The best pizza in Des Moines

Des Moines pizza doesn't have one style, it has all of them, and the good news is most of them are done well. Here's where to go, whether you want a coal-fired Margherita, a puffy Detroit square, an Iowa tavern thin-crust from 1950, or a foldable slice at closing time.

The Des Moines original: Fong's

Fong's Pizza is the one you send visitors to. Built on the old King Ying Low site and now on East Court Avenue, it turned the crab rangoon into a pizza and never looked back. Tiki bar, a wall of taps, and a menu of Asian-fusion pies you won't find anywhere else. Start here.

Classic Midwest tavern thin-crust

This is the Des Moines-and-Iowa default, cracker-thin, cut into squares, and it's a whole genre here. The Tavern in Valley Junction has been making it since 1950, house Italian sausage and all. On the south side, family-owned Bordenaro's has run its spicy-sauce thin-crust since 1977. Both are the real, unfussy article.

Detroit-style squares

Parlor in Beaverdale is the square-pan pick, thick, crispy-edged Detroit-style pizza with a wall of taps, shuffleboard, and solid vegan and gluten-free options. A great group hang.

Wood-fired and Neapolitan

For blistered, chewy, wood-fired pies, two spots lead. Hugo's in the Drake neighborhood comes from chef Lynn Pritchard (of Table 128) and pairs its pizzas with a Mediterranean-leaning kitchen. Out in Clive, Franka Pizzeria does proper Neapolitan Margheritas with a full bar and a wine list. And Eatery A on Ingersoll runs wood-fired specialty pies you can get half-price at happy hour.

New York slices (and late-night)

When you want a big foldable slice, Des Moines delivers. Big Tomato on Ingersoll is the hole-in-the-wall with dozens of toppings that delivers into the small hours. GoodSons in Beaverdale slings East Coast-style slices with arcade games and a late kitchen. And up in Ankeny, Nonna's runs a proper slice case, New York, Grandma, and Sicilian, reheated to order.

Coal-fired and deep dish

Centro downtown pulls NY-style pies from a coal oven built for it, a more polished, sit-down take on pizza night. And if you're in the Chicago-deep-dish camp, Wig & Pen in Ankeny does the thick stuff (plus a tavern thin-crust) in a proper pizza-pub setting.

The quick cheat sheet

• Crab rangoon and something different: Fong's
• Iowa tavern thin-crust: The Tavern (Valley Junction), Bordenaro's (south side)
• Detroit square: Parlor (Beaverdale)
• Wood-fired / Neapolitan: Hugo's (Drake), Franka (Clive), Eatery A (Ingersoll)
• NY slice / late night: Big Tomato (Ingersoll), GoodSons (Beaverdale), Nonna's (Ankeny)
• Coal-fired sit-down: Centro (downtown)
• Chicago deep dish: Wig & Pen (Ankeny)

Hungry for the rest of the meal? This is one slice of our bigger guide to the best restaurants in Des Moines, and if tacos are more your speed, here's the best tacos and Mexican in town.

We keep tabs on new spots as they open, and every week we email the ones worth trying first. Get the weekly list, one email, no noise.