Luigi’s Pizzeria

I’m happy to have found my new pizza spot. There are way too many pizza places in Houston competing, but after searching and finding these good reviews I decided to give it a try. It was exactly what I was looking for, specifically the authenticity. I prefer my pizzas pretty saucy, so next time I’ll just have to ask for extra sauce. Other than that, it made these taste buds pretty happy :)

After reading all the hype, le boyfriend and I went there to check out the pizza. We were a little drunk too so anything would have tasted great. The pizza however, was just okay. Nothing to write home about. Maybe it’s subjective because I like the wood fired pizzas and luigi’a doesn’t have those. I prefer Pink’s or Star Pizza.
To each their own. The place was packed so I’m sure people like it. Just a matter of preference.

What can you say about a place where you can eat pizza and gelato while laying/​sitting in a hammock?! So relaxing! The staff is nice and the place is fairly clean. The patio is full of chair and regular laying hammocks. They have Christmas lights and other lighting wrapped on the trees giving me a feeling that this place is 100x better at night if that’s even possible. They even have a stage! Can you imagine eating a slice of pizza in a hammock and jamming out to live music? This place is awesome! BYOB!
About the pizza: it’s a bit on the greasy and side. It’s goopy/​soggy and will fall apart on its own so if you like to be able to bite into your pizza, ask for it a little more cooked! One slice of cheese costs me about $ 2.98 or so. Not bad. It may not be the best pizza in town but the atmosphere definitely makes up for it. I will definitely be coming back for more!

The pizza here is incredible! I normally eat my own medium size pizza over two days lol, but hey have so many ingredients available and it’s super fresh. Sometimes they don’t pick up their phone, and the wait for pizza can be a little long if you don’t call in. I would suggest calling in first. They’ve even delivered pizza to us when we go to the Spot (a lounge on Dowling). You can beat that!

Whoa! What is in that sauce? I’ve heard of this place for a while now and gladly went to have a slice while at Axelrad. They have quick service and serve full and slice pizza to all customers that are sitting in the patio area. They have specialty pizzas that are OMG good. I tried the Mexican pizza and my man-​friend had the meats pizza. All I can say is they were worth the cheat day! I definitely recommend this place to anyone, especially pizza lovers!

Luigi’s is due for an update. Here’s whats up:
1. The pizza: I feel that ordering a large (or even a single slice) is no longer desirable due to the sogginess of the center of the pizza. This can be remedied in two ways: 1) Ask for your pizza to be well done (ie: a very crispy crust without being burnt) or 2) Order mediums instead (less surface area = more even cook and no soggy, saggy centers… what a strange phrase). Otherwise, I continue to love Luigi’s pizza. The white, the marg, and the meats are my favorites, always.
2. The wings: I firmly believe these are the best wings I’ve ever had in Houston. I crave them at least once a month. I drive here just to eat wings now, not even pizza (I know, blasphemy!). They’re actually quite large, so the meat: crispy skin ratio is much better than at places that serve smaller wings. Not only that, the meat is juicy and tender, not dried out from overfrying. The skin is crispy. But the best part for me is their buffalo sauce. It seems to be more vinegary than at other places, and I LOVE IT. They come super hot from the fryer and it’s hard to not burn your mouth from eating them because they are freaking addictive. I usually eat around 4 – 5 pieces in addition to pizza, so order liberally for a table. The leftovers are always fought over…:)
3. The Axelrad. An amazing indoor/​outdoor/​upstairs patio beer garden with hammocks, movie showings, stage talks, and food trucks has opened in Luigi’s backyard. Their symbiotic relationship makes them the new «it» couple of Houston casual dining (Axeluigi’s would be their couple name). Axelrad takes the amazing home cooking and cozy, mom n pop atmosphere of Luigi’s and turns just dinner into dinner, drinks, games, and a show. The area is chill, fun, open, and even kid and dog friendly. The only downside is that now Luigi’s is constantly slammed with orders and as a result, SOMETIMES, the pizza and wings are not as perfect as they usually are. Of course, I always forgive Luigi’s because it’s hard to scale up operations at such a frantic pace, and I always come back, because local businesses like these two deserve our support.
In conclusion, Luigi’s might have some growing pains from Axelrad’s new presence, but I’ll be sticking around as a faithful customer.

Great pizza and great atmosphere. I have been multiple times with the family and parents. It is a very unique place.
The slices of pizza are huge so two is my limit. I tend to favor the meat and supreme pizzas but everything looks great. There is a «hammock» garden there so to speak and that goes a long way towards keeping any curtain climbers busy while waiting on the pizza. Save room for a small gelato at least because they are homemade and as good as I have ever had.
We come very early for lunch on weekends and there is really no crowd at that time so keep that in mind. We had to pass one time later in the day due to limited parking and a large crowd so it is all about timing.
We will keep coming back.

Its locate next to HCC central campus, nice place, friendly staffs.
The pizza is so good and cheap for student. I love the pasta and icecream too.

