Wood River, Illinois may sound like an unlikelyplace for great Neapolitan pizza untilyou discover thewood-fired pies turned out three nights per week (and atSunday brunch) by the founders of 222 Artisan Bakery and Goshen Coffee.The menu also includes small plates, salads, and a respectable wine list.7 N. Wood River, Wood River, Illinois, 618-216-2258.
This 30-plus-year-old institution might have been the first local pizzeria to offer three different styles of pies: St. Louis–, New York–, and deep dish Chicago–style. Open for lunch and dinner, A’mis also features an array of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, steaks, Italian entrées, and a dozen pastas.Two locations, Rock Hill and O’Fallon, Missouri.
For over 50 years, thisfamily-owned, NoCopizzeria has cranked outhand made, generously-topped square pizzas that fit snugly into their cardboard to-go boxes.4814 Parker, Florissant, 314-355-3242.
The menu includes some of the city's best T-ravs, hand-tossed pizzas, fresh pastas, sandwiches, salads, and gyros.2225 Macklind, The Hill,314-773-4455.
Thisneighborhood joint that's been around since forever is known for itscold beer and the excellent thin crust pizza that most patrons like to pair with it.184 Washington, Florissant, 314-837-7783.
Everything about Basso, situated in the basem*nt of The Cheshire, is cozy. There’s the low-lit ambiance cast by gas lamps and a fireplace. There’s the drama of the staircase entrance and decorative nods to antiquity. Then there’s the flame-kissed pizza, fresh from the wood-fired oven. The flavors are named with humor and pop culture references (Emo Cover Band, Vampire Slayer 2.0, The McDowell), but the toppings are no joke. (Tip: Go at happy hour, 4–6 p.m. weeknights, for select $7 pizzas.)7036 Clayton, Richmond Heights,314-932-7820.
This South City institution is known for itsdeep-dish pizza. (In fact, it helped introduce the style to St. Louis.)Consider calling ahead, given the pub's popularity and the long cook time. 3735 Wyoming, Tower Grove South,314-776-0534.
Now with three food trucks and a small brick-and-mortar location in Kirkwood, the Blues Fired Pizza offers a menu of 8-inch pizzas cooked in a wood-fired brick oven.10800 Big Bend, Kirkwood, 314-822-1616.
Roberto Bommarito’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it storefront crafts some of the best mozzarella-topped, thin-crust pizzas in town. (Provel cheese is also available.) The place isn’t fancy or big (there are six tables and a hidden patio out back), but the pizzas (available in four sizes) and arancini alone are worth the trip.8916 Gravois, Affton,314-638-1300.
Vito La Fata’s pizzeria boasts a locally inspired ceiling mural and a gas-fired pizza oven that cranks out hand-tossed pies, Sicilian pizza, and panini.1900 Arsenal, Benton Park,314-343-0294.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The two Michelin-starred flagship is on Italy'sSorrento coast, so it's no surprise that the pizza here is authentic Neapolitan style, made all the more special when you watch the entire process from a counter seat a pizza toss from Casa's brickoven. Purists begin with the margherita, made here with a 48-hour fermented sourdough and fior de lattecheese.Classicperfection.100 Carondelet Plz, Clayton, 314-700-1496.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
St. Louis-style pizza from Cugino's
St. Louis-style pizza from Cugino's
The partners are cousins (cugini), and the fare ranges from St. Louis–style pizza to classic Italian, plus a large selection of sandwiches and burgers. Narrow Gauge Brewing Co. also has set up operations inside, complementing the more than 20 beers on tap.1595 N. Highway 67, Florissant,314-831-3222.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
A slice from Dewey's in St. Louis
A slice from Dewey's
Service is second to none at Dewey’s. The team approach—with each front-of-house staffer doing everything from taking orders to clearing dishes, refilling glasses, and dropping off the check when the kids get antsy—means you get meticulous attention, even during peak times. The cooks get in to the act, too, interacting with astonished tykes who line up to peer into the kitchen and watch the dough being tossed, the sauces (red or olive oil) being spread, the ingredients piled thick, and the piping-hot results pulled from the oven.Multiple locations.
One of the region’s more underrated pizzerias, this sister restaurant to Epic Pizza & Subs features New York–style pies. Large sub sandwiches are built on rolls imported from legendary Philly bakery Amoroso’s.17304 Chesterfield Airport, 636-536-7888.
Located next door to iTap, Epic makes wood-fired pies in the heart of Soulard.1711 S. Ninth, 314-436-3742.
