finally!

Beloved Austin pizzeria finally sets Houston opening date

One of Austin’s favorite pizzerias is finally ready to make its Houston debuts. Home Slice Pizza will officially open to the public on Wednesday, December 14.

For those unfamiliar, Home Slice is Austin’s most well regarded New York pizzeria. First opened on South Congress in 2005, the restaurant serves hand-tossed, New York and Sicilian-style pizzas made in a gas-fired deck oven. Salads, hot and cold sandwiches, and desserts round out the menu. Beverage options include soda, craft beer, and wine.

Available both as whole pies and by-the-slice, Home Slice’s pizzas have earned wide acclaim, including being named among the top pizzerias in the U.S. by both TripAdvisor and TripSavvy. Its original location is so popular that the restaurant opened a to-go only annex next door. A second full restaurant arrived in North Austin in 2018.

The road to opening in Houston hasn’t been smooth. Home Slice signed a lease for the former Sparrow Bar + Cookshop/Winbern Mess Hall space at 3701 Travis Street in January 2020 but put the project on hold when the pandemic hit. Construction on the location began in June 2021 but took longer than expected due to supply shortages and changes in design. Home Slice partner Jeff Mettler makes no apologies for taking the time to get the buildout just right.

“We took our time finding finishes and agreeing on colors,” Mettler tells CultureMap. “It was important to us to lead with our best foot forward. In 2005, we had the luxury of being an underdog in Texas where not many people knew what New York pizza is. We’re not in that position anymore. People have expectations, and we want to exceed people’s expectations.”

Plans originally called for the restaurant to seat people on two stories and offer full service. Instead, the restaurant has been oriented towards to-go with a limited amount of indoor seating and a spacious, 50-seat, covered patio that's also dog friendly.

Mettler describes the restaurant's design inspiration as “deep Brooklyn.” A wall of framed photographs shows off the houses and storefronts that inspired the look. Home Slice went to great lengths to create the right atmosphere, including pouring custom breeze blocks for the patio. A similar devotion to getting the details right applies to its food, too.

“We’re not going to compromise,” Mettler says. “We’re not going to open until our dough’s right. We’re not going to open until our staff is comfortable to not only give proper service but provide hospitality to our guests.”

That hospitality extends beyond the register. Known for its friendly service, employees check on diners after they receive their food and will assist with things like refills.

Once the staff has its sea legs, the kitchen will be able to produce as many as one pizza per minute. Mettler estimates they’ll be somewhere between one-half and one-third of that pace at opening, so expect a bit of a wait. Home Slice will begin service at 11 am Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays).

Once open, diners will be able to order in person or online via the restaurant's website. A slice window will expedite pickup for those needing a bite before or after a show at The Continental Club. Third party delivery will be added in time.

Photo by Sammie Theige Burnett

Home Slice Pizza will open next week.

As the comments on the restaurant's recent Instagram posts attest, Houstonians are ready for the restaurant's opening. The company has been quiet about its plans until now, but Mettler says that's about to change.

“We’ve kept a log of every single person’s that commented or emailed ‘when are you opening.’ Once we get comfortable, we’re going to start responding and tagging them in posts,” he says.

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rumor no more

East Coast-style Austin pizzeria confirms plans to open in the Heights

Home Slice Pizza Heights location rendering

Courtesy of the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

A rendering previews Home Slice Pizza's new location in the Heights.

One of Austin’s pizzerias is expanding its presence in Houston. Home Slice Pizza has claimed the former Mapojeong space in the Heights (602 Studewood) for a new location that will open in the fall of 2026.

Founder Joseph Strickland tells CultureMap that Home Slice wanted to add a second Houston location that would build on the success of its Midtown restaurant that opened in late 2022. Unlike Midtown, which is counter service and offers limited seating, the Heights location will offer full service, an expanded menu, and cocktails, which is in line with Home Slice’s North Austin location.

“We saw a lot of synergy in North Austin and the Heights,” Strickland says. “They have a similar feel, a lot of families, a lot of people looking to get together in big groups. There’s also a robust bar scene on White Oak that we’re happy to be part of.”

Strickland says Home Slice had several requirements for a new location, including a larger dining room than Midtown, a decent-sized parking lot, and enough kitchen capacity to serve both dine-in and larger to-go orders. Not only did they find the right building, but they established a productive relationship with the property’s owner, Revive Development, the Houston-based firm that also owns properties that are home to Loro, Squable, Camaraderie, and the Stomping Grounds development in Garden Oaks.

“It was hard to believe at first. The more we talked with the Revive folks, there was a lot of alignment and opportunity for us to expand what we’re showing Houston,” Stickland says.

Home Slice is working with the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture to renovate the building. Strickland notes that it will require some extensive changes, including removing the butcher shop that was installed as part of its iteration as Ritual, a steakhouse that closed in 2021. Assuming everything goes according to plan, the restaurant should open sometime in the fall of 2026.

Home Slice Pizza food spread Home Slice serves New York-style pizza.Photo by Garrett Smith

Once open, Home Slice will serve its East Coast-inspired menu of New York-style pizzas (whole or by-the-slice), hot and cold Italian deli sandwiches, salads, and desserts — all of which utilize dough or bread that’s made in-house. In particular, the restaurant is known for its white clam pizza, as well as classics such as pepperoni and mushroom or sausage with ricotta and roasted peppers. In 2024, the Houston Press awarded “Best Sandwich” to the restaurant’s Italian Assorted, which is made with ham, dry salami, capicola, genoa salami, vegetables, provolone, mayo, and oil & vinegar.

Critically, the Heights Home Slice location will add wings to the New York and Sicilian-style pizzas, salads, and sandwiches that the restaurant serves in Midtown. Inspired by the wings served at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, Home Slice keeps its wings simple — medium or hot and served with a house made blue cheese dressing. “It goes with our pizza quite wonderfully,” Stickland says.

He hopes that the the wide-ranging menu, flexible menu, and late night hours will appeal to Heights locals, people patronizing the nearby bars on White Oak, and anyone else looking for a slice and a drink. The larger location and full service should make home slice an option for date nights, office happy hours, any just about any other occasion.

“We hope the neighborhood will be happy to have another offering that’s like ours, where you can bring a first date or your office or go by yourself. We offer all those experiences,” Strickland says.

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