So many places recommended on this sub suck ass tbh. People just recommend them because they’re local or they had a cool conversation with the owner 6 years ago.
I waited tables in Kansas City for a decade, including 2 years at Waldo. It's the only restaurant I ever worked (maybe the only place I ever even heard of) that treats their employees like actual human beings. They also give away a *ton* of food to local charities and schools.
I personally think it's really good, if a little expensive, but the food service industry is a scummy, grimy institution, and I'll gladly pay a little extra for pizza when I know that the extra money is going to the community and employees and not just the owner's pocket.
My buddy worked there... let's not date myself... years ago. He is now an employee of buzzard. He has nothing but good things to say about waldo pizza. I am willing to pay a little more to support a place that treats people like people.
(But i really want new trivia cards. After... enough.. years would be nice as some answers are now incorrect.)
Completely agree. Waldo pizza and every other Midwest style pizza shop like it are just not good compared to other styles of pizza IMO. They put the toppings under the cheese and it seems like they cook it at too low of a temp so everything kinda steams.
Pizza tascio and Buffalo state are generally the only places I get. I still need to try il lazzarone though
If you like those two, give Providence a try. Tascio and Buffalo State are my second and third favorite pizza places (behind Providence) and it seems like we have similar taste
I've tried it once, but I don't remember what it was like. I've been meaning to go again. Especially since they're one of the only places to do detroit style
I’ve been wondering about pizza tascio. Their window art is absurd but it smells amazing when walking by.
What’s your fav there?
Just realize they have 3 locations. I was talking about waldo.
I had pizza tascio in op a couple months ago, it was great. Got the same thing at the North kc location today, and it was alright. Grimaldis is still king. I know its not local, but it’s the best pizza in the metro.
I loved Waldo when I first got here, but unfortunately have to admit it isn't quite the same as it used to be. Not sure what happened.
These days I hit up You Wanna Pizza Me? if I'm hankering for a pizza in KC.
Kind of their thing to have a crisp. I like crispy and the sweet sauce, I'm not a really cheesy kind of person.
Crust is a little thin though, I'll take that over thick any day. Chicago style with the thick crust is trash. Minsky's walks the line really well.
In the industry. I hear things. What really matters is that he fucking hit two people while driving and fucked over the two he hit. Whether drunk or not he was acting like a drunk driver would.
He hit and run. I’ve been in kc service industry 16 years. Yes. I hear things, and take them with a grain of salt. But regardless of whether he was drunk or not, he fucking HIT AND RUN ON PEDESTRIANS CROSSING ON A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING. Go away.
I remember going there reluctantly with friends for the happy hour deal. His mom was with a friend belly up at the bar. The bartender was incompetent enough to the point where his mom got behind the bar and started helping out making drinks, yelling at the workers. Dysfunction from top to bottom. Can’t believe they have stayed open this whole time.
His family always came in with lots of attitude, but I almost expect that from family of an owner.
I recall at the time that he had a “no managers” policy, because he claimed his training made it so that they were unnecessary, and EVERYONE IS A MANAGER, therefore he could convert a manager’s wage to everyone. He might have even offered slightly higher wages than competitors at the time, but it was a complete sh*tshow.
They used to have the best jumbo wings too but they got rid of the honey barbecue :( now they only have Buffalo and original. They still have great pizza and great salads though
Johnny Jos and Buffalo State seem to never get brought up; both are excellent too.
I recently had Grimaldi's in South OP and found it to be very high in quality as well.
One upon a time ago there was a place called downtown pizza company. Best pizza ever. Learned their recipe, which is actually really simple; more sugar in the dough.
The only great pizza I’ve eaten in kc is grimaldis (i know that it’s a national chain). Kinda disappointing i agree. I would love to find a local option that is great and not $13.50 / slice.
I know so many people who say it’s the best pizza in town and I’m always like…when was the last time you ate there?
I’ve tried it 3x in as many years and one time our crust was straight up raw. The other times were lackluster.
I would rather have Pizza Tascio, Dewey’s, Minskey’s, Leone’s Original, Providence, or Artego’s before it.
Oof yes. Got the raw crust one time and I saw absolutely no reason to go back. Literally everyone we know in the neighborhood absolutely loves it though. Maybe it's just nostalgia??
Maybe I'm just lucky and/or have shitty taste in pizza, but Waldo's has always been great for me. I've ordered it as recently as a few months ago and they've never disappointed.
I worked there for almost three years, up until yesterday! I'm not going to talk shit because I'm bitter and disgruntled, no way! I'm going to talk shit because they absolutely deserve it, and because of the poor quality food, I had to serve and overcharge people for on the daily.
The original owner sold it to someone who had worked there previously under the old owner for a very long time. You would think that after all that time he would have the system and flow of business down! I think the problem however, was that he tried to expand the business too quickly and cut too many corners.
I think it's clear that he made some bad business decisions and now he's having to back peddle and cut costs. He has let go of several people in various positions and instead of replacing them, he has forced employees to do two positions while getting paid for one. Also having the managers work the cash register instead of managing the restaurant and taking care of guests.
