Best Pizza in San Antonio

My Quest for the Best Pizza in San Antonio

“Every pizza is a personal pizza if you try hard and believe in yourself.” ~Bill Murray

Best pizza in San Antonio? You bet I want to know where to find the best pizza in town! That very topic had already come up in several conversations with friends and blog fans about finding “the best pizza” being one of my next food quests.

So, of course I was pretty excited when San Antonio Magazine came out with their February 2019 issue. The best pizza in San Antonio. Yes! Their critic’s picks of SA’s top 12 pizzas? They made it easy for me since the entire issue had the next Elda Eats food challenge written all over it, right?!

How easy would this be!

Not So Easy…

To be honest, not very easy. I can now see why they didn’t choose just one as THE best pizza, but instead selected a dozen from around town.

I realized early on that it would be somewhat difficult to judge different styles of pizza against each other—it would be like comparing apples to oranges, or NY-style to deep-dish or traditional Italian style pizza to whatever Buffalo-style pizza is. Anyway, it was harder than I thought (yes, that is what SHE said…she being me.)

Okay, so it wasn’t easy and I spent a bit of time thinking through this and how I would judge. Like many foods, taste and texture preference are personal things, but this is the quest I chose. I mean, I already posted everything on social media, so I need to decide, I need to write this blog post. Because as the great Bill Murray quote above encourages, it was indeed personal, and I believe in myself!

A Whole Lotta Pizzas

I’ve done this before. Judged calorie-laden foods in a short period of time. How would I properly judge pizzas? I can’t eat 12 pizzas in one day, or even in one weekend or one week. Even a month would be a bit much (although that is probably what I will do for the next pizza quest. Wait, what? Duh. There’s always a follow up quest that must be planned at some point, but as usual, I digress…)

I decided I would spend 12 weeks eating 12 pizzas. A pizza a week. It would help me pace myself and would also give me weekly content for all of those fabulous social media posts I’d create, and perhaps keep my readers and fans on the edge of their seats.

Doing it for the Gram? Kind of. But I didn’t do it that well, as I started the quest for the best pizza in March, ended in June, and well, here we are in August and I’m just getting around to writing this post.

Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself. We are talking about me not getting around to writing about pizza. Pizza that I got to eat. Talk about first world influencer problems!

Back to the post…

I’ve Always Loved Pizza

Like most people, I have always loved pizza. I didn’t eat it too much growing up, but as soon as I was out on my own, delivery pizza and any pizza really, became a staple in my diet.

After all, pizza buffets and pizza coupons can really help a poor college student/young adult get their necessary nutrients. I’d devour whole pizzas with extra cheese and pepperoni like there was no tomorrow, and then just order another pizza tomorrow.

I was eating part of the American dream!

Then I moved to Chicago…talk about pizza dreams.

Talk About Living the Pizza Dream…

My first pizza love was definitely not the frozen frisbees or Chef Boyardee boxed pizza kit that my mom almost always refused to buy, but rather has always been the deepest-dished pies I could fit onto my plate or into my mouth.

Godfather’s, Conans and another place in Austin that was called something like The Incredible Flying Pizza (on Riverside in the late 80’s) were my first favorites. The deeper the dish, the deeper my love.

I also fondly remember a place near Westport Plaza in St. Louis that I went to all the time with my grandparents. I lived with them while I was in the 6th grade and we probably went there twice a month. They had great pizza and I remember a train-theme in the place. I don’t remember the name but I do remember they had great pizza. Great deep dish pizza.

(And no, it wasn’t Imo’s Pizza in St. Louis, which although I’ve had quite a few times, I never really did like because of their thin crust. I do probably need to give them another try next time I’m up that way as my pizza crust tolerance has definitely evolved…)

Back to the quest

How did I begin? With one pizza. One pizza a week, I took my notes and then I ate and judged accordingly.

Or as a pizza philosopher might say, one slice of pizza for mankind, one entire pizza for the blog. Or something like that.

Let’s take a look at the contenders.

The List

The dirty dozen from San Antonio Magazine, in the order I tried them:

• Tre Trattoria http://tretrattoria.com
• Florio’s* https://www.facebook.com/Florios-Pizza
• Barbaro http://www.barbarosanantonio.com
• SoHill Cafe* https://www.sohillcafe.com
• Capo’s Pizzeria* http://www.capospizzasa.com
• Dough Pizzeria http://www.doughpizzeria.com
• Big Lou’s Pizza* http://biglouspizza-satx.com
• Miss Ellie’s Pizza of New York* http://misselliespizzaofnewyork.com
• Trilogy Pizza* https://www.trilogypizza.com
• Playland* https://playlandsa.com
• Fralo’s* http://www.fralos.com
• Il Forno http://www.ilfornosa.com

Asterisks above note places that I had not visited before.

