Papa Keno’s Pizzeria
7901 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS, 66204
Papa Keno’s Pizzeria Menu
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Diabetics at Papa Murphy
Most of the pizzas offered at Papa Murphy are relatively low in sugar but high in sodium. You must restrict yourself to one or maximum two slices of any pizza ordered at Papa Murphy if you're a diabetic. You can pick salads which are low in sodium to keep your sugar levels in check.
Foods to Avoid at Papa Murphy for Diabetics:
Avoid desserts and salad dressings when you order salads at Papa Murphy. Always skip the Pizzas which are high in sodium content if you are diabetic. Almost all family and large size pizzas are high in sodium and hence should be avoided. Also, avoid stuffed pizzas at Papa Murphy if you're a diabetic.
Food Suggestions for Diabetics at Papa Murphy:
Chicken Bacon Artichoke - Thin Family/Large Slice (Only one slice)
Nutritional Facts: 230 calories, 12g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 530mg sodium, 20g carbs, 3g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 8g Protein
Tuscan Chicken and Sausage - Thin Family/Large Slice (Only one slice)
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 430mg sodium, 16g carbs, Less than 1g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 12g Protein
Gourmet Vegetarian - Thin Family/Large Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 340mg sodium, 18g carbs, 1g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 10g Protein
Chicken Garlic - Thin Family/Large Slice (Only one slice)
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 430mg sodium, 17g carbs, 1g sugar, 0g fiber, 13g Protein
Pepperoni - Thin Family/Large Slice (Only one slice)
Nutritional Facts: 220 calories, 12g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 6g), 440mg sodium, 18g carbs, 2g sugar, 0g fiber, 10g Protein
Garden Veggie - Thin Family/Large Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 8g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 330mg sodium, 20g carbs, 3g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 8g Protein
Hawaiian - Thin Family/Large Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 7g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 360mg sodium, 20g carbs, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, 8g Protein
Caesar Salad
Nutritional Facts: 100 calories, 5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 230mg sodium, 7g carbs, 5g sugar, 3g fiber, 8g Protein
Italian Salad
Nutritional Facts: 270 calories, 19g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 9g), 710mg sodium, 11g carbs, 4g sugar, 6g fiber, 13g Protein
Garden Salad
Nutritional Facts: 190 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 420mg sodium, 13g carbs, 6g sugar, 6g fiber, 10g Protein
Visit below restaurant in Overland Park for healthy meals suggestion.
High Blood Pressure at Papa Murphy
Most foods served at Papa Murphy are high in sodium content. However, there are certain Pizzas types and salads that you can try without spiking your blood pressure levels. Also, you must restrict your pizza intake to maximum 2 slices to keep the sodium consumption in check.
Foods to Avoid at Papa Murphy for High Blood Pressure:
Avoid all Regular Large Pizza Slices and Family Pizza Slices at Papa Murphy. While the sodium content in Regular Medium Pizza Slices is low, we recommend you skip them as well. Also, keep Stuffed Large Pizza Slices and Stuffed Family Pizza Slices at bay when ordering at Papa Murphy. Salads may sound healthy, but most salads offered at Papa Murphy are also high in sodium.
Food Suggestions to Control Blood Pressure at Papa Murphy:
Garden Veggie - Thin Family/Large Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 8g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 330mg sodium, 20g carbs, 3g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 8g Protein
Gourmet Vegetarian - Thin Family/Large Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 340mg sodium, 18g carbs, 1g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 10g Protein
Hawaiian - Thin Family/Large Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 7g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 360mg sodium, 20g carbs, 4g sugar, 0g fiber, 8g Protein
Herb Chicken Mediterranean - Thin Family/Large Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 100 calories, 5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 230mg sodium, 7g carbs, 5g sugar, 3g fiber, 9g Protein
Tuscan Chicken and Sausage - Thin Family Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 430mg sodium, 16g carbs, Less than 1g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 12g Protein
Chicken Garlic - Thin Family Slice (No more than two slices)
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 430mg sodium, 17g carbs, 1g sugar, 0g fiber, 13g Protein
Caesar Salad
Nutritional Facts: 100 calories, 5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 230mg sodium, 7g carbs, 5g sugar, 3g fiber, 8g Protein
Cream Cheese Frosting
Nutritional Facts: 370 calories, 25g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 13g), 310mg sodium, 35g carbs, 33g sugar, 0g fiber, 3g Protein
Healthy Tips for Dining at Papa Murphy
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.
High Cholesterol at Papa Murphy
Papa Murphy takes care of people with different health preferences and offers multiple varieties of pizzas and salads to choose from. You can order thin crust family or large size pizza to keep the cholesterol levels down at Papa Murphy. Don't eat too many slices and restrict yourself from consuming more than 2 slices to balance your cholesterol levels.
Foods to Avoid at Papa Murphy for High Cholesterol:
Skip the pizzas on the menu under family or large pizza slices. Stuffed family size slices and stuffed large size slices are also high in cholesterol and must be avoided at Papa Murphy. In the Appetizers, make sure to avoid Thick 'n' Cheesy Homebaked Bread. You can enjoy all kinds of salads at Papa Murphy except Chicken Bacon Artichoke Salad for its high cholesterol content.
Food Suggestions to Maintain Cholesterol Level at Papa Murphy:
Garden Veggie - Thin Family Slice/Regular Family Size/Thin Large Size (Max. 2 slices)
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 8g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4g), 330mg sodium, 20g carbs, 3g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 8g Protein
Hawaiian - Thin Family Slice/Regular Family Size/Thin Large Size (Max. 2 slices)
Nutritional Facts: 210 calories, 11g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 340mg sodium, 18g carbs, 1g sugar, Less than 1g fiber, 10g Protein
Caesar Salad
Nutritional Facts: 100 calories, 5g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 230mg sodium, 7g carbs, 5g sugar, 3g fiber, 8g Protein
Italian Salad
Nutritional Facts: 270 calories, 19g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 9g), 710mg sodium, 11g carbs, 4g sugar, 6g fiber, 13g Protein
Cinnamon Wheel (2 slices of 16)
Nutritional Facts: 250 calories, 7g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 410mg sodium, 42g carbs, 13g sugar, 0g fiber, 5g Protein
S'mores Dessert Pizza (2 slices of 16)
Nutritional Facts: 260 calories, 7g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3.5g), 290mg sodium, 44g carbs, 18g sugar, 1g fiber, 5g Protein
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Q&A on Papa Murphy
Where's Papa Murphy's located?
Papa Murphy is based out of Vancouver, Washington, United States. Besides that, Papa Murphy can be found in 1300+ locations in the United States and Canada and over 1500 locations worldwide. You can use our Restaurants Listings directory to find a Papa Murphy nearby.
How to cook Papa Murphy's Pizza?
Papa Murphy offers take and bake pizzas to its customers who wish to cook pizza at home. Once you take home your Papa Murphy pizza, you need to remove the plastic wrap and preheat oven to 425 degrees for original or thin crust pizza and to 375 degrees for a stuffed pizza or calzone. Simply follow Papa Murphy's instructions for a specific type to enjoy your home baked pizza.
Does Papa Murphy's take EBT?
Yes, Papa Murphy accepts EBT across all its outlets in the United States.
Does Papa Murphy's offer delivery?
Yes! Select locations do offer delivery. You can check with your delivery partner to see if they can deliver food from Papa Murphy nearby. You can always use our Restaurants Listings directory to find a Papa Murphy outlet nearby to visit the outlet yourself and order your favorite pizza.
Is Papa Murphy's pizza gluten free?
Papa Murphy has joined hands with Udi's to offer gluten-free crusts for customers looking for gluten-free pizzas at Papa Murphy.
Is Papa Murphy's Pizza Vegan-friendly?
You can order vegan-friendly pizzas at Papa Murphy. Simply customize your order with the right crust, sauce, veggies, garlic, and spices and add your own plant-based meat and vegan cheese while you bake the pizza at home.
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About Papa Murphy
Papa Murphy is one of the top pizza chains in the United States. Papa Murphy was formed after the merger of two popular local pizzerias namely Papa Aldo's and Murphy's respectively. The trend of "take and bake" pizzerias gained popularity in the United States during the early 90s. The growing popularity these two take and bake pizzerias located in Hillsboro, Oregon and Petaluma, California respectively gave the idea of a possible merger to Terry Collins.
In 1995, Terry Collins consolidated the merger and founded Papa Murphy and expanded the pizza chain across 1300 outlets in the United States and Canada. Customers can relish Papa Murphy pizzas by simply walking into the nearby Papa Murphy outlet or simply order online or call-in to pick up the order later. Some Papa Murphy outlets also feature a drive-thru window where you can pick up your call-in order. Today, Papa Murphy is owned by MTY Food Group. Papa Murphy is the 5th largest Pizza Chain in the United States.
Healthy Food Options at Papa Murphy
Papa Murphy is basically a take and bake pizza outlet where customers can order their favorite pizza and enjoy it at home. You can either bake your pizza or grill it as per the instructions mentioned on each pizza crust. Papa Murphy offers a wide range of pizza options such as gluten-free, vegan, veg or non-veg. You can easily choose the right pizza based on your health or food preferences and enjoy a classy pizza at home. Apart from Pizzas, you can also try the salads at Papa Murphy for your healthy cravings.
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Address :
7901 Santa Fe Dr
Overland Park, KS, 66204 - Phone (913) 648-1313
- Website https://papakenosop.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Ann W.
Ok. Papa Keno's, you really need to get your act together. Really. You're missing out on revenue because you're not consistently delivering a good experience. I don't come as often as I used to because of this. This time, my hubby said he really doesn't ever want to go back and I can't say I blame him. Despite the change in ownership, there's not much positive change. Yeah, there's a new configuration of some of the furniture and some new paint, but that's about it. I appreciate that they've added some nice beers to the selection of draft beers, but when the restaurant is hotter inside than it is outside on an August evening and the beer isn't served ice cold, it's pretty much a letdown. The food is the same as it has always been. I do like their pizzas, but they are very greasy, so I always use a bunch of napkins to blot the grease. Finding a clean table is still a challenge. People! How hard is it to wipe down tables? We noticed there were employees standing around behind the counter with nothing to do during much of the time we were there. I can't fathom that someone didn't have five minutes to grab a towel and some cleaner and run around to clean the tables. Really, it's not that hard. I actually thought about doing it myself as a community service for their other customers. This is a place that has always had potential. It's a great location for sure! But it's clear that the new owner is just not paying attention. This is one of the worst run restaurants I have ever been to and I know from experience that running a pizza joint is generally one of the easiest restaurants to manage.
(2)Robert F.
Hands down the best of the "college" pizza places in Kansas City. Service is always quick with a large variety of pizza by the slice options. Well stocked cooler of bottled beer varieties. The kind of place to go and sit for half the day working on a paper or reading a book. Atmosphere is relaxed yet fun. Parking can be problematic as Papa Keno's is on the end of a small shopping district.
(4)Will W.
Great slice - easily one of the best in the area. And they're huge so one is still a lot of food.
(4)Ben M.
Giant pizza by the slice with quality ingredients. What's not to like? Me and my fiancee went and really enjoyed it. I can wait to go back written the kids and try a wider variety. The plain cheese slice is hard to beat, and I'm a guy who likes lots of toppings.
(3)Allen D.
I was really impressed with the food. I ordered the santa fe which was very flavorful. I like that they do it by the slice. The size of the slice is pretty large. They have a little arcade section that's good for the kids. Its a clean safe environment. I would recommend that any one in this area should try it out.
(4)Matthew N.
Papa Keno's did not disappoint! I loved the slice of pizza that was so big, it needed to be sliced. I've never seen a slice of sliced pizza, I just love it! Oh and it tasted awesome too! The toppings here are top notch, good cheese, great meats, even the dough was good enough to eat in its entirety. I had the Vinnie and was pleased, so many more to try!
(4)Adam S.
A few years ago, this would be 2 stars, but today, it's 5 stars all the way. They have new ownership that has turned the ship around and their pizza is consistently in the top three in all of Kansas City. It's a giant slice that is thin, covered in quality toppings, and on some of the best tasting dough you will find. I used to frequent the lunch special which is a two-topping with salad and drink for just $6.50, and it's a guarantee that you will be more than full after eating it. The atmosphere is very much a classic pizza place with an arcade in the back wing of the restaurant, local beers on tap and a good but not overwhelming amount of TV's. They also have a side patio for those patio-weather days. Occasionally I forget about Keno's, but whenever I'm in the Downtown OP neighborhood it's always worth a visit.
(5)Larry P.
We're new to town and are trying the various local establishments. Tonight we went to Papa Keno's Pizza. When we entered there was a live singer/guitar player. That was a bonus. There was also a rather thin smoke throughout the place. I don't know if there was a problem with the ventilation or if it is always this way. In any case, it wasn't a favorable thing. We ordered a 14 inch pizza with chicken, mushrooms, red onion and few other ingredients. And an order of breadsticks. The breadsticks were really good. A little later the pizza arrived. It was VERY hot. After allowing it to cool, we ate. It was good, not great but good. We'll return, but next time I think we'll skip the pizza and have salad and breadsticks. And, we'll see how the ventilation is doing Follow-Up. So we returned. Had salad and breadsticks, calzone and a pizza slice. The smoke we experienced previously was gone. The staff was helpful. The food was good. The sauce had more garlic in it than my wife preferred, but I found it to be ok. A solid place. we'll go back
(3)Lisa K.
Their Pizza is pretty tasty and my boyfriend loves the video games there.
(4)Steve D.
My made-to-order pizza slice was delivered to my table in 13 minutes, which gave me time to get a drink, and eat my side salad. The salad was generously-sized, but consisted mostly of crisp, fresh, greens and croutons, with only a couple of cucumber slices, and two mushy slices of tomato. The pizza slice was enormous! It's good that they made six cuts through the slice before serving it up to make it easier to eat. The pizza had a delicious crust, and just the right amount of cheese so there was just a little grease for flavor. The sauce had a good tang, and the toppings were tasty, and plentiful. The employees were friendly, and efficient, while the interior was nice, with background music, about seven TVs, and several video games. Improve the salad, and I'm thinking five stars.
(4)Kelly W.
I LOVE this place!!!! I hadn't been in the area in years, and was ecstatic to be able to eat here this last weekend. It was just as good as I'd remembered. These slices are huge! The fun combinations, quality ingredients and NYC-style thin crust- are amazing! I always get the Melvin with Cream Cheese added (bc I love cream cheese:) Four adults and two kids ate dinner (with beer and wine for the adults) for 62.50, how can you beat that? This place is amazing, and a true gem in OP!
