Fricano's Pizza Tavern

1400 Fulton Street, Grand Haven, MI 49417
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Voted "Best Pizza in Michigan" in 2011 by Facebook/Twitter Fans in the unofficial Pure Michigan poll.

The Crown Jewel of pizza parlors.

A landmark that brought pizza to Michigan in 1949. Fricano's pizza is claimed by thousands of serious customers to be the best pizza they've ever had. Fricano's pizza remains the original and most famous pizza and pizzeria in Michigan.

In 1949 the late Cosimo (Gus) Fricano, founded what is believed to be the first pizzeria in Michigan, Fricano's Pizza Tavern, in Grand Haven with the original thin crust pizza pie. What started as an old boarding house in the late 1800's became the first restaurant to serve pizza in the entire state. Some of Michigan's largest newspapers have made this claim.

On August 21, 1949 Gus Fricano bought the Ottawa Tavern and soon renamed it Fricano's Tavern and from there, launched one of the most famous little success stories West Michigan has ever known.

Local: (616) 842-8640

Social

Review Rating: 2 out of 5
Catherine J | June 2026
Very disappointing - don’t recommend.
Based on all the hype about this place, we were very disappointed. I love a thin crust pizza, it was thin alright, but not even cooked in the middle. Could not pick up a slice to eat, had to cut with...
Review Rating: 5 out of 5
BRIAN T | May 2026
The perfect thin crust pizza!
If you like thin crust pizza, this pizza is dynamite! We ordered the EBA extra baked. The crust is the perfect combination of crispy edges with some dark crispy cheese and a softer, slightly chewy...
Review Rating: 1 out of 5
Carmen L | January 2025
To much hype for nothing
We came from Hesperia to Grand Haven to order a gluten free pizza. It was awful no flavor disgusting. No spices no nothing. And CANNED MUSHROOMS!!!! The green peppers seemed like they were frozen...
Review Rating: 1 out of 5
N7362GGsarahl | June 2023
Not very good
The menu is only 5 different toppings in your pizza. Need a bigger menu, and our pizza was burned! I would or recommend this place. The staff was friendly.
Review Rating: 4 out of 5
JSCOH | August 2022
Great service and atmosphere
Fricano's is a decades old favorite of the people we were visiting. Atmosphere has old school charm, service was excellent. Pizza was good. No comparison to New Haven style crust, thankfully NOT...

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

Overall Rating: 4.1 out of 5

Based on 176 TripAdvisor Reviews

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