La Torcia Brick Oven Pizza--thin crust pizza, breadsticks, dips, pasta, salads, quesadillas, nachos, wings, and sandwiches for everyone

La Torcia Brick Oven Pizza or as most locals refer to it "Brick Oven" is my favorite pizza place in Abilene. The restaurant is a small chain with locations in mostly in Arkansas, Texas and one in Missouri.

 

I like them not necessarily because I prefer thin crust pizza, which I actually do not most of the time, but because of the variety of pizzas they make. I am a fan of the Mediterranean pizza. Again, not because I usually get chicken on a pizza, but because the combination of flavors on that particular pizza with the feta, cheddar, green peppers, red onions, tomatoes, green olives and, yes, chicken on a crispy brick oven baked crust with olive oil instead of tomato sauce just works for me when I want something different. Usually, my pizza choice would a classic traditional crust pepperoni and mushroom or a deep dish supreme--if I feel like going for it in the pizza game. Brick Oven also makes a taco pizza which is unusual and another called the favorite which has artichoke hearts and turkey among several other traditional and specialty pizzas. You are also welcome to create your own with what you like the best. 

I am also a fan of their Mediterranean salad ($10 for a full size, $7 for a small) and get it on occasion instead of pizza when I want to be "good." They use crisp lettuce which I like because of the crunch.

 

Brick Oven is not especially big but has a lot of tall four person booths along the walls which feel cozy and there are tables in the middle. Televisions are around playing sports but it is not generally obtrusive. You will see lots of families eating together. There can be a wait during peak times, so feel free to order carry out. However, I do not recommend using Door Dash or some other delivery service (since the restaurant itself does not deliver) because it tends to arrive less than hot and shaken up in in my experience. I have almost always experienced good service, if a bit slow on occasion, but will acknowledge that some people have have issues in that area in the past though I have not heard any complaints about it recently. Like many places staff shortages happen so tables can take a while to get cleared or refills on drinks.

I eat at Brick Oven about every six weeks or so and have for a number of years so not sure why it has taken me this long to actually write a review. On my most recent visit, I had a Sunday lunch with my mom and my brother. We ordered some bread sticks ($7)) for an appetizer with ranch dressing instead of marinara sauce. Four of them come in the order and they arrive cut in half.
Their ranch dressing tastes homemade but does cost extra if you want some to go with your pizza order. The bread sticks come with garlic butter melted on top. They are the soft kind similar to what you get at Olive Garden. There are several other appetizer options including several dips and nachos. I ordered a small Mediterranean pizza ($9), my mom got spaghetti and meatballs ($11.50), and my brother had a Pork Paradise calzone ($9) which had pulled pork, mozzarella, cheddar, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and was topped with barbeque sauces, ranch dressing, and banana peppers and came with sides of more barbeque sauce and ranch. My mother's spaghetti and meatballs had 5-6 good sized meatballs but she thought they were under seasoned and came with two piece of garlic bread. The portion size could have been larger for the price. The pulled pork in the calzone was good but there could have been more meat inside. The crust to meat ration was heavy on the bread side. I was pleased as usual with my pizza but there did seem to be slightly less toppings than in the past. Perhaps inflation is hitting them on the supply side though I did not notice a significant rise in the cost of the pizza itself compared to the past. For three adults to eat out for less than $40 plus tip (we all had water to drink) is pretty good nowadays.

 

My recommendation is stick with the pizza style options or perhaps a sandwich. I have never been with anyone who tried the wings, quesadillas, or nachos.

 

Without question, I will be back again. There is comfort in consistency, a fair price, and good pizza.

 

La Torcia Brick Oven Pizza
4714 S. 14th St.

Abilene, TX

325-691-5303
https://www.brickovenpizzacompany.com/

Hours: Sunday-Saturday 11am-10pm

No delivery

Cork & Pig Tavern in Abilene--a chef-inspired place in a popular location

 The Cork & Pig Tavern is an upscale chef-driven casual dining spot that is a creation of Felipe Armenta who grew up in San Angelo, Texas. San Angelo is about 90 miles away from Abilene and I have visited the city many times and had some great meals there. The first time I ever went to the Cork & Pig Tavern was in San Angelo several years ago. Until another one opened in Abilene, I was not aware that there were other locations around the state outside of San Angelo. There are restaurants in the DFW metroplex (2), one in Midland, and one in Odessa as well. 

