Everyone knows New York and Chicago pizza, but Kansas City has quietly created a regional style of its own. This Midwest city pizza deserves a place in every conversation about America’s best regional pizzas.
Kansas City is best known for jazz, barbecue, fountains, and as late, the Chiefs and Taylor Swift. But unknown to many is the fact that Kansas City has a pretty impressive pizza scene as well.
The area has hundreds of places to eat pizza, from independent pizzerias and chains to bars, restaurants, and food trucks. These pizzerias serve everything from thin crust to deep dish, plus New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit styles. Yet ask about Kansas City-style pizza, and most people say it doesn’t exist.
Kansas City does have its own pizza style, and I’m putting it on the map because no one else has. Locals just need to realize it’s not new, and they already love it.
Kansas City Pizza History
Kansas City has plenty of pizzerias, but few have served generations like the legendary shops in New York or Chicago. There is some ambiguity about who made the first pizzas in Kansas City due to a lack of documentation. One of the front runners is Italian Gardens, which opened as Italian restaurant in the 1920’s, but reportedly didn’t serve pizza until about 1953.
For decades, this downtown icon drew fans of traditional Italian cooking, along with celebrities, athletes, and notorious mobsters.. The place probably collected as many stories over the years as pasta noodles it served. There were other Italian establishments in the area around that time such as The Majestic, but these were Italian restaurants who may have had pizza, but weren’t specializing in it.
Another restaurant, Antonio’s, opened in 1957 and is believed to be the first actual pizzeria in the city when it opened at 43rd and Main. Others like Villa Capri and Gaetano’s followed not long after, but these pizzas were based on other styles (mostly New York, Sicilian, or classic Neapolitan Italian recipes). These pizzerias built Kansas City’s unique pizza identity, but the style didn’t fully emerge for several more years.
The 1960s brought Fun House Pizza (1964), Pizza Shoppe (1967), and Old Shawnee Pizza (1969) to Kansas City. THIS is where the definition of what I consider to be Kansas City style came to be. Based on my research, I’m going to say Fun House was probably the first place to make what I’m referring to as Kansas City style pizza, followed closely by Pizza Shoppe and Old Shawnee Pizza.
Kansas City style is actually a thing…
What I am claiming as “our” basic style in Kansas City is similar to what many think St. Louis style is, but is in fact very different. In my opinion, Kansas City style at it’s core is a thin cracker-like crust with hearty sauce, loads of thick, stretchy mozzarella and heavy on toppings. Kansas City and St. Louis pizzas may look similar, but they deliver two completely different experiences.
St. Louis-style pizza uses unleavened, yeast-free dough that rises very little, creating its signature thin, crispy crust. This changes the entire flavor profile of the dough. Then, there’s the St. Louis style cheese – provel. Provel is a processed blend of provolone, Swiss, and cheddar that provides a buttery, tangy taste, often with a hint of smoke that lacks the classic cheese pulls of milky mozzarella as it melts into a velvety glaze. Similar to the crust, it is a completely different flavor profile that is drastically different from the New York or Chicago styles you’re used to.
Pretty much everyone likes mozzarella cheese (unless they’re lactose intolerant), but provel is NOT for everyone, and is often the biggest point of contention as to whether or not you like St. Louis style. It is a very different taste that is not for everyone. You either love it, or hate it.
Back to the Kansas City style…
Some people insist Kansas City style pizza is just Chicago thin crust, better known as tavern-style pizza. Nope. There’s a big difference there too. Chicago style is very thin, but not cracker style. The sauce is usually lighter, and the cheese is spread to the edges with toppings diced and placed underneath the cheese, with little or no crust rim. Pizzerias usually cut it into squares, also known as the “party cut,” just like St. Louis-style pizza.
Kansas City style is cut into standard triangles with lots of toppings proudly placed on top, as well as a noticeable line where the cheese stops at the crust edges. Remember when I said Kansas City is known for many things including barbecue? The city surely reflects this tradition with barbecue as a pizza topping. St. Louis and Chicago thin-crust pizzas rarely share this characteristic.
Where Do I Go For Kansas City Style?
Raytown’s original Fun House Pizza closed in 2017, but Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs locations still serve customers. Pizza Shoppe and Old Shawnee Pizza helped define Kansas City-style pizza and still serve the metro from multiple locations. Another, is Pizza Stop, located in Kansas City, Kansas. Pizza Shoppe, Old Shawnee Pizza, and Pizza Stop all share a similar origin story and taste very similar. Craving an original Kansas City pie and a classic old-school dining experience? Start with one of these. They are all excellent choices and will make you quite happy, especially knowing they are the Kansas City originals.
Kansas City Style Vs. Kansas City Identity
Later, in the 1970’s, other Kansas City originals opened, including Minsky’s. Some locals like to say Minsky’s is the real “Kansas City pizza”, but I have mixed feelings on this because Minsky’s is not quite the same style as the other three, nor is it as old as the others. While the previous locations are what I am calling Kansas City style, Minsky’s provides more of the Kansas City identity. Minsky’s lacks the cracker crust, and their pizzas don’t really fit into any other regional pizza style category, but by default, we’ll still consider them to be a Kansas City original, but barely (in a good, delicious way though).
The place beckons visitors who are in search of unique topping combinations that often involve lots of meat, specifically barbecue. If you like crazy topping combinations that will make you remember your time in Kansas City, Minsky’s is your spot. They’ve won “Best of KC”, and countless other awards many times with their signature menu items. Though it opened in 1976, Minsky’s remains a favorite for visitors and locals seeking an authentic Kansas City pizza experience. They have numerous locations around the area, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one.
Just because Kansas City isn’t as well known as bigger cities for their styles doesn’t mean we are not worthy. Soon, people will recognize Kansas City as being another regional specialty. More people should proudly champion Kansas City and claim the regional pizza title it rightfully deserves. Maybe someone will read this and agree, then spread the word to other pizza lovers around the globe.
Kansas City welcomed the world as a 2026 FIFA World Cup host. Hopefully, World Cup visitors discovered Kansas City pizza and returned home sharing stories about our unique style with the world.
If you’re local or planning a visit and have questions about Kansas City’s slice scene, I’m your pizza guy. Explore Kansas City – you’ll find far more to love here than you ever expected.
~ Marty The Pizza Guy ~
Subscribe for more about Kansas City pizza, and other slices!
Follow my pizza adventures on Instagram @PizzaGuyKC
Featured Restaurant Links:
Leave a Reply