Waldo Pizza

You can always count on the pizza to be great at Waldo Pizza. We have had large groups in the tap room, been there for the lunch buffet, and it is always great.

At least 45 minutes to get a very basic simple cheese 14 inch pizza out. And it’s Monday. And it’s the same kind of card board pizza they sell at Qt. That was my first visit and probably my last.

A friend who used to be in the pizza business told us we HAD to check out Waldo’s Pizza for the greatest pizza ever, so we went for lunch this weekend.
We were slightly early for the Sunday lunch crowd (11:30), but it was DEAD.
When we walked in, the hostess didn’t even greet us. I had to tell her we needed seating for 2 and without a word she handed menus to another host to seat us.
We ordered the sampler platter for appetizers, and other than the garlic cheese bread which was good, everything was mediocre at best. I can make better toasted ravioli and mozzarella sticks at home.
The pizza itself was good, but certainly not the best ever. Probably will not be returning…

We recently had family in town from Chicago. I’d never been to Waldo Pizza before, and I wanted to take them to a place that has always had good reviews from friends. We all decided on the salad bar. It was good. A large selection of things I like on salads helped. :) We took pizza off the end of the salad bar.
I was disappointed. But not heavily, not enough to dis this establishment. There pizza was, IMO, comparable to Papa John’s. Nothing jumped out at me about about the pizza. (no pun intended)
Will I recommend it to friends? Of course… it’s tantamount to a KC institution. Will I be back? Yup. Everyone deserves second chances!

Waldo Pizza should be called Waldo Pasta and be an Italian restaurant, instead of a pizza place, specifically. I struggle with this rating because their pasta, with the jillions of customization options, was awesome. I ended up ordering the cheese tortellini pasta with alfredo sauce and crab meat and salmon and spinach, and it was hearty and creamy and yummy and other positive descriptors ending in Y. But, oddly, the good taste of the ingredients didn’t convert very well over to the pizza.
I went with a simple pepperoni pizza to try, and it reminded me of a flatbread that you would buy at the grocery store and bake in the oven; not bad, but I might as well go the cheaper route if they taste similar. Personally, I don’t love their cheese; it was a little off, to me. I’m trying to think of how to explain it. Actually, it reminded me a little bit of Pizza Hut’s cheese: overly thick in a bad way.
The other problem is the wait times, even with carryout. I don’t think we have had a wait shorter than 40 minutes. Which I understand is probably not fair to complain about, but when we actually get there, we still have to wait for several minutes while they go find the order. And it’s very cramped and chaotic in the restaurant; it feels like no two people are on the same page because they’re running around like crazy or they’re yelling things at each other.
I’ll probably give it another shot though, especially for the pasta.
Pasta: ⁴⁄₅
Pizza: 2.5÷5
Frozen flatbreads at the grocery store: Also 2.5÷5

I’ve had Waldo Pizza before, at school events, where they mass order a bunch of pizzas. I remember it just being okay then, and I still feel the same now. Their pizza just isn’t good. I would give a 3, maybe. The crust is tough and chewy — definitely not the way a pizza should be. There’s just nothing about their pizza that wows me.
On the other hand, it’s their pastas that have me giving this place a 4, giving the food rating an overall 3.5. You’d be surprised at how a pizza place can have pasta that tastes better than their pizza, but it’s certainly the case here.
I went with the Cavatappi with Garlic Butter Sauce (with turkey Italian sausage and broccoli). I wanted something light, and that was certainly the way to go. The pasta was al dente and drained well — two of the most important criteria that I look for when it comes to pasta dishes. Waldo Pizza passed with flying colors.
My boyfriend also enjoyed his Cheese Tortellini with Alfredo, and he also agrees with me on the pizza. I will probably be back, but only for the pasta.
Overall: 3.5÷5
Food: 3.5÷5
Service: ³⁄₅
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅

I like Waldo Pizza. I like the food and I like the staff. I have been coming here for over 12 years. But, holy Jehosephat, I have been listening to Les Baxter’s Balinese Bongos for the past 45 minutes on, I don’t know, repeat? Or maybe I’m in Hell or, like, the Twilight Zone? Or maybe this song is literally as long as it is incessant and awful? I just don’t know, but Phil, I do know this: For Christmas’ sake, you HAVE to stop camping the iPad playlist. It is BANANAS bad. There are children here, for the love of lemons, and most of them have to live in Brookside, so we already know the deck of cultural tastes is stacked against them. Don’t compound the problem. Let the staff choose the list.

After a long break, rediscovering this place. I forgot just how good the pizza was but am hooked again! Great craft beer is an added bonus. My only complaint is having little kids by the bar… I get this is a restaurant but it would be nice to have adult space to enjoy the beer without screaming kids!

