Brick Oven Restaurant (Downtown)
1209 Red River St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 477-7006
www.brickovenrestaurant.com
This place is located on 12th street and red river in a very plain-looking building in a seemingly vacant lot. But inside houses a pizzeria, friends. The pizza is very similar to Southside Flying Pizza in terms of the cheese and sauce, which is tasty and somewhat garlic-y. Their crust is more crisp though, which I like.
Overall, their pizza didn’t particularly amaze me but nevertheless it was a good meal.
Til next time pizza friends!
Frank & Angie’s Pizzeria
508 West Ave
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 472-3534
www.hutsfrankandangies.com
Frank & Angie’s is a small pizzeria on 6th just after Whole Foods and before you get to the bar area of West 6th. They’re not open late for after-bar slices, but open late enough for pre-bar dinner. It’s right around the corner from Hut’s Hamburger’s, which is popular on their 2-for-1 nights. Parking can be pretty sparse in their lot, so you may want to find street parking and walk. And the guy’s bathroom is located in the very back, and you actually have to go to outside the back door and re-enter another hallway.
I’ll go straight into the pizza: pretty much a Papa John’s as far as taste, sauce and consistency of crust (just enough softness), and slightly better toppings. I was recommended the Angie’s Combo, which had eggplant, garlic chunks and sundried tomatoes. And also tried their sausage pizza. The big chunks of eggplant and lots of garlic cloves made for a nice combination. The sausage pizza left something to be desired. They have more than just pizza here – it’s an Italian eatery, so you have more options.
Enjoy your slice pizza friends!
Rounder’s Pizzeria
1203 W 6th St
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-0404
www.rounderspizzaria.com/
My first experience with Rounder’s was after a long day of ACL. And I promised I would return here, curious what their fresh pizza would be like. Well here you have it.
To start off, it’s kinda like Little Caesar’s (I know this may deter some people, but hear me out). Awesome balance of flavor between mozzarella, sauce, and toppings. Pretty greasy, but not overboard. No specialty pies here (unless there’s some secret code…need to ask next time), so you just add ingredients to your base cheese pizza. Sausage aweesome, pepperoni was a treat – it was those old-school small rounded ones that curl up into bowls with puddles of oil. Check out those macro shots! Almost reminded me of Little Deli pizza (my fave so far in Austin), but perhaps a slightly heftier dough and crust. I really liked their pizza. And the leftovers tasted phenomenal the next day!
Rounder’s has a really cool venue too. Old school arcarde games (Galaga, donkey kong, tabletop sega frogger you can eat on), a nice patio deck for when it’s nice out, and some tables have gold cushion-y seats. They were also playing Superbad on their plasma when I was here, so plus points.
I applaud you, Rounder’s. Enjoy your life, and enjoy your slice :)
Hoek’s Death Metal Pizza
511 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 474-6357
myspace.com/hoekspizza
This place rocks. It’s one of those places where you go inside and tell yourself “I’m glad such a place exists.” Maybe it was the black lights inside. Maybe it was He-Man playing on their plasma screen. Maybe it was the replica of Castle Grayskull mounted proudly in view. Maybe it was the 1943 arcade shoot-em-up. Perhaps even the loud-as-hell metal music that just makes you bang your head (either along with the music, or because of the music). It might be mix of all those.
But i think in the end, it was simply that they have some of the friendliest staff here along with the greasiest pizza slice in town.
The Pizza – it really is greasy. Greasier than this one slice from Sbarro’s I had at a mall food court years ago. I couldn’t even hold up the slice properly without it drizzling off too much oil onto my hands. Their pizza is super flavorful, it seems like they add extra extra parmasean on their slices. Sauce taste a little bloody. But i think I was just getting subconscious cues from the interior lol. Overall, great experience. But I feel that pizza slice is going to give me a heart attack from oil and saltiness.
Til nex time pizza friends!
Stony’s Mobile Pizza Kitchen
6th St and Red River St
Austin, TX 78701
www.myspace.com/stonyspizza
Across from Emo’s Wednesday-Saturday nights (and sometimes inside Emo’s when they have outdoor shows)…you will find this red truck. A tiny checkerboard table always sits out front. And you get your slice served through the driver’s seat.
Giant slices. Quick service. Cheap cheese slice with yum Mozzarella.
But….Super soft crust. One of the softest in Austin. If that’s your thing than Stony’s fits your bill.
Steve owns and operates this truck, and has gained a following since opening just a couple years ago. I told him he looks so much like Oribe (complete with arm tattoos) that I showed a photo of the guy. Anyone see the resemblance?? I swear, his doppleganger. Serving up pizza isn’t the only thing Steve does. He makes custom glass neon signs on the side. For example, the brand new sign for Casino el Camino – that was Steve’s handiwork. We got into a discussion about how easy it is to knock over drunk people. It’s really true.
If you’re on Red River, you’ve most likely been to Stony’s.
Enjoy your life and enjoy your slice, pizza friends!
Pizzeria Paparazzi
6th and San Jacinto
Austin, TX 78798
You might miss this one, what with all the other pizzerias directly on 6th street. This one is just off the 6th. Even then, this place can get crowded after 2am rolls around. Love the art in the left wall as you enter. And they have a love meter tester. I thought they stopped making these when bowling alleys went the way of pogs.