(5)Lauren M.
We tried this for the first time (even though we've been in the area for 4 years...) and it was ok. We got the garlic cheese bread and it was pretty good. The roasted garlic on it was decent. The pizza was amazingly greasy. I know pizza is greasy in general but it was soaking through and I had grease run down my chin....I love pizza. It's probably my top 5 dishes to eat ever. We got the pepperoni and it was ok. I do like their crust because it was thin and crispy.
(3)James M.
THAT IS A BIG SLICE BABY! BIGGER THAN YO FACE! Great deals for a slice combo and damn tasty! Employee's and owners are pretty awesome! My only negative would be the price of a whole pie is kinda high but it is good pizza.
(4)Hans E.
Huge pizza by the slice, excellent variety (any of their specialty pizzas can come by the slice) and great deal (7.99 for a giant specialty slice and a beer).
(5)Philip H.
The absolute best pizza since I left Boston nearly six years ago. The pizza and quality beers deserve your patronage Overland Park! You don't need to order an entire pie, order a slice, maybe 2 for dinner. You will not be disappointed with the quality of all their ingredients. Do yourself a favor and take in a slice!
(5)Dan D.
Okay here's the dealio... Papa Keno's "pizza" is frickn' great. They are very consistent... Meaning they almost consistently screw up your order in some way or another. Always apologetic and do mucho butt kissn' to try and make things better. But, come on dude... What seems to be the problemo? From what I can tell the owner is always the one makin' the crust and has very little face time w/ the customer. He does have a very sweet and cute gal that seems to be his "beggar of forgiveness" (manager, right hand woman) you tell me. Again the pizza is great. But the... let's see... I don't know... I keep going back. I hope they work it out.
(4)Kevin T.
New York-style pizza (by definition): New York-style pizza is characterized by large hand-tossed thin-crust pies, often sold in wide slices to-go. Distinguished by being light on the tomato sauce, it has crust which is crisp along its edge yet soft and pliable enough beneath its toppings to be folded in half to eat. Papa Keno's sells pizza by the slice, check. That is hand tossed and thin crust, check. Light on the flavorful pizza sauce, check. Crust is soft and pliable enough to be folded in half...Sort of they cut the slice up into smaller pieces (next time I will tell them not to do so so I can eat this beautiful slice like true New Yorker!) So is Papa Keno's the definition of New York Style Pizza??? Really damn close! Bonuses are that they pile the toppings high and that draft beer is $2.50 a pint on Thursdays. Also those draft beers are Kansas' own Free State Brewing. My one gripe are the booth are pain in the ass to get in and out because of the table's legs. Easy fix though, next time I will just sit at a table instead.
(4)Christina H.
Papa Keno's has terrific pizza. It's chewy and crisp, and the toppings are delicious. My personal favorite is the Kid Keno with spinach, pepperoni, feta & roasted garlic. The 14'' pizza is about the size of a Large pizza from Pizza Hut. Their by-the-slices must come from a larger pizza because they are enormous. It's a great place to pop in and get lunch and is in an amazing location. It doesn't get much better than Downtown OP. The smell that grabs you when you walk by is intoxicating. All that being said, be prepared to be patient most days. They do cook your pizza to order, so it comes out hot & fresh, but takes time. Delivery can often take longer than stated. They generally say 45-60 minutes, and it can sometimes take up to 90 minutes. Last night was such a case and they threw in a couple of their chocolate chip cookies as an apology I suppose. The cookies look overdone, but don't be fooled. They are delicious, chewy & gooey. Also be aware that when you order online, the price includes a $2.00 delivery fee as well as a $1.25 online charge. These didn't appear to be listed anywhere until I received the confirmation e-mail. So if you are close by, you can always save a few bucks and call it in for pick up.
(4)Local Search M.
Well Napkin Pirates, we have another grand review to provide. The other pirates and I are avid pizza eaters and we do not mean Pizza Hut or Domino's. We mean real pizza, unique places that serve unique pizza. Me and the rest of the napkin pirates decided to go to Papa Keno's Pizzeria, and we are glad that we did. Their pizza slices are as big as a ship. They have a unique menu and all types of pizza for all types of pirates. You have to try this place. They serve beer as well as honey for your crust. TV are plentiful as this makes a great pizzeria fro watching a sports game. This homey attraction recieves four stars from me and the napkin pirates, we urge everyone to check it out.
(4)Brandon S.
I've stopped in for lunch a couple times recently at Papa Keno's and have had pretty good experiences both times. They have full size pizzas you can order, or you can get pizza by the slice. The slices are HUGE! one slice of pizza takes up an entire 13 x 9 cake pan (which is how they serve it) so yeah, you could make a meal out of just one slice of their pizza. Their bread sticks and mozzarella bread sticks are also served on 13 x 9 cake pans with marinara on the side. If you're gonna order a slice and bread sticks, you absolutely must bring a friend to share the bread sticks with. Ok so the pizza is huge but what is it like? First of all let's start with the crust. The crust is thin and crispy but not at all doughy on the inside. The pizza is New York style thin, not neopolitan or artisan thin. The toppings taste good and fresh. Where Papa Keno's really shines though is their cheese blend. I'm not sure exactly what their blend of cheeses is, but it's so good I might suggest that you just order a plain cheese slice on your first visit. Papa Keno's also seems to have a pretty good selection of beer. I only drank iced tea as I was in for lunch on both visits, but I know they have Schafly beer which is a craft brewery from St. Louis. I noticed today a guy was there wearing a Bridgeport jacket and he was talking with the staff. Bridgeport is another good craft brewery from Portland, OR. I don't remember seeing any Boulevard there but that's OK. I will be back again soon and hopefully I'll report back with more details about the beers. Also can't wait to try more topping combinations on their huge slices!
(4)Phon W.
OMG So good! My first time here, I got the KidKeno. It as so yummy, thin crust that didn't taste like cardboard and you bite into it and its soft and the bottom is crunchy. The flavors are good too. The breadsticks were fine. I love the relax feeling of the place. Can't wait to come back and try more :)
(5)Tracy K.
Very good pizza and huge slices to boot!
(4)Allen G.
They have Tallgrass and Free State beers on tap!! Oh..and the pizza is pretty good too.
(4)Scotty C.
Giant NYC thin crust style pizza. Giant slices that remind me of the kind you'd get at the southern end of the boardwalk in Seaside Heights in New Jersey. We're really picky about pizza having moved here from the east coast, and once again, I've been really disappointed in what they call pizza in Kansas. Papa Keno's is the first place to get it right. The dough is perfect, a nice yeast risen chewy crust with the right texture. If you don't eat pizza bones, you're missing out. The sauce is spot on, it tastes like there's some tomato paste in it, which also makes it legit. Huge portions! The slices are bigger than some entire pizzas I've ordered in this state, fold it over and enjoy! Good toppings! Carnivore, veggies, and 16-20 others, or you can order something custom. Slices range from $5-7 each, pretty good bottled beer selection, fountain sodas with unlimited refills, and they run summer specials like beer and a slice for $6.99. Good retro video games and pinball machines! I'm taking a star off because they could keep the dining area cleaner, many tables are not wiped down every time I've been there. Pizza takes a bit to come out, but once you eat it you'll quickly forget the wait. It's worth it! Check them out!
(4)Ashley H.
Awesome! Pizza by the slice. We tried the Brutus, the Tuscano, Cheese pizza slice and a side salad plus free breadsticks offered through Yelp! Their cheese pizza is ah. may. zing. I could eat the whole slice but I had to share! Ok so the breadsticks were blah. Just crunchy with chewy parts pieces of bread and dipping sauce that was decent. We didnt really eat them. The side salad.....why bother. Boring. Barely ate any of that and the salads come stuffed in a to go container. The garlic vinaigrette was so acidic it burned my lips... I recommend at least trying this place once. The atmosphere is very cool pizzeria pub style. Service was good no complaints. I can't wait to bring the kids!
(4)M W.
I absolutely love the food here! It's some of the best pizza I have had in the area, and ever for that matter. The prices are great for how much you get. The reason for the 4 stars, instead of 5, is the service. It's decent but usually the person at the register isn't very friendly. The cooks are always pretty nice though. They are pretty quick for pizza, even when busy. Overall, love!
(4)Justin M.
My wife and I always enjoy our stops at Papa Keno's. It brings back a lot of good memories made at the Lawrence location during our KU years. The pizza is very good with a ton of choices, although I can't break away from the Carnivore. My wife really likes the Denver pizza and the breadsticks. Plus the beer selection includes our favorites from Free State and Boulevard.
(4)Jes S.
We love to have lunch at Papa Kenos however the pizza can be very inconsistent. Sometimes undercooked, sometimes over cooked and the amount of toppings varies. They have a great selection of specialty pizzas, sandwiches, and a few good micro brew drafts. I usually order a custom slice and salad for around 8-10$. The pizza is somewhat thin and large enough for a meal.
(3)Matt E.
Do you want to put something amazing in your mouth? Then get to Papa Keno's and order a slice of Kid Keno! This has been one of my favorite slices of pizza ever since I was a student at KU. I would eat at Papa Keno's on Mass Street, and then when I moved to KC I would eat at the one in Westport. Once it closed, I mentally prepared myself to rarely if ever have a slice of their pizza again. THEN I discovered this location in Overland Park, and the world began to make sense again. So back to the food. While they do sell whole pizzas here, they're ridiculously huge and you'd be better served by getting a slice. I wholeheartedly recommend the Kid Keno: spinach, pepperoni, feta cheese and roasted garlic. The crust is thin with the perfect amount of char, and it's like angels sing when I take my first bite. The staff is incredibly friendly at this location, and they pay homage to their Lawrence roots by offering specials on Free State pints. I am full on in love with this place! BTW: They currently have a Yelp check-in offer for a free order of bread sticks. If you are there with others, there is no need for each of you to get an order, because like everything here, it's giant! One order of the bread sticks can easily be split among 4 people.
(5)Steve B.
Pizza and sandwiches are great but holy cow don't eat here if you're in any type of a hurry. I live two blocks from here and frequent the place. EVERY freaking time I go in the wait for food is ridiculous and the orders are messed up. Their oven system is all over the place. If the owner should read this: Your problem is your menu is too big and your staff can't recognize the slices when they're in the oven. This is what is causing your wait times...orders get mixed up with each other. Shorten your menu and get a larger oven and you'll be golden...
(2)Isis P.
I love the Mama Kenos pizza here!! The individual slices are the perfect size. This pizzeria has the only thin crust I've ever liked too!! They have bottled drinks and beer and one of those million drink combinations machines. It's in downtown OP and it's perfect for a first date! Casual but really good to walk around after and explore!!
(5)Sara D.
Pape Kenos is one of the very few restaurants open on a Monday in downtown Overland Park. After walking around endlessly trying to find a bite to eat, Katie D. and I stumbled upon Pape Keno's at the very end of the sidewalk. The place isn't glamorous, romantic, or endearing, but my goodness, do they serve you an ENORMOUS piece of pizza!! My giant slice could barely fit on a lunch tray. My pizza of choice was The Barnyard Pizza which had cream cheese, green onions, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, and almonds!! Each bite of pizza came with a gooey, divine taste of cream cheese with the added crunch of a sweet almond. Loved the pizza! 10 times better than a slice from D'bronx.
(4)P M.
To start, I have to say I am a pizza snob. Having lived in NY, I'm very particular about pizza and typically get frustrated when pizza is sold at a high price for an average to below average taste. I'd heard about Papa Keno's and finally decided to try it. I went with average expectations but was pleasantly surprised. It was really good and one of the best pizzerias in the city. The ingredients were fresh and were of high quality. The pie was not overloaded nor under loaded with cheese. It was perfectly topped. The crust was moderately light and had a nice toast-like texture. It was not doughy and tough to chew. Prior to this, I've always felt that Original Pizza, Rosati's, and D' Bronx were the top three pizzerias in KC. After Papa Keno's, I have to place them at #2 not far behind Original Pizza at all. I would go as far to even say, they're tied for #1. It was that good. Great pie done very well. I look forward to round 2!!!!
(4)Paul M.
Updating my last review and dropping one star. I wrote last time that I would go there again if I was in the area. Well, last night I was in the area and so I went. This time I ordered the chicken parmesan sandwich and a side salad. The bread was really good and toasted just crispy-right. But the sandwich itself was very "one-note" and lacking in flavor. I had to search hard to find the parmesan. The side salad was fresh cut lettuce, which was what I expected. I spent 10 bucks on a side salad, crispy bread, and tasteless sandwich filling. Not a good value. They do sell pizza by the slice--at almost six bucks a slice. That seemed way out of line for a slice of pizza to me. I don't think I'll give it a third try.
(2)Melisa V.
armed with a groupon, we carried out Kid Keno pizza and an Italian salad from there last week. I was torn between getting a smaller pizza and two salads or a larger pizza and one salad. we were persuaded to go with the latter. when I went inside to pick up the pizza, the atmosphere was different than I was expecting. they also serve pizza by the slice, so it's an order at the counter then sit kind of place. it had a divey vibe in a good way (it was very clean) and very kid-friendly. there were quite a few families dining there. the pizza was big but not overwhelming and the salad was good too. definitively a good alternative to all of the mass-produced delivery places. and they even deliver too! look forward to going back to try something new and dining in.
(4)Jeremy O.
I know. I know. I ordered a sandwich at a pizza place, but what-a-ya-gonna-do. The sandwich was ok. It didn't have much flavor to it, but the bread was pretty good. My big problem was the fact that there were more people working in there than eating when I was there, and they still managed to mess up 3 of the 5 orders that were placed while I was there. One of which the worker picked the olives off of the pizza with his hands right on the counter. I'm not a germaphobe or anything, but come on, get it right.
(2)Debbie F.
This place was HOT, HOT, HOT and I don't mean this as a compliment! I mean, literally, the restaurant was tooo warm inside -- uncomfortably warm! Ordering from the counter, I caught sight of the cooks in the kitchen handling the pizza dough and cooked pizza with their bare hands....hmmm, this was a little unsettling! We had a pitcher of beer that quickly turned warm in their overheated facility. After about a 15 min. wait, our pizza was piping hot and pretty good; it wasn't the best I had had, but good. The crust was extremely thin and not as textured and crusty as I generally like -- pretty floppy, but we were hungry by then. I never saw any tables cleaned. Our only choice was a dirty table. When I asked for a plate, I was offered a tray with a sheet of wax paper. The table was wobbly and the seats were in need of repair as there were tears in the vinyl. Thankfully, this was a "coupon" offer which saved us $5.00 on our meal. Although I love the downtown Overland Park area, I don't have plans to return to Papa Keno's. The restaurant had a fair amount of people there on Thursday evening, which I think speaks favorably.
