If you've never had authentic St. Louis–style pizza, then what you think is pizza might in fact be a cunningly disguised pretzel. Today's Groupon clears up the confusion: for $10, you get $20 worth of St. Louis–style pizza, pasta, and more at Imo’s Pizza. This deal is good for dine-in only at Imo's Overland Park or Kansas City locations, so bring your friends and your Groupon to the 46-year-old St. Louis chain's westernmost outposts for good food, drinks, and healthy debate on the best translation of Le Père Goriot.

Founded in 1964 by a tile maker as an edible canvas on which to practice his square-cutting, Imo’s original St. Louis–style pizza features a thin, cracker-crisp crust topped with homemade sauce and Provel cheese, then sliced into squares. The love child of a culinary fromage a trois between cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, Provel melts into a soft, creamy pool reminiscent of the delicious dairy lagoons tucked away high in the Swiss Alps, and can be enjoyed on Imo’s pizza for its minimalistic beauty or as a blank canvas for a DIY pizza experience ($12.38–$14.76 base price for a large). Pile on any of Imo’s 14 fresh toppings—including pepperoncini, hamburger, Canadian bacon, and jalapeno—or indulge in one of its popular specialty pies (less than $20 at either location). The all-meat pizza combines sausage, hamburger, bacon, Canadian bacon, and pepperoni, while the veggie deluxe (mushroom, onion, green pepper, and tomato) hosts a stately garden party in one’s mouth.

Imo’s menu also boasts an appetizing selection of starters and non-pizza entrees, and patrons find its casual atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for a photo opportunity with a “tub” of 30 toasted ravioli or classic hot wings ($6.49). Salads, pasta entrees (mostaccioli and stuffed cannelloni are popular; both less than $6), and Provel-topped warm sandwiches round out the menu—and are best washed down with a soda or Cinnimos (cinnamon sticks drizzled with frosting, $3).

Reviews

Yelpers and Citysearchers give the Mill Street location four stars, two Yelpers in Overland Park give their locale the same four-star rating, and 82% of Urbanspooners like it:

• The best....most unique pizza in the city. – crobarbw, Citysearch
• There is nothing better than a classic crisp slice of imo's pizza. The St. Louis style thin crust and unique Provel cheese makes imo's [sic] one of the best in the midwest [sic]. – J P., Yelp
• I freakin' love their pizza...it's that provolone cheese blend that makes me weak in the knees. – Katie D., Yelp