ATXReview
photo credit: David Douglass
Bufalina Due
Included In
Ever since it opened in 2013 on Cesar Chavez, Bufalina was Austin's cool kid pizza-and-natural-wine spot. With unfinished walls and bare Edison bulbs dangling from the ceiling, it always felt homey in its bootstrapped minimalism, kind of like an underground speakeasy. The trailblazer closed in 2021 to make way for a big condo development, only to reopen in late 2022, in a different space not far from the original.
Bufalina Due, the second location further north in Brentwood, might not be as scrappy as the original, but it’s still imbued with the spirit. The design is simple and clean with modern lines, but it’s been open for several years now, so it’s got a worn-in feel. The wood tables are slightly scuffed; the plates are sometimes a little chipped. It is very comfortable, like a cozy sweatshirt that’s gone through the wash a million times.
photo credit: David Douglass
Our favorite thing about Bufalina Due is that they don’t take reservations, so it’s super walk-in friendly. A few years back we even just strolled right in during prime time on Valentine’s Day. So when it’s late, or it’s a Monday and everything is closed, or you tried to go to the new peking duck place and there’s an hour wait and you’re hungry and want something great to eat right now, Bufalina Due is frequently the solution.
The elephant in the room is the big wood-fired pizza oven in the back (it’s very nice to sit next to during a wintertime cold snap). While there are simple seasonal salads and rotating fresh handmade pastas on the menu that you should definitely order, pizza is why you’re here. The Neapolitan pizzas are nearly perfect and textbook, with a leoparded crust that’s yeasty, light, and airy. While there are classics like a marinara and a margherita, we can’t help but order the electrifying red pie that amps up the traditional pizza profile with double garlic, double parmesan, and chili flakes.
photo credit: Nitya Jain
Beyond the pizza, you also go to Bufalina Due for the wine, as it’s got one of the more adventurous lists in town, with bottles that span from cult Catalan producers to new-school Texan wineries. It’s the kind of wine-focused restaurant where you can ask questions like, What’s new? What’s good? What’s something weird to try? And the personable and deeply knowledgeable staff will have the answers (and most likely samples).
While the wine and pizza are great at Bufalina Due, the coziness is the real draw. The large wooden tables are great for groups, the mid-century pendants have a warm glow, and the restaurant has one of our favorite bars to post up at on date night. It’s both intimate (with a friendly and easygoing staff) and energetic (with bopping, uptempo playlists that span from bossa nova to electronica to French disco to '80s hip-hop). Like a worn-in sweatshirt, Bufalina Due is a place where you can feel at ease, with a glass of wine in one hand, and a slice of Neapolitan pizza in the other.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Nitya Jain
Burrata Or Today's Mozzarella
photo credit: Nitya Jain
Bibb Salad
photo credit: Nitya Jain
Pasta
photo credit: Nitya Jain
Pizza
photo credit: Nitya Jain