I first heard about St Louis-style Pizza when the restaurant Speedy Romeo opened in Brooklyn.
What makes St Louis-style pizza different is that it’s made with Provel, a processed cheese consisting of provolone, Swiss and white cheddar. The pies are also cut differently. (More on that later.)
On the long trip home from our trip to Argentina and Uruguay, we had a long layover in St Louis. I planned a few things to do with the time including trying St Louis-style pizza where it’s from! (This was planned prior to our flight being cancelled.)
After doing some reading and asking around, I settled on trying out Imo’s Pizza.
Imo’s specializes in St Louis-style pizza and was founded back in 1964. It’s expanded greatly since then. (Wikipedia mentions that there’s 90+ locations in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.)
We caught an Uber from the airport to the Imo’s Pizza location next door to Busch Stadium. 
We took a look over the menu and decided to order two pies- one plain and the other with toppings.
It took around 15 minutes for the pizza to arrive and we couldn’t wait to dig!
I always like to start off by trying the plain pie. This give you the opportunity to taste all of the basic ingredients without them being hidden by toppings.
The crust is cracker thin and the pie is cut in what I call a party cut which is great for sharing. Look closely and you’ll see the rows of horizontal and vertical cuts. Each piece is either square or tiny triangle.
The cheese is definitely the strongest flavor on the pie. The Provel has a tangy flavor and is a bit gooey when it’s hot. Once the pie cools down, the cheese congeals a bit.
I don’t remember the sauce well but it was definitely a more subtle flavor.
Here’s a good shot which shows how cracker- thin this style of pizza is.
We also ordered a Deluxe pie minus the mushrooms. This pie was topped with sausage, onion, green pepper, bacon and cheese.
Kim and I really enjoyed this pie due to the tasty flavor combinations. We’ve rarely ever ordered a pizza with more than 1 topping and with this pie , the variety really tasted great.
Final Thoughts:
Imo’s Pizza really hit the spot. Kim, Lucas and I loved this pizza. Keep in mind, this is nothing like typical pizza we’re used to. It probably wouldn’t compete with any decent slice in NY but it serves a purpose and I respect the different style.
If Imo’s was available close to home, I could totally see ordering it from time to time while watching a game with friends. St Louis-style pizza is a fun, sharing pie due to the way it’s cut and I’d love to try it again if I ever return to St Louis.
Have you tried St Louis-style pizza. If so, what did you think?
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Matt- I had to give the most well known one a try! We tried one other close to the airport which was awful.
DaninMCI- We enjoyed Imo’s! No, it’s not the best pizza but it serves a purpose. As for the flight, that’s an AA award- make it the most inconvenient in hopes we just don’t book it. lol
Willy- Go Brooklyn- been here my whole life! That connection- thanks to an AA award…
MFK- 🙂
fivegirls- I could go for some Chicago pizza, it’s been quite some time.
We lived in St. Louis for 11 years and could never get used to the St. Louis style pizza. We would prefer to drive north to Chicago and hit Giordano’s!
I’m from the Lou and I’m proud!
Thanks for the balanced review! St. Louis pizza is what it is and as you found out it has it’s niche in the pizza world. There’s no sense wishing it were something it isn’t.
I’m a New Yorker (Brooklyn) who now lives in The Lou so I certainly have perspective and while I’m not downing Imo’s every time I get pizza it serves its purpose. From time to time it is, as you found out, pretty enjoyable. (as long as you don’t burn the roof of your mouth).
BTW, who connects in STL and isn’t flying WN???
IMO’s is not good pizza. There are some faithful natives in STL that think it’s awesome but it’s just like a big cracker with fake cheese that sticks to your teeth and sauce out of a can. Sorry IMO’s not a fan.
Fun typical AA award where they forced a connection in STL from MIA to get to NYC. Interesting itinerary for sure. At least STL has an Admirals club still.
I’ve lived in Saint Louis most of my life. Saint Louis style pizza is definitely an acquired taste and while Imo’s is the best known purveyor of it, there are a lot of better options. I have to admit, I’m not a huge fan, but every so often a STL style with bacon and mushroom really hits the spot.