Used to love this place. Ordered carry out on a Friday night. They told me it’d be ready in an hour. Picked them up an hour later… I live a few blocks from them. When I got home, the pizzas were luke warm at best and cheese was cooled/​solidified. You could tell they had been sitting under the warming lamp for a good 30 minutes or so. So disappointing. It’s Minsky’s here on out for me!

Wow. My first time with Waldo Pizza. I ordered a delivery, and it was fantastic. Will definitely be a repeat customer! I ordered the traditional Waldo pizza crust classic combo Delicious!

Amazing vegan options. So many options that they have a separate vegan menu from their regular menu.
The atmosphere is very family friendly and casual.
We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table on a busy Sunday night, so we sat up at the bar and had a beer and played some super out of date (also hilarious) trivia card game they had sitting up there.
Service was also great. If I lived in KC, I would live here… Like in the actual restaurant. For real.

Pizza was very good but not as great as all the hype I’d read and heard. Good selection of pizza and salad on the buffet. Friendly and efficient service.

They do it right: wide variety of ingredients to suit every taste (including gluten free), great service, interesting beers on tap. My favorite place for pizza. Be sure to try the St. Louis style crust and toasted ravioli.

The pizza is always on point, the options for creating your own are literally overwhelming in the most positive sense of the word (we’re talking vegan-​friendly options included-​a rarity in this city! I’m not even vegan and I appreciate it!), and service is not super duper due to how busy they usually are– but way above expectations, and very friendly and knowledgeable for servers and host staff who are probably swamped all night (Which I guess is actually it’s own type of super duper…). Also, the beer selections are always outstanding and constantly changing with new craft brews almost every time we go. The flights are very affordable to allow variety, and mapped out so that you know which brew your sampling. It’s a fun time, especially fun for beer enthusiasts, and probably my favorite pizza in KC.
**I highly recommend reservations, because I’m not the only person who shares these sentiments, so they fill up fast and to my knowledge don’t take call-​ahead seating!!**

Great Pizza! Average sandwiches. Great atmosphere!

Delicious! There are so many options for every kind of diet: gluten-​free, dairy-​free, vegetarian, vegan. I enjoyed their veggie pizza, a Caesar salad, and white chocolate cheesecake for dessert. It was all amazing! I’m happy to have found a family friendly restaurant with plenty of food items for various dietary needs. We will be back!

Came here for lunch today (Sunday), we were starving and we were seated immediately. Our server was great! Due to hangovers we were flying through pops and she was on top of it. We had never been there before and she recommended the Greek pizza. Loved it and the sauce it came with!
Our only complaint was that we wished the meat had been spread out a little more instead of in large chunks. But that’s just being picky.
Definitely a must try in Waldo, we will be back.

This is always a go to place when our family comes into town. Great staff, pizza, and staff. Although most of the time we are taking out and eating at home, inside isn’t anything special.
Definitely worth the price when comparing to big corporate pizza chains.

Ordered pizza for delivery via the phone. Great customer service and a wide selection of gluten free items. Pizza tasted great, new favorite is the Greek :)

Their pizza is great, and it’s what I usually rely on for take-​out, but the buffet is where it’s at if you’re in or around Waldo. Nice salad bar, an excellent sampling of Waldo’s pizzas, and pasta. When I went they had this chicken alfredo with bowtie pasta that was one of the tastiest things I’ve had in recent memory. I had to restrain myself from eating a whole plates worth. On the take-​out front, their specialty pizzas are great. Try the Local Pig pizza if you’re doing take out!

Amazing as always. Every time I come to KC I stop by for the lunch buffet. Best thin crust pizza in the country!

Hand-​tossed crust; spinach, cheddar cheese, and broccoli for the toppings; with Alfredo sauce.
BEST pizza I’ve ever had. Will definitely be coming back in my next trip to KC.

I got the St. Louis-​style Pizza, half cheese, half with Green Peppers and Jalapenos. Both peppers were very fresh. Also got the nacho cheese toasted ravioli and cheesy garlic bread and… damn, I’m getting hungry again just thinking about this. It was a seriously awesome meal. The food is of that special kind of bad-​good. Where it just seems to taste like it’s bad for you but it is just too good to pass up. We had a great server and they have an excellent beer list, both draft and bottle. Pizza places in NY almost always only have your standard «Domestic» and «Imported» beers.
While not located in one of the nicer parts of KC, there is plenty around to do as well, especially if you like good beer, making a stop here absolutely necessary, in my opinion.

