Shakespeare's Pizza - West

Amazing pizza restaurant not far from the mall and shopping. The pizza is amazing and the atmosphere is unspeakable. We really enjoyed our lunch it was one of the best pizzas we have ever had. They have Pepsi and Coke products. Parking is easy and it is located in a shopping center. There are also a few games for the kids and sports on tv.

The GM led us through the Shakesperience experience and it was SO much fun! He was knowledgeable, kind, fun and just a great guy! We all got to pick a T- shirt, Bandanna, drink and then make our own individual 8 inch pizza! It was a great family event. We took lots of pictures. Great memories were made!

This was not my first time at this location of Shakespeare’s, but it will probably be my last. As someone with an allergy, this is definitely not a very allergy friendly pizza place in Columbia. If you have a tomato allergy, you’re forced to have a dry pizza with no sauce whatsoever, even if asked if the garlic butter from the garlic bread could possibly be used as a sauce. Then, they will forget your allergy, put sauce on your pizza, then make you wait for a remake and you can watch your entire family eat and be finished before your remake pizza is done, JUST for it to still be missing a topping you paid and asked for. Very sad experience, as I have been coming here since I was a child and have never had an issue until recently.

This pizza parlor has a fun atmosphere with arcade games and a rustic interior. I am gluten intolerant, and the GF pizza crust was OK. The toppings were delicious. The pizza is made in a common kitchen, so cross contamination was an issue. Those who aren't GF loved it! They had cheesy garlic bread as well as pizza. We had to wait over 40 minutes for our pizzas, which I thought was a long time on a weeknight.

Good pizza with many choices white crust, wheat crust regular crust , thin crust, regular cut, double cut, party cut. As I get older I am losing my sense of taste. I mentioned this because they use a mild pepperoni and cheese so it's getting difficult for me to get any taste from their pizza. This is probably just me . They have a senior special sale on Tuesday but you have to ask. The interior is rather crude, well made but crude (not my thing)

I give Shakespeare's Pizza 4.5 star rating. My pizza was definitely tasty and my toppings (pepperoni and mushroom) were fresh but if I'm going off my own standard it's not Giordano's. The atmosphere was screamed come to Shakespeare's before a Mizzou game. Friendly staff with plenty of parking.

A unique family friendly atmosphere. I was greeted at the door with a smile. The staff was very inviting and ready to serve. I had the Meat Lovers pizza it was delicious! I will visit this place again.

Delicious fresh tasting pizza! I’ll definitely be back.

CoMo special and the same as the original. Great pies and a fun crown during or after games.

It's perfect college town pizza. Not much else needs to be said. Really flavorful, reasonably priced, and really really tasty. We go to Columbia once or twice a year, this is where we will go for pizza.

Okay. I'm about to say something wildly unpopular, as so many of our friends recommended Shakespeare's Pizza as a "must try" while in CoMO. To say we were unimpressed would be a gross understatement. The staff was friendly, the retro decor was eclectic, and I bet it's a nice relaxed hang-out-with-friends-and-have-a-beer place, which might be why it's so popular.

45 years of this? First timer , I'm a transplant to Missouri from Georgia and I live in the blue springs area, came out here for business and decided to try the pizza I'd been seeing in the freezer section of Hy-Vee for the last few months. Just like my opinion of minskys , I'm not sure why In the world this type of pizza is popular. The crust smells amazing The cheese tastes HORRIBLE Why can't they use regular mozzarella? It's beyond me why they use this "provel cheese" Definitely akin to "st. Louis " style pizza. Tastes way too pungent and greasy. I wish it had been better, genuinely sad about this one .... Sigh Do better Missouri!

A lot less busy than the downtown location, generally. Cool place and pizza is fine, nothing special, but not bad

Great place. Comfortable atmosphere. Great place for group gathering. However the pizza is over rated. It's not that special to me. Pizza is pizza. Price is kind of high.

Great atmosphere and they just added a sit down bar recently. Friendly bar tender and delicious pizza! Be ready to eat a LOT or take some home because they LOAD out the pies! A local recommended this place and we were thrilled it lived up to the hype!