One of the region’s oldest family-owned and -operated pizzerias has been producing hand-tossed St. Louis–style, Provel-cheese topped pizza since 1968. Special attention is paid to the meats, which are hand ground and seasoned in house.Two locations, Florissant and Ellisville.
St. Louis–style pizza is served alongside fish, chicken, and pasta, but the real secret here is a spectacular meatball sandwich.9525 Manchester, 314-962-0048.
The move from its former location to larger quarters across the street has put Felix’s into overdrive. The menu includes New York–style pizza, plus killer trashed wings.6401 Clayton, 314-645-6565.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Fordo's Killer Pizza at City Foundry STL in St. Louis
Fordo's Killer Pizza
From James Beard Award–winning chef Gerard Craft, Fordo’s (a nod to Craft’s nickname, his middle name is Ford) serves a dozen Neapolitan-style pies, plus salads, marinated olives, charred carrot hummus, and gelato. Located in the Food Hall at City Foundry STL, Fordo’s is open daily for lunch, dinner, and carry out.3730 Foundry Way,no phone.
Founded in 1981, one of St. Louis’ most recognizable pizza brands is known for its wide array of specialty pizzas, available in four sizes, as well as its iced, streusel-topped dessert pizzas.7932 Mackenzie, Affton. 314-353-2360.
Fourteen, mozzarella-topped specialty pies (and a build-your-own option) come in four sizes on a St. Louis–style shell and can be made with one of five sauces.102 West State, O’Fallon, Illinois,618-632-8486.
At the Chesterfield restaurant previously known as Vito’s in the Valley, in addition toa broad menu of 10-inch original and Sicilian style pizzas, expect pasta, calzones, plus steak and seafood selections. The stellar wine list is focused on Sicilian wines.138 Chesterfield Towne Center, 636-536-3788.
Pizza and paella on the same menu? Sure. After finishing some traditional-style tapas, try the St. Louis–style pizza, some of the best in town.5046 Shaw, 314-771-4900.
Imo’s is synonymous with St. Louis–style pizza. The signature cheese is Provel, thoughmozzarella is also available, as well as a 50/50 blend—a factor powerful enough to turn former naysayers into Imo’s devotees.After being exclusive to Imo’s pizza stores for 60 years, “the square beyond compare” is now available frozen in select area grocery stores.Multiple locations.
With three area locations, JJ Twig’s has a well-established clientele. Order the signature Double-Decker, which allows customers to build two layers of toppings for the monstrous double-crust pie. Multiple locations.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria in St. Louis
Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria
There’s a reason the place is perpetually packed. The atmosphere lends itself to all occasions: family outings, date nights, get-togethers with friends… Katie Lee Collier has a knack for running a restaurant, from the food to the marketing, and Ted Collier’s larger-than-life paintings accentuate the modern interiors. The Giveback Tuesdays initiative has raised thousands for charities across the metro area. At the heart of it all are wood-fired pizzas with such quality ingredients as Salume Beddu pepperoni salami, pear, figs, and prawns.9568 Manchester, Rock Hill;14171 Clayton, Town & Country.
For St. Louis–style pizza served with a side of humor, stop by Kevin’s Place. Owner Kevin McGinn makes toothsome pies, crisp salads, and hot wings, delivering clever gibes and pointed barbs with most orders. 5001 Mardel, Northhampton,314-353-1400.
Heralded by many as serving the best New York–style pizza in town, La Pizza might also be the tiniest pizzeria you’ve ever visited. The dough is hand-tossed, the cheese is 100 percent whole milk, and everything is made in house.8137 Delmar, 314-725-1230.
We’re talking classic St. Louis Italian fare, family-run, family-friendly. It offers all the standards: house-made toasted ravioli, fried calamari, and a celebrated take on local quadrangle pizza.11836 Tesson Ferry, South County, 314-729-1800.
You’ll swear that this oven is occasionally interrupted in its normal task of producing molten iron to turn out a pie or two. The frog-mouthed hellspout exhales temperatures that bake a pizza in less than a minute—“and I have to turn the pizza three times to keep it from burning,” says the restaurant’s pizzaiola. The Margherita’s superb. Expect magnificently blistered crusts, sweet tomatoes, and enough mozzarella to stretch from the plate to your mouth.706 DeMun, Clayton,314-300-8188.
The popular national chain (with two locations in St. Louis) offers brick oven pizza in three sizes, with choice of three sauces and 10 cheese options. The broad based menu also includes appetizers, calzones, burgers, sandwiches, salads, and desserts, as well as beer, co*cktails and mocktails.Multiple locations.
