Empire Deli & Pizza Co

This place used to be so awesome. The pizza was perfect… huge, greasy slices with the right amount of cheese. Unfortunately, IT IS NEVER OPEN anymore! Very disappointing. I hope new ownership comes in soon and works out the kinks… this was a great addition to Wash Ave while it lasted.

Nothing in the deli. Only pizza. Looked like a ghost town. Glad we paid to park. Turned around and walked out!

Without a doubt the rudest customer service experience I have ever had in my life. Pizza was 55 minutes, still not delivered a block away and the girl wanted to argue with me about it on the phone. Then the pizza a got was gross. I won’t ever come back.

Yesterday, Saturday around 5pm, my girlfriend and I planned to dine at Empire, but upon walking up to the front, the place was closed. Lights on, an employee inside, but the open sign was off and door locked. At 5 on Saturday both google and Unilocal shows it as open, so what gives?
The next day during the same time we decide to try again. This time they’re open, but only one other patron and a cook in front occupy the restaurant. We walk in and before we decide what to get from the menu, he mentions all they have is pizza — a pepperoni and cheese pie sit in front of him. No full menu? We decided on a few slices of pepperoni to go, but we were planning on sandwiches.
After heating them up in the pizza oven he sandwiches them between two paper plates — the kind that absorb oil like a paper towel (which they did) — and puts them in a grocery bag. They were okay pizzas with a pretty rubbery crust.
Maybe we’ll go again when the place is a little busier and has some more menu options, but reading other reviews, there seems to be a pretty slim chance we’ll have a good experience. And based on those reviews, it seems it was once the place to go for pizza on Wash, but now it doesn’t seem like it’ll be here much longer.

I would give five stars based on the pizza alone. It’s truly the best NY style that I’ve had outside of NY. Unfortunately the service, hours, and availability are inconsistent and downright disappointing. They run out of pizza boxes, their phone occasionally does not work, when the phone does work they don’t answer, and there is a woman who works for them who is rude and does not understand simple requests. Overall the staff is friendly other than the woman mentioned above. Too bad it’s so unreliable. I absolutely love the pizza.

It’s FINE — better than you would think it would be, but not great. Late-​night food options downtown are piss-​poor, and here you will get a greasy, salty, somewhat too flimsy slice of pizza. Could be a lot worse.

A buddy and I went to Empire a couple of weeks ago at noon for lunch and discovered that the two people working only had one pizza from which all customers could select a slice. One was rapidly trying to make more pizza, but our choice was limited to pepperoni and sausage or pepperoni and sausage, which, at lunch time, is just idiotic planning on their part.
The pizza we got wasn’t great, the ingredient quality is poor and the packaging method for «to go» slices is laughable.
Nevertheless, I tried to go again today to give them another chance. Huge mistake. It’s not a short walk from my work, but it was a nice day, so I figured it would be worth it. I get there and wait in line for ten minutes. Wow, they have two pizzas I can choose from this time! And the chef, whose grasp of English is VERY poor, is trying to explain to the person in front of me that he can make another pepperoni but didn’t know how long it would take. Nevertheless, I ordered slices of cheese and they were stuck in the oven. I received the slices and went to pay.
Upon pulling out my credit card, it was only then that I was told that their machine was down and they were only taking cash that day. No sign on the door, no word of warning when entering, I had to wait through the entire line and have them cook my pizza before they would tell me I couldn’t pay. And it wasn’t an isolated problem. The THREE people behind me also learned this when I was told and, while their pizza was still warming, walked out.
TL;DR — The pizza quality is bad, but not as horrid as the management, who seem lucky to still be operating a restaurant. This will not be open long unless they change their ways.

