Imo's Pizza: St. Louis' Inexplicably Addictive Pie (O'Fallon, Kirkwood: buy, price)

[stlcitygirl]

I used to hate Imo's when I first moved to St Louis. Now, I won't eat anything else.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by BoomBoxing

Southcitygal you are absolutely correct on the Imos at Hampton and Oakland being the best. As far as locations having greatly varying quality I have to give that nod to Cecil Whitakers. Some of their locations are great and others are pretty bad. Their weekday specials are really good though..I think it is Tuesday or Wednesday night you can get an extra large for only 5 bucks. Or something like that.

I actually had some pizza from the one at Hampton and Oakland the other day, and though pizza from the Imo's way down in Rolla was a lot better! Maybe I had it on an off-day.

I personally like Imo's, and I'm not a native to St. Louis. It does seem to be a love-hate thing though.

I've found that this little hole-in-the-wall called Pizza A-Go-Go in the city makes some pretty good pizza. The place is minimal...just pizza, soda, and water, they don't take credit cards, and they don't deliver, but the pizza is really pretty good.

Pi is also delicious, but not rather expensive to eat regularly.

[skipcromer]

Im not big on Imo's pizza but am a fan of the rest of the stuff they have.

[60'sGal]

My boyfriend bought me my first IMO's in 1969. There was only one then on Thurmand. My boyfriend lived on 39th St. and ordered them all the time.

I remember the night like it was yesterday. We were at his house on a Friday night watching TV in a room on the 3rd floor of their house. He asked if I wanted a pizza. I said it sounded good and he left and went downstairs. I thought he went down to put together a box Chef Boyardee which was the only pizza I knew. He comes back quickly, empty handed and I assume he mixed the dough and was letting it rise. When he doesn't go back downstairs in 15 minutes or so, I ask about the pizza. He says it should be there soon. Be there? That's when he told me he called and ordered it and it was being delivered. I'd never had pizza made in a real pizza parlor before. It arrived and it was pure heaven. Shortly after, my sister and I talked our Mom into letting us order an IMO's. Mom became such a fan that we often came home late after dates to find an empty IMO's wrapper in the trash. Mom would order a small cheese pizza and eat the whole thing.

I met my husband when he was in St. Louis going to college. I suggested one night at the apartment he shared with about 10 other guys all attending Bailey Tech that we order pizza. He tells me he doesn't much care for pizza. That was back in the days when he was still trying to impress me by being nice and let me go ahead and order. One bite and he was sold.

We moved to his home state of Michigan but, when we'd go back to St. Louis to visit my Mom she would place the order the second we walked through the door. She knew that IMO's MUST be our first meal. We also bought several to take home for the freezer . Back then, Schnucks sold the kits. Now, you can order them right off the ROMA site. My freezer is NEVER without them. We put in two $300 orders a year.

Came back for a visit this past Spring and brought a friend who'd never been to St. Louis. We ate at Charlie Gittos, Kreis's Steak House and IMO's. Our last night there, I asked her where she wanted to eat. She didn't hesitate. IMO's.

IMO's is as much a part of St. Louis to me as The Arch.

[Fishtacos]

If you grow up on St. Louis style provel cheese, little to no crust, etc...that's what you know so many lifelong St. Louisans, or those that leave and go elsewhere and come back to eat it, do so just fine. It's more of an acquired taste for visiting or relocated to Stl adults.

I'll eat just about any pizza, though I prefer a CT, NYC style of pizza most. I probably like least the old Chicago standby places of Lou Malnati's, Gino's, Giordano's. Uno, and the like but I'll eat those too.

[Fudoshin1115]

If I want to eat a pizza that sticks to my teeth and the roof of my mouth, I get an Imo's.

The rest of the time, I'll get a Pantera's and actually enjoy the experience.

[cadetduke]

When I have a choice it's usually Cecils. I don't mine Imo's, and there's an Imo's, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, and Domino's all on the way to Cecils but Cecils has the best cold pizza around, so the leftovers the next day are amazing.

[stlsmoore]

I say this all the time but I think IMO's is an acquired taste. I used to hate it when I was a kid but then one day it completely reversed at some point in my teen years.

[STLCardsBlues1989]

I like it, but I'm not a pizza expert or anything.

[Marksman84]

I'd rather eat the carton it comes in. Imo's is caulking compound smeared on cracker with stale marinara.

Go to Cicero's, Pi, JJ Twigs, A Better Pizza (O'Fallon MO), etc. So many alternatives.