Monte Bello Pizzeria

dinner w/​Lynette, Amy & Bill. first thing i noticed is the ceiling height. me being 6’6″ i could mot straighten up. its in a basement of a house.
a little disappointed because one of the reason we went was for the ‘hand made home made’ Toasted Raviolis. they had run out. grrr. the pizza is really good. it has a smokey flavor because of the brick oven! the hand made sausage is good AND they have GREEN OLIVES. what a rare find.
Meghan was our server & she is great.
we will return,
1. call ahead for the T Ravs.
2. Meghan is working.

Well I’ve been wanting to try this place but the lady was against it because she was judging book by cover… Finally I just ordered it and went and picked it up. Lady at the counter says «you ever been here before?» I said «No» she goes «You’ll be back»… I liked the confidence. After we took it home and devoured it, the lady at the counter was 100% correct. It was delicious and we will be back.

In early 2012, I gave up gluten. I had to go to Monte Bello one last time before I did. Now, over 3 years later, if I get a serious craving for something, I will eat it. Last weekend, I REALLY wanted some Monte Bello pizza. It was a Sunday night and it was PACKED, with only 1 poor girl waiting tables. We waited over an hour for our pizza, but it was well worth it. Their Italian sausage is just so good, and the pizza is so flavorful. Provel is overrated and I love that this place doesn’t mess with it. We also got some toasted ravioli; equally tasty. My only regret was that the next day my stomach punished me for this indulgence. It’s okay, Monte Bello, you are not to blame.

Food is ok. Tasty T-​Ravs, greasy pizza, unimaginative iceberg lettuce salads. Only Coke to drink, no beer or wine.

My friend took me here once and it was some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. I have been looking for it, but had no idea what the name was or where exactly it is. Thanks to google maps I found it. It is one of those places you have to know about because you’d probably never just find it. I thought it was a house at first. I can’t wait to go back.

Monte Bello’s has the best cornmeal crust pizza around. My family has been going there for years. I haven’t been there since the new management but I am hoping that they are staying true to the recipes of the families. They have great fries even thou they are dark they are good,

My family has been going to Monte Bello for years! I was introduced to it by my husband’s family. His father grew up in the area. We especially love the bacon pizza. I will agree with everyone else. Call ahead whether your dining in or carrying out. I highly recommend the pizza.
I do have one question for the «new» management. Has the sauce recipe been changed? It just doesn’t seem to be quite the same as before.
Regardless, I’m sure we will be back many times.

Good St. Louis style pizza. Cloth tablecloths! Adorable space. They take reservations and will make your pizza ahead of time, as it takes 45 minutes to prepare the pie. Literally in the basement — truly a hole in the wall.

Tale of two pizzas.
The sausage and mushroom was wicked good, phenomenal. The pepperoni, was shit. Same pizza different toppings. Boooooi

Was not sure what to expect just by the looks of the whole place. Was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was quaint and our waitress was very nice.
While there, we just ordered a couple pizzas, didn’t try the appetizers. The deluxe pizza was delicious; had great flavor. Not as impressed with the sausage and pepperoni for some reason, but it was still good and I continued to go back for another slice.
It’s definitely a place to check out, you will enjoy dining there. I certainly judged the restaurant based on it’s looks, but was proved wrong. Another thing to keep in mind is that they do not serve alcoholic beverages and do not allow you to byob. Other than that, I have nothing negative to say.

A little hidden gem! U are literally in a basement! Everything was just delicious, mozz stix, toasted ravs, and of course the PIZZA:) come check it out!!!

Great pizza, need to bring shrimp and fried chicken back. Keep up good work. Still have not eaten in since remodel. I will very soon though.

Finally! I’ve been wanting to go here for awhile, a pizza place in a basement sounds right up my alley. I didn’t pick it up, but was told that it is indeed a basement.
Not quite STL style, it had a more substantial and chewier crust-​one of the best I’ve eaten, and topped with non-​Provel cheeses. Sauce was on the sweeter side. Can’t wait to go back.

I’ve been here a few times. And I love a good STL style pizza. But I have to say this place doesn’t do it for me 100%. The pizza isn’t bad. I do wish their sauce as well as their sausage had more flavor.
The side salad could use a bit more attention as well. Tons of iceberg lettuce and a couple croutons and small tomato wedge. Meh.
Toasted ravioli’s are an STL staple and the filling in these lacked flavor or spices within the meat. The sauce seemed like plain/​bland tomato marinara vs a meat sauce style I’m used too.
What I was most disappointed in was the order of mostaccioli we ordered to try for the first time. I was really disappointed in this dish. The noodles were over cooked and the sauce was just that same bland meatless marinara poured on top. I tried a few bites to see if the flavor arrives. It did not.
This is a small business that recently got a write up in the paper. So if you go during a meal time, be prepared to have a wait
My advice: stick to the pizza.