In addition to having a catchy name, there are several options on the menu including traditional entrees, salads, sandwiches, and pizzas, and a full bar with specialty cocktails.

Crispy Chicken Sandwich with fries

I have eaten at the Abilene Cork & Pig Tavern three times in the last 8 months or so. I decided to wait until my third visit to review them because my first visit was not impressive. My first meal there was in the winter and they had only been open a few months. My last two visits have been within the last month and were a vast improvement over the first visit.

The first meal I ate at this location was the fish and chips. I found the fish to be too heavily breaded, skimpy, lacking in seasoning. The fries/chips were shoestring fries that could only be classified as limp. The tarter sauce, however, was delicious but that is not much of a recommendation for a meal that costs $21. Also, at that time the price of the meal on the ticket did not match the price on the menu for both my meal and my companion's salad, with the ticket price being higher. This was disappointing and the server seemed annoyed that we pointed out the discrepancy. After that, I decided to give the place some time to work out any "newbie" issues before returning and reviewing them.

My second visit, I was eating with some work colleagues. This time I ordered with the crispy chicken sandwich ($15). It was topped with a bacon vinaigrette cole slaw, cheddar cheese, and pickles and came with either homemade chips or peanut cole slaw. I decided to ask for fries instead since chips did not appeal and there was cole slaw on the sandwich. The fries were still not very crisped up but at least they were not "wilted". I recommend if you want fries with more of a bite to them, ask that they make them extra crispy.

Ultimate Pepperoni Pizza

The fires notwithstanding, the chicken sandwich was FANTASTIC. I loved the flavorful slaw on top. The chicken was breaded just right and it was juicy and crispy. The bun was nice and fresh. I think this sandwich will be my "go to" in the future when I eat here. My lunch companions got the ahi tuna salad ($22), the steak salad (as quoted), and a wood-fired pepperoni pizza ($19). The ingredients were fresh and great quality, as you would expect.

The service was good but not overbearing. A very pleasant lunch was had by all. Giving the restaurant time to refine everything paid off.

Zuni chicken salad

My third time to eat there was a trip to Cork & Pig for a 4th of July lunch with the girls. We ordered the spinach and artichoke dip for an appetizer ($14) which came with tortilla chips and a small side of smokey salsa. The dip was a cream-based sauce rather than a cheese-based sauce but the flavor was nice. This time around I had the pepperoni pizza as my entree even though I was very tempted to get the chicken sandwich again. The pizza could have used a bit more sauce and cheese on it but the slices of pepperoni were big and tasted delicious. The crust was done around the outside but softer in the middle. I found this to be typical in many wood fired pizzas. I took home three pieces of pizza as leftovers. This meal could easily be split between two people. My friends got the crispy chicken sandwich, the ahi tuna salad, and the Zuni chicken salad without the blue cheese ($17). The veggies on the salads were nice and fresh and the dressings were delicious. We left satisfied and I know it was the only meal I had for the day. Everyone really enjoyed their lunch.

Ahi Tuna Ponzu salad

Service was efficient and handled well, especially considering it was a holiday.

Overall, the Cork & Pig Tavern knows how to provide quality meals but you do have to realize that the prices reflect that and that portion sizes are "normal". The most inexpensive entree on the menu at the moment is $15 and there are several items that say AQ which means you have to ask the current price, including the steaks and the fish of the day. There is also a black truffle pizza option which is pretty special for this area...and, yes, a cheeseburger too.

Appetizers range from $9-$16. There are deviled eggs and calamari on the appetizer menu if those appeal to your taste buds. There are a few desserts as well, including beignets. The Cork & Pig serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

As with most restaurants in the Allen Ridge area, they do have outdoor seating. Also, parking can be a crush so you may want to park in the overflow parking across the street. 