Waldo Pizza makes the best vegan pizza in the country. I specifically enjoyed the vegan pepperoni St. louis style thin crust. It’s just like the Imos pizza I grew up with. It tasted awesome cold the next day too. Good thing they don’t exist in my city or I would be huge from eating it everyday.

This is my go-​to for pizza takeout.
Be prepared to spend a little more for a pizza than say Papa John’s or Pizza Hut. It’s worth the extra money.
Be aware of what St. Louis style pizza entails. I like it, but YMMV.
Interior is dated, but you aren’t coming for the ambiance anyway.

Waldo is historically one of my favorite KC pizza joints, but they have been BOMBING lately to the point where I’m going to take a long hiatus from them.
My main beef is with their to-​go process. We ordered a delivery one Saturday evening at 5:00 p.m., paid their premium prices, and then waited nearly TWO HOURS for the pizza. This isn’t the first time, trust me. We get the pizza and side and it’s ice cold and soggy. Bleh.
We’ve tried calling on a weekend and doing carryout, and one time it literally took nearly three hours to be ready. Unreal. I guess as soon as you finish your lunch you should call into Waldo, because they are simply not equipped to handle the weekend rush they get.
The pizza has been very so-​so as well. The thin crust is soggy and kind of gross, and their toppings are just alright.
I used to go nuts for this place, absolutely would’ve recommended it to anybody, but now, I’d say stay away unless it’s a quiet weeknight or you’re dining in.
Maybe it’s time to try Pizzeria Locale across the street, or order from a new nearby spot, but the time spent on the top of the perch for Waldo Pizza has sadly come to a close in my opinion.

We were struggling to find dinner one night and settled on Waldo Pizza because of the great location and great reviews. Glad we did. Waldo is a fantastic neighborhood nestled in the heart of Kansas City. It’s old, historic, and full of character. Just like this pizza place. The big gentleman working the front counter was funny and extremely helpful. Service was a tad slow but it was packed when we came in.
They had a good selection of beer, including some local ones which was awesome. Definitely some unique choices. We ordered The Choice Cut at the suggestion of the man who greeted us. We also had an order of fried ravioli for an appetizer. They were your typical frozen ravioli. I even had one with no filling… But, our pizza was awesome. No shortage of meat on it and an even amount of all kinds. I’ve heard a lot of complaints about cheese but I thought the amount was just fine.
The atmosphere is really cool. It’s an old building, the ceiling is covered in playing cards that have been signed by people. Not sure what the deal was with that. Lot of Waldo locals I could tell. Great mix of customers in here. Great place for pizza and a beer.

First time at Waldo Pizza! Went on a Wednesday night, and it was pretty busy! So I wonder how crazy it gets on the weekends… But we were sat right away, the service was very good and they have little trivia cards which are fun!
We go the taco specialty pizza which was good, and then I ordered a traditional pizza with cream cheese, bacon, and jalapeño (GET THIS). It was very good!

Waldo Pizza is a Kansas City MUST!!!
The lunch buffet is very fairly priced and the kitchen staff is quick to fulfill any special requests. The salad bar is always fresh and very well-​stocked. The waitstaff is attentive and very friendly.
We tend to avoid delivery as they seem to have a very long wait time. We do appreciate the fact that they now offer curbside pick up.

Waldo pizza reminds me of going to Pizza Hut in the late 80’s, early 90’s. The atmosphere is dated, but comfortable. It’s homey. In a good way.
The pizza is always yummy. Never had bad food from here. Service can… depend. I like the curb-​side pick-​up option since parking can be tricky in the area.
I recommend the honey-​wheat crust, roasted red peppers and garlic. They do NOT scrimp with the roasted garlic. It’s amazing.
I want to try more of their desserts but the cookies are always a good choice!

We had a take out order which took more than a hour to get. To top it off when we got there either a piece of the order was not prepared or it had already been given away. They remade the missing order however the sides and other pizza sat getting cold and stale.
By the time the pizza was at the final designation it was cold, greasy and a huge mess to eat. I will say the worse experience ever should have just order delivery pizza and I hate delivery pizza.

After trying some of the other options at Waldo Pizza, stick with the pizza. The pizza is amazing. I have never had a bad slice. The other things I have tried are not that good.
Meatball sandwich, a lot of bread and a little meatball.
Wings, terribly under cooked. I was excited they offer baked. It takes forever for me to bake some wings and get a nice crisp skin. I was surprised they could bake them and get them out quick. The chicken is done, but the skin is nasty.
Rib Tips, tough.
I wanted to try some of the other options. I may still go for a salad, but otherwise, I will stick with the pizza which they do an amazing job at.
Delivery area rocks.