We grew up near Columbia and lived there during after college...Shakespeare's is hands down our favorite pizza there...and almost anywhere. If you have to ask if it's really that good, then maybe just don't go to save more for the rest for us! (Joking of course). There are currently three locations in Columbia...all a similar vibe, decor, and most important consistently always tasty. The original downtown on 9th street is a perfect college student hangout - a short walk from MU, Stephens, or Columbia College campuses . The other two locations are easier access for parking and to avoid downtown traffic. Fresh dough, fresh toppings, hand tossed, best sauce, fun dough for kids (or adults who still act like kids) to play with while they wait, a couple arcade games...it's an ideal night out for families or friends. Salads, pizza, sodas, beer...all you need for a easy night without cooking. The salad that comes with artichoke hearts and sliced almonds is my fav. They have all the normal pizza topping and white crust, but I also love a good mostly veggie pizza pie so my fav is wheat crust with pepper jack cheese + whatever toppings I feel like that day. Hamburger, pepper, pineapple, mushroom...ug...I can't keep typing because I WANT this pizza now, but moved out of state so now I only get to get it whenever I visit. When I grew up, Jay Leno used to joke about this place now and then because of their crazy Ads offering things like Windex or Car oil with a pizza purchase, but their pizza ain't no joke. ALL of our family and friends are big fans. NOTE: this pizza place is so popular in Missouri that grocery stores in/near Columbia and even hours away such as in St. Louis and other cities sell their unbaked pizzas to be able to make at home from afar. All locations are a fun and have a loud atmosphere- if you prefer to eat in quiet, order to go. Otherwise, join in on the music and talking. You'd think all the wood paneling would help absorb sound that bounces off the concrete flooring, and wall brick features but it doesn't absorb enough sound, all locations are almost always busy, thus almost always a loud and energetic places. On weekends, we typically just order to go since we've "been there and done that,", therefore don't want to stand around waiting for a table. There are party rooms available for groups at the south and west locations (I don't remember downtown having a dedicated party room). Fountain soda is serve yourself with free refills.

We got here all excited to have some amazing pizza. We were the only ones who ordered and somehow our pizza was lost and after 40 minutes we finally got our order. Not sure what happened. Manager did stop by and credited us 50% after I went to look for our order. I am not sure we will ever comeback here again. Service really needs help especially when the restaurant is empty and we are the only table.

Unfortunately, I would have to give only a 3 star rating. I have many reasons behind this. For starters, the cheese on the cheese garlic bread wasn't amazing. I will give a compliment on how fast our food came out. I was anticipating on a 25-30 minutes wait but it was about 10-12 minutes for two pizzas. The toppings on the pepperoni pizza were very little. Some pieces only had 1 pepperoni. Overall service was well but was slightly disappointed.

Holy mother of pearl!! I ordered a gluten free, took a little over an hour, but sooo worth it. Pizza must have weighed 10lbs so many toppings. It was just as ordered, hot, and gluten free was AWESOME!!

Great pregame pie @ Mizzou. We don't bother going out anymore. We order 3 different pies and a salad and start watching film on Friday night.

Still a "must-go" when in CoMo, the pizza and service did not disappoint. The bartender was A-MAZING and encouraged us to try some liquor that was new to us! Gluten-free options are SO appreciated, too!

Our family of five had a great experience at this Columbia institution. Right as we entered, our kids enjoyed watching the cooks roll, shape, and toss the fresh dough. One even threw a small dough ball to our youngest. Signage told us that "little kids" get a dough ball. We ordered and dispenses our own fountain Coke products. (Free refills, no waiting.) Our salad was ready first. It was fresh and yummy. Our two medium pizzas (meat lovers and vegetarian) were ready a little while later. I noticed they do have an indicator sign for how long your wait will likely be. Since everything is made fresh and to order, I can see how a wait might accumulate. We went around 1 PM in a Saturday and had no trouble. There is also ample seating. The pizzas were delicious. Even the kids remarked on the crust and how tasty it was. The plentiful toppings were fresh and flavorful. A hit for the whole family!

