Humble Pie Pizza opens in Richmond Heights

After 15 years of serving some of the best sandwiches in St. Louis, Fozzie’s Sandwich Emporium owner Mark Lucas is striking out with a new concept. Humble Pie Pizza (1059 S. Big Bend) opens Thursday. The restaurant serves pizza, small plates, dirty sodas, Dole Whip, and more.

Located in the Richmond Heights space that was previously home to Del Pietro’s, Riverbend, and Harvest (and which shares a building with Hank’s Cheesecakes next door), the fast-casual spot is a new and improved version of the short-lived pizzeria that Lucas first launched in Ladue in 2017.

Here’s what to know before you go.

The Menu

Lucas describes Humble Pie Pizza as a “condensed” version of the restaurant that he previously opened at 9783 Clayton in Ladue (now home to Ladue Taco). “I want and need to keep it simple,” he told SLM earlier this year. “The original was a massive project with, like, 20 specialty pizzas and 13 pizza sauces. The last thing I want is to do in these crazy times is do something complicated.”

Margherita pizza with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, roasted garlic, roma tomatoes, with olive oil and balsamic syrup drizzle

Instead, the new Humble Pie features a streamlined menu with one style of pizza—thin and crispy Chicago tavern-style—on offer, as well as a handful of small plates, sandwiches, burgers, and salads. While guests might recognize a few pizzas on the menu, Lucas stresses that nearly everything else is different.

Humble BBQ pizza with grilled chicken caramelized onion, jalapenos, bbq sauce, cheddar and mozzarella blend

French Connection pizza with Merguez sausage, brie, roasted apples, and roasted garlic, plus olive oil, arugula and harissa honey drizzle after the bake

And while he may have streamlined the menu from the original concept, the pizzas still feature an inventive mix of flavors.Ten signature pies are on offer, including The Goodfella (pepperoni, house-made meatballs, giardiniera, Calabrian chili, red sauce, and mozzarella), and the Bánh Mì (sambal and coconut cream-braised tofu, Thai peanut sauce, pickled carrots, radishes, jalapeños, onions, cilantro, shredded cabbage, and broccoli).

Each pizza can be ordered as either a 9-inch or 12-inch pie, and a build-your-own option is also available. Down the line, Lucas hopes to start hosting specialty pizza nights focused on different styles—think Chicago deep dish on Wednesdays or Sicilian-style pizza on Tuesdays.

Sauteed shrimp, cooked in a roasted chili pepper, garlic, tomato, key lime, cilantro, butter sauce, with French baguette

House made beef meatballs with red sauce, shaved parm, and a saute of spinach and giardiniera

Baked burrata in red sauce with garlic bread

Beyond pizza, the food menu includes a selection of small plates, salads, burgers, and sandwiches that allow Lucas to flex his culinary chops. Ten small plates are available, including hummus; sautéed shrimp; Southwest baked black bean dip; house-made beef meatballs, baked burrata in red sauce, and three hearty skewer options.

Harissa rubbed grilled salmon skewers with a saute of lemon garbanzo beans, roasted garlic, and artichoke hearts

Marinated grilled steak skewers with black beans, pico de gallo, avocado, chimichurri, and plantain chips

Sambal coconut glazed grilled chicken skewers with pickled vegetable slaw, Thai peanut sauce, and crispy wontons

Humble Grilled Caprese: fresh basil, olive oil and garlic marinated grilled roma tomatoes, grilled Halloumi Cheese, grilled French bread on baby spinach and arugula, olive oil/balsamic syrup

Salads include a Southwest chopped salad, Caprese, and The El Ray (roma tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, red onions, pita croutons, chopped romaine, and house-made ranch), while two soups are currently on offer: a smoked tomato bisque with French bread croutons and Southwest tortilla chicken soup.

Rounding out the menu are a handful of burgers (with the option to sub in a house-made black bean patty) and sandwiches, such as the Humble Chicken Club (grilled or crispy chicken, crispy pork belly, avocado, arugula, and tomato on a toasted baguette with harissa-honey mayonnaise) and El Gaucho (grilled marinated steak, pico de gallo, avocado, chimichurri, queso fresco, and chipotle ranch on a toasted baguette).

Sides include fries with a selection of dipping sauces, as well as tortilla chips, garlic bread, and mac ‘n’ cheese. A kids’ menu is also available.

Rather than a bar menu—no alcohol is served at Humble Pie—the playful soda fountain-inspired drink menu highlights dirty and specialty sodas, floats, ice cream, and Dole Whip. Signature sodas include the Fresca Fresas (Fresca, fresh mint, strawberry puree), Shark Attack (Sprite, blue raspberry, grenadine), and Brown Cow (Coke, chocolate sauce, vanilla cream, maraschino cherries). Diners can also opt to build their own dirty soda, choosing from a selection of 10 base sodas, 26 flavored syrups, and a handful of purees, creams, and fruit juices.

Dirty sodas: (Left to right) Shark Attack, Brown Cow, and Fresca Fresas

The soda fountain menu also includes a selection of ice cream, Italian ice, and Dole Whip (in pineapple, mango, cherry, and lemon flavors) with nearly 20 topping options, including fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, gummy worms, and toasted coconut. Lucas is particularly excited about the Dole Whip—which isn’t widely available in St. Louis—noting that it’s a refreshing treat. Floats combine the selection of sodas and frozen treats with signature options such as the Fizzy Island (passionfruit Italian ice, mango whip, Sprite) and Choco Chill (chocolate ice cream, vanilla cream, Coke), as well as a build-your-own option that lets you combine the soda of your choice with either ice cream, Dole whip, or Italian ice.

The Atmosphere

The bar in the front of the space has been replaced with an old-school ice cream counter and soda fountain. Guests can order drinks directly from the soda fountain or at the new walk-up counter installed in the main dining area.

The front space of Humble PIe serves floats, dirty sodas, Italian ice, Dole Whip, and ice cream.

A fireplace anchors one wall of the dining area at Humble PIe

The family-friendly, fast-casual dining room seats about 60 diners and features understated pizza-inspired décor, such as a wall of wooden pizza paddles and several framed patents for notable pizza-related inventions (e.g., the pizza paddle, pizza oven, and method for making pizza).

In addition to dine-in service, Humble Pie offers carryout orders and delivery through third-party services.

The Background

Mark Lucas, owner/operator of Humble PIe in Richmond Heights

Before working in a handful of notable St. Louis restaurants and eventually opening Fozzie’s, Lucas’ first job was in a pizzeria. He’s excited to get back into the pizza game at Humble Pie, but perhaps even more so, he’s excited to have the freedom to play with different ingredients and styles of cooking.

“With Fozzie’s, I felt like I got pigeonholed into what I can and can’t do,” Lucas says. “Fozzie’s is the sandwich shop, so I’m kind of in that realm there. How I laid this out with the small plates and the sandwiches and pizza and everything, I can kind of do whatever I want to.”