Pizza Cave

Pizza Cave is some of the best pizza in the entire Austin area and perfectly adorable. They make their own GF crust rather than buying them frozen from the supplier, and the atmosphere is great. Love this place!

Stopped in here during our Hill Country weekend. It was neat to talk with the owner and hear some of his story. Great quality food! He makes their own sausage, which was perfectly seasoned. The crust is crunchy and not too thick! We went at lunch time and thought the lunch specials were reasonably priced. Check it out!

Okay, I admit I was avoiding going here because it just didn’t look welcoming from the outside. I was asked to meet here for a business meeting, and my mind has been changed! The pizza looks and smells delicious. I actually had a greek salad and a delicious tomato basil soup. The salad was fresh and very tasty. And I am picky about greek salad. The soup was really yummy and some of the best I have eaten. I will definitely go back and next time report on pizza.

Wow! Can it be 3+ years and counting that Pizza Cave has been in business?
Since that time, Drippin’ has become a pizza haven, with at least 4 pizzeria’s in the immediate area that I can count.
Who’s to say what magic combination of factors makes or breaks a pizza joint? My wife and I have been pondering that question, especially noting the disparity between the somewhat spotty popularity of the Pizza Cave, compared to the always-​standing-​room-​only crowd at that pizzeria al forno (wood fired oven) place down the road a bit, whose name I will decline to mention.
It is hard to beat that gritty, partially charred flavor and charm of a true wood-​fired oven (we know, as we’ve built our own on our property), yet, when we are in the mood for a nice reasonably priced standard-​oven pizza, in a nicely decorated environment with table service (no need to stand in a long order line here), we have found the Pizza Cave to be consistently the best pizza available in this area, and at prices waaay below that other establishment.
Tonight we visited again, and weren’t disappointed. It is a shame that some of the other Italian dishes on the menu aren’t more widely promoted. In fact, if one spends some time perusing the back page of the menu, it becomes clear that Drippin’ actually has a little Italian restaurant lurking in the guise of a pizzeria!
I have long touted the caesar salads from here. At $ 3.95, this ample salad has to be one of the bargains in town. I always find the greens to be fresh, the dressing true to the caesar name, not appearing to come from a bottle, and the croutons freshly made.
As entrée this time, I ordered, for the first time, the lasagna, not expecting greatness (after all, it IS a pizza joint). To my pleasant surprise, I found the dish to equal or exceed any I’ve had in a very long time. GREAT marinara sauce, one of the best, next to my wife’s. Kudu’s y’all.
On the flip side, the pesto pasta dish my wife ordered arrived at less than minimum acceptability. She took one look, poked at it a bit, tried a bite, and decided to send it back. The pleasant young waitress took her request in stride without hesitation, asked if she could get her something else, and she did order a nice tasty pizza.
When the bill arrived, there was no charge for the original dish, and the waitress apologized profusely for the issue with that. Every restaurant makes a mistake on occasion. it is how a place deals with those mistakes that separates the winners from losers. 5 gold stars for their response.
My 2015 recommendations to the owner (s)?
1) Offer a few beers on tap. Shiners, Dos X, Fireman’s 4. Pizza and beer DO go together
2) Consider adding a wood fired oven. we deem that the ONLY thing differentiating Pizza Cave from that much more expensive crowd-​attracting joint down the highway
Keep up the good work.

Two slices of overdone, reheated pizza, a mediocre calzone served lukewarm and a salad of lettuce cores alone doesn’t get you a one star rating.
A tepid bowl of really vile marinara sauce, served with the calzone, that tasted very strongly of mold and old eroded tin cans will do it every time. This stuff tasted dangerous.
My wife reported that the bathroom was dirty and had a broken toilet lid with sharp edges. Instead of replacing it, they just put a warning sign on it.
When we went here several times about two or three years ago, it was very good. I hope this visit was just a fluke.

We ordered the large Splunker and it was burnt. This was the second time we’ve ordered a pizza and sadly didn’t feel that we got our money’s worth.

The pizzas are huge! We each ordered a medium pizza, expecting them to be «normal» sized, but we could have ordered just one! It’s huge! The food was fantastic, flavorful, tasty and the best pizza I have tasted in Texas!

Never disappointed with the quality and taste of the pizza. Well done! Friendly staff. Clean restaurant.

Me and wife and 2 kids have been here 4 times now. The service has been terrible ¾ visits and the food has been inconsistent. We always order garlic knots, Caesar salad, and large tomato and basil pizza. The pizza was burnt and crispy twice. 3 times our order sat waiting to be brought to our table for at least 5 minutes resulting in a room temp pizza and cold garlic knots. On my last visit the iced tea was so old I couldn’t drink it. Twice the salad had croutons and none the other two. I enjoyed the meatballs on one visit. They were very fresh and full of flavor. However, if they could get their act together and produce consistently good food, and drop the servers who have no clue, it would be an amazing restaurant. The ability is there but they have yet to run on all cylinders. I will probably give them 2 more chances before I give up.

Very good pizza. The spelunker is outstanding. The crust is the perfect combination. Not so thick that you’re bloated on bread and thin enough to still taste it AND the toppings. Hand tossed so be prepared to wait. Well worth it.

First time here based on a family member recommendation and on the reviews. We ordered a meat pizza with some extra veggie toppings. It was very tasty. Crusty was crispy and very flavorful, although in the middle of the pizza it was soggy. Because we ate it here, it was not a problem with us.
Meret was our server. She was awesome… very pleasant, cheerful and didn’t hover.
Will we be back? YES. I recommend The Pizza Cave; you’ll like it.

