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7 Iowa pizzerias make Yelp’s list of the best in the Midwest

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7 Iowa pizzerias make Yelp’s list of the best in the Midwest


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Every week, it seems like a new list with the top “this” or the top “that” comes out, and the latest from Yelp showcases the best pizzas in the Midwest. Granted, most of the places on this list come from Illinois and Michigan, which each have pizza styles of their own with Detroit-style, Chicago deep dish and Chicago tavern-style all making appearances.

Missing from this list of 100 is Iowa’s own style of pizza, Quad City-style, made famous at Harris Pizza, with two locations in Bettendorf and Davenport, and a third in Rock Island, Illinois. The pizza features a thin, crisp crust made with a malty, sweet dough and spicy tomato sauce. Next comes the toppings, layered under cheese. The pizza is then cut into strips with scissors.

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Casey’s breakfast pizzas and Happy Joe’s, the originator of taco pizzas, also are not on the list.

The list also doesn’t include the Lincoln Winebar, the pizza shop in Mount Vernon named one of the 22 best in the country by the New York Times in June.

Yelp first broke down its user-generated ratings by looking at pizza locations from across the region, including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Then the review aggregator winnowed down the list by using a large concentration of reviews that included relevant keywords and ranked them using factors such as the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords.

Here’s a look at the seven pizza restaurants in Iowa that did make Yelp’s list of 100 best in the Midwest.

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Zoey’s Pizzeria

This pizzeria in Marion outside Cedar Rapids landed in the No. 64 spot on Yelp’s list. Zoey’s Pizzeria originally opened in 1991 and serves Chicago-style deep dish and New York-style thin crust pies. Try the NewZago crust, a Chicago-style dough pressed out thin instead of deep-dish style, or the Zookie, a warm chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

Location: 690 10th St., Marion

Contact: 319-377-2840 or zoeyspizza.com

Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta

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This newcomer in Ankeny landed in the No. 72 spot on Yelp’s list. Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta from owners and New Yorkers Donnie Hizeqaj and Mike Kabashi opened in 2022 with options such as Grandma’s Pizza with a crisp, thin-crust square pizza topped with mozzarella, marinara sauce, olive oil, basil and Romano cheese; Sicilian square pizzas with tomato sauce and mozzarella or a lasagna version with everything but the pasta; gluten-free pies; or regular round pizzas.

Location: 1802 N. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny

Contact: 515-850-1085 or nonnaspizzapasta.com

Sfumato Pizzeria

The No. 90 spot on Yelp’s list comes from Alton in northwest Iowa. Sfumato Pizzeria opened in 2012 with a menu of Neapolitan-style pizzas baked in a wood-fired pizza oven. The husband-and-wife team of Matt and Shannon Slemp along with Mark Slemp, Matt’s father, run this pizza restaurant, technically in unincorporated Carnes. They named it Sfumato, an Italian word for a style of painting that translates into “up in smoke.” The family recommends the Margherita or the fig and caper with prosciutto.

Location: 4995 Carnes Drive, Alton

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Contact: 712-737-3007 or facebook.com/p/Sfumato-Pizzeria

More: The 27 essential restaurants in the Des Moines metro: 2024 edition

Maggie’s Farm Wood-Fired Pizza

This Iowa City pizza farm landed in the No. 91 spot on Yelp’s list. Maggie’s Farm offers Napoli favorites baked in a wood-fired oven from wife-and-husband duo Carolyn Brown and Jerry Zimmerman, who grow the vegetables used on their pizzas on their farm, named after their first labradoodle. Look for options such as the Ellie with caramelized onions, blue cheese and bacon or the soppressata with Italian dry-cured salami and pepperoncini topped with a four-cheese blend.