(2)Cj M.
I really want to give them more stars, but the service has always been their hurdle. I was happy when they added delivery but it needs to work on that. They forgot half of our order, delivery driver asked if we still wanted the rest of the order.
(3)Dan F.
I like the pizza by the slice option and the portions are good and the taste is great!
(4)Laurel S.
After picking up my van from Overland Frame my husband and I decided to grab a quick lunch at Papa Keno's. It was about 2:00 on Wednesday afternoon so we were basically the only people in the place. The guy at the register was super nice and recommended the Kid Keno pizza. Since it was our first time we decided to do 1/2 and 1/2 with the "works" so we could try 2 kinds of pizza on one visit. I LOVED this pizza. I go to NY about 4 times a year. This is not as good as NY but very close. I don't think you'll ever get that perfect, thin, crispy chewy crust like you do in NY here in KC (people swear its the water?) but this was great. The crust was thin and crispy but a little chewy too, the sauce was great and there was the perfect amount, they don't load it down with toppings because the crust can't accommodate it but there is a nice amount of toppings. We will definitely be back.
(4)Tavian H.
best pizza in the area. i've been to over 15 pizzerias since getting to the area, so far this is the beat place around. huge slices, good prices but more importantly the pizza is actually good. laid back atmosphere, decent specials.
(5)Sean S.
Great food, great atmosphere, friendly staff and very kid friendly. The food was ready very quickly despite how busy it was.
(5)Rhonda S.
"Let's eat at Papa Keno's, " I said to The Other R, on a trip to Penzey's. I assured him every restaurant in this cute little area is nice, but some are more casual than others. He's 20 and young enough to be more of a picky eater, even than I. But then I had a realization. "I've eaten at a Papa Kenos before, but where?' I finished shopping at Penzey's, and we walked down the street to eat pizza. Penzey's made our senses wanting something besides hamburgers. Not being the adventurous type, The Other R wanted pepperoni pizza, which I ordered to go. I saw the slices, they were huge. Then it donned on me, I had stopped in Papa Keno's over on Mass Street in Lawrence. I also ordered meatballs, 4 of them. We waited, and it smelled so good. I watched the cooks flip the pizza crust, and slices of all categories going to other customers. (ugh...pepperoni, how boring, but it's okay). We received our pizza and meatballs, and went to the car. The Other R started eating it in my car, on the way home. Oh my goodness, it's good. It is so good. It is like pizza from St. Louis or Chicago. The cheese was so good, and not gloopy, but tasty. The meatballs were huge, covered with pizza sauce, and hot. We got home, and the pizza was finished quick. Everyone enjoyed it. Definitely a place to stop in again. There's so many other places in that area in Overland Park. so many choices, and there's food for every taste. I appreciate this area for that.
(4)Jay R.
The pie slice was awesome, I had the Denver. I do not recommend trying to drive thru Overland Park while eating this perfectly oversized "slice" of heaven in your mouth as the cheese is stretching a few feet from your mouth back to the box
(4)Peter M.
The new ownership has done a FANTASTIC job getting the place in order. You will not find better service, a cleaner dinning room or a better product than what Papa Kenos is putting out. BIG thumbs up to the NEW Papa Kenos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(5)Chef C.
Big fan of the pizza, that's not the problem. Consistency is what this place needs. Sometimes I have burnt crust, sometimes I don't. Sometimes my pizza looks like a perfect circle, other times it looks like a Picasso. The pizza is a little pricey, but when you want a lot of flavor you get it. The establishment is nice and they have local artwork by children thrown on the walls in a tasteful and silly way. They deliver, but not very well. I recommend going in for lunch or taking a first date for a slice (or two).
(4)Erin W.
I love the smell of Papa Kenos. It's awesome how you can customize a slice and get everything exactly how you want instead of how everyone wants it. Great pizza
(4)Scotty B.
Let me start by saying: "Oh. My. Yummy. Gosh." I like pizza. But I LOVE Papa Keno's! My favorite pizza to get there is normal crust (i think they call it tossed), sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, LOTS of Mozzarella cheese, Cilantro, and - of course - sauce. Delish. IMPORTANT: Check in using yelp, and you'll get a whole pan of FREE Breadsticks!!!!
(5)Bill C.
I was asked to comeback for a revisit by Papa Keno's a few weeks back to make up for my poor previous poor experience. So I got the boys in the car and headed back over to downtown OP to get some pizza.. The staff was more attentive and the results were much improved. I believe they recaptured the results I expected from my past visits there. This never going to be a Pizza destination for me. It's a proximity choice and or something drawing me to the area. And for that is a good choice for me. I'm never going to deliberately eat at the chain pizza stores so this is a good option for me. Hoping they continue keep to this level going forward! I also noticed that the OP store does carry a fair number of free state beer choices too. That's not a bad thing to keep in mind!
(3)Heidee H.
This place is just wonderful. I've been here several times and gotten takeout and I've never been disappointed. My usual is the #1 combo. A slice with 2 toppings, salad or breadsticks and a drink. I always choose the salad and it's always delicious,huge and topped with homemade croutons and fresh veggies. The workers are always super friendly and quick to get your food to you. They also have a selection of delicious sounding sandwiches but I always come here when I want pizza so I haven't tried one yet. Go here now!
(4)Christine F.
I will always appreciate Papa Keno's for being the first pizza place when I was a wee lass that let me put shrimp on my pizza. I thought that was the coolest thing! You can't do that with Pizza Hut! Years later and especially now that my mother lives in old town OP,KS, I find myself getting Papa Keno's most every time I come home to visit and still loving it. The place is simple, not big on decor, and I'm cool with that. Never seemed that dirty the last few times I've been in. Their decor mostly consists of local children's drawings, which is just the cutest darn thing. The salad bar looks pretty meh - iceberg lettuce and only a couple choices of topping. Not worth it to me. There can be inconsistency with the pizza, but usually it's pretty great. My mom and I got a "The Works" pizza carry out last night and it was delicious. Perfect crust, didn't skimp on the toppings....love those slices that are bigger than my face. They also carry all my favorite beers - Blue Moon, Fat Tire, Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat, O'Fallon, MO brew - and since there are few better combinations than good pizza and good beer, this makes me a happy girlie. I think my all time favorite KC pizza place is still Waldo Pizza, but Papa Keno's has their own style, and it's all good in my book. I'm a fan. =]
(4)Suzy S.
You can buy pizza by the pie or by the slice at Papa Keno's. The slices are huge and it only takes one to fill me up. While it is true that the quality is inconsistent, it's generally pretty good. I tried the meatball sandwich once, and wasn't very pleased with it. The only time I tried to order pasta, the staff told me they were out. The arcade in the back room is pretty cool though.
(3)A J.
Are you looking for a place to have a special meal? Wouldn't it be great if that meal consisted of a block of Philadelphia cream cheese covered in grass and frozen spinach? Well do I have the place for you! Papa Keno's combines the luxury of a dorm room meal with the foresight of a four year old in the kitchen. Or perhaps you are just trying to develop Type 2 diabetes to get extra close with that girl you like, well LOOK NO FURTHER. After your elementary hodgepodge of appetizer served with wonderfully frost bitten bread sticks that will remind you of the best cardboard you've ever eaten, you have something truly unique to look forward in your pizza! I don't know about you, but when I go out for pizza I hope to find all of the ingredients of my grocery store's freezer section thrown into a soupy mess on top of a spongy crust to soak up all of that deliciousness. WELL HAVE NO FEAR! Papa Keno's delivers here as well. Our pizza was a wonderfully crafted, spongy crust served with ketchup, frozen spinach, under-ripe tomatoes, flavorless cheese all delivered freshly in 57 mins flat! Now I know what you are thinking, "Shouldn't I just go buy a Tony's Pizza from my grocers frozen food section?" Well I will answer that question with a question, "Would you have the pleasure of paying $27 for that meal?" No? I DIDN'T THINK SO. Plus, you would have to walk all of the way to the dairy section for that delicious block of cream cheese. Needless to say I will be returning the very next time I am contemplating what it would be like for my chef to feed me food as it would be prepared by a mother bird about to serve her newly hatched nest of children.
(1)Caleb s.
The best I can say is...ehhh. We had a groupon, we like to try new places this way, and we have found some great ones, we also have had some like today...it was not great. Lets split this review up into three sections. (1) Atmosphere (2) Service (3) Food. (1) Atmosphere Pretty plain place, great location, I really like the downtown area. Corner place. Inside is pretty plain, wobbly tables on tile with some booths, quaint, but not uninviting. You order at the counter, and they call your name when your pizza is ready. (2) Service There is no service, not really a need for it. Self-refills on beverages. Pick up your salads out of the cold case. When they call your name, you go pick up your own pizza. But there is still a tip line on your receipt. (3) Food Food...oh the food. We had two side salads and one pizza to split. The salads were crap. Premade, yesterday, soft croutons, thinly sliced cucumbers, thinly-wedged tomatoes. The lettuce was brown, it was not good. The ranch dressing was pretty good. Pizza was good. I have never been to NY therefore not knowing what real NY pizza taste like, but the pizza was good. Cheese quality was good, sauce was good. We had half "the works" and half "the vinny". Crust was good, toppings were good. Could use a little salt, and they had it, but it was a public portion container that all the customers were digging in with their hands (uhh...no). Other than that, the pizza was good. Overall, Salad was less than 1/5. The pizza was 4/5. Atmosphere was 2/5 and service was 1/5. I think a 2/5 overall is a fair rating. I would order a pizza takeout, but that's it.
(2)Scott S.
I will say this is one of the first pizza places I have ever had real issues with. I wanted to like it because my wife does. It was the only place in KC you could get Tasty Kakes. There are days when the pizza tastes like cardboard with cheese on it and there are days when it tastes wonderful. The problem is, there have been more bad days than good. I can almost guarantee that the problem doesn't lie in the recipe, but in the clueless and almost entirely zoned out staff that frequently changes. I remember having the salad there once. I hated myself the entire day after I ate the soggy, almost alkaline croutons, the limp lettuce, the flavorless dressing. Skip the salad, it still looks as terrible in the display case now as it did then. Then there was the whole thing about it being shut down for not paying taxes, only to rise from the ashes and somewhat redeem itself. The pizza was better, but long gone were the Tasty Kakes in the cooler by the front door.
(1)Mary C.
Pizza is good, cheesy breadsticks are great. My experience eating there was less than great, but carry out is wonderful! A little on the pricey side, but much better than delivery options in the area. Love the kid keno pizza!
(4)Jaima S.
I am so saddened to give this bad review as Papa Kenos (the Lawrence location) was a regular spot for me when I was in college a decade ago. It was one of my favorite places and I tell people about it all the time. Since I don't live in Kansas anymore this was a place I had to visit on a recent trip back. My girlfriend took me to the location in downtown Overland Park, which is a beautiful location on the strip by cute shops and good restaurants. From the moment we walked in my heart sunk. First it was lunch time on a Sunday, the Chiefs game was playing on the tv and we were the third party in there. The place was dirty, the bathrooms were gross, there was debris on the floor and just generally our booth was sticky and required a wipe down prior to being seated. I got a slice of pizza with chicken, spinach and artichoke and my friend got a ham and cheese sandwich. They forgot to keep the onions off her sandwich, was a major bummer since they were diced. My slice was as big as I remember. These suckers are huge, but man the taste was just off. The crust was ok, but was really lacking flavor. The toppings were plentiful, but the chicken tasted "off" to me, almost chemical. I picked it all off. I ate most of the slice because I was starving and I think I was almost willing it to be better with each bite, but from now on the Papa Kenos in Lawrence will remain a bright spot in my past and I will not be going back to this one again.
(2)Angela W.
I am surprised to see so many negative reviews. I live in this neighborhood and have always had positive experiences with the food (pizza by the slice and whole pizza, salads, sandwiches & breadsticks). Every time I have been there the food and service, including delivery, was consistent and tasty. If I had a problem, then I would feel comfortable asking to change my order, but I never had. Also, I have never noticed anything filthy or even dirty there. My boyfriend has been going there since school and has no complaints. I take my family there and they've had no complaints about anything and enjoy the vintage video games.
(4)Rob D.
The pizza is good, 4 or 5 star good (for kc area at least)....but they can't get orders correct, my order has been wrong 3 out of 4 times I've gone here. Yummy but the poor service will make you wish ya went elsewhere.
(3)Mark D.
Papa Keno's never ceases to amaze me. Back in the 90's Greg Keenan opened a little pizza place that had the only New York style pizza in Kansas. I was happy to find it and you could taste the attention to detail that was necessary to create a good New York pizza alternative. Now, Papa Keno's continues to amaze me. I don't believe I've ever been to a restaurant that is so inconsistent in the quality and availability. One day it is burnt and dried out, the next it time it meets expectations, and then you can't even get a slice because they've lost your order or they don't have ingredients. Truly amazing! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised given the arrogant and disrespectful comments posted by the owner on this site. If the owner spent as much time working on trying to perfect a good pizzeria concept as he does on covering up Papa Keno's faults (which all could be overcome with some attitude adjustment and discipline), then we would all be praising the restaurant.
(1)Jeff H.
I'm lucky enough to have Papa Keno's as my go-to pizza place. It's great to be able to get a slice and a Free State beer on tap. Keno's has many specialty pizzas to choose from (of which you can get just a slice) or you can choose your own toppings. It's a New York style slice and is as big as a McDonald's tray so you only need one slice. A tip for Keno's rookies would be to pour some honey from the condiments area onto your tray and dip your crust into the honey. It will make you look like you're in the know and it will taste wonderful too. Also, for those who don't like tomato based sauces on pizza, you can order pesto or cream based sauces on your pizza. While the pizza is great and there isn't much better pizza in the metro, you may want a sandwich and Keno's has great sandwiches as well. Sometimes I have trouble deciding which I want, a sandwich or a slice. Keno's is kid friendly with crayons and drawing paper for the little ones, or arcade games for those that are a little older. They deliver and do carryout. The counter service is always pretty friendly (except in the Westport location) and the pizzas come out pretty quickly.
(4)Jason W.
Had the sicilian, huge pizza, great crust, very tasty.
(4)Elaine F.
This pizza is either the best pizza ever or horrendous. I have had it both ways. The place is filthy and the staff is usually unclean also. It does make you wonder, and has currently deterred me from going for quite some time. I tried the one in Lawrence a couple of months ago and the pizza was so salty it was inedible. Sigh, I need to try Free State pizz.