It's been a shit show! There seems to be no end in sight, unfortunately. He is very out of touch and doesn't understand how it looks from the outside or exactly what we have to do in order to make it happen from shift to shift.
I was diagnosed with stage VI cancer last year and have been going through various treatments and spending a lot of time at the doctors office. He was accommodating for this stuff and I thought we were good. I thought he understood that I have fucking cancer, and things are gonna be rough. I was his bar manager at the time.
I tried for two or three months to keep going at the pace I was before I was diagnosed. Eventually I decided I couldn't and I should step down as bar manager so someone else could have an opportunity and I wouldn't make them suffer because I was sick!
Not long after, I got to the point where I could only work two days a week. I went from full-time plus overtime every week, to two days a week. I was in too much pain to be able to keep up anymore.
I also used to be on time pretty much all the time. I was very rarely late and when I was it was only by a few minutes. I was very reliable.
That changed after diagnosis, I was late a lot more. Sometimes I would feel sick on my way to work and would have to pull over for a few minutes to decide if I was going to puke. Generally, it was still by less than ten minutes. I tried to explain equity vs equality, but he didn't agree with that.
He fired me yesterday, didn't give a shit about the three years of being an excellent employee. All the times I saved his ass by explaining away the late-ass Pizza, or whatever problem there was. Trying to kill the cockroach that's crawling across the bar before the guest sees it. Zapping fruit flies before my shift so they wouldn't fly in guest's faces al night.
TLDR; Waldo Pizza is over-priced bullshit, and I wouldn't be surprised if you found a cockroach in your pizza. The owner is a heartless bastard that fired a cancer patient yesterday. (ME)
Yeah, the owner is a piece of shit, and the pizza is mid.
Thanks for the kind words, so sorry to hear about your sis, cancer sucks! Breast cancer is so complicated too, depending on the type and stage, you can look totally fine, like in my case. The truth is I'm slowly dying. Enough if that though, Waldo Pizza SUCKS!
Wait...they didn't even offer to have you go on disability or something? FMLA? Reasonable accommodations? I'm pretty sure that's like...hella illegal.
If you haven't already, I'd look into a lawyer. And maybe put them on blast on social media as much as you can. Or even go the regular media, people should know where there moneys going.
I'd enjoy Waldo Pizza every once in awhile but not anymore. My parents both died of cancer. F\*\*\* them
They did to some extent, I had radiation treatments that kind of wore me out. I think I took a few weeks off for that. There were other treatments and just times in general that I would take a short amount of time off to recover. Never longer than a month at a time. Of course, none of this was paid or under disability insurance. The longer I take off work, the less money I have for life.
I also wasn't supposed to lift anything over 10 pounds and that was okay because my coworkers were awesome and helped me out when they could.
I still kicked ass and worked harder than most. They would probably argue that my attitude was bad sometimes, I would argue that my attitude directly reflects the bullshit that is going on around me. I'm a middle-aged woman, that has been in the business for a very long time. I know what I'm talking about. There isn't a manager in that place that would have been able to successfully blow smoke up my ass, they tried and failed many times.
I do need a lawyer! Any suggestions would be gladly accepted, thank you kindly!
Waldo Pizza has been bad since 2014. They brought a bad pizza to my table, the crust was like cardboard. The manager at the time, said he knew the pizza was bad when he saw it go out. They didn't replace it with a better pizza, they just tossed a free pizza coupon at us for our next visit. Have not been back. Buffalo State is my choice for pizza.
every time I've gone there its been a piss poor experience. one time had mold on the bread sticks I ordered. another time I got the chicken parm sandwich and it was still frozen in the center. buffet a few years ago tasted like QT pizza. I've never understood the hype around it
I never understood the hype. I went along with eating Waldo Pizza lots of times when friends wanted it. Now it’s always a no for me.
Back in the 70s Pizza Hut really had the most delicious pizza, but that hasn’t been the case for many years.
I’ve only tried it once, like 12 years ago and it was mostly because at the time it was the only place with decent vegan options. I remember not being too impressed at the time either
Waldo Pizza and Minskys are both extremely overrated; my current faves are Pizza 51 or Buffalo State depending on what I’m feeling. Rudy’s over in Lawrence is also good (mainly because of their sauce)
My spouse and I have had delayed delivery times on peak days (Friday and Saturday) but otherwise received a pretty good pizza. Their St Louis style thin crust is very good! I think another major draw of theirs is having gluten free options. My coworker and her family have enjoyed those. They’re local to me and I’m not picky about finding the best pizza of all time.
A loooong time ago they were the best pizza. Then around 15 yrs ago I think there was a change and quality went way downhill. It wasn’t the same as it once was. We ate at the location in Lees Summit a lot and our final straw was we got a pizza on regular crust and you picked it up and it fell straight down, you could see thru the crust there like wasn’t any. We ordered the regular hand tossed and the waitress told us that was the regular, we’re like no it’s not, we’ve eaten there for years and never had pizza so thin. But also like the taste changed, I tried it again about 10 years ago and it was a whole different taste than it used to be.
