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I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews of this place. This is favorite place to get pizza in Austin. I'm a huge fan of the sourdough crust, and it always has the perfect about of crispiness when I bite into it. It's not crunchy like a saltine (as a lot of places who do thin crust over-cook the crust). If you are not a fan of thin crust, then you won't like it here. The customer service is always great, which is surprising because I'm sure it gets annoying to serve a bunch of drunk people all of the time.
It's great for people watching too - all of the drunks walking up and down 6th street... stumbling as they walk in stilettos on the uneven pavement and wear dresses and skirts two sizes too small.
This is a great spot for a drunken pizza session. Pizza is the perfect after party food and Roppolo's did a great job satisfying my late night pizza craving. First off, you notice this place just from the smell alone. All that garlic, cheesy, meaty aromas fill your nostrils as you stumble along the sidewalk.
Its some pretty good pizza I must admit. The crust was tender, the sauce was garlicky, with fresh tomatoes and basil. It was an aromatic ballet on my tongue! They used fresh mozzarella cheese, with just a hint of saltiness, and the veggies were very fresh with just a slight crunch.
We pretty much shared the few slices we ordered, they were too big for just 1 person. But then my drunk friends decided to order 2 pizzas! We couldnt figure out why they got 2 pizzas, but they were $22 each. Which was such a good deal considering that we woke up the next day eating pizza! It was pretty big box and we had lots leftover.
Lets just say I'd rather lick Borat's hairy nutsack before taking a bite of Roppolo's shitty playdough tasting pizza. Seriously, I think they use play-dough to make their embarrassment of a pizza slice. To make it worse, Roppolo claims to use some original recipe from Italy. He would be burned to the stake there if he tried to sell this crap there. The only reason this place has so much business is b/c college kids have poor taste in food and alcohol makes their poor taste even worse.
This was my first pizza in Austin...I was HORRIFIED by how disgusting it was, and it was the afternoon. I'm not sure I'd want it even when piss-drunk. I was so scarred, I didn't have pizza for months afterwards, out of fear that all pizza in ATX was that bad (I'm a NY transplant). Don't bother wasting your few leftover bucks on Roppolo's pizza, there are better places to get your grub on.
I ate at the one on 4th and Colorado. I was surprised that in my drunken state I didn't kill myself on the stairs leading up to the trailer that serves this pizza. I don't remember eating this but it was crunchy and that's probably because my friend dropped it face down on the street before giving it to me.
I do remember that I was in love with whatever pizza slice I was eating.
I mean if Stony's is out of pizza, this is an ok second choice. Pizza kinda tastes like it has been sitting a while, and it is kinda soggy but when you are ending your drunken night it tastes ok.
Because of this wacky event you kids call South By Southwest, it's pretty easy to get completely smashed at almost any bar on 6th, then roll out and grind on greasy street food. Perhaps Roppolo's understands their clientele is mainly drunk 20-somethings, because after two different visits this week, their pizza was friggin' AWFUL. Like, so awful, not even one of those scavenger black birds (that seem to be everywhere) would eat it after I threw it on top of a heaping pile of garbage where they were all feasting on leftovers.
With so many great street food vendors, I personally see no reason to eat here if you actually want something that tastes good. However, if your goal is to soak up the bottle of Boone's Farm you just drank at Chuggin' Monkey down the way... I'm sure it'll suffice.
It will due in a pinch....$3.00 large slices of pizza filling your belly, but not made with much love. Bad pizza is better than bad Chinese food....thus this is edible. It is far from destination food and it really depends on how hungry you are vs. your willingness to eat here.
I think years ago this pizza was better-but the lack of quality hasn't hurt sales as long as there is an audience of downtown revelers willing to drop a few dollars on sub standard pizza.
I Like the location on South congress..
Like to walk around and feel like i'm somewhere in Europe!!
My favorite slice on the menu is the White made with no tomato sauce
delicious!
Roppolo's is everywhere during South By. It's ridiculous, I tell you. Maybe I was drunk or something, but it seemed like there was one on every block, and on the blocks where they weren't, they had a truck selling their pizza out of it.
This is mediocre pizza with tremendous crust. Make sure to get a piece with a giant crust or you won't like it. If you don't like crust, you won't like it. I eat here more often than anywhere when I'm here in Austin because of the convenience factor. Location, Location, Location!
We sure got tricked or "roped into" trying this pizza. If you look at that giant air duct right above the front door, they are pumping pizza smell directly onto people walking down the street. That air duct comes from the kitchen directly onto the street and you can see it very clear, plain and obvious from inside. That's probably the secret to their success right there.
While we were not real hungry when walking by the first time, yet basically looking for a beer, the smell got us. About a block later we decided to turn around and go back. And I am glad we did.
