Meta Description: The comprehensive guide covers the history of Imo’s pizza, their signature thin crust style, overview of frozen varieties available, cooking instructions to get the perfect crisp crust at home, and where to buy Imo’s pizza frozen.
If you know, you know: Midwesterners are obsessed with all things pizza, and frozen pizzas are no exception. And when it comes to the topic of popular frozen pizza brands in the Midwest, Imo’s is definitely a name that often comes up.
Founded in 1964 by Ed and Margie Imo, this St. Louis-based pizzeria has been serving its signature thin-crust St. Louis-style pizza for nearly six decades now. And while it’s true that nothing beats a piping-hot pie fresh from one of their many local establishments, they’ve also been selling their pizzas in frozen form for years.
Today we’ll be discussing everything there is to know about Imo’s pizza frozen offerings, so let’s get started!
Breaking down the history of Imo's
The story goes as follows: After moving from New York City to St. Louis in search of new opportunities, Ed and Margie missed the New York-style pizzas they grew up eating. So they decided to open a pizzeria in Missouri’s second largest city.
The pair modified their original recipe over time to better suit people’s taste buds around town (and ended up creating something even more delicious). They eventually came up with an ultra-thin crust that was crispy yet more cracker-like than its New York counterpart.
And thanks to a proprietary flour blend and signature Provel cheese — another unique product born out of St. Louis — this crust certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.
By 1995, the brand had grown into such a big name that it operated over 100 locations across Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. But surprisingly enough, every single location still made dough fresh daily during these massive growth spurts.
In order to make sure even those without access to one of their many stores could indulge in a delicious slice at home, Ed and Margie began advertising frozen versions of their pies in grocery stores during the 80s.Â
And just like the fresh, hot ones we all know and love, these bad boys also feature a super thin crust as well as the cheesy blend that made them famous.Â
What sets Imo's pizza apart from others?
There are more than a few factors that differentiate frozen Imo’s pizzas from other brands. Here are three of the most important:
Ultra Thin Crust
Imo’s pizza is widely recognized for its extremely thin crust. In fact, it gets so crispy that I’ve often heard people compare it to a cracker.
The dough is rolled out incredibly thin before getting baked at high heat inside one of their many pizza ovens scattered across St. Louis (and beyond). And even when picked up frozen at a grocery store and popped into an oven at home, this signature textural quality holds strong.
Provel Cheese Blend
Provel cheese, another one-of-a-kind local creation, was invented by a dairy company based in St. Louis back in the 1940s. The processed cheese is made from Swiss, cheddar and provolone cheeses and has an almost glue-like consistency when melted.
If you’ve ever had it before (if you haven’t then please do yourself a favor), you’ll know what I’m referring to when I say that it makes every bite simply unforgettable.
Signature Sauce
While not quite as unique as Provel cheese or their ultra-thin crust, there’s something truly special about Imo’s sauce that I can’t quite put my finger on…
Its sweet tomato base works perfectly with the brand’s two most flavorful ingredients — but we’ll get to those later.
Cut into Squares
Although this last point doesn’t impact flavor or texture whatsoever… There’s just no way I could create a comprehensive guide and completely leave it out!
Imo’s pies are sliced into little squares rather than the classic triangular shape you’re used to seeing. But why, you ask?
Well, their crust’s cracker-like qualities are actually amplified when it’s cut this way. And let’s be honest… That makes grabbing a slice and enjoying it with your bare hands just that much easier.
The combination of those key elements make a pizza with a truly unique St. Louis style that’s distinctly different from a New York slice or Chicago deep dish. Fans say once you try Imo’s, no other pizza tastes quite the same!Â
Overview of Imo’s Pizza Frozen Offerings
Imo's Pizza Frozen Varieties
Variety | Size | Servings | Toppings |
|---|---|---|---|
Traditional Imo's Pizza | 8-inch, 14-inch | 6, 10 | Provel cheese, Imo's sauce, optional (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives) |
Imo’s currently offers three varieties of frozen pizza available in grocery stores around the Midwest and online:
Traditional Imo's Pizza
The traditional Imo’s pizza features the thin crust, Provel cheese, and signature sauce that makes their pizza famous. It comes in 8-inch and 14-inch sizes.
The 8-inch mini pizza contains 6 servings and the 14-inch pizza contains 10 servings. The toppings include Provel cheese, Imo’s sauce, and your choice of toppings like pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and black olives.
Deluxe Imo's Pizza
This deluxe version features extra Provel cheese plus the standard sauce and your choice of toppings from pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and Canadian bacon. It comes in a 14-inch size with 10 servings per pizza.
