The Backspace Reviews

I was in Austin on a business trip and at at the restaurant on a referral from a coworker. The pizza was delicious and savory and just the right amount. I would recommend getting a bottle of wine versus a glass if there are 2 or more people in your group. The waiter was very attentive and friendly. When in Austin I will definitely go back!

This place was the BEST experience I have had when finding a restaurant in new city. It's a cozy, quaint yet simple in its elegance. The food is great, wine selection fantastic and over great, warm, welcoming, and local vibes. It's not pretentious and "uppity," but definitely a level above typical 6th street casual & loud bars/ pubs. A great dinner experience and will definitely be a regular here every time I visit the city.

The place is small, but that keeps it intimate. Service was excellent and the pizza was amazing. The crust had just the perfect amount of softness in the middle but crispiness outside. Lots of veggie options.

The pizza was great and the place is full of a character with an open fire pizza oven. The staff were friendly and helpful. We booked online and didn't have to wait at all. This is a great little restaurant worth visiting. Authentic pizza!

Arrived without a reservation- group of 7 guys and managed to squeeze a table in an otherwise packed restaurant. Staff very attentive and turning everything round at a decent speed. Best bit was the starters- we ordered tasty stuffed eggplant, burratta, beautiful meatballs and a very good baked ricotta. Pizzas are the only choice for mains and you won't be disappointed. The chicken meatball with kale pesto and very thin crispy pepperoni were our winners. Wines were fine- we had a $60 pinot grigio that was nothing special.

Sorry my chic little trattoria, I wanted to love you but I was just underwhelmed. The ambiance is great, very rustic Italian café style, and they highly emphasize the "brick oven brought over straight from Italy", which, being from Seattle where there are a ton of amazing hole-in-the-wall brick oven shops that are awesome, was not a novelty, but they did do a great job with the set up. The place is small and other patrons who spoke of making reservations or having to wait forever were not mistaken. We happened in without one and were lucky enough to grab a seat in-between reservations (however we were warned we only had 45 minutes till we had to leave). About 10 minutes after we sat down, there were people lined up who stayed, wallflower style for the whole duration of our meal. My friend ordered the beet salad which was pretty good. We got a bottle of wine, which was reasonably priced, they do have an a-ok wine list, although a limited wine by the glass menu. The food took FOREVER, and unfortunately they ripped my pizza, so they had to re-make it, so it took about an hour for me to get my artesian fennel sausage and red-pepper pizza (from a brick oven that takes approximately 90 seconds to cook a pizza fully) so by the time my food got there everyone else was finished, which was extremely lame. There is no other way to describe the pizza besides over sauced, undercheesed, and totally lacking in flavor, it was very bland and weirdly garlicky with no balancing herbs or spices. My friend's pizza was very under sauced, but equally bland. We did get my pizza for 50% off (which was still overpaying in my opinion) but I would not go back here, there are way too many other places with a much fuller flavor palate than backspace. Nice try, but failure to execute.

I visited this restaurant this evening for dinner. The pizza tasted delicious and the restaurant is beautiful inside. However I felt let down by the staff who lost points with rudeness, seeming like they wanted us in and out as quick as possible. Good Customer service means a lot to me and them not engaging with us or even thanking when handed over a large tip made me think I wouldn't go back here.

I had the fennel sausage pizza. It was made with crushed tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. The sausage had a nice flavor without too much fennel. The restaurant is very small. So call for reservations. The only thing that put me off was a note limiting table time at 1 hour 15 minutes. It is not the type of place to linger but all the same.

My wife and I just stumbled upon this place when we left our hotel and decided to stop. So glad we didn’t pass it up! Service was great. The food was excellent. We got meatballs for an appetizer and the brisket pizza. Nothing disappointed. We’ll be back!

I love eating Neapolitan style pizza wherever and whenever I travel. Backspace is in the top 3 pizzas I have ever eaten. Slightly charred crust, crispy and doughy at the same time. The ingredients are of the highest quality, but the crust is what separates Backspace from its competition.

Small, unassuming and the best food we had in Austin--and that's saying a lot. Great service, perfect portions, food and wine list. We started with summer ragout and peach dish, moved to roasted mushroom pizza, ended unusually with 2 deserts and wine pairings. Excellent! Flavors celebrate local ingredients --subtle and delicious. Would go again in a heartbeat.

Had some interesting pizza, appetizers, and selection of wine. Waiter was great, let us trip a sample of wine before he poured it. He also accidently bumped into one of my friends and was very sweet and brought us a free dessert. The pizza crust was a little burnt, but was otherwise very good.

Had a nice dinner with my two sons here last week. Staff were very friendly, and the food was very good.

I'm feeling lucky to have found this "hidden gem" right in the heart of the action in Austin - right off sixth street but you'd miss it if you're not looking for it. It's really small, very friendly and casual, and the pizza and service were great. It has an open kitchen so I watched them cook my little pizza in the crackling fire of the brick oven right in front of me. I was by myself so sat at the bar - tasty margarita pizza and a frosty cold pironi, what's not to like?

Really and honestly, you go ask for the Bianca pizza with Proscuitto and forget about everything else, don´t listen your party, your couple, the waiter, anyone, just bite your pizza and enjoy a trip to pleasure, I dnon´t know if the best pizza I´ve ever had, but top 3 for sure. Ask for a glass of wine or a bottle so your experience can be delightful. Please don´t go to Austin without having the pleasure to eat there. The place is super small, but the music on the speakers is smooth and nice, and the wood oven gives you a very nice cliché to your time in there.

We arrived as soon as they opened as we’d read this place was popular and I’m very glad we did. Within 15 minutes Backspace was busy. Service was very friendly and fast but at no point did we feel rushed. The atmosphere was very pleasant. There were no high chairs but our table had space for a stroller and the bench was wide enough for our 10 month old to sit on while he nibbled pizza. The selection of pizzas is small but choosing one was still hard. We had the Texas Lamb and the Roasted Mushroom and both were excellent. We also had a side of Focaccia which was also delicious. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a really good pizza in Austin. We might even return ourselves before we leave!

We had the meatballs which were very good and the spicy cauliflower. We also had 3 of there pizzas and all were really good done in the fire oven. They have a happy hour which was nice also. Get there early it is small and space is limited.

Ok, dining in downtown Austin has its challenges. Hard to get seats, super noisy and expensive. Backspace is better than average on all three and the food is excellent. It’s small with limited seating so a reservation is always recommended. It is becoming a go to place for us in Austin and it has not disappointed yet.

Calling this a pizzeria is a severe understatement. Yes, they serve delicious, tasty pizzas, but they also have a selection of antipasti and small plates that are absolutely divine. We arrived at 7pm on a Tuesday without a reservation, and were so lucky to get a table. (They have about 15 seats at the bar and about 8 tables.) Everything was wonderfully fresh and full of flavor. The atmosphere is very romantic, with wooden tables and the scent of wood smoke wafting delicately above. Limited but well-chosen wine list, and friendly, attentive service. Make a reservation so you are sure to get a seat!

It's small. It's quaint. It has excellent real wood fired pizza ovens and the out-coming choices are excellent. Pair that with a light (and unique) salad - I had a beet salad - and a glass of something to your Italian red wine choice and you'll think you're in Italy. In little 'ol Austin.

Austin after dark. Looking for a casual place to eat. Pizza maybe - but an upscale menu. This is your place. They have far more than just pizza - but with their dedicated ovens, I'd offer that this is the star. We were a group of 10 - a HUGE crowd for this small establishment but they accommodated our reservations and seating - and making all feel like family. Tastes were varied with both appetizers and meals and all were completely satisfied. Look to their menu and let your mouth water. It's a locals joint that you should treasure.