This to me is very similar to a New York City walk in and order by the slice place. Which is what we did. Since it was in the afternoon we grabbed one of the what, 4 tables? And we ordered just single slices. We were happy with the quality and have even brought the place up again in conversations.
We stopped by a second time the weekend before Halloween during the live music weekend fest thing where both 5th and 6th street are shut down for foot traffic only. Took a friend we had just picked up at the airport after a 12 hour flight from Belgium and took her there for a snack.
Don't understand why others have given the bad ratings, maybe our timing was just good. We really did get good quality slices that rival NYC style walk ins. And I do know my pizza. Maybe this is better to hit during the afternoons or early evenings like we did.
In fact, you know what, let me comment further on this "drunk vs. sober" that seems to have come up in a lot of the comments, which I find quite interesting......
1 - We were sober both times, because we were traveling through Austin and had to drive. But I can clearly see that on weekends, 99% of people that eat here are probably drunk, in the evenings. And I am not knocking that, I know the scene there and it's cool.
2 - The "Cardboard" comments. Folks, maybe Texans don't know, this is a thinner crust New York Style pizza. And I would agree with you that it's probably not ideal "drunk" food. Cause when I am trashed I would prefer a deep dish with a pound of cheese to make me pass out faster, like a Pizza Hut pan.... So, maybe that's one of the reasons for the poor comments, since people are trying NYC thinner crust while bombed, when pizza for when bombed is in fact much better when deep crust... Which this ain't.
As far as New York Style when you are sober, it's most certainly okay in fact quite good. But drunk food it's not the best for what you need at that time. It just so happens to be right smack in the drinking hot spot of the State of Texas for weekends, so keep those facts in mind when deciding to eat here.
I hope that makes sense, as I think it's very accurate...
Let me sum it up with the best advice I can give on this, as a pizza and alcohol lover;
A - If you are sober and it's day or early evening, and you appreciate, understand or just want to try and enjoy authentic NYC Style Walk-In pizza, go here and I don't see how you could possibly be let down.
B - if it is late weekend and you've been walking around getting fucked up at the 1000 clubs on 5th and 6th, maybe even been hittin' that evil green herb and have the raging munchies, go get yourself some cheap deep dish with tons of cheese, cause that's way better stoned, blind drunk food, in that particular situation......
Now, all should be clear.... :)
Yummy, but not the best pizza ever. I shared a slice of pepperoni and sausage crawling from one bar to another. The slice was a little lukewarm, but had a delicious crispy crust, a good ratio of cheese/sauce (it wasn't totally dry but it wasn't dripping with sauce), and good toppings! I'm picky about sausage on my pizza and this was nice and spicy and flavorful. And, oddly enough, this was the first time I had red pepper flakes on my pizza (I know, very late to the party) and it was delicious! I never liked it before, but now I'm hooked. That alone was pretty epic.
Anyhooo, I would love to get a freshly baked slice (instead of one that was sitting out for a while) one of these days and give it a real chance.
They call this pizza?! The crust looked like play dough and the slice was as heavy as a brick. Granted, I tried the pizza at the trailer on 4th so maybe the restaurant is better... but still... this is not pizza. This is heart burn waiting to happen.
Last night, I had the pleasure of trying Roppolo's pizza, made fresh by Marc Roppolo himself.
Prior to this, I'd only had a slice of pep from the trailer on 4th street, and it fell a bit short of my expectations, due to being a tad underbaked/underwarmed. So, I was glad to have an opportunity to see what Ropp's was really capable of.
Marc, who is a super-nice fella, treated us to a Sicilian-style feast - a 20" pizza with pepperoni, ham, sausage, and ground beef I think, plus a cornucopia of delicious veggies including: spinach, yellow/orange bell peppers, zucchini, fresh garlic, red onions, and mushrooms.
This pizza was beastly, but well put-together. I powered down 2 slices, but I tell you each slice weighed a pound, at least. I was put to the test.
There was just the right amount of sauce, and the whole wheat crust was fresh and tasty. The meat toppings were super tasty. I was particularly impressed by the sausage and ground beef, which, all importantly, did not have that licorice flavor that comes from too much anise/fennel seasoning. I do like my sausage a little firmer and crispier, but the quality and taste was excellent.
The spinach was a nice touch, though I find it tends to be a bit of a flavor killer, and mutes the flavor of the rest of the ingredients, particularly the sauce. The red onions were fresh and awesome - I would've liked more, even. The peppers were beautiful, and as I am not a huge pepper fan, the mildness of the yellow and orange peppers, a classy touch, was noted and appreciated. The thinly sliced zucchini was a surprise, and the only thing more surprising was how good it was - something I never would have thought of. The mushrooms and texture were not a high point for me, personally, but I think toppings are almost strictly a matter of personal taste.
