This Iconic College Pizza Joint in Columbia, Missouri, Is a Perfect Road Trip Detour From I-70

Do you get tired of stopping at fast food and casual chains on your road trips? If you’re like me, finding a local gem is a highlight of any road trip. Located in Columbia, Shakespeare’s Pizza is the perfect road trip detour while crossing Missouri on Interstate 70. You can enjoy a great slice of pizza in a local restaurant with a college-town vibe. For over 50 years, Shakespeare’s has been a favorite of students of the University of Missouri–Columbia (more commonly known as Mizzou). 

Interstate 70 is a major thoroughfare across mid-America, connecting Utah and Maryland, and a primary route for reaching the Colorado Rockies. This roadway also connects Missouri’s two largest cities, St. Louis and Kansas City. At some point in your life, you may find yourself crossing mid-Missouri, feeling a bit bored by the scenery and ready to eat. Don’t pull off at a McDonald’s or Cracker Barrel when you can instead have some of the best pizza in Missouri.

While Missouri’s pizza scene may be known for St. Louis’ cracker-thin crusts, Shakespeare’s Pizza goes with a more traditional hand-tossed crust. You can actually watch the pizza makers flip soft discs of dough into the air since the kitchen is visible while you stand in line. Select from white or wheat crust and have it personalized to your preferred level of thickness. A wooden sign with a spinner lets you know the current wait time for a pizza, as the ovens sometimes get backed up with delicious pies.

Shakespeare’s classic crust is then topped with red sauce and the meats and veggies of your choice. My family usually keeps it simple with Italian sausage, but I also highly recommend the Vegetablenarian if you are in the mood for all the veggies. A limited number of specialty pies are offered—or you can make your own. Like many pizza joints, the menu doesn’t offer much else, other than some super fresh, tasty salads and gooey cheese garlic bread. Truly, what more do you need?

On road trips, do you ever worry about asking for a drink refill to go like I do? At Shakespeare’s, not only can you take your drink to go, you can even take the reusable plastic cup. From my college years and beyond, it was normal for everyone’s cabinets to be stocked with cups displaying Shakespeare’s iconic green logo featuring the font from the sign out front. Collect your own!

Aside from the food, the atmosphere is top-notch. The original downtown Shakespeare’s was torn down in 2015 for a downtown construction project, but you’d never know when you step inside the new restaurant. Original bricks, wood paneling, and tin ceiling tiles were preserved from the old restaurant to bring charm into the new space. More coziness comes from the private booths and curving pathways. Send the kids to the game room to burn off energy before you hit the road again.

Shakespeare’s Pizza is an easy detour from I-70. There are three locations in Columbia, but I recommend the downtown location if you want to stretch your legs before returning to the road. Follow up your meal with a stroll through the Mizzou Botanic Garden, where the scenic university grounds burst with hundreds of varieties of plants and flowers. Make a stop at the iconic columns that survived an early campus fire and now serve as a symbol of the university. Then, explore the greater Columbia downtown area, which has tons of shops. 

Even if Columbia isn’t your college town, a road trip detour to Shakespeare’s Pizza can make you feel like you’re in college again.