DES MOINES, Iowa — Every city has its pizza story. Des Moines’ goes back further than most people realize.
Since 1946, when Noah Lacona first brought Neapolitan-style pizza to Ingersoll Avenue, central Iowa has quietly built one of the Midwest’s most diverse pizza cultures. Today, the metro spans everything from coal-fired crusts downtown to crackery south side tavern pies to Asian-fusion slices that draw lines every weekend.
The institutions that started it all
Bordenaro’s has been a south side anchor since 1977. Its honey garlic alfredo pizza — sweet, savory and creamy on a crackery crust — is the kind of thing regulars have been ordering for decades without changing a thing.
Felix & Oscar’s brought Chicago deep-dish to Des Moines in 1975. The cheese-topper deep-dish remains the move.
Noah’s Ark, now well past 75 years of service, still makes its Margherita with San Marino tomatoes and Buffalo milk mozzarella. The recipe has barely changed. Neither has the dining room, with its leather booths and fireplace.
The pies people drive across town for
Centro’s Rosa Grande pepperoni — cupped slices crisped in a coal-fired oven — consistently ranks among the metro’s best. Fong’s crab Rangoon pizza, now settled into its East Village home, remains the most copied, never-quite-replicated pie in the city.
Scornovacca’s thin-crust fan-favorite combo has fed generations of Des Moines families across four locations. Dough Co. brought New York-style foldable slices — including a 26-inch option — to the Drake neighborhood and Ankeny.
Parlor serves Detroit-style squares in Beaverdale. Leaning Tower of Pizza has been stacking generous pies in Ankeny since the 1960s. Taste of New York delivers the real fold-and-go experience, with a drive-thru option in Waukee.
Why it matters
These are not just restaurants. They are the places where Des Moines families celebrated, gathered and kept coming back. Each one represents a different chapter in how this city learned to love pizza — and kept demanding more.
Which Des Moines pizza spot holds a special place for you? Tell us in the comments.