My family had been loyal Happy Joe's customers since the 90's!I worked there for 14 years and my sister for 6 years. It was our go-to place for birthdays, family dinners, holidays, etc. We couldn't go one week with out their pizza. Sadly, we no longer go to Happy Joe's or eat their pizza. Too much has changed with the quality of the food and customer service. After working there for so long, I can comment firsthand on what has changed drastically with new ownership.Employees: The previous owner really invested into his team and the customers. He truly cared about each person that worked there and walked into his establishment. Every person that worked there was hired through word of mouth - good quality workers. The employee retention rate was absolutely amazing. No one ever wanted to leave and stayed for 5 plus years, even as teenagers. I don't know their current hiring process, but somehow they are finding people who aren't very friendly or management isn't pushing the important of customer service. Even just a simple smile. It is "Happy" Joe's after all.Food Quality: The pizzas now taste and look different, the salad bar is not fresh or lacking. The previous GM who was let go, had been there over 40 years and worked every single weekday. She would train employees to keep the salad bar in pristine condition with only the freshest ingredients. The buffet was constantly stocked with new, fresh pizzas. If pizzas sat on the buffet for too long - we had to throw them out and replace them. The dough was made daily by one of the dough boys. A lot of the current pizzas I can tell are flat, which is usually from using frozen crusts, not fresh dough. The pizza makers were taught to measure, measure, measure - all ingredients to make sure to use the proper amount of cheese and toppings. Managers were sticklers about spreading the ingredients evenly across the entire pizza so each bite had the same amount. The saucing was a technique many of us had to learn to master and properly spread the sauce evenly - all the way to edges - so the crusts wouldn't burn. Some of the ingredients currently don't seem like the official "Happy Joe's brand" ordered. They seem like they are random store-bought, which really makes a difference when you are used to a certain pizza tasting the exact same for years. Customers can tell. When I was there all the employees also making the pizzas, would be sure to "dock" the pizzas well - to prevent the dough from bubbling up, messing up the pizza. The employee who was placed on "oven duty" would always watch each pizza cooking in the oven, to be sure and pop any bubbles while cooking to prevent cheese and ingredients from moving and messing up the pizza. After coming out of the oven, the specialty pizza toppings like the taco chips were always correctly measured afterward as well. All the pizzas coming out currently do not seem consistent.Cleanliness: We were always taught to have certain closing and opening procedures to keep the restaurant in top shape and clean, sanitized. Each night we had a checklist for the people working the "floor" bussing tables, the kitchen, and in back. An employee couldn't leave until their checklist was completed. I'm not sure why some things aren't being done and skipped over - but probably due to management not enforcing or employees not being trained properly to do this each shift. I know in all 40+ years that the previous owner handled the business, they never fell below an letter A restaurant rating... which meant the restaurant is clean, up to code, and free of violations.I really hope the current owner and management make proper changes in employee hiring & training, customer service, food quality and cleanliness. I don't think just because I am a former employee that I am the only one that can tell the changes. I think customers who have been going there for decades can tell too. It's just sad! :( I want my Happy Joe's pi
I am 57 yrs old. I have been eating Happy Joe's since I was 9. I use to love to stand on the steps so I can watch them make the pizzas.. This is what I wanted to be when I grew up, a pizza maker. Till this very day they have the best pizza in town. They use to came in 2nd to Shakey's pizza that was located in St. Ann.(cornmeal is thier secret ingredients for for extra crispy pizza crust) Mary Fielding once interviewed me in 1993 on small mom and pop businesses. ? ? ?
We showed up right when it opened. None of the tables were clean, floor was disgusting, none of the napkin holders had napkins, my daughters pizza had so many air bubbles she was refusing to eat it, the hand sanitizer bottle had mold growing in it, soda machine lemonade didn't work, tv was busted, and there was spit out chew in the mans bathroom. Just knowing they don't clean when closing or opening is disturbing for a restaurant. Also there is no way to get money for the games so come prepared cause the games that took my daughter 20 seconds to play cost a dollar.
I'll be honest, me 3 years ago would have never gone here, but now as a father, this place has exactly the vibe I need. It's like an 80s time capsule and in the best way possible. And to top it off, the pizza was solid. Try the Mexican or their house special.We were here for a 6 year old's birthday party. It's small enough to where you can kind of just let the kids run off and still keep a decent eye on them. Beer on draft and fountain soda to keep everyone happy. We were doing pitchers.Only about a dozen actual games. You can win tickets to trade in for a prize. Skeeball is one of them.Big enough parking lot all around to handle all patrons.
My family has been a loyal customer here for over 47 years. We love the Happy Joes Special with sauerkraut and Canadian bacon. I just picked up my pizza and it was not the same pizza we had come to love. The pizza was cold an there was hardly any sauerkraut on it. The photos show what we got. The pizza dough was like cardboard. It pains me to criticize something we have loved for so many years.
I do love happy Joe's I have since I was a little kid. There taco pizza can not be beat no matter where you go and there regular just cheese or pepperoni can give any pizza hut or domino's a run for there money. My pizza's always prepared when they say but, one thing that almost made me give them 4 stars is it seems like they changed up there taco pizzas ingredients. I still loved so I still gave them a five and I usually don't dine in but, it's an amazing place to bring your kids and easily spend a couple hours the kids would love it.
I grew up in a town with 3 Happy Joe’s locations and have probably visited 7 locations previously, all of them delicious. I was so excited to find Happy Joe’s while visiting St. Louis and ended up incredibly disappointed. It’s always been a fairly expensive place but my experience has been they were very generous with the toppings and it was completely worth the price. I ordered a half Nacho Joe half 3 topping pizza and there was a tiny of sprinkle of each topping. Several slices had none of 1 of the toppings. For $34 for a large pizza and one soda I’d definitely go somewhere else!
Fun games for kids, good pizza, and great atmosphere!
Delicious pizza and fun game machines!
We have really enjoyed this place in the past. Do not go on president's day. Very busy and short staffed. They had a 70 yr old women taking orders, waiting tables and running the "prize" station. She was really sweet, but just couldn't keep up and she tried to give our food to a different table. I enjoy the place during the week without a dining room full of people.Food was good. Taco ? amazing.