Author Topic: Best Pizza Places in Austin, TX (Read 21156 times)

Ronzo · « **on:** June 03, 2005, 05:20:03 PM »

Ok, so I've got five favorites.

Best of the Best Titles

It's a tie, IMO, between a NY Style and a Chicago style place, since I like both types the same amount. IMO, one's not better than the other. They're just different genre's, really. You can't compare them... well, people do all the time, but I don't. They both rock.

Here they are, in the order of the time it took me to find them and try their pizza...

NY Style:

Saccone's Pizza and Subs

Web site:

www.saccones.com

Mottos:
Best Pizza in Austin
Pizza with a Jersey Attitude!

They're currently in two areas around Austin. One shop is in a little town called Leander and the other is in a section of Austin the city called Anderson Mill. The one I go to is in Anderson Mill.

It took me four years to find this place after I first moved here. First time I walked in the place, they had some memorabelia from home on the walls... Including a Shop-Rite sign poster, and of course Scrunchy was sitting on the cash register. I knew there had to be some good pizza here!

Man... the place rocks. It's just like the traditional NY pizza I grew up on. It better be, 'cuz the guy that owns the place is from Jersey (Carteret). If his family ever found out he was making pies that didn't taste legit, I'm sure Sully and Vinnie would be payin' this guy a visit in the middle of the night to fit him for some concrete shoes...

They seriously make a knock-out of a pie.

My favorite specialty pie is the one they add a few basil leaves and lots of cracked black pepper to. ("Mom & Dad's Special")

They're a little pricier than I remember pizza being back home, but it's probably because they have to 'import' their ingredients from The City.

LOL

Chicago Style:

Mangia Chicago Stuffed Pizza

Website:

http://www.mangiapizza.com/

Motto:
Stuffin' Austin since 1988!

They have four locations around town. The one closest to me is the Gracy Farms location. I'm starting a grass roots campaign to get them to open one in Anderson Mill, but we'll see how that goes.

Try the Carnivore! Dude... it's awesome.

