Weirdly, Detroit pizza is frequently square. And then there’s always square-cut pizza to throw a wrench into the mix as well.
I don’t think any reasonable server would think you’re a twit, or even get mildly annoyed, if you just said “thanks, but I got it” or something like that in a friendly manner.
As you said, for servers a big part of the serving style is a: because that’s how they’re told to do it at that particular establishment, and b: they want to give you good service - however you reasonably define it - for a good tip. 
Interesting!
I’ve lived a little over an hour north of Detroit for 11 years, and have truly never encountered this in a restaurant.
Although now that you mention it, I take back what I said in an earlier post. I’ve been at events where lunch was delivered byJet’s Pizza, and yes, they did have square pizzas.
Hey germaphobes, how about this:
At my favorite beer place, with ~45 beers on draft, I ordered a glass of a new, unusual beer. Bartender poured it, then took a tiny sip before putting it down in front of me. Would thaty bother you?
Yeah, I have to vote for anal.
I went to a fancy restaurant once where they brought me a little stool to put my purse on. Would that bother you?
It is because secretly I am 12 years old, but this made me laugh and laugh and laugh.
I’m sorry.
I’m not a germophobe. If I was a regular and knew the bar tender it wouldn’t bother me.
If I walked into a new joint and the bar tender did this I’d think it was a little odd, but I’d still drink the beer no problem.
Is this a trick question? 
Maybe next he’ll spit in it!
I think I’d be put off at by this, even at my regular watering hole. And I can’t figure out what the reason for it is. Maybe it’s a beer that’s not commonly ordered so he was checking to see if it had “turned”? Then why wouldn’t he pull himself a little shot into a rocks glass or something?
Regarding the OP: none of those things would bother me.
What about waiters that comb the table between courses? Does that bother anyone?
All four are various forms of “service” and wouldn’t bother me a bit. The one thing that does, however, is removing my plate before I’m done. I’m a slow eater, when I’m done my knife and fork go on the plate pointed at my right elbow signaling that the plate can now be removed.
I’m not a germophobe in the slightest. Hell yeah, thaty would bother me.
Seriously? I wouldn’t want my ice cream parlor person taking a lick of my ice cream cone either. That’s just wrong, and I would get a place shut down for that shit.
:o
(Oh, dear, I think I just made it worse.)
Yep, she’s a friend and it did not faze me. With super high end beers “regulars” will often offer their glass to the bartender or fellow drinkers to try a sip. The only faux pas is taking a BIG sip.
Now I’m giggling. Stop it.
About having the pizza served to your plate, was it delivered on a platter that might have been hot? Perhaps the waitstaff are trying to prevent burnt customers?
Someone should claim it as their signature.
I doubt I would even notice any of those actions. Part of the fun of going out is that it’s a chance to try different things. Each dinner out is a micro vacation, after all you can always make dinner at home and do it the same way every time.
That’s closer to the cafeteria/institutional model of food service.
Yes, yes it is. I’m not even sure they have sit-down service and I highly doubt they have servers, if they do.
Also I notice it’s not a Midwest chain specifically; they appear to be all over the south too.
As to a bartender taking a sip of a beer before handing it to me…I’m not a beer drinker and absolutely not a germaphobe but I would be somewhat startled by that.
Not in my case. The pizza platter was put on one of those elevated platforms, and served with a wooden-handled pizza server. I suppose it would have been possible to burn ourselves, but it would have taken a serious lack of dexterity.