(3)Celeste L.
As much as I love Papa Keno's, they seem to be going through some kind of severe slump. I went recently on a weeknight only to find the doors locked early. The employees said they were "out of pizza." Last Saturday, my husband and I waited for 40+ minutes to get two slices of pizza in a restaurant that was thick with angry patrons who weren't getting their food in a timely manner (or at all, in some cases). My husband finally took a slice that had been intended for someone else who got his money back and left - his slice never materialized, even after I got mine and finished it! The employees mentioned "problems" with their paychecks and understaffing due to people walking off the job. I fear that we won't have Papa Keno's as a delicious pizza option for much longer unless something changes.
(2)Kristen S.
Also, very good pizza. Some unique toppings here, nearly everything you could wish for. A little less cleanly than Minsky's, which is a drawback for me. Atmosphere can get pretty loud. Update 5/08-This place has gone downhill....management issues per the staff.
(3)Jookie K.
Slices the size of your torso (well-depending on who you are), super-thin crust, with the freshest and occasionally unique ingredients. I say you can't go wrong with a Kid Keno and a Boulevard Wheat, which I think is pretty much impossible to get in large urban areas. Interestingly, I've had so much mediocre pizza in Chicago, that I end up craving Papa Keno's at least a few times every month. There's also one in Lawrence, which is equally awesome.
(5)James M.
THAT IS A BIG SLICE BABY! BIGGER THAN YO FACE! Great deals for a slice combo and damn tasty! Employee's and owners are pretty awesome! My only negative would be the price of a whole pie is kinda high but it is good pizza.
(4)Hans E.
Huge pizza by the slice, excellent variety (any of their specialty pizzas can come by the slice) and great deal (7.99 for a giant specialty slice and a beer).
(5)Justin M.
My wife and I always enjoy our stops at Papa Keno's. It brings back a lot of good memories made at the Lawrence location during our KU years. The pizza is very good with a ton of choices, although I can't break away from the Carnivore. My wife really likes the Denver pizza and the breadsticks. Plus the beer selection includes our favorites from Free State and Boulevard.
(4)Jes S.
We love to have lunch at Papa Kenos however the pizza can be very inconsistent. Sometimes undercooked, sometimes over cooked and the amount of toppings varies. They have a great selection of specialty pizzas, sandwiches, and a few good micro brew drafts. I usually order a custom slice and salad for around 8-10$. The pizza is somewhat thin and large enough for a meal.
(3)Christine F.
I will always appreciate Papa Keno's for being the first pizza place when I was a wee lass that let me put shrimp on my pizza. I thought that was the coolest thing! You can't do that with Pizza Hut! Years later and especially now that my mother lives in old town OP,KS, I find myself getting Papa Keno's most every time I come home to visit and still loving it. The place is simple, not big on decor, and I'm cool with that. Never seemed that dirty the last few times I've been in. Their decor mostly consists of local children's drawings, which is just the cutest darn thing. The salad bar looks pretty meh - iceberg lettuce and only a couple choices of topping. Not worth it to me. There can be inconsistency with the pizza, but usually it's pretty great. My mom and I got a "The Works" pizza carry out last night and it was delicious. Perfect crust, didn't skimp on the toppings....love those slices that are bigger than my face. They also carry all my favorite beers - Blue Moon, Fat Tire, Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat, O'Fallon, MO brew - and since there are few better combinations than good pizza and good beer, this makes me a happy girlie. I think my all time favorite KC pizza place is still Waldo Pizza, but Papa Keno's has their own style, and it's all good in my book. I'm a fan. =]
(4)Caleb s.
The best I can say is...ehhh. We had a groupon, we like to try new places this way, and we have found some great ones, we also have had some like today...it was not great. Lets split this review up into three sections. (1) Atmosphere (2) Service (3) Food. (1) Atmosphere Pretty plain place, great location, I really like the downtown area. Corner place. Inside is pretty plain, wobbly tables on tile with some booths, quaint, but not uninviting. You order at the counter, and they call your name when your pizza is ready. (2) Service There is no service, not really a need for it. Self-refills on beverages. Pick up your salads out of the cold case. When they call your name, you go pick up your own pizza. But there is still a tip line on your receipt. (3) Food Food...oh the food. We had two side salads and one pizza to split. The salads were crap. Premade, yesterday, soft croutons, thinly sliced cucumbers, thinly-wedged tomatoes. The lettuce was brown, it was not good. The ranch dressing was pretty good. Pizza was good. I have never been to NY therefore not knowing what real NY pizza taste like, but the pizza was good. Cheese quality was good, sauce was good. We had half "the works" and half "the vinny". Crust was good, toppings were good. Could use a little salt, and they had it, but it was a public portion container that all the customers were digging in with their hands (uhh...no). Other than that, the pizza was good. Overall, Salad was less than 1/5. The pizza was 4/5. Atmosphere was 2/5 and service was 1/5. I think a 2/5 overall is a fair rating. I would order a pizza takeout, but that's it.
(2)Scott S.
I will say this is one of the first pizza places I have ever had real issues with. I wanted to like it because my wife does. It was the only place in KC you could get Tasty Kakes. There are days when the pizza tastes like cardboard with cheese on it and there are days when it tastes wonderful. The problem is, there have been more bad days than good. I can almost guarantee that the problem doesn't lie in the recipe, but in the clueless and almost entirely zoned out staff that frequently changes. I remember having the salad there once. I hated myself the entire day after I ate the soggy, almost alkaline croutons, the limp lettuce, the flavorless dressing. Skip the salad, it still looks as terrible in the display case now as it did then. Then there was the whole thing about it being shut down for not paying taxes, only to rise from the ashes and somewhat redeem itself. The pizza was better, but long gone were the Tasty Kakes in the cooler by the front door.
(1)Jookie K.
Slices the size of your torso (well-depending on who you are), super-thin crust, with the freshest and occasionally unique ingredients. I say you can't go wrong with a Kid Keno and a Boulevard Wheat, which I think is pretty much impossible to get in large urban areas. Interestingly, I've had so much mediocre pizza in Chicago, that I end up craving Papa Keno's at least a few times every month. There's also one in Lawrence, which is equally awesome.
(5)Suzy S.
You can buy pizza by the pie or by the slice at Papa Keno's. The slices are huge and it only takes one to fill me up. While it is true that the quality is inconsistent, it's generally pretty good. I tried the meatball sandwich once, and wasn't very pleased with it. The only time I tried to order pasta, the staff told me they were out. The arcade in the back room is pretty cool though.
(3)A J.
Are you looking for a place to have a special meal? Wouldn't it be great if that meal consisted of a block of Philadelphia cream cheese covered in grass and frozen spinach? Well do I have the place for you! Papa Keno's combines the luxury of a dorm room meal with the foresight of a four year old in the kitchen. Or perhaps you are just trying to develop Type 2 diabetes to get extra close with that girl you like, well LOOK NO FURTHER. After your elementary hodgepodge of appetizer served with wonderfully frost bitten bread sticks that will remind you of the best cardboard you've ever eaten, you have something truly unique to look forward in your pizza! I don't know about you, but when I go out for pizza I hope to find all of the ingredients of my grocery store's freezer section thrown into a soupy mess on top of a spongy crust to soak up all of that deliciousness. WELL HAVE NO FEAR! Papa Keno's delivers here as well. Our pizza was a wonderfully crafted, spongy crust served with ketchup, frozen spinach, under-ripe tomatoes, flavorless cheese all delivered freshly in 57 mins flat! Now I know what you are thinking, "Shouldn't I just go buy a Tony's Pizza from my grocers frozen food section?" Well I will answer that question with a question, "Would you have the pleasure of paying $27 for that meal?" No? I DIDN'T THINK SO. Plus, you would have to walk all of the way to the dairy section for that delicious block of cream cheese. Needless to say I will be returning the very next time I am contemplating what it would be like for my chef to feed me food as it would be prepared by a mother bird about to serve her newly hatched nest of children.
(1)Mary C.
Pizza is good, cheesy breadsticks are great. My experience eating there was less than great, but carry out is wonderful! A little on the pricey side, but much better than delivery options in the area. Love the kid keno pizza!
(4)Jaima S.
I am so saddened to give this bad review as Papa Kenos (the Lawrence location) was a regular spot for me when I was in college a decade ago. It was one of my favorite places and I tell people about it all the time. Since I don't live in Kansas anymore this was a place I had to visit on a recent trip back. My girlfriend took me to the location in downtown Overland Park, which is a beautiful location on the strip by cute shops and good restaurants. From the moment we walked in my heart sunk. First it was lunch time on a Sunday, the Chiefs game was playing on the tv and we were the third party in there. The place was dirty, the bathrooms were gross, there was debris on the floor and just generally our booth was sticky and required a wipe down prior to being seated. I got a slice of pizza with chicken, spinach and artichoke and my friend got a ham and cheese sandwich. They forgot to keep the onions off her sandwich, was a major bummer since they were diced. My slice was as big as I remember. These suckers are huge, but man the taste was just off. The crust was ok, but was really lacking flavor. The toppings were plentiful, but the chicken tasted "off" to me, almost chemical. I picked it all off. I ate most of the slice because I was starving and I think I was almost willing it to be better with each bite, but from now on the Papa Kenos in Lawrence will remain a bright spot in my past and I will not be going back to this one again.
(2)Angela W.
I am surprised to see so many negative reviews. I live in this neighborhood and have always had positive experiences with the food (pizza by the slice and whole pizza, salads, sandwiches & breadsticks). Every time I have been there the food and service, including delivery, was consistent and tasty. If I had a problem, then I would feel comfortable asking to change my order, but I never had. Also, I have never noticed anything filthy or even dirty there. My boyfriend has been going there since school and has no complaints. I take my family there and they've had no complaints about anything and enjoy the vintage video games.
(4)Rob D.
The pizza is good, 4 or 5 star good (for kc area at least)....but they can't get orders correct, my order has been wrong 3 out of 4 times I've gone here. Yummy but the poor service will make you wish ya went elsewhere.
(3)Mark D.
Papa Keno's never ceases to amaze me. Back in the 90's Greg Keenan opened a little pizza place that had the only New York style pizza in Kansas. I was happy to find it and you could taste the attention to detail that was necessary to create a good New York pizza alternative. Now, Papa Keno's continues to amaze me. I don't believe I've ever been to a restaurant that is so inconsistent in the quality and availability. One day it is burnt and dried out, the next it time it meets expectations, and then you can't even get a slice because they've lost your order or they don't have ingredients. Truly amazing! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised given the arrogant and disrespectful comments posted by the owner on this site. If the owner spent as much time working on trying to perfect a good pizzeria concept as he does on covering up Papa Keno's faults (which all could be overcome with some attitude adjustment and discipline), then we would all be praising the restaurant.
(1)Jeff H.
I'm lucky enough to have Papa Keno's as my go-to pizza place. It's great to be able to get a slice and a Free State beer on tap. Keno's has many specialty pizzas to choose from (of which you can get just a slice) or you can choose your own toppings. It's a New York style slice and is as big as a McDonald's tray so you only need one slice. A tip for Keno's rookies would be to pour some honey from the condiments area onto your tray and dip your crust into the honey. It will make you look like you're in the know and it will taste wonderful too. Also, for those who don't like tomato based sauces on pizza, you can order pesto or cream based sauces on your pizza. While the pizza is great and there isn't much better pizza in the metro, you may want a sandwich and Keno's has great sandwiches as well. Sometimes I have trouble deciding which I want, a sandwich or a slice. Keno's is kid friendly with crayons and drawing paper for the little ones, or arcade games for those that are a little older. They deliver and do carryout. The counter service is always pretty friendly (except in the Westport location) and the pizzas come out pretty quickly.
(4)Jason W.
Had the sicilian, huge pizza, great crust, very tasty.
(4)Lauren M.
We tried this for the first time (even though we've been in the area for 4 years...) and it was ok. We got the garlic cheese bread and it was pretty good. The roasted garlic on it was decent. The pizza was amazingly greasy. I know pizza is greasy in general but it was soaking through and I had grease run down my chin....I love pizza. It's probably my top 5 dishes to eat ever. We got the pepperoni and it was ok. I do like their crust because it was thin and crispy.
(3)Kevin T.
New York-style pizza (by definition): New York-style pizza is characterized by large hand-tossed thin-crust pies, often sold in wide slices to-go. Distinguished by being light on the tomato sauce, it has crust which is crisp along its edge yet soft and pliable enough beneath its toppings to be folded in half to eat. Papa Keno's sells pizza by the slice, check. That is hand tossed and thin crust, check. Light on the flavorful pizza sauce, check. Crust is soft and pliable enough to be folded in half...Sort of they cut the slice up into smaller pieces (next time I will tell them not to do so so I can eat this beautiful slice like true New Yorker!) So is Papa Keno's the definition of New York Style Pizza??? Really damn close! Bonuses are that they pile the toppings high and that draft beer is $2.50 a pint on Thursdays. Also those draft beers are Kansas' own Free State Brewing. My one gripe are the booth are pain in the ass to get in and out because of the table's legs. Easy fix though, next time I will just sit at a table instead.
(4)Steve D.
My made-to-order pizza slice was delivered to my table in 13 minutes, which gave me time to get a drink, and eat my side salad. The salad was generously-sized, but consisted mostly of crisp, fresh, greens and croutons, with only a couple of cucumber slices, and two mushy slices of tomato. The pizza slice was enormous! It's good that they made six cuts through the slice before serving it up to make it easier to eat. The pizza had a delicious crust, and just the right amount of cheese so there was just a little grease for flavor. The sauce had a good tang, and the toppings were tasty, and plentiful. The employees were friendly, and efficient, while the interior was nice, with background music, about seven TVs, and several video games. Improve the salad, and I'm thinking five stars.
(4)Christina H.
Papa Keno's has terrific pizza. It's chewy and crisp, and the toppings are delicious. My personal favorite is the Kid Keno with spinach, pepperoni, feta & roasted garlic. The 14'' pizza is about the size of a Large pizza from Pizza Hut. Their by-the-slices must come from a larger pizza because they are enormous. It's a great place to pop in and get lunch and is in an amazing location. It doesn't get much better than Downtown OP. The smell that grabs you when you walk by is intoxicating. All that being said, be prepared to be patient most days. They do cook your pizza to order, so it comes out hot & fresh, but takes time. Delivery can often take longer than stated. They generally say 45-60 minutes, and it can sometimes take up to 90 minutes. Last night was such a case and they threw in a couple of their chocolate chip cookies as an apology I suppose. The cookies look overdone, but don't be fooled. They are delicious, chewy & gooey. Also be aware that when you order online, the price includes a $2.00 delivery fee as well as a $1.25 online charge. These didn't appear to be listed anywhere until I received the confirmation e-mail. So if you are close by, you can always save a few bucks and call it in for pick up.
