Best St. Louis-Style Pizza Shops

St. Louis-style pizza is thin with a cracker-like crust, toppings that go to every edge, and a slightly sweet sauce. The dough for the crust doesn’t have yeast, creating a crispy texture. The pizza also traditionally has Provel cheese, a processed cheese made of Swiss, provolone, and white cheddar cheeses, which creates a gooey texture when baked. While this pizza style is traditionally circular, most shops cut it into square slices. Our team at AutoCenters Nissan created this list of some of the best St. Louis-style pizza shops so that you know where to go.

Imo’s Pizza

Imo’s Pizza is a classic institution throughout the St. Louis area. Married couple Ed and Margie Imo opened their first pizza parlor in 1964 in The Hill, which is a traditionally Italian-American neighborhood full of family-owned establishments. After nearly 60 years in the pizza business, Imo’s Pizza now has more than 100 stores and franchises throughout Missouri, Missouri, and Kansas, and Ed and Margie’s children now oversee the company’s daily operations. The company also sells a selection of its favorite menu items with nationwide shipping available.

Dubbed the “Square Beyond Compare”, the Imo’s Pizza menu includes 10-, 12-, 14- and 16-inch St. Louis-style pizzas that all include Provel cheese. The first topping is free on all pizzas. Create your own or choose one of its specialty pizzas. One of its most popular pizzas is the Deluxe, which includes bacon, sausage, green pepper, mushrooms, and onions. Another popular option is the All Meat, which includes bacon, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, and sausage.

Imo’s Pizza also has a selection of pasta, sandwich, salad, and appetizer options. Consider pairing your pie with an order of the award-winning toasted ravioli or a house salad, which includes Provel cheese and Imo’s sweet Italian dressing. If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, consider the Imo’s Extra Special, which includes ham, roast beef, salami, Provel cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and salad dressing on fresh-baked Italian bread.

Location: 2561 Vaughn Road, Herculaneum, MO 62095

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

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Monte Bello Pizzeria

Monte Bello Pizzeria originally opened in 1950, making it the oldest spot in the city for St. Louis-style pizza. While there have been some ownership changes throughout the years, it’s traditionally remained a family-owned-and-operated restaurant. Married couple Tonya and Dennis Buechel and their family now own and operate the restaurant, and they use the original recipes to ensure the classic tastes customers know and love. The staff also makes all its items homemade daily, such as pizza dough, marinara, cheeses, sausage, and more.

The Monte Bello Pizzeria menu includes small and large pizzas that include a special four-cheese blend. Create your own pizza from a variety of toppings, or try one of its classic specialty pizzas. Consider the Monte Bello’s Special, which has homemade Italian sausage, pepperoni, hamburger, salami, ham, banana peppers, and onions. The menu includes appetizers like homemade toasted ravioli, mozzarella sticks, and toasted garlic bread, and entrees like mostaccioli, meatball sandwiches, and more.

Location: 3662 Weber Road, St. Louis, MO 63125

Hours: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Farotto’s Pasta & Pizzeria

Farotto’s Pasta & Pizzeria opened in 1956 as a family-owned pizzeria with a few options for pasta dishes, limited seating, and primarily carry-out and car-hop service options. Present-day owner, Jim Parrott, began working for his sister and brother-in-law at the restaurant in 1960 as a busboy, and eventually became an owner before becoming the sole proprietor in the 1980s. Starting in the 1990s, he oversaw several restaurant expansions, including a larger dining room, a patio area, and a banquet room. He continues to grow the menu, too.

The Farotto’s Pasta & Pizzeria menu includes 12- and 14-inch St. Louis-style pizza. It also offers a gluten-free crust as a 10-inch pizza. While all the pizzas have the signature crispy-thin crust, not all include Provel cheese or the same sauce. For example, Jimmy’s Favorite has red sauce and toppings like Provel cheese, shrimp, white onion, green peppers, and bacon. Vinny’s Special, however, has both red sauce and pizza sauce and toppings like fresh mozzarella, garlic, house-made meatballs, fresh basil, and giardiniera. Or build your own pizza or choose from a selection of sandwiches, pasta dishes, seafood entrees, and more.

Location: 9525 Manchester Road, Rock Hill, MO 63119

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Joanie’s To-Go

Joanie Thomas opened Joanie’s To-Go after enjoying local Italian pizza places throughout Chicago nearly 30 years ago. She opened her pizza spot in the heart of Soulard, making it the perfect spot for grabbing a slice while out with friends. It also has plenty of lunch options, allowing you to grab a quick bite when you’re short on time.

The Joanie’s To-Go menu includes 9-, 12-, 14-, and 16-inch pizzas, and offers thin, hand-tossed, and double-crust options in most sizes. It also has gluten-free options. While it doesn’t include Provel on all its pizzas, there are plenty of options for enjoying the St. Louis classic. Consider Doug’s South Side pizza, which has a Provel blend, double sausage, and double pepperoni. Thomas’ favorite is the Grilled Chicken BLT pizza, which has grilled chicken, fresh tomatoes, spinach, and bacon. Other menu options include sandwiches, salads, pasta, calzones, and more.

Location: 804 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63104

Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday

That brings us to the end of our list of some of the best St. Louis-style pizza shops. At AutoCenters Nissan, we’re proud to serve the greater St. Louis area, and we hope this list helps you find somewhere new to try this local classic. Did we leave your go-to pizza shop off our list? Drop us a line to share the details. We may even update our guide to include your recommendation for St. Louis-style pizza.