Review: Bufalina Due - Austin TX

After four years living in an Austin suburb, I remain amazed at how many great pizza joints we have - from the stunning Detroit pizzas at Via 313 and Brack's Backyard, a slew of authentically rendered Neapolitans at places like Pieous and Sorellina, Roman style at Baldinucci, New York slices at Home Slice, or Trenton-inspired tomato pies at Salvation Pizza.  And new places keep popping up, like the wonderful Pedroso's Pizza trailer serving fully legit New York slices and equally authentic Grandma pies. 

In February 2023, the web magazine Trips to Discover cited Austin's Bufalina Due as one of the "20 Best Pizza Joints in the United States." The list contained some fabulous pizzas that I've had (Picco in Boston, Razza in Jersey City, and Beddia in Philly) and gave me reason to trust the source. I didn't need more persuasion to try Bufalina; I visited in March of 2023.

Bufalina sits on the far-right end of a typical small strip of commercial stores along Burnet Road, and one of its neighbors is the wonderful Barley Swine restaurant. We dined at Barley Swine in the summer of 2021 when first emerging from pandemic isolation, and I noticed the wonderful smell coming from Bufalina Due. It's been on my radar for a while.

Upon my arrival, I was confronted by a server at the door, who eyed me with suspicion and asked "How may I help you" as though I were a health inspector or IRS agent. I'm still puzzled by why he would not be more welcoming of a customer, but I suspect that I didn't pass the local hipster vibe test.

He acquiesced and finally offered me a table, and then assumed that I needed his tutelage to navigate the QR code to see a menu on my phone. Despite his series of insults (offered with a grudging smile), I stayed for pizza and a $7 draft beer.

All of the pizzas here are Neapolitan, and I ordered a simple 12" pepperoni pie ($17). The crust was particularly tasty, and most of it had a beautiful chew working toward the cornicione. However, the construction was a bit sloppy, with too much sauce in the center that made for a wet first bite of each slice with the cheese eager to slide off.

Beyond the soggy center of this pie, it was nice but not a standout in any way. The pepperoni had a nice spicy kick, but it was relatively thin and ordinary. The tomato sauce was a high point, tangy and present and a perfect complement to the crust and cheese.

Nice char underneath

Had I been in a lovely setting with pleasant service, this would have been a satisfying if not especially noteworthy pizza experience. I've been to a lot of pizza places where it's clear that I'm an outsider, but I've never felt less welcome. This is a good but not nearly perfect pizza, and it wouldn't make my "Top 20" in Austin, let alone Top 20 in America. For a much better pizza and friendly service, drive 5 minutes north on Burnet Road and go to Pedroso's.