It's well known that Austin has a thriving food scene. And as of late there is an emerging trend making serious inroads among the throngs of barbecue and breakfast taco joints. It's all about pizza people! It seems like there's a new pizza place popping up every other week. And trust me, I've tried my weight and more in this gift from the food gods. But there are three that I keep finding my way back to, because holy hell they make damn good pizza. I truly appreciate the care and attention these folks put into creating really good food. These top three spots get two very enthusiastic greasy cheese stained thumbs up! I've ranked them in order of my third favorite to first favorite. In addition, I've curated this list to represent different pizza styles. After all, variety is the spice of life.
This place is whipping up solid pies with a chewy crust that is semi-thin in thickness. They are pliable and just the teensiest bit crispy, so the toppings don't slide off when you go for that first delectable bite. They have a ton of topping options including prosciutto and artisan sausage. The six guys that founded the place strive for authenticity by making everything in-house by hand. In addition, they do their best to use locally sourced and organic ingredients.
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| The Armadillo |
They serve everything from classic margherita pizzas to speciality pies featuring wacky ingredient combos. Among them is the Armadillo, which is topped with artisan sausage, poblano peppers, ricotta, and cilantro. For those who have that weird, "Eeew, cilantro tastes like soap" thing going on; dude, I got 99 problems but your food aversions ain't one.
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| Honey Pear Pizza |
They also do an "Off the Map" pie every month, where these peeps create concoctions like the Honey Pear pizza. I'm partial to this one myself. It has a distinct taste, and holy cannoli is it good! Try this on for size. Their crust is brushed with extra virgin olive oil, then layered with cheese, sliced pears, caramelized red onions, and crumbled blue cheese. After everything is baked to bubbly perfection, they top it off with prosciutto, basil, and honey! Whaaaaat?! I know, that's what I said.
For those avoiding gluten, don't worry, they didn't leave you out like a fat kid during track and field try-outs. They offer Smart Flour pies so you too can get in on this too legit to quit pizza action.
This joint is the brainchild of two brothers from Detroit who truly have a love for pizza. They literally have a photo on their website of themselves as kids calling in a pizza order. This is not only endearing, but true dedication people. These guys have had their fair share of pizza, so they know what it takes to make a truly great pie. Their main focus is traditional Detroit-style deep dish pizzas that are oh-so-buttery and crispy, that thinking about their square cheesy goodness makes my mouth water. But they also have "bar style" pizzas aka thin rounds for those who prefer a thin crunchy texture. This place makes every effort to source their ingredients locally so you can rest assured you're getting legit freshness.
I recommend trying The Rocket, which is pretty freaking fantastic. It's one of the Detroit-style pizzas
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| The Rocket |
featuring the best of the salamis...hot soppresatta...as well as arugula and shaved parmesan. They also offer classic pepperoni pizzas as well as snazzy concoctions like The Cadillac, another deep dish delight with gorgonzola, fig preserves, prosciutto, parmesan, and balsamic glaze. Wowza! I'm all about this gastronomical adventure. Be sure to hit this place up early though, because their brick and mortar spots often have long lines. You can also swing by one of their trucks at The Violet Crown Social Club or Craft Pride.
Again, these guys did't forget you gluten-free folk, or the poor unfortunate souls who can't hold their rocky road or gouda. That's right, they offer dairy free options, so stuff your face with all the lactose-free pizza you want son!
This spot holds a very special place in my heart. My husband and I frequent Pieous so much, they know us by name...well at least by my husband's Facebook name. You see, we've learned how to get around the notorious long lines by ordering ahead. This place is crazy busy almost all of the time. During SXSW, they freaking ran out of food on a week day! However it isn't uncommon for them to run out of pizza during non-event weeks, which they have in the past. That's how in-demand these guys are. I am in no way overselling it when I say this should be everyone's last meal. Seriously! Their stuff is the best thing since the best thing you can imagine was created. The founders of Pieous are a couple who ditched their corporate jobs to pursue their dream of running their own restaurant. Super badass and inspiring!
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| Margherita Pizza with Sausage & Garlic |
The go-to's here are the certified Neapolitan pizzas and in-house smoked pastrami. The pizzas are concocted with mozzarella that's made fresh every day! It's this overachiever approach to their food-making that makes this place truly special. My favorite things to get are a house-smoked sausage and garlic pizza and a pastrami plate.
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| Pastrami Plate |
These are both MONEY! The pizza is simple, but loaded with flavor and texture. Their dough has a nice chewy bite that is pliable enough to roll it like a taco, which I do sometimes because it's fun. But most of the time I'll eat it flat so it lasts longer. Mmmmm...sausage. You might think it's wacky to serve pastrami at a pizza joint, but don't sleep on this when you go here. The meat is so tender that it falls apart in your hands. It also isn't too salty, and is seasoned to perfection. When you pair it with their in-house made sourdough bread, pickled onions, and mustard, it's like you've died and gone to pastrami heaven. It's real, because I've been there. What's more, they have a small stand on the same premises called Pie-e-tea which serves coffee, tea, smoothies, and pastries. With so much to offer and too little space, Pieous will be relocating to a bigger space in 2017. Until then, check out their place in southwest Austin.
Other spots that didn't make it on my official list, but are definitely worth your time are Bufalina and De Sano (both Neapolitan), as well as Home Slice (New York style). All are great go-to's when in the Austin area. Now that you are thoroughly drooling all over yourself like a Saint Bernard on a regular old day, get out and support one of these spots by gorging yourself with pizza until you are sneezing marinara. Wow that was vivid. Peace!
This blog gets "...two very enthusiastic greasy cheese stained thumbs up!
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