(4)Allen D.
I was really impressed with the food. I ordered the santa fe which was very flavorful. I like that they do it by the slice. The size of the slice is pretty large. They have a little arcade section that's good for the kids. Its a clean safe environment. I would recommend that any one in this area should try it out.
(4)Adam S.
A few years ago, this would be 2 stars, but today, it's 5 stars all the way. They have new ownership that has turned the ship around and their pizza is consistently in the top three in all of Kansas City. It's a giant slice that is thin, covered in quality toppings, and on some of the best tasting dough you will find. I used to frequent the lunch special which is a two-topping with salad and drink for just $6.50, and it's a guarantee that you will be more than full after eating it. The atmosphere is very much a classic pizza place with an arcade in the back wing of the restaurant, local beers on tap and a good but not overwhelming amount of TV's. They also have a side patio for those patio-weather days. Occasionally I forget about Keno's, but whenever I'm in the Downtown OP neighborhood it's always worth a visit.
(5)Matthew N.
Papa Keno's did not disappoint! I loved the slice of pizza that was so big, it needed to be sliced. I've never seen a slice of sliced pizza, I just love it! Oh and it tasted awesome too! The toppings here are top notch, good cheese, great meats, even the dough was good enough to eat in its entirety. I had the Vinnie and was pleased, so many more to try!
(4)Larry P.
We're new to town and are trying the various local establishments. Tonight we went to Papa Keno's Pizza. When we entered there was a live singer/guitar player. That was a bonus. There was also a rather thin smoke throughout the place. I don't know if there was a problem with the ventilation or if it is always this way. In any case, it wasn't a favorable thing. We ordered a 14 inch pizza with chicken, mushrooms, red onion and few other ingredients. And an order of breadsticks. The breadsticks were really good. A little later the pizza arrived. It was VERY hot. After allowing it to cool, we ate. It was good, not great but good. We'll return, but next time I think we'll skip the pizza and have salad and breadsticks. And, we'll see how the ventilation is doing Follow-Up. So we returned. Had salad and breadsticks, calzone and a pizza slice. The smoke we experienced previously was gone. The staff was helpful. The food was good. The sauce had more garlic in it than my wife preferred, but I found it to be ok. A solid place. we'll go back
(3)Lisa K.
Their Pizza is pretty tasty and my boyfriend loves the video games there.
(4)Brandon S.
I've stopped in for lunch a couple times recently at Papa Keno's and have had pretty good experiences both times. They have full size pizzas you can order, or you can get pizza by the slice. The slices are HUGE! one slice of pizza takes up an entire 13 x 9 cake pan (which is how they serve it) so yeah, you could make a meal out of just one slice of their pizza. Their bread sticks and mozzarella bread sticks are also served on 13 x 9 cake pans with marinara on the side. If you're gonna order a slice and bread sticks, you absolutely must bring a friend to share the bread sticks with. Ok so the pizza is huge but what is it like? First of all let's start with the crust. The crust is thin and crispy but not at all doughy on the inside. The pizza is New York style thin, not neopolitan or artisan thin. The toppings taste good and fresh. Where Papa Keno's really shines though is their cheese blend. I'm not sure exactly what their blend of cheeses is, but it's so good I might suggest that you just order a plain cheese slice on your first visit. Papa Keno's also seems to have a pretty good selection of beer. I only drank iced tea as I was in for lunch on both visits, but I know they have Schafly beer which is a craft brewery from St. Louis. I noticed today a guy was there wearing a Bridgeport jacket and he was talking with the staff. Bridgeport is another good craft brewery from Portland, OR. I don't remember seeing any Boulevard there but that's OK. I will be back again soon and hopefully I'll report back with more details about the beers. Also can't wait to try more topping combinations on their huge slices!
(4)Phon W.
OMG So good! My first time here, I got the KidKeno. It as so yummy, thin crust that didn't taste like cardboard and you bite into it and its soft and the bottom is crunchy. The flavors are good too. The breadsticks were fine. I love the relax feeling of the place. Can't wait to come back and try more :)
(5)Tracy K.
Very good pizza and huge slices to boot!
(4)Kelly W.
I LOVE this place!!!! I hadn't been in the area in years, and was ecstatic to be able to eat here this last weekend. It was just as good as I'd remembered. These slices are huge! The fun combinations, quality ingredients and NYC-style thin crust- are amazing! I always get the Melvin with Cream Cheese added (bc I love cream cheese:) Four adults and two kids ate dinner (with beer and wine for the adults) for 62.50, how can you beat that? This place is amazing, and a true gem in OP!
(5)Scotty C.
Giant NYC thin crust style pizza. Giant slices that remind me of the kind you'd get at the southern end of the boardwalk in Seaside Heights in New Jersey. We're really picky about pizza having moved here from the east coast, and once again, I've been really disappointed in what they call pizza in Kansas. Papa Keno's is the first place to get it right. The dough is perfect, a nice yeast risen chewy crust with the right texture. If you don't eat pizza bones, you're missing out. The sauce is spot on, it tastes like there's some tomato paste in it, which also makes it legit. Huge portions! The slices are bigger than some entire pizzas I've ordered in this state, fold it over and enjoy! Good toppings! Carnivore, veggies, and 16-20 others, or you can order something custom. Slices range from $5-7 each, pretty good bottled beer selection, fountain sodas with unlimited refills, and they run summer specials like beer and a slice for $6.99. Good retro video games and pinball machines! I'm taking a star off because they could keep the dining area cleaner, many tables are not wiped down every time I've been there. Pizza takes a bit to come out, but once you eat it you'll quickly forget the wait. It's worth it! Check them out!
(4)Ashley H.
Awesome! Pizza by the slice. We tried the Brutus, the Tuscano, Cheese pizza slice and a side salad plus free breadsticks offered through Yelp! Their cheese pizza is ah. may. zing. I could eat the whole slice but I had to share! Ok so the breadsticks were blah. Just crunchy with chewy parts pieces of bread and dipping sauce that was decent. We didnt really eat them. The side salad.....why bother. Boring. Barely ate any of that and the salads come stuffed in a to go container. The garlic vinaigrette was so acidic it burned my lips... I recommend at least trying this place once. The atmosphere is very cool pizzeria pub style. Service was good no complaints. I can't wait to bring the kids!
(4)M W.
I absolutely love the food here! It's some of the best pizza I have had in the area, and ever for that matter. The prices are great for how much you get. The reason for the 4 stars, instead of 5, is the service. It's decent but usually the person at the register isn't very friendly. The cooks are always pretty nice though. They are pretty quick for pizza, even when busy. Overall, love!
(4)Matt E.
Do you want to put something amazing in your mouth? Then get to Papa Keno's and order a slice of Kid Keno! This has been one of my favorite slices of pizza ever since I was a student at KU. I would eat at Papa Keno's on Mass Street, and then when I moved to KC I would eat at the one in Westport. Once it closed, I mentally prepared myself to rarely if ever have a slice of their pizza again. THEN I discovered this location in Overland Park, and the world began to make sense again. So back to the food. While they do sell whole pizzas here, they're ridiculously huge and you'd be better served by getting a slice. I wholeheartedly recommend the Kid Keno: spinach, pepperoni, feta cheese and roasted garlic. The crust is thin with the perfect amount of char, and it's like angels sing when I take my first bite. The staff is incredibly friendly at this location, and they pay homage to their Lawrence roots by offering specials on Free State pints. I am full on in love with this place! BTW: They currently have a Yelp check-in offer for a free order of bread sticks. If you are there with others, there is no need for each of you to get an order, because like everything here, it's giant! One order of the bread sticks can easily be split among 4 people.
(5)Steve B.
Pizza and sandwiches are great but holy cow don't eat here if you're in any type of a hurry. I live two blocks from here and frequent the place. EVERY freaking time I go in the wait for food is ridiculous and the orders are messed up. Their oven system is all over the place. If the owner should read this: Your problem is your menu is too big and your staff can't recognize the slices when they're in the oven. This is what is causing your wait times...orders get mixed up with each other. Shorten your menu and get a larger oven and you'll be golden...
(2)Isis P.
I love the Mama Kenos pizza here!! The individual slices are the perfect size. This pizzeria has the only thin crust I've ever liked too!! They have bottled drinks and beer and one of those million drink combinations machines. It's in downtown OP and it's perfect for a first date! Casual but really good to walk around after and explore!!
(5)Sara D.
Pape Kenos is one of the very few restaurants open on a Monday in downtown Overland Park. After walking around endlessly trying to find a bite to eat, Katie D. and I stumbled upon Pape Keno's at the very end of the sidewalk. The place isn't glamorous, romantic, or endearing, but my goodness, do they serve you an ENORMOUS piece of pizza!! My giant slice could barely fit on a lunch tray. My pizza of choice was The Barnyard Pizza which had cream cheese, green onions, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, and almonds!! Each bite of pizza came with a gooey, divine taste of cream cheese with the added crunch of a sweet almond. Loved the pizza! 10 times better than a slice from D'bronx.
(4)Philip H.
The absolute best pizza since I left Boston nearly six years ago. The pizza and quality beers deserve your patronage Overland Park! You don't need to order an entire pie, order a slice, maybe 2 for dinner. You will not be disappointed with the quality of all their ingredients. Do yourself a favor and take in a slice!
(5)Allen G.
They have Tallgrass and Free State beers on tap!! Oh..and the pizza is pretty good too.
(4)P M.
To start, I have to say I am a pizza snob. Having lived in NY, I'm very particular about pizza and typically get frustrated when pizza is sold at a high price for an average to below average taste. I'd heard about Papa Keno's and finally decided to try it. I went with average expectations but was pleasantly surprised. It was really good and one of the best pizzerias in the city. The ingredients were fresh and were of high quality. The pie was not overloaded nor under loaded with cheese. It was perfectly topped. The crust was moderately light and had a nice toast-like texture. It was not doughy and tough to chew. Prior to this, I've always felt that Original Pizza, Rosati's, and D' Bronx were the top three pizzerias in KC. After Papa Keno's, I have to place them at #2 not far behind Original Pizza at all. I would go as far to even say, they're tied for #1. It was that good. Great pie done very well. I look forward to round 2!!!!
(4)Paul M.
Updating my last review and dropping one star. I wrote last time that I would go there again if I was in the area. Well, last night I was in the area and so I went. This time I ordered the chicken parmesan sandwich and a side salad. The bread was really good and toasted just crispy-right. But the sandwich itself was very "one-note" and lacking in flavor. I had to search hard to find the parmesan. The side salad was fresh cut lettuce, which was what I expected. I spent 10 bucks on a side salad, crispy bread, and tasteless sandwich filling. Not a good value. They do sell pizza by the slice--at almost six bucks a slice. That seemed way out of line for a slice of pizza to me. I don't think I'll give it a third try.
(2)Melisa V.
armed with a groupon, we carried out Kid Keno pizza and an Italian salad from there last week. I was torn between getting a smaller pizza and two salads or a larger pizza and one salad. we were persuaded to go with the latter. when I went inside to pick up the pizza, the atmosphere was different than I was expecting. they also serve pizza by the slice, so it's an order at the counter then sit kind of place. it had a divey vibe in a good way (it was very clean) and very kid-friendly. there were quite a few families dining there. the pizza was big but not overwhelming and the salad was good too. definitively a good alternative to all of the mass-produced delivery places. and they even deliver too! look forward to going back to try something new and dining in.
(4)Debbie F.
This place was HOT, HOT, HOT and I don't mean this as a compliment! I mean, literally, the restaurant was tooo warm inside -- uncomfortably warm! Ordering from the counter, I caught sight of the cooks in the kitchen handling the pizza dough and cooked pizza with their bare hands....hmmm, this was a little unsettling! We had a pitcher of beer that quickly turned warm in their overheated facility. After about a 15 min. wait, our pizza was piping hot and pretty good; it wasn't the best I had had, but good. The crust was extremely thin and not as textured and crusty as I generally like -- pretty floppy, but we were hungry by then. I never saw any tables cleaned. Our only choice was a dirty table. When I asked for a plate, I was offered a tray with a sheet of wax paper. The table was wobbly and the seats were in need of repair as there were tears in the vinyl. Thankfully, this was a "coupon" offer which saved us $5.00 on our meal. Although I love the downtown Overland Park area, I don't have plans to return to Papa Keno's. The restaurant had a fair amount of people there on Thursday evening, which I think speaks favorably.
(2)Cj M.
I really want to give them more stars, but the service has always been their hurdle. I was happy when they added delivery but it needs to work on that. They forgot half of our order, delivery driver asked if we still wanted the rest of the order.
(3)Dan F.
I like the pizza by the slice option and the portions are good and the taste is great!
(4)Laurel S.
After picking up my van from Overland Frame my husband and I decided to grab a quick lunch at Papa Keno's. It was about 2:00 on Wednesday afternoon so we were basically the only people in the place. The guy at the register was super nice and recommended the Kid Keno pizza. Since it was our first time we decided to do 1/2 and 1/2 with the "works" so we could try 2 kinds of pizza on one visit. I LOVED this pizza. I go to NY about 4 times a year. This is not as good as NY but very close. I don't think you'll ever get that perfect, thin, crispy chewy crust like you do in NY here in KC (people swear its the water?) but this was great. The crust was thin and crispy but a little chewy too, the sauce was great and there was the perfect amount, they don't load it down with toppings because the crust can't accommodate it but there is a nice amount of toppings. We will definitely be back.
(4)Tavian H.
best pizza in the area. i've been to over 15 pizzerias since getting to the area, so far this is the beat place around. huge slices, good prices but more importantly the pizza is actually good. laid back atmosphere, decent specials.
(5)Sean S.
Great food, great atmosphere, friendly staff and very kid friendly. The food was ready very quickly despite how busy it was.
(5)Rhonda S.