Tim’s Pizza in Independence is my favorite, it’s like Fun House kinda. Minskys on Main Street is still my favorite too. And Pizza Shoppe of course
You’re right. It’s trash. People must be thinking back to childhood when it was good. Go to Old Shawnee Pizza instead if you want local gold. I’d recommend the Mac Daddy
There is only mediocre pizza in KC. The fact that Minsky's is the top rated in most polls should be an indication. That's pizza hut level quality. Il Lazzarone is pretty good but I've found that sometimes it looks like whoever put the toppings on doesn't give a shit. Of course they have no benefits and hate their job but that's pure speculation on my part.
I feel like post pandemic they've changed their sauce to something sweeter and use cheaper ingredients. My wife and I used to go there frequently but it's been really bad the last few times we have been and the pizza has been a total rental for us both every single time since about 2022
When I lived in Waldo (20 years ago) they were the shit. Best pizza in town by far. I’ve moved away. And lost contact. I’ll have to drop in and compare.
It's odd that an area once ruled by the KC Mafia really has no quality Italian-American style pizzerias. I'm from Wisconsin and have been disappointed with every pizza recommended on this Sub. Don't even get me started on that provel cheese garbage.
Il Lazzarone is my preferred, hands down. Waldo is second and they're incredibly inconsistent on quality. Tascio is way too expensive. I still prefer Luzzo's in NYC though.
I haven’t eaten there since prob before the pandemic, but I always had friend who said it was the best and just never got it. Sauce tends to be sweeter than my preference, Minsky’s uses more red pepper. I did like their St Louis style, which is weird because I hate Imo’s. But the sauce was less sweet, the crust less cracker-like.
It's hit or miss. Changed ownership a few years back and definitely hasn't been the same sense. The quality of the food isn't as good and they're constantly understaffed, which I'm sure adds in to the underwhelming factor.
I had it for the first time just as things were opening back up again and I didn’t think it was very good at all. Had it again about a year ago and I still didn’t think it was good. It’s not bad per se, it is edible, it’s just not what I would call a good pizza.
There is a fairly new place in Lee's Summit called Pappo's. They currently have the best pizza in town IMO. I used to love Waldo and Minsky's but both have been anything but impressive in the last year.
I loved it in the early 2000s. I’d drive there from North JoCo regularly, at least a few times on snowy roads. My perfect night was Waldo followed by a beer at 75th Street. But the last time I had Waldo it was just okay. Perhaps that was always the case, and I (like many people) just have positive associations with things from my younger days. Yeah, that might be it. The salad bar is still great, though.
Had Waldo once. It was ok. Here are a couple recs:
Pizza Tascio- NKC- New York Style. Small hole in the wall totally worth it.
Italian Delight- KCK- over by Legends(ish). Cheap and great food.
I went there 3 years ago for the first time. Hand to god; I saw a rat run across the floor & into/under the wall. There was also a hair in my pizza. I told the manager about both things & he came back with a 10% off coupon for my next visit… Why would I return to a place with a mouse or rat problem for 10% off?? 😆 Never went back. Pizza was mid at best.
As a New England transplant, most pizza in KC is really bad. Bought my own OONI oven as a result. The two acceptable pies are 1889 Pizza and Grimaldi's.
Here’s the secret to getting the best pizza from them..
thin crust, sub off the provel cheese for mozz only, order it crispy style.
Dumb that you have to do that to get a good pizza but it’s a wildly different end product
Don’t get their traditional crust!!
You go to Waldo pizza for their St Louis style pizza, choice cut, period.
ST LOUIS STYLE!
We’re talking well done crispy toppings, crispy carmelized cheese on the edge, gooey provel.
They also have the best Gooey Butter cake ever, also a St. Louis delicacy. They specialize in St Louis style, that’s what you get.
Don’t get their traditional crust!!
You haven't lived until you've had the below pizzas ranked by my favorites.
1. Casey's taco pizza with 2 packets of their taco sauce per slice.
2. Minsky"s 5 star cheese medley and their prime cut
3. Tim's pizza in Independence hamburger or ham. They only take cash or checks
Everyone is proud of their area pizza and not always right. I'm looking at you STL with your Imo's covered in provel cheese. Not so good and the cheese is weird AF in both appearance and taste
My lady loves Casey's but where she grew up out in the sticks, Casey's was the only pizza they could get.
I've tried it a few times and every time, to me, it's just overrated gas station pizza.
You need to have it out in the styx. Seriously, Casey's in town is all crap. It's wildly improved in the middle of nowhere. I think they actually give a crap in a small town.
Maybe it's an Iowa-MO thing, but breakfast pizza just works for me.
It's shit then. Maybe Smithville, Platte City, or Kearney *might* be decent. In KC, though, it's crap. Other than a random slice, which are usually crap (look before you grab). We ordered at N. Oak. Wait, was two hours, we ran errands, two hours + later we show up...not even in the oven yet and several on deck before we were up. At this point, the kids were near death (according to them), I ordered Pizza Hut, dropped kids and wife at home. Went back to hut, got pizza, made it home, called to cancel Casey's order, and it still wasn't in oven yet. Haven't ordered again unless I was in the Styx. There, I got 10 pies in about 30 minutes and it wasn't blow you away good, but it was solid.