I was nearly rolling on the floor earlier when I read Andrew G's fab review where he said a little part of him dies every time he eats a mushroom. I can relate to that a bit. Regardless, I am almost always glad to have my tastes challenged and perspectives broadened. The fact that Jill W. and I were able to share a pizza with as many toppings as this one had and both enjoy it is a tribute to Mr. R's ingenuity.
Back to the pizza. The cheese was hot, fresh, and well distributed. I did find that the crust got a bit thick and bready toward the edges, but I think a lot of people really like this style (you chronic bread-eaters know who you are), and it probably works quite well for slices on the go (and soaking up booze in the stomach for the 6th St. crowd.)
In summary, we enjoyed a wonderful fresh, Sicilian-style pie with a creative blend of traditional and gourmet toppings. And we took home leftovers that were just as good the second (and third) time around after a few minutes in the oven. We chatted with Marc R. while chowing down at Ropp's, and really had a nice time.
I think any of you yelpers would love this pizza - BUT what we had was not the kind of pizza that would work at the pizza window. This stuff would not carry well at all - a knife and fork were a must. So if you want to check out what Roppolo's can do (besides the standard to-go slice), you'd want to drop in when Marc's there and it's not too busy, and get a custom pie made fresh for you.
Here's the deal. I'm going to set this up in advance so you know exactly what the situation was so you get a fair and accurate review:
1. Mr. Marc Roppolo invited me down to give one of his fine pies a spin.
2. He made it from scratch.
3. I had never had a 'regular' slice beforehand because I am not, I repeat, NOT the young stallion (read 'drunken college-aged dude with mojo to spare) I once used to be, and therefore do not get down/go down to 6th St. on an kind of regular basis which would enable me to want to have a normal slice of Roppolo's pizza.
These things said, let us continue...
Roppolo's Pizza is a little old joint nestled in between a couple of bars on 6th St. specifically there to serve the mass of drunkards that come pouring out and are ravenously, irrationally hungry after a drink or 28. It's not a place meant to come in, sit down and have a fine meal; it's a pit stop, an oasis, a temporary refuge from the insanity that becomes 6th St. on the weekends. There's a window that slings out slices to those who don't want to come in and sit at either a small counter along the wall or one of the few small tables in the back.
Net: It's not a sit-down destination.
What I can say from my personal experience is that I was lucky enough to be able to sample several different slices served up from Mr. R's personal repertoire, and they were pretty darn good. The following pies were slung (and these are approximations of what I think I ate...I don't remember the exact ingredients):
1. Sausage, pepperoni, black olives, red peppers, onions
2. Sausage, pepperoni, canadian bacon/ham, black olives, mushrooms
3. Spinach, portabella, string beans
4. Mushrooms, red peppers, a little spinach broccoli, zuchinni
Because I, for the most part, enjoy eating dead animals, I stuck with the meat topping pizzas, and because my incredibly hot wife enjoys eating dead plants/vegetables, she stuck with the vegetable topping pizzas.
Now...if you read my review of Home Slice, you know that I believe pizza is an exercise in food balance. If you mess one thing up badly, then you ruin the entire experience. I am happy to report that nothing was messed up badly on either of the animal carcass pizzas. I'll point out a few things:
1. The dough was fresh, tasty, and bread-ish, getting quite a bit thicker as you move from the inside to the outside of the pizza. However, I am more partial to a thinner crust pizza.
2. There were a TON of toppings on there. I mean...we're talking if I were the weight lifter type, I could probably throw 7 slices on each end of a barbell and get a pretty sweet work out. I could probably throw 3 or 4 slices on a plate, go out on the street and do some curls in front of the drunken 21 year old college girls and be quite impressive. "Oh Andrew, your 2-inch round pythons-of-power biceps look so sexy lifting those giant-ass slices of pizza through the air!"
That's right. 2-inches around. I am not one to be trifled with, yo.
But this is where the act of balance comes into play when it comes to pizza. Because the things were so loaded with toppings, that meant you couldn't pick the thing up off the plate without the middle slogging down and losing a good portion into a steaming pile on the plate. This is due in part to the sheer weight of the toppings and because there was so much meat that the grease had pretty much destroyed any ability the dough had of supporting. Son of a.......
3. Sauce was pretty good...not too much, not too little...a little sweeter.
4. The toppings themselves were pretty fresh...of note were the vegetables used. And specifically I'd say the red peppers were a particularly nice touch. I was disappointed in the sausage though. I want the sausage to be partially browned little flamey nuggets of joy, not midly chewy soft clumps. I could have also done without the mushrooms, but that's just my opinion. A little piece of my soul dies when I have to eat a mushroom, especially if they are whole mushrooms like they were.
As for the vegetable-specific pies, I can report second hand (from my incredibly hot wife) that one was tasty and one was not-so. Offending not-so tasty pizza was the one with string-beans. However, the other one with zucchini and broccoli...that one was apparently pretty excellent.
