DeSano Pizzeria Napoletana - Downtown Austin

Absolutely fantastic experience at Desano’s! From the moment we walked in, the friendly staff made us feel right at home. The star of the show, of course, is the pizza. Each bite was a delightful burst of flavor with perfectly balanced toppings. You can tell they use ingredients straight from Italy! We’ll definitely be back soon and recommend it to anyone looking for the best pizza in town!

I’ve only been to Austin twice for work, and I’ve been here both times. I eat a lot of pizza and I will have to say that this is probably some of the best pizza outside of New York. The crust is cooked perfectly. The pizza sauce has a really great flavor to it. I wish I was closer so I could try it again.

Desano downtown was a casual yet satisfying dining experience during a recent visit to Austin. They don't have a huge space, but the place has a warm and inviting feel with the traditional pizza ovens and pictures on the wall. The pizza had a thin, crispy crust with perfectly charred edges and a great blend of flavors. The menu has a good variety of classic and some specialty pizzas along with other sides. I ordered a Margherita D.O.P. and it was delicious with the spicy garlic butter (which wasn't very spicy). The staff was friendly. The person at the front recommended and explained items on the menu and also helped us with some condiments when we were at the table which was good. Loved trying their pepper oil and balsamic on the pizza. Overall it's a great spot for a delicious and authentic Neapolitan pizza experience in downtown Austin. Would highly recommend!

I thought this was a pretty good hole-in-the-wall pizza spot! They had a really unique ricotta stuffed crust option. The crust would be the highlight to me even on the regular crust pizza. Had just great flavor and texture! They could use a bit more toppings and sauce imo though. Also just be aware that the seating is communal style and very limited. Great service!

Stopped in and had an amazing pizza! My friend got the best gluten free he said he’s ever had! Staff was polite and helpful, made great recommendations. Simple accommodations which was fine, the food was amazing!

Best pizza place in austin. Perfectly cooked crust. Delicious toppings and high quality cheeses. The cheese is stretchy and melty. The taste is very unique.

It wasn't that great And it definitely doesn't taste like authentic Wood fired Pizza. Just because you cook a pizza and a wood fire oven doesn't mean it's going to taste good. This is the perfect example. Honestly I would have rather had big chain pizza.

BEST PIZZA IN AUSTIN, and honestly I don’t know if second place is close. Let’s break it down: It’s ready in under 5 min, best dough I’ve had in Austin, the sauce/cheese allocation is perfection! I got their namesake pizza, and it was bliss. Don’t need to add or take anything away. It was not super greasy which is where most places go wrong, and you know the places I’m talking about. The Lunch size was the perfect size for one person. The staff was super nice and accommodating. Pizza is my #1, and this is now “my place”. If you haven’t been, do yourself a solid.

Look no further for the best pizza place in austin. This is my second time here. I enjoy the crust from the first time visiting, but not the burn parts on the bottom. This time both pizzas were not burnt, but rather having nice char on the bottom and edges which adds flavors. The dough is definitely better than other pizza places. The toppings are amazing like always. The cheese is stretchy and melty. I don't know where they got their cheeses from, but they have a distinctive taste. Service is 10/10. Everyone is nice and professional. I think I just found my new favorite lunch place.

We had been walking around downtown one morning and came upon DeSano. Figured we'd give it a try one evening. We ordered online and I walked over to pick it up. We ended up with a Pizza Margarita and a salad. Both were really good! This is very solid Neapolitan Pizza! When we walked by, you could see the ingredients they used right in the window. In addition, that morning, employees were making and portioning the dough. The pizza had that classic light and airy crust, wonderful sauce flavor and just the right amount of mootz (mozzarella). It was cooked nicely the temp and texture were great even after walking a few blocks. Definitely recommend getting some pizza here if you are in the area.

hello! quick and easy order process and bite the classic margherita pizza was hands down delicious a definitely must try, simple cheese, marinara and basil. thin crust for the win. soft, warm, and fulfilling. just hits the spot. if you have not gone, you must try! if you are a pizza lover, this is one of the spots. ambiance was loud, clean area, with extra cheese and peppers for your pizza.

I came here with a friend on a whim and I don't regret it! You can never go wrong with a classic margherita pizza and they do a great job with it here. The dough room is also super cute for relaxing in and people watching.

Truly elite pizza. Lovely staff. Quaint shop with cooler beverages to choose from. An absolute must stop when in Austin. Every part of the pizza is so well done. A lot of Napoletana places try to be this good. Few succeed. What else more can I say?

Good fresh authentic pizza! Small place on the inside but the taste is delicious. Price are a little on the higher side but it's worth it.