Mmmmmm mushroom pizza.....I asked for extra mushrooms and they did not disappoint. Perfect crust and cheesy-cheesy with a nice light golden hue. Yum! This was the perfect little place to stop and fill our bellies as we drove to Truman Lake.

Pretty solid pizza. Good level of toppings. Only issue from my visit was part of the pizza was burnt. No big deal, just broke it off and ate it anyways. Worth a try if you find yourself in Columbia, MO for a day or two.

Bottom Line: Decent pizza, decent atmosphere, "it'll do" in my book. Overview: On a recent road trip to Kansas City from Saint Louis, we stopped in Shakespeare's as this seems to be the lauded pizza place in Columbia. Personally, I have just never been wow'd by the pizza. Then again, I am not a pizza freak like some folks. To give you some perspective, I do enjoy Pi's pizza on occasion, given it is a pricey pie. I also like the Imo's Deluxe. That said, on this last visit, we had their lunch pizza "by the slice". You get to choose from about five different pizzas. Problem is, I think the good ones are gone fast. However, I was told I could order one of the pizzas I wanted and then when it is ready, they will announce my name. Food: "The Vegetarian" Pizza: Since I was on a road trip, and I would be sitting in one spot for a while, I decided to try to go healthy and order two slices of this pizza. Here are the ingredients: Double Cheese, Red Onions, Fresh Mushrooms, Black Olives, and Green Peppers. The green peppers, in my opinion, kind of kill a pizza. They are just too strong of a taste for my palate. I pulled them off; something I do not typically do ever with any meal. I could tell the slices had been sitting a while, and I must admit, the taste was just "O-K". Dinner salad: I think this was just a bad call on my part. However, in looking over the menu while writing this review, I see the salad I should have bought was "The Louie". Although it is twice the price, it would have been worth the upcharge. This salad has: iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese, sprouts (it is supposed to?), tomato, red onion. As I mentioned, my salad did not have alfalfa sprouts. I also was quickly reminded why I didn't like this salad the last time I was in town and had Shakespeare's. They don't cut up the tomato, really, they just give you this frickin' wedge and let you deal with the dicing. Thank *you*. Cookies: You will have to time this one just right for maximum food erotica, but if you see them putting cookie dough on sheets when you are getting your pizza by the slice, chances are, you can have FRESH cookies out of the oven by the time you are done with your meal for dessert. We opted for both the chocolate chip and the snicker doodles. Both were great, with the chocolate chip being my favorite just because I like it best. Other folks at the table really went "ga-ga" over the snicker doodle. Summary: Honestly, I think I would like to try something different from Shakespeare's next time I am in Columbia. I have had it about three or four times now. It does not disappoint, but it does not "wow" me either. It is usually a crowd pleaser though, so when you are with a group, you hate to be the stick in the mud, as they say. Bonus Laugh: If you look in their beer cooler at the checkout, you will notice alongside their bottled beer, cans of WD-40. Not sure what the story is there, but whatever, I laughed.

We don't make it to Columbia often but like their pizza's. We ordered a half cheese and half hamburger and I asked that they put the full amount of hamburger one the one half. That didn't happen and the whole pizza seemed to be mostly crust and sauce. Very light on the cheese. Very disappointed for our occasional road trip.

Pizza was good, crust is what makes it different from others. Their estimated time was a little off but they were busy and that tends to happen with good food. Their website failed to include instructions on pick up orders so make sure to go to the register where people order so they check you in even if you paid and tipped online. Staff seemed friendly enough but could improve on greeting people or designating someone to manage carry out orders to avoid confusion with online orders.

I've only eaten Shakespeare's Pizza twice yet I feel comfortable saying it is one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. Crust: not too thick, not too thin...good crunch but an A+ in the chewiness factor Toppings: no pizza is overloaded -- a good selection whether you want meat, veggies, or both. Even the simple cheese is stellar. Atmosphere: I've been to two locations in Columbia -- one to dine in, the other to take out. When I dined in the atmosphere was lively and a bit crazy. Still got a table and great service. Even for the takeout, while I watched my pie being made, I could tell the folks dining in were having a good time. Service: Friendly, honest (in terms of timing), prompt. That's about all you can ask for. Price: Good deal for the pie + breadsticks. I think we paid under $20 for a large pizza, sticks, and two drinks. Solid deal. I certainly wouldn't move back to Missouri for Shakespeare's, but I sure do wish there was one close to my current domicile. I'm a fan.

