar, sans cigarette smoke. And the service, while friendly, is as slow as Comcast's internet. Won't be a repeat here - much better options for pizza in the area.
(2)
Jeff H.
We came here with a large group (over 25) and the service was good. We were seated quickly and our drink orders were taken right away. The menu is pretty much any traditional pizza/pasta joint you've been in. My Son ordered the chicken alfredo and he said it was good. I ordered the Cajun chicken pasta and loved it. Some people in our group got the pizza and it was decent too. Saw someone in our group with a taco salad and it was huge! I gave it 5 stars because this would definitely be a place I come back to the next time I'm in town (I can't say that about all the places we hit) The only complaint I have is one of our servers was a younger kid and he was a little frazzled with the large group but he still pulled through.
(5)
Ashok P.
Food is good. But the service was an issue esp the hostess
(3)
Candance D.
Ok so my husband is big on me cooking at home. However, this food was so good we came back two nights in a row! They had live karaoke and the servers was awesome as they could be! If you haven't been go NOW
(5)
Fai F.
How did I not know this place existed before? It's tucked into the Southfield office complex, so only discovered it on a business lunch. It looks like it can handle a large crowd. Lots of local Michigan decorations on the wall. Pizza is fantastic. You can order the four piece square pizza and get all the crust you can handle (my favorite part!!!) The crust is thicker than a regular pie, so don't go looking for New York. Apparently, they have deep dish, but this was perfect. We ordered two pies, one supreme style and the other vegetarian. Topping were noticeably fresh, chunky (sausage! ) and crunchy (the vegetables). This is pizza with a character. Two pieces were more than enough for me (I'm kind of tiny), but my large companions looked more than satisfied. If I was planning to be in the area, or just passing through on M-10 or I-696 on a special occasion, I would certainly come here again.
(4)
Sean G.
I'm probably going to get some flack from my fellow Detroiters for this, but... Buddy's is overrated. Yeah, I said it. It's not that their pizza is bad, but they have been overhyped and oversold by locals and tourists alike, and I'm here to say that they are definitely not my favorite "Detroit Style" pizza. Truth be told, Shield's is my master. Maybe it's because they were always my family's "go to" spot for square pies when I was a kid, but I'll take these guys over Buddy's any day. In the interest of full disclosure I have NOT had the benefit of trying all of the contenders in the Metro Detroit area, so I don't pretend to be an expert. That said, Shield's has yet to disappoint me. I was in for my mother's birthday dinner the other night and we ordered a couple of our favorites: An eight corner Polynesian pizza and an order of cheese bread. The Polynesian was on point and, as usual, covered with an abundance of toppings and an appropriate amount of cheese (Buddy's could learn a thing or two from that last bit). The cheese bread is always a winner, and may very well be the best I have ever had anywhere. It's warm, gooey, flavorful, and I really appreciate the way that Shield's uses cheddar to give it an extra kick. It wasn't terribly crowded, so service was lightning quick. Some people take that for granted when a restaurant is busy, but the speed of the waiter combined with his friendly attitude shows that the staff here actually cares about their customers. We will be returning without a doubt. I've been going here all my life and the quality seems to have gone UP if anything.
(4)
Dave F.
I love the pizza at Shield's, wayyy better than Buddies. We always go with the square deep dish with pepperoni and the house salad. Great for large and small groups. Never had a problem with the food or service.
(5)
Jules V.
Well, this restaurant is known for its pizza. That's what makes me laugh. I've been here a few times, but the last visits were a few years ago. Ambiance is great. Even on the nights that they have karaoke, it's usually decent enough to listen to; I hate places where it's just someone screaming or slurring into a microphone. Decor is tasteful, a little outdated, but I don't care about that. We ordered breadsticks and a deep-dish vegetarian pizza. The breadsticks, all within the same pile, were either overbaked on top (and doughy on the bottom), or doughy all the way through. It felt like I was eating cheap canned biscuits that had been stretched out, then drizzled with a little garlic and butter. Mediocre at best. Then the pizza came. It was drowned in a sea of sauce, which meant that most of the cheese and toppings started to slide off. I also found the sauce to be a very unpleasant taste -- bland, tomato-like. Again, like someone found a can of spaghetti sauce and dumped it on there. Most pizza sauces are sweet -- this was definitely not. A friend and I had to force ourselves to finish the slices we had, then promptly boxed up the remainder. For a deep dish pizza, it doesn't have much to it. I found the crust to be bland, burnt in some places, too much butter in others. After this latest experience, I'll never bother going back. It's overpriced in general, but all the more given how terrible the food is. If you do get something, I'm begging you to get something other than the pizza.
(1)
Ryan P.
I go there after work some Fridays. It is a nice atmosphere, no screaming kids and not packed. There is room to breath and socialize. Seating at booths, tables and at the bar. Food is good and there is a variety. When my clients ask for a place to eat, shields is one of my first suggestions.
(4)
Lisa R.
This is a pretty great place. The food is good and you can custom-make your own pizzas, there's a big beer selection, and the prices are reasonable. It's a cool restaurant in terms of layout and ambiance, but I agree with other reviewers that it can get super loud. Seems like they have a lot of birthday parties and stuff like that, so good luck to you if you're seated right next to a table of 20 people. But, since it's so big, you probably wouldn't have a problem being moved to another part of the restaurant. I do feel that service is pretty slow overall, even though the place is never packed while I'm there. Probably that's my biggest complaint. Overall it's a cool place.
(4)
Valerie G.
Another solid occasional stop on the lunch rotation - If pizza is what we are in the mood for, Shield's is our go to. I am a big fan of Shield's pizza - it is deep dish... thick and doughy and the toppings and sauce are fantastic. Two slices a person is a pretty good rule of ordering. Like Buddy's they put the pepperoni under the cheese so it doesn't get nasty and burnt. They have a good selection of fresh vegetable selections for your pizza as well - sometimes the "vegetarian" selection at pizza joints consists of tomato sauce, canned mushrooms and onions. Shield's has much better options, including spinach and artichoke hearts and FRESH mushrooms. What good is a pizza with out a salad? The antipasto is a favorite of mine - and comes in all sorts of sizes that are great for sharing. As bad as it may be for me, I enjoy their housemade Italian. Obviously if I cared about eating things that were good for me, I wouldn't be at a pizza place in the first place. Also noteworthy are the breadsticks that you get when you ordered a salad - garlic, parmesany goodness is what they are. Totally chewy, not ever hard. And of course - they have restaurant ranch available for your dipping pleasure for you ranch-lovers out there. I will admit that the service at this particular Shield's is not anything to rave about - but I have never had horrible service. We can usually make the few minute drive there and back and eat our salad & pizza in an hours time - which is about typical for us for lunch. There are 3 separate "rooms" in this Shield's, including a bar - as well as an outdoor patio area for summertime eating. Apparently you can also order your food to be eaten at the Golden Tee if you are that kind of person. :) The parking situation can be atrocious at times - but we usually find a way to make it work. Shield's is a-okay on my list.
(4)
John W.
The food here is good but the service is so-so in my recent experiences. I sat in the bar area (tables) the last couple times and it takes a long time just to get the drinks out. I think they are understaffed. The last time I was here they had the music absolutely BLASTING LOUD, again only in the bar area... for 8 pm on a Monday night it was tough to keep conversation with my group! As a whiney old man that I sound like now we should have just sat in the other areas of the restaurant; it's a fairly large place. There is screened-in outdoor seating here on the side away from Telegraph Road facing the rear parking lot. It's nice when the weather warms up a bit as it gives you some shade along with a nice breeze and still keeps the bugs away from your food. I recommend the pizza here, it's really good!
(3)
Tyler P.
Not bad. The service was friendly and the beer was cold and reasonably priced. I ordered and antipasto salad and a small pizza. I thought the salad was put together "cheaply". Very little meat and it certainly did not look like the photo on the menu! The pizza was thick crust. Plenty of toppings and sauce. My only complaint was that the sauce was too sweet for my taste.
(3)
Mic M.
