Restaurant Review: New York Pizzeria, Springfield, MO

A fellow teacher first introduced me to this wonderful place. I did not know what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. At the time it was slightly more than a 'hole in the wall' on Division. For those not familiar with the area, it is not the best part of town. They later moved to south Campbell [right by Andy's Frozen Custard] in what had been a donut shop. This is a much nicer part of town and they were able to expand their eat-in area. They are currently in a slightly smaller, but still nicer, location on the east side of town.

New York Pizzeria is a locally owned restaurant, started by the Barone brothers from New York, with fabulous thin crust pizza. I do not normally like thin crust, but this is one of few exceptions. They started out offering a full pie for only $10. While the price has gone up since then, it is still some of the best pizza around.

Another item on the menu is the garlic knots. These are little garlic rolls a little bigger than a golf ball. They also serve pepperoni pinwheels. Similar to the garlic knots, but about twice the size, they are delicious bread with pepperoni rolled in.

Many from New York attest that this is true New York style pizza - foldable slices of greasy cheese and pizza sauce. But this is not just a pizza place. Besides pizza, they also serve tasty calzones and scrumptious pasta.

The pies only come in one size. That size is 'huge' and with that does come a bit of a price. We do not indulge as often as we wish we could because we do not often have much money in our 'eating out' budget. It is currently about $17 for a cheese pie with 6 garlic knots and 3 pepperoni pinwheels. It is more expensive than many of the national chains, but the quality is generally higher as well.

I have introduced my sister to the wonders of New York Pizzeria and she now frequents as well. If you are not hungry enough for a full pie, you can dine in with pizza by the slice. This is a great way to sample the different pizzas or other entrée options without committing to a full pie the first time. My sister calls it "the best pizza I've ever had." My husband and some of his coworkers often head this direction for lunch.

New York Pizzeria has moved several times since the first time I visited 7 years ago, but the pizza is just as wonderful as it was the first time The current location is 3624 E. Sunshine, Springfield, MO 65809. It is just east of Highway 65 in front of Sam's Club. They can be reached at 417-799-0992.