It pains me to give this place a 1 star review, because when they first opened I enjoyed it. Delicious pizza and a great price per slice.
But things change. I’ve now tried visiting here on multiple occasions, only to find their door locked during normal business hours. Today was the final straw as it was prime lunch time (12:30), their OPEN sign was glowing brightly, and no sign or note saying why they weren’t open. The employee that saw me try to enter didn’t even bother to acknowledge me. So i wasted the short amount of time I have walking here with zero results. Oh well, more of my business for the other good pizza places downtown.

I originally gave this place four stars and a great review, but that was because I had only experienced this place one time and now I’ve changed my mind.
I just ordered a pizza from Empire and they said they are currently out of cheese and can’t make my one pizza. HTF do you run out of cheese at 6 PM when you’re a pizza place? I understand there’s a Cardinals game on tonight, but management is supposed to take things like that into consideration when running a pizza business.
What’s even a bigger joke is the fact they are supposed to be open until midnight tonight. So I guess it’s only Italian roast beef sandwiches and cola for anyone who tries walking in for a pizza.
This isn’t the only order fail I’ve had with this place. It’s not uncommon for them to not answer the phone or to be out of certain ingredients on a regular basis. There’s no point in looking at the menu because you have a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance it won’t be there.
Maybe they need to hire new management who will know how to keep up with the high volume, otherwise I can see this place losing a lot of customers over the next few years and eventually closing just based on the fact it’s a gamble when one goes to order their food. Talk about an unsustainable flash in the pan business model that’s obvious at it’s peak. Too bad it’s only down hill from here. (I am writing this review hoping the owner reads it and actually does something about the problem. I’m sick of bottom feeding business owners who don’t care).
The pizza was good the one time I was able to order it, though. But certainly not worth going through the headache of dealing with them again.
I just ordered Imo’s… St. Louis is better than New York anyway.

Nice NY style slice and the staff works really hard to please!
Gets stupid busy after the bar crowds let out…
Great value for what you get!

Never order delivery. It takes forever and the pizza was just ok. A frozen pizza is better

I give the 5 stars for many reasons, primarily because they were [sadly] the only place [bar, restaurant, or combo] serving food within blocks of Edward Jones Dome following Monday Night Football. The line was pretty much out the door and I give many props to the guys for staying open later than advertised. They were pumping out pizzas when we walked in the door and as we left.
Unfortunately in this predicament the pickin’s were slim, but tasty. We grabbed a couple of cheese slices to-​go which amounted to ½ a pizza. I’m not one to eat NY-​style pizza because it’s not very popular where I live, but 1 slice was more than enough for me [especially late-​night]. If you check-​in on Unilocal and spend more than $ 10 you’ll get a free fountain drink [Pepsi products]. Goes well with the pizza. Pizza was still hot upon our arrival to our hotel, and there were many ooey-​gooey cheesy-​goodness flavors.

While the food was tasty, it was completely offset by the huge puddle of water on the floor from an overflowing soda machine well. Not to mention there were pieces of lettuce, napkins, and other leavings on the floors.
Service was inefficient with two different order takers and deliverers for our one family. The tables had not been cleaned, and when they did wipe it down, a stained cloth was used.
The folks there were nice, but I really wish they cared more about the state of their dining area.

Love this place. Stays open late. Fast service. It’s very yummy. Not healthy food but who cares when your out having fun on Washington Ave.

I had jury duty and needed a place to go during the lunch break. I found the service at Empire Deli & Pizza Company to be pretty good. Everyone who served me was very friendly and helpful. In terms of décor, I didn’t really care for the ambiance, which I believe was intended to mimic a warehouse with unfinished floors. The food was pretty good, but nothing amazing. I ordered a tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. Both were served at a good temperature and definitely filled me up. Finally, I get the impression that the place could use a little more TLC and/​or pizzaz. For example, the soda machine had 3 or 4 types of soda that were out-​of-​order. Overall, a pretty good place for lunch, but nothing spectacular.

