There’s an old-timeyness to Antonio’s décor and atmosphere that feels comforting—let alone the giant pizzaiolo flinging a pie on the billboard outside, beckoning us in. Opened in 1971 by Antonio and Rosalba Rosa, the restaurant is still a go-to for neighborhood locals. If you’re in the area, stop by for one of the specialty pizzas like the biancorosso, topped with burrata, pepperoni, and caramelized onions, or build your own from a wealth of topping options.

Although it’s a bar first and foremost, cosmic-themed Betelgeuse Betelgeuse (now with two locations in Houston) has some pretty out-of-this-world pizza. Named after the red supergiant in Orion’s constellation, both locations sport quirky, intergalactic décor. It’s a perfect backdrop for one of our favorite activities: sipping on cocktails while eating our fill of pizza. Owner Chris Cusack consulted with Anthony Calleo, owner of Detroit-style pizza spot Gold Tooth Tony’s, on the bar’s pizza menu, which offers both meat pizzas and veggie options. Start with the Sausage-Feta with Italian sausage, confit onions, and feta cheese, then move on to the Supernova, with pepperoni, Mandola Food Co. Italian sausage, mushrooms, onion, and pepper.

Agricole Hospitality’s crown jewel celebrated 10 years of serving Houstonians in 2024. A neighborhood restaurant that is also destination-worthy, Coltivare has thrived by offering consistently great Italian pasta, pizza, and small plates with many ingredients sourced locally or from its backyard garden. The pizza selection rotates regularly. Opt for a simple tomato, basil, and mozzarella pie, or something more adventurous like the Gulf shrimp pizza with spinach, spicy tomato sauce, olives, chiles, and lemon.

This Houston institution has seen better days, but there’s always a time and a place for Frank’s. Head here if you happen to already be wandering around downtown on foot, or if you’re in need of a second dinner after knocking a few back on Main Street, as Frank’s is open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. Order whatever slice looks freshest from the case, and keep it simple—think classic pepperoni or cheese pizza.

This Detroit-style pizza restaurant (the first one in Houston) from longtime Houston pizza wizard Anthony Calleo is quickly becoming one of our favorite spots in town. For the uninitiated, Detroit-style pizza features a thick and chewy square-cut crust with some pretty irresistible corner slices. Standout options at Gold Tooth Tony’s include a mac and cheese pie with bacon, as well as the Detroit Supreme, made with pepperoni, house-made Italian sausage, roasted maitake mushrooms, confit onions, red and green peppers, and olive salad. There are now two locations, and you can also find Gold Tooth Tony’s pizza at Rudyard’s in Montrose.

The inconspicuous Midtown location, which has no signage, has relied on word of mouth to pack its seats since opening in 2019—and that tactic is still very much paying off. The restaurant, owned by Venezuelan husband-and-wife team Vanessa Fernandez and Cesar Izaguirre, has become known for its superb pies, which sport light and crispy crusts that straddle the line between Neapolitan- and New York–style pies. Staples here include the Pepperoni Madness with a mildly spicy hot honey and, if you’re a cheese fiend, the Cinque Formaggi, which has an overload of fior di latte cheese, mozzarella, gorgonzola, goat cheese, and parmesan. Gypsy Poet opened a second location in the Heights in 2022.

Austin-based Home Slice is an icon in its hometown, so it was only a matter of time before it started expanding to other cities in Texas. The pizza slinger opened its first Houston location in 2022 in Midtown, creating quite a lot of buzz. The whimsically designed restaurant boasts details such as Rococo-esque iron fencing, kitschy garden sculptures, and plenty of murals—all in step with the eclectic vibe of the Mid Main strip it calls home. Since Home Slice has a to-go window, it’s become a quick favorite of patrons of neighboring bars such as Double Trouble and the Continental Club (another Austin transplant). You can’t go wrong with Home Slice’s famous white pizza—olive oil, garlic, ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, and Romano—and its pepperoni and mushroom pizza. 

