For a lot of folks living in Austin, Pieous is a pit stop on the way to Jester King or Dripping Springs. But for us, it’s worth the 30-minute drive from downtown for the pizza alone. Chewy and slightly blistered, the Neapolitan pies here are exactly what we visualize when we close our eyes and think about pizza, which happens more than we’d care to admit. Grab some pastrami as an appetizer—it's some of the best in town—and then choose from over a dozen different pre-selected topping combinations, ranging from margherita and pepperoni to pepper marmalade and roasted brussels sprouts.

photo credit: Richard Casteel