Its been a pretty long time since my last time here, and thanks to Groupon I had another opportunity. So it was clown Friday or kids day or something like that, which was fine and created an interestingly colorful atmosphere. But this sort of worked against me a little later...more about that in a bit. First of all, it seems the section we were in, fell into some void or grey area, and as such the server took a long time to get there, in fact she took care of tables before ours, that came in after us. Mistakes happen, so I didn't stress it too much. Finally we put in the order and asked for our drinks, which came sort of quickly after that. The antipasto salad was not too bad, the ingredients were good, but the dressing was a little more tangy than I would like (too much vinegar it seemed). The bread sticks that came soon after, were awesome. The super pizza was "super", it was prepared nicely, had a lot of great ingredients and was quite tasty. I gotta say though, its no Buddy's! Now for the kiddie thing...oh lucky me, the booth right next to mine had the "typical" modern day trendy parents with their precious little window lickers. So instead of putting the children on the side of the booth where NO people were sitting, I was lucky enough to have both of their bundles of joy behind me,. Yep, mommy and daddy ignoring as these little balls of wonder, as they hung over the back of the booth, with their circus balloons that bobo the clown just made them, fashioned after a dinosaur...oh and these were not herbivore's nope, they were man eating dinosaurs that little trevor had trying to EAT ME! Yep there was his balloon, at the side of my head poking me...I sorta took the balloon and tossed it back to them, and finally the parents paid attention. and Both of these little precious ones started howling. Damn I wish these parents with this sort of sense of entitlement would get a handle on their kids...yeah it was clown day or whatever, but it wasn't YOU DAY! All in all this visit was just okay, I would certainly go back, BUT I would not go out of my to go back.
(3)
Marissa K.
I love this pizza! I've been coming to Shield's since I was five and it's always an awesome treat. My family and I always get an antipasto salad and deep dish pizza. They changed the lettuce they use from romaine lettuce to bagged garden lettuce which I don't like as much, but I request romaine anyways. The service is always good and I enjoy the atmosphere.
(5)
lori t.
Adequate food with reasonable prices, but the service depends on which waiter/waitress is assigned your table. Very noisy restaurant when events and parties are present.
(2)
Steve H.
It seems I rarely go longer than two weeks without taking my co-worker pal out to lunch at Shield's. Keep in mind, the middle of Southfield is in pretty short supply of sit-down eateries. And if you'd like a cocktail with your meal, the list is reduced even further. But Shield's almost always beats out Friday's when you've gotta get out of the office for an hour. Shield's food isn't the greatest, granted. It's really just typical bar food with a dash or two of Italian and Greek stuff thrown in. I like the Broadway burger (who can go wrong with bacon AND BBQ sauce?) and the pizza is always reliably edible (though I'm sure it improves exponentially when you walk into the place already drunk). There seems to be a fair amount of turnover in the wait staff. It's almost like people leave the place just as I start to remember their names. My personal suggestion, sit in one of the two booths closest to the bar. You'll usually end up with the bartender as your waitress, which more or less guarantees that your server is always at your elbow. By the way, the drinks tend to get stiffer the further you venture past your first. But from me, this is a compliment.
(3)
Rose P.
The food is always fresh. I especially like the sauce that they use on their pizza. There's something unique about it (it's sweet). I have never had a bad dining experience here.
(5)
Ariella G.
So I may be a bit biased as I have been spoiled by Chicago stuffed pizza, but Shield's pizza is just okay. Better than frozen but definitely not worth an extra workout at the gym. Salad was pathetic but this is not a health spa. Service was very efficient and friendly. If you have to eat here, fine but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat Shield's pizza.
(3)
Jess T.
I work in the building across the street, and we have gone to Shields a few times for lunch. This seems like a popular spot for pizza, but I don't get it. First of all the service tends to be slow. This is the lunch rush - we only have an hour!! Can you please put my order in and get me my salad?! Is it really that difficult? They have the lunch special for a reason, because its FAST! Its not useful if it is not served quickly. Often the server can not perform more than one task at a time. "I would like the check, and a box please" . . . . .and then only the check, no box, ever. The pizza is square pan pizza, that to me is just too greasy. I am not a fan of this type, I like thin crust, so it better be great pan pizza for me to be impressed. For those that like this type of pizza - great good for you, but its not for me. The atmosphere is a smokey mess! Its lunch time, I don't want to come back to work smelling like I went to a bar. Side note - I don't want to smell smoke in a bar either, but that's another subject. If I get a pizza craving while I'm at work, this is my last option. Its not fast or convenient.
(2)
Jessica S.
Only have had pizza & bread/cheese sticks. All BOMB. I usually get veggie pizza +/- a few things. service is always good. i love love love it here.
(5)
J.D. B.
My favorite pizza in the world and also my last meal (if I get to choose). This very small chain and also Buddy's are the last I know of Detroit Style pizza. I first had Shield's as a kid in Ypsilanti (where the Cottage Inn Pizza is located on Washtenaw now). Then I was able to get it and had a birthday at the Novi location, which is now the Library Bar. So now when I'm in town I make the journey from the Ann Arbor area out to Southfield... and the trip is worth it every time! I also make a point to introduce any visitors I bring to Michigan to real "Detroit Style Pizza." If you aren't familiar Detroit style is known for the following characteristics: 1.) Being square 2.) Cheese baked to the edge of the square pizza in the deep dish pan so the cheese is brown and crispy at the edges 3.) The sauce is put on last on the top of the pizza. This pizza is more like Chicago style in that it is difficult to pick up a piece and eat, but better eaten with a knife and fork a la Chicago Style pizza. Another thing I miss about the local pizzerias in Michigan is the customization of each of the base components of the pizza. The dough is specially made, the sauce is custom and even the cheeses are a custom blend from the dairy for delivery to the restaurant. The local places decide how gooey, melty, cheesy, tasty and chewy they want their melted masterpieces to be by varying the percentages of each of the cheeses among mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, asagio, etc. In the case of Shields the cheese is full of Italian flavors (Asagio and Parmesan) and seems to separate in your mouth without hardly chewing at all! I truly believe the best pizza is that where a cheese only pizza is delectable... any toppings are just "gravy". A consequence of the "restaurant chaining" of America these types of place are disappearing more and more. There are legends from the heyday of Shields shipping pizzas to the Carolinas and even to Hawaii for party of Michigan Ex-pats that couldn't stand to be away from Shields. I myself have had them "half-bake" the pizza so I could freeze it and carry it on a plane back to California to share with others. So you could consider me somewhat obsessed. I hope upon reading this you give Shields a try. They are a great local chain and are keeping the tradition of Detroit Style Pizza alive.
(5)
Zach W.
The rating is only for carryout pizza. Bought a few pies for a party recently and everyone loved it. Deep dish with a good balance of dough (scrumptious with just the right amount of crispness), sauce, cheese & toppings. Sauce on top which works fine, but can be strange for some folks. Lousy service; only one person at the register who also was taking phone orders (constantly getting put on hold) and servicing carryouts (and making change for the kids who wanted to play a video game). Inexcusable for such a popular restaurant. Expect to wait.
(4)
Cherice J.
Shield's is a pretty good pizza spot right outside of Detroit. I have been coming here for years, as it is right down the street from my home. I recently went here to watch the NBA playoffs because they have a lot of big screen televisions. The place is actually pretty spacious and the menu is extensive with bar foods and pizza varieties. I last had a meat-lovers pizza and potato wedges, and they both were yummy. Please be advised the bar service wasn't the best in the world, but maybe they were super busy the last time I went. This is a cool place to meet up with friends, I also believe they still have a billiards table near the back if you wanted to get a game going.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
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Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Richard K.
A very seriously fantastic pizza. I go back and forth between Shield's and Buddy's. And when in town visiting family, I like to alternate my visits. The pizza here is definitely worth the trip!!
(4)Daron D.
Growing up in Detroit/Metro Detroit, shield's was always good pizza, but always second fiddle to buddy's pizza (similar places hence the comparison). After having it for the first time in 10 + years , I feel that exact same way. Came here on a Saturday and to my surprise, it was quite empty, started off with the wings in both plum and buffalo sauce (both sauces were good, but the buffalo was better), now while I hate big wings, these wings were way too small (still good though). Now for the pizza I had the meat lovers and a pepperoni/garlic pizza. While the pizza was very very good, the only negative thing I can say is that the ground beef here taste like it's seasoned with taco seasoning. Other than that though, it is pretty good pizza here. I just at the end, while it is very good, it will always be one step below buddy's in every aspect.
(4)Eldwin L.