Nice little place just off of 6th street. Cool vibe with unique barrel stave bar stools. Wine is overpriced, but on happy hour no complaints on the price. Pizza was good. We enjoyed it as well as the atmosphere.

Stumbled into this nice little Pizza place off of 6th street. Walked in and saw the nice brick oven which told me this was going to be good. Ordered 2 pizza's, one with Arugala and several cheese's, 2nd with Sausage & pepperoni. Nice thin crust and so darn tasty! Service was excellent, wine selection was good. Beer selection was one! LOL which I had,..... it was Pecarrino beer and very good. There was water leaking from the roof in the men's room into several tubs, but I decided it was art! This is a great place to stop in while visiting Austin and 6th street!

A very "Austin" spot to stop for Pizza. I live in Austin and I try to visit at least once a year. This is locally owned, and not your average food spot. Foodies will love their take on the old classic: Pizza! Great stop while you're in town!

We had 3 different pizzas and an appetizer. EVERYTHING was salty. I like salt as much as the next person but I'm not a hamster and I don't need a salt lick. The pizza on the streets of Austin is way better. I'll not be going back.

Pizza...ahh, Pizza. How can you make bad pizza? That I have not figured out. I do not think you can, but to make exceptional pizza is an art. I had heard from a few friends that The Backspace had elevated their pizza game to an art. So of course, I had to try. The place is small so reservations are a must. We arrived at our time and were promptly seated. The menu is simple. The choices are apps, salad, and of course pizza. The wine list is reasonable. The mozzarella starter was enough for our group of four. Overall, it was well received. We decided to skip the healthy salads and go right for the pizzas. We had the margerita, the mushroom, and the fennel sausage. All three pizzas were red sauce based. They also have white pizzas. The sauce is lite and flavorful. The crust was done well and was just the right amount of crisp. Of the three pizzas, I liked the margherita the best. It was delicious and allowed me to really taste the crust and the sauce. The fennel sausage was also good. The sausage was mildly spicy and this spice really added to the flavor of the sauce. The mushroom pizza was also quite good. Were they the best I have had? No, but they were still quite good. The service was great. No complaints there. Overall, great pizza joint in Austin. Will return. Tips: 1.The pizzas are marketed for one person. We ordered three pizzas for four people and this was plenty. I think if you got an app and a salad, you could easily split a pie between two people. 2. Get reservations. 3. Enjoy

We lucked into a table (it’s a very tiny space), and had a great view of the pizza oven. Sadly there was no GF pizza, but there are some good appetizers: I had the meat and cheese boards with lots of good selections. Husband had the pepperoni americano which he said was delicious. Highly recommend this place, but get a reservation!

After a visit to the Children's Museum, we needed to grab lunch and decided to give this place a try. When we found it, we were very hesitant to go in. Currently their is a lot of construction next door to it, but once we entered, I was happy we went. It was around 11:30am on a Saturday. It was my husband, our 2 year old & I. They only have 1 high chair, probably not usually much of a kid place. There was only 1 other table occupied, so we had our pick of tables and no issue parking our stroller near our table. Waitress was super efficient. Had great recommendations. Very sweet to our little one. We ordered the margherita pizza and the cheese plate. We'd planned to order some of the anti pasta too, but the pizza & cheese plate were a great size and we didn't even finish all of that. Would definitely love to come back to try a few of those. Pizza had wonderful char on crust and was chewy, exactly what I like. Cheese plate had nice selection with a jam (fig?)... it was great. It really reminded me of Italy because it was sparse looking, but quaint. The tops of the table are wood. While I love that look, I always feel like they must be a little dirty. The food is prepared right at the bar and you can see the cute little subway floor tiles are dirty (at 11:30 am). Very, very Italy. For me, definitely a place I'd recommend and love to try some new things. Would not bring my little one back though, unless it was a early lunch again.

After a few days in Austin we decided to eat in one of the "Top 10 Pizzerias in Austin", according to the Austin magazine in our hotel room. The place was a little hard to find (even for our cabbie) but is opposite a British Music bar painted like an 80's Ghetto Blaster. The place itself is rustic and understated. We were greeted warmly and after explaining that we'd booked on Open Table were led to our table and poured water. The restaurant is really all about "small is better" - there are a limited number of seats (for 40 people approx) and the menu has a limited number of dishes (normally a good sign). We were after a light dinner so just went for a pizza each (Margherita and Fennel Sausage). The pizzas are prepared in front of you wherever you are in the restaurant (it's that intimate) and you can see your pizza cooking in the wood fired oven. The food: The 12" pizzas were very tasty (especially the fennel sausage) but had significant charring around the edges. Service: Fast but a little disjointed - 3 separate members of staff asked us how our meal was. It's a nice touch but does interrupt the eating experience. The restaurant: A little cramped and not really recommended if you want to speak privately to your dining companion(s). Overall: Maybe a little less charring on the pizzas and this would be a great place for an leisurely lunch.

Highly recommended! Right in the heart of historical downtown Austin. Beautiful understated Zen decor. Excellent service from all staff members throughout your dining experience. Excellent wine list. Food is very fresh and locally sourced, many organic choices. Probably some of the best pizza I've ever had!

Absolutely awesome place. Small, has a great vibe and feels intimate as a result. Both casual and more high end, really good mix. I ate the pepperoni pizza which was mouthwateringly good. I loved how the garlic was sliced properly into the pizza instead of squeezed onto it. The dough was great and the house made buffalo mozzarella worked a treat as an appetizer. Espresso was good too, but I skipped dessert. Friendly service and we got our food fast even though SXSW was in full effect. Highly recommend this place for a quick dinner, date or just to have some great food with friends. I'd really say the food and the ambience were some of the best I experienced in Austin.

The Backspace downtown is our goto Valentine's spot. It's an intimate setting, the pizza and appetizers are great, they have a good wine selection, the staff is super-friendly, and the hazlenut budino is to die for!

Great ambiance, awesome service, wine service and tasty oven pizza. Take out or with reservations. Make sure to make reservations if you plan on dining on prem. You might get lucky and find a spot at the cozy counter.

Italian food that is so tasty! Good wine selections, nice little bar area. The staff is great and I've been here twice now on each of my visits to Austin

Stumbled on this place after a long day watching the Grand Prix, just fancied pizza but got a lot more! Mouthwatering pizza, cooked straight in front of me, washed down with ice cold beer. Atmosphere was great, nice hum of surrounding conversation, but still feel your conversation is private. If we do the Grand Prix next year will be dropping in again.

I visited this little bistro this last weekend and it was a delight. My reservation was messed up and I ended up sitting at the bar instead of a table. The owner/manager (?) gave me a free dessert as compensation. The customer service was really good! I had the roasted mushroom and cheese pizza with a really nice glass of wine. I ate more of the pizza than I should, it was so yummy, and then had dessert. I had the strawberry and lemon budino and it was fantastic! On my way out the owner/manager (?) was very gracious and asked me how my food was and I told him it was wonderful. Make a reservation if you want to go. It is a pretty popular place and seating was really limited by the time I left. It is worth a visit for sure!

Top notch , authentic pizza! A real restaurant, too. Try the charcuterie plate, and the Italian beer on tap. Awesome wood fired oven. Pizza is done in 60 seconds. Perfect

I tried two type of pizza, one sausage, one roasted mushroom. They were both delicious, but I particularly liked the mushroom. The wood burning oven made all the difference between this place and other pizza places. The bartender was perfect. She was on top of things but not a hoverer.

First time here. VERY pleased with the greetings as well as the service from the entire staff. My asparagus hot plate appetizer was perfect. My Pero ni beer was fresh, on tap, and cold. My pepperoni and mushroom pizza was very tasty, but could have been cooking just a minute longer. (I like them crispy ). The dessert was awesome! Will return! !

