Ryan F.
Apart from being Texas’ capital city, Austin is also the “live music capital” of the world. You can catch live performances every day in Austin at bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and even the airport.
Austin’s unofficial motto is “Keep Austin Weird,” alluding to its creative and alternative appeal. Along with festivals like Austin City Limits and South by Southwest to bring in crowds of creatives and free thinkers, Austin also has one of the largest universities in the U.S., the University of Texas at Austin, not to mention four other colleges.
Austin is a young and vibrant city that prides itself on a culture that thinks outside the box, so you can bet that their food scene is equally fun and inventive. One food that young and old Austinites both treasure is pizza. Austin pizza is as diverse as its musical stylings, with plenty of innovative pizzerias adding their Austin flare to traditional or regional recipes.
I was lucky enough to sample Austin’s best pizza in a recent trip to the live music capital and have compiled a list of the best pizza in Austin for you to explore whether you’re a local or a tourist with a pizza craving.
Home Slice
Multiple Locations
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Home Slice is an Austin institution, and in my opinion, the best pizza spot in town. They make classic New York-style pizza and the best Sicilian-style pan pizza I have ever tasted. Their original location in the famous SoCo area has an indoor and outdoor eatery along with a second locale right next door that is take-out only. They also opened a location in Austin’s young, university neighborhood of Hyde Park with a beautiful large outdoor patio surrounded by large oak trees.
Any pizza you order at Home Slice will be your instant favorite. I always get at least a slice of the Sicilian, which comes in either cheese or pepperoni with no additional toppings allowed. My favorite NY-style pizza is their eggplant pizza with super-thin slices of breaded eggplant atop mozzarella and tomato sauce with dollops of ricotta cheese.
Via 313
Multiple Locations
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Via 313 is a top contender for Austin’s best pizza, with three brick-and-mortar locations in North Campus, the East Side, and Oak Hill, along with two trailers in Austin’s most happening bar and nightlife areas of West 6th and Rainey Street. They serve Detroit-style deep dish pan pizza with square slices. The owners are two Detroit native brothers who have certainly made Detroit proud with the popularity and deliciousness of Detroit-style pizza.
They serve thin-crust bar pizza along with veggie cheese and tempeh for vegans. I recommend trying their Detroit-style pizza, namely the Ambassador Bridge pizza with sausage, natural casing pepperoni, fresh garlic, oregano, and house-made ricotta.
Pieous
166 Hargraves Dr h, Austin, TX 78737
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Located in the Cedar Creek suburb of Austin, inside the Belterra Village Shopping Center, Pieous is a family-friendly restaurant, coffee shop, and bakery with chalkboards for walls that patrons can write and draw on while they dine. The cuisine is Italian-inspired with everything from antipasti plates to salads to sandwich Panuozzos, and of course, pizza is the star of the show. They also have an entire section dedicated to their famous pastrami that patrons can order in sandwiches atop house-made sourdough or by the pound.
Pieous may be a kid-friendly neighborhood restaurant, but the pizzas are fancy and complex. I tried the Brussels and Jam pizza with house-made pepper jam, roasted brussels sprouts, mozzarella, and bacon.
Backspace
507 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-474-9899
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Located in the heart of downtown Austin, Backspace was once a hidden treasure that you might pass up walking down the street if you didn’t know what you were looking for. The Backspace is a wine bar and Italian restaurant with pizza so good; it’s no wonder that the secret is out. Plus, they have a great happy hour Tuesday through Saturday from 5-6:30 pm with half-off glasses of wine and beer and antipasti.
If you want to take advantage of the happy hour antipasti prices, I recommend ordering the baked ricotta served with cherry tomatoes, roasted eggplant, oregano, and focaccia, but the house-made burrata comes in a close second. As for pizza, they serve a traditional thin-crust Neapolitan pizza baked in a wood-fired stone oven. I recommend the fennel sausage pizza with mozzarella, tomato, roasted pepper, and garlic.