DeSano Pizzeria makes Delicious pizza. You gotta try it! Truly reminded us of pizza from central Italy. The gluten free crust is the best I've had in TX. They import cheese from Italy, authentic & much more flavorful. We saw the packaging for Buffalo Mozzarella. If you want sloppy & heavy pizza this is not your place. The location on Lavaca has a few tables. Staff was very helpful throughout our visit & pizza comes out quickly.

I was lured to order delivery via Uber Eats with a discount so can't speak to ambiance. The meal was prepared and delivered quickly though so service was good. Italian Chopped Salad - GOAT. Tons of meat and cheese chopped perfectly and paired with lots of greens. Paired with a balsamic vinegar and oil. Comes with two pieces of focaccia. Meatballs - a fair size covered with a delicious red sauce. Comes with two pieces of focaccia. Focaccia - I felt like it could have had a bit more flavor and airiness. It was great in the marinara but just decent when biting into it plain. I would try again in restaurant as well.

The first time I tried DeSano's, I had it for an office lunch and was able to try an assortment of slices. I was impressed! The ingredients were fresh, the flavors meshed well together and truly tasted exceptional. Given this special moment, I had to try it in person to give myself the full in-person experience. However, from the moment I stepped in and saw how scant the seating was, the magic slowly disappeared -- not very inviting. DeSano does not offer personal pizzas or individual slices, but if you come before 3 PM, they do offer their smallest pizza, a 9". Otherwise, DeSano only serves 12" or 16" after-- expect to bring home leftovers! I ordered the Margherita 12" Pizza, which had too much dough and not enough sauce, toppings, or cheese. Essentially, my margherita was a cheese pizza with 3 leaves of basil... and the leftovers? A shriveled, dry breadstick. Not the "wow" factor I was anticipating.

4.5 stars ~ We ordered this for delivery and I was pleasantly surprised! I only tried the Margherita pizza, but it was so tasty I know I'll be back for more! The ingredients were fresh and the ratio of toppings ..to sauce ..to dough was pretty perfect. And the dough...oh my gosh YUM! There is a couple amazing pizza spots in Austin and this one ranks up there... I would put it on my top 5. *PRO TIP* if you order delivery choose "uncut" and it comes with heating instructions so that it tastes like it's right out of oven!

First off the service was great, real warm greeting and was patient as we navigated the menu. Ordered a pepperoni and diavola. Pizza was thin crust and was ready in minutes. Real good pizza with great service. Diavola had a good kick but not too spicy. Great spot

Tried it for a lunch. Pizza was amazing. Been to Italy and this is reminiscent of Napoli pizza. I wanna drive from San Antonio to Austin just for this!

Food was incredible, amazing pizza! Smaller corner store feel however don't let that stop you, it's worth it. Don't ask for Ranch!!!!

We ordered a pizza on the Fourth of July but never received it, every time we called it was busy, hence it was the Fourth of July. Two days later we called and said we never got the pizza and they told us to come on in, so we did. We were greeted by Luciano aka Lucky who provided exceptional service and was very friendly! He made us a feel like family and friends. We ordered the Italian salad, pepperoni pizza and meatballs, it was all delicious and they comped our order for the mistake.

Highly recommend this place. When you first walk in. You think what's this small place have to offer. Hardly any seating. Looks like a cheap place. Then you order the pizzas and boom. Mouth watering. Delicious. Having want to eat till you are full. The guy taking the order nice curious and made sure we found a seat to eat our magnificent pizza. We ordered the canolli another great desert! Try for yourself!

Friendly and fast service plus a really good pizza pie. Definitely recommend We had a plain cheese and a specialty. We also had the chopped salad. We were four people and split two 12" pies and the salad and it was more than enough.

Hands down the best neopalitan pizza you can have in Texas. It reminded me of pizza straight from Naples, which I have tried! What makes the pizza even better is the whipped butter! If you dip your crust in that, it becomes even better! Do not hesitate in stopping here to try!

Located in downtown Austin, we walked here from our airbnb as parking in the surrounding areas seems very limited. The place is pretty small with limited seating, you will most likely split the long tables with other parties. Aside from pizza they also have calzones on the menu. We ordered the 16" Desano and Divola pizza. Overall very good pizza with solid flavor and dough texture. I preferred the Divola. Would've been a 5 star if not for the price point. $80 for 2 pizza and couple water seems high compared to the usual Houston price we are used to.

Forget the bbq in Austin which is great, ya need to try this pizza wooooooow crust is thin and doesn't wilt with toppings but is total flavor bomb.

