Des Moines' Best Pizza: Jersey Guys Pizza

Sampling the pizzeria’s Asian-inspired offerings isn’t the only thing to keep diners busy. They can order a drink at the bar, mentally catalog the bumper stickers on the wall or challenge one of Fong’s signature cat statues to a stare-off.

Des Moines has a craving for Fong’s specialty, crab rangoon pizza. Answering the question, “Do you like it?” with “Never had it” is met with foul looks, as if that alone outpaces all other culinary sins. The only penance — ordering a slice.

The table next to me clearly didn’t have to atone for anything. They were eating it for the second time in a week.

Fong’s crab rangoon has been featured on the Cooking Channel and in the Food Network Magazine. Co-owner Dennis Epps estimates the restaurant sells 500 crab rangoon pizzas on a given weekend (Friday through Sunday.) It’s easy to see why.

Made with crispy egg rolls, green onion, Asiago and mozzarella cheese, surimi, a crab rangoon base and sweet chili sauce, every slice is an explosion of flavor. The crab rangoon base, fried wantons and crust anchored the richness of the crab meat and heat of the chili.

Whether consumed as a whole pizza for lunch or as a slice after 10 p.m., Fong’s messy crab rangoon has nothing to be sorry about.

—Emily Genco