"Let's eat at Papa Keno's, " I said to The Other R, on a trip to Penzey's. I assured him every restaurant in this cute little area is nice, but some are more casual than others. He's 20 and young enough to be more of a picky eater, even than I. But then I had a realization. "I've eaten at a Papa Kenos before, but where?' I finished shopping at Penzey's, and we walked down the street to eat pizza. Penzey's made our senses wanting something besides hamburgers. Not being the adventurous type, The Other R wanted pepperoni pizza, which I ordered to go. I saw the slices, they were huge. Then it donned on me, I had stopped in Papa Keno's over on Mass Street in Lawrence. I also ordered meatballs, 4 of them. We waited, and it smelled so good. I watched the cooks flip the pizza crust, and slices of all categories going to other customers. (ugh...pepperoni, how boring, but it's okay). We received our pizza and meatballs, and went to the car. The Other R started eating it in my car, on the way home. Oh my goodness, it's good. It is so good. It is like pizza from St. Louis or Chicago. The cheese was so good, and not gloopy, but tasty. The meatballs were huge, covered with pizza sauce, and hot. We got home, and the pizza was finished quick. Everyone enjoyed it. Definitely a place to stop in again. There's so many other places in that area in Overland Park. so many choices, and there's food for every taste. I appreciate this area for that.
(4)Jay R.
The pie slice was awesome, I had the Denver. I do not recommend trying to drive thru Overland Park while eating this perfectly oversized "slice" of heaven in your mouth as the cheese is stretching a few feet from your mouth back to the box
(4)Peter M.
The new ownership has done a FANTASTIC job getting the place in order. You will not find better service, a cleaner dinning room or a better product than what Papa Kenos is putting out. BIG thumbs up to the NEW Papa Kenos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(5)Erin W.
I love the smell of Papa Kenos. It's awesome how you can customize a slice and get everything exactly how you want instead of how everyone wants it. Great pizza
(4)Scotty B.
Let me start by saying: "Oh. My. Yummy. Gosh." I like pizza. But I LOVE Papa Keno's! My favorite pizza to get there is normal crust (i think they call it tossed), sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, LOTS of Mozzarella cheese, Cilantro, and - of course - sauce. Delish. IMPORTANT: Check in using yelp, and you'll get a whole pan of FREE Breadsticks!!!!
(5)Bill C.
I was asked to comeback for a revisit by Papa Keno's a few weeks back to make up for my poor previous poor experience. So I got the boys in the car and headed back over to downtown OP to get some pizza.. The staff was more attentive and the results were much improved. I believe they recaptured the results I expected from my past visits there. This never going to be a Pizza destination for me. It's a proximity choice and or something drawing me to the area. And for that is a good choice for me. I'm never going to deliberately eat at the chain pizza stores so this is a good option for me. Hoping they continue keep to this level going forward! I also noticed that the OP store does carry a fair number of free state beer choices too. That's not a bad thing to keep in mind!
(3)Heidee H.
This place is just wonderful. I've been here several times and gotten takeout and I've never been disappointed. My usual is the #1 combo. A slice with 2 toppings, salad or breadsticks and a drink. I always choose the salad and it's always delicious,huge and topped with homemade croutons and fresh veggies. The workers are always super friendly and quick to get your food to you. They also have a selection of delicious sounding sandwiches but I always come here when I want pizza so I haven't tried one yet. Go here now!
(4)Jeremy O.
I know. I know. I ordered a sandwich at a pizza place, but what-a-ya-gonna-do. The sandwich was ok. It didn't have much flavor to it, but the bread was pretty good. My big problem was the fact that there were more people working in there than eating when I was there, and they still managed to mess up 3 of the 5 orders that were placed while I was there. One of which the worker picked the olives off of the pizza with his hands right on the counter. I'm not a germaphobe or anything, but come on, get it right.
(2)Chef C.
Big fan of the pizza, that's not the problem. Consistency is what this place needs. Sometimes I have burnt crust, sometimes I don't. Sometimes my pizza looks like a perfect circle, other times it looks like a Picasso. The pizza is a little pricey, but when you want a lot of flavor you get it. The establishment is nice and they have local artwork by children thrown on the walls in a tasteful and silly way. They deliver, but not very well. I recommend going in for lunch or taking a first date for a slice (or two).
(4)Elaine F.
This pizza is either the best pizza ever or horrendous. I have had it both ways. The place is filthy and the staff is usually unclean also. It does make you wonder, and has currently deterred me from going for quite some time. I tried the one in Lawrence a couple of months ago and the pizza was so salty it was inedible. Sigh, I need to try Free State pizz.
(3)Celeste L.
As much as I love Papa Keno's, they seem to be going through some kind of severe slump. I went recently on a weeknight only to find the doors locked early. The employees said they were "out of pizza." Last Saturday, my husband and I waited for 40+ minutes to get two slices of pizza in a restaurant that was thick with angry patrons who weren't getting their food in a timely manner (or at all, in some cases). My husband finally took a slice that had been intended for someone else who got his money back and left - his slice never materialized, even after I got mine and finished it! The employees mentioned "problems" with their paychecks and understaffing due to people walking off the job. I fear that we won't have Papa Keno's as a delicious pizza option for much longer unless something changes.
(2)Kristen S.
Also, very good pizza. Some unique toppings here, nearly everything you could wish for. A little less cleanly than Minsky's, which is a drawback for me. Atmosphere can get pretty loud. Update 5/08-This place has gone downhill....management issues per the staff.
(3)Dan D.
Okay here's the dealio... Papa Keno's "pizza" is frickn' great. They are very consistent... Meaning they almost consistently screw up your order in some way or another. Always apologetic and do mucho butt kissn' to try and make things better. But, come on dude... What seems to be the problemo? From what I can tell the owner is always the one makin' the crust and has very little face time w/ the customer. He does have a very sweet and cute gal that seems to be his "beggar of forgiveness" (manager, right hand woman) you tell me. Again the pizza is great. But the... let's see... I don't know... I keep going back. I hope they work it out.
(4)Local Search M.
Well Napkin Pirates, we have another grand review to provide. The other pirates and I are avid pizza eaters and we do not mean Pizza Hut or Domino's. We mean real pizza, unique places that serve unique pizza. Me and the rest of the napkin pirates decided to go to Papa Keno's Pizzeria, and we are glad that we did. Their pizza slices are as big as a ship. They have a unique menu and all types of pizza for all types of pirates. You have to try this place. They serve beer as well as honey for your crust. TV are plentiful as this makes a great pizzeria fro watching a sports game. This homey attraction recieves four stars from me and the napkin pirates, we urge everyone to check it out.
(4)Kelly W.
I LOVE this place!!!! I hadn't been in the area in years, and was ecstatic to be able to eat here this last weekend. It was just as good as I'd remembered. These slices are huge! The fun combinations, quality ingredients and NYC-style thin crust- are amazing! I always get the Melvin with Cream Cheese added (bc I love cream cheese:) Four adults and two kids ate dinner (with beer and wine for the adults) for 62.50, how can you beat that? This place is amazing, and a true gem in OP!
(5)Lauren M.
We tried this for the first time (even though we've been in the area for 4 years...) and it was ok. We got the garlic cheese bread and it was pretty good. The roasted garlic on it was decent. The pizza was amazingly greasy. I know pizza is greasy in general but it was soaking through and I had grease run down my chin....I love pizza. It's probably my top 5 dishes to eat ever. We got the pepperoni and it was ok. I do like their crust because it was thin and crispy.
(3)Hans E.
Huge pizza by the slice, excellent variety (any of their specialty pizzas can come by the slice) and great deal (7.99 for a giant specialty slice and a beer).
(5)Philip H.
The absolute best pizza since I left Boston nearly six years ago. The pizza and quality beers deserve your patronage Overland Park! You don't need to order an entire pie, order a slice, maybe 2 for dinner. You will not be disappointed with the quality of all their ingredients. Do yourself a favor and take in a slice!
(5)Kevin T.
New York-style pizza (by definition): New York-style pizza is characterized by large hand-tossed thin-crust pies, often sold in wide slices to-go. Distinguished by being light on the tomato sauce, it has crust which is crisp along its edge yet soft and pliable enough beneath its toppings to be folded in half to eat. Papa Keno's sells pizza by the slice, check. That is hand tossed and thin crust, check. Light on the flavorful pizza sauce, check. Crust is soft and pliable enough to be folded in half...Sort of they cut the slice up into smaller pieces (next time I will tell them not to do so so I can eat this beautiful slice like true New Yorker!) So is Papa Keno's the definition of New York Style Pizza??? Really damn close! Bonuses are that they pile the toppings high and that draft beer is $2.50 a pint on Thursdays. Also those draft beers are Kansas' own Free State Brewing. My one gripe are the booth are pain in the ass to get in and out because of the table's legs. Easy fix though, next time I will just sit at a table instead.
(4)Allen D.
I was really impressed with the food. I ordered the santa fe which was very flavorful. I like that they do it by the slice. The size of the slice is pretty large. They have a little arcade section that's good for the kids. Its a clean safe environment. I would recommend that any one in this area should try it out.
(4)Matt E.
Do you want to put something amazing in your mouth? Then get to Papa Keno's and order a slice of Kid Keno! This has been one of my favorite slices of pizza ever since I was a student at KU. I would eat at Papa Keno's on Mass Street, and then when I moved to KC I would eat at the one in Westport. Once it closed, I mentally prepared myself to rarely if ever have a slice of their pizza again. THEN I discovered this location in Overland Park, and the world began to make sense again. So back to the food. While they do sell whole pizzas here, they're ridiculously huge and you'd be better served by getting a slice. I wholeheartedly recommend the Kid Keno: spinach, pepperoni, feta cheese and roasted garlic. The crust is thin with the perfect amount of char, and it's like angels sing when I take my first bite. The staff is incredibly friendly at this location, and they pay homage to their Lawrence roots by offering specials on Free State pints. I am full on in love with this place! BTW: They currently have a Yelp check-in offer for a free order of bread sticks. If you are there with others, there is no need for each of you to get an order, because like everything here, it's giant! One order of the bread sticks can easily be split among 4 people.
(5)Steve B.
Pizza and sandwiches are great but holy cow don't eat here if you're in any type of a hurry. I live two blocks from here and frequent the place. EVERY freaking time I go in the wait for food is ridiculous and the orders are messed up. Their oven system is all over the place. If the owner should read this: Your problem is your menu is too big and your staff can't recognize the slices when they're in the oven. This is what is causing your wait times...orders get mixed up with each other. Shorten your menu and get a larger oven and you'll be golden...
(2)Isis P.
I love the Mama Kenos pizza here!! The individual slices are the perfect size. This pizzeria has the only thin crust I've ever liked too!! They have bottled drinks and beer and one of those million drink combinations machines. It's in downtown OP and it's perfect for a first date! Casual but really good to walk around after and explore!!
(5)Sara D.
Pape Kenos is one of the very few restaurants open on a Monday in downtown Overland Park. After walking around endlessly trying to find a bite to eat, Katie D. and I stumbled upon Pape Keno's at the very end of the sidewalk. The place isn't glamorous, romantic, or endearing, but my goodness, do they serve you an ENORMOUS piece of pizza!! My giant slice could barely fit on a lunch tray. My pizza of choice was The Barnyard Pizza which had cream cheese, green onions, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, and almonds!! Each bite of pizza came with a gooey, divine taste of cream cheese with the added crunch of a sweet almond. Loved the pizza! 10 times better than a slice from D'bronx.
(4)Steve D.
My made-to-order pizza slice was delivered to my table in 13 minutes, which gave me time to get a drink, and eat my side salad. The salad was generously-sized, but consisted mostly of crisp, fresh, greens and croutons, with only a couple of cucumber slices, and two mushy slices of tomato. The pizza slice was enormous! It's good that they made six cuts through the slice before serving it up to make it easier to eat. The pizza had a delicious crust, and just the right amount of cheese so there was just a little grease for flavor. The sauce had a good tang, and the toppings were tasty, and plentiful. The employees were friendly, and efficient, while the interior was nice, with background music, about seven TVs, and several video games. Improve the salad, and I'm thinking five stars.
(4)Christina H.
Papa Keno's has terrific pizza. It's chewy and crisp, and the toppings are delicious. My personal favorite is the Kid Keno with spinach, pepperoni, feta & roasted garlic. The 14'' pizza is about the size of a Large pizza from Pizza Hut. Their by-the-slices must come from a larger pizza because they are enormous. It's a great place to pop in and get lunch and is in an amazing location. It doesn't get much better than Downtown OP. The smell that grabs you when you walk by is intoxicating. All that being said, be prepared to be patient most days. They do cook your pizza to order, so it comes out hot & fresh, but takes time. Delivery can often take longer than stated. They generally say 45-60 minutes, and it can sometimes take up to 90 minutes. Last night was such a case and they threw in a couple of their chocolate chip cookies as an apology I suppose. The cookies look overdone, but don't be fooled. They are delicious, chewy & gooey. Also be aware that when you order online, the price includes a $2.00 delivery fee as well as a $1.25 online charge. These didn't appear to be listed anywhere until I received the confirmation e-mail. So if you are close by, you can always save a few bucks and call it in for pick up.
(4)Adam S.
A few years ago, this would be 2 stars, but today, it's 5 stars all the way. They have new ownership that has turned the ship around and their pizza is consistently in the top three in all of Kansas City. It's a giant slice that is thin, covered in quality toppings, and on some of the best tasting dough you will find. I used to frequent the lunch special which is a two-topping with salad and drink for just $6.50, and it's a guarantee that you will be more than full after eating it. The atmosphere is very much a classic pizza place with an arcade in the back wing of the restaurant, local beers on tap and a good but not overwhelming amount of TV's. They also have a side patio for those patio-weather days. Occasionally I forget about Keno's, but whenever I'm in the Downtown OP neighborhood it's always worth a visit.
(5)Matthew N.
Papa Keno's did not disappoint! I loved the slice of pizza that was so big, it needed to be sliced. I've never seen a slice of sliced pizza, I just love it! Oh and it tasted awesome too! The toppings here are top notch, good cheese, great meats, even the dough was good enough to eat in its entirety. I had the Vinnie and was pleased, so many more to try!
(4)Larry P.
We're new to town and are trying the various local establishments. Tonight we went to Papa Keno's Pizza. When we entered there was a live singer/guitar player. That was a bonus. There was also a rather thin smoke throughout the place. I don't know if there was a problem with the ventilation or if it is always this way. In any case, it wasn't a favorable thing. We ordered a 14 inch pizza with chicken, mushrooms, red onion and few other ingredients. And an order of breadsticks. The breadsticks were really good. A little later the pizza arrived. It was VERY hot. After allowing it to cool, we ate. It was good, not great but good. We'll return, but next time I think we'll skip the pizza and have salad and breadsticks. And, we'll see how the ventilation is doing Follow-Up. So we returned. Had salad and breadsticks, calzone and a pizza slice. The smoke we experienced previously was gone. The staff was helpful. The food was good. The sauce had more garlic in it than my wife preferred, but I found it to be ok. A solid place. we'll go back
(3)Lisa K.
