The 12 best pizza places in Kansas City

1. Waldo Pizza

A Waldo family favorite with a huge menu of specialty pies and a choice of crusts. Food Network named its St. Louis-style slice, a cracker-thin crust under gooey Provel cheese, the best pizza slice in Missouri.

Order

A St. Louis-style thin crust, plus the garlic ranch for dipping

Best for

Family dinners and fans of thin crust

Where

7433 Broadway St, Kansas City, MO

2. Northeast Pizza

A neighborhood slice shop doing proper New York-style pizza: big, foldable, blistered crust. There's a rotating pie of the day, so regulars check in to see what's on.

Order

The Brooklyn Margherita, or whatever the pie of the day is

Best for

A real New York slice

Where

Pendleton Heights, Kansas City, MO

3. Bacaro Primo

From the team behind Earl's Premier, Bacaro Primo turns out blistered Neapolitan-style pies alongside a full Italian menu and a good wine list. It works as well for a date as for pizza night.

Order

The Rosa: vodka sauce, spicy 'nduja, fresh mozzarella and honey

Best for

A pizza dinner with a glass of wine

Where

Crestwood Shops, 55th St, Kansas City, MO

4. 1889 Pizza Napoletana

Handmade Neapolitan pies fired fast and hot, a block from Joe's original gas station. It also runs pizza-making classes if you want to learn the craft.

Order

The Honey Bee or The Prized Pig

Best for

Neapolitan purists

Where

2876 W 47th Ave, Kansas City, KS

5. Pizza Tascio

A New York-style shop that sells big pies and slices with a few inventive house specials. The white pie is the one people come back for.

Order

The White Tascio (ricotta, sausage and broccoli) or a pepperoni slice

Best for

A quick slice north of the river

Where

1111 Burlington St, North Kansas City, MO

6. Providence Pizza Co.

Three crusts under one roof: New York thin, thick Sicilian squares and crispy-edged Detroit pans. It's a good stop when your group can't agree on a style.

Order

The East Coast pie with sausage, bacon, ricotta and hot honey

Best for

Groups who all want different pizza

Where

Westport, Kansas City, MO

7. Third Coast Pizza

Real Chicago-style deep dish in Johnson County, with tall crusts, sauce on top and cheese underneath. Give it time to bake and come hungry.

Order

The Second City

Best for

Deep-dish cravings

Where

7820 Quivira Rd, Lenexa, KS

8. Johnny Jo's Pizzeria

A casual stone-oven pizzeria with red and garlic-butter pies plus classic sides. The garlic knots alone are worth the trip.

Order

A red pie with garlic knots and a cannoli

Best for

Easy weeknight pizza near the Plaza

Where

1209 W 47th St, Kansas City, MO

9. Old Shawnee Pizza

A local Johnson County chain with offbeat specialty pizzas. Its crab rangoon pizza, with crab filling, sweet chili sauce and crispy wontons, has a cult following.

Order

The Famous Crab Rangoon pizza

Best for

Something you won't find anywhere else

Where

Shawnee and Lenexa, KS (several locations)

10. Fortunati Pizza

A West Bottoms pizza stop that's an easy fit before or after browsing the neighborhood's antique and vintage weekends.

Order

The Pep Boi

Best for

First Friday weekends in the West Bottoms

Where

West Bottoms, Kansas City, MO

11. Clay & Fire

A Westside restaurant with a wood-fired oven and a laid-back dining room. The square grandma-style pie is the local favorite.

Order

The C&F Grandma Pizza

Best for

A casual dinner date on the Westside

Where

Westside, Kansas City, MO

12. Minsky's Pizza

Minsky's has been a Kansas City pizza habit for decades, with locations from the River Market to the suburbs and crusts from thin to deep-dish. Reliable, everywhere, and good for game nights.

Order

The Prime Cut

Best for

Watching the game with pizza

Where

Several locations, including 427 Main St in the River Market