Columbia classic. Haven't been to the new location yet but I love that they throw dough to the kids and make the pizzas in front of you. Really fun and laid back atmosphere. A little pricey but the food is high quality and the service and experience is great. The drinks are really underrated, this is an awesome place to grab a drink, they give you a large drink and pour heavy. Overall a really great place for an awesome pizza and a drink.

Always a solid pizza from this place. Ordered a large pie with lite sauce and extra cheese and got exactly what we asked for. The customer service was solid and pizza was ready at the time they stated. Will definitely continue supporting Shakespeare's.

As I've said, best pizza in the world, amazing group of employees. I'm posting this more in terms of the location. I'd pick West if you're looking for more of an easy, family vibe.

Worst martinis I've ever had in my life. That pizza tho. So fook'n good. I can't believe they were out of olive juice. Wtf! Oh and they were out of tooth picks. I'll definitely be coming back.

Flawless performance from this perfect college town pizza spot. It's got a cheerful, laid back atmosphere and friendly people who help you customize your pie. There's pinball and video games to play while you wait. The pizza is outstanding, plenty of great cheese, well-baked crust and fresh, generous toppings. Plenty of parking, easy in and out from interstate 70. Abandon national chain pizza forever!

The pizza was ok. I ordered extra cheese and barely got what I would consider a regular amount of cheese.......I do love cheese. The sauce was good and the crust was pretty good. The space is quite large and has outside seating on two ends. It was quite busy which made it very difficult to hear or understand what they were saying when they announce that your order is ready over the intercom. As I was dining alone, I would have to carry all my stuff with me to get my order, utensils, napkins, whatever, and hope I had a seat when I came back. I'm not a big fan of asking others to watch my place while I walk out of sight, however, I did this time, and it worked out fine. They have a nice bar area as well, and a decent range of drinks.

Great Pizza, great atmosphere! I had the meat pizza and a salad. Love their system. Wish they had a STL location!

We have ordered pizza from this location for delivery and carry out for several years now. Recently they have become so unorganized. At least three times now doing curbside pickup they have either lost or misplaced our order. Tonight we ordered and left the house at the time they said it would be ready. My husband has been sitting in the parking lot for almost 40 minutes waiting. They say they just took it out of the oven. My guess is they misplaced our order. Won't be ordering from there again.

This is the best pizza ever. I grew up in Columbia but did not go to undergraduate school here (who wants to go to school at "home"?), so I had it a few times growing up. However, my true love of it was discovered in graduate school (yeah, I stayed in the 'rents basement and got out without loans, want to make something of it?) and subsequent visits to CoMo over the past couple decades. Yes, I am old. The crust is perfect - not too thin - with some substance and a crunchy bottom. I love the wheat crust. And, they throw down the crust right there while you are watching. Nothing pre-made here. Yummy! The sauce is good and they are definitely generous with the toppings and cheese. Our favorites are The Vegetarian and the Meat Lover's pizzas. Gals and Guys pizzas, respectively. I've eaten at both locations and they are both equally good. This location is by my mom's house, so we go here when we are visiting her and the campus location when we are in town for campus activities. Our teenage children are also in love with this pizza. Oh, and for you St. Louis folks who give this 3 stars because it's not like Imo's pizza, that pizza sucks. Ketchup on a cracker. Just sayin'. I've never had Pi's, so I will not talk trash about it. But, I still love you guys if you are Mizzou fans, as I live in the land of KU. It's all good. :) We will DEFINITELY be back.

