That 'influencer' pizza review thread in Austin was peak cringe

I stumbled on a thread yesterday where some local influencer was ranting about how a 26 year old pizzeria near downtown Austin is 'ruining pizza' because they don't offer gluten free crust options. The whole comment section was basically a lovefest for this take, calling the place outdated and stubborn. But I grew up going to that spot every Friday with my dad after 3rd grade soccer practice, and their hand tossed pepperoni is legit the best I've had anywhere. The owner is this 70 year old guy named Sal who makes the dough fresh at 5am every morning. I don't think refusing to add trendy menu items counts as ruining anything when you've been packed every night for 26 years. Am I crazy for thinking traditions have some value even if they aren't Instagram friendly?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.olivia5d ago

That place has been packed for 26 years for a reason, and @willowr96 is spot on about the best spots knowing what works. I think about how Sal probably has his whole process dialed in like a machine, if he's been doing the same dough every morning since the 90s. Changing a recipe or adding a bunch of trendy options would actually mess with the thing people keep coming back for. The internet mob just wants to shame anything that doesn't have a gluten free sticker on the window, but real local spots build their reputation on consistency. If you want a place that changes with every food blog trend, go to a chain.

willowr965d ago

Man I saw that thread too and couldn't believe how many people were piling on. Read a food blog once that said the best pizza spots never change their menu because they've already figured out what works.

holly7094d ago

Three years ago Sal's actually tried adding a buffalo chicken pie to the menu and it outsold the original for like two straight months until some regulars complained, lol. He's not some stubborn old guy who hates change, he just listened to what actually sold. @wilson.olivia you're making it sound like he's never experimented when I literally watched him swap out his mozzarella supplier twice in 2021 because the first one kept sending wet cheese. The internet mob might be annoying but sometimes a place deserves a little heat for refusing to offer a single vegetarian option besides cheese pizza in 2024.