Location: 1308 Melrose Ave., Iowa City

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Contact: 319-351-4588 or maggiesfarmpizza.com

More: Visit a pizza farm for a plow-to-table, only-in-the-Midwest experience

Basal Pizza

Head to Waterloo for the No. 93 best pizza in the Midwest, according to Yelp. Basal Pizza offers wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas as well as Detroit-style pizzas. The pan-style Detroit pizzas serve two to three people, while the Neapolitan pies are meant for individuals.

Location: 225 W. Fourth St., Waterloo

Contact: 319-333-0180 or basalpizza.com

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More: 9 things you probably didn’t know about breakfast pizza at Casey’s General Store

Smash Pizza

Bettendorf’s Smash Pizza ended up at No. 96 on Yelp’s list. The restaurant offers a 16-inch New York-style pizza and a 14-inch Sicilian square that the restaurant says sells out early daily. Try the elote with corn or the roasted wild mushroom and fried kale for something different. Before opening in 2022, chef and owner Brian Olsen operated Smash Pizza as a food truck.

Location: 3403 Devils Glen Road, Bettendorf

Contact: 563-900-4064 or smashqc.com

More: 11 Des Moines pizzerias to satisfy any craving spanning deep dish to crispy thin crust

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Need Pizzeria & Craft Beer Bar

Head to Cedar Rapids for the No. 98 pizza on the Yelp list. Need Pizzeria offers gluten-free and vegan options with a focus on New Haven-style pizza. Do look for novelty options on the specials menu, which recently featured a sriracha BLT and Crab Ya Goon, a white pizza with crab dip, crab meat, green onions, crispy wonton strips and sweet chili sauce.⁠

Location: 207 Second Ave. S.E., Cedar Rapids

Contact: 319-362-6333 or needcr.com

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com.





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Iowa man charged in connection to horse-drawn buggy crash that killed teen

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Iowa man charged in connection to horse-drawn buggy crash that killed teen


CLARKE COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa man was charged Friday in connection to a deadly horse-drawn buggy crash that killed a teenager last month.

Jacob Wright, 41, of Grand River, is facing charges including involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of a deadly accident.

The crash happened in Clarke County on November 12. According to the crash report, Wright’s car hit the back of the buggy and ran it into a ditch.

Elmer Borntrager, 16, was thrown from the buggy and died at the scene.

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Police found Wright’s damaged vehicle days later about five miles from the crash scene.



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How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.

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How much snow did we get? See Iowa snowfall totals from Thursday.


Another round of snow swept through Iowa, leaving more than 3 inches in some parts of the state.

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Flurries began falling in Des Moines around noon on Thursday, Dec. 11, and persisted until late in the evening.

Here’s a look at the highest snowfall totals in Iowa as of 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, according to the National Weather Service.

What were the highest Iowa snowfall totals?

  • West Burlington: 4 inches
  • Parnell: 3.8 inches
  • Salem: 3.8 inches
  • Mooar: 3.6 inches
  • Webster City: 3.5 inches
  • Muscatine: 3 inches
  • Yarmouth: 3 inches
  • Williamstown: 3 inches
  • New London: 2.8 inches
  • Riverside: 2.8 inches
  • Ottumwa: 2.8 inches

How much snow did Des Moines get?

Over an inch of snow fell at the Des Moines International Airport, with the National Weather Service reporting 1.1 inches as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11.

Grimes reported 1.3 inches of snow and other reports from the Des Moines area were around 1 inch.

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Nevada in Story County reported 0.5 inches

How much snow did Iowa City get?

No reports were received from Iowa City, according to the National Weather Service. Nearby University Heights reported 1.5 inches. Oakdale reported 2 inches and North Liberty reported 1.3 inches of snow.

When is the next chance for snowfall in Des Moines?

Another round of snow is expected to begin Friday night and continue into Saturday, Dec. 13, in the afternoon.

Des Moines is projected to receive between 2 and 4 inches of snow during this time. A winter weather advisory is in effect for Des Moines from 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The advisory is also in effect in cities spanning from Sioux City to Davenport.