I saw a sign that mentioned they accept credit cards now but only certain brands. I wasn’t paying, so I don’t remember which ones. They have great food but a looong wait. Be prepared. A lot of people do carry out. Others call ahead so that their pizza is brought to their table as soon as they sit down. Other people don’t read reviews and so are jerks to their server for a good 30 – 75 minutes, depending on how busy the place is.
The server was very friendly. She promptly took our drunk order and that of the other two tables who arrived within minutes of us. She then brought menus back when she realized we were new. Just when we wondered if we’d been forgotten in favor of a few parties who’d been there for awhile, she returned with drinks for all three tables and took our orders.
Trust me when I say that if you didn’t call ahead and arrived hungry, you need to order appetizers. I even heard the server warn a table or two of this; They get done way faster than pizza. We got the toasted ravioli to share, which had a completely unique texture that I really loved. The dipping sauce was just okay alone, but it was perfect for the ravioli. The boyfriend got garlic cheese bread, super cheesy and garlicky. I tried the fried cauliflower simply because I haven’t had it in ages. It was good, but the Ranch was weird somehow. His daughter had french fries that were exactly like a kind I’ve had at a barbecue place, leaving me craving barbecue sauce. They were crispy and brown and delicious.
And then the wait began. We were in no hurry, and waitress was very polite about it. Their oven has 12 spots, and they get a lot of call in orders. She said that they always try to do dine in before takeout, but I can only imagine that you can’t remove a to go pizza you put in 2 minutes ago just because someone walked in and ordered. She also gave us the call ahead suggestion for next time.
The pizza was good. We got half pepperoni and half only cheese. My favorite part was this seasoning that they put around the edges of the crust that made it really crunchy and kind of burnt (not like it tasted burnt but more like when cheese touches a skillet for a second). The crust was kind of fluffy but still crunchy, and there was a lot of bubbly cheese. My only complaint was that I was there wasn’t more pizza so that we’d have had some to take home.
Pros: great food, service, price
Cons: wait, bathrooms (It’s an old building.)

Picture your local strip mall. And picture the pizzeria in that strip mall.
Now imagine the exact opposite of everything you just pictured and you’ve got Monte Bello.
And it’s awesome.
Here’s what you need to know:
1) Trust your GPS. Yes, this place is in the house you’re looking at. There is an ‘OPEN’ sign lit up where you need to enter. You’ll feel kind of weird parking and walking in, but you’re in the right place. This isn’t a business district. You’re in the basement of a house. Literally.
2) Go with people you like. Why? There are zero decorations on the wall. There is a single, small TV near the kitchen entrance that you can’t see. They don’t play music. You’re in a basement and cell service is spotty. If you don’t want to talk to the person you’re eating with… don’t come here. You’ll be forced to be a human.
3) The pizza is great. It’s all (sort of) thin crust. All the toppings were fresh. The texture of the crust is kind of like Pi — if you like their pizza, you’ll like this pizza. The cheese is on the top, though. It’s Lemay. The rest of the menu is basic — salad, toasted ravs, etc al. Pizza is the main attraction here.
4) They do take VISA/​MC. Not AMEX. No ATM. If you don’t carry cash, you might be worried about this when you walk in. But you can use a card. They do not sell beer or alcohol.
5) Cloth tablecloths. For the win!
In short, if you’re looking to support a local STL business and get a good pizza as a reward for shopping small, then go to Monte Bello.

Plain and simple… It’s some of the best pizza in St. Louis! Call ahead and it takes a while to get your food but it’s worth it.

Monte Bello is not a hole in the wall. It is a hole in the ground. This basement in Lemay is exactly the kind of quirky dining experiences you always need now and again. If you follow my Monte Bello rules, a good experience will be had by all:
Monte Bello Rule #1: NEVER, I repeat, NEVER dine in to Monte Bello. If the fact that this place is in a basement isn’t reason enough to convince you, my coworker told me one time she saw an ashtray on a highchair.
Monte Bello Rule #2: You must call ahead. This is an unwritten rule if you carry out. The first time my husband and I ventured there, we just wanted to see what the place was about. In the course of taking our order, the waitress said about three billion times we should call ahead if we are carrying out. In case we forgot this rule, the cook screamed if from the back kitchen as we left. Not in a mean way at all, you can just tell they are serious about this.
Monte Bello Rule #3: This is probably the most important rule… GET IT. This place has the most AMAZING pizza. Homemade crust. Delicious toppings. You can tell it is made with care. We always get the bacon and sausage. It is perfection.
And there they are– 3 rules for a perfect experience at Monte Bello!

My mom and dad used to go on dates here in the 70’s this place has been on my got to try list for years. Anyhow I got pizza Saturday night from them and it was great I had to get again Sunday night to make sure I wasn’t just dreaming how good it was. While it’s not a pizza I’d want all the time it has it’s own unique taste like none other so I will be back again. Reasonably priced

Ah Monte Bello. The other reviews are spot on. This place wont’ jump out at your as your driving down the road. If you’re looking for it and are in the area and you see the «open» sign then you’ve got your place. Head down the stairs into what looks like an ordinary basement — because that’s what it is– and you’re home.
The pizza is solid. Nothing earth shattering. If its in the neighborhood for you I recommend it. If like me you need to venture into the off-​the-​grid places then check this one off your list then head over.
You can find a better piece of pizza in this town but as far as St. Louis style goes its a solid B.