Bufalina
6555 Burnet Rd #100, Austin, TX 78757
Phone: 512-215-8662
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Located in north-central Austin, Bufalina is a Neapolitan pizzeria and wine bar founded by a certified wine sommelier who has been named the sommelier of the year by Food and Wine magazine and one of Austin’s top wine experts. Needless to say, the wine selection and Bufalina is as impeccably curated and authentic as its wood-fired Neapolitan pizza.
When it comes to Neapolitan pizza, the crust is so thin and bubbly that overloading it with too many toppings, cheese, and sauce would ruin the integrity of the crust. Therefore, the pizzas are perfect in their simplicity and the delicate placement of ingredients. I recommend the mushroom pizza with mozzarella, taleggio, caramelized onions, parmesan, black pepper, and lemon.
East Side Pies
Multiple Locations
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East Side Pies is a whimsical, quirky pizzeria that aptly fits the “keep Austin weird” profile with its various Austin locations decked out in colorful cosmic décor. They serve thin-crust New York-style large pies by the slice or whole, and they are not just an East Side neighborhood favorite as plenty of local coffee shops sell their slices to hungry students pulling all-nighters.
Their pizza is very original, with specialty pies using different base sauces, including chimichurri sauce, black bean sauce, ricotta sauce, and pesto, in addition to the traditional red pie. When at East Side Pies, keep it weird and try one of the alternative sauces. I’d recommend the black bean-based El Dorado pizza with pulled pork, green chiles, red onions, feta, and a jalapeno garlic drizzle.
Pinthouse Pizza
Multiple locations
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Pinthouse Pizza is a brewery and artisanal pizza restaurant with locations in Austin and the northern suburb of Round Rock. Started by six beer brewing buddies, Pinthouse offers award-winning beers that are heavy on the hops. Their Electric Jellyfish IPA won Austin’s best beer vote annually from 2016-2020.
Pizza and beer are the ultimate combination, and their selection of pies is as interesting and complex as their beers. The classic and specialty pies are offered in small, medium, and large sizes with options for gluten-free crusts and vegan cheese. I recommend ordering a few small pies for everyone to sample. My favorite is the Banh Mi with crème Fraiche, house cheese blend, local sausage, jalapenos, pickled onions and carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, and Sriracha. All other specialty pies on the menu are equally unique and worth a gander.
40 North
900 W 10th St, Austin, TX 78703
Phone: 512-660-5779
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Located in the beautiful historic neighborhood surrounding downtown and the state capital, 40 North is a Neapolitan pizzeria and casual eatery, offering salads, sandwiches, burgers, and Mediterranean-inspired plates. They drizzle a lot of their pizzas with local honey to bring out the savory flavors of the cheeses and toppings and the smokey wood-fired crust.
It’s hard to choose between burgers and pizza when you’re hankering for comfort food, so at 40 North, you can order one of each! I recommend the Hot Honey pizza with ricotta, grana Padano, salumeria biellese coppa, fresno, and spiced honey along with the O.G. burger with Angus beef, mustard aioli, American cheese, pickles, and red onion.
Little Deli & Pizzeria
7101 Woodrow Ave Unit A, Austin, TX 78757
Phone: 512-467-7402
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Little Deli & Pizzeria is a northeastern-style deli serving New Jersey-style pizza along with some killer deli-style sandwiches. All bread, desserts, and dough are locally baked and hand-tossed. You can get pizza by the slice or order a whole pie to enjoy in their cute, homey dining area or outdoor patio.
They were strictly a deli and sandwich shop for nearly 20 years before opening the pizzeria in 2009, so I recommend trying one of their sandwiches, namely the Muffuletta or the Italian-style homemade Tuna salad sub. Their America vs Leon specialty white pie with Italian sausage, mushrooms, roasted garlic, olive oil, feta, and house cheeses is delicious as well.
