Pizza Wars 2014: The Best Pizzas in Austin

According to our pizza pals, the week after Valentine’s Day is traditionally a good one for pizza restaurants in Austin. Guess everyone went broke on Valentine’s Day, or some such reason. Nonetheless, here’s one of our favorite pieces of the year for your enjoyment.

As many of you may know by now, I grew up in the epicenter of apizza (ah-beetz) New Haven, CT. New Haven’s own, the legendary Pepe’s has been going strong for 90 years, and there’s still a line out the door every night. And right down Wooster Street, Sally’s has legions of fans. And there was always the option to jump on a train for a short ride to Brooklyn for a visit to the equally legendary Lombardi’s or Grimaldi’s. These pizzas had thin crusts that were alternately chewy and crispy, and had not large, but perfectly scorched small bubbles. Technically, the outer rim of the pizza crust is called the cornizione. These didn’t harden up after 10 minutes, and tasted just as good coming out of the fridge the next morning. And the toppings? My favorite was the bacon and cheese, followed closely by fresh clams. And all you got there was Pizza. Maybe clams on the half shell and a salad. But pizza was the king. Ah, those were the days.

So we moved down to Austin where I was an Assistant Professor of RTF for a few years at UT. There was no decent pizza to speak of, and a good bagel could not be found either. Our travels took us to southern California for a stint at Cal State Long Beach, and then like so many transplants, we moved back to Austin. Still not much on the pizza scene with the exception of Aljohn’s on Stassney, and a new little place called Brick Oven.

Flash forward to 2000. And all of a sudden, the beginnings of a pizza revolution were beginning to foment in Austin. One of my first genuine favorites was Saccone’s which was then on 183. Thin crust, sweet sauce and New Jersey sensibilities. And they just started coming after that: the last ten years have been particularly fulsome for new and creative pies.

So let me commence with our 9th edition of Pizza Wars: the best pizzas in Austin. One caveat: this is solely my take. I’ve eaten pizza in all the so-called top ten pizza cities in the world: Rome, New York and New Haven included (surprisingly Chicago has not made that list). There has been no voting here, no fan competitions. So there were no ballot boxes to stuff, no polls to manipulate. This is just pizza devotee and 590-KLBJ food critic Rob Balon writing about one of my favorite topics for the ninth year. Oh yes, and no chains here. This is all about local, owner-operated joints. As it should be.

There are so many good pizza places in Austin now that while it once was hard to find ten places worth writing about, it’s now hard to narrow the list down to a Top Ten. That’s how far we’ve come. Because a pizza place doesn’t land in the top ten in our piece by no means suggests that they are not well worth a visit. They are. In my opinion, anyone mentioned in this piece is worth a visit. That’s how good things have gotten in the Austin area.

The Top Ten

The Top Ten pizza places are similar yet very different. Some, like Pieous, follow the AVN rules as closely as possible. Others, like Saccone’s, could care less. The bottom line is that they are all East coast styles in one form or another and they offer pies that are tasty as hell. Some use wood burning fires, some use coal. But in the end, they all bring it.

1. Saccone’s.
Dan Saccone recently returned from the prestigious International Pizza Expo in Vegas with the title of Best Pizza in the Southwest. Hard to argue with that. In fact, Saccone’s has been one of my go-to joints for years.

Dined there several weeks ago, and that first bite of my bacon and sausage pie was amazing. Crust was doughy with a hint of crispness, and the texture was spot-on. Try his sweet sauce pie. And killer cannolis for dessert. They’ve moved to 620 (into a much more accommodating location) from the old store on 183.

2. Pieous.
Josh Kaner and his wife Paige are California transplants who blazed a trail out on 290 West, not far from Dripping Springs. And they found a serious niche with their pizza pies (the dessert pies are great as well). The crust is on the softer side with a hint of crispness, but it works very well. The wood-burning oven follows the AVN rules: 12 inch pies baked for no longer then 2 minutes. And their moist pastrami sandwiches are the best in town. Josh has nurtured his sourdough starter for 20 years, and his sandwiches reflect this.

