Roppolo’s Pizzeria on 6th St, Downtown Austin Texas

My third day in Austin started with rainy weather throughout the day which, although a bummer for walking, made me glad I rented a car today. Three days in and I started to feel like I needed something that reminded me of New York. The answer to my New York woes ended up being pepperoni pizza at Roppolo’s Pizza on 6th St in Downtown Austin Texas. As with most things, the story of how it came to be is even better than how it ends.

Why I Picked Roppolo’s Pizzeria

During my stay I’ve been using the Yelp iPhone app to help guide me on restaurant picks in the city. The Yelp app will give you a list of matches (if you search for “pizza” it’ll show you nearby pizzerias) with useful info within each result like distance from your current location, reviews (1-5 stars) and how pricey the food is. There’s more info on there but for my needs the above features do the trick. Sitting about half way down the results was Roppolo’s Pizzeria with 3-stars out of 51 reviews. That didn’t look promising.

Ordinarily I would dismiss the idea of going to a place with a low review but I didn’t want to walk too far from the hotel and, more importantly, I was starving.

Heading down the street to check it out I once again noticed how truly unique Austin is. There is just art, music, hobos, college life and luxury all balled up into one cool town.

Artwork along San Jacinto Blvd

Solid Location

Roppolo’s is located on 6th St in the Entertainment District of Downtown Austin. 6th St gets pretty crazy every night though hotel staff and other locals have noted that it gets even more rowdy on weekends. There are a ton of bars (dive or otherwise), restaurants and my personal favorite: Shop24; a 24-hour convenience store.

6th St Entertainment District - Austin Texas

The significance of Roppolo’s location is that you can go out for the night, get rowdy, grab pizza and head straight back to your hotel. They’re open ’til 3:00 am, seven days a week.

What’s Roppolo’s Like?

Inside Roppolo's Pizzeria

First, the atmosphere of the pizzeria is pretty cool. It’s not upscale by any means and it’s readily apparent who their primary clientele is: drunk revelers seeking late night grub. The unpretentious setting is perfect for a quick bite to eat. If you’re seeking a romantic ambiance you would be better suited to the Old Pecan Street Cafe a few doors down.

There is a certain charm to the place that I really liked. It’s Americana at its finest from the bluesy music in the background to the decadently cheesed pizzas sitting behind the counter.

How Was The Pizza?

Speaking of pizza, I would say it’s in the top 10 best pieces of pizza I’ve ever had. The crust had the perfect crunch factor — enough to make it feel like you’re not eating lasagna but not so crunchy that you walk out with bleeding gums — and the cheese was enough to make it a treat worth breaking a diet for. Roppolo’s pizza is far better than most higher end brick oven restaurants I’ve dined at and a tasty force to be reckoned with. In the end it was a surprising illusion: The humble exterior and eclectic interior of Roppolo’s belied the amazing quality of their pizza.

Would I Recommend It?

Absolutely. This is THE pizza joint to stop in while hanging around 6th St. There are still places in New York that do pizza better (hey, it’s New York!) but Roppolo’s is one of the top few I’ve ever seen do pizza this good outside of NYC.