So...overall a good experience. I would however like to actually see LESS toppings which would yield a more firm inner-crust which would allow me to eat sans a fork for the first half of my pizza experience.
Roppolo's is a well known standard last stop after a night of drunken debauchery on 6th street, but it was a different and welcome experience stopping by, completely sober, yesterday for some custom made pizzas created by the very gracious Marc R. himself.
I judge a pizza heavily based upon the flavor and generousness of its sauce, and Roppolo's definitely delivered the goods with sauce galore. The toppings--all two tons of them--were fresh and flavorful and hit my pizza cravin' spot with precision. I prefer a thin, chewy crust over the thicker, fluffier one used, but even so it was tasty, if not exactly foldable.
Final conclusion: not only does Roppolo's pizza make a very fine late night beer sponge, it also make a damn good lunch!
(My update is below.)
You MIGHT like Roppolo's if you:
have never eaten pizza before or have any idea what pizza should be;
think the $5.25 surcharge on the downtown ATMs seems reasonable;
enjoy the ambience of waiting in line with a wasted, 21yo, blonde, UT undergrad who screams, "I'm starving!!!1!" after being thrown out of the Chuggin' Monkey;
hate your life, gastrointestinal system, your Italian mother, or the Italian mother you never had;
need a date that will cement your break-up;
don't realize that a pizzeria would leave NY because it's lame recipe could not compete;
are constipated;
ran into your old enemy while out, and then made up with him/her while secretly planning your revenge, and you drank together all night and buddy up to him/her, and then the bars close and you say, "Why don't we get something to eat?" and your new-friend/secret-enemy whole-heartedly agrees and they tell you to pick;
are too lazy to walk down the street to a better food stand, and/or too stupid to know there is another stand down the street.
UPDATE 11/19/08:
So I did as the Yelp Elite and got my friends and I a free pizza made by Marc R. We all agreed that Marc is a really nice guy and obviously takes a lot of pride in his business and the way he manages it. He has run the business for 19 years and has donated countless amounts of food to locals.
As others have said, Roppolo's is best when served straight out of the oven. Unfortunately I can not justify paying ~$20 for a full pie that I have to eat in the restaurant as soon as I purchase it. And my stomach really hurts after only two slices...the next day.
And I still stand by my earlier statements (http://www.yelp.com/to...); I definitely found it much harder to give an independent review after eating a free pizza made by the owner.
Yesterday was my first time eating at Roppolo's. Leslie L. and I are beginning to venture off to new establishments mentioned in yelpland.
Word to the masses:
Call first to request your pizza be custom made to your liking for pick-up or dine in...OR...when you arrive, request a brand new pizza for yourself.
Pizza is usually better eaten fresh. Yesterday's experience was a pleasant surprise.
We began our evening with a (pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, fresh roasted garlic, red and orange bell pepper, zucchini, broccoli, spinach) pizza, right out of the oven.
Let me just say "Fresh." It was frigga-frigga-fresh...fresh, yo.
We ate our first slice in the establishment. The perfectly proportioned cheese, sauce and toppings were almost melting off of the crust. And the crust, almost as good as eating the pizza. It was lightly dusted with flour, lightly crisp on the outside and yummy doughiness on the inside.
We took the rest of the pizza home to my mister, who arrived home about 30 or so minutes after the pizza was prepared.
His first response was "dayum! Ya think this pizza is big enough? This is awesome." After the first bite...silence and lots-o-munching. The mister approved.
Lastly but not least, the courtyard.
What a freakin place to have a party?!
Honestly, the courtyard reminded me of my home, New Orleans. It was absolutely GORGEOUS, covered in lush green vines. A complete surprise and treat.
There was a beautiful little fountain in the middle of the courtyard that fit perfectly and could double as additional seating. A-ma-zing. No lie. (I believe SXSW hosts performances in this courtyard.)
Roppolo's opened November 21, 1988 in North Austin.
The 6th street structure was once a brothel. Once you walk into the courtyard, you can absolutely see the old charm of the place.
In regard to "drunk pizza", I've had this just about anywhere. If I'm south, I'll have my "drunk pizza" at Homeslice. If I'm north, I may have my "drunk pizza" at Papa John's.
Really, I think it's wise to base restaurant reviews on your experience of tasting fresh food specifically made to your liking. It will, in most cases, be better than eating food that has sat around for a moment and is waiting on the super hungry somebody to come and take it off of their hands.
just sayin.
Three or four? Three of four? I guess I will stick with four...
My experience at Roppolo's was pretty awesome. We had a special "roped off" section, the owner personally made us amazing pizzas LOADED with toppings, the food was FREE, and the drinks were FREE. The owner was really nice and went the extra mile to ensure we enjoyed our meal. This accounts for the 4 stars.