The best pizza in Houston. Period. Great pizza made with fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection. I like to get it well done to get a little more crisp on the crust.
Also, for some reason I always get an order of fries when I come here. I never had fries with pizza until I came here and now its hard to have pizza without the fries. There is nothing spectacular about the fries, but just trust me and get them.

Wow! Talk about great service and take out time! We ordered 4 large pizzas and our delivery man very unbelievably nice. We were very impressed by the service but the taste, without a doubt was amazing! The pizzas was hot, fresh, right out of the oven. Our pizzas very topped to perfection with all the meats and veggies we asked for. I know we must go and checkout the venue itself as I’ve heard such great things about the pizzeria. Until then, we will definitely be enjoying pizza again soon!

The flies totally ruined my Patio experience. I finally had to come inside & pray for a seat because the inside is very small. The Pizza seemed like they added the toppings to an already baked Cheese Pizza to me. I like my cheese on top of my toppings. The salad was a nice size for the price & the Servers were nice.

Walked over here with our beers from Axelrad. Ordered a large, supreme pizza. Little bit of a wait, but it was a Sunday afternoon and it was packed. The pizza was hot & fresh. It was cooked to perfection! Nice thin crust, great cheese and meats… Perfect pizza to accompany beers on a warm day!

Things are slipping around this place since they opened up a second location. I’ve come here several times in the past couple years and my most recent visit was the first time that Axelrad (next door outdoor beer garden) was open. In the past, this «Mom ‘n Pop» pizza place has delivered 4 – 5 star NY style pizza. At our most recent visit, we ordered a meat lovers and a supreme and both were lukewarm and slightly burned. Toppings were fresh but it just didn’t come together for me like it has in the past. I’m not looking for gourmet pizza but it was to be better than this to keep me coming back.
When times were simpler, there was plentiful parking and a smattering of indoor and outdoor seating. You ordered inside off the chalkboard menu, milled around with a few locals, and enjoyed scenic views of downtown Houston before heading back inside to sample the gelato (!). Prices were good and you felt like you had just discovered the next great local place. Axelrad opening up has totally changed the vibe. Although it’s a really cool bar which you should try, Axelrad has swallowed up the charm of Luigi’s. Pizza can be delivered to your table in the beer garden outside which is a plus, but it’s more crowded than ever before. It’s impossible to go to Luigi’s and not encounter the beer garden. Atmosphere in the restaurant hasn’t changed and the service is still nice. Unfortunately, it seems the pizza quality has dipped whether because of the second Luigi’s location in Belliare or because of the new next-​door bar.

Bomb food and great service!
Wings are so flavorful and juicy yet the way they bread them lightly and fry the wing gives them this crunch. Had the classic cheese pizza with them. Great pair for any buffalo wing lover!
Great place to get a quick bite or bring a date
They don’t charge extra for ranch which was big time since it tasted homemade! Definitely coming back soon!

I hate pizza. Seriously wouldn’t eat it. My boyfriend on the other hand absolutely loves it. I took him out on the 13^th as my valentines day to him. At the end of the day we ended up here.
We got a large pepperoni pizza half with regular sauce other side white sauce. IT WAS SO GOOD. He loved it. If we had to get pizza again, it will most definitely be Luigi’s.

Looking for a cheap diner/​divey looking pizza place? Look no further! There’s a parking garage out back and from the parking lot you can see a bunch of hammocks out in one of the garden areas. Part of Luigis? Not sure! But it looks cool and hippie!
The interior is a walk-​up order at the counter type establishment with worm checkered table clothes covering like maybe 6 tables! Very small interior with a covered outside area with what lamps! The service is quick and it’s made to order pizza and pizza by the slice! For about $ 3 a slice, you can’t go wrong!
The pizza is flavorful and the toppings are good. The crust is thin and crispy on the ends, just like it should be! They also serve calzones, fries and sandwiches/​hot dogs! Selection is small but there are plenty of toppings to build your own pie!
Very cool casual place for a quick bite! And the ice cream, gelato and sorbet are delish and flavorful as well!

I ordered delivery from here for lunch and it was an hour wait. However, I’m so thankful that it was well worth it! I ordered a chicken salad and a slice of the veggie pizza. The pizza was a huge slice and very flavorful. The salad was a nice portion as well and it come with 2 slices of garlic bread. My only con of the delivery process is that they don’t bring it to you. I work in a building, I’m on the 12^th floor and had to meet them outside at the curb. While it’s not a total convenience I guess it’s better than having to drive there and it can vary depending on your locations set up. I will definitely be trying them again.

