Nicholas Skoumpourdis ’15

In Houston, one of the most culinary diverse cities in the United States, families go out to restaurant for two simple reasons: they’re economically able to due to the immense of job growth and economic opportunity within Houston, and, whatever you choose to eat, whether it be Vietnamese, Mexican/Tex-Mex, Bosnian, Chinese or even African, you are more than likely going to find a place where authentic food is served, never failing to please your taste buds every time.
However, one question still remains the same: what pizza joint in Houston reigns king? Many members of the Strake Jesuit community never really take an opportunity to try pizza out from a local restaurant, and usually just order delivery from national chain restaurants, such as Papa John’s or Domino’s.
Gentlemen of Strake Jesuit, look no further. I am here to give you the Top 3 best pizza places Houston has to offer, based off of authenticity of the pizza, ambience of the restaurant, and customer service; please don’t hesitate to try these places out. Once you find that one place you love, you can kiss your Pizza Hut ordering days goodbye. Without further ado, here begins the Top 3, least to greatest…

3. Russo’s New York Coal-Fired Pizzeria: By bringing the tradition of coal-fired pizza back, owner Anthony Russo did Houston a great favor by showing Houston how most New York joints do pizza- hand-tossing the risen dough, topping it with fresh, farmer’s market ingredients, and using real cheese. The restaurant itself is like a generic Italian restaurant, but it’s a nice spot for any students wanting to go out on a dinner date with a girlfriend, or just to relax and have a nice dinner with your family.

2. Grimaldi’s: Just like Russo’s, Grimaldi’s executes the same tactic with coal-fired ovens, giving every pizza lover that slightly charred taste that adds so much more flavor to the pizza. The reason Grimaldi’s takes number 2 over Russo’s is that the crust is cooked to a crisp in a way that you can enjoy all the toppings you want, while not having to worry about your pizza bending over, and spilling all of the precious ingredients that were so carefully placed on there for you to enjoy. Unfortunately, this happened with Russo’s crust, which leads to signs of the crust being undercooked, making the pizza’s taste change dramatically.

1. Brother’s Pizzeria: Being a Houstonian with New York roots, I was exposed to Brother’s Pizza at a very young age, and I thank my family for that. Going into this place, you enter a portal, entering a New York Pizza joint that looks as if it was ripped from 11th Street, and conveniently placed next to the feeder road leading onto the Katy Freeway. Yankees memorabilia, autographed pictures of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and James Gandolfini don the white, red and green walls, while still paying tribute to the Houston sports, such as the Rockets and Texans. You’re greeted like family the minute you walk in, and if you frequent this establishment, they’ll know you by name, and even ask how your family is doing. There are rumors that they import water from New York in order to make the best crust, since New York has one of the most advanced water treatment facilities in the world. There are other items sold like hot and cold subs, stromboli, pasta, and salads, but let me be the first to tell you you’re wasting your time if you don’t go for pizza. The alternate dishes are good, but your goal should be to have the best slice in Houston, bar none. The only downside is that it’s a little pricy, but it’ll be worth it to you and your taste buds.
I hope you are motivated to go and try these places out, and please don’t hesitate to give me your personal review of these establishments at nskoumpourdis15@mail.strakejesuit.org. Happy eating!