Popular Hazel Park pizzeria Amelia Street makes Dave Portnoy’s ‘top 3’

The latest area pizzeria reviewed by Dave Portnoy’s One Bite Pizza Reviews is a new Hazel Park business that was already busy.

Portnoy listed it in his top three favorite Detroit-area pizza places, so it’s about to get even busier.

Amelia Street Pizza Company opened on E. Nine Mile in June after years of operating as a pop-up pizzeria. Owner Matt Arb opens Thursday through Monday (he’s closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and keeps the menu short: two 18-inch pizzas, a quarter-pound cookie and some soft drinks.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy visited Amelia Street Pizza Company in Hazel Park this month.

With its signature half-moon of freshly grated pecorino along the crust, Amelia Street regularly has people lining up when it opens and often sells out of pizza before the day is done.

“This place is a sensation,” said Portnoy. “We waited in line, and the line was already down to the corner by three.”

“Great. Not surprisingly great,” said the digital media mogul who has visited businesses in Livonia, Grosse Pointe and Dearborn during a visit to Michigan this month. He put Amelia Street in his top three along with the recently visited Primavera Pizza in Livonia and Fredi the PizzaMan in Melvindale, whom he visited in 2021. “They’re all outstanding.”

A visit and a high score from Portnoy, who has millions of followers online and a pizza-rating app, can really boost a business and cause a high volume of customers.

He gave Amelia Street an 8.3, adding that the only reason it wasn’t scored as high as Privera’s 8.4 is “I’m not a parm guy.”

The University of Michigan alum wasn’t jazzed about Amelia Street’s signature half moon of freshly grated pecorino cheese — it’s not parmesan — on the crust.

“I don’t know what they’re doing there, I’m not touching that,” he said, pointing to the crust.

He also gave the chocolate chip cookie a score of 8.1.

Amelia Street Pizza Company is at 951 E. Nine Mile in Hazel Park. It’s is open for walk-in orders only 3-9 p.m. Thurs.-Mon.

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Popular Hazel Park pizzeria Amelia Street makes Dave Portnoy’s ‘top 3’