Pizza was nothing to go home about. Would compare it similar to dominoes or Pizza Hut maybe just a tad bit nicer. I guess after a few beers the pizza is doable otherwise though don't think it's too good

Being from St.Louis I have to admit that I am partial to Pi however I really did enjoy Shakespeare's Pizza. While St.Louis is more known for thin crust, and more recently the deep dish from Pi, Shakespeare's is a much more traditional pizza, not thin, and not deep or thick crust. Shakespeare's used quality ingredients and it defiantly shows, the pepperoni was very tasty and not overly greasy. I will be back for another visit when I am in town again. Shakespeare's Pizza also topped three other college hangouts to win the "2010 Best Bites Challenge: College Edition" on ABC's Good Morning America.

Ordered a pizza for delivery to my hotel- I'd never been to Columbia and everyone I asked RAVED about this place. Yelp reviews did too, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Pizza was... meh. I got beef/mushroom/olive, my absolute favorite. I was seriously ravenous when it arrived so I'm pretty sure ANYTHING would've tasted good at that point, and this did, but it was just okay. Cheese was great- that perfect melty - yet - chewy consistency, toppings were fine... but the crust was flavorless and so tough that my jaw literally ached after a few pieces. The sauce? I remember absolutely nothing about the sauce, which probably says something in itself. So bottom line: this pizza wasn't bad, but it was incredibly mediocre... With or without all the hype. Maybe it's better in the restaurant?

People always would laugh at me when they heard that I would go to Columbia a lot and had never been to Shakespeare's. Well...about 2 years ago I finally got my chance to go and now I try to make sure its a stop of mine when I'm in town. Their pizza is THAT good! Their atmosphere is THAT good! I was with my nieces and they got to stand by the pizza making window and the guy threw down to them pieces of dough which was pretty cool that they got to catch it. This was the first time at this location as the downtown location was over-packed and I think that both locations give off good vibes. Since I've always been a Columbia fan I love that feel of being at home per say at Shakespeare's with the people my age, etc. They were awesome in accommodating my bachelorette party back in July as we stopped on our way down to the Lake of the Ozarks. A bunch of girls, one dressed up in wedding attire is a great site and great fun! Just recently we had a Christmas in January celebration with family there and we were able to sit in a back room and enjoy ourselves thanks to the accommodations that we were given. Thank you Shakespeare's for all the memories that have happened at your restaurant and the many more to come.

Shakespeare's is a must stop when visiting or passing through Columbia from KC! I love the toppings and the crust! It is a little pricey but I feel like you get more than your money's worth. I also don't mind paying a little more for the "little guy" instead of national pizza chains. I enjoy the atmosphere and the guy that talks over the speaker to tell you that your pizza is done is hilarious! Just adds to the ambiance of why I like this place. I will say that I am sure there is better pizza out there but Shakespeare's is quality and deserves your attention at least once!

I haven't been to the original location yet... ...but this place isn't bad. The regular style pizza crust is somewhat thin, slighty tough, and crisp. There are lots of toppings which are all cut fresh. Well, the artichoke hearts weren't fresh, but that wouldn't make much sense to have fresh. It may have been slightly greasy, but that's just the way pizza is. There is a lot of cheese on this pizza so it makes sense that there's a little grease. The cheese tasted like real mozzarella, and the grease didn't taste fake or plastic-y, so it was all good. This location does not have a full bar, but they do have a good selection of beer. There are a lot of families here and kids running around, but parking is slightly easier than on campus. Not bad at all.

If you want the famous Shakespeare's pizza without the crowd, come to this one! Although it can get busy at times, its not nearly as busy as the one downtown! Same quality food and service! Best pizza in town!

This review is for the take out service out... Ordered my pizza online.. I live 3 miles from location.. About a hour and a half later, still no pizza... Called and they said its on its way.. No biggie I said thank you and the man hung up, did not say sorry for your wait, thank you or even your welcome.. RUDE! .. Btw.. Still waiting on my pizza... I will update about taste and delivery man experience once I FINALLY receive my pizza... Update: Delivery man was very kind and apologized for the wait and the pizza tasted delicious!! I will raise the stars!

Not impressed. Extra thin crust ordered but not close, more like medium crust. Alsocame soggy and doughy. Should have cooked way longer. Whover cut the green peppers must of been a rookie. Would never order again.