I was on a work-related trip to Austin with a group of around 6 people. They accommodated us around 6:00ish even though we didn't have reservations and from the outside looking in, we wondered if we would all be able to sit together. The food was delicious. I had a brisket pizza because it sounded very unique and because, Texas. It was too large for me byself although I thought I'd be able to handle it. Good wine selection and apps for happy hour, too. That's prob why I couldn't finish the pizza.

Had the bianca - delicious but super rich. Friends had the wild mushroom which was good but not great. Pizzas are large enough to share unless you are a really big eater. We all ended up taking half home. The atmosphere was nice and it was quiet enough that you could have a conversation at your table and hear each other. The main drawback was the service. The place was not full and had one server working. She was nice enough but we sat for some time before she even checked in with us. We are all for letting people enjoy their food but a little more attention would not have gone a miss. Also, the place closes at 2:00 pm and we had 1:30 pm reservations. We were the only ones in the place come 2:15 pm and while it seemed that the cooks were prepping for dinner, we felt like it may not be wise to linger.

I went on a slow night this time around, and it was nice to be able to stay and relax awhile with friends. The server was more than accommodating on this weeknight. I ordered a featured pizza which we did not like, and the server was gracious to remove it from our bill without our requesting it. I like to be adventurous when I order, and this time it caught up with me, although I assume responsibility for those instances. I thought some of the antipasto selections we ordered were so-so, but more than made up for by the winners. I more so enjoy the hot selections of appetizers cooked in the wood-fired oven with the pizzas. My favorite Austin restaurant.

The Backspace truly started it's life as the back space of the Parkside restaurant that resides on 6th Street. Small in stature but "large and in charge" of great wood fired pizza! Every pizza I've had there is great - everything I've had there is great. The arugala pizza is one of my fav's cause it's different and fresh and basically a salad on a pizza. Sounds strange but don't mock it till you've tried it. Go with friends - order a bunch of stuff - some wine and MANGIA!

Pretty small place with a bar and a handful of tables. We all had individual pizzas which were pretty tasty (wood stove behind the bar). Also, the garden salad was full of flavor. Must say the waitstaff was very nice as well. My only complaint is the wood stove, after about 45 mins in there my eyes started watering from the burning wood in the wood stove improperly being vented I guess. Clothing smelled of a campfire after I left, too, which isn't good.

The ambiance of this establishment is absolutely charming. The stone oven gives it a authetinc touch to the pizza's. Also the happy hour on the huge selection of wine and antipasti makes it even better. Defintly going back there!

I really want to love this place. It is ok in my book. Recently was there with some girlfriends and the food did nothing for me. We started with the baked ricotta and honestly I only ate one bite. It was not good at all. Then we shared a Margherita and a Sausage Pizza. Both were ok. Nothing I would rush back into for. The place has a brick oven and as such it is very warm in the small space. If it is packed it can be very loud. They do have valet parking for $10. I would give it a solid 3.5 stars. I do recommend reservations even though during the week you could probably get a table.

We went out on a date on Saturday after Christmas with our company gone. My date set up an early reservation. The Backspace restaurant is on San Jacinto @ 6th St., behind/back of Parkside restaurant on the SE corner of 6th @ San Jacinto. As we arrived during happy hour, we enjoyed half price wine and starters. Our wine was their Monepulciano Rose' which was crisp & well chilled. The Antipasta starters we ordered and enjoyed included the eggplant caponata with pinenuts and golden raisins, the roasted pears with gorgonzola, onions and walnuts, plus the beets with celery, lemon zest and pepperocini. For our pizza, we chose the Bianca pie - made with mozzarella, ricotta & pecorino romano cheeses and topped with fresh arugula before serving. Our other choice was the Roasted Squash pie -made with crunchy squash, chicken sausage, sage pesto and caciocavallo cheese. These fire roasted pizzas were very delicious. And we ordered extra pizzas to go for our favorite band which had a gig that night close by on 6th Street - and so we ate a slice of their Pepperoni Americano with them, too. This is a great date place for pizza, for sure, because the Austin atmosphere, the food quality and great service made our dining experience on par with many great restaurants in town. We thought the food that night was better than our dinner 2 nights earlier at Parkside and we enjoyed that dinner as well. This makes our top 3 pizza places in Austin - with 3 different environments and pizza styles.

Fresh ingredients, great service, incredible crust, and a real wood-fired brick oven. This place is an absolute treat.

Great pizza in Austin. Excellent service, we made a reservation and since they were about 10 to 15 min late on sitting us, they gave us an appetizer and a dessert on the house. Not only was the food great but the service as well. Cute space, not very big at all. So make sure you make reservation or expect to wait. So far this is my best restaurant in Austin and I just moved here from Chicago were they also have great food. I will definitely come back.

This is a small place, but it hits far above its size. The vegan pizza was fantastic, and the staff could not have been more friendly or accommodating.

I had not been to Backspace for sometime. My last few trips to Austin were just too hectic. I was comforted to fond the food and service just as excellent as ever. I ordered the roasted okra, a salad, and a roasted mushroom pizza. All were incredible, and would have recommended the restaurant on their own. Highest recommendation. I always try and get there early, and then sit at the bar, to avoid the crowd, and enjoy the highly talented cooks work the wood fired oven.

Love the small plates, love the pizza. Pretty solid wine list and incredible atmosphere. The desserts in the mason jars are also not to be missed. Love this place!!

Outstanding, super-thin, neopolitan pizza. There are only a few tables, and you'll probably need a reservation to sit at one, but the bar (maybe 8 stools?) is first come first served and a great choice. Antipasti are terrific -- try the Brussels sprouts. Nice wine list and Peroni on tap. Downtown vibe with zero attitude.

We were walking around Austin and developed a taste for some pizza. We looked at Yelp and saw that Backspace was close by. We sat at the bar since the space is very small and a group of loud 20-somethings was taking up most of the space. I ordered the beets and the roasted mushroom pizza. The pizzas ranged in price from $11 to $16. They were all about 10" in diameter. Both the pizza and the beets were very good. I would have liked a touch more sauce on the pizza and a crust that had a little more air in it, but those are personal preferences and the pizza was delicious. The beets needed a bit of a fat element like goat cheese or thin sliced speck or cured lardo in addition to the chopped up peppers that were mixed in. We were in and our in less than an hour. The food and service were both very good and would recommend it to anyone in Austin.

My boyfriend and I went to backspace last night. It's one of the Parkside Projects including Olive & June as well as Parkside which seemed to be attached to backspace. We looked at the menus of all three online beforehand and were really impressed with backspace's great happy hour deal. We thought it would fill up quickly so went at 5:15. The antipastis were half off and it was a steal for the quality of the food. Everything we ate there was fantastic! We recommend going hungry and trying ALL of the antipastis. We ordered the focaccia bread, which must be the best we've ever tasted. Next we tried their pepperoni americano pizza. The fresh mozzarella and spicy pepperoni really made the dish. Perfect size for 2 people. Finally we finished with a glass of prosecco and a salted caramel dessert that was absolutely to die for. The only problem was the glass of Sangiovese my boyfriend ordered (He's a Somm and said their wine list was great) it was corked but they opened a new bottle right away. The staff, especially our waitress, was kind, knowledgeable, and prompt. You MUST go to backspace! They'll make regulars out of you. Can't give it enough stars :)

Came to Austin for my Bachelor party and ate at this small restaurant and it was phenomenal. The pizza was to die for. The restaurant is extremely small yet we were able to walk in and eat immediately. The only thing I would change about this place would be to increase the beer selection to something other than only Peroni.

I have read about the good pizzas here and made a reservation for dinner one night. We walked here from our hotel (Omni Austin downtown) and it is a super small restaurant with an open fire pizza oven. Pizza was delicious but a bit small. Sides were good and service was friendly. I would dine here again for the pizza when we are in Austin again. small casual very dark place but very warm service and we had free dessert again as well. Probably because we mentioned that we were celebrating our wedding anniversary.