We unfortunately had a very bad time when we went the food was lukewarm and could have been better all in all just kind of average the larger problem was that he attentiveness of the servers which was lacking and the fact I think they're catering more to the bar crowd and that the restaurant crowd during the week there were three males in the bar who are extremely loud watching the basketball game and highly inebriated I will not disclose what department these individuals were from but when you have someone extremely vocal and with a very foul language stating that he would shoot the supervisor, and there fking punk bitches ,if he wants to fking try something .. This carried on for approximately 45 minutes all I can say is that I know and a high stress job you need stress relief but a family restaurant is not the place to do it and you might want to dial back disclosing names of cases and who your employer is one yelling that loudly a little discretion would be advised you can tell they are definitely regulars and the waitresses know them quite well but because of the limited amount of people in the restaurant the entire conversation these three gentlemen we're having was quite clear and mildly offensive to the individual I was with .my take on the evening. shoptalk really doesn't bother me but it probably should be either in a neighborhood bar where no one cares or at minimum a little bit quieter the fact that management or the staff did not correct this if not for the rest of the customers but to watch out for the individual that was yelling if he is such a regular is probably not the best way to run the business this was probably our third trip here and our last
(1)Kevin M.
The crust was soggy. The toppings (a Margherita pizza) were sad - half green tomatoes, browned basil. The ambiance is reminiscent of a worn, smelly bar, sans cigarette smoke. And the service, while friendly, is as slow as Comcast's internet. Won't be a repeat here - much better options for pizza in the area.
(2)Jeff H.
We came here with a large group (over 25) and the service was good. We were seated quickly and our drink orders were taken right away. The menu is pretty much any traditional pizza/pasta joint you've been in. My Son ordered the chicken alfredo and he said it was good. I ordered the Cajun chicken pasta and loved it. Some people in our group got the pizza and it was decent too. Saw someone in our group with a taco salad and it was huge! I gave it 5 stars because this would definitely be a place I come back to the next time I'm in town (I can't say that about all the places we hit) The only complaint I have is one of our servers was a younger kid and he was a little frazzled with the large group but he still pulled through.
(5)Ashok P.
Food is good. But the service was an issue esp the hostess
(3)Candance D.
Ok so my husband is big on me cooking at home. However, this food was so good we came back two nights in a row! They had live karaoke and the servers was awesome as they could be! If you haven't been go NOW
(5)Jules V.
Well, this restaurant is known for its pizza. That's what makes me laugh. I've been here a few times, but the last visits were a few years ago. Ambiance is great. Even on the nights that they have karaoke, it's usually decent enough to listen to; I hate places where it's just someone screaming or slurring into a microphone. Decor is tasteful, a little outdated, but I don't care about that. We ordered breadsticks and a deep-dish vegetarian pizza. The breadsticks, all within the same pile, were either overbaked on top (and doughy on the bottom), or doughy all the way through. It felt like I was eating cheap canned biscuits that had been stretched out, then drizzled with a little garlic and butter. Mediocre at best. Then the pizza came. It was drowned in a sea of sauce, which meant that most of the cheese and toppings started to slide off. I also found the sauce to be a very unpleasant taste -- bland, tomato-like. Again, like someone found a can of spaghetti sauce and dumped it on there. Most pizza sauces are sweet -- this was definitely not. A friend and I had to force ourselves to finish the slices we had, then promptly boxed up the remainder. For a deep dish pizza, it doesn't have much to it. I found the crust to be bland, burnt in some places, too much butter in others. After this latest experience, I'll never bother going back. It's overpriced in general, but all the more given how terrible the food is. If you do get something, I'm begging you to get something other than the pizza.
(1)Alexandra C.
First time at this location. Service was good, pizza and salad were great. Small antipasto salad enough for two people. Very good pizza!
(4)Mychal T.
The quality of the pizza has not changed in over 20 years. Great example of Detroit pan pizza. The crust is slightly sweet but wonderful, along with any sauce or toppings and you will be satisfied. Service was also great, nothing beats Midwestern hospitality.
(5)Lois K.
Years ago this location used to be a post office. Then, back in the 70's a builder I knew well (my dad) built the Tel-Ex Shopping center and at the same time, remodeled the post office making it into a rib house. That lasted several years until unfortunately due to circumstances beyond his control, the restaurant closed. It sat there for a year or so until Shields bought it and opened. I love to go in there and sit amongst the Tiffany lamps and the ghosts of past. The pizza and antipasto salad, like Buddy's are always consistently delicious, a true Detroit gem.
(5)Fai F.
How did I not know this place existed before? It's tucked into the Southfield office complex, so only discovered it on a business lunch. It looks like it can handle a large crowd. Lots of local Michigan decorations on the wall. Pizza is fantastic. You can order the four piece square pizza and get all the crust you can handle (my favorite part!!!) The crust is thicker than a regular pie, so don't go looking for New York. Apparently, they have deep dish, but this was perfect. We ordered two pies, one supreme style and the other vegetarian. Topping were noticeably fresh, chunky (sausage! ) and crunchy (the vegetables). This is pizza with a character. Two pieces were more than enough for me (I'm kind of tiny), but my large companions looked more than satisfied. If I was planning to be in the area, or just passing through on M-10 or I-696 on a special occasion, I would certainly come here again.
(4)Sean G.
I'm probably going to get some flack from my fellow Detroiters for this, but... Buddy's is overrated. Yeah, I said it. It's not that their pizza is bad, but they have been overhyped and oversold by locals and tourists alike, and I'm here to say that they are definitely not my favorite "Detroit Style" pizza. Truth be told, Shield's is my master. Maybe it's because they were always my family's "go to" spot for square pies when I was a kid, but I'll take these guys over Buddy's any day. In the interest of full disclosure I have NOT had the benefit of trying all of the contenders in the Metro Detroit area, so I don't pretend to be an expert. That said, Shield's has yet to disappoint me. I was in for my mother's birthday dinner the other night and we ordered a couple of our favorites: An eight corner Polynesian pizza and an order of cheese bread. The Polynesian was on point and, as usual, covered with an abundance of toppings and an appropriate amount of cheese (Buddy's could learn a thing or two from that last bit). The cheese bread is always a winner, and may very well be the best I have ever had anywhere. It's warm, gooey, flavorful, and I really appreciate the way that Shield's uses cheddar to give it an extra kick. It wasn't terribly crowded, so service was lightning quick. Some people take that for granted when a restaurant is busy, but the speed of the waiter combined with his friendly attitude shows that the staff here actually cares about their customers. We will be returning without a doubt. I've been going here all my life and the quality seems to have gone UP if anything.
(4)Dave F.
I love the pizza at Shield's, wayyy better than Buddies. We always go with the square deep dish with pepperoni and the house salad. Great for large and small groups. Never had a problem with the food or service.
(5)Chris G.
I have been to this place 20 or 30 times and have always been satisfied. If you like Square deep dish pizza, then you will enjoy Shields Pizzeria. I usually get the supreme Pizza and a order of antipasto salad for the table. The portions are heavy so 2 to 3 squares of pizza will be the typical portion size.
(4)Margaret A.
Great pizza , bread sticks , chicken wings. Nice classy place. Our lady server was fantastic . I think Kristin her name....we got our food so well prepared that most expensive restaurants don't do it. We went as whole family and everyone of us were satisfied Wow what a place!!!
(5)Bernadine W.
I had a Groupon for shields. My daughter wanted to go to Buddy's pizza but sided with me for shields pizza. I was so embarrassed the salad lettuce looked like it came out of kroger dole bag chopped up with chopped up meat and cheese the pizza came meat lovers it was over cooked (burned ) the fish that my son had was taste less. Yep I should have went to buddy's restaurant their pizza is delicious all the time and their salad is very good I would never go back to Shileds
(1)Leah S.
Highly recommended! Our group of 28 church youth from the ELCA Youth Gathering called in to see if they could accommodate us - no problem. They had a great set up for us and offered to give us a homestyle option or order off the menu. We went with individual orders. I sampled the fried portobello mushrooms -fantastic! The deep dish pizza - award-worthy! And the bread sticks - soft and warm! I ordered the strawberry spinach salad. They forgot my order and I was the last served - BUT they made it right by adjusting my bill. And it was worth the wait - fresh, substantial and the poppyseed dressing was perfect! Our waitress Terri was excellent - she rolled with our silliness and was very efficient and friendly. She should teach waitressing at restaurant school! We're from out of state and wish we could transplant this restaurant to central PA!
(5)Sidney T.
To this day, even though I no longer live in Southfield or MI, Shield's has been one of the best places I've had pizza. Period. The crust, the sauce, the toppings....they're everything.
(5)Ken B.
Pizza was tasty, the service was dreadful, our waitress took 20 minutes to come to our table in an empty restaurant. Our pizza arrived cold, and asking for refills of soft drinks was never honored. A once great pizza establishment turned into a terrible experience.
(1)Craig S.
Been the for lunch and dinner time 6 times in the past 8 months. Look at the dated posted of course lol. always helps. I agree with others... "Great pizza , bread sticks , chicken wings." Fast service each time I went and yummy food.... just wish there was beer specials : ( Go if in the area...thumb up : )
(4)Phil P.