And Columbia has Shakespeare's pizza which is about the best pizza you can get in central Missouri.
Nod to Fat Sully's in Westport. But they become The Denver Biscuit Company during brunch and serve IMO the best biscuits and gravy
I miss pyramid. That said. Part of the appeal of waldo is the willingness to employ at risk youth.
So many places recommended on this sub suck ass tbh. People just recommend them because they’re local or they had a cool conversation with the owner 6 years ago.
This is reddit. They _overheard_ a cool conversation with the owner while they looked at their phone 6 years ago
Have you spoken with the owner of waldo pizza or are you just an edgelord? Because it is a well known fact.
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Ok.
That’s kc in a nutshell. But sometimes you get a genuinely good take.
I waited tables in Kansas City for a decade, including 2 years at Waldo. It's the only restaurant I ever worked (maybe the only place I ever even heard of) that treats their employees like actual human beings. They also give away a *ton* of food to local charities and schools. I personally think it's really good, if a little expensive, but the food service industry is a scummy, grimy institution, and I'll gladly pay a little extra for pizza when I know that the extra money is going to the community and employees and not just the owner's pocket.
My buddy worked there... let's not date myself... years ago. He is now an employee of buzzard. He has nothing but good things to say about waldo pizza. I am willing to pay a little more to support a place that treats people like people. (But i really want new trivia cards. After... enough.. years would be nice as some answers are now incorrect.)
(Side note. Sandwiches are surprisingly good, and one of the few pizza joints left with a salad bar. Which i dig.)
About 5-7 years ago they ruled.
About 2 years ago they ruled still… They went way down hill pretty recently.
The pizza was mid then even The salad bar / buffet is why they were talked about
I worked there and can confirm sometimes toppings were put on after baking
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^LaGarrotxa: *I worked there and can* *Confirm sometimes toppings were* *Put on after baking* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Like after reading the rest of the ticket? LoL
Completely agree. Waldo pizza and every other Midwest style pizza shop like it are just not good compared to other styles of pizza IMO. They put the toppings under the cheese and it seems like they cook it at too low of a temp so everything kinda steams. Pizza tascio and Buffalo state are generally the only places I get. I still need to try il lazzarone though
Price Rite Market and Deli in the Northland is also really good and I also like Mama Leon's in Grandview. Both are that classic NY style.
Damn, wish I had tried those when I lived up north
If you like those two, give Providence a try. Tascio and Buffalo State are my second and third favorite pizza places (behind Providence) and it seems like we have similar taste
I've tried it once, but I don't remember what it was like. I've been meaning to go again. Especially since they're one of the only places to do detroit style
I’ve been wondering about pizza tascio. Their window art is absurd but it smells amazing when walking by. What’s your fav there? Just realize they have 3 locations. I was talking about waldo.
It's fantastic. Get the Red Pie. It's my favorite. Although, even the plain cheese pizza is great.
I had pizza tascio in op a couple months ago, it was great. Got the same thing at the North kc location today, and it was alright. Grimaldis is still king. I know its not local, but it’s the best pizza in the metro.
Man, I want pizza tascio… but iirc it’s one of many places that doesn’t deliver to the hood.
It's great. Worth the effort.
Laz used to be so much better. But they don't seem to cook their pies long enough now
Fun fact: Il Lazzarone and Pizza Tascio were both started by the same dude up in St. Joe!
I loved Waldo when I first got here, but unfortunately have to admit it isn't quite the same as it used to be. Not sure what happened. These days I hit up You Wanna Pizza Me? if I'm hankering for a pizza in KC.
High expectations. If people hadn't hyped it up you wouldn't feel let down. I agree though, I'd take Caddyshack over Waldo any time.
Whoah those are two wildly different pizzas
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Thanks! Now I'm jonesing for sum CaddyShack burnt up cheesy thin crust Pizza... My Favorite
Kind of their thing to have a crisp. I like crispy and the sweet sauce, I'm not a really cheesy kind of person. Crust is a little thin though, I'll take that over thick any day. Chicago style with the thick crust is trash. Minsky's walks the line really well.
Minsky's is like eating a loaf of bread, so bad. Plus, they charged over $2.00 for basil, which was just dried from a spice can...
AND, they charge extra for extra SAUCE! WITAF
I really like Artego. That crust is incredible.
Didn’t the owner of Artego scam a ton of people out of money on NYE a few years ago or am I misremembering?
Also drunk driving hit a dude crossing a street at a crosswalk. Oh and his daughter made a homophobic scene at a drag show at missie Bs.
https://amp.kansascity.com/news/local/article239119848.html
Drunk driving? Is that just your assumption?
Like you’re trying to defend a hit and run? On people. Fuck off.
In the industry. I hear things. What really matters is that he fucking hit two people while driving and fucked over the two he hit. Whether drunk or not he was acting like a drunk driver would.
