REVIEW: The best slice of Columbia

What college campus is complete without its beloved pizzeria? There are many excellent pizza places in Columbia — perhaps too many to choose from! Over the course of a week, I tried seven different Columbia pies to determine which has the highest quality pizza.

Arris’ Pizza1020 Grn Mdws Rd #102, Columbia, MO 65201

Unique pizza style, unremarkable basics

Arris’ Pizza in outer Columbia is one of four locations in Missouri. What makes Arris’ interesting is that the pizzeria serves a Greek style pizza that is distinct from the other pizzas.

Arris’ pizza is cut thinner, reminiscent of St. Louis-style pizza. Arris’ specialty pizza, aptly dubbed The Arris, does not have many toppings, save for a massive piece of sausage on each slice of pizza. This was an issue for me because the taste of sausage distracted from the rest of the pizza. Further, the proportion of sauce to cheese was overpowering.

This pizza does not have a particularly special cheese or sauce, and the crust is nothing to write home about. There is nothing glaringly wrong with the pizza–unless you dislike a more thin crust–but nothing on the pizza really shines. Compared to other pizzerias I tried, Arris’ smallest pizza is $14.20, which is far more costly than similarly sized pizzas of better quality.

Arris’: 2.5/5

The Italian Village1729 W Broadway #13, Columbia, MO 65203

Competing toppings, less-than-crisp crust

The Italian Village pizzeria is a bit further from bustling downtown Columbia. The shop features a small seating area to make space for the cooking equipment. This location may not have all the bells and whistles of other pizzerias, but it certainly is not to be dismissed.

The specialty pizza that I had was the Supreme Pizza, and it just missed that title of supreme. The sauce and cheese on the pizza is good. On the other hand, the crust is not stellar, being less crisp than the average pizza crust. The Italian Village is generous with its toppings, however, it did not blend well with the rest of the pizza, ccompeting to be the dominating flavor.

The onions and peppers in particular are a hard sell on the Supreme Pizza, as they stand out against the other toppings. The balance of cheese and tomato sauce is quite good and the sauce only slightly overpowers the cheese of the pizza. For the price of $11.99 you can have the smallest size specialty pizza.

The Italian Village: 3/5

Shakespeare’s Pizza225 S 9th St, Columbia, MO 65201

Generous portions, heavy on the cheese.

Shakespeare’s is one of the first locations students may think about. The iconic downtown location has an unmistakable interior with its winding wooden walls and tall booths. Yet, this location is one of three in Columbia.

Enchanted by its local fame, I went into Shakespeare’s expecting a lot from the pizza. I tried slices of both the cheese and pepperoni pizzas. Altogether the pizza is not bad, but the cheese is overwhelming and without enough sauce to counterbalance it.

However, Shakespeare’s slices are by no means horrible. They have a dry crust, which I appreciate, and the size of the shop’s “by the slice” pizza is very generous.The smallest specialty pizza will cost you $8.05 and an individual slice costs $4.

Shakespeare’s: 3/5

Wise Guys7 N 6th St, Columbia, MO 65201

Classic but balanced, reliably simple

Wise Guys is an elusive pizzeria inside of McNally’s Irish Pub. Also located downtown, Wise Guys’ pizza is basic, but tasty nonetheless. They have a simple selection of pizzas, but one thing that I found interesting was the inclusion of Chicago-style pizza.

I had the specialty Meat Lover’s pizza, which is well-made and delicious. Surprisingly, the cheese pizza is better than the specialty, with a great balance of cheese and sauce that is rich without being nauseating.

Overall, the pizza is a testament to the idea that a simpler pizza, when made well, is often a great one. The reliable flavor of Wise Guys’ Pizza is well worth the $6.99 for the establishment’s smallest pizza.

Wise Guys: 3.5/5

Gumby’s Pizza1201 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201

Flavorful favorites at a quirky chain

Gumby’s Pizza has 15 locations around the country that are often on or around university campuses.

The specialty pizza that I tried was the Pesto Chicken pizza, which is fantastic. I was apprehensive of this pizza at first, but after the first few bites, it was clear why the pizza was popular. The toppings, which include feta cheese and red onion, are interesting and well-cooked. They work together to create a harmony of flavor rather than competing with each other.

Gumby’s also has a decent cheese pizza with an excellent cheese to sauce balance. The crust is soft but tough, pairing well with the rest of the pie. At $10 for the smallest specialty pizza, Gumby’s is more than worth it.

Gumby’s: 4/5

PaPPo’s Pizzeria and Pub10 W Nifong Blvd, Columbia, MO 65203

High quality toppings, unique slices

PaPPo’s Pizzeria and Pub is similar to Pizza Tree in its quality pizza, as well as its creativity with specialty slices. PaPPo’s is a location that is an excellent place to have pizza with friends. Two interesting menu items are the Shrimp Scampi pizza and the American Cheeseburger pizza.

The specialty pizza that I tried was the PaPPo’s Deluxe pizza. Though this pizza has many toppings— including pepperoni, sausage, red onions, mushrooms and green peppers—they do not compete for attention. Instead they all work together in harmony to create a delicious pizza experience. As a hater of mushrooms, I was actually surprised to enjoy the mushrooms on this pizza, which is a testament to the power of the toppings.

The cheese to tomato sauce ratio is quite balanced as well, with a decent amount of tomato sauce and an amount of cheese that is slightly heavy-handed, but still tasty. The smallest deluxe pizza costs $12.99, which for the amount of toppings that Pappo’s put on the pizzas, is not at all an absurd price.

PaPPo’s: 4/5

Pizza Tree909 Cherry St, Columbia, MO 65201

Goes beyond expectations, ambitious and successful toppings

Pizza Tree, conveniently positioned by the ever-popular Harpo’s, has sold pizza through a walk-up window since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pizzeria has many unique topping options, including the Mac and Cheese and Fortnight pizzas.

The specialty pizza I had was the popular Jalapeño Papa. For this slice, Pizza Tree drizzles honey over the pizza in a creative twist. The honey offsets both the peppers and pepper jack cheese. When I first tasted the pizza, I was delighted but confused by what I was tasting. It was spicy, but also had an occasional hint of sweetness from the honey.

The addition of honey to the specialty pizza makes it fantastic. The cheese pizza was less exciting than the Jalapeño Papa, but maintained a similarly high quality.Pizza Tree is generous with its cheese and toppings. While the ratio of cheese to sauce was not perfect, it was still fairly balanced. The pizza was particularly greasy, but that did not detract from the flavor in any way. For a price between $6 and $7 that is advertised on the front of the shop, Pizza Tree is well worth the price!

Pizza Tree: 4.5/5

The fact that Pizza Tree has the moxie to put honey on its pizza is admirable, and the way that it works so well with the spice of the Jalapeño Papa is miraculous. Meanwhile, the cheese pizza is not the best, but it still stands out as a quality pizza in comparison to other shops. This is not to say that the other pizzerias on this list are subpar, Pizza Tree simply stands above as a creative location that serves high-quality and flavorful pizza.

Edited by Savvy Sleevar | ssleevar@themaneater.comCopy edited by Sterling Sewell and Lauren Courtney