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2-Minute Review: Wheat State Pizza

Photo Kevin O'Riley

Wheat State's veggie dream pizza is cheesy and delicious.

We’ve always thought pizza should have the potential to be healthy. If you think about it, several food groups are represented; it’s baked, not fried, etc. Well, we found a place where healthy pizza may just be one step closer to a reality. It’s Wheat State Pizza, a franchise out of Kansas (hence the name). Trying the wheat crust is key here, and, if you do, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The Place: The decor at Wheat State Pizza (3821 S. Campbell Ave. 417-881-2888, wheatstatepizza.com) is almost as plain as the plains of Kansas themselves. There are no frills, nothing outstanding about the place—that is until we saw the work of local photographer Edward Biamonte hanging on the walls. Several of his prints of Alaska were on display, and despite not understanding the Alaska-to-Kansas correlation, we always appreciate support for local art.

The Menu: The menu has two options: build your own or choose from Wheat State’s “specialty” options. To start, choose white or wheat crust. (This is Wheat State Pizza; come on, try the wheat.) Then starting at $6.99, you choose cheese, sauce—everything from Alfredo to pesto to teriyaki—then choose toppings. There are 30 choices, each about 99 cents apiece. By the end, you’ve built your dream pizza. Or you can pick a specialty pizza from options like The Hawk n’ Cheese, The Hit Man or The Luau, with prices from $9.99 to $18.99. For dessert Wheat State offers ice cream, dessert pizzas and Swheatstix (how clever), so if you don’t fill up on their hearty pizzas, you can still overindulge.

The Food: We tried a half Farmer, half Veggie Dream. The ingredients seemed fresh, and the taste was rich without being heavy. We also tried an appetizer of Wheatstix with cheese, but the stix were a bit bland—be sure to ask for marinara to dip them in. The pizza, in contrast, had a real depth of flavor, and Wheat State is generous with the toppings.

The Verdict: Wheat State Pizza has tasty pizza at reasonable prices, and they’re doing it a little differently, with a good wheat crust. Overall, it’s worth a stop-in, a carry-out or even a call-in (they deliver). Healthy or fattening—and you can do both here—it all boils down to the chain’s slogan “Gourmet Pizza, Superior Taste.” We buy in.