News

Lions & Tigers & Squares brings mustard, chop cheese pies to NYC's East Village

Photo: Provided

October 28, 2019

Detroit-style pizzeria, Lions & Tigers & Squares, has opened its second Manhattan location at 160 Second Ave. at Tenth Street in the East Village. The new restaurant — which is larger than the original Chelsea shop — features a dining room that seats 50 guests and a bar that will play Michigan sports games in compliance with the brand's roots. Next spring the brand also plans to usher in sidewalk cafe seating, a news release said.

Lions & Tigers & Squares is best known for serving up Motor City's signature square pan pizza with a crunchy, caramelized cheese crust. Current four-slice Detroit-style square favorites include classic cheese, pepperoni, baby meatball, black olive, and a signature Mustard Pie with spicy brown mustard and cheddar cheese. 

This core menu will be served alongside several new items available only at the new East Village outpost, which include:  

• Detroit Red Wings, the brand's version of spicy chicken wings.
• Elvis Presley-inspired, Graceland Pie, with pulled pork in the King's favorite barbecue sauce. 
• Bacon & Blue Cheese Pie with a marinara base.
• Chop Cheese Pizza, an homage to the Harlem-born Chop Cheese sandwich with a ketchup base, onions, hamburger, American cheese and finished with a Heinz 57 sauce drizzle.
• Half Pies, which are equivalent to one slice.

"When expanding and developing the menu for the East Village location, we knew we wanted to look to Detroit for inspiration and feature more of the city's signature beyond just their square pan pizzas," co-founder Francis Garcia said in the release.  "We had a lot of fun developing these new creations that pay homage to both Lions & Tigers & Squares' Detroit and New York roots." 

The brand was developed by Artichoke Basille's Pizza co-founders, Francis Garcia and Sal Basille. The East Village location is open from 11 a.m. - 4 a.m. daily.