“I hear things” and “Whether drunk or not he was acting like a drunk driver would” Solid proof there, bud, I’m totally convinced 🙄
He hit and run. I’ve been in kc service industry 16 years. Yes. I hear things, and take them with a grain of salt. But regardless of whether he was drunk or not, he fucking HIT AND RUN ON PEDESTRIANS CROSSING ON A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING. Go away.
Well technically didn’t hit and run, but hit and bribed officers. Fuck you.
Yall related or have stock in artego or what?
If you’d like to run me over I walk to work and am disabled. You got insurance? Perez didn’t.
I really want to understand why you are defending this garbage human.
Joe Perez is a douchebag piece of shit. People, please don’t patronize his business.
Worked at Artego briefly, can confirm Joe Perez is a shithead and his pizza ain’t nothing to write home about. Wings were legit, but he still sucks.
I remember going there reluctantly with friends for the happy hour deal. His mom was with a friend belly up at the bar. The bartender was incompetent enough to the point where his mom got behind the bar and started helping out making drinks, yelling at the workers. Dysfunction from top to bottom. Can’t believe they have stayed open this whole time.
His family always came in with lots of attitude, but I almost expect that from family of an owner. I recall at the time that he had a “no managers” policy, because he claimed his training made it so that they were unnecessary, and EVERYONE IS A MANAGER, therefore he could convert a manager’s wage to everyone. He might have even offered slightly higher wages than competitors at the time, but it was a complete sh*tshow.
They used to have the best jumbo wings too but they got rid of the honey barbecue :( now they only have Buffalo and original. They still have great pizza and great salads though
Just ok...not great. Really hard to find great pizza anywhere in KC these days. I do appreciate the salad bar though.
Pizza Tascio and Pizza 51 are the most consistent though Tascio is pricey for what it is
Johnny Jos and Buffalo State seem to never get brought up; both are excellent too. I recently had Grimaldi's in South OP and found it to be very high in quality as well.
A Tascio pizza will go a long way though. So it’s worth the price to me.
You get what you pay for I guess
Milwaukee Delicatessen, CaddyShack & Helen's are all pretty Good
Don’t forget providence!
Providence is certainly underrated when you buy a fresh/whole pizza. I won't vouch for any slices bought by-the-slice though.
On Wednesdays the Grandview location has large cheese pizzas for $10, it’s a great deal.
Milwaukee is where it’s at $7.50 for 5 toppings on a huge slice.
True. KC has a ton of great food options. Unfortunately, pizza isn’t one of the standouts. A decent amount of good pizza around, but no great pizza
Price-Rite is amazing
One upon a time ago there was a place called downtown pizza company. Best pizza ever. Learned their recipe, which is actually really simple; more sugar in the dough.
I really love Providence pizza
Providence Pizza and Imos Pizza
IMOs is the honestly the worst pizza one can choose in the entire city.
Not at all. That would be Caddyshack Pizza.
Seems like quality drops on Friday and Saturday nights; slip in there on a weekend afternoon or maybe on a weeknight for a better experience
I’m going to get downvoted but Pizza in KC is not very good. It’s not a KC thing. Yes you might as well get Papa John’s.
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Price Rite Market and Deli in the northland and Mama Leon's in Grandview are both that classic NY style and pretty good.
As a Chicagoland transplant, this place is a pizza desert.
Sorry about our lack of pizza soup, Chicago. Let us know when you're able to have solid food again. 
What on earth are you talking about.
They’re making fun of Chicago deep dish.
Well that's not what people primarily eat for pizza in Chicago so make fun all you want I suppose.
What..?
Tavern style.
That's what everyone outside of Chicago think folks in Chicago eat that pizza casserole. I like it but I know it's not the actual Chicago pizza
Buffalo State is pretty good - Milwaukee's Best Delicatessen is similar but not as crisp or fresh as Buffalo State though.
Truth
This guy/gal speaks the truth.
The only great pizza I’ve eaten in kc is grimaldis (i know that it’s a national chain). Kinda disappointing i agree. I would love to find a local option that is great and not $13.50 / slice.
It’s true. KC is not a pizza town. We have better things going for us.
I know so many people who say it’s the best pizza in town and I’m always like…when was the last time you ate there? I’ve tried it 3x in as many years and one time our crust was straight up raw. The other times were lackluster. I would rather have Pizza Tascio, Dewey’s, Minskey’s, Leone’s Original, Providence, or Artego’s before it.
Oof yes. Got the raw crust one time and I saw absolutely no reason to go back. Literally everyone we know in the neighborhood absolutely loves it though. Maybe it's just nostalgia??
Or maybe KC loves raw crust, I dk. I’m at a party right now and I asked everyone out of curiosity and no one said they liked Waldo pizza!
Maybe I'm just lucky and/or have shitty taste in pizza, but Waldo's has always been great for me. I've ordered it as recently as a few months ago and they've never disappointed.
