ROCKFORD, Mich. — It's a bad day to be a slice of pizza when 13 ON YOUR SIDE is in town. Today, those slices cowering in fear belong to Fatzo's Pizza in Rockford.
13 Eats producers asked viewers what their favorite pizza place in the area is. After sifting through over 1,000 comments, our hungry reporter Riley Mack made it her mission to visit the top three.
Her first stop wasn't much of a surprise, as the name has nearly become synonymous with West Michigan over the years: Fricano's. See her opinion here.
Her next stop is a bit more of an underdog that claimed a top spot — and it may just be her favorite so far.
History
Fatzo's is not West Michigan's oldest pizza institution, but no one can say it was born on a whim.
Owner Douglas Ryke was once the secret sauce to another pizza hotspot until he decided he wanted a flavor of his own.
“He loves to feed people. It's his whole passion and just decided to keep going with it. And then eventually, he just kind of got tired of doing it for everybody else and said, 'Let's do it ourselves,'" said co-owner Debbie Ryke.
Her husband worked in the pizza industry for over 40 years before he decided to make it a family affair. He works alongside his wife, Debbie, and their son, Dustin.
Dustin operates the second Fatzo's location in Coopersville.
“It's love for the business and love for the food," smiled Dustin.
Open for just over 10 years, their little building on the corner of Main Street doles out big flavor — proven through the steady stream of customers crowding the order counter well before lunchtime.
It helps to have a name that sticks.
“It's Fatzo. You're not going to forget it," laughed Debbie.
“He walks around claiming I’m Mr. Fatzo," she said, pointing to her husband behind the counter. "He's very, very proud of it.”
She's proud of it, too. She claims the crown of Mrs. Fatzo. Her son? Fatzo Junior.
The Vibe
Despite the memorable name, I'd say Fatzo's still has hidden gem status in West Michigan.
“If it's their first time trying it, they're just amazed at how good it is like, how has this been here for so long and I've never been here?" said Dustin.
“That’s why they’re always saying ‘we’ll be back’ and we’re like ‘we know,'" he said, pointing to those exact words that are scrawled across the back of his Fatzo's t-shirt. “Now that’s our slogan, and we stand by it for sure."
For the loyal group who have found this pizza paradise, Dustin says the labor of love is worth it. And after seeing their routine, it truly is just that: a lot of labor.
“Our crew is coming in at 8 or 9 in the morning to start prepping because everything we make is from scratch," he said.
In their dining room sits an old door leading to a walk-in freezer. Lining its walls are blocks of fresh cheese that they grate by hand, tubs of fresh vegetables and dough balls they've made just that morning.
“We start from scratch. We don't have any cheap products. It's all just well done," said Dustin.
Their favorite part of the process belongs to that spectacular sauce.
“Our secret ingredient," he said, ladling marinara onto dough. “It’s a sweeter sauce, sweet like my mom over there."
“As soon as it hits your mouth, your buds are gonna explode," he explained. "It’s unlike any other pizza you’ve had before."
Their little dining room is not used much for dining. The biggest portion of the room is curtained off for pizza box storage, a remnant from the COVID days when restaurants were take-out only that seemed to have stuck. But their pizza is best enjoyed at home, where you can truly enjoy a slice in your comfiest (stretchiest) pants with the game on.
The Review
After watching Dustin create a masterpiece out of a topping bar and smelling the wafting melty cheese from the oven, I needed a pizza to call my own.
Fatzo's may have the best deals I've encountered so far in West Michigan for all you're getting. We got a classic pepperoni pizza ($14.30 for 12-inch), which would've been just $5 more for a 16-inch.
Pizza by the slice is just $2.25 (we're talking Costco-sized slices), or 3 slices (just about half a pizza) and a soda for $7.49 if you're looking for a mouth-watering lunch on the go.
I opened the cardboard pizza box to find a sight I always love to see: the little plastic white table holding the box from messing up that perfect pile of toppings and cheese. That typically means a greasy, delicious pie awaits me.
The Ryke family was right. That sauce is a star. Tomato sweetness with a hint of acidity hits the back of your mouth and pops. It's all brought home with the creamy blend of hand-grated cheese loaded on top. The crust is nice and thick without being chewy, a light and airy ending to a wonderful slice that has you reaching back for another and another.
As a thick-crust fiend, this may be the most satisfying slice I've found yet.
I taste-tested a variety of other menu items in little plastic cups, all served by Mr. Fatzo himself. Homemade meatballs, a wet burrito, bruschetta bites.
Just as his wife said, Mr. Fatzo loves to feed. And it taught me one thing: You truly can't go wrong with their menu.
Final Thoughts
It makes sense Fatzo's is known for its sauce. It's as sweet as the people behind the counter.
They consider their craft a privilege, and it shows. Especially so in their family dynamic.
"It's an extreme honor that your children want to do better than you and take it even further than what you ever dreamed of," said Debbie.
But to Dustin, the honor is all his.
“The bond that it brings me in my family, that we all do the same thing for a living, is probably the number one that I hold in my heart when it comes to Fatzo’s Pizza," he said.
"They put trust in you to carry on their legacy that they left here in Rockford," Dustin smiled.
To me, Fatzo's in Rockford has it all figured out. A family passion for pizza, an unforgettable name and a slice to remember.
If I had to sum it up in one sentence, the slogan printed in crackling white letters on the back of their flour-coated, marinara-stained black t-shirts rings true: I will be back for another slice.
► Fatzo's Pizza is located at 346 E. Main Street in Rockford, MI
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