Walked over from our AirBnB in Clarksville. This location is a small spot tucked in tightly in downtown Austin. The inside has a few tables for seating that you would likely need to share with other people because of how tight it is. The menu is simple, pizza, calzones, salads make up the core of the offerings. We got the DeSano and Diavolo pizza (16" size) and a couple drinks; it came out to roughly $80 after tax and tip (geez!!!!). The quality of the sauce and dough were spot on and I definitely preferred the Diavolo out of the two pizzas due to the peppers on there. Service is minimal but they do bring you the food and pick up the trays afterwards. Would be 5/5 if it wasn't almost $100 for two pizzas and a couple waters but it did alright in the taste department. One bite, everyone knows the rules. 7.6/10

Sorry I have to post this update, but this place definitely no longer deserves the 5 star. In particular, they no longer separate prepare and cook the gluten free crust, thus it is not safe for celiac. Additionally, the pizza was very good, but certainly no longer 5 star. The crust was excellent, but the toppings were sloppy.. really loved this place and sorry to have to write this.

After living in Naples, Italy for 3 years we fell in love with real Italian cuisine with quality ingredients. Desano pizzeria hit our hearts and our stomachs with a taste of those glorious 3 years! The prices are higher but that's because of the imported Italian ingredients. It's definitely worth it! My only regret is not ordering an extra pizza to take home with us. We will be returning when we visit Austin again!

Incredible service, amazing pizza and salad! We stumbled upon this place on our quick weekend in Austin and we are so glad we did. Highly recommend trying their special whipped butter to dip your crust into!

I was in Austin, Tx for a work trip and decided to check out this place because the pizza here reminded me of the pizza places in Naples, Italy. It was a short walk from my hotel which was located in downtown Austin. The service was great, the cashier recommended what I should get. I was trying to figure out the margarita pizza that I had gotten in Italy. After showing him the picture it was the Classic Margarita pizza. They make your pizza fresh to order and you can see them preparing your pie right in front of you. They use a nice wood fire pizza to cook the pizza. I was definitely not disappointed when I tasted my pizza. It was delicious and perfectly made. Ingredients were fresh and the dough was perfect. Love the ambiance there. Easy going and quaint. Everyone was nice. Definitely recommend and I'll be back if I'm sent to Austin again for work.

A very nice and easy spot downtown. The pizzas were very flavorful and tasty. Lots of drink options. Great service. Docked one star because I prefer an even crunchier crust. Almost perfect!

My family and I went to DeSano's before New Years when we were visiting downtown Austin and the pictures and reviews for DeSano's seemed great. When I researched the history I liked the hardworking story and it seemed that they sourced quality ingredients. Unfortunately, my experience was not the case. Perhaps I ordered the wrong type of pizza and I'm not sure if my experience is one off. I felt that this was an extremely overrated pizza place and not worthy of a 4.5+/5 rating on Yelp. What we ordered: 1) garlic sausage pizza - In my opinion the pizza was too doughy for a Neapolitan style pizza. The flavor of the dough trumped the tomato sauce, garlic and sausage. The dough was chewy which I liked but there was just too much of it. More over even though we ate inside the pizza was not hot or crispy. When the pizza arrived it looked great but when you picked a piece up, there was significant flop. For $20+ a pizza I expected better. 2) meatballs - i enjoyed the texture but thought that overall the meatballs were very bland. 3) spinach salad - honestly this was just missing some lemon/citrus. It was just oily and spinach. Lastly, when my dad went to ask for water, an employee mentioned that only bottled water is available and there was no tap water for in store eating patients. This was just really disappointing. Food is a 2/5. Service and Ambiance 2/5. This is your grab a bite and go kind of place not really a sit down place.

I've visited Naples several times, and this is definitely a Neapolitan pizza, with the correct ingredients to make it have that authentic flavor profile. Plus their wood fired ovens came from Naples! To complement the pizza, we enjoyed their Italian salad and it was also on point. We ate at the downtown location so seating was limited, so most of their business here must be take away, so keep that in mind. Highly recommend!

Great pizza overall. The taste was good with a great under carriage char. Loved the cheese they were using as well, it was slightly dough-y for my liking. Service was quick and easy at a register and the ambiance was a fast casual dining experience. 4/5!

Pretty good pizza. The crust was great a bit too much suave for my taste but that's preference

Got their classic Margherita pizza and it was better than I expected! I like to keep my expectations low for pizza but this pizza pleasantly surprised me. Crust was thin, red sauce was tasty, good amount of mozzarella, and it came out pretty fast! Def a spot I would hit up for my pizza cravings.