I Should Confess

Like most people, I already had what I considered to be my favorite pizza joints in town. Both of them were included in San Antonio Magazine’s list: Barbaro and Il Forno.

Il Forno was what I considered to be my favorite Italian-style pizza, while Barbaro was what I considered to be my favorite other-style pizza that wasn’t Chicago deep-dish because, well, they don’t have too many of those pizzas down here. And in the past, when it came to Barbaro and Il Forno, I never could choose between the two, although a slight advantage to Barbaro because of the bar and some other items on their menu that are also big faves of mine. Plus, it’s just about walking distance from my house.

I always drive though. Um, hello, it’s Texas. (We drive here.)

Anyway, I should confess that the quest—like many others before it—was already about seeing if I could find pizza better than these two favorites.

Did I find any better? You’re fixin’ to find out…

The Quest Begins!

Every food journey begins with one small or large slice, and this journey was no exception.

For blog purposes, I have separated the pizzas into different rounds in order to better share my comments, judge, and to show you their photos in some sort of orderly fashion.

In All Their Glory

Here they are, in all their glory. I ate every inch of every pizza you see in these photos.

Round One: Pizzas with New York style

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Florio’s:

Well, I was very unimpressed with Florio’s. The pizza was just okay (it was the pepperoni that was just nothing special and almost tasted as though it wasn’t even on the pizza when it went into the oven…) but it was the service that made the experience really disappointing. No greeting, no thank you, not much of any words spoken at all. I had to pretty much figure out where to order, where to get my drink, how I’d get my food. It was not a great experience. No smiles, nothing.

I don’t like giving bad reviews, but if the service is really bad, I have to tell the truth.

Also, remember that I went to Florio’s because they made San Antonio Magazine’s list of the 12 best pizza places in the city. I was pretty perplexed at this as I sat there eating, because I have no idea how that could be possible. I would say while the pizza crust and cheese itself were okay (the pepperoni was sub-par) it is nowhere near the best of any pizza anywhere. I am at a loss for words to explain how it could have ranked high enough by anyone to make any best of list. 

Perhaps I caught them on a bad day, I’m not sure, but I was sad it wasn’t a better experience. 

There. I got the worst pizza out of the way right away. From my visit that day, Florio’s wasn’t even better than a generic frozen pizza you’d buy at the dollar store. It made me sad, but that’s the truth.

Capo’s Pizzeria:

This was my first visit to Capo’s. If you love New York-style pizza, you’ll love this place. 

They say they are Buffalo, NY style, and I don’t know what that means but it seems pretty similar in style to the regular fold-it-while-you-eat-it NY style.

Now, I wrote above that if you love NY-style pizza, you’ll love Capo’s; however, I do not love NY style, quite honestly.

That being said, how does Capo rate? It is really, really tasty. The sauce, cheese and toppings I had were all excellent. And the deal is great since the slices are huge. I mean HUGE!

The service was just okay. I went during lunch. Nothing bad, but nothing great either.

I imagine that they may have the best NY-style pizza in San Antonio, so if that is your thing you should check them out. The pizza was just too fold-worthy for me. Texture matters a lot to me, and folding pizza isn’t my thing.

Miss Ellie’s Pizza of New York:

I had a nice lunch at Miss Ellie’s on a Thursday afternoon.

I had not been to Miss Ellie’s before, had not even heard of it really.

I ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza and tried their famous garlic knots, too. Oh, yeah! I’m glad I tried those garlic knots!!! So good!

Best pizza in San Antonio? Perhaps among the best of the NY style I’ve tried—this crust had more integrity, if you will, and I liked that. The service was also quick but the place seems to get crowded during lunch so plan accordingly. If I was in the neighborhood, I’d definitely go back and have another slice of pizza. And many more garlic knots!

Definitely worth a visit for anyone who hasn’t been.

Winner of these three? My guess is that most people would say Capo’s (the taste of the cheese and toppings really were legit!) but for me, it’s Miss Ellie’s. Again, crust integrity matters.

Round Two: Pizzas with their own styles (for San Antonio)

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Big Lou’s:

My first time finally visiting Big Lou’s, and I will say that I was surprised at how much I did enjoy it. Again, I am not a floppy pizza fan, but the crust is really good and thicker than I thought it would be, and the cheese blend and pepperoni were also really tasty.

While I at first thought they wouldn’t make my list of THE best in town (because again, this style pizza isn’t my preference) I may have changed my mind a little bit while I was eating it and the more I thought about it. They are going to get a prize for surprise of the bunch. I can see why people go and wait. Although, unless it’s a flight at the airport, I rarely wait an hour for anything! lol

As for the wait, it wasn’t too bad when I went during the week for dinner, although the service was hit and miss: some employees were great, others assume you know all of their “rules” and I didn’t. They weren’t rude, but you could tell they were annoyed. It wasn’t busy so there was no need to rush us although I’m sure that is what they are used to doing. 