Breakfast Imo's Pizza
Imo’s puts a breakfast twist on their pizza with an egg and cheese topping combo. The 8-inch mini breakfast pizza includes eggs, mozzarella, cheddar, bacon, sausage, and Imo’s sauce.
The 14-inch breakfast pizza also includes those ingredients but lets you add other toppings like mushrooms, onions, green peppers,and black olives.
All the Imo’s frozen pizza varieties are made with the same thin crust and special ingredients used in the restaurants. They make it easy to enjoy the one-of-a-kind Imo’s pizza taste at home.
Cooking Instructions for Imo's Frozen Pizza
Step | Instruction |
|---|---|
1 | Preheat the oven to 500°F (highest setting). |
Cooking Imo’s pizza frozen at home is simple but takes some technique to achieve the signature thin and crispy crust. Here are some tips for cooking up the perfect frozen Imo’s pizza:
- Always start with a fully preheated oven. Crank it as high as it will go, ideally 500°F. The high heat is key for getting the crust crispy.
- Place the frozen pizza directly on the oven rack or on a pizza stone. Avoid pans which can make the crust soggy.Â
- Check the pizza frequently as it cooks. The crust should start browning within 2-3 minutes in a super hot oven.Â
- Cook the pizza for 6-8 minutes if using the oven’s highest setting. It may take 11-15 minutes at lower temps like 400°F. Spin the pizza halfway through for even browning.
- Let the pizza cool for 2-3 minutes once cooked before cutting. This lets the cheese set up fully.Â
- Cut the pizza into squares with a pizza cutter or sturdy kitchen shears.
- For added crispiness, put baked pizza squares on a baking sheet and flash them under the oven broiler for 1-2 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning.
It can take some trial and error to perfect that Imo’s thin crust style at home but once you nail down your cooking method, you can enjoy that crispy, cracker-like crust from your very own freezer!
Imo's Pizza Frozen vs Delivery or Dine-In
While Imo’s frozen pizza makes it easy to enjoy at home, some may wonder how it compares to ordering Imo’s for delivery or dining in at a restaurant.
There are a few key differences between those versions and Imo’s frozen pizzas:
- Crust: If you want your pizza crust to be extra crispy and crunchy, the frozen Imo’s pizza is for you. Imo’s restaurants only cook their pizzas at a cooler temperature, which doesn’t dry out the crust as much as the oven in your home kitchen.
- Toppings: While it’s convenient that the sauce and toppings are already applied to a frozen pizza, with a fresh-made pie you have more control over how much sauce and toppings go on. Delivered or dine-in pizzas from Imo’s tend to have more sauce and heaped-on toppings.
- Timing: You’re going to have to plan ahead if you want a frozen pizza because once it comes out of the oven, it still won’t be hot enough to eat. In that time, you could’ve received a piping hot pizza right to your door from an Imo’s delivery driver.
- Customization: You’re stuck with set topping options when buying a frozen pie from Imo’s, but when ordering from an actual restaurant or from a delivery service like DoorDash or Postmates, you can put whatever you want on it (within reason).
- Price: When comparing price per pie, frozen is generally a cheaper alternative than having one delivered or paying for one at a restaurant — especially if you factor in the tip for delivery drivers.
The frozen version isn’t all too different from the real thing. The unique thin-crust style and cheese flavor still shines through. If anything, being able to enjoy authentic St. Louis-style pizza without leaving your house sounds like an upgrade.
Where Can You Get It?
Imo’s distributes its frozen pizzas mainly around the Midwest region where its restaurants operate. So unfortunately for some of our readers farther away from Missouri than we are here in Springfield — who don’t care about this article at all but read up until this point anyway — may not find them nearby anytime soon.
- Dierbergs: This grocery chain is one of the most reliable places to find frozen Imo’s pizza varieties.
- Schnucks: The supermarket has over 100 locations in the Midwest. So it’s probably your best bet if you don’t have a Dierbergs near you.
- Walmart: Select Walmarts in the St. Louis area and surrounding states will carry Imo’s frozen pizza.
- Kroger: This supermarket owns countless grocery chains, like Ralphs and Fred Meyer, so check those stores to see if they have it in stock.
- Aldi: Some Aldi locations sell Imo’s products, but selection will vary by store.
If you can’t find them at any of these stores or are still unsure, the frozen pies are also available for online delivery from Imo’s website, Amazon and many other online retailers.
Wrapping Up
It wouldn’t hurt to call ahead before heading out to buy some either. Not all locations may carry it, and others might be sold out due to high demand or popularity. But we promise it’s worth trying — especially if you’re new to the city or recently moved away.