I love the pizza here! The crust is thin and crispy. Not being a big meat eater, we got the margarita pizza.. Just fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato sauce. it was delicious. The sides are creative and tasty. We had the artichoke, squash and beets. The citrus beet side dish was amazing. The artichokes had a bit too much vinegar for my taste. The caramel pana cotta was rich, but delicious! This is my "go to place" for pizza in Austin.

This is a tiny restaurant in downtown Austin with a small dining space making it a trendy place to go to. It gets super loud but it does have a nice atmosphere. Pizzas are a little larger than personal size. Thin crust and very flavorful but the oven was a little too hot that night and burned the outside crust. Very enjoyable though and excellent service!

This small wood fire pizza lace has a great feel and great food. From the meatballs, cheese plate to the pizza all top notch. Service was friendly and effecient. The place is small so our table of 6 was

Are here last night with my 2 year old daughter. We came at about 6pm on a Friday night and only one table left. Very quick service (which is a must with her) and great pizza. The pepperoni one has tons of pepperoni for you pepperoni lovers and the fresh mozzarella was very yummy. Definitely recommend it.

While staying downtown we were looking at possible pizza options. It was close and we saw they had a wood burning oven. Got over there and the place was small and very charming. We made a reservation and the table was waiting. We split a great salad and each had a pizza. The pizza fantastic and cooked to perfection in their wood burning oven. The guy at the pass made sure each pie was perfect, gave it a hit of EVOO and a nice sprinkle of fresh parm. The wine list was mostly if not all Italian. That is a nice touch. We really loved this spot.

From what we had read we expected more. We ordered pizza, though there were some other interesting sounding options. I liked the continuous bench around the room, but pretty hard for extended comfort. Our server was quite nice. The pizza, though good, was not compelling enough to bring me back for more. Try it for yourself.

Had lunch here twice with colleagues during a recent conference - pizza (margherita, sausage & fennel, mushroom, etc.) offerings are fantastic - and service was efficient and friendly. Good place for a reasonably quick business lunch; unlike some restaurants in the vibrant center of Austin, acoustics in this cozy italian place are good enough to allow for real conversation!

This little gem has the best pizza in the city and Peroni on tap to boot! Warm & cozy atmosphere, this is a great date place!

Nice little restaurant right off of 6th Street in Austin. Great service and food. Some of the best pizza I have had in Texas.

We were able to nab reservations fairly quickly for a Saturday night, which I do recommend since they had to turn away a few folks attempting to walk up for a table. I can honestly say, this is one of the best wood fired Margherita pizzas we've had in our pizza eating adventures in Texas. The dough had a perfect texture with a great smoky flavor, and very good portions of cheese, sauce and basil. Just delicious. The wine the waitress recommended was also wonderful and not overly expensive. Great service to boot!! This place has a lovely romantic ambiance and is located close to downtown hotels and 6th street.

Worth página a visit. Cozy atmosphere, great service and excellent wood-fired pizzas!! Try also the meatballs, they are delicious!!

A quaint and cozy Italian place off of 6th Street. We ordered Chianti, beets with peperoncinis and two pizzas, one fennel sausage and one pepperoni for four of us. The pizzas were a little burnt, but very good if you like rustic wood-fired crust. Desserts are served in old mason jars.

I have been here twice now - once on business at lunch and now dinner with my husband. Both times have been superb! I love the Bianca Pizze, the arugula is so fresh and percorino romano that it's tossed in, just makes it pop. This is not something I normally order, but i would recommend to even picky eaters! If you are looking for a great brick oven style pizza, this is your place!

Enjoyed great food in fun surroundings. Service could use some improvement--do not interrupt meal to remove one diners plate and tried to force more wine by pouring everytime she came by the table. Will try one more time.

Margherita Pizza is my goto, it was perfect. I also had the lamb meatballs. I loved how they were cooked in the crock all the sauce and cheese all over the top. The girl who waited on me was friendly, attentive and had multiple tables arriving at once and not once did I have to wait for anything.

Tiny place, but very cozy and romantic. Good happy hour (half priced apps, beer, wine). Pizza was excellent. Will def be back.

We got there early, sat at the counter, had fantastic service, food was great. Would love to go again. Have recommended to many others.

I get it...tables are limited within the space, but handing you a card with the time you need to leave is off putting. It was an early lunch and not busy at all. I asked if there were reservations coming and they didn't have any. The pizza was fine, but for the price and experience I would go elsewhere.

Backspace only gives you an hour to eat! My husband and I had a reservation, I was running late because of traffic and getting through 2 accidents on mopac. 3 different people kept telling my husband I better hurry since they can only let us use the table for an hour even though ther was no one there but two other couples. My husband ended up leaving because how much they pressured him on the time. Terrible customer service! Even when I told the management about my experience they requested, they defended the actions of the staff. My husband has ordered an appetizer,that he didn't get to finish, and was unimpressed. Snooty attitude for mediocre food.

A very busy Saturday evening just off 6th St in downtown Austin (another relatively quiet spot compared to several other restaurants we looked into on the way to Backspace). Great pizza: sausage for me, Margarita for my wife. They squeezed us in despite no reservations, and were very friendly and attentive. We were served very quickly. No craft beer, but a nice wine selection.

An authentic Italian meal. Smallish establishment. Felt like I was in Grandma's kitchen. Menu was limited but delectable. Waitstaff was attentive and helpful. Would definitely go back. Oh wait, I did!

This is a small restaurant and normally (seen from the outside) you would not go in inmediately. The quality of the food is very good/fresh. We went in at happy our time and had some lovely wine to start. Follows by some very nice appetizers. If they ad Lasagna to the menu it makes the Italian menu more complete. Do make reservations.

Backspace is a small restaurant right off 6th Street. It's recommended you make reservations because there aren't many tables....it's a really nice and cozy space. We had the margherita pizza and the fennel sausage pizza....both were excellent and very satisfying. The service was outstanding...we had a very friendly, attentive waitress. I will definitely return to this restaurant when I'm in Austin again.

And not just excellent pizza, fantastic brussel sprouts. Yes. I'm not kidding. Order those brussel sprouts. And the beets. And the roasted squash. Oh, just order the whole antipasti menu. You'll want to spend the night there trying everything. We did. Enjoyed an intimate and delicious meal with old friends at Backspace. We were all from out of town. We felt like we had been let in on an awesome secret because we had found this restaurant. Prosecco with the cheese and meat platter? Yes, you should do it. Just one beer on tap? Sure but you are going to enjoy that beer. Like everything else. Our waitress rocked awesome Sally Jessy Rafael glasses. She remembered one of my friends who had been in a couple days earlier. She encouraged us to order dessert even though they were getting close to closing for the evening. And I'm glad we took her advice. That cheesecake with amarena cherries was heaven in a small glass. The panna cotta is to die for. If my stupid hotel was downtown I would eat here every single night of the week I'm in Austin for. And beg the Chef to open a location in Boston. Seriously, who knew you could find such excellent Neapolitan pizza in Austin?

We dropped by by chance, and fortunately they could accommodate us pretty quick, which is miraculous considering that the he place is so SMALL (maybe around 10 tables and the bar). The food is excellent. We ordered appetizers and a pizza to share. All of it was good. Eggplant the best. Really good appetizers. The Brussels sprouts and olives good, maybe not extraordinary. The pizza? One of the best I'd had for a long time. Thing, crusty, plenty of toppings and natural tomato sauce (that is a gamechanger for me). Very well presented and tasty. Only problem of the night: the wine ordered by the glass was undrinkable. They changed it of course immediately, but I think it should no be possible to present a half opened bottle of wine that has not already been tried before. Did the prior clients not complain? I doubt it.