ABGB
1305 W Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
Phone: 512-298-2242
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ABGB stands for The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Company and has become a South Austin neighborhood favorite. Located in a giant renovated warehouse with a large outdoor wooden deck patio surrounded by oak trees and large-bulbed hanging lights, ABGB also has regular live music for lively happy hours. Local couples and friends can even bring their dogs along to rest tableside while they enjoy music, a pint, and a slice.
They have a rotating selection of beers on tap, but their most popular brews are always on sale. I recommend trying the GABF gold medal-winning Industry Pilsner. As for a specialty pie, I recommend the Butternut Squash pizza with butternut squash puree, roasted garlic, mascarpone, caramelized onions, shishito peppers, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes.
Dough Boys
3901 Promontory Point Dr, Austin, TX 78744
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Chef Tony and his extroverted buddy Max are the Dough Boys that are making and serving classic Italian wood-fired pizza out of their food truck permanently stationed outside of Meanwhile Brewery. Grab a tasty artisanal beer after placing your order for a 12” specialty pie made inside a giant 800 lb. wood-burning oven that takes up half the Dough Boys trailer.
Their homemade dough makes amazing pizza, but they also create delicious garlic knots out of it, which they serve with lemon black pepper ricotta and marinara sauce. My favorite specialty pie at Dough Boys is the Calabrian with the Chef’s personal sausage blend with local kale, garlic cream sauce, smoked mozzarella, pecorino, caramelized onions, and drops of Calabrian puree.
Jester King Brewery, Kitchen, Farm & Event Hall
13187 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736
Phone: 512-661-8736
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Located a 45-minute drive outside of Austin into the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Jester King Brewery is a pizzeria, farm, winery, and favorite event venue for weddings, concerts, and parties of all kinds. Jester King is a beautiful outdoor space for patrons of all ages to enjoy artisanal beers, wines, and pizzas made from ingredients pulled from Jester King’s own farm. They have dozens of beer and wine to choose from with seasonal specials and consistent debuts of their latest brews and wines.
You should come out and make a day of it at Jester King, taking walks along their 165-acre complex replete with trails and a path that loops around their animal farm. Once you’ve worked up an appetite and ogled the cute goats running around their corral, try their delicious craft pizza. I recommend the Gus Neapolitan-style pizza with salt and pepper chicken, bacon, red onion, confit garlic, bechamel, provolone, parsley, and a hot honey drizzle.
Pizzeria Grata
4415 Menchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78745
Phone: 512-505-8808
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Located in South Austin, Pizzeria Grata is an authentic Neapolitan Pizzeria using ingredients and a wood-burning oven imported directly from Naples. Along with imported tomato sauces and flour, they strive to use fresh local produce to supply their cheeses and topping ingredients.
In addition to pizza, they offer wood-fired bread, sandwiches, salads, and pizza rolls. Their specialty pies are specific to the size pie you want. I recommend one of the small 10” pizzas called the Sweet n Spicy with red sauce, pepperoni, capicola, garlic confit, hot peppers, and bacon marmalade.
DeSano Pizzeria Napoletana
Multiple locations
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DeSano Pizzeria Napoletana is a favorite authentic Neapolitan pizza spot not just in Austin but around the nation. With a location in North Austin and downtown, DeSano Pizzeria has a strong following for its wood-fired classic Neapolitan pizza recipes that use Neapolitan brand crushed tomatoes and house-made Italian meats.
While many pizzerias create innovative and alternative pies, at DeSano, they honor the classic tradition of Neapolitan pizza as strictly as possible. Consequently, I’d recommend trying the Margherita Classica.
Marye’s Gourmet Pizza
3663 Bee Caves Rd #4G, Austin, TX 78746
Phone: 512-327-5222
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Located in West Austin, close to the classy Westlake neighborhood, Marye’s Gourmet Pizza has been a neighborhood staple since 1994, baking crispy, thin-crust gourmet pizzas using organic produce, artisanal cheese and meat, and Italian-imported olive oil. The owners are proud to be Austin natives that work with local farms and breweries to support the local bounty and economy.