3. East Side Pies.
Michael and Noah are a couple of pizza lovin’ guys who began in a little joint on Rosewood, and have since expanded to two more locations on Airport and Anderson Lane. The pizzas have terrific texture and a beautiful integration of cheese and toppings. The Bacon Pie is delicious, and how could I pass up a pie (The Marge) named after my lovely wife. 🙂

4. Bufalina.
You don’t have to be of Italian origin to make a great pizza. Bufalina founder Steven Dilley is a former Wall Street trader who pitched it all to start making Neapolitan style pizzas at 1519 East Cesar Chavez. Well Dilley must have brought some magic dust with him, because his pies are excellent. Great first bite rush on the Calebrese with tomato, salami and roasted peppers. Ditto for the Napoletano which features sausage and the sneaky goodness of garlic as the main ingredients.

5. Tony C’s.
Now with two locations, including the original at the Galleria and also in Avery Ranch, Tony C’s has been a perennial occupant in our Top 5 since they opened.

Tony Ciola had cut his spurs, so to speak, in the kitchen of his Dad’s restaurant, Ciola’s, in Lakeway. When the time came to open his own place, he chose a spot adjacent to the cinema at the Galleria. He also put in a coal burning oven which takes some time to master. Their ramp up was faster than expected and soon The Donato with coal fired peppers, sausage and olives was at the top of my list. And I’m also a big fan of the Mama Mia with sausage and pepperoni. They also make a beautiful Margherita.

6. Home Slice.
This has been a South Congress favorite since they first opened. Great pies with a strong New Haven vibe. Their most popular pies fall into the Tried and True Category. I love the Pepperoni and Mushroom. It comes out of the oven looking like a Sando Botticelli still life, but then you take the first bite and the beautiful reality sets in.

And kudos to them for trying to pull off a real New Haven style clam pizza. This is a tough one to replicate but Home Slice is closing in on it. They day they achieve that will be a red letter day for pizza in this city.

7. Via 313.
The first clue that Via 313 has a Midwestern heritage is that pies are cut into squares and not wedges. I was once taken to task for mentioning square cut pizza by an outraged Yelper who had obviously never been to Detroit. But that’s how it comes at Via 313. This little trailer churns out some marvelous pizza. One of my favs is the Omnivore, which as the name suggests, contains mushrooms, onions, peppers, Italian sausage and pepperoni. Great bubbly and crispy crust. I got my PhD not far from Detroit at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Thanks Via 313 for reminding me how much I enjoyed that style of pie.

8. Salvation Pizza.
Hartford, CT transplants began this joint in a cozy little house on 34th not far from Guadalupe. It was an instant hit with East Coast transplants and it remains so. The first bite of the #6, the Sausage, Onion, Jalapeno and Black Olive hits your palate with a beautiful explosion of flavor. Like Home Slice they also do a credible Clam Pizza.

9. Backspace.
Some online blogger once called this the most overrated pizza in Austin. I utterly and completely disagree. Shawn Cirkiel knows how to serve good food, be it at his original Jean Luc’s Bistro, Parkside, Olive and June, Chavez and of course the inimitable Backspace. This lovely little joint at 507 San Jacinto has limited seating but unlimited flavors. Aside from a breathtaking assortment of antipasti, the pizze as they call it, range from the Fennel sausage, mozarella, roasted peppers and garlic (I love the flavor and the crispy yet chewy texture of this pie), to the delightful white or Bianca pizza with pecorino romano, arugula, ricotta and and mozarella.

10. The Little Deli.
This is the northernmost of our Top Ten (7101-A Woodrow Ave.) and it has a ton of fans. The Piedmont is a classic, made with mozarella, bacon and cherub tomatoes, and named after a famous wine-making area of northern Italy. Another great pie is the Italian (I guess they couldn’t have called it the Hungarian) and it features house-made Italian sausage, beautifully roasted red peppers and the indispensable, for me at least, white onions. They have one of the largest array of sandwiches and subs in the city, and I truly wish they were farther south. 🙂

As noted earlier, any pizza joint mentioned in this article is more than worthy of your patronage. It was a real struggle to name the Top Ten because there are so many legitimate contenders. So here are the best of the rest. We’ll take it from south to north.

