A Tiny Pizzeria In An Old Garage Was Just Named The Best In Missouri
By Liz Oliver|Published September 13, 2018
×
Liz Oliver
Author
Liz is a Missouri native with a B.A. in English from Mizzou and a M.A. in Non-Profit Administration from Lindenwood University. She works for a STL metro-area community college and enjoys writing, traveling, and indoor cycling. Her true passion is forcing her encyclopedic knowledge of Missouri facts on uninterested strangers from across the globe!
Some of the best places to eat across Missouri are the tiny little shops tucked into side streets and sleepy towns. Some of these hidden gems live off of word-of-mouth recommendations, thriving with out investing in any over the top antics. Recently, a tiny St. Louis city garage became a delicious pizzeria and locals immediately took notice. After the word got out and the reviews started coming in, Melo’s Pizzeria was quickly named the best in Missouri.
Situated in the historic St. Louis neighborhood of Benton Park is Melo's Pizzeria. The old brick garage sits behind another St. Louis favorite, Blues City Deli.
Melo's is actually owned can operated by father and son duo, Vince and Joey Valenza, who also own and operate Blues City. However, this isn't just a side project. They're making some fantastic pizzas.
Flown in from Naples, their 5,500 pound wood-fired oven is the star of the show. It's covered in a fun St. Louis mosaic, and cooks up a crust with crispy chard edges and provides the best foundation for a delicious pizza pie.
Although Melo's is small, it's the perfect place to grab a cold craft beer and personal artisan pizza. While the weather is still nice, sit outside on their patio after a long week of work.
Recently, Melo's was named the best pizza join in Missouri by CNN Money. They used reviews on Yelp to create an algorithm that looks at the number of reviews and star rating for each business. Melo's in St. Louis nabbed the top spot!
You can read their rave reviews on Yelp and Facebook, but you'll notice there is one beef fans have with the pizzeria - they're hours. Melo's has pretty limited hours, so make sure you check their schedule before heading there for dinner.
Visit Melo's Pizzeria at 2438 McNair Ave., St. Louis, MO 63104. Check out all the best pizza places across the state here.
Have you tried a pie from Melo’s? Tell us what you ordered and if you thought it was the best pizza in the state. If you think there’s better pizza in the Show Me State, share it with us in the comments below.
