Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta — Restaurant in Ankeny

As a New Yorker, I’m always on the lookout for pizza that reminds me of home, and Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta absolutely delivers. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere, the service, and most importantly, the pizza transported me back to NYC.

I’ve been here three times already, and every visit has been consistently great. I tried a variety of slices, including pepperoni, Margherita, and my absolute favorite, Grandma pizza. If finding a good Grandma slice in NYC is difficult, finding one outside of New York is nearly impossible, but Nonna’s nailed it. The flavor, the texture, everything about it tastes just as authentic as any pizza I’ve had in the city. I was blown away by the first bite—instantly transported back to Brooklyn!

Lunch hours here are relaxed, making it a perfect spot to enjoy your meal, while dinner time is a bit busier, which is to be expected. Despite the rush, the service is quick, and the staff are always friendly and helpful. Ordering might seem a bit disorganized to some, but it’s exactly how you order in NYC—fast-paced and straightforward. You go up to the person behind the counter, pick and order what you want, pay at the register, and then be served at your seating. They even have a small sign to guide you through the process, which is a nice touch for those unfamiliar.

They have a wide variety of pizza options, and I’ve enjoyed every slice I’ve tried. The Grandma pizza was the standout for me, but each slice brought back memories of classic NYC pizza. Another great touch is that they serve Mexican Coke, which pairs perfectly with their pizza. The prices are a bit on the higher side, but they’re similar to what you’d pay in NYC, and the quality more than justifies it.

They’ve got plenty of seating, including space for large parties and a bar area, and parking is ample outside. I’ve been told that several people working here are from NYC, which only adds to the authentic experience. I’m thrilled that this place exists in Iowa.

Overall, if you’re in Iowa and craving a true slice of New York, Nonna’s is the place to go. The Grandma pizza alone is worth the visit, and I’ll definitely...

This is hands down some of the best NY style pizza in and around Des Moines. The staff are a bit loud, but they're very friendly and the entire atmosphere of the restaurant is just very relaxed and casual.

There's lots of seating and a great deal of pizzas available either as a whole pie which you order from the menu, or you can buy it the slice from the counter which is warmed under a heat lamp.

The pizza itself is delicious and very well priced. The pizza crust is crispy and savoury on the outside and nice and fluffy in the inside. It doesn't get overly soggy with sauce or oil either and manages to keep its shape very very well. There's a ton of variety and the sizes are huge as well.

If you do order off the menu for a whole pie do expect to wait sometime as it took around thirty minutes for a pizza I ordered to make it to our table and in that time the people we were eating with had actually finished their two slices that they purchased from the counter which was a little unfortunate. I did appreciate that left over boxes were available to grab yourself by the soda fountain though.

Furthermore, the menu doesn't include any nutritional or calorific information so those interested in that sort of thing will have to miss out which I'd love to see addressed in the near future as it would help inform exactly how much I want to order and eat. Also their options for diet / zero sugar soda are limited, at least on the fountain, to diet coke otherwise you'll have to pay...

The guys at the front counter were very nice, helpful and clean.

I am one of those people that always have to use the bathroom and wash up before my meal. This place has one of the cleanest most spacious bathrooms with large mirrors I've seen. I absolutely love the sinks. Just in case you do not want to enter the bathroom there is a sink between bathrooms.

Onto the food the garlic knots were delicious the flavor and consistency was excellent.

The Tuscan chicken was a chicken breast butterflied and cooked it fell apart tender, in a bed of bacon, cheese and pasta topped with spinach and more cheese on top.

When you walk in you can see pre made pizza in the case as you walk in. You choose what you want they grab it and it goes in the oven. You can also choose to just order a fresh whole pizza pie.

The drinks were very well mixed not watered down. They were just right.

The cheese cake is a must try. It looked so delicious we dug in and forgot to take pics. It was melt in your mouth goodness.

The seating was very comfortable. I don't usually comment on the chairs in a restaurant however these chairs were comfortable to me as you lean against the back and they slightly recline or tilt back. My back said ahhh.

Afterwards we were talking to the people who were working there, they said they moved here from NY and wanted to bring a little bit of home here. Kudos!

Now I'm sad they are not in my home town of Cedar Rapids. Des Moines lunch did...