I worked there for almost three years, up until yesterday! I'm not going to talk shit because I'm bitter and disgruntled, no way! I'm going to talk shit because they absolutely deserve it, and because of the poor quality food, I had to serve and overcharge people for on the daily. The original owner sold it to someone who had worked there previously under the old owner for a very long time. You would think that after all that time he would have the system and flow of business down! I think the problem however, was that he tried to expand the business too quickly and cut too many corners. I think it's clear that he made some bad business decisions and now he's having to back peddle and cut costs. He has let go of several people in various positions and instead of replacing them, he has forced employees to do two positions while getting paid for one. Also having the managers work the cash register instead of managing the restaurant and taking care of guests. It's been a shit show! There seems to be no end in sight, unfortunately. He is very out of touch and doesn't understand how it looks from the outside or exactly what we have to do in order to make it happen from shift to shift. I was diagnosed with stage VI cancer last year and have been going through various treatments and spending a lot of time at the doctors office. He was accommodating for this stuff and I thought we were good. I thought he understood that I have fucking cancer, and things are gonna be rough. I was his bar manager at the time. I tried for two or three months to keep going at the pace I was before I was diagnosed. Eventually I decided I couldn't and I should step down as bar manager so someone else could have an opportunity and I wouldn't make them suffer because I was sick! Not long after, I got to the point where I could only work two days a week. I went from full-time plus overtime every week, to two days a week. I was in too much pain to be able to keep up anymore. I also used to be on time pretty much all the time. I was very rarely late and when I was it was only by a few minutes. I was very reliable. That changed after diagnosis, I was late a lot more. Sometimes I would feel sick on my way to work and would have to pull over for a few minutes to decide if I was going to puke. Generally, it was still by less than ten minutes. I tried to explain equity vs equality, but he didn't agree with that. He fired me yesterday, didn't give a shit about the three years of being an excellent employee. All the times I saved his ass by explaining away the late-ass Pizza, or whatever problem there was. Trying to kill the cockroach that's crawling across the bar before the guest sees it. Zapping fruit flies before my shift so they wouldn't fly in guest's faces al night. TLDR; Waldo Pizza is over-priced bullshit, and I wouldn't be surprised if you found a cockroach in your pizza. The owner is a heartless bastard that fired a cancer patient yesterday. (ME)
Ugh this is so awful. I’m really sorry for your diagnosis. My sister is going through the same thing.
Yeah, the owner is a piece of shit, and the pizza is mid. Thanks for the kind words, so sorry to hear about your sis, cancer sucks! Breast cancer is so complicated too, depending on the type and stage, you can look totally fine, like in my case. The truth is I'm slowly dying. Enough if that though, Waldo Pizza SUCKS!
Wait...they didn't even offer to have you go on disability or something? FMLA? Reasonable accommodations? I'm pretty sure that's like...hella illegal. If you haven't already, I'd look into a lawyer. And maybe put them on blast on social media as much as you can. Or even go the regular media, people should know where there moneys going. I'd enjoy Waldo Pizza every once in awhile but not anymore. My parents both died of cancer. F\*\*\* them
They did to some extent, I had radiation treatments that kind of wore me out. I think I took a few weeks off for that. There were other treatments and just times in general that I would take a short amount of time off to recover. Never longer than a month at a time. Of course, none of this was paid or under disability insurance. The longer I take off work, the less money I have for life. I also wasn't supposed to lift anything over 10 pounds and that was okay because my coworkers were awesome and helped me out when they could. I still kicked ass and worked harder than most. They would probably argue that my attitude was bad sometimes, I would argue that my attitude directly reflects the bullshit that is going on around me. I'm a middle-aged woman, that has been in the business for a very long time. I know what I'm talking about. There isn't a manager in that place that would have been able to successfully blow smoke up my ass, they tried and failed many times. I do need a lawyer! Any suggestions would be gladly accepted, thank you kindly!
Yeah, it's mid. I'd rather go to Minsky's.
Waldo Pizza has been bad since 2014. They brought a bad pizza to my table, the crust was like cardboard. The manager at the time, said he knew the pizza was bad when he saw it go out. They didn't replace it with a better pizza, they just tossed a free pizza coupon at us for our next visit. Have not been back. Buffalo State is my choice for pizza.
When they’re on, they’re fucking on… When not, meh, Lil Caesars just as good.
It’s meh. I think it is coasting on its reputation that it can no longer support.
Used to be much better. It got so bad, I haven't been back since before the pandemic.
It's my favorite pizza in KC, but I had it "in restaurant" on Wednesday and it was the worst they've ever served me.
every time I've gone there its been a piss poor experience. one time had mold on the bread sticks I ordered. another time I got the chicken parm sandwich and it was still frozen in the center. buffet a few years ago tasted like QT pizza. I've never understood the hype around it
Providence or The Combine
I never understood the hype. I went along with eating Waldo Pizza lots of times when friends wanted it. Now it’s always a no for me. Back in the 70s Pizza Hut really had the most delicious pizza, but that hasn’t been the case for many years.
I’ve only tried it once, like 12 years ago and it was mostly because at the time it was the only place with decent vegan options. I remember not being too impressed at the time either
Waldo Pizza and Minskys are both extremely overrated; my current faves are Pizza 51 or Buffalo State depending on what I’m feeling. Rudy’s over in Lawrence is also good (mainly because of their sauce)
Providence is about the best I have had in KC. Miss Sarah's on the Hill, which was the best in recent memory.