Just off 6th street there is a very quaint Italian restaurant with a delicious limited menu. Stop in for happy hour and enjoy a great selection of wines for 1/2 price. Antipasta is also half price. We also ordered pizza and it was great. Also the bartender did a super job.

There is a 75-minute limit for dining because the restaurant is so small. Guests are made to feel they shouldn't even walk in if they hadn't made a reservation. We had lamb and pork meatballs and three different types of pizza. Meatballs were way too salty and the pizza just okay. The dough is better than sauce or cheese. I wouldn't bother to visit again.

The food, wine, beer, abs atmosphere were amazing. Very authentic wood fired pizza and lamb/pork meatballs!

Cozy, small place with great pizza, service, and clientele. Am not a wine drinker, but the selection was large. This is a great little find.

We found this place via Trip Advisor and by the comments, it looked ideal for a hot 6pm light dinner.Two of us shared a peperoni pizza and I had a wonderful glass of Italian Lambrusco. It was the perfect combo - the flavours matched 100%. The pizza was light and terrific, the service great. There are very few tables here so either book or go early. It was a small, but good menu. Plenty of drink options at the bar.

There aren't many places to eat in the 6th Street area. We tried to get a seat at the Parkside, but was told there was a 2 hour wait. The host at the Parkside was super nice and recommended this restaurant. He escorted us out the back door to the Backspace Restaurant and told us to tell them that the Parkside sent us. We were told it would be about a half hour/45 minute wait, so we gave them our cell phone and walked a couple of blocks to get a drink while we wait. Five minutes after we got our drinks, we received a text that our seats were ready! We drank up and headed down. This is a very neat, eclectic restaurant with a brick oven. The pizza is delicious and we were actually happier that we ate hear rather than the Parkside, since the Parkside seemed a bit more fancy than what we were looking for. (I noticed that they have valet parking also)

My wife and I visited Austin the weekend of February 7th to celebrate our daughter's birthday. Awesome location in downtown Austin on SanJacinto and 6th St. We arrived at ~ 5:15 p.m. without a reservation. It is a small dining area with approximately 8 tables. We were promptly seated and beverage order was taken. We also ordered an appetizer of pork and lamb meatballs as well as mozzarella cheese and focaccia bread. Each were amazing! We then ordered the Bianca pizza and the Fennel Sausage pizza. Both were amazing and as authentic as those we have eaten in Italy. Highly recommend visiting the Backspace in Austin. Would also recommend making a reservation.

Serves mostly pizza, but I'd say the real gems are actually the antipasti. Brussel sprouts were delicious, as was the cauliflower. I should also note that the food came quite fast and service was attentive. Ambience is quiet, and very dark--lit only by candlelight. It's a small place, fits maybe 25 people. Reminded me of the small hidden places you might encounter in the West Village in NYC. Not great for large groups, but come with a friend or significant other. Would recommend if you're looking for a nice but low-key restaurant, with affordable wines and Italian fare.

The Backspace was highly recommended by a colleague while my wife and I were visiting Austin. A bit of a rough start (we had a reservation, which was given to someone else, but the hostess did a great job to make it right). The food was very good. However, the place is very small (~10 tables) and it was very, very loud (6pm on a Saturday night).

Backspace is a very small quaint spot, felt lucky to get an 8:00 reservation last minute on a Friday night. Had the salad with the marinated veggies was yummy. Loved the meatballs and pizza. Those three dishes were just right for two of us to share. Delicious! Very friendly servers too.

We came to Austin (from NJ) without a dinner plan and felt like checking out the 6th St scene. The pepperoni pizza and field greens salad were really enjoyable, I'm kind of craving it now. The place is small and uses the bar as seating, I was put on the corner of it and every single person hit me so try to avoid that spot. It also took awhile to get our pizza. Besides the negatives this place deserves a good rating food wise.

Amazing pizza with friendly staff and expert-level pizza chefs. Everything i amazing but still affordable.

There is only space for 15 or 20 folks here, but the food is fantastic, service was welcoming and accommodating. Excellent desserts and wine options, excellent pizza, nice starters. Location close to 6th street without the noise and bother.

I eat at Backspace eve ry time I visit Austin and the food and service are always excellent. try the meat plate; delicious. Pizza’s are excellent as is everything. Great Italian wines! Glad I went back!

My husband and I ate here on a recent trip to Austin. We stopped in at about 7 pm on a Monday night and had no trouble getting a place at the bar. Table space is limited so I would recommend a reservation if you don't want to wait. The menu is limited, but so is the kitchen space. We had the fennel sausage pizza and wine. The Sangiovese was particularly good. This is a great stop for a light meal or snack. Oh - and a decadent hazelnut chocolate dessert. Service was good - attentive, but not hovering.

Came down for SXSW and ran into this place thanks to Trip Advisor. Very good pizza, one of a few places you can really taste the quality of their ingredients. From the outside it looks closed, but they are open limited hours. It is expensive. $15 for a small Bianca pizza I split with my wife.

I had the bianca with prosciutto and the prosciutto was some of the best I've had. The dough was thin and flexible, but with a nice crunch to it, with just the right amount of burn marks from the open flame. It's a small place, but the service was excellent and food worth it.

Small bites, salads and pizza make this a fine choice. Reserve or get there early. It generally is busy. Service is friendly.

After it took 40 minutes I didn’t want to send it back. Good taste. Just needed more time in the oven. Too thick to be cooked that fast. Nice vibe, good wine.

Backspace off 6th St is a perfect Pizza venue Good buzz, relaxed and friendly and great Pizza and other dishes The Fennel Sausage Pizza was outstanding - all good value and very enjoyable - highly recommend

We had several glasses of Lambrusco. It was tasty and reasonably priced. Out appetizers were excellent and consisted of brussel sprouts and bruschetta. The bruschetta had a lard and fresh toppings on a soft bread--out of this world. The pizzas were simple and delicious. I will return.

Okay this is a small place, and they like to flip tables on schedule, as there are reservations spaced a certain time apart. We ate on a Friday night, and had reservations, but chose to sit at the bar instead of the table. It is fun to watch the staff prepare food in the wood oven, and staff was friendly and welcoming. I recommend the oven roasted brussels sprouts, and the pizza is divine. We ordered dessert, and it was good too. It can be loud! Now that you have had your amazing meal, get up and out around the corner to the many night spots to visit, and welcome the next diners waiting to an awesome feast!

The food was great, so was the service. We tried a variety of appetizers and pizzas and enjoyed them all. They have some interesting combinations on the pizzas. The quality of ingredients was excellent. Lunch was very affordable. Worth a trip.

Delightful and cozy restaurant just off 6th street; great service, reasonable prices and absolutely delicious fire oven pizza!

We were in town for the weekend, and had a fabulous meal at Backspace. The pizza was great. Thin crust. Fabulous spice and flavor. It's a small, casual, intimate space. The sides (we had the butternut squash among other things) were great as well. Friendly and attentive staff. Great evening, in a fun, informal and intimate atmosphere.

My office is two blocks from the Backspace and eat there all the time. Great small plates and sides. Try the pork/lamb meatballs and spicy cauliflower. Nice roasted beet salad and delicious small pizzas. Intimate clean interior with a nice wine selection.

Read good reviews for this place so headed in without reservations early Sunday evening and 2 of us were seated with no issue. Although it soon filled up. Real mix of clientele - solo diners, families, couples. The space is dark and cosy. Quite romantic. Open kitchen and it was nice to see what was going on. Shared a totally delicious and very generous mixed cold meats selection with lots of yummy breads and pickles. And a wood fired pizza each. I love pizza and this was a very good one! Service swift and polite. Prices reasonable. Wasn't an outrageously 'special' or 'cheffy' experience but I certainly enjoyed it!