On the other hand I didn't have the normal "Roppolo's" experience.... I didn't pay, I didn't eat out on the street, I wasn't drunk, I wasn't getting asked for money by the homeless, and my pizza was not found on the menu. Most customers can expect to get a basic slice here (pepperoni, cheese, etc).... if I was experiencing all of those things I would probably rate 3 stars.
This would be a place I would visit again if I found myself on 6th in the middle of the night. Hopefully then I could write a true review.
Thanks for the free pizza!
I was downtown last Thursday with a friend that had a cousin visiting from Italy. We had gone to dinner earlier in the evening & during dinner he said that Pizza Hut was the worst pizza in the world & that Italians hated it. Then, we where showing him 6th street around 12:30am & he saw Roppolo's Pizza. He wanted to try it out so we all got a slice. Mine was horrible, but I don't say anything. I asked if he like his & he shrugged & said:"Well, it is better then Pizza Hut." He was basically saying that it was just a little better then the worst pizza in the world! I personally thought it tasted like cardboard. I threw away half of it. I may have eaten the whole thing if I where drunk, but I was sober & aware of how bad it tasted.
So, if you are wasted on 6th street it may be good to eat some of this pizza. Otherwise, I would stay away from it.
Wow, $8 for two slices of mediocre pizza? Eight effing bucks?!
Yes I should have asked before the slices went into the oven, but I'll also assert that pizza served through a window should never cost $4 a slice. I got a slice of veggie pizza and a plain cheeze slice. I say cheeze with a Z because it was bad cheese. The cheeze slice was also even less cooked than the veggie slice, so that's a double negative.
No. Absolutely not. Not the worst pizza you can get, but not worth it at all.
"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore..."
Ha ha! Super cheesy, right, but so was the pizza I devoured at Roppolo's on Friday courtesy of Marc R. That's not to say that the pizza was void of anything else. Quite the contrary. After being greeted with a big friendly handshake Marc showed Camron R. and I to our table and a few minutes later brought over the biggest pizza pie I'd ever laid eyes on replete with any pizza lover's fantasy.
One half veggie the other half meaty. I went straight for the carnivore's delight: tons of pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon and some spinach thrown in for good measure. The veggie looked awesome and smelled even better. The fresh garlic screamed "Eat Me!" There was also broccoli on that pizza. Broccoli on pizza? Who'd have thought??? Marc R, that's who! And boy was I glad he did, I tried a half slice and was totally won over. Even Camron R. who said he'd just tag along 'cause he was going to eat at Magnolia later couldn't resist.
So, go to Ropollo's, they bake a lotta Amore into every slice.
I came here one time with a friend that used to work here as we were waiting on a guy to get off of work to give him a tattoo. We walk up to the window, place our orders, the pizza guy gets the tongs, grabs the pizza out the window and throws it in the oven. He starts arguing with someone over the counter about something stupid, can't remember what, and as he's arguing, he takes the pizza tongs and sticks the grab-part (ready?) UNDER HIS ARMPIT! Not only does he place the pizza tongs under his armpit, he does so with the most nonchalant attitude, as if it's the most natural thing in the world for him to carry utensils in his armpits as a mama kangaroo might carry her joey in her pouch.
Surely, I'm thinking, surely the guy is going to throw those in a sink. Surely he is not going to touch any other food with those terrible tongs. Surely he will plop them in a big basin of bleach water and scour them before running them through a steam washer.
Nope. Dude took the tongs out of his armpit, picked up our slices and plated them. That's when I walked away, never to return to Roppolo's again.
Roppolo's is the last choice eatery for any regular Sixth Street patron. The service can be hit or miss, due to the fact that the staff changes out every three or four days it seems. The "pizza" tastes like it was made on cookie dough and the ingredients are not very tasty.
It is cheap, lackluster, drunken food, AT BEST. There are a number of better options on the street also open until all sorts of ungodly hours so check those out before you waste your money here.
It is also good to note that Roppolo's is the WORST pizza on the street AND the most expensive. It used to be alright when they respected Sixth Street employees and gave us a discount but now they just charge you the same exorbitant price as everyone else. It's just not worth it.
UPDATE:
______________________
Lately I have been the target of many hate mail harassment messages from the business owner who is under the impression that everyone must agree that his pizza is the best or they are just plain stupid. The lack of professionalism exhibited by the owner only adds yet another reason to seek alternative late night eats.
UPDATE 2:
______________________
After the actions of the owner last night (11/13/07) I am forced to ask for a restraining order against him today. It appears that some people who don't like people disagreeing with them go just a little too far.
UPDATE 3:
______________________
Mark Roppolo now has a MYSPACE page he uses to send threats!! It is 4/11/08 FIVE months after he went psycho and it appears he has had another psychotic break as he has started his angry tirades again. This time through MYSPACE! Who is Rosalie?