Was in town last weekend on business, and had a free Sunday night. So it was either order pizza and eat in the room, or take a short ride... the latter prevailed. Decided to sit at the bar instead of taking up a table to myself. The bartender was very friendly, I think her name was Tara? Anyway, chatty and efficient without being overly-hovering. . But the Greek pizza, (sigh) was disappointing. The crust reminded me of Jet's Pizza, but the cheese wasn't even melted in the center. There was way too much Feta, and although I like Feta, half the amount would've been perfectly balanced. 3 stars based solely on service.
(3)Chelsea H.
Pizza was bland and soggy. I find brick cheese to be awful, but even ignoring that personal preference, the pizza had no redeeming qualities. They use dried basil on the margherita, which is inexcusable. The breadsticks (which were free) were like the frozen foodservice type favored by elementary school cafeterias. The salads were also pretty sad and were mostly just iceberg lettuce with a few things on top for decoration. This is the type of food I'd expect at a child's birthday party, the clown wandering the dining room affirmed this feeling. There was a menu of daily specials featuring more exotic offerings like fried catfish and salmon, though I'd hesitate to order an entree from a pizza restaurant that can't even get pizza right. Service, however, was very good.
(2)Regina B.
It's ok I only go once a year when my old high school class has and event. Last I was here I think it's was 2 years ago I had an appetizer chicken strips . 2nd time there In July 2015 I had was chips and nacho dip not bad but the drinks are high rum and coke $7.00? Plus the drink was a little watered down Will not do buy that again. Even though I only come here once every few years this will not be my hangout.
(3)Dan K.
Great pizza and fun sports setting for Detroit fans. Deep dish small square was more then enough for one. Crispy outer crust, gooey inside, lots of sauce-perfect!
(4)RAY S.
I recommend the pizza here because that's what they're known for and that's what tastes the best on the menu! I always get the square deep dish with pep,sausage and ham. Get the deep dish, I think they're tastier than the round and more filling. One person can only eat about 2 deep dish slices. Service could have been better but it wasn't too bad. I understood it was busy. Other than the pizza, it's a regualar bar complete with pool table, darts, and what else... a fully stocked bar!
(4)Ryan P.
I go there after work some Fridays. It is a nice atmosphere, no screaming kids and not packed. There is room to breath and socialize. Seating at booths, tables and at the bar. Food is good and there is a variety. When my clients ask for a place to eat, shields is one of my first suggestions.
(4)Lisa R.
This is a pretty great place. The food is good and you can custom-make your own pizzas, there's a big beer selection, and the prices are reasonable. It's a cool restaurant in terms of layout and ambiance, but I agree with other reviewers that it can get super loud. Seems like they have a lot of birthday parties and stuff like that, so good luck to you if you're seated right next to a table of 20 people. But, since it's so big, you probably wouldn't have a problem being moved to another part of the restaurant. I do feel that service is pretty slow overall, even though the place is never packed while I'm there. Probably that's my biggest complaint. Overall it's a cool place.
(4)Cherice J.
Shield's is a pretty good pizza spot right outside of Detroit. I have been coming here for years, as it is right down the street from my home. I recently went here to watch the NBA playoffs because they have a lot of big screen televisions. The place is actually pretty spacious and the menu is extensive with bar foods and pizza varieties. I last had a meat-lovers pizza and potato wedges, and they both were yummy. Please be advised the bar service wasn't the best in the world, but maybe they were super busy the last time I went. This is a cool place to meet up with friends, I also believe they still have a billiards table near the back if you wanted to get a game going.
(4)Heather J.
Be it resolved that more delicious Michigan restaurants thrive in favour of spendy, trendy, blendy chains. I heard some of the hype about Shields -- best pizza, awards from all sorts of publication -- that promised to take me on a delicious culinary experience. Handmade pizza on deep dish crust is a kind of magic, and fresh ingredients is double magic. Nothing beats double magic when done right. Does Shields enchant the tastebuds? Alas not, it's a dud like that forgettable Nick Cage movie which wasted Monica Bellucci's profound talents. I went here with my coworkers, and peeked at Yelp to determine what fellow reviewers thought or suggested. The restaurant is a family-type affair, like TGI Friday's gone Midwestern middleground. I expected flash on the servers. We were all highly disappointed Flutterby the clown wasn't making an appearance that day, and condemned our silliest office-mate to ordering a bag of popcorn off the specials menu. He did actually have food, for what it's worth. The dining room spreads out enough that you aren't dining atop your neighbours, a plus, and clearly they accommodate large groups. We sat quickly and ordered drinks. Negative star one is earned from the drinks. I asked for a cup of hot tea, about as plain a drink you can get after water. Hot water + teabag = tea. My cup and the attendant glass pot were filled with water cooler than a faucet turned on hot. I figure she nuked the mug in the microwave for 45 seconds and brought me the tepid concoction. The refill, after I was loathe to mention anything too noisily, was not improved and both times, the drinks took an awful long time to show up. The menu is pleasantly extensive and a survey of typical American-Italian fare, separated into large salads and soups; sandwiches; pasta dishes; and of course pizza in the middle. Daily specials added some non-standard choices and, I noted, a dessert pizza in either cherry or apple, no half and half. I would want half and half, because that would be tasty. But grown up metabolism says veer with caution. I split a margherita square pizza with my boss, and added the fajita soup on the side. Apparently there's a problem in kitchenland at Shields for getting temperatures above child-approved zones. My soup was, at best, warm. Left out on the curb warm, popped from a can and scared by a flare of the gas grill warm. I finished it mostly due to sheer starvation and then the meals arrived. The breadstick was tasty, and the server added two (since my boss and I also split the soup/salad tack-on). Note, there's no +$X.49 for a side salad or soup as many places have. You pay full price for a bowl, which is teensy for the cost, and not worth it. From the consensus among my coworkers, the salad was worthy of consideration; everything else was unappealing or disappointing. The Cajun pasta was more cream sauce than spice, noodles were undercooked in another pasta dish, and the seafood platter was far too battered, tasteless (bland), and dripping oil missing from the Gulf Coast disaster. Now we know where it got sponged up to... The pizza, though, was a 3-star event. Crisp, tasty, with a huge beefsteak tomato slice on top, this is what I wanted. Two pieces of the square is _more_ than enough for one hungry person. I felt a bit overfull. The sauce isn't too salty but veers towards sweet; good if you like that, huge downer if you want tart punch. The crust was particularly chewy and soft. It was the only good thing about the meal aside from aforementioned breadstick. Proximity should win points but I won't be coming back unless I'm dying for a pizza. There are oodles of better pizza places around (Jet's comes to mind) with consistent food and a less toddler-running-amok atmosphere.
(2)Marissa K.
I love this pizza! I've been coming to Shield's since I was five and it's always an awesome treat. My family and I always get an antipasto salad and deep dish pizza. They changed the lettuce they use from romaine lettuce to bagged garden lettuce which I don't like as much, but I request romaine anyways. The service is always good and I enjoy the atmosphere.
(5)lori t.
Adequate food with reasonable prices, but the service depends on which waiter/waitress is assigned your table. Very noisy restaurant when events and parties are present.
(2)Steve H.
It seems I rarely go longer than two weeks without taking my co-worker pal out to lunch at Shield's. Keep in mind, the middle of Southfield is in pretty short supply of sit-down eateries. And if you'd like a cocktail with your meal, the list is reduced even further. But Shield's almost always beats out Friday's when you've gotta get out of the office for an hour. Shield's food isn't the greatest, granted. It's really just typical bar food with a dash or two of Italian and Greek stuff thrown in. I like the Broadway burger (who can go wrong with bacon AND BBQ sauce?) and the pizza is always reliably edible (though I'm sure it improves exponentially when you walk into the place already drunk). There seems to be a fair amount of turnover in the wait staff. It's almost like people leave the place just as I start to remember their names. My personal suggestion, sit in one of the two booths closest to the bar. You'll usually end up with the bartender as your waitress, which more or less guarantees that your server is always at your elbow. By the way, the drinks tend to get stiffer the further you venture past your first. But from me, this is a compliment.
(3)Rose P.
The food is always fresh. I especially like the sauce that they use on their pizza. There's something unique about it (it's sweet). I have never had a bad dining experience here.
(5)Ariella G.
So I may be a bit biased as I have been spoiled by Chicago stuffed pizza, but Shield's pizza is just okay. Better than frozen but definitely not worth an extra workout at the gym. Salad was pathetic but this is not a health spa. Service was very efficient and friendly. If you have to eat here, fine but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat Shield's pizza.
