HOUGuide
The Best Pizza Places In Houston
From wood-fired Neapolitan pies to New York-style slices, these are the top pizza places in Houston.
Finding a great pizza place in New York, LA, or Chicago is like attempting to count the number of Astros jerseys at Cobo’s on game day: there’s one every three feet. But the likelihood of stumbling into a great pizza joint in Houston? That’s like winning the mega millions, twice, on leap year. Which is fine, because Houstonians can throw some smoky brisket on a pie and it will always taste incredible. Take that, coastal elites (you’re OK, Chicago). While investigating where the best pizza in H-town resides, we’ve eaten a concerning number of slices, crammed our trash bins full of grease-glistening boxes, and maybe tossed a slice or two to an urban coyote (it was a lot of pizza). But now, we’ve narrowed down this definitive list of the best pizza in Houston.
THE SPOTS
This EaDo spot keeps the pizza simple and a little snazzy—it’s like the restaurant threw a blazer over a graphic tee before heading out of the door. The compact dining room is full of mismatch chandeliers fit for a sophisticated fairy dinner party with dainty slices of pizza. Thin slices of ricotta pizza are topped with delightfully charred kale greens and a crispy crust that is just soft enough for the slice to fold over with ease. At Tiny Champions, pizza is sold by the pie, so bring a group of buddies to devour slices with you on the patio, or come during Happy Hour when pies are half-priced and you don’t have to choose which pie to have.
Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana II in Montrose makes Neapolitan, Detroit, and New York-style pizza with imported Italian ingredients. So it’s best used as a takeout powerhouse for your at-home pizza needs. All of the pizza here is good, but the Neapolitan pizza is excellent. Baked for under two minutes in Pizaro’s giant wood-burning ovens, the pies are bubbly, soft, and slightly chewy. Grab a classic margherita red pie or an arugula white pie (add prosciutto). While the restaurant is spacious with plenty of seating, the uncomfortable metal chairs clanging against the concrete floors create a constant din of noise. And while you maybe shouldn't eat an entire pie in the car, who’s going to stop you?
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Romano’s Pizza near the edge of Montrose and River Oaks resembles the set of a sitcom. No one would bat an eye if a teenager got drenched with an orange soda and then a laugh track piped in through the speakers. Romano’s does pizza New York-style, which feels obvious alongside the classic pizza parlor aesthetic: semi-homespun framed prints of tomatoes, faux-brick facades, scrappy laminate tables. The pizza hits the exact right spot when you want a greasy, no-fuss pie. Grab a few pepperonis to go for a chill night at home.
Deep dish is the overlord at Star Pizza in Montrose. And whether you order a 10, 12, or 14-inch pie, the hefty silver pan that arrives at your table somehow always looks bigger than you expected. The crust is golden, extra thick, and supports a mini-bathtub’s worth of red sauce. Freestyle the toppings with a laundry list of ingredients ranging from gorgonzola cheese to roasted poblano peppers. Or let Star do the hard work for you and get one of the specialty pizzas, like the Starburst with ground beef and Italian sausage.
Roberta’s Pizza has made its way from Brooklyn to outposts and freezers across the country, and is a strong reminder that some things are popular for a reason. Trudge your way through the flurry of people at the Post Market downtown, and you'll find Roberta’s tucked in the food hall’s corner, quietly serving wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza. There are a few different options (with clever little names) but our favorite is the Bee Sting, where chili and honey coat the mozzarella with sweet heat. Our NYC contingent agrees. We wish all bee stings were this pleasant. The pillowy slices only come by the pie, but that’s exactly the amount of pizza you deserve after surviving all of the food hall hoopla.
Rosie Cannonball is an Italian-ish place where you go with friends to primarily feel bougie and drink wine and cocktails. The restaurant also has pretty great pizza, like the cacio e pepe pie. A fantastic crispy crust supports a blend of nutty pecorino, fresh black pepper, and creamy sauce—something to order over and over again. Have a pizza or two with a couple bottles of lambrusco in Rosie’s amber-hued dining room, where everything, including you, your date, and your many pizzas, look absolutely stunning.
Frank’s Pizza in Downtown serves up a reliable consistent classic New York slice. Somehow, pepperoni and mushroom tastes better in a place like this, which is to say a tiny counter-service restaurant, that’s open for lunch and until 3am on weekends—there’s always a throng of weekend bar goers lining up for a sobering slice after last call. Go classic, or opt for something a little different, like the house special boudin and bacon. Exactly what you need after a long night or for a quick lunch on the go. Just make sure to keep the line moving.
Home Slice Pizza recently moved into Midtown as a new outpost from the Austin mothership. The restaurant interior is a successful ode to a 1970s pizza joint or someone’s grandmother’s wood-paneled basement, plus a scant few booths inside and small patio. The New York-style pizza runs fairly thin with a slightly soft crust and a light dusting of toppings. Signature pies like the eggplant pie or the pepperoni and mushrooms are tried-and-true staples that won’t steer you wrong. While you can eat here and take in the kitschy decor, we recommend ordering ahead and grabbing a full pie to-go, which is made to order, rather than ordering anything by the slice.