Their Pizza is pretty tasty and my boyfriend loves the video games there.
(4)Brandon S.
I've stopped in for lunch a couple times recently at Papa Keno's and have had pretty good experiences both times. They have full size pizzas you can order, or you can get pizza by the slice. The slices are HUGE! one slice of pizza takes up an entire 13 x 9 cake pan (which is how they serve it) so yeah, you could make a meal out of just one slice of their pizza. Their bread sticks and mozzarella bread sticks are also served on 13 x 9 cake pans with marinara on the side. If you're gonna order a slice and bread sticks, you absolutely must bring a friend to share the bread sticks with. Ok so the pizza is huge but what is it like? First of all let's start with the crust. The crust is thin and crispy but not at all doughy on the inside. The pizza is New York style thin, not neopolitan or artisan thin. The toppings taste good and fresh. Where Papa Keno's really shines though is their cheese blend. I'm not sure exactly what their blend of cheeses is, but it's so good I might suggest that you just order a plain cheese slice on your first visit. Papa Keno's also seems to have a pretty good selection of beer. I only drank iced tea as I was in for lunch on both visits, but I know they have Schafly beer which is a craft brewery from St. Louis. I noticed today a guy was there wearing a Bridgeport jacket and he was talking with the staff. Bridgeport is another good craft brewery from Portland, OR. I don't remember seeing any Boulevard there but that's OK. I will be back again soon and hopefully I'll report back with more details about the beers. Also can't wait to try more topping combinations on their huge slices!
(4)Phon W.
OMG So good! My first time here, I got the KidKeno. It as so yummy, thin crust that didn't taste like cardboard and you bite into it and its soft and the bottom is crunchy. The flavors are good too. The breadsticks were fine. I love the relax feeling of the place. Can't wait to come back and try more :)
(5)Tracy K.
Very good pizza and huge slices to boot!
(4)Allen G.
They have Tallgrass and Free State beers on tap!! Oh..and the pizza is pretty good too.
(4)Ben M.
Giant pizza by the slice with quality ingredients. What's not to like? Me and my fiancee went and really enjoyed it. I can wait to go back written the kids and try a wider variety. The plain cheese slice is hard to beat, and I'm a guy who likes lots of toppings.
(3)P M.
To start, I have to say I am a pizza snob. Having lived in NY, I'm very particular about pizza and typically get frustrated when pizza is sold at a high price for an average to below average taste. I'd heard about Papa Keno's and finally decided to try it. I went with average expectations but was pleasantly surprised. It was really good and one of the best pizzerias in the city. The ingredients were fresh and were of high quality. The pie was not overloaded nor under loaded with cheese. It was perfectly topped. The crust was moderately light and had a nice toast-like texture. It was not doughy and tough to chew. Prior to this, I've always felt that Original Pizza, Rosati's, and D' Bronx were the top three pizzerias in KC. After Papa Keno's, I have to place them at #2 not far behind Original Pizza at all. I would go as far to even say, they're tied for #1. It was that good. Great pie done very well. I look forward to round 2!!!!
(4)James M.
THAT IS A BIG SLICE BABY! BIGGER THAN YO FACE! Great deals for a slice combo and damn tasty! Employee's and owners are pretty awesome! My only negative would be the price of a whole pie is kinda high but it is good pizza.
(4)Scotty C.
Giant NYC thin crust style pizza. Giant slices that remind me of the kind you'd get at the southern end of the boardwalk in Seaside Heights in New Jersey. We're really picky about pizza having moved here from the east coast, and once again, I've been really disappointed in what they call pizza in Kansas. Papa Keno's is the first place to get it right. The dough is perfect, a nice yeast risen chewy crust with the right texture. If you don't eat pizza bones, you're missing out. The sauce is spot on, it tastes like there's some tomato paste in it, which also makes it legit. Huge portions! The slices are bigger than some entire pizzas I've ordered in this state, fold it over and enjoy! Good toppings! Carnivore, veggies, and 16-20 others, or you can order something custom. Slices range from $5-7 each, pretty good bottled beer selection, fountain sodas with unlimited refills, and they run summer specials like beer and a slice for $6.99. Good retro video games and pinball machines! I'm taking a star off because they could keep the dining area cleaner, many tables are not wiped down every time I've been there. Pizza takes a bit to come out, but once you eat it you'll quickly forget the wait. It's worth it! Check them out!
(4)Ashley H.
Awesome! Pizza by the slice. We tried the Brutus, the Tuscano, Cheese pizza slice and a side salad plus free breadsticks offered through Yelp! Their cheese pizza is ah. may. zing. I could eat the whole slice but I had to share! Ok so the breadsticks were blah. Just crunchy with chewy parts pieces of bread and dipping sauce that was decent. We didnt really eat them. The side salad.....why bother. Boring. Barely ate any of that and the salads come stuffed in a to go container. The garlic vinaigrette was so acidic it burned my lips... I recommend at least trying this place once. The atmosphere is very cool pizzeria pub style. Service was good no complaints. I can't wait to bring the kids!
(4)M W.
I absolutely love the food here! It's some of the best pizza I have had in the area, and ever for that matter. The prices are great for how much you get. The reason for the 4 stars, instead of 5, is the service. It's decent but usually the person at the register isn't very friendly. The cooks are always pretty nice though. They are pretty quick for pizza, even when busy. Overall, love!
(4)Jes S.
We love to have lunch at Papa Kenos however the pizza can be very inconsistent. Sometimes undercooked, sometimes over cooked and the amount of toppings varies. They have a great selection of specialty pizzas, sandwiches, and a few good micro brew drafts. I usually order a custom slice and salad for around 8-10$. The pizza is somewhat thin and large enough for a meal.
(3)Ann W.
Ok. Papa Keno's, you really need to get your act together. Really. You're missing out on revenue because you're not consistently delivering a good experience. I don't come as often as I used to because of this. This time, my hubby said he really doesn't ever want to go back and I can't say I blame him. Despite the change in ownership, there's not much positive change. Yeah, there's a new configuration of some of the furniture and some new paint, but that's about it. I appreciate that they've added some nice beers to the selection of draft beers, but when the restaurant is hotter inside than it is outside on an August evening and the beer isn't served ice cold, it's pretty much a letdown. The food is the same as it has always been. I do like their pizzas, but they are very greasy, so I always use a bunch of napkins to blot the grease. Finding a clean table is still a challenge. People! How hard is it to wipe down tables? We noticed there were employees standing around behind the counter with nothing to do during much of the time we were there. I can't fathom that someone didn't have five minutes to grab a towel and some cleaner and run around to clean the tables. Really, it's not that hard. I actually thought about doing it myself as a community service for their other customers. This is a place that has always had potential. It's a great location for sure! But it's clear that the new owner is just not paying attention. This is one of the worst run restaurants I have ever been to and I know from experience that running a pizza joint is generally one of the easiest restaurants to manage.
(2)Robert F.
Hands down the best of the "college" pizza places in Kansas City. Service is always quick with a large variety of pizza by the slice options. Well stocked cooler of bottled beer varieties. The kind of place to go and sit for half the day working on a paper or reading a book. Atmosphere is relaxed yet fun. Parking can be problematic as Papa Keno's is on the end of a small shopping district.
(4)Will W.
Great slice - easily one of the best in the area. And they're huge so one is still a lot of food.
(4)Paul M.
Updating my last review and dropping one star. I wrote last time that I would go there again if I was in the area. Well, last night I was in the area and so I went. This time I ordered the chicken parmesan sandwich and a side salad. The bread was really good and toasted just crispy-right. But the sandwich itself was very "one-note" and lacking in flavor. I had to search hard to find the parmesan. The side salad was fresh cut lettuce, which was what I expected. I spent 10 bucks on a side salad, crispy bread, and tasteless sandwich filling. Not a good value. They do sell pizza by the slice--at almost six bucks a slice. That seemed way out of line for a slice of pizza to me. I don't think I'll give it a third try.
(2)Melisa V.
armed with a groupon, we carried out Kid Keno pizza and an Italian salad from there last week. I was torn between getting a smaller pizza and two salads or a larger pizza and one salad. we were persuaded to go with the latter. when I went inside to pick up the pizza, the atmosphere was different than I was expecting. they also serve pizza by the slice, so it's an order at the counter then sit kind of place. it had a divey vibe in a good way (it was very clean) and very kid-friendly. there were quite a few families dining there. the pizza was big but not overwhelming and the salad was good too. definitively a good alternative to all of the mass-produced delivery places. and they even deliver too! look forward to going back to try something new and dining in.
(4)Chef C.
Big fan of the pizza, that's not the problem. Consistency is what this place needs. Sometimes I have burnt crust, sometimes I don't. Sometimes my pizza looks like a perfect circle, other times it looks like a Picasso. The pizza is a little pricey, but when you want a lot of flavor you get it. The establishment is nice and they have local artwork by children thrown on the walls in a tasteful and silly way. They deliver, but not very well. I recommend going in for lunch or taking a first date for a slice (or two).
(4)Justin M.
My wife and I always enjoy our stops at Papa Keno's. It brings back a lot of good memories made at the Lawrence location during our KU years. The pizza is very good with a ton of choices, although I can't break away from the Carnivore. My wife really likes the Denver pizza and the breadsticks. Plus the beer selection includes our favorites from Free State and Boulevard.
(4)Jay R.
The pie slice was awesome, I had the Denver. I do not recommend trying to drive thru Overland Park while eating this perfectly oversized "slice" of heaven in your mouth as the cheese is stretching a few feet from your mouth back to the box
(4)Peter M.
The new ownership has done a FANTASTIC job getting the place in order. You will not find better service, a cleaner dinning room or a better product than what Papa Kenos is putting out. BIG thumbs up to the NEW Papa Kenos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(5)Jeff H.
I'm lucky enough to have Papa Keno's as my go-to pizza place. It's great to be able to get a slice and a Free State beer on tap. Keno's has many specialty pizzas to choose from (of which you can get just a slice) or you can choose your own toppings. It's a New York style slice and is as big as a McDonald's tray so you only need one slice. A tip for Keno's rookies would be to pour some honey from the condiments area onto your tray and dip your crust into the honey. It will make you look like you're in the know and it will taste wonderful too. Also, for those who don't like tomato based sauces on pizza, you can order pesto or cream based sauces on your pizza. While the pizza is great and there isn't much better pizza in the metro, you may want a sandwich and Keno's has great sandwiches as well. Sometimes I have trouble deciding which I want, a sandwich or a slice. Keno's is kid friendly with crayons and drawing paper for the little ones, or arcade games for those that are a little older. They deliver and do carryout. The counter service is always pretty friendly (except in the Westport location) and the pizzas come out pretty quickly.
(4)Jason W.
Had the sicilian, huge pizza, great crust, very tasty.
(4)Elaine F.
This pizza is either the best pizza ever or horrendous. I have had it both ways. The place is filthy and the staff is usually unclean also. It does make you wonder, and has currently deterred me from going for quite some time. I tried the one in Lawrence a couple of months ago and the pizza was so salty it was inedible. Sigh, I need to try Free State pizz.
(3)Celeste L.
As much as I love Papa Keno's, they seem to be going through some kind of severe slump. I went recently on a weeknight only to find the doors locked early. The employees said they were "out of pizza." Last Saturday, my husband and I waited for 40+ minutes to get two slices of pizza in a restaurant that was thick with angry patrons who weren't getting their food in a timely manner (or at all, in some cases). My husband finally took a slice that had been intended for someone else who got his money back and left - his slice never materialized, even after I got mine and finished it! The employees mentioned "problems" with their paychecks and understaffing due to people walking off the job. I fear that we won't have Papa Keno's as a delicious pizza option for much longer unless something changes.
(2)Kristen S.
Also, very good pizza. Some unique toppings here, nearly everything you could wish for. A little less cleanly than Minsky's, which is a drawback for me. Atmosphere can get pretty loud. Update 5/08-This place has gone downhill....management issues per the staff.
(3)Rhonda S.
"Let's eat at Papa Keno's, " I said to The Other R, on a trip to Penzey's. I assured him every restaurant in this cute little area is nice, but some are more casual than others. He's 20 and young enough to be more of a picky eater, even than I. But then I had a realization. "I've eaten at a Papa Kenos before, but where?' I finished shopping at Penzey's, and we walked down the street to eat pizza. Penzey's made our senses wanting something besides hamburgers. Not being the adventurous type, The Other R wanted pepperoni pizza, which I ordered to go. I saw the slices, they were huge. Then it donned on me, I had stopped in Papa Keno's over on Mass Street in Lawrence. I also ordered meatballs, 4 of them. We waited, and it smelled so good. I watched the cooks flip the pizza crust, and slices of all categories going to other customers. (ugh...pepperoni, how boring, but it's okay). We received our pizza and meatballs, and went to the car. The Other R started eating it in my car, on the way home. Oh my goodness, it's good. It is so good. It is like pizza from St. Louis or Chicago. The cheese was so good, and not gloopy, but tasty. The meatballs were huge, covered with pizza sauce, and hot. We got home, and the pizza was finished quick. Everyone enjoyed it. Definitely a place to stop in again. There's so many other places in that area in Overland Park. so many choices, and there's food for every taste. I appreciate this area for that.
(4)Debbie F.
This place was HOT, HOT, HOT and I don't mean this as a compliment! I mean, literally, the restaurant was tooo warm inside -- uncomfortably warm! Ordering from the counter, I caught sight of the cooks in the kitchen handling the pizza dough and cooked pizza with their bare hands....hmmm, this was a little unsettling! We had a pitcher of beer that quickly turned warm in their overheated facility. After about a 15 min. wait, our pizza was piping hot and pretty good; it wasn't the best I had had, but good. The crust was extremely thin and not as textured and crusty as I generally like -- pretty floppy, but we were hungry by then. I never saw any tables cleaned. Our only choice was a dirty table. When I asked for a plate, I was offered a tray with a sheet of wax paper. The table was wobbly and the seats were in need of repair as there were tears in the vinyl. Thankfully, this was a "coupon" offer which saved us $5.00 on our meal. Although I love the downtown Overland Park area, I don't have plans to return to Papa Keno's. The restaurant had a fair amount of people there on Thursday evening, which I think speaks favorably.
(2)Cj M.
I really want to give them more stars, but the service has always been their hurdle. I was happy when they added delivery but it needs to work on that. They forgot half of our order, delivery driver asked if we still wanted the rest of the order.
(3)Dan F.