My kids: Dad, what’s for dinner?
Me: Ohh hunty, I am serving up LOOKS tonight!
My kids: We haven’t eaten in two days …
Better stop by Luigi’s on the way home to collect a monster sized pizza for take-​out then.
The photos should speak for themselves since one of my snappy-​snaps is now the default biz photo. The large cheese pizza ($ 14.99) is sixteen inches of pie and unlike nearly all measurements that men (and corporate Subway Sandwiches) give out online, they were not exaggerating in the least about that size. The large cheese pizza is big enough for a full family of eaters and there are leftovers too.
There are two dine-​in zones, inside the restaurant and the outside patio. Both are #problematic and the one justification precluding a five star Unilocal rating in this updated review. They earned a star back after approximately five years between that review and this review, so they have another five years approximately to sort this out and receive the full upgrayedd to fivesies.
The inside zone is small, cramped, and not well-​cleaned very often. It is such a cramped space with people in line waiting to order, people waiting for their to-​go order, people begging for free tastes of gelato flavors, and the people huddled over their tables crammed in next to each other trying to eat their food. Inside is not a strong option for dining in. It is loud, it is busy, people will be bumping you and literally standing over you if you are trying to eat your pizza in peace.
The outside zone is a little more spacious, but the louder (read: teenaged) patrons tend to congregate out there watching youtube videos on their phone full blast without earphones, laughing, talking loudly, doing things that annoying youngins do. I never hear a goddamn one of them talk about the Dow Jones.
To-​go is typically the best option you have here, unless the scenes inside or outside fit your desired atmosphere. It is the polar opposite of Gotham Pizza in Midtown where the serene back-​east, homely Philadelphia suburbs diner feel draws you in; it is more like Piola’s heady go-​go atmosphere where the small amount of tables require fast turnover and the Jersey Girl ability to shout louder than everyone else surrounding you just to be able to have a regular conversation. It’s not a peaceful, relaxing scene unless you miss the mess hall of state prison or the junior high cafeteria, which have more in common than they do not.
An order can take anywhere from 10 to about 25 minutes depending on various factors. It’s enough time you know that you didn’t get Fat Tony’s pizza that was ordered an hour ago and never paid for, so now you get it instead of him. At the 20 minute mark you start reconsidering your life options but once you remember that thick ring of sauce around the edges of the pizza, you know that this was the highest and best use of your time.
The pie itself is the traditional greasy All American. The crust is not scorched, it is not thin. It is spongy, flexible, and just the right amount of depth to create a supportive architecture for the sauce, cheese, the heavy grease, and any other toppings you threw down for. Each pie comes out looking slightly different so you know a human hand had a hand in creating this baby — but these slight variations reinforce the beauty of a Luigi pie. Considering it is a chain with the other location, at least you know your pie got a bit of personal attention instead of Pizza Hut’s machines and gizmos whizzing and whirring back there in the secret «kitchen» they have. And that is why you keep coming back here for that monster sized, greasy, saucy, and delicious dinner option.
The general American goodness of the pizza is always going to rise above the less than favorable dining atmosphere inside and outside; it just means that a to-​go order is needed so you can collect your prize, chauffeur it home, and enjoy it in peace in a more relaxing environment you have at home than you would outside on the noisy patio or the cramped interior with other patrons standing over you.
Instead of wasting your money on long shots with the Powerballs lottery, how about try a different game called Pizza Balls? You take approximately $ 14.99 plus tax down to Luigi’s, order a large pizza, pay for the pizza, and you will win every time by receiving a great pizza, same day even! Go for the extra Pizza Powered Balls option and take your order to-​go and see if you win by eating it in a more relaxing environment at home. Everyone is a winner in one way or another with Pizza Balls!

At over 600 some reviews, I figured why add another review! Obviously this place is awesome! Right? After visiting this place twice in one week I figured I should share my experience since, I’ve never been a pizza lover and have never finished a single slice of pizza in one sitting, until now!
The interior area of this restaurant is small, but they have the greatest pizza I’ve ever tasted! Each pizza is fresh and hand made.
My personalized medium pizza order at Luigi’s includes ½ Margherita (tomato & basil) and ½ Caprese (mozzarella, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese with fresh basil) with pepperonis and pico de gallo all over!
This pizza is so good I can literally finish the entire box all to myself!
For desert I highly recommend «Luigi’s Cherry» gelato. The taste of chocolate and cherry’s with one bite is simply euphoric!
Large outdoor seating area is available and the staff members are super nice!

Luigi’s is a classic in Houston. I never felt the need to write a review because everyone has sang its praises enough already, but I’ll add my two cents :).
I’ve actually never ordered a full pizza here before because I usually come with a bunch of friends and we’ve just each ordered our own slices. I usually get the caprese, sometimes with mushrooms added, and it always hits the spot! The bf always always gets the Mexicana. I think he might like that pizza more than me, haha.
One slice is enough to fill me up, but I could probably eat more just because it’s so delicious. My guy friends are usually full with two slices. I like that Luigi’s does not skimp on the toppings! Every pizza is loaded with goodies. I also love the thin crust– It stays together relatively well for how thin it is, but it does get a little soggy in the middle after a while. I just try to eat my pizza really quickly before that happens. The prices are also pretty good for such big slices!
If I ever wanted to have a pizza and movie night at home, I would totally order pizza from here and pick it up. So worth :).