Some of my favorite pizza ever! Occasionally inconsistent and less than stellar, and so expensive for take out pizza, hence knocking off one star. HOWEVER, when it's done right (which is more often than not) the most perfect chewy yeasty crust in the world with the perfect char bubbles. The sauce is something I would eat with a spoon. Perfect consistency, a little sugar to cut the acid, so fresh. Spring for more expensive margarita pizza. It's worth it. Light buffalo mozzarella, huge fresh basil leaves. And save room for dessert, the cannolis are life changing.

This is the best most perfectly cooked pizza. I like the shirts that say no ranch, no pineapple, no chicken because this is the real deal. Get the garlic sauce to dip your crusts in at the end!

If you like thin crust pizza, this is the place for you. I spoke to the owner recently and all the ingredients are shipped from Italy. When my friends and from Houston visit, we always try a different pizza place with their kids. For several years, often our go-to place is Home Slice, but DeSano is now in the upper echelon too. Plus I bought their kids t-shirts that say 'Legalize Maranara'. They tell me it's a hit in both Middle and High school!

My family and I ordered takeout from Desanos on Fourth of July while visiting Austin. Desanos was highly recommended by many locals in the area. We ordered online and our food was ready in about 15 minutes. This Desano location is in the heart of downtown Austin. When we arrived there were a decent amount of people eating there. The pick up was effortless and the staff was really friendly. The interior is modern with a rustic flair. You can see the employees firing the pizzas in the 900 degree ovens, really cool! They were hand making all the pies and you could tell a lot of passion went into their work. Desanos prides themselves in using high quality, authentic Italian ingredients. You can definitely taste it in their pizza too. It is very clean and I would assume that eating there would provide for a nice experience. We ordered their chopped Italian salad, a 12 inch DOP Margarita pizza, 12 inch Verdera pizza, 12 inch Meatball Madness Carnevale style pizza, and a 16 inch Il Maiale "The Pig" pizza. They also provided us with 3 slices of their garlic bread. This essentially was their thin pizza dough brushed with garlic, Italian seasonings, and olive oil. It was tasty and light! The salad was large enough for the four of us to share. It included fresh chopped romaine lettuce, cubes of mozzarella, soppressata, fresh tomatoes, sunflower seeds, basil, with an olive oil and lemon-balsamic dressing. The lemon-balsamic dressing flavor wasn't really intense and I tasted the olive oil more in the dressing. The salad included really fresh and high quality ingredients, and again, you could really taste the difference! The meat and cheese were amazing, combined with the richness of the Italian olive oil and crisp romaine provided for a great salad. I would recommend! For the pizzas, wow were they flavorful and authentic. They all had a nice thin crust with good charring, what I would expect from Neapolitan styled pizza. The DOP Margarita wasn't anything too special, it was quite simple. But never less it was very tasty! The Verdera pizza included spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella, and Romano cheese. There was no red sauce on this pizza, but it was still very good. There wasn't too much cheese and the ratio between the cheese and toppings was perfect! The specialty pizza we ordered, "the Pig", included red sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, pancetta, garlic, Romano cheese, and fresh basil leaves. This pizza was AMAZING! The saltiness of the high quality Italian meats paired with the cheeses and basil made for an excellent pizza. We were all very satisfied with this pizza and agreed it was AMAZING. Again, the quality of the ingredients is very noticeable in the taste of the pizza. However, the pizza that stole the show was definitely the Meatball Madness Carnevale styled pizza. Never had a pizza that had a ricotta stuffed crust, and boy was it memorable. The Meatball Madness pizza included mozzarella, oregano, Romano cheese, and meatballs with a ricotta stuffed crust. This isn't your traditional stuffed crust pizza either! The ricotta cheese was so creamy and not heavy by any means. This was like something I'd never had before. The meatballs were AMAZING and super flavorful, but not overpowering. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND ORDERING A CARNEVALE PIZZA. Overall, this is an amazing establishment. They use authentic Italian ingredients imported from Europe. The high quality ingredients provide for a unique and memorable pizza experience. The flavors are bold, but not overpowering. All the pizzas had an excellent topping to cheese ratio and were not heavy by any means. The salad was fresh and tasty as well. While it may be pricier, you are definitely paying for the quality of what you get and the sizes are good you are in Austin I would definitely stop by here to grab some pizza. The service is very attentive and they run a very nice business.

If you are seeking authentic Neapolitan pizza, read the many reviews boasting the authenticity of the pizza served at DeSano. Take note of the ingredients imported from Italy. If you are like me, and apparently can't recognize a quality pizza after it's placed before you and you've eaten the whole thing... be warned: Prices are shocking. I got the margarita MVP (marinara, basil, and mozzarella) with a drink and tip for $30. Yes the pizza was good, but not for that price. Am I an expert on pizza made with ingredients imported from Italy? No. But I am an expert on my own opinion.