Awesome experience.
We were on vacation in St. Louis and ordered here twice.
First time we called we had six sandwiches and they were all made with crazy requests. Nothing like what they have on the menu (picky people suck). The server was patient and sure to take down my order right over the phone. When I mentioned that we had to leave soon, they put a rush on my order and got it to my hotel super quickly. Better than Jimmy John’s normal wait time! And every sandwich was perfect and fresh. The tomato soup is just to die for.
The second time we ordered we had a pizza delivered at almost midnight. The delivery took a little longer than expected/​quoted but it was well worth the wait.
We will be back. Thanks for making our visit enjoyable, Empire!

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Both google and the online ordering website indicate that this place opens at 11:00am, so my boyfriend and I order a pizza (AND PAY FOR IT,) at 11:27. He makes the trip down there to pick up our order, and there’s one guy in there, saying that there’s nobody there, and to come back in an hour. Say WHUT?!? So now we’ve paid for food that we cannot have for another hour? Needless to say, we ended up getting food elsewhere.
That’s not even the worse part, though. I call up there once the staff decides to show up, and got the most rude and flippant response to our problem. On the first call, dude apologized, and said that they could make the pizza now, but who is going BACK OUT to get a pizza that we should have had an hour before?!? I told him that I would call my boyfriend, and then call back to let him know. I call back maybe 2 minutes later, and am greeted with, «What do you want to do?» Ummm… hello? Excuse me? «What do you want to do with your order?» I wish I could explain the attitude in writing. Let me get this straight: YOU fawked up my order and inconvenienced ME, and now you have the nerve to be impatient??? We should have received a free pizza, delivered to our door. All this attitude adding insult to injury was HIGHLY disappointing.
The attitude alone is enough for me not to go back.

This was a disaster from beginning to end. I order online when it is available at 11. I walk there from our hotel to get the event food and see they are closed, even though I paid $ 27 already. Guy comes up to me and tells me they are opening at noon. I explained I already ordered my food and paid for it, so they let me in. Well I am waiting and waiting and waiting, and finally after 30 minutes I go up and ask what is taking so long as it is now almost noon anyway. Turns out my order has been done for 15 minutes. So I start walking half way back to the hotel, and realize they left something of my order out So I had to walk all the way back and get it
And that is a very tiny sandwich for $ 9, although decent. Pizza was typical New York style — unremarkable.

Can’t you hear it calling?
I can hear it. That’s the sound of some of the best pizza in The Lou.
I love pizza. I LOVE IT. However, truth be told, I am not a big New York style guy. I bow to the St. Louis style cracker. I bend to the hearty style of Chicago. But New York would be a distant third. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t eat it if given the chance.
Empire is my favorite New York style pizza, and it simply lies in the ingredients and the care that they put into their pizza. Empire offers pizza by the slice, which is nice, but you can get it in medium (14 inch) or large (18 inch) servings. I’m pretty sure that the large could feed a small village. If you catch the pizza right out of the oven, that’s the way to go. The cheese is quality, and the sauce hits the palate just right. And the topping options are endless! Frankly, I love just ordering a cheese.
I have been to Empire three or four times now, and I have never been disappointed with my pizza. I enjoy the za so much that I haven’t branched out to the sandwiches and dogs. In due time, my Yeeps…
If you ever find yourself on Wash Ave and craving chow after a few pints, check out Empire Deli + Pizza. You won’t regret it.

This is pretty legit pizza. Like pizza the size of your head. Or paper plate. I was comfortably full after one piece. But it was too delicious to just eat one. So I ate another slice.
We ordered half sausage and half cheese. I only ate the cheese, but it had some pieces of sausage on the side, which was good. But oh my goodness this cheese pizza. If ever you wanted a nice greasy, cheesy, not too thin or thick slice of New York style pizza pie, and you’re NOT in NY, this comes pretty close. I don’t like too much pizza sauce, it was perfect. The flavor of the cheese and the texture of the dough was a perfect match.
Pizza by the slice, beer, and Avengers. Can you think a more relaxing scene?