In Buda, amazingly, there’s a great little joint in the same place where Paul Peterson used to have the Little Bistro. It’s called Nonna Gina’s, and it’s big with the locals. The pies are quite good beginning with the one called the Sicilian!

Dripping Springs has others pizzerias as well. There’s the delightful Stanley’s Farmhouse Pizza which is kind of out in the boonies off Fitzhugh Road, but well worth the drive. Ask for Chad Nemec or his wife. The place was originally intended to be a real estate project, but somehow Stanley’s preempted that. Good for pizza fans that it did.

There’s also the Pizza Cave in downtown Dripping (so to speak), and they make a nice thin crust pie. In my opinion, their pizzas far overshadow their pasta and subs. So stick with pizzas like the Pepper and Onion Pie or the Classic White Pie.

In Oak Hill, on Highway 290 is the vintage Austin Pizza Garden. They have cool names for the pizza like Tchouptioulas, If you’re from the Atchafalaya area, you’ll recognize this one. Andoullie sausage is the star here along with other goodies. Another favorite is the massive Colussus which contains enough meats to satiate even the most fervent carnivore.

With locations on William Cannon and 71, Yaghi’s New York Pizzeria specializes in deliveries and they do a hell of a job. They were a staple for us when we lived off Bee Caves Road in Westlake. The NY Pizzeria name is not an exaggeration. Their thin crust pies have great flavor.

In Lakeway two pizzerias are big with the locals. Craigo’s and Mangieri’s. Craigo’s also has another location at Brodie and 290 near Specs. I like Craig’s meat pies (crust is spot-on), and he may have the best damned Eggplant Parmesan in town. I also love the Sausage Roll. Absolutely mouthwatering.

Mangieri’s also has a south location at Escarpment and Slaughter. Tony and Piper do a wheat crust that’s really tasty, and use the square cutting technique referred to earlier. Mangieri’s is vintage family style and a great place to bring the kids if Mom and Dad would like something a cut above Mr. Gatti’s.

Heading back toward downtown, no trip down South Congress would be worth it without a stop at Southside Flying Pizza. In the true Keep Austin Weird tradition, this is a fun place with strong East Coast style vibes. I always get the Sausage, Onion and Mushroom pie. Always. Just can’t get past it. 🙂

Just nearby at Oltorf and South Lamar is the newly-opened south location of 360 Pizza. The Pennybacker Pepperoni (named after the bridge) features amazing artisan pepperoni along with regular pepperoni, caramelized onions and bacon! The No Pity Joe Pesci has a wry name and also killer meatballs. Their sister store is at at Highway 360 and 2222 at the former site of Quizno’s.

Also on South Lamar near 360 Pizza is the new location of Giovanni’s. Formerly housed in a tiny 7×14 trailer, they now have more room at the Valero on Barton Skyway. Owner Julio Rangel (sorry, there is no Giovanni) cut his Italian spurs at Mezzaluna, and the guy can make pizza. I love his Calabrian pizza with cheese, mushrooms, onions and oregano. This place has many fans, and rightfully so.

On Barton Springs, we note the passing of the initially (on paper at least) promising Umami Mia. George Thomas started in the kitchen there but he’s not had much luck lately (Soleil), and the owners of Zen, the Lucky Robot and Uncle Billy’s probably should have stayed in their comfort zones. This has been a tough location on restaurants for the past five years (Romeo’s).

And further down Lake Austin Blvd., Pizza Bistro closed earlier this year. I liked the place but they suffered from insufficient funding (not an uncommon problem in the restaurant biz). It’s now occupied by Stinson’s Bistro which offers a few pies, but is much more eclectic in its menu.

Moving downtown there are many choices. Precariously close to the Top Ten is long-time favorite Roppolo’s occupying three stories on West 6th. Marc Roppolo is a class act who likes to make gigantic pizzas. We once had a large mega pie delivered to our old office upstairs on South Congress. It was so big we had to help the kid up the last few stairs. It was called the Godfather, and it stands at the epicenter of all the great (and big) pies they offer. They also make outstanding Calzones.