(3)Valerie G.
Another solid occasional stop on the lunch rotation - If pizza is what we are in the mood for, Shield's is our go to. I am a big fan of Shield's pizza - it is deep dish... thick and doughy and the toppings and sauce are fantastic. Two slices a person is a pretty good rule of ordering. Like Buddy's they put the pepperoni under the cheese so it doesn't get nasty and burnt. They have a good selection of fresh vegetable selections for your pizza as well - sometimes the "vegetarian" selection at pizza joints consists of tomato sauce, canned mushrooms and onions. Shield's has much better options, including spinach and artichoke hearts and FRESH mushrooms. What good is a pizza with out a salad? The antipasto is a favorite of mine - and comes in all sorts of sizes that are great for sharing. As bad as it may be for me, I enjoy their housemade Italian. Obviously if I cared about eating things that were good for me, I wouldn't be at a pizza place in the first place. Also noteworthy are the breadsticks that you get when you ordered a salad - garlic, parmesany goodness is what they are. Totally chewy, not ever hard. And of course - they have restaurant ranch available for your dipping pleasure for you ranch-lovers out there. I will admit that the service at this particular Shield's is not anything to rave about - but I have never had horrible service. We can usually make the few minute drive there and back and eat our salad & pizza in an hours time - which is about typical for us for lunch. There are 3 separate "rooms" in this Shield's, including a bar - as well as an outdoor patio area for summertime eating. Apparently you can also order your food to be eaten at the Golden Tee if you are that kind of person. :) The parking situation can be atrocious at times - but we usually find a way to make it work. Shield's is a-okay on my list.
(4)John W.
The food here is good but the service is so-so in my recent experiences. I sat in the bar area (tables) the last couple times and it takes a long time just to get the drinks out. I think they are understaffed. The last time I was here they had the music absolutely BLASTING LOUD, again only in the bar area... for 8 pm on a Monday night it was tough to keep conversation with my group! As a whiney old man that I sound like now we should have just sat in the other areas of the restaurant; it's a fairly large place. There is screened-in outdoor seating here on the side away from Telegraph Road facing the rear parking lot. It's nice when the weather warms up a bit as it gives you some shade along with a nice breeze and still keeps the bugs away from your food. I recommend the pizza here, it's really good!
(3)Tyler P.
Not bad. The service was friendly and the beer was cold and reasonably priced. I ordered and antipasto salad and a small pizza. I thought the salad was put together "cheaply". Very little meat and it certainly did not look like the photo on the menu! The pizza was thick crust. Plenty of toppings and sauce. My only complaint was that the sauce was too sweet for my taste.
(3)Mic M.
Its been a pretty long time since my last time here, and thanks to Groupon I had another opportunity. So it was clown Friday or kids day or something like that, which was fine and created an interestingly colorful atmosphere. But this sort of worked against me a little later...more about that in a bit. First of all, it seems the section we were in, fell into some void or grey area, and as such the server took a long time to get there, in fact she took care of tables before ours, that came in after us. Mistakes happen, so I didn't stress it too much. Finally we put in the order and asked for our drinks, which came sort of quickly after that. The antipasto salad was not too bad, the ingredients were good, but the dressing was a little more tangy than I would like (too much vinegar it seemed). The bread sticks that came soon after, were awesome. The super pizza was "super", it was prepared nicely, had a lot of great ingredients and was quite tasty. I gotta say though, its no Buddy's! Now for the kiddie thing...oh lucky me, the booth right next to mine had the "typical" modern day trendy parents with their precious little window lickers. So instead of putting the children on the side of the booth where NO people were sitting, I was lucky enough to have both of their bundles of joy behind me,. Yep, mommy and daddy ignoring as these little balls of wonder, as they hung over the back of the booth, with their circus balloons that bobo the clown just made them, fashioned after a dinosaur...oh and these were not herbivore's nope, they were man eating dinosaurs that little trevor had trying to EAT ME! Yep there was his balloon, at the side of my head poking me...I sorta took the balloon and tossed it back to them, and finally the parents paid attention. and Both of these little precious ones started howling. Damn I wish these parents with this sort of sense of entitlement would get a handle on their kids...yeah it was clown day or whatever, but it wasn't YOU DAY! All in all this visit was just okay, I would certainly go back, BUT I would not go out of my to go back.
(3)Jess T.
I work in the building across the street, and we have gone to Shields a few times for lunch. This seems like a popular spot for pizza, but I don't get it. First of all the service tends to be slow. This is the lunch rush - we only have an hour!! Can you please put my order in and get me my salad?! Is it really that difficult? They have the lunch special for a reason, because its FAST! Its not useful if it is not served quickly. Often the server can not perform more than one task at a time. "I would like the check, and a box please" . . . . .and then only the check, no box, ever. The pizza is square pan pizza, that to me is just too greasy. I am not a fan of this type, I like thin crust, so it better be great pan pizza for me to be impressed. For those that like this type of pizza - great good for you, but its not for me. The atmosphere is a smokey mess! Its lunch time, I don't want to come back to work smelling like I went to a bar. Side note - I don't want to smell smoke in a bar either, but that's another subject. If I get a pizza craving while I'm at work, this is my last option. Its not fast or convenient.
(2)Jessica S.
Only have had pizza & bread/cheese sticks. All BOMB. I usually get veggie pizza +/- a few things. service is always good. i love love love it here.
(5)J.D. B.
My favorite pizza in the world and also my last meal (if I get to choose). This very small chain and also Buddy's are the last I know of Detroit Style pizza. I first had Shield's as a kid in Ypsilanti (where the Cottage Inn Pizza is located on Washtenaw now). Then I was able to get it and had a birthday at the Novi location, which is now the Library Bar. So now when I'm in town I make the journey from the Ann Arbor area out to Southfield... and the trip is worth it every time! I also make a point to introduce any visitors I bring to Michigan to real "Detroit Style Pizza." If you aren't familiar Detroit style is known for the following characteristics: 1.) Being square 2.) Cheese baked to the edge of the square pizza in the deep dish pan so the cheese is brown and crispy at the edges 3.) The sauce is put on last on the top of the pizza. This pizza is more like Chicago style in that it is difficult to pick up a piece and eat, but better eaten with a knife and fork a la Chicago Style pizza. Another thing I miss about the local pizzerias in Michigan is the customization of each of the base components of the pizza. The dough is specially made, the sauce is custom and even the cheeses are a custom blend from the dairy for delivery to the restaurant. The local places decide how gooey, melty, cheesy, tasty and chewy they want their melted masterpieces to be by varying the percentages of each of the cheeses among mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, asagio, etc. In the case of Shields the cheese is full of Italian flavors (Asagio and Parmesan) and seems to separate in your mouth without hardly chewing at all! I truly believe the best pizza is that where a cheese only pizza is delectable... any toppings are just "gravy". A consequence of the "restaurant chaining" of America these types of place are disappearing more and more. There are legends from the heyday of Shields shipping pizzas to the Carolinas and even to Hawaii for party of Michigan Ex-pats that couldn't stand to be away from Shields. I myself have had them "half-bake" the pizza so I could freeze it and carry it on a plane back to California to share with others. So you could consider me somewhat obsessed. I hope upon reading this you give Shields a try. They are a great local chain and are keeping the tradition of Detroit Style Pizza alive.
(5)Zach W.
The rating is only for carryout pizza. Bought a few pies for a party recently and everyone loved it. Deep dish with a good balance of dough (scrumptious with just the right amount of crispness), sauce, cheese & toppings. Sauce on top which works fine, but can be strange for some folks. Lousy service; only one person at the register who also was taking phone orders (constantly getting put on hold) and servicing carryouts (and making change for the kids who wanted to play a video game). Inexcusable for such a popular restaurant. Expect to wait.
(4)Richard K.
A very seriously fantastic pizza. I go back and forth between Shield's and Buddy's. And when in town visiting family, I like to alternate my visits. The pizza here is definitely worth the trip!!
(4)Lois K.
Years ago this location used to be a post office. Then, back in the 70's a builder I knew well (my dad) built the Tel-Ex Shopping center and at the same time, remodeled the post office making it into a rib house. That lasted several years until unfortunately due to circumstances beyond his control, the restaurant closed. It sat there for a year or so until Shields bought it and opened. I love to go in there and sit amongst the Tiffany lamps and the ghosts of past. The pizza and antipasto salad, like Buddy's are always consistently delicious, a true Detroit gem.
(5)RAY S.
