Be my guide: Star or Brother’s? Pizza showdown in Houston
I thought I’d do something different for my stop in Houston on this two-week road trip. Readers gave conflicting picks for the undisputed champion of pizza in the city. The doughy delicacy being one of my favorite foods, I put them to the test.
On the blog post announcing the reader-driven road trip, Beth wrote, “Go to Star Pizza for some amazing pizza and great atmosphere.” Later, Jeff Flowers (@Bukowsky on Twitter) wrote, “I heart Brother’s Pizza in Houston.”
The Texas city may not be known for its pizza, as New York or Chicago are, but if pizza joints garnered nearly half of reader suggestions (and dozens of user reviews on Google Maps), I figured the Italian pie must be a popular meal here. With the challenge set, I hopped in my car and headed to Star Pizza on Harvard Street to grab a couple of slices.
The sign pointing drivers toward Star Pizza at 2111 Norfolk was laughably flashy. It reminded me of Pizza Planet, the fictional restaurant from the movie “Toy Story,” or the entrance to Space Mountain at Disneyland. The actual location is unassuming, with outdoor and indoor seating and few decorations.
The place wasn’t overly crowded, but it took a little while to get service. Star Pizza goes the Pizza Hut route for dining in: You order from your table, and it pretends it’s a gourmet restaurant instead of a standard pizza place.
I ordered two slices of pepperoni pizza — keeping it simple. A short time later, the waiter placed two plates with decently sized slices in front of me. The style was similar to Ray’s Pizza’ in New York. The crust was thin and piled with cheese and sparse toppings.
The slices were a bit too heavy with toppings to pick up and eat. I used a fork and knife for the first half. Very cheesy. The crust was a bit too crispy, but overall, it was a pretty darn good pizza. Could Brother’s Pizzeria top it?
After taking a short break to digest while hanging around the Water Wall near the Galleria— a suggestion from another reader, Sandra Barista— I headed to Brother’s Pizzeria on Highway 6. This place was way less showy than Star. The storefront and inside had a cookie-cutter, small-restaurant layout.
I ordered at the counter and soon received a tray with a slice of pepperoni. I sat down at a table and tried to tackle the plate from every which way. Picking up the pizza did no good. It crumbled under tits own weight. I tried holding the plate to my face, sliding small portions of the slice off the side and biting it. Relenting, I retrieved utensils.
Brother’s pizza was similar to Star’s in that the crust was very thin. The excess grease, however, caused the slice to collapse. Brother’s had the better crust and price. But Star took the edge overall.
Reader Flowers, who said he’s been eating at Brother’s since he was a kid, tweeted some tips to better enjoy his favorite pizza place. “It’s REALLY greasy,” he wrote. “I always have to blot the grease before eating it. The sauce, however, is outstanding!”
After I announced my test results on Twitter, reader @j05h chimed in with a third contender. “DoubleDave’s!” he wrote. “But maybe that’s the beer talking.” The drunken tip wasn’t very convincing, and by that point, it was getting late. And I was stuffed. But if anyone in Houston has tried DoubleDave’s Pizzaworks, let’s hear your verdict.
My next stop is Texas’ capital, Austin. Rumor is that the music scene there is out of this world, especially for indie rock.
To provide travel tips for my two-week road trip, inspired by music, send e-mails to mark.milian@latimes.com, leave comments on the Los Angeles Times Daily Travel & Deal Blog or, for those on Twitter, send tweets to @mmilian. To follow my road trip status live, visit http://twitter.com/mmilian. For the trip schedule and cities, check out earlier posts.
— Mark Milian, Los Angeles Times staff writer
[Photos from top: Star Pizza storefront; courtesy of Star Pizza. Brother's Pizzeria storefront, a Star Pizza slice and a Brother's slice. Credit: Mark Milian / Los Angeles Times]
14 Comments on “Be my guide: Star or Brother’s? Pizza showdown in Houston”
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July 1st, 2009 at 1:56 pm
In…Houston? Who cares?? I can’t find a decent slice east of La Cienaga, how about some help with that?!
July 1st, 2009 at 2:16 pm
It’s nice to see someone visit Houston and not go the stereotypical Tex-Mex or BBQ routes. And you did find two of Houston’s better local pizza joints… although in reality, Houston is not a great pizza town. Next time you’re in H-Town, let me suggest your trying some of our best hamburger places - we Texans may not know pizza, but we know our beef.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I have been all over California and have yet to find good pizza there.
If you guys want to fly for great pizza, the best pizza I have ever had comes down to one of two places in Massachusetts.
Dracut House of Pizza in Dracut, MA and Provincetown House of Pizza in Provincetown, MA
July 1st, 2009 at 5:15 pm
The deep dish wheat crust at Star Pizza makes life worth living. I think I may go get some now.
July 1st, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Austin - you cannot leave without going outside of town and eating at the Salt Lick. It’s a dry county, so bring a cooler of beer with you. It’s about 30 minutes outside of town.
Chuy’s has slightly above average Tex-mex, but you have to stop through to have the jalapeno ranch dip with your chips. (You have to ask for it).
July 1st, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I am a 30 year resident of Houston after growing up in New York. Forget about Double Dave’s, It’s nothing special. Try Fuzzy’s. You can’t go wrong with Fuzzy’s.
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:52 am
In Austin you have to go to Hut’s Hamburgers, it is an Austin institution.
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:08 am
Tim is right on the money. Fuzzy’s or Romano are the go to pizza joints in Houston.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 am
Brother’s is pretty good…I haven’t been there in a while, but they can hold their own against any other thin crust in town.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:21 am
When you come to Austin hit up Mangia Pizza. That is some great deep dish, although it’s no Chicago. Or Homeslice on S. Congress. For alternatives, there is Stubbs BBQ on 7th with great sausage and sauce or Saltlick with awesome brisket and blackberry cobbler. Lots of good record shopping too at Waterloo Records and Antone’s record shop. And…Star pizza wins hands down.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:25 am
I go to Austin every year for SXSW, it is a great town for music. Food, not so much. Definitely have BBQ.
Casino El Camino isn’t bad, either. But man have I ever had some terrible meals in Austin. Stay away from Threadgills at all costs.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:26 am
I have to say you definitely missed out on Fuzzy’s. Never understood what the big deal was about Star Pizza. I grew up in Houston and my family would get takeout at least twice a month. Heaps o’ toppings, good salads, and large screen TVs (at least last time I was there). But if you’re going to go, you must go to the original (if it still exists) next to a cleaners off I-10 on the West side. Again, you need a fork until you are at least half way through. Is that what makes Houston Pizza?
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:30 am
Coming to Houston and eating pizza is a litle like going to Tokyo and eating tacos. You will be disapointed. Been here 30 plus years, when the city’s only pizza was Pizza Hut. Things are improved but the plain truth is in the 3rd graph - this is not a pizza town.
July 10th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
If you ate the thin crust at Stars, it is nothing special. The deep dish is what is good there.
In Houston I would rank pizza:
1. Locatellis (most people will not know this place in northwest Houston)
2. Fuzzy’s
3. Barry’s (deep dish)
4. Star (deep dish)
5. Romanos