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Temperatures are also expected to drop during the weekend, with daytime highs of 9 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, and lows of 10 degrees below zero on Saturday and 1 degree below zero on Sunday.

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.



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Iowa women’s wrestling goes on the road to defeat Grand View

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Iowa women’s wrestling goes on the road to defeat Grand View


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While Iowa women’s wrestling rolled Grand View, 32-10, on Dec. 11 at Waukee Northwest High School, the Vikings provided a worthy challenge in Central Iowa.

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The Hawkeyes and Grand View were the second leg of a doubleheader, with a high school dual between Raccoon River Wrestling and Ankeny, the top two teams at last season’s IGHSAU state meet, happening earlier in the night.

The Hawkeyes won each match that was held, but did not send a wrestler at 160 pounds, while Grand View did not participate at 180, so each team took one forfeit. In the eight matches held, Iowa won all of them and two by bonus points at 131 and 145. A sizeable chunk of Iowa’s top starters didn’t wrestle, but Grand View fought tough nonetheless.

“They’re (Grand View) scrappy and they fight hard,” said Iowa coach Clarissa Chun.

The Hawkeyes opened with four wins by decision from 103 to 124 against top-end wrestlers in the NAIA division. Sterling Dias earned a 3-0 decision over Judy Sandova (No. 2 in NAIA) at 103, followed by an 8-2 victory for Nyla Valencia over Tristan Nitta (No. 5 in NAIA) at 110 and a 9-2 decision for Brianna Gonzalez over Mayangelie Colon (No. 3 in NAIA) at 117.

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In one of the best wins of the night, Cali Leng downed Catharine Campbell (No. 3 in NAIA) at 124 by a 9-1 decision. Her front headlocks and control of the hand fight led to her rotating behind Campbell for multiple takedowns.

“She’s got a big gas tank and a big heart,” Chun said. “She found ways to adjust and put points on the board.”

Emily Frost won at 131 pounds as she normally does, locking up a headlock and tossing Maya Davis for a win by fall in the first period. Iowa native Lilly Luft followed that pin with a tough win by decision, trailing by criteria at 6-6, but securing two takedowns late in the second period to defeat Adrienna Turner, 10-6. Before the two forfeits, Cadence Diduch rolled in a 10-0 technical fall of Sofia Delgado at 145 pounds.

In the final bout of the night, Libby Dix gave fans at Waukee Northwest a show. Trailing by criteria at 2-2, Dix scored a late step-out point with just a few seconds remaining to clinch the win. While she hadn’t wrestled a ton of freestyle before her college career, she won with her awareness late to score on the one-point action unique to freestyle.

“She’s a gamer,” Chun said. “She’s competitive. If she wasn’t, she would’ve been hung up on losing the match 2-2, but she wanted to go get one.”

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The Hawkeyes have one more test before going off on winter break, traveling to Naperville, Ill. on Dec. 14 for the North Central Open.

Iowa women’s wrestling vs. Grand View box score

  • 103: Sterling Dias (IOWA) over Judy Sandoval (GVU) (Dec 3-0)
  • 110: Nyla Valencia (IOWA) over Tristan Nitta (GVU) (Dec 8-2)
  • 117: Brianna Gonzalez (IOWA) over Mayangelie Colon (GVU) (Dec 9-2)
  • 124: Cali Leng (IOWA) over Catharine Campbell (GVU) (Dec 8-1)
  • 131: Emily Frost (IOWA) over Maya Davis (GVU) (Fall 2:21)
  • 138: Lilly Luft (IOWA) over Adrienna Turner (GVU) (Dec 10-6)
  • 145: Cadence Diduch (IOWA) over Sofia Delgado (GVU) (TF 10-0 2:08)
  • 160: Kami Senlycki (GVU) over (IOWA) (For.)
  • 180: Katja Osteen (IOWA) over (GVU) (For.)
  • 207: Libby Dix (IOWA) over Andjela Prijovic (GVU) (Dec 3-2)

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.





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