Two-Minute Review: Marco's Pizzeria

Downtown's unsung pizza joint is now front-and-center. Good thing.

The Place: Marco’s Pizzeria isn’t new, but its location and concept are. Now located inside the expanded Bugsy Malone’s Speakeasy (400 South Ave., 417-866-4477), Marco’s banks primarily on its buffet, happy hour specials (six-inch pizzas and apps) and a strong walk-in business the pizza joint never even sniffed in its old spot on Park Central East. Our primary concern: Since it’s a rockin’ karaoke bar by night, won’t the space smell a little funky during the day? In fact, it didn’t. It smelled like pizza. And if it looks like a bar, so what?

The Menu: You can still eat a whole pie at Marco’s, but they’ve gone much more user-friendly with the $5.99 lunch buffet (we had a drink and left a tip and still spent just $9) and pizza-by-the-slice during late hours at Bugsy’s. The pies are inventive, including a white-sauce spinach pie, an excellent Hawaiian pizza and all the staples.

The Food: Marco’s pizza is best described as deep-dish without the “deep”. The crust is crispy and buttery, the toppings thick and cheese heavy, but you can thankfully eat quite a lot without making yourself queasy.

The Score: I always liked Marco’s, and give it a steady A; I’m glad they still offer the six-inch pies with customizable toppings. And the new location gives new life to a restaurant that was sorely under utilized.