Tucked away in a basem*nt, Monte Bello has an old-school rathskeller vibe, with red-and-white–checked tablecloths and faded murals. Square pies are served on metal sheet pans, making the feel even homier. 3662 Weber, Lemay, 314-638-8861.
Operating out of a commissary kitchen, chef Nick Williams’ superlative take and bake Detroit-style pizzas are available for pick-up and delivery only on Thursday and Friday afternoons.
Wayne and Kendele Sieveparlayed a wood-oven equipped food truck into one of the most acclaimed Neapolitan pizza/authentic Italian restaurants in the metro. Noto’s menu (including appetizers, pasta, and desserts) isscratch made using quality ingredients imported from Italy or otherwise locally sourced.In November 2022, Noto became the only local restaurant to becertified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) in Italy, an honor bestowed only upon approximately 100 restaurants in North and South America.5105 Westwood, St. Peters,636-317-1143.
The puffy, charred crusts and restrained sauces of Neapolitan-style pies are a thing of beauty. And although the name sayspizza, chef Mike Risk’s menu contains many of the salads and outstanding fresh pastas borrowed from sister restaurant The Clover & The Bee.102 W. Lockwood, 314-942-1216.
Since 2008, this South City hangout has been known for its superior New York–style pizzas (made withlocal, antibiotic- and hormone-free meats prepared in house). Don’t overlook the rest of the menu, including sandwiches, salads, calzones, stromboli, entrées, and pastas that are a cut above the norm.5401 Finkman, Southhampton, 314-802-8883.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
A Neapolitan pizza from Pastaria in St. Louis
A Neapolitan pizza from Pastaria
The black-and-white photos hanging on the wall are indistinguishable from those taken in an upscale Rome pizzeria; it’s that authentic. The space is sleek, cool, and crowded, with wonderful traditional pizza from a wood-fired oven. The bottom scorch is splendid, just enough to lend that toasty flavor, and the crunch is exquisite. A béchamel-topped pie with roasted mushrooms and a smoky bite of garlic, washed down with a mezzo litro of wine, is a nearly unparalleled way to spend an evening.7734 Forsyth, Clayton, 314-862-6603.
Pizzas are topped with innovative ingredients: barbecue pork, duck sausage, roasted sweet potatoes… In O’Fallon, Illinois, there’s an entire brewpub upstairs.Multiple locations.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
A slice from Pie Guy Pizza in St. Louis
A slice from Pie Guy Pizza
The guy who decided to open a pizza joint in the bustling Grove that shares space with a taproom/bottleshop and stays open late could have called it No-Brainer Pizza. Instead, Mitch Frost went with a name he felt he’d earned over an 18-year pizza career: Pie Guy Pizza, where the owner/pizzaioloturns out New York–style pies with a distinctive sourdough crust. Aficionados debate the merits (and necessity) of five dipping sauces. We say spend the extra buck for the hot honey and be done with it.4189 Manchester, The Grove, 314-899-0444.
Hand-tossed, pre-made thin, and gluten-free crusts are available, with options for mozz, provel, or a blend of cheeses.2095 Bentley Plz, Fenton, 636-225-6175.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Deep dish pizza from Pi Pizzeria in St. Louis
Deep dish pizza from Pi Pizzeria
Beginning in 2008, marketing wizard Chris Sommers and co-founder Frank Uible took this local gem from darling newcomer to venerable favorite. It’s one of the rare spots that could make a Best Pizza list more than once, with two solid choices: the deep-dish cornmeal crust (not exactly Chicago-style) and the cracker-crisp thin crust (not really St. Louis–style). 400 N. Euclid, CWE, 314-367-4300.
This classic family-friendly pizza parlor is a decades-old staple, serving pies with a slightly irregular crust—a sure sign that it’s homemade.Two locations, Florissant and St. Peters.
While the pizzeria has been around since 1967, it’s called Lindenwood Park its home since 1997. Devotees praise the not-too-thick, not-too-thin, hand-tossed dough, as well as the simple, straightforward accompaniments.6703 Scanlan,Lindenwood Park, 314-781-1234.
From renowned restaurateurs Chris Kelling and chef Adam Altnether, Pizza Champ shares a building in Maplewood with Shared, from nearby Side Project Brewery. The menu includes a selection of ten, 18-inch sourdough crust pies, plus excellent salads, wings, and sandos. Orders can be picked up or enjoyed on a covered, four-season, outdoor patio,2657 Lyle, Maplewood, no phone.