I recommend the pizza here because that's what they're known for and that's what tastes the best on the menu! I always get the square deep dish with pep,sausage and ham. Get the deep dish, I think they're tastier than the round and more filling. One person can only eat about 2 deep dish slices. Service could have been better but it wasn't too bad. I understood it was busy. Other than the pizza, it's a regualar bar complete with pool table, darts, and what else... a fully stocked bar!
(4)Heather J.
Be it resolved that more delicious Michigan restaurants thrive in favour of spendy, trendy, blendy chains. I heard some of the hype about Shields -- best pizza, awards from all sorts of publication -- that promised to take me on a delicious culinary experience. Handmade pizza on deep dish crust is a kind of magic, and fresh ingredients is double magic. Nothing beats double magic when done right. Does Shields enchant the tastebuds? Alas not, it's a dud like that forgettable Nick Cage movie which wasted Monica Bellucci's profound talents. I went here with my coworkers, and peeked at Yelp to determine what fellow reviewers thought or suggested. The restaurant is a family-type affair, like TGI Friday's gone Midwestern middleground. I expected flash on the servers. We were all highly disappointed Flutterby the clown wasn't making an appearance that day, and condemned our silliest office-mate to ordering a bag of popcorn off the specials menu. He did actually have food, for what it's worth. The dining room spreads out enough that you aren't dining atop your neighbours, a plus, and clearly they accommodate large groups. We sat quickly and ordered drinks. Negative star one is earned from the drinks. I asked for a cup of hot tea, about as plain a drink you can get after water. Hot water + teabag = tea. My cup and the attendant glass pot were filled with water cooler than a faucet turned on hot. I figure she nuked the mug in the microwave for 45 seconds and brought me the tepid concoction. The refill, after I was loathe to mention anything too noisily, was not improved and both times, the drinks took an awful long time to show up. The menu is pleasantly extensive and a survey of typical American-Italian fare, separated into large salads and soups; sandwiches; pasta dishes; and of course pizza in the middle. Daily specials added some non-standard choices and, I noted, a dessert pizza in either cherry or apple, no half and half. I would want half and half, because that would be tasty. But grown up metabolism says veer with caution. I split a margherita square pizza with my boss, and added the fajita soup on the side. Apparently there's a problem in kitchenland at Shields for getting temperatures above child-approved zones. My soup was, at best, warm. Left out on the curb warm, popped from a can and scared by a flare of the gas grill warm. I finished it mostly due to sheer starvation and then the meals arrived. The breadstick was tasty, and the server added two (since my boss and I also split the soup/salad tack-on). Note, there's no +$X.49 for a side salad or soup as many places have. You pay full price for a bowl, which is teensy for the cost, and not worth it. From the consensus among my coworkers, the salad was worthy of consideration; everything else was unappealing or disappointing. The Cajun pasta was more cream sauce than spice, noodles were undercooked in another pasta dish, and the seafood platter was far too battered, tasteless (bland), and dripping oil missing from the Gulf Coast disaster. Now we know where it got sponged up to... The pizza, though, was a 3-star event. Crisp, tasty, with a huge beefsteak tomato slice on top, this is what I wanted. Two pieces of the square is _more_ than enough for one hungry person. I felt a bit overfull. The sauce isn't too salty but veers towards sweet; good if you like that, huge downer if you want tart punch. The crust was particularly chewy and soft. It was the only good thing about the meal aside from aforementioned breadstick. Proximity should win points but I won't be coming back unless I'm dying for a pizza. There are oodles of better pizza places around (Jet's comes to mind) with consistent food and a less toddler-running-amok atmosphere.
(2)Chris G.
I have been to this place 20 or 30 times and have always been satisfied. If you like Square deep dish pizza, then you will enjoy Shields Pizzeria. I usually get the supreme Pizza and a order of antipasto salad for the table. The portions are heavy so 2 to 3 squares of pizza will be the typical portion size.
(4)Margaret A.
Great pizza , bread sticks , chicken wings. Nice classy place. Our lady server was fantastic . I think Kristin her name....we got our food so well prepared that most expensive restaurants don't do it. We went as whole family and everyone of us were satisfied Wow what a place!!!
(5)Craig S.
Been the for lunch and dinner time 6 times in the past 8 months. Look at the dated posted of course lol. always helps. I agree with others... "Great pizza , bread sticks , chicken wings." Fast service each time I went and yummy food.... just wish there was beer specials : ( Go if in the area...thumb up : )
(4)Phil P.
Was in town last weekend on business, and had a free Sunday night. So it was either order pizza and eat in the room, or take a short ride... the latter prevailed. Decided to sit at the bar instead of taking up a table to myself. The bartender was very friendly, I think her name was Tara? Anyway, chatty and efficient without being overly-hovering. . But the Greek pizza, (sigh) was disappointing. The crust reminded me of Jet's Pizza, but the cheese wasn't even melted in the center. There was way too much Feta, and although I like Feta, half the amount would've been perfectly balanced. 3 stars based solely on service.
(3)Chelsea H.
Pizza was bland and soggy. I find brick cheese to be awful, but even ignoring that personal preference, the pizza had no redeeming qualities. They use dried basil on the margherita, which is inexcusable. The breadsticks (which were free) were like the frozen foodservice type favored by elementary school cafeterias. The salads were also pretty sad and were mostly just iceberg lettuce with a few things on top for decoration. This is the type of food I'd expect at a child's birthday party, the clown wandering the dining room affirmed this feeling. There was a menu of daily specials featuring more exotic offerings like fried catfish and salmon, though I'd hesitate to order an entree from a pizza restaurant that can't even get pizza right. Service, however, was very good.
(2)Regina B.
It's ok I only go once a year when my old high school class has and event. Last I was here I think it's was 2 years ago I had an appetizer chicken strips . 2nd time there In July 2015 I had was chips and nacho dip not bad but the drinks are high rum and coke $7.00? Plus the drink was a little watered down Will not do buy that again. Even though I only come here once every few years this will not be my hangout.
(3)Dan K.
Great pizza and fun sports setting for Detroit fans. Deep dish small square was more then enough for one. Crispy outer crust, gooey inside, lots of sauce-perfect!
(4)Bernadine W.
I had a Groupon for shields. My daughter wanted to go to Buddy's pizza but sided with me for shields pizza. I was so embarrassed the salad lettuce looked like it came out of kroger dole bag chopped up with chopped up meat and cheese the pizza came meat lovers it was over cooked (burned ) the fish that my son had was taste less. Yep I should have went to buddy's restaurant their pizza is delicious all the time and their salad is very good I would never go back to Shileds
(1)Leah S.
Highly recommended! Our group of 28 church youth from the ELCA Youth Gathering called in to see if they could accommodate us - no problem. They had a great set up for us and offered to give us a homestyle option or order off the menu. We went with individual orders. I sampled the fried portobello mushrooms -fantastic! The deep dish pizza - award-worthy! And the bread sticks - soft and warm! I ordered the strawberry spinach salad. They forgot my order and I was the last served - BUT they made it right by adjusting my bill. And it was worth the wait - fresh, substantial and the poppyseed dressing was perfect! Our waitress Terri was excellent - she rolled with our silliness and was very efficient and friendly. She should teach waitressing at restaurant school! We're from out of state and wish we could transplant this restaurant to central PA!
(5)Sidney T.
To this day, even though I no longer live in Southfield or MI, Shield's has been one of the best places I've had pizza. Period. The crust, the sauce, the toppings....they're everything.
(5)Ken B.
Pizza was tasty, the service was dreadful, our waitress took 20 minutes to come to our table in an empty restaurant. Our pizza arrived cold, and asking for refills of soft drinks was never honored. A once great pizza establishment turned into a terrible experience.
(1)Daron D.
Growing up in Detroit/Metro Detroit, shield's was always good pizza, but always second fiddle to buddy's pizza (similar places hence the comparison). After having it for the first time in 10 + years , I feel that exact same way. Came here on a Saturday and to my surprise, it was quite empty, started off with the wings in both plum and buffalo sauce (both sauces were good, but the buffalo was better), now while I hate big wings, these wings were way too small (still good though). Now for the pizza I had the meat lovers and a pepperoni/garlic pizza. While the pizza was very very good, the only negative thing I can say is that the ground beef here taste like it's seasoned with taco seasoning. Other than that though, it is pretty good pizza here. I just at the end, while it is very good, it will always be one step below buddy's in every aspect.
(4)Alexandra C.
First time at this location. Service was good, pizza and salad were great. Small antipasto salad enough for two people. Very good pizza!
(4)Mychal T.