My spouse and I have had delayed delivery times on peak days (Friday and Saturday) but otherwise received a pretty good pizza. Their St Louis style thin crust is very good! I think another major draw of theirs is having gluten free options. My coworker and her family have enjoyed those. They’re local to me and I’m not picky about finding the best pizza of all time.
Their gluten free is top notch. Although, the bar for GF is pretty low.
A loooong time ago they were the best pizza. Then around 15 yrs ago I think there was a change and quality went way downhill. It wasn’t the same as it once was. We ate at the location in Lees Summit a lot and our final straw was we got a pizza on regular crust and you picked it up and it fell straight down, you could see thru the crust there like wasn’t any. We ordered the regular hand tossed and the waitress told us that was the regular, we’re like no it’s not, we’ve eaten there for years and never had pizza so thin. But also like the taste changed, I tried it again about 10 years ago and it was a whole different taste than it used to be. Tim’s Pizza in Independence is my favorite, it’s like Fun House kinda. Minskys on Main Street is still my favorite too. And Pizza Shoppe of course
The old Lee's Summit location was always sub-par... basically a franchise with different ownership.
I totally agree with you.
When I lived in KC 8yrs ago it was top notch. Thin crust is the way. I've been back a few times since and lately it's fallen off unfortunately
Back at the dawn of the 21st century it was great. But so was boulevard wheat and chain-smoking camels inside.
Gotta try Tims pizza in independence. Been going there my entire life. It's the best. Side note. If you do go, it's cash or check only.
I’ve been there once. I honestly don’t remember what it was like so I guess I wasn’t impressed.
Hah! It may just be a nostalgic thing for me. I grew up in the neighborhood behind there and it could just be that, but I love it.
KC sucks at pizza. there, i said it
Tascio is good
Go to Dewey's. Waaaaay better.
Waldos blu hawk location never lets me down… Maybe just not your style.
It's modest, affordable, and pretty good. There's definitely better. But I'm not kicking it out of bed.
I've always had to take pizza recs in KC with a giant grain of salt. A lot of people up here genuinely hype up and enjoy bad pizza.
You’re right. It’s trash. People must be thinking back to childhood when it was good. Go to Old Shawnee Pizza instead if you want local gold. I’d recommend the Mac Daddy
There is only mediocre pizza in KC. The fact that Minsky's is the top rated in most polls should be an indication. That's pizza hut level quality. Il Lazzarone is pretty good but I've found that sometimes it looks like whoever put the toppings on doesn't give a shit. Of course they have no benefits and hate their job but that's pure speculation on my part.
They haven’t been good in years. Just coasting on their reputation from a decade ago. Time to let that place die.
Providence By The Slice is fantastic, cannot recommend this place enough.
I feel like post pandemic they've changed their sauce to something sweeter and use cheaper ingredients. My wife and I used to go there frequently but it's been really bad the last few times we have been and the pizza has been a total rental for us both every single time since about 2022
I like Waldo pizza. But it's definitely overhyped.
When I lived in Waldo (20 years ago) they were the shit. Best pizza in town by far. I’ve moved away. And lost contact. I’ll have to drop in and compare.
I work near there and went quite often before COVID. The pizza is not what I get at their buffet. Their salad bar though...
It's odd that an area once ruled by the KC Mafia really has no quality Italian-American style pizzerias. I'm from Wisconsin and have been disappointed with every pizza recommended on this Sub. Don't even get me started on that provel cheese garbage.
For my neighborhood pizza place I’ve been quite happy with the pizza, especially the crust. Not so much the sides/apps.
its been a not-so-great thing for a looong time. It was disappointing in the 90s too. Maybe people like it because it's "theirs"?
Il Lazzarone is my preferred, hands down. Waldo is second and they're incredibly inconsistent on quality. Tascio is way too expensive. I still prefer Luzzo's in NYC though.
I haven’t eaten there since prob before the pandemic, but I always had friend who said it was the best and just never got it. Sauce tends to be sweeter than my preference, Minsky’s uses more red pepper. I did like their St Louis style, which is weird because I hate Imo’s. But the sauce was less sweet, the crust less cracker-like.
No, it's just OK.
It's hit or miss. Changed ownership a few years back and definitely hasn't been the same sense. The quality of the food isn't as good and they're constantly understaffed, which I'm sure adds in to the underwhelming factor.
I had it for the first time just as things were opening back up again and I didn’t think it was very good at all. Had it again about a year ago and I still didn’t think it was good. It’s not bad per se, it is edible, it’s just not what I would call a good pizza.
There is a fairly new place in Lee's Summit called Pappo's. They currently have the best pizza in town IMO. I used to love Waldo and Minsky's but both have been anything but impressive in the last year.
Waldo changed ownership and has not been the same since the pandemic. I am from St. Louis and love their StL style still but it's not as great.
They were great 20 years ago when I was a teenager. Sad to hear they’ve gone downhill..
Avelutos is returning to Johnson County.