After Pizzeoli’s unbridled success with Neapolitan-style pies, Scott Sandler is tossing and topping 20-inch New York–style, vegetarian and vegan pies on pizza-deprived South Grand.3196S. Grand, South Grand, 314-266-5400.
Originally a no-meat pizzeria dishing up wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pies, a new owner kept the vegan and vegetarian offerings but added a broad selection of meat-based pies, as well as appetizers, tallow-fried wings, and desserts. 1928 S. 12th,Soulard, 314-449-1111.
A masterfully accomplishedpizzaioloand his authentic oven are popping out superb pies in the heart of The Hill. One of the best is topped with thinly sliced roasted eggplant, garlic chili oil, parsley, and no cheese.2024 Marconi, The Hill, 314-833-3734.
This cozy pizzeria serving Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas in a bistro setting works equally well for a date or an outing with friends. Order a classic Margherita, or try a special, such as the Quattro Stagioni: mushroom, ham, anchovies, mozzarella, and green olives. On Tuesdays, buy one pizza and get a second for half-price. 5859 S. Kingshighway, Princeton Heights, 314-823-3222.
Located in a beautifully repurposed Victorian home in Cottleville, this rustic little joint serves Provel-free pies and local beers. The patio’s also lovely, but inside, the atmospheric Hopper-esque paintings alone are worth the trip. 5212 Highway N, Cottleville, no phone.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
A smash pizza from Press in St. Louis
A "smash" pizza from Press
Logan Ely, chef-owner of The Lucky Accomplice, spins pizza in a different direction with the invention of “press pizza,” which he describes as“Crunchwrap Supreme meets quesadilla meets calzone meets pizza.”On the menu with Ely’s stuffed and smashed pies are several salads, beer, cider, and custom-crafted shots, along with draft co*cktails and mocktails.2509 S. Jefferson, Fox Park, 314-328-1094.
Those amazing pies with a toasted ravioli crust are acclaimed, but don’t overlook the delightful sandwiches and more than 30 beers on tap.1511 Washington. Downtown West, 314-696-8787.
Famous for its Provel cheese–topped, St. Louis–style pizza (mozz is also available) served in house on a rectangular sheet pan, the flagship location is located in O’Fallon, Missouri. The signature here is a hand-rolled dough and generous edge-to-edge toppings. Four satellite Stef’s Pizza locations have a smaller footprint but serve the same menu, including a chocolate chip cookie pizza and a lunch special for less than $10.8645 Veterans Memorial Pkwy., O’Fallon, Missouri, 636-272-3499.
Twin Oak Wood-Fired Pizza and BBQ
Wood-fired pizzaandbarbecue? If this place had local beers and good co*cktails, it’d be the perfect restaurant. Oh, wait—it does. Don’t overlook the salads, the wood-fired wings, or the deep-dish chocolate chip cookie dessert.1201 Strassner, Maplewood, 314-644-2772.
It’s one of those classic pizzerias—tiny storefront, mostly takeout, phone orders only—that are the pinnacle of the St. Louis cult of pie. The crust is as thin as a Saturday-night excuse, and there’s Provel aplenty topping the cherished familyrecipe. 9975 Lin Ferry, South County, 314-842-7155.
It’s a bakery, first and foremost, with an emphasis on quality ingredients. Naturally, then, the Botanical Heights hot spot has perfected its crust, which combines the delicacy and char of Neapolitan pizza with the size and texture of New York–style pizza. Union Loafers’ six varieties—from pepperoni to the pungent Foxglove cheese paired with mushrooms—are nothing short of outstanding. Don’t forget to smear a side of marinara on that crust and top it with soffrito and Grana Padano.1629 Tower Grove, Botanical Heights, 314-833-6111.
What sets Yaquis’ pies apart isn’t the crust, with its perfectly imperfect bubbles, valleys, and occasional blisters. Nor is it the ever-so-slightly-sweet red and piquant blanca sauces that owner Francis Rodriguez has spent years perfecting. The high-quality toppings—smoked pulled barbecue chicken drizzled with K.C.-style barbecue sauce, anyone?—add to the joy. The half-price pizza bargains every Wednesday remain a draw. But the most outrageous thing about Yaquis’ righteous pizza? “We’re not a pizzeria,” says Rodriguez. “We’re an upscale neighborhood wine bar with really good pizza.” And chardonnay pairs well with pizza.2728 Cherokee, Benton Park, 314-400-7712.
This article has been updated from an earlier version.