I would go back, although not if I had to wait a long time. But again, I was pleasantly surprised. The pizza tasted pretty darn good.

Fralo’s:

Did I really drive all the way to Leon Springs for pizza? Yep!

And why, you ask? Because Fralo’s made the list of the best pizza places in the city so there I went.

Was it worth it? Yes. I really, really liked the pizza! I ordered the build your own with pepperoni and garlic and it was good. The cheese, the sauce, the pepperoni, and that crust! The crust is super great!

Speaking of the crust, our server, Gordon, told me how the mother of the owner goes in every morning and makes the crust from her secret family recipe. God bless her!!! She is a true angel here on earth!

Best pizza in San Antonio found in Leon Springs? It could be! It is definitely worth a drive. The pizza, the service, the atmosphere were all worth my visit. And worth another visit, so see y’all again, Fralo’s. Oh, and I will bring my dogs next time. (Dog friendly pizza place!)

Trilogy Pizza:

Oh, Trilogy!

So, before this quest, I had not been to Trilogy Pizza, I had not even heard of it as it’s off my beaten path, being way up north in Stone Oak…

But there I was. I went during the week after work and ordered the burrata as an appetizer—which was excellent—and then anxiously awaited my favorite style pizza: Chicago deep dish!

Did I love it? Yes, I loved the pizza! I ordered the medium Chicago style and ended up getting a large because they had a special going on (extra bonus – pizza to eat there and pizza for the freezer later!!!) so I had much more of their amazingly delicious deep dish (which is really stuffed style if you’re from Chicago or know that style of pizza from up there in the Windy City) with pepperoni and garlic. It was so good! And let me say that as a native Texan who lived in Chicago for 14 years, this pizza is the real deal! I have a new favorite pizza joint!

I did not taste their NY or California styles of pizza but I saw some being delivering to tables and they all looked great.

Best pizza in San Antonio? It could be! It is definitely my new favorite place to eat. Should I move closer to the Stone Oak neighborhood??? LOL

Also, the service was really great! I truly cannot wait to go back.

If you live close by, why aren’t you there now??? If you don’t live close by, it’s worth the drive.

Winner of these three? They were all excellent but Trilogy is—like I said above—my new favorite place to eat in San Antonio. It’s all about style preference, though. The other two may end up ranking pretty high in my final list.

Round Three: Italian-style

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Dough:

Then there’s Dough. I just don’t get it. Everyone loves it. Everyone thinks it’s best. The famous food TV show people come and they all love it. Everyone really loves it. Everyone but me.

Why don’t I love it? It just doesn’t taste that great to me. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t taste bad (I’m not comparing it to Florios), because it’s not bad pizza, in fact it’s good pizza, but it’s never been excellent when I’ve had it. This time, there was not enough sauce, and the sauce or maybe the cheese was way too salty while the crust tasted like it needed more salt.

It may be the best pizza in San Antonio for others but not for me; that being said their pizza is good.

Note: Their cheese may definitely be among the best, I’ll say that. They make a great cheese!

All in all, Dough is definitely worth a visit, so if you haven’t been, you should go. I will go back, and maybe in a future visit, it’ll rank higher on my list. I always hope it will be. After all, no one benefits more by great pizza than the one eating it.

SoHill Cafe:

I finally made it to SoHIll Cafe!

I had been wanting to go since they opened last fall, and finally did as they made the magazine’s list.

The pizza and service were really good. I loved the flavor of the pepperoni. A really solid pizza. There was part of the bottom of the pizza that was a bit overcooked but all in all, it was a very good pizza.

Check them out if you haven’t already. You will have a great time, I’m sure!

Playland:

The list also got me to finally try Playland!

Playland serves up a different version of pizza than other places and I was looking forward to trying it.

I ordered their basic pizza and added pepperoni. Which I suppose was their Happy Parent pizza that included mozzarella and parmesan. 

What makes Playland pizza different? Well, it is a thinner NY-style pizza made in a pretty pizza oven you can see from your pretty marble table, but that’s not it. It’s their sourdough pizza crust. How was it? Not bad. The pizza itself overall was really tasty (although the crust alone wasn’t all that flavorful – nice chewy texture while hot, but maybe it needed a little salt.)

I did like it and would go again. The pizza tasted good and had good integrity (didn’t flop over when I held up a slice…again, a lot of people like floppy pizza, but I’m not one of them.)

Best pizza in San Antonio? They will not make it into my top pies but it was good and I’m glad Playland is in San Antonio. 

