Bottles of honey sit right on the tables at one Iowa pizza parlor. They aren’t there for tea.
They’re there for your crust.
That sweet habit is so well known that people mention it almost as often as the pizza itself. The shop also bakes six different crust styles, including whole wheat, potato flour, and oat flour.
I can’t think of many pizza places that offer that kind of range.
I like how the honey turns the last bite of a slice into a tiny dessert. Nobody has to dip anything, but plenty of folks happily do.
It feels like an inside joke the whole town agreed to share.
The room adds to the fun, too. Wooden booths, vintage signs, and old-time decor fill the space.
So, which crust would you drizzle first?
Grab That Honey Bottle Before You Finish Your Slice
Sweet meets savory at The Great Plains Sauce & Dough Co., and the meeting point is the crust. Honey bottles show up on the tables here, ready for anyone curious enough to try a drizzle.
It sounds a little odd at first. Then you remember that bread and honey have been best friends for a very long time.
Pizza crust is basically warm bread, so the logic holds up nicely.
The trick works best on the edge of your slice. Once the toppings are gone, the bare crust gets a golden finish.
Suddenly the last bite tastes like a small dessert instead of a leftover.
Honey on the crust has become one of the most talked-about things about this Iowa spot. It’s simple and cheap to try, and nobody makes you commit.
You can drizzle one piece and decide from there.
A few pointers can help. Start with a thin stream so the honey doesn’t run onto your plate.
Thicker crusts with a rolled edge give you more surface to work with.
Family members might laugh at you. That’s fine.
They may be reaching for the bottle by the next slice.
Six Crusts Means You Get To Be Picky
Most pizza shops give you two choices, thin or thick. Here, the menu hands you six crust styles and lets you sort it out.
Three of them lean thin. Sam’s Recipe is a classic thin white crust.
Thin Denver is the whole wheat version of Sam’s, and Idaho Style is a thin, soft crust made with potato flour.
The thicker side brings its own trio. Denver Style is a rolled-edge whole wheat crust, and it’s known as the most popular pick.
New Orleans Style is a thick white crust, while Oat Style is a rolled-edge crust made with oat flour.
That lineup makes group orders a lot easier. One person can go thin while another goes hearty.
Nobody has to give in.
The oat and potato crusts are not gluten-free, though. They still use wheat flour, and the kitchen is shared, so keep that in mind if gluten is a concern.
Not sure where to start? Denver Style is a safe first choice.
Its rolled edge also happens to be a perfect landing spot for honey. Coincidence?
Probably not.
Taco Pizza and Buffalo Are Waiting On The Specialty List
Building your own pizza is fun. Still, the specialty list deserves a real look before you start picking toppings one by one.
The Great Plains Taco Pizza is a strong Midwest move. Taco pizza holds a special place in Iowa food culture, and this shop gives it a spot on the lineup.
The Prairie Special and The Buffalo are popular names on the menu, too.
Veggie fans have their own option. The Herbivore’s Delight keeps the meat off and the plants front and center.
It’s a nice choice when your group includes a mix of eaters.
Here’s a smart way to order. Pair a specialty pizza with a crust you’ve never tried.
A Buffalo on New Orleans Style crust is a different meal than a Buffalo on thin Sam’s Recipe.
Mixing and matching turns one visit into a little experiment. Then you have a great excuse to come back and test another combo.
And another after that.
Jalapeños with a honey drizzle is a pairing some folks love on these pies. Spicy and sweet together?
It’s worth a single brave slice at least.
Sixteen Toppings, Including One You Might Not Expect
Sauerkraut. Yes, it’s on the topping list, and it might be the boldest thing there.
The menu offers 16 toppings in all. Meat lovers get sliced pepperoni, ground beef, mild pork sausage, Canadian-style bacon, real bacon bits, and diced white chicken.
That’s a pretty serious protein team.
The garden side is busy, too. Fresh diced onions, green peppers, and sliced fresh mushrooms join ripe black and green olives.
Diced tomatoes round things out nicely.
Then come the zippy picks. Jalapeños and banana peppers bring heat and tang.
Pineapple shows up for the sweet-and-savory crowd, which makes sense at a place famous for honey.
A good rule is to keep it to three or four toppings. Too many can weigh down a thin crust.
Thicker styles like Denver or New Orleans can handle a heavier load.
Feeling adventurous? Try sauerkraut with sausage for a German-style twist.
It sounds unusual, but the flavors get along like old neighbors.
Toppings tend to go on generously here, so a medium can stretch further than you’d guess. Leftovers make a fine breakfast the next morning.
The Cinnamon Stick Might Steal The Whole Show
Dessert at a pizza place usually feels like an afterthought. The Cinnamon Stick at The Great Plains Sauce & Dough Co. proves otherwise.