I am married to an Italian and we travel to Italy 3-4 times per year. I have had amazing pizza in Italy and here in the states. Backspace hits the mark with the "pepperoni" pizza. It's not a typical pepperoni, it's salame, which is traditional in Italy, there are no pepperoni pizza's offered in Italy. The crust is amazing, the sauce and cheese are perfect, and the salami is the best. Ashley is the manager and really makes the backspace a memorable experience. The restaurant only has a few tables and is always packed, you must make a reservation.

Too bad it is so small, but then again it is great that it is so small. They have this one wood fired oven, and they keep shoving everyone's food into it, and I suppose it is a kind of quality control, after all, not to seat 300 people. We had a reservation for two, but sat at the bar where we could watch all the prep and action. We had great wine, wonderful Brussels sprouts roasted in the open oven, and an amazing pizza. Yes ther are people chomping at the bit to get in, and you may feel rushed to eat and get out of their way, but c'mon, dreamy food and great waitstaff. You're right in the heart of the action, get out and have your after dinner drinks and conversation elsewhere, and let someone else in on the mouth-gasms!

We enjoyed this fresh tasting menu so much we returned the following day for lunch while on vacation in Austin. The fire cooked pizza is soooo good. We tried the one topped with Arugula the first visit and the Margherita the second. The cheese and meat tray was absolutely delicious and was perfect to split along with one pizza for two people. The antipasti menu is so simple yet so tasty. I would love to have this restaurant in my home town. I would most definitely be a regular. All the food was fresh and had a lot of flavor. The decor is very small and pretty dark. Small tables and a long counter are the seating choices. The entire place probably only seats about 25 people. I guess we got lucky because we got right in for dinner and lunch. Lunch was the least crowded. I did enjoy the old world feel to it but if you're looking for bright and cheerful, this is not it. Service was great for us as well. Small list of wines and beer but we were able to find something we both enjoyed. We will most certainly go back to this restaurant if ever back in Austin which was a great place to visit by the way. Especially in early Spring.

Just off sixth..small, intimate, worth exploring and finding. Great food, service, atmosphere . Try everything, it's all good. Meat and cheese plate, meatballs, and every pizza awesome. Worth the wait if they're busy . I'll be back!

Loved the bianca pizza with arugula (tossed in lemon zest) and prosciutto. Nice wine list. Great veggie sides, too.

I went here late one night after a corporate event; it was open when others were not. The atmosphere was pretty cool, simple, with good tunes and just the right amount of light; the overall feel of being cool without trying to be cool. The pizza was pretty good and the menu was just the right size, not too many offers. Their wine selection needs some work, but I won't hold that against them. We sat at the bar, which I suggest, as it changes the dynamic immediately. The service was great and we stayed for hours drinking and eating multiple pizzas. Our same party went back a couple days later to do it again.

Yummmmm. I just ate WAY too much at the Backspace. First of all...They have happy hour until 6:30 with 1/2 off antipasti and wines by the glass. The tomato and cipollini onion antipasti was deliciousssssssssss, the artichoke was good, and the button mushrooms were tasty. Then we had the lamb and pork meatballs...Holy Moly... they were delicious. At this point I was basically full but had to have pizza. SO we ordered a Bianca pizza (with arugula, mozzarella, ricotta, pecorino romano). It was creamy and delicious mixed with the spicy light arugula on top. It was so good that I managed to eat 1/2 a pizza after I "wasn't hungry" when we got it. I only wish I had room for dessert...Next time!

Actually, we tried to get in 3x but they would never accomodate us - we were only 2. The pizza looked great but on our 3rd try, and with some tables open, they could have seated us. Not nice.

This is not your normal pizza parlor or joint but a full fledge restaurant! This place is where you want to take your special someone to have a wonderful experience! The focus of the restaurant is the oven! The oven itself is from Florence Italy and built into place to add the ambiance. It was perfect as last night was cool and chilly. The food itself is for the person who enjoys the support of local farm to table practice. The pizzas are perfect to enjoy in a normal or family style. The cheese is made locally and wonderful in the salad or on the pizzas. The dessert and appetizers are a must! Lastly the staff adds the finishing touch to this experience! Couldn't ask for a better staff to meet your needs and to enrich your experience!

My husband and I were on a visit to Austin Texas. Our home is in England, so my husband was reading The Guardian online and came across an article which said this place makes some of the best pizza in America! We were going to see Dwight Yoakum perform the next night, and as the venue was not far from Backspace, we decided to drop by and try it. Well, the article was not wrong. The pizza were staggeringly brilliant. The place is tiny, 6 tables and a long bar that seats about a dozen. The wood fired oven is behind the bar. We happily sat at the bar, as even early in the evening all the tables were already full. The pizza crust was thin, and cooked to that lovely burnt-ified (my word, sorry!) finish. Topping were inventive as well. We had a fennel sausage, and roasted pepper pizza and the daily special which, on the night was fontina cheese, brussel leaves and lemon zest. They were both out of this world. I had requested my pizza not have the roast pepper on it. When it was put in front of me the guy who took the order saw that there was pepper on it and offered to take it back and make me a new one. It looked so good though that I declined. When the bill came we saw that we weren't charged for my pizza at all! (Which I had eaten every bit of, peppers and all) That is what I call great customer service. This place would be a favourite anyway, but that really clinched it for us. There is also a very nicely chosen wine list, starters and desserts. A great find!

Little is the truth. Only a few tables and bar seating. But what a meal it was! My wife and I started by sharing a farm green salad, which was fantastic and perfect for two. The we each ordered a pizza - 1 fennel sausage w/ mozzarella, roasted pepper and garlic, and 1 margherita pizza. Both were absolutely the best pizza I have had in awhile. The manager suggested a great bold red wine to go with the meal (Feudi di San Gregorio ‘Rubrato’ AGLIANICO, Campania) and we topped it off with dessert. A salted caramel dessert and also a cheesecake one. I am so impressed by the place I plan to bring others to share the experience I had. Try this place!!! Make reservations, you will not be disappointed especially with the pizzas!

Quaint spot in downtown with limited capacity reservations recommended. Open kitchen with Firebrick oven that cooked pizza (fennel sausage, roasted red peppers, mozzarella) and appetizer (lamb & pork meatballs with spicy marinara). Green family style salad and for dessert, salted caramel panna cotta and ricotta cheesecake with fig compote. Nice presentation and easy meal for three (no alcohol) $49. They do have happy hour specials on wines and apps as well. Will definitely return and much more to try!

Lovely small restaurant with fresh ingredients. Pizza oven perfectly bakes the crust and all the toppings were so fresh.

I visited this restaurant with my husband at lunch time. At first, we thought the place was closed but luckily it was not. The restaurant is small -- very intimate. The decoration is rustic. We ordered a baked ricotta cheese dish for an appetizer. It was exquisite and we ate every crumb. We also ordered a pepperoni and fennel sausage pizza. We were blown away with the quality of the pizza. Even better, the restaurant serves half liter Mexican cokes. My husband and I left with a full tummy and a favorite Austin restaurant.

I'm Italian, so you can take my word for it. Backspace makes not only the best pizza I've ever eaten in the US, but a pizza that would be high standard in Italy too and I mean it. Truly a gem. Thank you.

After many years of eating terrible pizza in Austin we found backspace. The space itself isnt much to write home about. Its pretty small and pretty plain. But the pizza is fantastic, perfectly cooked crust and very fresh ingredients. Make a reservation if you can, it fills up fast.

We visited Backspace last night for my birthday. It was very family friendly and our server was great. The pizza was very good with the exception of the pepperoni, it had a very strange strong flavor. The margherita and Bianca were our favorites. The house made mozzarella was also really good. For dessert I definitely recommend the chocolate hazelnut, yum!!