Well, I finally got to the ACTUAL Roppolo's on May 16, 2008, and as I had hoped, it was a lot better than the trailer. It's tough to have perfect quality control when you're mass producing things, but I was lucky enough to get a fresh, delicious (complimentary) Sicilian pie prepared by Marc Roppolo himself this evening. I can honestly say, it was the best pizza I've had in Austin so far.
The 20 inch pizza probably weighed 6 or 7 pounds. It was loaded with a delicious combination of veggies and meats, all of which were fresh. The typical topping were there (pepperoni, sausage, mushroom), but this pizza also featured some special items like spinach, red onion, and orange bell peppers. The sauce was mild and not too sweet. There wasn't too much, but there was definitely enough to hold things together. That was all served on a fresh crust, not too thick, not too thin. I did use a fork for a lot of it because it was so loaded with toppings, but I think a typical slice would hold up just fine if eaten by hand. This time, the pizza was piping hot. Pizzas were being made left and right, so I bet most people's slices are quite hot from this location, which is definitely a huge improvement over the trailer.
I agree with others that this is not "destination pizza"as the restaurant is pretty small and doesn't have some special ambiance you'd want on a date or anything, but I would definitely eat here again if I were in the area at dinner time, and I would not hesitate pick up a pizza to take home. I just wish they were open for lunch!
A while back, I got a slice of pizza from the trailer on 4th street, and I was really looking… Read more »
Roppolo's Pizza was great when it was located in North Austin. I think that the owner would turn in his grave (not sure if he is dead). But I don't know any other reason that someone would let their namesake go down the tubes. The pizza dough that they use is old and must be left exposed to air. It is like chewing cardboard. The cart in the warehouse district is even worse. I cannot believe that they are allowed to call it pizza. This is the worst example of abusing drunk people that I have ever seen. I hope that it does not send tourist away with as bad a taste in their mouths of Austin pizza. there are many other choices in late night street dining.
Stay clear of Roppolo's if you can! It's not even worth 1 star.
I used to work at Roppolo's as well, and I think that some of the reviews left are hilarious. I know the owner, and he is an pretty good guy, and I am sure of one thing and it is, that he is running one clean shop, and though it may be a little over priced, he is really running a place of conveniece. I mean who doesn't like convenience when they're shit faced and starving.
Granted, pizza is not the best if it's even slightly cold, but I think giving a fair and impartial review on something that you ate when you were two sheets to the wind is close to impossible.
The pizza, when fresh is absolutely delicious. Everything is made from scratch, and the ingredients DO NOT come from Cisco food systems.
And, as far as the customer service, try working there for a week, and see how you respond to people who order supreme pizzas, and then complain that there are onions on them(Ahem, the pizzas are right in front of you), sloppy drunks screaming things at you, and the constant question of, is your pepperonni made out of beef(yes, people do ask that).
On a personnal note: Ashen, dude, I used to serve you every night, sometimes 3 times, and you never, ever had a problem with it. I worked there for a year(sorry, not part of the revolving door), and you never seemed to complain, once. As someone who works downtown, you think you would have a little more compassion for people that serve you, and if you don't like it then stop eating there on a discount.
If I could go lower on the rating system I would. This was the single worst pizza I have EVER had. It kind of tastes like a DiGiorno's pizza that somehow went horribly wrong. And it isn't like DiGiorno's is good in the first place.
I actually sat down one night in the restaurant downtown and read the story on the wall of how the owner/creator slaved for years learning his craft in New York City. Honestly I don't know exactly what he was doing up there, but it had NOTHING to do with pizza.
Drunk, sober, doesn't matter, just make sure to avoid this place. It is cheap, but even if they were giving the stuff away I would still AVOID it.
Despite the amazing amount of contentious lameness and gossip-worthy drivel that's been posted below by both pro and anti Roppolo's people I decided against my better judgment to wander down here and have a try. There was a line out the door at 1am the night before, so I had hopes maybe they were better if you got there before 2am. I arrived about 8pm, ordered a couple of slices, and dug in.
The best thing I can say about my experience is "Eh". There wasn't a ridiculous line, but the service was not as...attentive? as I would have expected for the employee-to-customer ratio. Slow, random, and seemingly lost behind the counter.
As to the Pizza, I wasn't impressed or pleased. The crust was too chewy for my liking, sauce was there but forgettable, toppings didn't stand out. It was edible and not ridiculously expensive. I suspect I may have had slices from a pie that had been waiting for a while.
Admittedly, my review is based on going during the middle of SXSW, however, if you're a business on sixth, what better time to shine than during the craziest week of the year? Since they're close to my office, I'll probably try them for lunch. Hopefully they can impress me then.
