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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 State Patrol responds to over 200 calls for service during weekend winter storm

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Iowa State Patrol responds to over 200 calls for service during weekend winter storm


Iowa (KCRG) – The Iowa State Patrol said it responded to 206 calls for service after another weekend winter storm Saturday.

From 5:30 am to 5:30 pm, ISP said it covered 88 crashes, with 74 resulting in property damage.

Officials said one person died and 13 others were injured.

The patrol had 118 motorist assists.

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How much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals

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How much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals


A winter storm warning remains in effect until 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, for a large swath of the state, from northwest Iowa to much of central Iowa and southeast Iowa.

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Drivers should expect slippery conditions.

Snow fell through the morning with accumulations of 2 to 3 inches across most of Iowa, according to the National Weather Service. The light, fluffy snow will taper off in the afternoon.

The weather service advises that snow-covered roads will make travel slick and more difficult and to use caution.

The counties affected include Pocahontas, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Monroe, Wapello and Davis.

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Where did snow fall the most in Iowa?

Southern Iowa felt the brunt of the snow Saturday morning, with some areas experiencing nearly five inches of accumulation. Here are the highest totals so far in Iowa:

  • Milton: 4.5 inches
  • Parnell: 4.5 inches
  • Norwalk: 3.8 inches
  • Badger: 3.5 inches
  • Bloomfield: 3.3 inches
  • Carroll: 3.2 inches
  • Buffalo: 3.2 inches
  • North English: 3 inches
  • Winterset: 2.6 inches

How much snow has fallen in Des Moines?

The Des Moines International Airport reported 1.2 inches of snow as of 6 a.m. Saturday. Norwalk, just south of Des Moines, reported 3.8 inches of snow by 10:30 a.m. Clive reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.

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How much snow did Iowa City get?

North Liberty, just north of Iowa City, reported three inches of snow as of 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Tiffin, which is to the northwest of Iowa City, reported 2.7 inches of snow at 10 a.m.

Roads across the state are covered in snow

The Iowa DOT reported that, as of 11 a.m., many of central Iowa’s highways and interstates were completely covered with snow. The organization said travel on I-80 from central Iowa to the Illinois border is not advised.

“Visibility and road conditions are deteriorating rapidly, causing multiple crashes and closing lanes,” the DOT said in a social media post around 11 a.m.

More snow followed by frigid temps

A cold weather advisory is in effect for much of northern, central and southeastern Iowa into Sunday morning. In the Des Moines area, wind chill values could drop to as low as -15. Wind chills across the state are expected between -20 and -30 starting at 6 p.m. Saturday.

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(This article has been updated to include new information.)



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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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