We went for a light casual meal before a show . It was a good decision as the pizzas were excellent as was the meat plate where everything was sliced fresh in front of us . Would definitely return in future . Recommend booking as the place is quite small but not too noisy where we sat at the bar .

We found this by accident and went in. LOved the seating and small cosy space. Great sharing starter and main. Very good wine pairings on offer and really reasonable prices. $100 for two with 2 glasses of wine each. Would love to have a place like this in the UK.

I’ve dined at The Backspace many times, most recently this past, always dine-in with a reservation. The food remains the draw: the Caesar salad is crisp, the meatballs are comforting, and the pizza is consistently excellent with thin dough and a balanced bite of cheese, sauce, and toppings, but a single pizza isn’t really a shareable meal for two. The overall kitchen execution continue to be solid. Service is decent but doesn’t quite match the pricing, more transactional than attentive. Seating is the real downside: the room is tight, tables are packed in, and I’ve seen a three-top squeezed onto a true two-top even with a reservation. For a restaurant who serves items that are sharables, anything more than 2 on a 2-top is too much. Overall, all of their tables to too small for the food type they serve. On my latest visit at the counter, the stainless countertop delaminated from the plywood base, flexed, and popped, which shook our place settings and made dining uncomfortable. Value ends up barely "okay" because the great pizza is completely offset by cramped seating and inconsistent prioritization of reservations. I’ll still probably bring out-of-towners for the pies, but I will always hesitate because the experience can feel cramped and a bit careless.

Cozy restaurant, definitely needs a reservation. They ask for diners to stay no more than 1.5 hours since the restaurant is small, behind their parent restaurant, Parkside. We liked the cozy atmosphere. The pizza oven was hot and working hard. We sat at the bar, relishing the heat from the old fashioned wood fired oven. The wine choices are eclectic. Some beer choices are available. Wonderful delicious choices in appetizers and antipasti. We had the blistered shishito peppers with pecan gremolata and thinly sliced radish on top: yum! The margerita pizza, hot from the oven, with freshly made mozzerela, and fresh basil, with a light tomato sauce, with a slight drizzle of olive oil on the hot crust, was delicious! There were several other antipasti dishes we want to try, so we will definiely dine there again.

Very delicious, very good pizza. Ingredients fresh and not overdone. We had a white pizza with chicken and sausage, as well as the pepperoni Americano. Both were excellent. It could be that because I'm from New York--home of the best pizza in the world--I was accustomed to delicious, high-end pizza, so I didn't find anything special about it. But if our experience was typical, you definitely won't be disappointed if you go. Too bad there is not a full bar though, and only one beer on tap (Peroni).

This is a hole in the wall that had some waits at times but a cute atmosphere, more like NYC than TX. Good wine and food.

Had a team dinner here last night, and everything was great. Pizza was yummy, apps were great and a nice little variety. If you are looking for pizza and wine this is a great spot. It was also affordable. The only drawbacks were - the seating could be a bit tight. We had 6 people at a table that really should have been for 4, maybe 5. Also I would have liked a few beer choices, I like a beer with my meal. Overall it was a great place and I will go back.

The only time our waitress smiled was when we gave her a tip. Shame we bothered tipping as we later realised that she didn't get the order right, and when one of the takeaway pizzas was ready, we then had to wait for another one to be cooked while the first was getting cold. Shame as the crust was nice and the flavours were really good, but would have been much better had the first one been warm by the time we ate it. Prices were quite expensive.

This is a small restaurant with tables for maybe 20 diners plus seating at the bar-- they do take reservations and although they state that tables are reserved for about an hour-- one does not feel rushed. Antipasti are amazing-- we ordered the prawns with kumquats and heritage tomatoes and mozzarella wrapped with prosciutto and garnished with strawberries. The pizzas are cooked in a wood fire oven-- the one we ordered was made with housemade sausage and was delicious. Wine list is all Italian (as a remember) and the 3 glasses that we ordered were each full of flavor-- only one beer on tap-- Peroni but it is delicious. I highly recommend eating here-- especially with friends nice warm atmosphere and great wait staff. Plus it was very reasonably price and there is a happy hour with 1/2 price drinks and antipasti. We topped off the meal with a pot of chocolate that was excellent... We were going to concert and arranged to leave our car with the valet until midnight which was an extra bonus;)

This cute restaurant was recommended by a friend - lucky because, neatly tucked in a side alley just off 6th Street, we wouldn't have found it otherwise. We sat at the bar and had a great dinner! The pizza was delicious, tasty, thin-crusted - all ingredients clearly very fresh. The wines were good too. Service was just right. I wasn't a big fan of my chosen dessert, but that is due more to my personal taste than to the quality of the dish. I will definitely return to the Backspace next time I am in Austin.

We went for lunch.Very good margherita and pepperoni pies,nice thin and crispy base and good cheese/sausage.Tasty caponata and baked okra.Great selection of wine and beer-prosecco outstanding.

I visited on a Saturday for lunch, not crowded so I didn't experience the hurry up and eat issues described by some. I got the mushroom pizza, very good and just the right size for one hungry person. Crispy wood fired crust, nice flavors. My salad was also very good, all the greens seemed especially fresh, nicely tossed. My only beef was when I was eating the manager was sitting at the end of the bar doing nothing. Always a pet peeve of mine as a manager myself since there is always something to be done, everyone else seemed busy with tasks.

After enjoying some live music in Austin ( go figure), we happened on to this spot after being told of hour waits at a couple of other places. Our gain. It was crowded, but we found two open spots at the bar. The menu is small, but the food is excellent. We had a red and yellow pepper starter with anchovies--it was good, but I wish (based on what we saw later) that we had tried their cauliflower appetizer instead. People raved about it. We then went with the fennel sausage pizza with peppers. It was thin crust, with big spots of what looked to be homemade mozzarella. Divine. The other pizzas all looked great as well. The servers were friendly and joking, but helpful. The Primitivo our server suggested was perfect for our meal. There is Peroni on tap, and a wide selection of Italian wines. It is noisy, but everyone is friendly and happy. Good times.

This small restaurant serves gourmet pizza made with house-made cheese as well as other Italian small plates. I arrived mid-week for an early lunch so no waiting. From the short menu, I choose a white pizza that was created with a combination of homemade ricotta, mozzarella and romano cheeses which had a yummy salty tang to them. The pizza was topped with arugula lightly dressed in a lemony vinaigrette. The pizza crust was thin and chewy with just the right number of blackened spots. The restaurant is small so limited seating but I had no problem getting a walk-in table. The service with quick and friendly. Although some reviewers have criticized prices, I thought prices were typical for gourmet pizza. The pizza was larger than I expected so I took half home and finished it later that day. I got a high quality pizza for my money. I will definitely go back to try some of the other dishes and wines.

I didn’t have high expectations of this place. First, it’s near dirty 6th. Second, it’s downtown. Most of the better restaurants in downtown have a primary focus on beef. The really great restaurants in Austin are outside of the downtown area. From the outside, it looks unassuming and, well, a place you may not walk into. Parking is challenging. If your lucky, you may find street parking close by. Once we walked in, I was pleasantly surprised by the vintage charm and cozy atmosphere. There were three large groups (about 25 people) taking up half the dining room. The other half sat at the bar. There was a large group celebrating a birthday. The place filled with laughter, chatter, soft music in the background and smell of pizza baking in the stone oven. We arrived during happy hour so we ordered every appetizer. We loved all the appetizers. They have only beer and wine. We shared the Bianca and Fennel. The crust was crispy but not hard. The pizza was simple and not greasy. Service, food and atmosphere were excellent. I would have given them 5 stars if the manager didn’t tel us that we had to leave because they had a 7:45 reservation for the table we were at. Our server did not bring the bill. A better way would have been to ask if there was anything else we wanted and bring the bill. Take the payment, thank us and wish us a good night. We would have taken the lead and left. Make sure you reserve a table ahead of time. Space is limited. Overall, we had a lovely evening and did not regret eating here.