The quality of the pizza has not changed in over 20 years. Great example of Detroit pan pizza. The crust is slightly sweet but wonderful, along with any sauce or toppings and you will be satisfied. Service was also great, nothing beats Midwestern hospitality.
(5)Eldwin L.
We unfortunately had a very bad time when we went the food was lukewarm and could have been better all in all just kind of average the larger problem was that he attentiveness of the servers which was lacking and the fact I think they're catering more to the bar crowd and that the restaurant crowd during the week there were three males in the bar who are extremely loud watching the basketball game and highly inebriated I will not disclose what department these individuals were from but when you have someone extremely vocal and with a very foul language stating that he would shoot the supervisor, and there fking punk bitches ,if he wants to fking try something .. This carried on for approximately 45 minutes all I can say is that I know and a high stress job you need stress relief but a family restaurant is not the place to do it and you might want to dial back disclosing names of cases and who your employer is one yelling that loudly a little discretion would be advised you can tell they are definitely regulars and the waitresses know them quite well but because of the limited amount of people in the restaurant the entire conversation these three gentlemen we're having was quite clear and mildly offensive to the individual I was with .my take on the evening. shoptalk really doesn't bother me but it probably should be either in a neighborhood bar where no one cares or at minimum a little bit quieter the fact that management or the staff did not correct this if not for the rest of the customers but to watch out for the individual that was yelling if he is such a regular is probably not the best way to run the business this was probably our third trip here and our last
(1)Kevin M.
The crust was soggy. The toppings (a Margherita pizza) were sad - half green tomatoes, browned basil. The ambiance is reminiscent of a worn, smelly bar, sans cigarette smoke. And the service, while friendly, is as slow as Comcast's internet. Won't be a repeat here - much better options for pizza in the area.
(2)Jeff H.
We came here with a large group (over 25) and the service was good. We were seated quickly and our drink orders were taken right away. The menu is pretty much any traditional pizza/pasta joint you've been in. My Son ordered the chicken alfredo and he said it was good. I ordered the Cajun chicken pasta and loved it. Some people in our group got the pizza and it was decent too. Saw someone in our group with a taco salad and it was huge! I gave it 5 stars because this would definitely be a place I come back to the next time I'm in town (I can't say that about all the places we hit) The only complaint I have is one of our servers was a younger kid and he was a little frazzled with the large group but he still pulled through.
(5)Ashok P.
Food is good. But the service was an issue esp the hostess
(3)Candance D.
Ok so my husband is big on me cooking at home. However, this food was so good we came back two nights in a row! They had live karaoke and the servers was awesome as they could be! If you haven't been go NOW
(5)Fai F.
How did I not know this place existed before? It's tucked into the Southfield office complex, so only discovered it on a business lunch. It looks like it can handle a large crowd. Lots of local Michigan decorations on the wall. Pizza is fantastic. You can order the four piece square pizza and get all the crust you can handle (my favorite part!!!) The crust is thicker than a regular pie, so don't go looking for New York. Apparently, they have deep dish, but this was perfect. We ordered two pies, one supreme style and the other vegetarian. Topping were noticeably fresh, chunky (sausage! ) and crunchy (the vegetables). This is pizza with a character. Two pieces were more than enough for me (I'm kind of tiny), but my large companions looked more than satisfied. If I was planning to be in the area, or just passing through on M-10 or I-696 on a special occasion, I would certainly come here again.
(4)Sean G.
I'm probably going to get some flack from my fellow Detroiters for this, but... Buddy's is overrated. Yeah, I said it. It's not that their pizza is bad, but they have been overhyped and oversold by locals and tourists alike, and I'm here to say that they are definitely not my favorite "Detroit Style" pizza. Truth be told, Shield's is my master. Maybe it's because they were always my family's "go to" spot for square pies when I was a kid, but I'll take these guys over Buddy's any day. In the interest of full disclosure I have NOT had the benefit of trying all of the contenders in the Metro Detroit area, so I don't pretend to be an expert. That said, Shield's has yet to disappoint me. I was in for my mother's birthday dinner the other night and we ordered a couple of our favorites: An eight corner Polynesian pizza and an order of cheese bread. The Polynesian was on point and, as usual, covered with an abundance of toppings and an appropriate amount of cheese (Buddy's could learn a thing or two from that last bit). The cheese bread is always a winner, and may very well be the best I have ever had anywhere. It's warm, gooey, flavorful, and I really appreciate the way that Shield's uses cheddar to give it an extra kick. It wasn't terribly crowded, so service was lightning quick. Some people take that for granted when a restaurant is busy, but the speed of the waiter combined with his friendly attitude shows that the staff here actually cares about their customers. We will be returning without a doubt. I've been going here all my life and the quality seems to have gone UP if anything.
(4)Dave F.
I love the pizza at Shield's, wayyy better than Buddies. We always go with the square deep dish with pepperoni and the house salad. Great for large and small groups. Never had a problem with the food or service.
(5)Jules V.
Well, this restaurant is known for its pizza. That's what makes me laugh. I've been here a few times, but the last visits were a few years ago. Ambiance is great. Even on the nights that they have karaoke, it's usually decent enough to listen to; I hate places where it's just someone screaming or slurring into a microphone. Decor is tasteful, a little outdated, but I don't care about that. We ordered breadsticks and a deep-dish vegetarian pizza. The breadsticks, all within the same pile, were either overbaked on top (and doughy on the bottom), or doughy all the way through. It felt like I was eating cheap canned biscuits that had been stretched out, then drizzled with a little garlic and butter. Mediocre at best. Then the pizza came. It was drowned in a sea of sauce, which meant that most of the cheese and toppings started to slide off. I also found the sauce to be a very unpleasant taste -- bland, tomato-like. Again, like someone found a can of spaghetti sauce and dumped it on there. Most pizza sauces are sweet -- this was definitely not. A friend and I had to force ourselves to finish the slices we had, then promptly boxed up the remainder. For a deep dish pizza, it doesn't have much to it. I found the crust to be bland, burnt in some places, too much butter in others. After this latest experience, I'll never bother going back. It's overpriced in general, but all the more given how terrible the food is. If you do get something, I'm begging you to get something other than the pizza.
(1)Ryan P.
I go there after work some Fridays. It is a nice atmosphere, no screaming kids and not packed. There is room to breath and socialize. Seating at booths, tables and at the bar. Food is good and there is a variety. When my clients ask for a place to eat, shields is one of my first suggestions.
(4)Lisa R.
This is a pretty great place. The food is good and you can custom-make your own pizzas, there's a big beer selection, and the prices are reasonable. It's a cool restaurant in terms of layout and ambiance, but I agree with other reviewers that it can get super loud. Seems like they have a lot of birthday parties and stuff like that, so good luck to you if you're seated right next to a table of 20 people. But, since it's so big, you probably wouldn't have a problem being moved to another part of the restaurant. I do feel that service is pretty slow overall, even though the place is never packed while I'm there. Probably that's my biggest complaint. Overall it's a cool place.
(4)Valerie G.
Another solid occasional stop on the lunch rotation - If pizza is what we are in the mood for, Shield's is our go to. I am a big fan of Shield's pizza - it is deep dish... thick and doughy and the toppings and sauce are fantastic. Two slices a person is a pretty good rule of ordering. Like Buddy's they put the pepperoni under the cheese so it doesn't get nasty and burnt. They have a good selection of fresh vegetable selections for your pizza as well - sometimes the "vegetarian" selection at pizza joints consists of tomato sauce, canned mushrooms and onions. Shield's has much better options, including spinach and artichoke hearts and FRESH mushrooms. What good is a pizza with out a salad? The antipasto is a favorite of mine - and comes in all sorts of sizes that are great for sharing. As bad as it may be for me, I enjoy their housemade Italian. Obviously if I cared about eating things that were good for me, I wouldn't be at a pizza place in the first place. Also noteworthy are the breadsticks that you get when you ordered a salad - garlic, parmesany goodness is what they are. Totally chewy, not ever hard. And of course - they have restaurant ranch available for your dipping pleasure for you ranch-lovers out there. I will admit that the service at this particular Shield's is not anything to rave about - but I have never had horrible service. We can usually make the few minute drive there and back and eat our salad & pizza in an hours time - which is about typical for us for lunch. There are 3 separate "rooms" in this Shield's, including a bar - as well as an outdoor patio area for summertime eating. Apparently you can also order your food to be eaten at the Golden Tee if you are that kind of person. :) The parking situation can be atrocious at times - but we usually find a way to make it work. Shield's is a-okay on my list.
(4)John W.
