Top 5 Pepperoni Pizzas in St. Louis, Chosen by Our Critic

O+O Pizza

Though it's difficult to order anything other than the eggplant Parmesan at O+O Pizza (102 West Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves), the pepperoni pies make a good argument for branching out. Here, sauce and crust are beautiful vehicles for small discs of Ezzo pepperoni, a fatty paprika- and garlic-forward version of the ubiquitous pizza sausage that many consider the best around. Fior di latte and pecorino add richness, but the key to this pie is the Calabrian chile-infused hot honey drizzle that mingles with the deeply savory meat and vibrant sauce to form an otherworldly spicy-sweet rich flavor.

La Pizza

The only acceptable slice for many New York expats, the iconic La Pizza (8137 Delmar Boulevard, University City) is the embodiment of the quintessential Big Apple slice. This is as classic as it comes: zesty sauce, melted greasy cheese and a generous smattering of paprika- and garlic-forward pepperoni rounds, all on a slice that can be folded and eaten off a paper plate, as God intended.

Pie Guy Pizza

Owner Mitch Frost's painstaking pizza R&D resulted in the New York-style pie at Pie Guy Pizza (4189 Manchester Avenue), which is characterized by a thin layer of crispness that yields to soft dough, similar to a perfectly griddled piece of Texas toast. It's a stunning canvas for molten cheese and garlicky pepperoni that is so fatty, it's equal parts white and red.

Union Loafers

You'd expect nothing less than crust perfection from a bread bakery as renowned as Union Loafers (1629 Tower Grove Avenue), and Ted Wilson and company do not disappoint. You could eat this soft, chewy masterpiece plain and still be happy, but why do that when you can have it covered in piquant tomato sauce, mozzarella and grana padano cheese, pepperoni, fresh herbs and — the show stealer — Calabrian chiles that cut through the pizza's richness with vibrant heat.

1929 Pizza & Wine

The magnificent wood-fired pies at 1929 Pizza & Wine (7 North Wood River Avenue, Wood River, Illinois) feature an outstanding crust that is slightly fluffier than a traditional Neapolitan pizza but infused with a wood char that gives every bite a lovely earthiness. For its pepperoni version, the restaurant uses large rounds of the garlicky sausage that are sliced prosciutto thin, allowing them to curl up at the edges when heated, even as they stay impossibly tender. Coupled with the housemade mozzarella, this adds a significant goo factor that is positively decadent.