Outstanding small plates (some of the best okra and shishito peppers I've ever had) in an cozy intimate space. You'd never believe you were right off Dirty 6th instead of in an Italian village.

I had lunch here recently with some business colleagues. We arrived a little after noon on a weekday, there was a small crowd but we were seated immediately. The restaurant space is small and rustic, but in a charming and welcoming way. Our server was a bit distracted and was slow to check in on us, but we had lots to discuss so that wasn't a big problem for us. We all ordered pizzas, they came out pretty quickly and they were delicious. The sausage was great, but the crust was what really made the pizza stand out. It's a bit on the expensive side for pizza, but not outrageously so, and especially given the downtown location. Highly recommend!

Small restaurant with great character. Better for small groups as they have just a few tables and a small counter. The menu is simple with just a few options of appetizers and pizzas. If you are up for a good pizza that reminds you of little restaurants in Italy this is the place for you. Tasty tomato sauce, good quality mozzarella and the special touch of a nice wood fired oven.

I stumbled across the pizzeria when searching for a place for our group to eat and did we find a hidden gem! The atmosphere was very warm and welcoming and our server was very knowledgable over everything on the menu, from the different starter plates, to the wines, to the pizzas. She was awesome! It would be a perfect place for a romantic evening or even lunch. It is literally located right around the corner from 6th street but you would not even notice by the quietness, the ambience, and the interior design of the location. All of the pizza is fire cooked in a brick oven which gives it that unique taste and texture. I am mostly definitely coming back to this place next time I'm back in Austin.

Real good wood fired pizza! The restaurant is small and personal. Pizza with an egg on top, how can you go wrong?

My husband took me to The Backspace for my birthday after having scoured the internet for an awesome new dining experience for us to enjoy. He hit the mark on the head! The Backspace is a small little "hole in the wall" right off of 6th Street. There are only a few tables inside (maybe 7-8), so getting a reservation is a must unless you live right near by and want to just risk popping in. There is also a nice long bar where many people were eating as well. The wine list is spectacular (being pregnant, I was unable to partake as much as I would have liked, but I did have a small glass of La Bella Vista Nero d’Avola that was wonderful - especially paired with our antipasta!). There are many antipastis to choose from. We ordered the lamp & pork meatballs, and they were wonderful The only "main" courses are fire-cooked pizzas (which to me is only a good thing - it means they do the pizzas RIGHT). We chose a margherita and a fennel sausage pizza as our main courses. They were both about as authentic as pizza not actually made in Italy can get. Because it was my birthday we HAD to get a dessert. I am a tiramisu-aholic, so there was really no choice in the matter, but to be fair, the other desserts sounded great as well. They serve a banana tiramisu, which tasted great, but I do wish there had been a little more coffee flavor to the whole thing (it was quite banana-y). The desserts are served in precious little mason jars, whihc only makes you want to eat about 5 more of them. Dangerous. Overall - I couldn't recommend this place more. The atmosphere and food are wonderful. Something important to note: All antipasits, wine by the glass, and Peroni on draft are half off before 6:30, so make your dinner reservations early, or stop in for happy hour!!

I like this place. Good pizza and the meatballs are delicious. Decent wine list. So close to 6th Street but feels a world away (in a good way). Worth a visit.

This is by far one of my favorite restaurants. Hands down one of the best wood fire oven pizzas I have ever had. I have to go back to Backspace every time I visit Austin.. it's become a unhealthy obsession! Treat yourself to a bottle of wine and order a few pizzas to share.

Quite possibly the most perfect crust on a pizza. This place is tiny so be sure to make a reservation. Do not leave Austin without eating here. Fresh. Delicious. The staff were very friendly and accommodating even though we were silly and walked in without a reservation. The roasted mushroom pizza was incredibly delicious.

Delicious pizza and great atmosphere. Enjoyed the fennel sausage pizza: Hot, fresh, and wood fired. Conveniently located just off of east 6th. Love it.

Small bar and café atmosphere where you can watch them make the pizzas and have a draft beer while you wait. Food was above average and service was good.

This is a cozy little place with a few table with serves mostly pizza, which is made on a wood fire oven and it is quite good. The wine list with wines from Italy and particularly Sicily, was surprisingly excellent.

I tried Backspace when looking for a pizza place close to my hotel. The people were friendly and the wait time short. I typically like wood fired pizza, but this one was burnt around the crust. I can't say for sure eating here was the cause, but I got sick later in the night.

Great place to duck out of 6th Street for a minute with some great food. Definitely try a few anti pastas. We only got one pizza, but we devoured it...should have gotten 2. No liquor but good wine list and they have beer. The space is not that large, but it was nice. Really good food at a good price. Make a reservation.

Went here with my on the 4th og July. We did not have a reservation, but got to sit at the bar which was fine. Chairs were a bit uncomfortable, but did not matter because of the great food and service. We started with a cheese and ham platter with focaccia, followed by one pizza each. We also had a glass of a good Chianti Classico, so we were really pleased with this restaurant. Everything tasted like in Italy!

I visited with my family for a lunch on Labor day holiday after reading on Yahoo that it is one of the ten best pizza places in U.S. As the name suggests, it is hidden and difficult to spot immediately as you drive through the downtown. However once you arrive, it is a nice old style pizza place with a brick oven just in front of you. We ordered three kinds of pies, Margherita, Marinara & Roasted Mushroom. All three were excellent pizzas with the right crust & ingredients. Good choice of wines & Peroni beer. The hostess was very friendly and helpful. Reservation is recommended. An enjoyable place to visit with family while in Austin.

Enjoyed an early dinner here with the wife. Walking distance from our hotel (Stephen F. Austin). Casual, small, low key place that can fill up early and often. Make a reservation if you want to be sure of a table. We enjoyed the beets with celery and lemon to start and a fennel sausage pizza (added an egg). Nice bottle of Sangiovese was our choice from the tidy wine list. Service was good. Prices fair.

Dined here recently with my wife. This is an intimate (small) restaurant with with amazing pizza in a traditional wood fired oven. The pizza may be a little darker than what some are used to but, the darker crust is very flavorful. My wife had the Margherita & I had the Pepperoni, we shared a poached pear salad and order of meatballs, everything was well prepared and the flavor was excellent. Service was friendly but a bit inattentive.

Had a mozzarella, onion, and basil pizza. Very light and easy to eat the whole thing! Great service in an intimate environment. Very much recommended.

Happened to find this online while staying a block away and went over for lunch. Its a small cozy space with large wood fired oven behind the bar. Ordered the Bianca which was topped with Arugula and considering I'm a pizza snob who makes my own at home I would still rate the the pizza as excellent. The staff was friendly and while it was slow when I arrived things picked up but considering fast cook time I didn't see anyone waiting excessively. While I didn't have any it looks like they also have a nice selection of wine and beer so what else could you ask for in the pizza place?

I wasn't expecting what we got when we came here. It is a small quiet location with only a handful of tables inside. We ordered a couple of pizzas and a salad, and boy did it hit the spot. They used fresh ingredients and had friendly service. They know their wine, but don't go here if you want to have beer. I would say this place is a hidden gem, and if it got too busy you'd have to wait for a long time. The pizza was a bit slow to come out but if you are enjoying your wine you might not care.

I was staying in downtown Austin on business and found Backspace on Yelp. I expected it to be good, but I was blown away by the bianca pizza with arugula. It's one of my favorite combinations and this was the best version I've ever had, even in Italy. Amazing. I was solo and without a reservation but was quickly seated at the bar.