The pizza here is fresh hot and delicious. They even offer condiments such as balsamic and olives oil. The service is incredibly fast. Ambience is nice with you being able to watch them make your pizza.

DeSano was my favorite pizza spot when I lived in nashville, so imagine my joy when I discovered one in austin for a weekend trip! It was somehow even better than I remembered. The price might seem higher than your average pizza spot, but the quality makes it more than worth the money. The seating inside is minimal, but the staff went out of their way to make sure our needs were met (even bringing out a detachable high chair for our little one). All in all, an exceptional dining experience that makes me miss having real pizza. Oh and it says a lot when eating the pizza crust isn't a chore!

My son and I were on our way to a comedy show and looking for a quick bite to eat. What's faster than a wood fired pizza! Staff was incredibly friendly, ingredients were fresh and the pie was something special.

Delicious pizza! We tried a calzone and the lasagna pizza. Perfect crust and just enough creamy ricotta on the lasagna pizza made for a perfect dinner!

I tried this location via UberEats so my experience may be different than if you walked in -- at least I would hope so. I've gone to the Burnet location once and had no idea a downtown spot (closer to me) was open when I was perusing the Eats app. I ordered the Italian Chopped Salad and Lasagna Pizza. I had it scheduled for about 90 min out. The food arrived right on time but when I inspected my food two things stuck out: 1) the pizza looked burnt (the basil was a grayish color) and 2) the receipt showed the original time I placed the order with a note that said "scheduled pick up" but no time listed. My pizza was barely lukewarm (I live 10 min away) so I suspect the order was created when it was received and sat under a warmer for an hour or so. After reheating in the toaster oven, the pizza was actually pretty dang good but the crust couldn't withstand another bake and got super hard. Salad was really good. There's no dressing. They just provide EVOO, balsamic, and lemon juice. Which I preferred but might not be expected. Also it was a hearty salad! Both my husband and I were able to get our fill off it. ~$22 for a 12" seemed a bit high but the only reason I placed an order was because I had a promo + credit I needed to use up. I may give this another try but it certainly won't be via takeout/delivery.

Wow!!!! Incredible pizza. We live in San Antonio and this is worth the drive. Incredible.

Pizza is great and the Cannolis are amazing. I would recommend to anyone that loves pizza.

My girlfriend eats a gluten free diet and this is our favorite GF pizza. Their chopped salad is also incredible!!

The toppings are scarce and cheese was not evenly distributed. Half of my pizza had too much cheese, the other half had almost no cheese. Crust was burnt for parts of the pizza.

This pizza was so fresh and I was told that all ingredients are imported from Italy. I will gladly return when I'm in Austin, Texas again.

I had NO idea when I came to Austin I would fine a DeSano! I fell in love with the one in LA, but didn't expect to find it anywhere else. This is undoubtedly the BEST pizza I've ever had...in my life. Do not skip the ricotta stuffed crust on any 12in pie...it's to die for. I have had a couple of different ones, but the DeSano is my favorite, and you can't go wrong with a margherita pizza. There's not much seating at this location, but if you can grab a spot it's fun to watch them cook and bring out the pizzas as they're done. Don't skip this place...even if you come to Texas for BBQ!

I'm not sure what exactly is missing, salt? but normally I love me some expensive pizza, and I found the dough good, but not enough cheese, even when I paid extra $5 for ricotta stuffed crust it was surprisingly lackluster although I was so excited about it. Also lack of flavor, which in hindsight I think, salt, perhaps.

This is one of my favorite local pizza spots in Austin. I have a few that rotate depending on what type of pizza I'm looking for. When I want a delicious thing hand crafted crust, I turn to Desano. Their ingredients are incredibly fresh, you can taste the perfectly baked crispy crusts, delicately light cheeses, flavorful sauces and savory meats. The pizzas are larger and they have the price tag to match it. My favorite is the capricossa pizza. Inside, the the restaurant is bright and they have a good selection of drinks including chilled wines to choose from. The people are very cheery and helpful. They even offer dough to children which is a fun distraction while waiting for the oven baked delicious pizza!

Stopped her for a quick bite and I didn't regret my choice. The food was piping hot and the crunch of dough was on point. I know some don't like a crunchy crust but I do. Small dining area, I would recommend take out if it's busy.

One of my favorites here in Austin! Caprese with a pizza was the best combo for me. Pizza didn't take long at all, really appreciated the staff and the ambiance.