Marye’s menu has delicious salads, sandwiches, baked pasta, appetizers, and desserts in addition to their pizza. I recommend starting with the Marye’s Salad with spring mix and baby arugula with granny smith apples, onions, caramelized pecans, and feta. My favorite pizza is the Marion with olive oil, mozzarella, provolone, spinach, mushrooms, green and red bell peppers, and red onion.
Tony C’s
10526 W Parmer Ln, Austin, TX 78717
Phone: 512-255-9463
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Tony C’s is a classic New York Style Pizzeria rooted in three generations of family-owned and run Italian American restaurants that began with Tony C’s grandfather opening Ciola’s in Virginia in 1949. Tony has preserved many of his family’s sacred recipes from their first restaurants and offers them at his Austin location.
Tony C’s has Austin’s only coal-fired oven, which sets its giant pies apart from the competition. I recommend the white Bianco pie with cream, olive oil, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, roasted garlic, and basil.
Conans Pizza
Multiple Locations
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If you’re a deep-dish pan, there’s only one pizza place you’ll ever want to frequent: Conans Pizza. Originally a West Campus staple, Conan’s Pizza offers the best Chicago-style pizza outside of Chicago. They’ve been serving the most decadent and filling pies for the past 45 years, making them one of Austin’s oldest pizzerias.
Their best-selling pizza is called the “Savage” and comes with sausage, hamburger, pepperoni, green pepper, white onion, mushroom, and black olives. You will not leave Conan’s hungry, and you will definitely be back for another epic deep-dish experience.
Spartan Pizza
1007 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Phone: 512-484-0798
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Located in the heart of Downtown Austin, directly on the famously rowdy 6th street, Spartan Pizza claims their pies to be utterly satisfying without being heavy. They name all their pies after Greek gods, and their delicious flavors and perfectly chewy dough live up to the grandeur of their names.
I recommend the Medusa pizza with roasted garlic spread, caramelized onion, bacon, blue cheese, and red pepper flakes. Another excellent choice is the Agamemnon with cilantro pesto, chicken, red onion, jalapeno, and house-made BBQ sauce.
Phantasma Kitchen
3403 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Phone: 512-621-4321
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The newest addition to Austin’s pizza scene, Phantasma Kitchen opened its doors in 2020 in South Austin and serves Roman-style pizza. Head chef Timothy Lane spent ten years in Rome studying the art of Roman pizza, characterized by extra-crispy, lighter, and less yeasty dough than its Neapolitan counterpart.
In fitting with their name, all the pizzas have spooky names like the Green Goblin or the Scaredy Cat. My favorite pizza is the Disappearing Act with house-made mozzarella, fontina, pancetta, potato, leek, and parsley.
Roppolo’s Pizzeria West Campus
2604 Guadalupe St Ste A, Austin, TX 78705
Phone: 512-265-2121
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Roppolo’s Pizzeria is a West Campus favorite, serving pizza and calzones to hungry students at affordable prices. Roppolo’s owner, Marc, is a New York transplant who spent years in Little Italy learning the art of pizza making from Italian American pizza makers before opening up Roppolo’s in Austin.
The pizza is the product of Sicilian and New York-style influences. You can order plate-sized slices of pizza or whole pies. My favorite is the Italian Mex with pepperoni, Italian sausage, onion, black olives, jalapenos, and roasted red and gold peppers.
Check them out off of Guadalupe Street, north of the University of Texas at Austin’s campus and just before the In N’ Out Burger.
Final Thoughts
Whether you live in Austin or are just visiting, next time you are wondering “where is the best pizza near me?” you’ll have the best starting point on the internet.
Not looking for pizza in Austin? Check out some of the most popular bars in the city right here!
See any pizza places missing? Comment below and we’ll add them to our list!