In 2023, How to Survive on Land and Sea, a funky wine bar housed in the Plant, was taken over by a former Café Louie partner and rebranded as Neighbors Pizza Bar. The relationship between the bar and Café Louie didn’t end there. The bar’s new owner brought in former Café Louie co-owner Angelo Emiliani as a consultant to design a pizza program for the newly rebranded spot. The menu started small with only three types of pies—cheese, pepperoni, and sausage—available either whole or by the slice, but since then, the restaurant has added a barbecue brisket pizza, and some other new special slices of the day.

Brought to fruition from Nobie’s and Toasted Coconut owners Martin and Sara Stayer, this restaurant is newer to Houston’s growing pizza scene. Nonno’s specializes in authentic Chicago tavern-style pizza (that’s thin crust—we’ve been told deep-dish is for tourists). We love the Maui Wowee pizza, topped with Spam, pineapple, and smoked jalapeño. If you’re a pineapple-on-pizza hater, opt for the Meat Head instead, with capicola, pepperoni, and sausage.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more memorable pizza box in Houston than the ones at Pinks. The pink boxes, which sport retro-style images like clown faces or women with bouffant hair, may look a bit unsettling, but there’s nothing unsettling about the pizza they contain. The chain, which has five locations in Houston, makes thin-crust pizzas that occupy that perfect area between not too thick and not too thin—just how we like ’em. While options here abound, we usually get our fix through the Big Boss Pizza, a pie piled high with pepperoni, Italian sausage, beef, Canadian bacon, and “real” bacon, the menu jokes.

You know Pizaro’s is serious about its pizza from the detailed explanations of Neapolitan, Detroit, and New York styles on the wall by the line to order—and the two massive wood-fired ovens in the kitchen that are imported from Naples. It’s always fun to order a white pie when they’re available, which is not often in Houston; Pizaro’s simple Fino is a great bet, topped with finochietta salami, garlic, goat cheese, mozzarella made in-house, Italian sausage, and basil. As well as Neapolitan red and white pies, Pizaro’s offers equally worthy New York– and Detroit-style options.

The wood oven plays a starring role in this trendy Mediterranean-focused Montrose restaurant, making for some of the best pizza in Houston. The menu rotates regularly, with simple pies like the white-sauce cacio e pepe with formaggi al pepe and pecorino, and a good ole pepperoni pizza with wood-roasted red sauce and mozzarella. All the pizzas make an excellent pairing for Rosie’s expansive wine list.

At the godfather of Houston (and Texas) craft breweries, we like ordering one of our favorite pizzas in the city: a simple Margherita, made with garlic-infused oil, roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil oil. It’s best enjoyed in Saint Arnold’s superb beer garden with a couple of pints, such as the easy-drinking Lawnmower or the heftier and hoppier Art Car. Pizza and hops. Is there a better combination? We think not.

We love the funkiness of Star Pizza #1 on Shepherd, with its graffitied booths and walls, but the local chain also has joints off Washington Avenue (Star Pizza #2) and in Katy (Star Pizza #3). Any pie can be made New York–style, deep-dish, or even gluten-free, with a personal pizza option too. We love the very Texan More Cowbell, made with brisket that’s smoked in-house and the restaurant’s signature barbecue sauce, plus cheddar, mozzarella, and provolone.

Although this East End little sister of Nancy’s Hustle may not get the award recognition of its more frequently lauded older sibling, we think Tiny Champions is just as worthy. While the appetizers and entrees here are stellar (you absolutely need to try the rigatoni as well as the shaved cremini mushroom salad), we usually come here for the pizza. The pies here have bubbly crusts crisped to perfection and manage to maintain their lightness despite being loaded up with a variety of choice toppings. Our go-to is the ricotta cream pie, which comes topped with crispy seasonal greens, mozzarella, and pickled garlic. Of equal note: the anchovy pizza topped with tomato sauce, sliced garlic, and salsa verde. If you end up ordering both, make sure you pack some to go so you can leave some room for dessert, because the ice cream and sorbet sundaes here are worth a visit on their own.