It starts with a thin white pizza crust. The crew butters it and sprinkles it with cinnamon sugar.
Then they roll it up and bake it.
After baking, it gets cut into bite-size pieces. A drizzle of vanilla icing goes on top.
The result looks like a cinnamon roll that took a pizza class.
Bite-size pieces make it easy to share. Everyone at the table can grab a few without fighting over who gets the middle.
Well, mostly without fighting.
Cookie fans have choices too. There’s a large Oatmeal M&M Cookie and a Triple Chocolate Cookie.
Both are great for anyone who wants a classic sweet to end the meal.
A smart plan is to order dessert with your pizza. That way it arrives while you’re still at the table.
Otherwise you might be too full and miss out completely.
Of course, if you already drizzled honey on your crust, you’ve technically had dessert. Nobody’s counting, though.
Have the Cinnamon Stick anyway.
Garlic Cheese Bread Deserves A Spot On The Tray
Pizza gets the spotlight here, but the sides quietly pull their weight. Garlic bread and garlic cheese bread are both on the menu.
Garlic cheese bread is a natural add-on for a group. It’s warm, melty, and easy to tear apart.
It also buys you something to munch on while the pizza bakes.
Not in a pizza mood? That happens, even to good people.
Sandwiches built on Vienna rolls are on the menu too.
Salads offer a lighter route. They work as a side for the table or as a meal for someone who wants something fresh.
Splitting one alongside a pie balances things out nicely.
Picky eaters can find something here without much stress. Kids who aren’t sure about honey crust can still get a sandwich or cheese bread.
Everybody wins.
One tip for big groups is to order sides first. They come in handy when the dining room gets busy and ovens stay full.
Hungry people are happier with something to nibble on.
Then again, cheese bread before pizza is a bold strategy. Pace yourself.
The crust and honey are still coming.
Wooden Booths and Vintage Signs Make Every Seat Interesting
Exposed brick, wooden booths, and walls covered in decorations set the mood the moment you arrive. It feels homey, casual, and a little bit like a time capsule.
The Great Plains Sauce & Dough Co. has a wood-lined, old-school look. Vintage signs and antique photos fill the space.
There’s even an old Coca-Cola machine in the mix.
Kids can turn the decor into a scavenger hunt. Every wall has something new to spot.
Some families even look up the history behind the old signs after their meal.
The cozy feel comes with a trade-off. Seating can get snug, especially for larger groups.
Coming a little early helps you snag a good booth.
Drinks fit the old-fashioned theme too. Soda comes with crisp pebble ice in giant glasses.
Free refills keep things easy during a long, chatty meal.
This is the kind of room that rewards slowing down. Phones can wait.
The walls have plenty of stories of their own.
It’s a family-owned spot, and that shows in the lived-in charm. Nothing here feels like it came from a corporate design plan.
That’s exactly the point.
Order At The Counter And Listen For Your Number
Forget waiting for a server to swing by. Here, you walk up to the counter, place your order, and listen for your number.
The setup keeps things simple. Grab your seat, sip your soda, and head back up when they call you.
It’s quick and casual, which suits the relaxed feel of the place.
Busy nights can get lively. Lines can stretch toward the door during peak dinner hours.
Patience pays off, but planning ahead pays off even more.
Calling in a takeout order is a smart move on packed evenings. Delivery is available too.
Dine-in, takeout, and delivery give you plenty of ways to get your pizza fix.
Weekday lunch has its own perk. A pizza-by-the-slice deal runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, while supplies last.
It’s a handy way to try a crust without ordering a whole pie.
Hours run from 11 a.m. daily. The shop stays open until 10 p.m.
Sunday through Wednesday and until 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Late-night pizza cravings in Iowa? This shop has you covered later than you might think.
Downtown Ames Has Been Its Home Since 1979
Back in May 1979, Gordie Meyer and Al Warren took over an eatery on Main Street from Sam Pagliai. That deal launched The Great Plains Sauce & Dough Co.
And yes, the Sam’s Recipe crust still carries a nod to that name.
More than four decades later, the shop remains a local, family-owned business. That kind of staying power is rare for any restaurant.
For a pizza parlor in a college town, it’s downright impressive.
You’ll find it at 129 Main St #101, Ames, IA 50010. The spot sits right in downtown Ames, close to Iowa State University.
It’s an easy stop for students, families, and anyone passing through.
The local love is official, too. In 2020, the Ames Tribune named it Best of Story County.
That’s a nice badge for a place that’s been around this long.
A Main Street location makes it easy to pair pizza with a stroll. Downtown has shops and storefronts worth a look.
Walking off a few slices never hurts.
Visiting Iowa State for a campus tour? Plan a stop here.
Just don’t forget the honey.