Moving West, just off 6th behind Hut’s, you’ll find the iconic Frank and Angie’s. I love this place. Uber-foodie Don King first turned me on to F&A a long time ago, and I’m glad he did. The White Cheese pizza is their signature, and deservedly so. I also really enjoy the Pepperoni. Not at all greasy and perfect with their crispy crust. Love the sandwiches as well (the Joe DiMaggio) and their Greek salad.

Further down West 6th is Rounders. Great name for a pizza joint. This is not to be confused with the Matt Damon poker movie. As noted last year, they still have the best garlic knots around. I also love the Marinated Tomato Pie. This features diced Roma tomatoes, onions, garlic, Parmesan and balsamic vinegar. Wow! Flavor here. In its primal form.

Just down the street is Winflo. They opened about a year and a half ago, and have settled in. Also like Rounders, they actually have some parking! While Winflo is not a pizzeria per se (more like an Osteria), they do have some very good pies. The Prosciutto with Balsamic Onion Marmalade, Baby Arugula, Prosciutto di Parma, (the real deal) Fior di Latte, and Parmesano-Reggiano is my favorite. Also try the Bacon and Artichoke.

Heading toward IH-35, there are many more downtown joints. Due Forni on East 6th offers Neapolitan-style along with Roman-style pies (the difference between the two is in the crusts) that aren’t bad. They are not a candidate for the Top Ten. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try the Margherita or the Tartuffo. They are my two favorites. They also have a location in Las Vegas.

A competitor to Saccone’s has emerged with Hoboken. It’s on Red River, has a wide delivery area, and an obvious nod to New Joyszie. If you’re craving meat, then the Butcher is for you. We’re talking salami, Italian sausage, pepperoni and meatballs. I’d say the name is appropriate. And the taste is excellent. They overreached though on the West Texas Pie. They don’t eat pizzas with pulled pork, BBQ sauce, and Serrano peppers in New Jersey.

And pizza fans have got to like House Pizzeria on Airport. I have two new favorites. The Salami with fresh Genoa salami, white cheddar and red onions. The sauce is mellow and pulls it all together. Amazing first bite flavors. And then Blue, a pie that’s all about the wonders of cheese and dough. I get a little amped up thinking about fresh Mozzarella, Stilton, and a port reduction.

Then how could we forget Austin’s weirdest concoction of death metal musing blaring at ear shattering levels and surprisingly decent pizza. Hoeks Death Metal Pizza is about as bizarre as we have here in the RC, but it’s included in Pizza Wars because they actually serve some decent pies and they stay open half the friggin’ night! Target demo is about 17-23 so guess you won’t be seeing me and my “old lady” there. But hey, this IS Austin.

Up Red River is the historic and still good Brick Oven. This place saved my life when I first came down here. Because along with Aljon’s and Milto’s, it was all we had that was decent. Still love the Veggie because, damn it, it doesn’t taste good for you. But it is. Less healthy but who cares is the Pepperoni and Sausage. My daughter actually used to dip her slices in Ranch dressing. Damned good though. Heard that owner Stan Adams has personally taken over the reins of the store on Jollyville. That’s not surprising.

So let’s move north a bit. A spot that’s proven to be popular with the macho crowd is the Pinthouse Pizza on Burnet. Pinthouse is less than two years old, but has become a fixture here. Artisan brews and crafty pizzas happily coexist. The Cannonball still reigns supreme, but closing in is the zippy Pepperoni and Basil. I see good things for this joint.

Further north is the aforementioned East Side Pies on West Anderson. You absolutely cannot go wrong here.

Further up on Burnet at the former site of Pizza Bistro a second Mangia has opened (new ownership). This has just been in the past couple of days. I’m not a huge fan of Austin deep dish, but Mangia has been the exception. Give this new location a couple of weeks to ramp up, and then give it a try. In the meantime, their location on Mesa is in fine form.

Promise Pizza in Great Hills offers up gluten-free pies for those who are intolerant to wheat products. Pretty damned good as well. They also have a store (their first) in Round Rock.