Their's is the best Chicago Stuffed Pizza I have ever had.
A little Expensive, but you get your money's worth and then some.

~~~

Runner ups:

Rockin' Tomato
Not quite NY Style... Pizza is more like a crackery kinda crust.

It's good.

Gino's in Round Rock
Very close to NY Style, but not quite.

It's very good

Reale's Italian Restaurant
Also very close to NY Style, but not quite.

It's very good, but more expensive than them all, except Mangia.

Stanner · « **Reply #1 on:** July 07, 2005, 12:22:54 PM »

It took this post to get me to register.

I myself was rather disappointed in Saccones. With all of their bravado, they gave me a rather average pizza. Maybe it was my looking for another Bianco or Grimaldi's (I'm from AZ originally), but I didn't really like their pie.

The place that I feel is the best in Austin is Rounder's on 6th, just west of Blanco on the south side of the street. Great crust with good foldability with minor tip flop. When they use sausage, they slice it lengthwise so you get a great deal on your pie. Sauce is rather good as well.

I recommend it.

Ronzo · « **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2005, 01:34:06 AM »

Stanner,
How long were you (or have you been) in Austin, and how many pies have you had from Saccones?

You might have gotten a bad pie... it happens. I've gotten a bad one or two from Saccones in the 3 or 4 years I've been going there, but I gotta tell ya, overall, their pies rock.

I don't visit 6th street. It's not my crowd during the evening hours, but I might drift down there to Rounders one afternoon. Thanks for the tip!

Stanner · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2005, 07:20:19 PM »

Ny,

I've been in Austin a little over a year and I've only had that single pie from Saccones. I do need to give it another try to be fair.

As for Rounders, it's so far west of 6th that you don't get that sort of crowd...it's west of Lamar ~ 1/2 mile.

Ronzo · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2005, 11:02:32 PM »

Thanks for the tip, bro.

My wife and I went there (Rounders) before church tonight. I love the atmosphere of the place. Very laid back and relaxing, but classy.

The pizza was very good. It was close to authentic NY style, but the crust was a little thicker and stiffer than Saccone's or the stuff back home, but the cheese and sauce was right on the money. We had the 'large' (14"). I'm thinking the 18" would have been a little less stiff, most likely, but I'll have to wait until another day to find out.

We had the Turtle cheesecake for dessert. It rocked. The waitress even gave us both a free cappuccino because she needed the practice since they just got a new espresso machine. She did an excellent job on the coffee.

Very enjoyable dinner, overall.

We'll definitely go back.

Ronzo · « **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2005, 09:55:22 AM »

Found another good place for Pizza in the Austin area.

Yaghi's in Cedar Park. They have two other locations in the area. One in Bee Cave and one in Westlake.

http://www.yaghispizza.com/

The pizza wasn't what I'm used to when I think of NY Style, but I have to admit, it was very, very good. Their garlic knots were dowright delicious too.

jimbo · « **Reply #6 on:** July 31, 2005, 06:41:26 AM »

Dude, where's the Double Daves? Are you trying to tell me that Rocking Tomato is better than Double Daves?

Ronzo · « **Reply #7 on:** July 31, 2005, 10:31:15 AM »

Quote from: jimbo on July 31, 2005, 06:41:26 AM

Dude, where's the Double Daves? Are you trying to tell me that Rocking Tomato is better than Double Daves?

No doubt about it, In my opinion.

mfenech · « **Reply #8 on:** August 18, 2005, 07:56:52 PM »

Good list, nytxn.

This guy is entertaining and [generally] right: Cranky Yankee

You folks need to try Rudino's Pizza, at the corner of 620 and Anderson Mill - in the strip center with the HEB.

Ronzo · « **Reply #9 on:** August 18, 2005, 09:01:41 PM »

We tried it about a week and a half ago. It was very good.

It's right down the street from our place.

mfenech · « **Reply #10 on:** August 19, 2005, 01:09:58 AM »

Hi Ron,

I'm in the general area also. I see Yaghi's every time I go to La Cocina Michoacana or Sambets (both in the same strip center), but never tried it. I will ASAP.

Double Dave's...

?

Ronzo · « **Reply #11 on:** August 19, 2005, 01:17:01 PM »

Quote from: mfenech on August 19, 2005, 01:09:58 AM

Double Dave's...?

My thoughts exactly...

*blechk!*

I was glad when they left the plaza over by the Lake Creek Alamo Draft House. If you haven't tried it yet, Rockin' Tomato over there is pretty good. They moved in where Double Daves used to be.

Ronzo · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2005, 12:49:21 PM »

The Original Brooklyn Pie Co.

2711 La Frontera Blvd.
Ste 330
Round Rock, TX 78681
512-255-1414

(Right next to Quizno's)

The pizza was fantastic. When I first got there I saw the prices of their slices and thought *AYE!!!*... they were more expensive than I'm used to.

$2.85 per slice for cheese.
$3.50 per slice for pepperoni.
$.60 per topping, per slice.

I got the pepperoni.

They claimed their slices were 'big', but hey... who doesn't claim that? Well... they were downright huge. Well worth the $3.50 for a pepperoni slice.

Before I saw the slice, I ordered half of a caprese salad to go with it. I figured I'd get something to supllement my appetite, after all, I'm not a little dude.

After I ate the slice, I could barely finish less than half of the half salad.

It looks like they cut their 18" pies in to 6 pieces to get their huge slices.

The pizza was delicious. The inner crust was droopy, though. Droopier than normal at the end. It seemed just a little too thin at the center of the pie. Even folded, the slice wagged pretty bad.

The outer crust was a little less pronounced than most NY style is. It was only a little taller than a half inch high. It was very light and 'crusty' though. Great flavor in the crust all by itself.

One thing I thought was a bit strange, but I liked it, was that they serve their slices with a dill pickle spear. Interesting touch. It was a nice compliment to the pie. Something for you pizza joint owners to think about.

Overall, I'd consider this a real find. They blow the other mom-pop pizza joint in Round Rock, TX (Gino's - mentioned above), away, and that's saying a lot.

Stanner · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2005, 06:59:29 PM »

I live right across the street from Rockin Tomato and must admit it's quite good.

I tried a thin crust Mangia pie this past weekend and was quite disappointed. They used way too much cheese, but I should have expected it, given the nature of their main pie.

Ronzo · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2005, 07:50:59 PM »

I haven't had their thin crust pie yet.

mfenech · « **Reply #15 on:** September 08, 2005, 03:30:11 PM »

Ron,

Thanks for the heads-up on Brooklyn Pie Co.

Ever wander down to San Antonio? I think Florio's on Broadway is better than anything I've had here in Austin.

Ronzo · « **Reply #16 on:** September 08, 2005, 09:45:52 PM »

Quote from: mfenech on September 08, 2005, 03:30:11 PM

Ever wander down to San Antonio? I think Florio's on Broadway is better than anything I've had here in Austin.

I've been to SA a few times, but never to Florio's.

I'm gonna have to store that one in my memory banks.

Thanks for the tip, my friend!

mfenech · « **Reply #17 on:** November 03, 2005, 12:25:16 AM »

This place just got a good writeup by Rob Balon: http://www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com/news.html#tuscpizza

I haven't tried it yet, but I will soon. Here's the website: http://www.tuscanymarketandvineyard.com/

And I still need to hit Original Brooklyn Pie also, per Ron's rec.

I'm slackin'.....

Ronzo · « **Reply #18 on:** November 18, 2005, 10:23:11 PM »

I haven't eaten pizza at Tuscany, but I've had their panini sandwiches... mama mia they are good!

I need to try the pie....

zeeGerman · « **Reply #19 on:** November 19, 2005, 04:14:41 PM »

I know this is the Austin section but I thought i would throw my 2 cents in re:San Antonio pizza..Goomba's on blanco just north of 410 is pretty darn excellent.