Winner of these three? It would have to be SoHill Cafe. Great little family joint serving really tasty pizza. I look forward to going back again really soon.

Round Four: Pizza I already loved

Il Forno:

I love Il Forno! I already loved Il Forno.

I could go every week and never get tired of the pizza (or the meatballs, which I didn’t have this visit…)

Again, even before they made San Antonio Magazine’s list of one of the 12 best pizzas in town, they were in my top two, at least, if not my favorite, and especially my favorite traditional Italian-style pizza. I think their pizza and the entire vibe of the place is amazing.

I am very thankful to Jason there, for always being so hospitable, having good beer on tap and for all he does for the community. I look forward to seeing him and his crew again real soon.

The pizza this visit? Well, it wasn’t actually the best version of the many I’ve had. It was a bit too salty. I was a little sad but it was still a lot better than most pizza I’ve had in my life. I’ll go back many, many times and order the same thing and next time it’ll likely be better than perfect.

Nothing but lots of love for Il Forno in Southtown. See you soon! XO

Barbaro:

Again, I love Barbaro! I hope I always love Barbaro.

I went twice during this quest although only had pizza once. Anyway, did I mention I love Barbaro?! I think their pizza is amazing and even before this quest I was telling people their pizza was probably my favorite. I would always recommend when someone asked me where to go for great pizza.

Perhaps it’s cheating but I order my pizza from Barbaro with my usual pepperoni and roasted garlic. It’s OMG-good. I mean, it’s an amazing combination. Their toppings, and especially their crust is just amazing. I have never had a bad pizza there.

Yep, nothing but love for Barbaro. See you soon! XOXO

Tre Trattoria:

I already loved Tre Trattoria, too. Still love them right now.

I also went to Tre more than once during the quest (their restaurant is literally steps away from my office, if you must know) and the pizza was always very, very good. Their pizza is also a bit different as it’s made in a cast iron skillet. Really? Really!

A few years ago, its thin crust would have turned me off, but again, I have evolved, and I’m glad I have. Not only is the crust very flavorful, but the toppings are of the best quality and always taste so good.

The soppresetta pizza is my favorite and it is one of my favorite things to eat in the world. Seriously.

I’ll eat it again soon, too. XO

The Winner(s)?

How to pick a winner…is eating at a place more than once during the quest a hint? Maybe. Maybe not.

While I kept going back to Barbaro for overall everything that I love in pizza: crust flavor and texture, toppings and how it all goes together, I do love a very deep-dish and thick pizza.

Therefore, I chose both Barbaro and Trilogy. With Fralo’s and Tre Trattoria not too far behind. I really loved them all.

Too many favorite pizzas to choose. Not a bad problem to have, right?

Runners Up?

Fair question. First, here is the official list of how my top five ranked:

1. Barbaro & Trilogy
2. Fralo’s
3. Tre Trattoria
4. Big Lou’s

With very honorable mentions going to Miss Ellie’s and SoHill Cafe. And while Il Forno didn’t rank high this time around, they are still among my favorites. Any other pizza I have had at Il Forno in the past would have put them in the top on the above list, but being fair to this quest, I needed to judge them according to the pizza I had in June (and it was just too salty).

Surprise of the bunch? Definitely Big Lou’s. I didn’t expect it to be that good. I figured giant pizza hype with long lines just because it’s what you do for the hype (like they do at so many places in Austin…lol) but I was wrong. And I was glad to be wrong! That dough is legit.

How the rest ranked based on the visits described above:

• Miss Ellie’s
• SoHill Cafe
• Il Forno
• Playland
• Capo’s
• Dough
• Florio’s

Biggest disappointment? Florio’s was a really bad experience; probably one of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve had in the last few years but I didn’t have any expectations so I wouldn’t say my visit there was really a disappointment. But once again, Dough was a disappointment. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s pizza, and I ate it all but if it would have been my first time eating there, and I didn’t know that it was supposed to be this amazing place, I’d wonder how they made the list at all. I had been there before though, and had the same experience. Good, but not great. Their hand-made burrata? That’s great. The pizza? So far, not that I’ve tasted. Too bad, too, because I keep wanting it to be great. I want all pizza to be great.

Being Great

What is great? That my hometown of San Antonio has some really great pizza, and I am proud to be able to live and eat pizza here. Even if it takes me a little bit longer to write about doing so.

Here’s to more living, more eating, and more of always wanting pizza to be great.

~Elda XO

P.S. Eat more pizza!

Where do you get your favorite pizza? Was it left out of San Antonio Magazine’s List of the 12 Best? Comment here or send me a message on social media. I’d love to try your favorite pizza and add it to the list for my next best pizza quest.