A pizza with cheese and spinach on top of it.

AUSTIN IMPORT | Home Slice Pizza vows ‘In Crust We Trust’


By Jim Ayres

Recently I read an online “best in your state†slideshow listicle that declared Home Slice Pizza to be Texas’ best. Critics have written that this Austin import has some of the most legendary pizza in that city, and now Houstonians can get it in Midtown. But is it really that good?

I hate to spoil the ending, but oh yes. Most definitely. The stuff of dreams. The pizza and just about everything else at Home Slice.

Home Slice’s pizza is legitimately New York style and those who create it are masters of the art. However, the friendly staff is pure Texas hospitality.

Whole 16-inch medium and 18-inch large pies are the way to go here. (Slices sit under heat until served and taste like it.) So far, I’ve savored two of Home Slice’s “Tried and True” pizzas—the Pepperoni & Mushroom (according to the menu, “THE classic of all classicsâ€), and one with spinach, roasted red peppers, green olives, and onions.

In both cases, what impressed me most was the authenticity and generosity of the toppings, and the semolina crust, unmistakable with its nicely tanned, sand-like surface. If you’re looking for a blackened char, this crust may not be your thing, but I love its texture.

Befitting its New York style status, Home Slice also features a white clam pizza that gives you “street cred in Naples and New Haven,†and an Eggplant Pie (“a NY staple that’s like Eggplant Parmesan on a pieâ€).

Of course, you can build your pizza from an expansive list of toppings.

What else blew me away at Home Slice? An Italian Sub that could beat one from any bodega in NYC. They come on a perfectly toasted Italian sesame roll with lettuce, red onions, tomato, mayo, provolone, and oil and vinegar. They’re hearty, too, and they don’t want you messing with the recipe!

That goes for the pizzas as well, but to say that Home Slice is casual is like Rolls-Royce saying their horsepower is “adequate.†I think Houston Chronicle critic Alison Cook described it best in her review:

“The magic of Home Slice lies in the whole improbable, madcap setting — and the informal crowd that brings it to life. By day, the patio’s white wrought-iron fencing conjures up the ornate front-yard aesthetic of old-school Italian neighborhoods in New York City’s boroughs. A multispecies tableau greets you at the outdoor entryway, populated by saints and squirrels, cherubs and angels, youths and goddesses.

“By night, lit by strings of colored bulbs and a wash of neon, Home Slice looms over Travis Street like some ghostly Mardi Gras barge.â€

As with most restaurants imported from Austin, Home Slice has a cult following here so expect crowds. Order at the counter, and they’ll bring it to your table. There is limited seating inside but plenty on that outlandish patio.

Located on Travis next door to Breakfast Klub, parking is difficult at peak times. If you aren’t dining on-site, there’s a separate take-out order section and delivery is available via DoorDash.

 

Home Slice Pizza

3701 Travis Street, Houston, TX 77002
832-810-7437
HomeSlicePizza.com

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