Des Moines’ pizza landscape is a constellation of icons — the pies that shaped neighborhoods, anchored family traditions and built the metro’s collective palate. These are the shops that introduced central Iowa to deep‑dish indulgence, crackery tavern cuts, coal‑fired blisters, New York‑style foldable slices and creative mashups that became cult favorites.
From south side institutions with decades of history to chef-led downtown standards and suburban classics that have fed generations, each restaurant on this list represents a distinct chapter in the city’s pizza story. Their signature pies — honey‑garlic alfredo, Rosa Grande pepperoni, 26‑inch New York slices, crab Rangoon riffs, Sicilian squares and Neapolitan originals — aren’t just menu items. They’re landmarks that stitch together the metro’s pizza canon: the essential stops for anyone who wants to understand how pizza became so diverse in Des Moines. These 10 pizza restaurants stand out.
Bordenaro’s Pizza & Pasta
A south side institution since 1977, Bordenaro’s remains one of Des Moines’ most enduring family restaurants — the kind of place where regulars have been ordering the same pie for decades. Tom Bordenaro’s legacy lives on in its signature thin‑crust pizzas, especially the honey garlic alfredo, a cult favorite that balances sweet, savory and creamy richness on a crackery base. The menu leans classic Italian‑American, but the standout is the Bordy’s Special, a fully loaded creation topped with capicola, beef, peppers, sausage, green onions, mushrooms and olives. Bordenaro’s is the definition of a south side mainstay — a place where the pizza tastes like tradition and the dining room feels like home.
Centro
For 23 years, Centro has been downtown Des Moines’ polished, high‑energy Italian anchor, and its coal‑fired pizzas remain a defining part of the restaurant’s identity. Chef George Formaro’s approach is ingredient‑first — he famously orders a cheese pizza when trying a new shop to understand the depth of its dough, sauce and mozzarella. At Centro, that philosophy shines in the Rosa Grande pepperoni, a metro favorite layered with two styles of pepperoni, including cupped slices that crisp at the edges, plus mozzarella and red sauce. The coal‑fired oven delivers blistered crusts with a smoky char, giving each pie a signature texture and aroma. Whether ordered as a starter, shared among friends or enjoyed solo at the bar, Centro’s pizzas remain consistently among the metro’s best. Centro is on the Des Moines Register’s essential restaurant list.
Dough Co. Pizza
Dough Co. built its reputation in the Drake neighborhood with foldable New York‑style slices, then expanded that following to Ankeny with a second shop. The pizzeria leans big from big slices to big pies, including the extra‑large 26‑inch pizza that can feed a crowd or become the centerpiece of a game‑day spread. The crust is classic New York: thin, chewy, lightly charred and sturdy enough to support generous toppings. While the two‑topping slice is a go‑to for students and families, the HawaiIowan stands out as a playful Iowa‑meets‑New York creation topped with Canadian bacon, pineapple, bacon and green onions.
Felix & Oscar’s Restaurant
Mark Zingerman and Larry Stein introduced Des Moines to Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in 1975. Their Drake neighborhood restaurant expanded to the Merle Hay area in 1977, where it’s still located. The duo named the restaurant for the famously neat and messy Felix and Oscar on “The Odd Couple” after the two noted that they’d have to keep the kitchen as neat as Felix was. Plus, Oscar was a sports reporter, and F&O’s touts itself as a sports bar. When the pizzas first came to Des Moines, the duo referred to them as Sicilian style, with a lighter baked crust. Now they are more of a Chicago deep-dish pizza. Try the cheese-topper deep-dish pizza made with extra cheese.
Fong’s Pizza
Fong’s Pizza has long been one of Des Moines’ most recognizable restaurants, blending Italian and Asian flavors into playful, boundary‑pushing pies. Its move to the East Village in 2025 brought the iconic tiki‑meets‑pizzeria vibe to a new home while preserving the creativity that made Fong’s famous. The crab Rangoon pizza remains the star — a sweet‑savory mashup with cream cheese, surimi, wonton strips and a drizzle of sweet chili sauce — but the menu continues to evolve with new flavor combinations such as the General Tso with breaded chicken, water chestnuts and baby corn that lean whimsical and unmistakably Fong’s. It’s the kind of restaurant where diners come specifically to try something they can’t get anywhere else. Fong’s remains a metro icon because it never stops reinventing what pizza can be.
Leaning Tower of Pizza
An Uptown Ankeny staple with roots stretching back to 1960s Des Moines, Leaning Tower of Pizza is old‑school in all the right ways: checkered tablecloths, family‑friendly energy and pizzas that taste like tradition. The Harrington family, who took over in 2001, preserved the restaurant’s signature style — hearty, generously topped pies with a nostalgic Italian‑American sensibility. The Potter is a crowd favorite, loaded with Tower’s Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, celery, green olives and green peppers. The Harrington, added in 1987, remains another classic with sausage, pepperoni, cheddar, mozzarella and a zesty sauce.
Noah’s Ark Ristorante
Noah’s Ark is one of Des Moines’ most storied restaurants, opening on New Year’s Eve in 1946 and introducing central Iowa to Neapolitan pizza long before the style became nationally popular. The dining room — leather booths, stained glass, a fireplace and a front counter where pizzas are made in full view — feels like stepping back in time. Founder Noah Lacona, often called “The Pizza King,” built his reputation on homemade tomato sauce and premium toppings, a philosophy that still guides the menu. The Noah’s Naples Margherita is the purest expression of that legacy, made with San Marino tomatoes, Buffalo milk mozzarella, basil, olive oil, garlic and fresh mozzarella.
Parlor
Parlor brought fluffy, square Detroit-style pizzas to Beaverdale, creating a neighborhood destination with a distinct personality and a soundtrack-inspired menu. The crust is the star — thick, airy, crisp on the edges and tender inside — a style that’s still relatively rare in the metro. Many pies take their names from songs, adding a playful twist to the menu: “Sweet Jane,” “Stand by Me,” “Sussudio” and “Can’t Always Get What You Want.” For a minimalist take that highlights the dough, the Proud Mary layers Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, basil pesto and a balsamic reduction.
Scornovacca’s Ristorante
Scornovacca’s has been serving thin-crust pizzas since 1973, becoming one of Des Moines’ most recognizable family-run institutions. The style is classic tavern pizza — crisp and crackery, perfect for sharing. Over the decades, Scorno’s expanded across the metro while preserving its signature flavor profile and loyal following. The fan-favorite combo remains the quintessential order, loaded with Scorno’s Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, onions and mozzarella. Whether at the original south side location or one of its suburban outposts, Scornovacca’s continues to deliver the kind of pizza locals grow up on and return to again and again.
Taste of New York
Taste of New York brings classic New York-style pizza to the metro with foldable slices, crisp, chewy crusts and a 550-degree oven that delivers the perfect char. With locations in West Des Moines, Pleasant Hill and Waukee — including a drive-thru at the latter — the restaurant has become one of the metro’s most reliable stops for a quick slice or a whole pie. The style is true to its name: thin, lightly blistered, sturdy enough to fold and topped with balanced sauce and mozzarella. Diners can order slices reheated, just like in New York, or opt for whole pizzas that showcase the shop’s consistency and craft. Taste of New York is on the Des Moines Register’s essential restaurant list.
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: A guide to the pizzas that shaped Des Moines food culture
Reporting by Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