I like the pizza by the slice option and the portions are good and the taste is great!
(4)Laurel S.
After picking up my van from Overland Frame my husband and I decided to grab a quick lunch at Papa Keno's. It was about 2:00 on Wednesday afternoon so we were basically the only people in the place. The guy at the register was super nice and recommended the Kid Keno pizza. Since it was our first time we decided to do 1/2 and 1/2 with the "works" so we could try 2 kinds of pizza on one visit. I LOVED this pizza. I go to NY about 4 times a year. This is not as good as NY but very close. I don't think you'll ever get that perfect, thin, crispy chewy crust like you do in NY here in KC (people swear its the water?) but this was great. The crust was thin and crispy but a little chewy too, the sauce was great and there was the perfect amount, they don't load it down with toppings because the crust can't accommodate it but there is a nice amount of toppings. We will definitely be back.
(4)Tavian H.
best pizza in the area. i've been to over 15 pizzerias since getting to the area, so far this is the beat place around. huge slices, good prices but more importantly the pizza is actually good. laid back atmosphere, decent specials.
(5)Sean S.
Great food, great atmosphere, friendly staff and very kid friendly. The food was ready very quickly despite how busy it was.
(5)Dan D.
Okay here's the dealio... Papa Keno's "pizza" is frickn' great. They are very consistent... Meaning they almost consistently screw up your order in some way or another. Always apologetic and do mucho butt kissn' to try and make things better. But, come on dude... What seems to be the problemo? From what I can tell the owner is always the one makin' the crust and has very little face time w/ the customer. He does have a very sweet and cute gal that seems to be his "beggar of forgiveness" (manager, right hand woman) you tell me. Again the pizza is great. But the... let's see... I don't know... I keep going back. I hope they work it out.
(4)Local Search M.
Well Napkin Pirates, we have another grand review to provide. The other pirates and I are avid pizza eaters and we do not mean Pizza Hut or Domino's. We mean real pizza, unique places that serve unique pizza. Me and the rest of the napkin pirates decided to go to Papa Keno's Pizzeria, and we are glad that we did. Their pizza slices are as big as a ship. They have a unique menu and all types of pizza for all types of pirates. You have to try this place. They serve beer as well as honey for your crust. TV are plentiful as this makes a great pizzeria fro watching a sports game. This homey attraction recieves four stars from me and the napkin pirates, we urge everyone to check it out.
(4)Jeremy O.
I know. I know. I ordered a sandwich at a pizza place, but what-a-ya-gonna-do. The sandwich was ok. It didn't have much flavor to it, but the bread was pretty good. My big problem was the fact that there were more people working in there than eating when I was there, and they still managed to mess up 3 of the 5 orders that were placed while I was there. One of which the worker picked the olives off of the pizza with his hands right on the counter. I'm not a germaphobe or anything, but come on, get it right.
(2)Erin W.
I love the smell of Papa Kenos. It's awesome how you can customize a slice and get everything exactly how you want instead of how everyone wants it. Great pizza
(4)Scotty B.
Let me start by saying: "Oh. My. Yummy. Gosh." I like pizza. But I LOVE Papa Keno's! My favorite pizza to get there is normal crust (i think they call it tossed), sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, LOTS of Mozzarella cheese, Cilantro, and - of course - sauce. Delish. IMPORTANT: Check in using yelp, and you'll get a whole pan of FREE Breadsticks!!!!
(5)Bill C.
I was asked to comeback for a revisit by Papa Keno's a few weeks back to make up for my poor previous poor experience. So I got the boys in the car and headed back over to downtown OP to get some pizza.. The staff was more attentive and the results were much improved. I believe they recaptured the results I expected from my past visits there. This never going to be a Pizza destination for me. It's a proximity choice and or something drawing me to the area. And for that is a good choice for me. I'm never going to deliberately eat at the chain pizza stores so this is a good option for me. Hoping they continue keep to this level going forward! I also noticed that the OP store does carry a fair number of free state beer choices too. That's not a bad thing to keep in mind!
(3)Heidee H.
This place is just wonderful. I've been here several times and gotten takeout and I've never been disappointed. My usual is the #1 combo. A slice with 2 toppings, salad or breadsticks and a drink. I always choose the salad and it's always delicious,huge and topped with homemade croutons and fresh veggies. The workers are always super friendly and quick to get your food to you. They also have a selection of delicious sounding sandwiches but I always come here when I want pizza so I haven't tried one yet. Go here now!
(4)Christine F.
I will always appreciate Papa Keno's for being the first pizza place when I was a wee lass that let me put shrimp on my pizza. I thought that was the coolest thing! You can't do that with Pizza Hut! Years later and especially now that my mother lives in old town OP,KS, I find myself getting Papa Keno's most every time I come home to visit and still loving it. The place is simple, not big on decor, and I'm cool with that. Never seemed that dirty the last few times I've been in. Their decor mostly consists of local children's drawings, which is just the cutest darn thing. The salad bar looks pretty meh - iceberg lettuce and only a couple choices of topping. Not worth it to me. There can be inconsistency with the pizza, but usually it's pretty great. My mom and I got a "The Works" pizza carry out last night and it was delicious. Perfect crust, didn't skimp on the toppings....love those slices that are bigger than my face. They also carry all my favorite beers - Blue Moon, Fat Tire, Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat, O'Fallon, MO brew - and since there are few better combinations than good pizza and good beer, this makes me a happy girlie. I think my all time favorite KC pizza place is still Waldo Pizza, but Papa Keno's has their own style, and it's all good in my book. I'm a fan. =]
(4)Suzy S.
You can buy pizza by the pie or by the slice at Papa Keno's. The slices are huge and it only takes one to fill me up. While it is true that the quality is inconsistent, it's generally pretty good. I tried the meatball sandwich once, and wasn't very pleased with it. The only time I tried to order pasta, the staff told me they were out. The arcade in the back room is pretty cool though.
(3)A J.
Are you looking for a place to have a special meal? Wouldn't it be great if that meal consisted of a block of Philadelphia cream cheese covered in grass and frozen spinach? Well do I have the place for you! Papa Keno's combines the luxury of a dorm room meal with the foresight of a four year old in the kitchen. Or perhaps you are just trying to develop Type 2 diabetes to get extra close with that girl you like, well LOOK NO FURTHER. After your elementary hodgepodge of appetizer served with wonderfully frost bitten bread sticks that will remind you of the best cardboard you've ever eaten, you have something truly unique to look forward in your pizza! I don't know about you, but when I go out for pizza I hope to find all of the ingredients of my grocery store's freezer section thrown into a soupy mess on top of a spongy crust to soak up all of that deliciousness. WELL HAVE NO FEAR! Papa Keno's delivers here as well. Our pizza was a wonderfully crafted, spongy crust served with ketchup, frozen spinach, under-ripe tomatoes, flavorless cheese all delivered freshly in 57 mins flat! Now I know what you are thinking, "Shouldn't I just go buy a Tony's Pizza from my grocers frozen food section?" Well I will answer that question with a question, "Would you have the pleasure of paying $27 for that meal?" No? I DIDN'T THINK SO. Plus, you would have to walk all of the way to the dairy section for that delicious block of cream cheese. Needless to say I will be returning the very next time I am contemplating what it would be like for my chef to feed me food as it would be prepared by a mother bird about to serve her newly hatched nest of children.
(1)Caleb s.
The best I can say is...ehhh. We had a groupon, we like to try new places this way, and we have found some great ones, we also have had some like today...it was not great. Lets split this review up into three sections. (1) Atmosphere (2) Service (3) Food. (1) Atmosphere Pretty plain place, great location, I really like the downtown area. Corner place. Inside is pretty plain, wobbly tables on tile with some booths, quaint, but not uninviting. You order at the counter, and they call your name when your pizza is ready. (2) Service There is no service, not really a need for it. Self-refills on beverages. Pick up your salads out of the cold case. When they call your name, you go pick up your own pizza. But there is still a tip line on your receipt. (3) Food Food...oh the food. We had two side salads and one pizza to split. The salads were crap. Premade, yesterday, soft croutons, thinly sliced cucumbers, thinly-wedged tomatoes. The lettuce was brown, it was not good. The ranch dressing was pretty good. Pizza was good. I have never been to NY therefore not knowing what real NY pizza taste like, but the pizza was good. Cheese quality was good, sauce was good. We had half "the works" and half "the vinny". Crust was good, toppings were good. Could use a little salt, and they had it, but it was a public portion container that all the customers were digging in with their hands (uhh...no). Other than that, the pizza was good. Overall, Salad was less than 1/5. The pizza was 4/5. Atmosphere was 2/5 and service was 1/5. I think a 2/5 overall is a fair rating. I would order a pizza takeout, but that's it.
(2)Scott S.
I will say this is one of the first pizza places I have ever had real issues with. I wanted to like it because my wife does. It was the only place in KC you could get Tasty Kakes. There are days when the pizza tastes like cardboard with cheese on it and there are days when it tastes wonderful. The problem is, there have been more bad days than good. I can almost guarantee that the problem doesn't lie in the recipe, but in the clueless and almost entirely zoned out staff that frequently changes. I remember having the salad there once. I hated myself the entire day after I ate the soggy, almost alkaline croutons, the limp lettuce, the flavorless dressing. Skip the salad, it still looks as terrible in the display case now as it did then. Then there was the whole thing about it being shut down for not paying taxes, only to rise from the ashes and somewhat redeem itself. The pizza was better, but long gone were the Tasty Kakes in the cooler by the front door.
(1)Mary C.
Pizza is good, cheesy breadsticks are great. My experience eating there was less than great, but carry out is wonderful! A little on the pricey side, but much better than delivery options in the area. Love the kid keno pizza!
(4)Jaima S.
I am so saddened to give this bad review as Papa Kenos (the Lawrence location) was a regular spot for me when I was in college a decade ago. It was one of my favorite places and I tell people about it all the time. Since I don't live in Kansas anymore this was a place I had to visit on a recent trip back. My girlfriend took me to the location in downtown Overland Park, which is a beautiful location on the strip by cute shops and good restaurants. From the moment we walked in my heart sunk. First it was lunch time on a Sunday, the Chiefs game was playing on the tv and we were the third party in there. The place was dirty, the bathrooms were gross, there was debris on the floor and just generally our booth was sticky and required a wipe down prior to being seated. I got a slice of pizza with chicken, spinach and artichoke and my friend got a ham and cheese sandwich. They forgot to keep the onions off her sandwich, was a major bummer since they were diced. My slice was as big as I remember. These suckers are huge, but man the taste was just off. The crust was ok, but was really lacking flavor. The toppings were plentiful, but the chicken tasted "off" to me, almost chemical. I picked it all off. I ate most of the slice because I was starving and I think I was almost willing it to be better with each bite, but from now on the Papa Kenos in Lawrence will remain a bright spot in my past and I will not be going back to this one again.
(2)Angela W.
I am surprised to see so many negative reviews. I live in this neighborhood and have always had positive experiences with the food (pizza by the slice and whole pizza, salads, sandwiches & breadsticks). Every time I have been there the food and service, including delivery, was consistent and tasty. If I had a problem, then I would feel comfortable asking to change my order, but I never had. Also, I have never noticed anything filthy or even dirty there. My boyfriend has been going there since school and has no complaints. I take my family there and they've had no complaints about anything and enjoy the vintage video games.
(4)Rob D.
The pizza is good, 4 or 5 star good (for kc area at least)....but they can't get orders correct, my order has been wrong 3 out of 4 times I've gone here. Yummy but the poor service will make you wish ya went elsewhere.
(3)Mark D.
Papa Keno's never ceases to amaze me. Back in the 90's Greg Keenan opened a little pizza place that had the only New York style pizza in Kansas. I was happy to find it and you could taste the attention to detail that was necessary to create a good New York pizza alternative. Now, Papa Keno's continues to amaze me. I don't believe I've ever been to a restaurant that is so inconsistent in the quality and availability. One day it is burnt and dried out, the next it time it meets expectations, and then you can't even get a slice because they've lost your order or they don't have ingredients. Truly amazing! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised given the arrogant and disrespectful comments posted by the owner on this site. If the owner spent as much time working on trying to perfect a good pizzeria concept as he does on covering up Papa Keno's faults (which all could be overcome with some attitude adjustment and discipline), then we would all be praising the restaurant.
(1)Jookie K.
Slices the size of your torso (well-depending on who you are), super-thin crust, with the freshest and occasionally unique ingredients. I say you can't go wrong with a Kid Keno and a Boulevard Wheat, which I think is pretty much impossible to get in large urban areas. Interestingly, I've had so much mediocre pizza in Chicago, that I end up craving Papa Keno's at least a few times every month. There's also one in Lawrence, which is equally awesome.
(5)Ann W.
Ok. Papa Keno's, you really need to get your act together. Really. You're missing out on revenue because you're not consistently delivering a good experience. I don't come as often as I used to because of this. This time, my hubby said he really doesn't ever want to go back and I can't say I blame him. Despite the change in ownership, there's not much positive change. Yeah, there's a new configuration of some of the furniture and some new paint, but that's about it. I appreciate that they've added some nice beers to the selection of draft beers, but when the restaurant is hotter inside than it is outside on an August evening and the beer isn't served ice cold, it's pretty much a letdown. The food is the same as it has always been. I do like their pizzas, but they are very greasy, so I always use a bunch of napkins to blot the grease. Finding a clean table is still a challenge. People! How hard is it to wipe down tables? We noticed there were employees standing around behind the counter with nothing to do during much of the time we were there. I can't fathom that someone didn't have five minutes to grab a towel and some cleaner and run around to clean the tables. Really, it's not that hard. I actually thought about doing it myself as a community service for their other customers. This is a place that has always had potential. It's a great location for sure! But it's clear that the new owner is just not paying attention. This is one of the worst run restaurants I have ever been to and I know from experience that running a pizza joint is generally one of the easiest restaurants to manage.
(2)Robert F.
Hands down the best of the "college" pizza places in Kansas City. Service is always quick with a large variety of pizza by the slice options. Well stocked cooler of bottled beer varieties. The kind of place to go and sit for half the day working on a paper or reading a book. Atmosphere is relaxed yet fun. Parking can be problematic as Papa Keno's is on the end of a small shopping district.
(4)Will W.
Great slice - easily one of the best in the area. And they're huge so one is still a lot of food.
(4)Ben M.
Giant pizza by the slice with quality ingredients. What's not to like? Me and my fiancee went and really enjoyed it. I can wait to go back written the kids and try a wider variety. The plain cheese slice is hard to beat, and I'm a guy who likes lots of toppings.
(3)