Austin Dining Guide: Best Pizzas in Austin

As a member of the Austin Food Bloggers Alliance, I am joining a team of fellow foodies in creating a City Wide Dining Guide detailing the best of the best Austin has to offer. Is there really anything better than pizza? Any genre of food which combines cheese, bread, and tomatoes is worth celebrating in my world. Building a perfect pizza is all about the crust, whether that be thin and crisp or thick and pillowy. No matter your personal preference, Austin’s pizza purveyors have the bases covered.

Bola Pizza – Austinites have had a reason to get up early on Saturday mornings ever since Bola Pizza set up shop at the downtown Sustainable Food Center farmer’s market. From the dough to the toppings, Bola Pizza puts TLC into each and every pie. The dough undergoes a special three day fermentation process before being layered with inventive combinations of the freshest ingredients. Cooked to perfection on wood fire oven imported from the Motherland, Bola’s trademark crust is chewy on the inside with a crispy char on the outside. Whether it’s a simple pizza like the ‘Polka Dot’ topped with mozzarella, fried sage, and tomatoes or the fancier Bolognese, Bola Pizzas are hard to beat. As for those earlier risers, they get first bite at one of Bola’s famed breakfast pies generously topped with seasonal produce, meats, and farm fresh eggs. Bola Pizza is available by private event catering or at the SFC Farmer’s Market at Republic Square Park every Saturday from 9am-1pm. Additionally, Bola Pizza recently released a line of frozen pies available at various locations around Austin.

Bola Pizza

Homeslice Pizza – Homeslice serves the very best New York City style pizza in Austin. Hand tossed dough is sauced and topped before baking to perfection. The crust has a nice outer crunch yet still chewy inside. Their large custom pies are always brimming with a plentiful amount of toppings. The Margarita is a bit lackluster but the sausage, red pepper, and ricotta pie ($18) is outstanding. Aside from pizza, Homeslice also features one of the best Greek salads in Austin, especially when served with a few extra garlic knots.  The owners ensure the highest quality pies by taking the team on yearly trips to the Big Apple to learn new techniques and make sure the Homeslice pizza is as authentic as possible. Homeslice is one of those places that no matter when you go there is always a wait, but it’s worth it every time.

Homeslice Pizza. 1415 S Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78704-2434. (512) 444-7437.

Homeslice

Backspace – Nestled on a corner of 6^th Street known more for bars than fine dining, Backspace is a refreshing escape from downtown’s hustle and bustle. Its quaint dining space is both comfortable and romantic making it a perfect spot for a date or place to regroup before a night on the town. Candlelight tables surround a cozy open kitchen where Backspace’s team carefully creates one glorious pizza after another. Like the space, Backspace’s menu is wonderfully simple and approachable, consisting primarily of antipasti, salads, and Neopalitian pizzas. Despite the downtown location and upscale feel, Backspace’s price points are surprisingly reasonable as well, with most pies priced between $9-$15. In fact, the only thing absurdly fancy about Backspace is its amazingly authentic pizza oven. The restaurant’s crown jewel was custom built in Naples and is the only of its kind in Austin. Needless to say, it’s one investment paying off quite nicely.

Backspace. 507 San Jacinto Austin Texas 78701 phone:512-474-9899.

Backspace

House Pizzeria – Somehow Formica booths feel cozy at House Pizzeria, thanks in part to exceptional service and a killer jukebox. The daily menu features ten pizzas, each topped with no more than five topping combinations. House Pizzeria’s ingredients are almost exclusively sourced locally, and the freshness of toppings shines through in the pizza.

House Pizzeria. 5111 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751. 512.600.4999.

House Pizzeria

East Side Pies – East Side Pies is a long standing favorite of thin crust aficionados. With its cracker thin and crisp crunch and plentiful amount of topping combinations, it is easy to see why. East Side Pies’ menu has over 30 custom pies ranging from classic to unconventional. While the crust is thin, the slices are large and filling.

East Side Pies. 2 Locations: 1401 Rosewood Avenue  Austin, TX 78702. (512) 524-0933. &  5312 Airport Blvd., Austin, TX 78751. (512) 454-7437.

East Side Pies

Salvation Pizza – Salvation Pizza in Central Austin is known for its outstanding thin crusted Napoletena pizzas. The crust is consistently crispy and crunchy, although occasionally a bit over charred at times. The house tomato sauce is robust with a hint of spice. The white pies, especially #9 topped with clams, lemon, and bacon, are excellent picks. Beyond their delicious pies, Salvation Pizza is also home to one of Austin’s best lunch specials where $5.99 buys two slices of pizza, a small salad, and drink.

Salvation Pizza. 624 West 34^th Street, Austin, TX 78705. 512.535.0076.

Spartan Pizza – Inspired by the Greek gods, the Spartan Pizza trailer serves up delicious New York style pizza mere mortals can afford. Spartan Pizza’s secret sauce originates from the unique custom bread turned pizza oven which turns out pies with pillowy yet firm crusts. The trailer is outfitted with a refurbished antique Blogdett bread oven outfitted with pizza stones, which is perfect for baking Spartan’s overnight dough. Prices range from $8.50 for regulars and $14.50 for larges, making Spartan an affordable and tasty pizza spot.

Spartan Pizza . 1106 east Waller, Austin, TX 78702. 512.484.0798.