An on McNeil, any Cajun in his right mind will love Cajun Pizza. You can get shrimp, crawfish, probably even Boudin atop your pies. There was a big hole for this in Cajun-crazed Austin, and owner Keith Dartez saw it and walked right in. Good for him. Good for us!

Head up to 6001 Parmer and you’ll find Mi Pizza. The concept here is one 11″ pie where you can pick every ingredient you want, sauce included. Hell, you can pick ’em all! That’s over 35 ingredients including sauces and cheeses. I’m hearing good things from my readers and listeners on KLBJ. They opened in February of this year!

Further down Parmer, at 14900 Avery Ranch Blvd. is Brooklyn Heights. This place has been around since 2008 and seems to be doing well. They just got some competition with the opening of Tony C’s, but there’s a lot of room out there. I like a place that has a sense of humor, and this place does. If you can finish a 12-lb pizza in under 1 hour, you can walk away with $200 (assuming you can walk). The pizza menu is all over the place from Hawaiian to BBQ, to Greek and a whole lot more. Why they even have some thin crust east coast style. 🙂

Also up north at La Frontera Mall is Brooklyn Pie Co.. Next to Chase Bank. We’ve mentioned the size of Roppolo’s pies: well Brooklyn gives them a run for their money. The Pepperoni and Sausage seems to afford the best bang for thre buck, whether by the slice, or the whole pie. Very tasty. Don’t expect Grimaldi’s, but do expect a chewy yet slightly crispy crust with a great sauce.

Further north in Cedar Park, one of my favorite, Rudino’s, has closed. But try Local Slice Pizza on Cypress Road. This is very much an east coast style joint with Texas modifications. Try the 18″ pie with half Pork Belly and half Canadian bacon. They do a heckuva job on deliveries as well.

And moving way south to San Antonio, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t try Dough Pizzeria Napoletana. They follow at least a few of the AVN rules, and you simply must try the Pork Love with sopressata, salami, sausage, pancetta and speck. This is seriously good. Hats off to owners Doug and Lori Horn who opened Dough in 2007.

Finally, a quick look at Italian restaurants that offer up some nice pies in addition to everything else they do. Vespaio on South Congress is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in the area. Their Enoteca next door usually has a much lighter wait and some good pizza. The crust is almost gossamer thin, but it works for the pies they produce. Alan Lazarus and his gang know their way around a pizza oven!

You have to like Sagra, which has been in its new digs on East 11th for about two years now. Great pasta dishes, but killer pizzas like the Aglia y Salccia (sausage). This has always been my go to pizza at Sagra. Try it and you’ll see why.

The new Cedro at Lakeline Mall across from the Alamo Draft House offers up a heady brew of Italian delights and some damned good pizzas as well. Try the Roasted Pork with fontina and asiago and you’ll see what I mean! Ask for James. He’s Chinese, but he cut his spurs on fine dining Italian joints in Boston and New York before coming to Austin.

One place that has been around a very long time is the family-owned Reale’s on Research. Aside from their Baked Ziti, their traditional Pepperoni Pie is one of the best in the area.

This one might surprise you. Chef Casey at iPic at the Domain has made some great flatbreads ideal for low light dining. I love the sausage and mushroom. It’s crisp, but the crispness does not fade as the time passes. This guy is very talented. He’s crafted his pie so the ingredients and toppings don’t slide all over you as you’re attempting to eat this while watching a movie.

Alas, Trento which we reported on in our last Pizza Wars, has closed. It will give rise to a third Jack Allen’s Kitchen. Rumor has it that because of the presence of the ovens, Jack and the boys will feature some flatbread specials. Can’t wait for this!

We’ve talked many times about Cipollina on West Lynn. Aside from their other goodies, there’s a high quality to their “pizze.” The Calabrese with salami and pomodoro is a slam dunk. Likewise for the Funghi which elevates a mushroom and cheese pie to an entirely new level.

So there you have it Pizza fans. Pizza Wars 2014 is now official. If we’ve missed one of your favs or you have a comment, feel free to email me at rbbalon1@gmail.com.

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