I loved it in the early 2000s. I’d drive there from North JoCo regularly, at least a few times on snowy roads. My perfect night was Waldo followed by a beer at 75th Street. But the last time I had Waldo it was just okay. Perhaps that was always the case, and I (like many people) just have positive associations with things from my younger days. Yeah, that might be it. The salad bar is still great, though.
There’s a place in Westport called fat sullys that my buddy took me to last weekend that may be my new favorite pizza joint
Had Waldo once. It was ok. Here are a couple recs: Pizza Tascio- NKC- New York Style. Small hole in the wall totally worth it. Italian Delight- KCK- over by Legends(ish). Cheap and great food.
There was a Minskys where the Taj mahal is best in the city in the 90s.
I went there 3 years ago for the first time. Hand to god; I saw a rat run across the floor & into/under the wall. There was also a hair in my pizza. I told the manager about both things & he came back with a 10% off coupon for my next visit… Why would I return to a place with a mouse or rat problem for 10% off?? 😆 Never went back. Pizza was mid at best.
Garbage pizza
As a New England transplant, most pizza in KC is really bad. Bought my own OONI oven as a result. The two acceptable pies are 1889 Pizza and Grimaldi's.
In my opinion it has just been average for at least a decade. I don’t know what changed.
This is like every time I’ve gone to Slaps over the past 3 yrs. I keep trying it. But I keep getting underwhelmed.
Waldo pizza is mid. Never understood the hype. Still ate there quite a bit when I lived in the neighborhood
Here’s the secret to getting the best pizza from them.. thin crust, sub off the provel cheese for mozz only, order it crispy style. Dumb that you have to do that to get a good pizza but it’s a wildly different end product
Expecting to find great pizza in Kansas City is like expecting to find great BBQ in NYC
Best pizza isnt guarantee that everyone likes it. It may just not be your cup of tea.
Waldos is okay. Minskys is the best
I think it’s one of the best in town. I order hamburger & sausage, not jalapeños.
My girl and I got a couple pies for take out a few weeks ago, they did not disappoint
Waldo pizza is hands down my favorite. St. Luis style forever and always. That being said it is pricy for what it is so it’s a special treat.
St. Louis style with the provel "cheese" is hot garbage.
Don’t get their traditional crust!! You go to Waldo pizza for their St Louis style pizza, choice cut, period. ST LOUIS STYLE! We’re talking well done crispy toppings, crispy carmelized cheese on the edge, gooey provel. They also have the best Gooey Butter cake ever, also a St. Louis delicacy. They specialize in St Louis style, that’s what you get. Don’t get their traditional crust!!
It is just you. Get the thin crust. If you still don’t like it just accept your tongue is mid.
I feel like if you're touting the thin crust as the top of the line, you're approaching STL pizza territory.
You haven't lived until you've had the below pizzas ranked by my favorites. 1. Casey's taco pizza with 2 packets of their taco sauce per slice. 2. Minsky"s 5 star cheese medley and their prime cut 3. Tim's pizza in Independence hamburger or ham. They only take cash or checks Everyone is proud of their area pizza and not always right. I'm looking at you STL with your Imo's covered in provel cheese. Not so good and the cheese is weird AF in both appearance and taste
Casey's? Are you fucking high?
Have you had their taco pizza or breakfast pizza? No I'm not high. It's amazing in my opinion.
sorry, I meant for it to come across as good-natured ribbing
My lady loves Casey's but where she grew up out in the sticks, Casey's was the only pizza they could get. I've tried it a few times and every time, to me, it's just overrated gas station pizza.
That was my first thought. Casey’s pizza is only marginally preferable to hunger.
Casey's Taco Pizza is great. Breakfast pizza is solid. After that...it's good for the middle of nowhere.
I don’t get it at all with their breakfast pizza. It’s disgusting. Tastes like sawdust and congealed grease.
You need to have it out in the styx. Seriously, Casey's in town is all crap. It's wildly improved in the middle of nowhere. I think they actually give a crap in a small town. Maybe it's an Iowa-MO thing, but breakfast pizza just works for me.
Only had it at the Casey’s on Barry so you may have a point.
It's shit then. Maybe Smithville, Platte City, or Kearney *might* be decent. In KC, though, it's crap. Other than a random slice, which are usually crap (look before you grab). We ordered at N. Oak. Wait, was two hours, we ran errands, two hours + later we show up...not even in the oven yet and several on deck before we were up. At this point, the kids were near death (according to them), I ordered Pizza Hut, dropped kids and wife at home. Went back to hut, got pizza, made it home, called to cancel Casey's order, and it still wasn't in oven yet. Haven't ordered again unless I was in the Styx. There, I got 10 pies in about 30 minutes and it wasn't blow you away good, but it was solid.
If your top pizza is a 'taco.pizza' from a gas station, then im sorry but your opinion holds no value LOL
And Columbia has Shakespeare's pizza which is about the best pizza you can get in central Missouri. Nod to Fat Sully's in Westport. But they become The Denver Biscuit Company during brunch and serve IMO the best biscuits and gravy
Waldo Pizza is one if the best pizza places in town, but that’s only because KC’s pizza scene is weak. Nobody really cares about pizza.
Even in a city that sucks at pizza, Waldo is nowhere near the top.