If I were to take into consideration the comma strewn, talk-back reviews by a guy named Roppolo who apparently gets his inspiration from the Northwestern town of Roppolo in Italy (where yes, I've visited) and recipes from his mother who's likely named Ms. Roppolo Roppolo (for DOUBLE the authenticity!), I would've bumped this down to one star. Lucky for the Roppolos that I adore greasy drunk food. I probably would've rated it at four stars if it were advertised as such, but unfortunately this pizzeria strives to please a more advanced palate that you can only find on 6th street.
Because it seems that reviews directed at persons are all the rage in this thread, I believe I'll follow suit (when in Rome...). So Mr. Roppolo, first off, northwestern Italian cuisine does play to a different palate, as you indicated. It's unfortunate that your pizza tastes like super generic pizza with bigger toppings. "WOW that sausage is not-ground beef! it must be authentic! what a shame that its overly seasoned." Overly seasoning things is a classic play to gain the hearts of the drunken palate, which yes, you are doing. If you ARE playing to the special palates out there, why does your pizzeria not open for lunch? it's as if the slop you hold so much pride in is directed entirely at the 6th street crowd and doesn't even try (or did and failed) to pull in the fantastic downtown lunch crowd.
Back to the actual authenticity of your pizza, apparently THE selling point you are trying to cram down our throats. Apparently the inspiration you pull is from northwestern Italy, Roppolo, in Piemont. It's unfortunate that the best pizza in Italy is very unlikely to come from northwestern Italy, where they put much less emphasis on tomato sauce and olive oil, and much more emphasis on their expansive unadulterated countryside fare of game (rabbit, quail, etc) and the seafood/shellfish that the coasts and streams provide. Piedmont is also famous for its truffles, a flavor which I can confidently say you would never be able to mimic without truffles themselves.
screw it, you get demoted to one star sir.
What the H? I totally remember this pizza being better, but on Friday night I gave it a go and it was pretty sucktastic. It gets stars for being quick, easy, and convenient while walking around to your next destination. And lets face it, when you've had a couple, you dont quite care as much. But unfortunately for them, I was still sober at this point. I got the canadian bacon and pineapple pizza and my dude got the pepperoni and sausage. Both were a little dry, especially mine. The cheese and sauce was totally bland as well. This place is definitely skippable. Its not the worst ever, but do yourself a favor and just get a best wurst instead.
I really, really, really like Roppolo's pizza.
Here's what Roppolo's is not: A thin, soggy crust doused in sauce - as if the pizza crust is supposed to strictly be a carrier for tomato sauce (like a chip to salsa that was left sitting in the salsa too long), with toppings thrown on as an after-thought.
They've got the crust-to-sauce-to-cheese ratio right on target. And, I've had almost all of the flavors, the veggies are always fresh and all of their toppings are plentiful, even the meat.
Plus, I love the wheat crust. (Kinda makes me think maybe I'm not doing too much harm to my body ...kinda...)
My one "negative" (but not worth deducting a point!) is the size of the pizza slices. The large slices are a bit unwieldy, but I'd so much rather have that than a measly 3" or 4" piece of pizza.
And another thing, I'm not sure people are aware of, is you can order your own, whole pizza - you can eat it there or take it with you. I've done both. When I took mine to go; I just called ahead, double parked, grabbed it, and went on my merry way. (Although I wouldn't recommend doing it when the drunks are standing in line.) Try it! It's FIVE POUNDS of pizza! Crazy!
Will I go there again? Absolutely
Would I recommend it? Absolutely
Would I decline to go if others wanted to? Absolutely Not
Not only is the owner a WONDERFUL person (I know him VERY well), the pizza in incredible! The sauce was not too sweet and very flavorful, the toppings fresh, and the Oh-So-Good crust was WAY better than the super-greasy stuff you get at other places! I would HIGHLY recommend the place to anyone....and the location is right in the heart of everything, so it's EASY to find!
My only complaint: Roppolo's is all the way out in Texas and I'm in Georgia now.....*SNIFFLE*
*HUGS* to all!
*****HI MARC! How Ya Been?*****
It's just pizza. It is really not that bad, Ive had it once during SXSW last year and it tasted like any other big piece of pizza I have had. Its in a really convenient location and is open late. Its pretty shitty that people are getting so worked up over some strange "pizza feud" that a couple people are having. When I first joined yelp the second review I did got me bitched at by the owner of an unnamed establishment. I didnt change my review, I didnt update it, I didnt add footnotes, I just left it the way it was before said owner threatened to have a "talk" with my employers.
lets try to keep yelp a place to review businesses, not people.
My roomie is in a band. Although since you know I live in Austin, this is assumed.
He was playing last night at Red 7 at 6:30. I get there and my roomie tells me that it has been rescheduled for 8:30. So I catch up with the rest of the guys in his band... they are heading for pizza. Guess where?
