St. Louis style pizza is not like any other style across the nation. The pizza crust is razor thin and very crispy, they use Provel cheese - a mix of cheddar, swiss and provelone cheese that cooks up more creamy than stringy - instead of mozzarella, and they cut the pizza into little squares instead of triangular wedges.
St. Louis style pizza was developed over 30 years ago by Ed Imo, who owned the original Imo's Pizza at Thurman and Shaw in St. Louis. With pizza places popping up like mushrooms across the nation, Ed decided to do something a little different with his pizzas. He made the crust razor thin, developed a sweet and zesty tomato sauce, and helped develop the Provel cheese that gives the St. Louis style pizza its unique taste.
Ed Imo's first pizza joint at Thurman and Shaw, circa 1974.
Over the years, Imo's has grown to over 80 restaurants across the St. Louis metro area. But there are others in St. Louis metro area who have embraced the St. Louis style and put their own little spin on it.
Farotto's on Manchester Road (see map) takes Imo's St. Louis style and puts their little twist on it - they use true provelone cheese instead of the processed provel cheese on their pizzas. The crust is still very thin, the toppings are fresh and the sausage comes in the big chunks the way I like it. I don't know if it's better than Imo's - it's a different taste - but it's very good.
Krieger's is a chain of 14 locations in and around St. Louis that is more of a sports bar than a pizza parlor. But they have a good St. Louis style pizza with big chunks of sausage and the tangy sauce. I like going to Krieger's and sipping a good cold beer (which definitely tastes great with St. Louis style pizza) and watching a game or two on TV.
Cafferata's in Bridgeton near the I-70/I-270 interchange (see map) is another place that does a St. Louis style pizza. The only problem is that they're so inconsistent. One time, the pizza will be world class. The next time, it sort of sucks. I don't know if there's only one person who knows how to make the pizza there or what. I haven't been in a few years because the pizza sucked that time, and I know that Imo's, Krieger's, or Farotto's are more consistent and consistently good.
There are a couple of other places worth mentioning that have more traditional styles of pizza in St. Louis - as in thicker crusts and mozzarella cheese.
Fortel's is a family owned chain that makes OK to pretty good pizza. Their crust is more thick than St. Louis style (which still makes it a thin crust pizza). I don't think I like their sauce more than I do at Imo's or Krieger's, and they also have other sauces (white, barbecue) to choose from.
Vito's (see map) is more of a neighborhood family restaurant that makes a pretty good pizza. Located over by the St. Louis University campus, Vito's crust is thicker than Fortel's, they have a more tangy sauce and they slather the pizza with mozzarella. They have a buffet at lunch and always seems to be packed around the noon time hours.
Frank and Helen's Pizzeria is also more of a neighborhood Italian restaurant on Olive Street near University City (see map). I like their traditional style pizza, but they also have sandwiches and steaks on their menu, too. I like the old cozy charm to their place - it's been around since the mid-50's.
If you want to make a St. Louis style pizza at home, and you live in or near a town that has a Schnuck's grocery store, you can find pre-made razor thin pizza crust in the specialty areas of the store. They're made by Roma Pizza Works, but I think Imo's owns Roma. And Schnuck's has shredded provel cheese in containers, there's pizza sauce to be found in the store, and all the stuff in their meat department for whatever topping you want on the pizza.
I know a lot of people say that St. Louis style pizza is nothing more than "cheese on a cracker", but I like it. I've always been more partial to the thinner crust pizza, not the big, doughy, yeast based pizzas you get in some places. It's an acquired taste that some people have to get used to - I'm not certain I liked it the first time I had it - but I like it now and I highly recommend trying a St. Louis style pizza if you get to St. Louis at anytime.
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