Jersey’s in the house! Having recently moved from NJ, we’ve been disappointed with the pizza in the area, until we found this treasure! I was transported to the east coast with just one bite. I always judge a pizza based on the plain pie, and these folks nailed it! There is nothing like NJ/​NY pizza & I’m glad I’m just down the road from this place. The garlic knots are also great & Very Italian (meaning tons of garlic!!!)
The only flaw is that they don’t deliver. Seriously, all these communities around here are dying for someone that delivers, please deliver!

Our friends took us here. We got: Meat lovers, margherita pizzas and
Garlic knots. This place is so good. Probably the best pizza I have had in Austin. The crust is so crunchy and the garlic knots are very garlicky which is awesome.
My husband loves this place too. We will definitely come back here!

We were told the owner is from the East Coast, so my born and raised in Long Island husband was ready to test their NY-​style pizza.
He said it more than passed the test! We got a Large half cheese and half onion.
It’s definitely NY-​style. Fresh, delicious and salty cheese, onion half was less salty, but just as tasty. Really delicious pie.
We were served by Natalie, who was attentive, helpful and friendly. Our timing was perfect at 8PM on Saturday — we arrived just after a huge soccer team party left and before another large group arrived, so service was very fast.

We’ve been here several times and have never been disappointed. Dined in and picked up and it’s always great. Just picked up a pizza — thin crispy crust, half pesto with spinach and juicy Roma tomatoes, half Alfredo with harm, pepperoni and green olives. Totally ate our respective halves without leaving a bit. Except some crust for the dog, just because he was drooling all over the place.
If you are looking for great pizza, this is it. Not too far if you’re in Wimberley, either. We drive from there every time.

It was ok.
I’m a bit of a pizza critique so I am hard to please.
The service was excellent and the restaurant itself was nice.

When a kid tells me that this place serves up their favorite gluten free crust, I take notice. Most pizza places get their gluten free crusts frozen and from another vendor, not at Pizza Cave, they make it themselves. The downside of them making it themselves though, is that they only have a couple gluten free crusts available per day. I am glad the kid’s parents mentioned this tip to me, as I immediately called and asked them to hold a gluten free crust for me, as I would be dining in. By the time I arrived, my crust was the last one they had. The menu is extensive, and can be quite overwhelming, they do have gluten free pasta, and dessert options to consider. The service here was OK, not the greatest, we waited awhile to have our order taken. They do have a wine and beer menu that highlights some local Texan wines. Inside is nothing fancy, this is truly a neighborhood pizza joint balancing the demand of take out and dine in orders. I loved how everyone seemed to know each other, and the manager/​owner calling out like a sea captain managing his crew and checking in on everyone while he flipped pizzas and put them into the brick wood fire oven. The gluten free crust is truly unlike anything I have had anywhere else. It was thick, bread like, tasted good, and didn’t fall apart. It also didn’t get soggy under the weight of all the yummy toppings. It was so filling, that I could only eat two pieces, and took the rest home for delicious left overs the next day. My friend enjoyed her normal crust pizza and garlic knots. Would definitely come back here on my way home again from the 290 wine road.

This is a great little Italian spot. Unfortunately I was just driving through and I happened upon it and hope to be back soon. You’ve got to try the garlic rolls they are simply amazing. The pizza flavor was wonderful their Italian dressing is handmade and I just can’t say enough about that service during the lunch hour.
Highly recommended spot if you’re in dripping Springs Texas.

This is definitely the best New York style pizza in these parts. Great thin crust and always cooked perfectly. I like the Pepperoni slice. Really, as close to NYC as I have had in the Austin area. My wife really likes the Buffalo Chicken pizza, which I will admit, is darn tasty but not my style. I haven’t tried too many other things here. But we’ve eaten lots of these pies. I do like that they have some local bottled beer options, and they have some great locally made deserts as well.
My only complaint is that the large pizza is so big that the box won’t fit in the fridge. I’ve had bigger problems though, and will deal with it… :)

Roughly a year after my review of Pizza Cave, I’ve decided to come back and award 5 stars based on my recent dining experiences. What I can’t create here in Unilocal is a specific lunch only review for Drippin’ restaurants so I’ll make a quick rundown for comparison.
Koi Lantern — Notify your next of kin
Sunrise Café — $ 11 enchilada plates, really?
El Rey — Going downhill daily
Hill Country Pizza Ranch — Weird dough
There are a few other contenders, but what sets The Cave apart is the $ 6 with drink two slice deal. Spend a little less than $ 6 for a salad and one slice. Don’t get me wrong, you can spend more $$‘s here which I have. Lasagna one day, an off menu penne with vodka sauce. Then one of the proprietors drops by the table and adds some complimentary bacon… incredible flavors.
Yes, the lunch slices are already cooked waiting for your decision. Reheating in the oven makes the crust ultra crisp winning my approval for NY style pizza! One of the best Caesar salads I’ve had to date. Crisp romaine with a smooth finish on the dressing only being second to a friends homemade version.
I really like the vibe of Pizza Cave. Joe, chief cook and bottle washer greets me every time I step in for lunch. Service is decent and who can’t say to much about value for what you get, the slices are huge! Knowing my grandpa never tried pizza, I’d hope he would approve that these fine folks inhabit the structure he built so long ago.