Yup.
I've had Roppolo's in the past. I think they used to be located on the corner of Mesa and Spicewood Springs back in the day. And when I was an engineer it was fairly close to our office and thus often a destination for lunch. I enjoyed their pizza... didn't love it... but it was good. I even remember the owner being there and being pretty cool.
But this was my first time in a while and I was kinda looking forward to it given all of the Roppolo's yelp controversy.
Frankly, it is what it is. I think the pizza is ok. Not bad. Not great... but good. I'd eat it again but I wouldn't make a special trip.
The guys behind the counter were nice and very helpful. One even offered to change the plasma TV to the UT game and then a while later the other guy offered to turn the sound up. I thought that was really cool since I didn't ask.
I had a good experience. I'd give them somewhere around 3 stars for the pizza and 4 to 5 stars for the service. Wish I could give 3.5 but I guess I'll round to 4 since I got to watch UT beat number 1 UCLA in basketball AT UCLA.
In summary (my high school English teacher pushed the summary WAY too much), don't make a special trip but if you are in the area you should ignore the yelp hype and give them a shot. I think you'll have a good experience. I did.
I went to the Alamo Ritz on Friday to see "Milk" on opening night. I enjoyed the film and thought that Sean Penn was excellent as Harvey Milk. It was an emotional film, and there were many gay people in attendance. My boyfriend and I walked out of the theater behind another group of gay men, who were all busy discussing the performances and the story of the film. As we all passed in front of Roppolo's, a slack-jawed slob leaned over the pizza display and looked onto the sidewalk and spoke, addressing his statement to the gay men in front of me. He didn't speak loudly enough for everyone passing by to actually hear, but more as a comment for the benefit of his coworker. I heard him, though. He said: "OK, y'all need to go five blocks over that way and two blocks down and get out of here." Five blocks over and two blocks down from Roppolo's is 4th between Lavaca and Guadalupe, the home of two of Austin's largest gay bars, Oil Can Harry's and Rain.
Austin has never felt to me like a city with a specific gay ghetto. I've felt comfortable and welcomed all over town, but especially in central Austin. I don't spend a lot of time on 6th because it is definitely a little too "frat" oriented for me, with the "dollar shots!" barkers standing in front of most of those bars. I do enjoy going to Casino el Camino or the Jackalope or to see a show at Emo's every now and then, and I've taken out-of-town guests to see the show at Esther's Follies a couple of times. For that jerk at Roppolo's to think that it's OK to suggest that I should "get out of" there, and, apparently, that I should stick to the one block that he has decided is OK for the gays, truly blows my mind. I've never felt the need to limit myself in that narrow way. One way in which I WILL be limiting myself from now on, though, is an absolute proscription on Roppolo's Pizza. I don't care how hungry or drunk I am, how late it is, or how far I have to walk to find an alternate source of late-night drunk-food: I will never buy another slice of Roppolo's crappy pizza, from this location or from their trucks.
Ditto those one star reviews. Pizza so plain and bad it defies eating.
I miss Devil Pizza, also…
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Convenience: 5 stars
Quality of pizza: -25 stars
It's sad that there isn't better pizza on 6th street. And unfortunately if you feel like a slice you are at the mercy of the shitty, shitty vendors. I am not attacking the people who work at these places, I am attacking the terrible, luke-warm, sad excuse for pizza slices that they offer.
In my opinion, all of the pizza offered on 6th...from roppolos or anywhere else is pretty much terrible.
I picked up a slice from Roppolo's a few weeks ago and it was the worst. I got a slice of cheese. I'm not sure if the guy thought I was drunk (I wasn't) but the slice I was handed was so sad. He must have put it in the oven for less than a minute because the cheese wasn't even melted. As for the flavor...I've had things come out of my microwave that left me more satisfied.
To sum it up...if you are downtown and want good pizza...you're kinda screwed.
Without a doubt, the best pizza I have had in a long, long time.
The location is awesome. It has that cool pizzeria ambience.
The staff is great.
Oh yeah, the owner's pretty cool too :-)
Great place to eat when on a night out on the town. Roppolo's has a pretty nice selection given it's just a stand, but I recommend going for classic Pepperoni. I'd rather eat here at 2am than Magnolia's or Kerby Lane any day!
If you've never given Roppolo's a shot, I would tell you to ignore the other comments and try it yourself.
The pizza isn't the BEST pizza but it is an incredibly good fix when you're running around 6th st and all hungry/drunk.
The dough is slightly tough but the toppings aren't too bad.
They have these $1 meat roll type things that are a pretty good complement to your dry doughy pizza.
earns extra star for being there when I needed it to be.
Austin, TX
Category: Cajun/Creole
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: American (Traditional)
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