Waldo Pizza has the strongest indie pizza spirit around town. That much is beyond dispute. The servers there actually wear t-shirts that proclaim “Corporate Pizza Sucks” and “Just Like a Real Restaurant.” Two jabs at the corporate restaurant industry prominently displayed.
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Waldo also dabbles in the field of subversive advertising. A recent newspaper ad proclaimed “Order Waldo Pizza. Because if you don’t it’s like letting the terrorists win”. It sounds more like a subvertisement off adbusters, than a legitimate pitch. But for Waldo, this viral marketing is the perfect way to spread the word.
With this in mind, it’s worthwhile to investigate whether Waldo has the skills to live up to the hype.
Pizza is the definite focus here, with three distinct varieties available. The original is pretty standard fare, but tastes much better than the corporate standard. For one thing, there is a wide variety of toppings available – meatballs, artichokes, almonds, etc. For another thing, the cheese doesn’t produce the unsavory pools of grease present at most chains.
The other two varieties are available with the same variety of toppings, but within quite different constructs. The St. Louis style pizza is the typical thin crust, but with a creamy cheese on top. It is actually quite similar to what is offered at the St. Louis export, Imo’s.
It’s the Chicago-style pie that is really unique. This pie features a chunky sauce and the thick crust commonly associated with the city on Lake Michigan. Unlike Waldo’s St. Louis offering, this one surpasses the competition at chains, such as Pizzeria Uno and Old Chicago. The reason is simple: Waldo makes a thick crust, but doesn’t get too exuberant about it. So when you leave Waldo it doesn’t feel like you’ve got a stomach full of bread.
Non-pizza offerings at Waldo are slim, with only a few sandwiches and a salad bar. This is probably to Waldo’s credit – they focus on pizza, not the pasta of the day.
The salad bar is consistent with the pizzas overall theme, and doesn’t seem to follow any type of corporate formula. For instance crumbled feta cheese and actual vegetables may be found.
For anyone interested in getting his/her drink on, Waldo’s beer list is long. Expect to see many offerings that aren’t found elsewhere in Kansas City, even those places that boast 100+ beer offerings.
The atmosphere evokes the feeling of the early days of pizza parlors. In fact, many of the video games there are from that earlier time period (i.e. Ms. Pacman). The servers look mostly like youthful art school students.
Waldo has the Indie spirit to make the place unique, and admirable. It’s the kind of place where the food is good and nobody gets uptight if you stick around for awhile.
(Waldo Pizza is located in the Waldo neighborhood, at the northeast corner of 75th & Wornall roads. If you see a Tanner’s, move your eyes to the right and walk toward the sign that says Waldo Pizza.)