Their pizza – crust is decent, nice char action but just too thick for me. Toppings and cheese aren’t anything to write home about. They do usually have a good variety of pizzas (other than just cheese an pepperoni/sausage) so that is a plus.
Enjoy your slice, pizza friends :)
Vinny’s Ten-0-Three Cafe
Neighborhood: 78704 (South Austin)
1003 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 482-8484
A friend rounded up some of us for a carb-a-licious dinner at an Vinny’s – an Italian restaurant on Barton Springs Rd. The next day is the Austin Marathon, and my buddy was packing in some energy to fuel those legs for the big race. Much respect, as he does not seem like the athletic type or physique but will be finishing the 26-mile strong! For an optimal diet regime for marathons, there’s more detail than just a big plate of pasta - check out this article on carb-loading.
As for the pizza, I ordered the Margherita after verifying they use Bufallo Mozzarella. I wasn’t expecting too much, but the pizza turned out decent. I like the strong flavor of Bufallo Mozzarella, but this was as potent as others I’ve had. The crust was more like a flatbread, had hints of garlic, and went well with the sprinklings of basil and tomato chunks. Wouldn’t die to come back for the pizza, but their selection of pastas looked yum from what my friends ordered.
A couple of quotes from tonight:
“What’s more interesting than age difference is height difference.”
“I bought the largest soda so that it put a giant wall between me and the guy at the movie theater.”
Tonight is also v-day eve. I haven’t heard stories this entertaining in awhile, haha. Til next time pizza friends :)
More Homeslice
1421 South Congress
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-7437
www.homeslicepizza.com
Tonight was one of my first delves into event photography with Jon Garza. Jon is an old high school friend of my cousin, and is making strong buzz within Austin photography scene. Not only does Jon shoot amazing photos, but is a blast to hang around. We were shooting at a fundraiser at Jose Luis Salon on West 6th, featuring the famous hairstylist Oribe and fundraiser. I felt like I was in the Zoolander (one of my fave movies), so it was a treat. Awesome friendly people, complimentary wine and appetizers, and good times! Check out the photos here.
Now, onto Home Slice! I’ve heard buzz around the expansion built next door, and on the way home picked up a slice. This place gets packed for dinner, but now with the side shop open you can still grab your pizza in less time and make your tummy happier much quicker. I really like the interior of More Home Slice, spacious and tall compared to next door. The Meatball/Mushroom slice was heaven. I have a lot of evidence now to support my theory that 2-hour old pizza re-heated tastes better than either fresh pizza, or day-old pizza.
Props Home Slice for extending the reach to pizza friends :)
Mangieri’s Pizza Cafe
5900 W Slaughter Lane
Austin, TX 78749
(512) 301-0063
www.mangieris.com/
I remember eating at this far-South Austin pizzeria about a year ago, but don’t remember quite so much how the pizza was (I did manage to rummage some photos of the place – the things you find on your external HD after years!). I went to re-visit Mangeieri’s, which is located at Slaughter and Escarpment, in the Circle C neighborhood. I went in to order a 10″ Margherita to take back to my place.
Tall ceilings, wine-red/black motif gives a classier appearance yet has a nice casual feel. Several parties dining in on a Monday night, and they have a selection of wine to go with your pizza.
Impressions: The dough was waaay soft – perhaps the softest crust so far in Austin – and taste was very reminiscent of Little Caeasa’rs Crazy Bread but with strong hints of garlic. Check out the second photo, you can see a little sponginess on the underside. I actually love Little Caesar’s (Michigan, what!!), though for a Margherita from a non-chain pizzeria, I expected more. Toppings were even, taste just ok. The sauce was very good, not an overwhelming flavor.
Soooooo….If you like Little Caesar’s, you might want to give Mangieri’s a try – just expect to pay a lot more (The 10″ pizza came out to just over $10). Come for a dining experience and order a glass a wine with your pizza.
That’s all for now, pizza friends. Enjoy your life, and enjoy your slice :)
Austin Pizza Garden
6266 W Hwy 290
Austin, TX 78799
(512) 891-9980
www.austinpizzagarden.com
After Crossfit this morning, I got my post-workout meal from Austin Pizza Garden (I know, pizza is not the healthiest food in the world, but eating SOMETHING immediately after workout is better than not eating anything. Read about the importance of post-work out meals here and here) . You’ll see this place just before you get to the Y at Oak Hill. Austin Pizza Garden is a place. There’s no mistaking you’re in Texas as you walk into this place, and there’s a bar right up front at carryout. I was about to ask where I could go two-stepping while I wait, but instead just asked for a water. They people there were friendly, got chatting to Jake who served me a cool glass of water.
They have an extensive list of signature pizzas, stemming from interesting toppings such as andouille sausage, fajita chicken, cajun shrimp and crab. I tried their take on Quattro Formaggi, which has Bacon and mushrooms in addition to the four cheeses. Nice spin for those who like a lil meat! It’s hard to see from the photos, but hidden in the copious layers of cheese is nice bits of bacon. Not exactly like NY thin-crust, and the dough tastes like animal crackers with softer texture. It does come out of their ovens with a nice crisp bottom. Very generous with the toppings. Overall very hearty pizza, but the dough/sauce wasn’t suited to my tastebuds. I may want to try their Margherita in the future.
Til next time, pizza friends!