I have no idea what the hype about this over-priced pizza is - all locations. I live in Columbia and am always VERY disappointed with any pizza I try. We have gotten pies with only 1 or 2 pieces of pepperoni per piece, the toppings are about and inch and a half from the outside of the pizza. I got a take-out pizza where the crust was burnt. The crust is tasteless. It may be better when you go in because it is almost inedible if you have to reheat it or it arrives cold. I've never written a review but I always am befuddled when everyone just raves about Shakespeare's. We avoid this overpriced pizza at all costs.

Lots of positive reviews on Yelp lead us here for lunch. Walking in we were instantly greeted with the wonderful aromas of pizza baking. You place your order at the counter and the guy taking orders was very pleasant. We ordered a small cheese bread, a small pizza and 2 drinks that was just shy of $20. After ordering, you get you own drinks and don't forget to grab plates, forks and your napkins. If you are looking for traditional napkins keep looking....this place gives you a red shop towel like something you would see in a garage. Kinda strange but whatever. When your food is ready a very energetic staff member will call out your name over the PA system. Our food was hot and for the most part pretty good. The complaint I had was the red sauce with the garlic bread was cold and just didn't go great with a hot bread. Even room temp would have been better than ice cold. The pizza was good but personally I missed what all the hype was about. Don't get me wrong...its good but nothing to write home about.

The Pizza was good but it was cold by the time we received it. They left it sitting and did not call our name so we did not know it was ready. We decided to check on when it would be ready and found it siting on the counter.

First off let me just say i am from the East Coast NYC metro area so my opinion is superior.. LOL jk (kinda) The pizza is OK, and i say that because cheese and dough is always gonna be at least ok. Its like bowling alley pizza.. I would eat it if i was drunk, or if someone else paid.. The crust was all burnt and blackened. The meat lovers was abundant with meat, they sure did not skimp out on that. Really if the crust was not burnt i would have gave it 3 stars out of respect but it was BLACK. I am sure its not always like that. I do hear good things about the place. I would like to think that it is an isolated experience. Give it a try.. YOU might like it! Especially if you never had pizza from back East.

My husband waved about the pizza, he and his coworkers go 3 times a week. I was excited about trying the pizza when I finally made the move out from California. Well that excitement was short lived. Hoping that maybe they were having a bad pizza day, I went back 3 more times over the past year, no such luck. Each time the pizza got worse. The funny thing is the other 2 locations are much better, go figure.

Not only is the pizza AMAZING, but the people are just as wonderful. I had my last Vegetablanarian pizza, in who knows when I'll be able to be back in town, and the cashier almost made me cry she was so sweet when I told her I was moving to a new state. This place really is like family. The food, the people, the atmosphere is all so priceless.

Ok Let's start with the easy part. Very good pizza. My friends and I had heard of this place for years and finally made it there to see if it is worth all the hype. .Again, very good pizza. But worth a 90 minute wait? We got there and was told a 40 minute wait. Well as I said. that turned into 90. Then they got our order wrong! We had ordered 1 lg and 1 med and got 2 med. They made us another free of charge, but after 90 min, very frustrating. Now the bad part. $60 for 2 pizza and 4 sodas? HOLY CRAP! Most expensive pizza ever. We mused that we could have gotten 4 steak dinners for that! Way over priced. Very good pizza yes, but Maybe in manhattan I would pay that much. I'll pass next time.$60? No way!

Best pizza south of Chicago! We regularly adjust our travels from Kansas City to Columbia or St. Louis so we can eat at Shakespeare's! The crunchy crust, extra thick slices of pepperoni, fresh veggies, and provolone cheese make for the perfect slice of pizza!

Great pizza! It's definitely one of the better pizzas I've ever had. The ingredients are definitely quality. The only gripe is that the price is pretty steep. Also, If you go on Friday night or the weekend, be prepared to wait at least 30-1hr minutes. Very overhyped.

This place is in a nicer area of town, and no one knew much about this location for a while, so it was less crowded. Same great pizza and ambiance!

Honestly, one of the best tasting pizza I have ever had. Totally a fan! I highly recommend it and want to go back when I am in Columbia again.