The food here is good but the service is so-so in my recent experiences. I sat in the bar area (tables) the last couple times and it takes a long time just to get the drinks out. I think they are understaffed. The last time I was here they had the music absolutely BLASTING LOUD, again only in the bar area... for 8 pm on a Monday night it was tough to keep conversation with my group! As a whiney old man that I sound like now we should have just sat in the other areas of the restaurant; it's a fairly large place. There is screened-in outdoor seating here on the side away from Telegraph Road facing the rear parking lot. It's nice when the weather warms up a bit as it gives you some shade along with a nice breeze and still keeps the bugs away from your food. I recommend the pizza here, it's really good!
(3)Tyler P.
Not bad. The service was friendly and the beer was cold and reasonably priced. I ordered and antipasto salad and a small pizza. I thought the salad was put together "cheaply". Very little meat and it certainly did not look like the photo on the menu! The pizza was thick crust. Plenty of toppings and sauce. My only complaint was that the sauce was too sweet for my taste.
(3)Mic M.
Its been a pretty long time since my last time here, and thanks to Groupon I had another opportunity. So it was clown Friday or kids day or something like that, which was fine and created an interestingly colorful atmosphere. But this sort of worked against me a little later...more about that in a bit. First of all, it seems the section we were in, fell into some void or grey area, and as such the server took a long time to get there, in fact she took care of tables before ours, that came in after us. Mistakes happen, so I didn't stress it too much. Finally we put in the order and asked for our drinks, which came sort of quickly after that. The antipasto salad was not too bad, the ingredients were good, but the dressing was a little more tangy than I would like (too much vinegar it seemed). The bread sticks that came soon after, were awesome. The super pizza was "super", it was prepared nicely, had a lot of great ingredients and was quite tasty. I gotta say though, its no Buddy's! Now for the kiddie thing...oh lucky me, the booth right next to mine had the "typical" modern day trendy parents with their precious little window lickers. So instead of putting the children on the side of the booth where NO people were sitting, I was lucky enough to have both of their bundles of joy behind me,. Yep, mommy and daddy ignoring as these little balls of wonder, as they hung over the back of the booth, with their circus balloons that bobo the clown just made them, fashioned after a dinosaur...oh and these were not herbivore's nope, they were man eating dinosaurs that little trevor had trying to EAT ME! Yep there was his balloon, at the side of my head poking me...I sorta took the balloon and tossed it back to them, and finally the parents paid attention. and Both of these little precious ones started howling. Damn I wish these parents with this sort of sense of entitlement would get a handle on their kids...yeah it was clown day or whatever, but it wasn't YOU DAY! All in all this visit was just okay, I would certainly go back, BUT I would not go out of my to go back.
(3)Marissa K.
I love this pizza! I've been coming to Shield's since I was five and it's always an awesome treat. My family and I always get an antipasto salad and deep dish pizza. They changed the lettuce they use from romaine lettuce to bagged garden lettuce which I don't like as much, but I request romaine anyways. The service is always good and I enjoy the atmosphere.
(5)lori t.
Adequate food with reasonable prices, but the service depends on which waiter/waitress is assigned your table. Very noisy restaurant when events and parties are present.
(2)Steve H.
It seems I rarely go longer than two weeks without taking my co-worker pal out to lunch at Shield's. Keep in mind, the middle of Southfield is in pretty short supply of sit-down eateries. And if you'd like a cocktail with your meal, the list is reduced even further. But Shield's almost always beats out Friday's when you've gotta get out of the office for an hour. Shield's food isn't the greatest, granted. It's really just typical bar food with a dash or two of Italian and Greek stuff thrown in. I like the Broadway burger (who can go wrong with bacon AND BBQ sauce?) and the pizza is always reliably edible (though I'm sure it improves exponentially when you walk into the place already drunk). There seems to be a fair amount of turnover in the wait staff. It's almost like people leave the place just as I start to remember their names. My personal suggestion, sit in one of the two booths closest to the bar. You'll usually end up with the bartender as your waitress, which more or less guarantees that your server is always at your elbow. By the way, the drinks tend to get stiffer the further you venture past your first. But from me, this is a compliment.
(3)Rose P.
The food is always fresh. I especially like the sauce that they use on their pizza. There's something unique about it (it's sweet). I have never had a bad dining experience here.
(5)Ariella G.
So I may be a bit biased as I have been spoiled by Chicago stuffed pizza, but Shield's pizza is just okay. Better than frozen but definitely not worth an extra workout at the gym. Salad was pathetic but this is not a health spa. Service was very efficient and friendly. If you have to eat here, fine but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat Shield's pizza.
(3)Jess T.
I work in the building across the street, and we have gone to Shields a few times for lunch. This seems like a popular spot for pizza, but I don't get it. First of all the service tends to be slow. This is the lunch rush - we only have an hour!! Can you please put my order in and get me my salad?! Is it really that difficult? They have the lunch special for a reason, because its FAST! Its not useful if it is not served quickly. Often the server can not perform more than one task at a time. "I would like the check, and a box please" . . . . .and then only the check, no box, ever. The pizza is square pan pizza, that to me is just too greasy. I am not a fan of this type, I like thin crust, so it better be great pan pizza for me to be impressed. For those that like this type of pizza - great good for you, but its not for me. The atmosphere is a smokey mess! Its lunch time, I don't want to come back to work smelling like I went to a bar. Side note - I don't want to smell smoke in a bar either, but that's another subject. If I get a pizza craving while I'm at work, this is my last option. Its not fast or convenient.
(2)Jessica S.
Only have had pizza & bread/cheese sticks. All BOMB. I usually get veggie pizza +/- a few things. service is always good. i love love love it here.
(5)J.D. B.
My favorite pizza in the world and also my last meal (if I get to choose). This very small chain and also Buddy's are the last I know of Detroit Style pizza. I first had Shield's as a kid in Ypsilanti (where the Cottage Inn Pizza is located on Washtenaw now). Then I was able to get it and had a birthday at the Novi location, which is now the Library Bar. So now when I'm in town I make the journey from the Ann Arbor area out to Southfield... and the trip is worth it every time! I also make a point to introduce any visitors I bring to Michigan to real "Detroit Style Pizza." If you aren't familiar Detroit style is known for the following characteristics: 1.) Being square 2.) Cheese baked to the edge of the square pizza in the deep dish pan so the cheese is brown and crispy at the edges 3.) The sauce is put on last on the top of the pizza. This pizza is more like Chicago style in that it is difficult to pick up a piece and eat, but better eaten with a knife and fork a la Chicago Style pizza. Another thing I miss about the local pizzerias in Michigan is the customization of each of the base components of the pizza. The dough is specially made, the sauce is custom and even the cheeses are a custom blend from the dairy for delivery to the restaurant. The local places decide how gooey, melty, cheesy, tasty and chewy they want their melted masterpieces to be by varying the percentages of each of the cheeses among mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, asagio, etc. In the case of Shields the cheese is full of Italian flavors (Asagio and Parmesan) and seems to separate in your mouth without hardly chewing at all! I truly believe the best pizza is that where a cheese only pizza is delectable... any toppings are just "gravy". A consequence of the "restaurant chaining" of America these types of place are disappearing more and more. There are legends from the heyday of Shields shipping pizzas to the Carolinas and even to Hawaii for party of Michigan Ex-pats that couldn't stand to be away from Shields. I myself have had them "half-bake" the pizza so I could freeze it and carry it on a plane back to California to share with others. So you could consider me somewhat obsessed. I hope upon reading this you give Shields a try. They are a great local chain and are keeping the tradition of Detroit Style Pizza alive.
(5)Zach W.
The rating is only for carryout pizza. Bought a few pies for a party recently and everyone loved it. Deep dish with a good balance of dough (scrumptious with just the right amount of crispness), sauce, cheese & toppings. Sauce on top which works fine, but can be strange for some folks. Lousy service; only one person at the register who also was taking phone orders (constantly getting put on hold) and servicing carryouts (and making change for the kids who wanted to play a video game). Inexcusable for such a popular restaurant. Expect to wait.
(4)Cherice J.
Shield's is a pretty good pizza spot right outside of Detroit. I have been coming here for years, as it is right down the street from my home. I recently went here to watch the NBA playoffs because they have a lot of big screen televisions. The place is actually pretty spacious and the menu is extensive with bar foods and pizza varieties. I last had a meat-lovers pizza and potato wedges, and they both were yummy. Please be advised the bar service wasn't the best in the world, but maybe they were super busy the last time I went. This is a cool place to meet up with friends, I also believe they still have a billiards table near the back if you wanted to get a game going.
(4)