Cheesburger

I do recommend reservations as it is not a large space and most of the tables are set up for 2-4 people. There is also seating at the bar top. This is perfect for date night. You can stroll the path around the pond after dinner. Unfortunately, the noise from the interstate and Ambler Ave takes away a bit from the ambiance when you are outside.

Cork & Pig Tavern (Allen Ridge Shopping Center)

2467 N Judge Ely Blvd, Abilene, TX 79601

325-289-4749

Hours:

Monday-Thursday    11 AM–10 PM

Friday        11 AM–11 PM
Saturday     10 AM–11 PM
Sunday       10 AM–9 PM

Vagabond Pizza--Wood-Fired Delight

Vagabond Pizza now has a brick and mortar location in downtown Abilene. No more tracking down their food truck for some pizza pies coming from the mobile wood-fired oven. My husband and I were lured in by a Facebook post featuring one of their pizzas with Hatch green chili.  It is chili season!

Caprese salad

The new location has a lot of history according to one of the the owners, Jessica Adams. Most recently it was a jewelry store, before that it was a movie theatre and in the late 1800s, it was Abilene's livery stable. The restaurant opened two months ago and has been doing a booming business. Hence why this write-up didn't occur earlier.

Bar area with features for the week on the board

The decor is exposed brick and wood with open ceilings and industrial style lighting. The oven is at the end of the bar. I imagine it will be quite a draw for people to sit on that side of the room when the winter months arrive. Plus, kids like to watch the fire. It is a medium-sized space for a restaurant and I surmise that there will be a wait during peak times but at 7:30pm on a Wednesday night we were seated at one of the two empty tables. Our server was attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu and the beverage options.

Wood-fired oven

The menu had four items for starters/salads. There was also a very extensive bottled wine list. There was a smaller selections of wines by the glass. My husband was happy that they had a local craft brewery's beer on draft, Pappy Slokum's Local Yella that week. The server said they have a tap dedicated to Pappy Slokum brews. There is also an eclectic selection of bottled soft drinks (no soda fountain) such as Hank's Root Beer ($3), Pellegrino bottled water, and Key City Coffee. The menu does change with the availability of seasonal ingredients and owner/chef's inspiration so there will always be new things to try.

We started with caprese salads ($7) of creamy fresh mozzarella, roasted grape tomatoes, fresh basil and a black garlic balsamic. I enjoyed it very much. The other options were bread and butter, a wedge salad and a green salad.

There were eight pizzas on the menu, including the traditional Margherita ($12), and one weekly special option up on the board above the bar. My husband ordered the Hatch chili pork pizza ($14) that also had pickled onions and a green chili salsa verde as the sauce. I had the "Rosalie" ($14) which was Italian sausage, roasted mushrooms, mozzarella and tomato sauce.

Pork, Hatch green chili, and pickled onions

The crust was tender but had a chew to it. I enjoyed the bit of char from the oven. If you are a person that prefers a crisp crust or a deep dish style crust this is neither. It is hand-made and a bit soft in the middle. I loved the flavor profile of the Italian sausage (fennel is my friend) and the mushrooms on my pizza. If I closed my eyes, Tuscany appeared. There were no "pizza bones" left on my plate.

Italian, sausage and roasted mushrooms

My husband enjoyed his Hatch Chili Pork but his palate likes very strong flavors so he added red pepper flakes, salt, and Parmesan to his pizza for an extra kick. He felt the pork did not have enough seasoning. I had a bite and thought the green chili and pickled onions were perfect together. I didn't get a piece of pork in my bite so I can't speak to the flavor but I certainly enjoyed the chili. The pizzas are about 13-14 inches and big enough to share for smaller appetites.

There were two options for dessert and the name "Saturday Morning Cartoons" ($4) for one of them just begged to be explored. The server described it as a panna cotta that tasted like the milk left over from a bowl of Fruity Pebbles or Fruit Loops. That description nailed it. My husband RAVED about about it. It was garnished with Fruity Pebbles. He devoured it. It may have been his favorite dessert ever.  The server also recommended their honey pie.

Saturday Morning Cartoons dessert

We enjoyed our evening but be forewarned that this is gourmet pizza and priced accordingly. The ingredients are exemplary and the menu is creative. As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for" and Vagabond is worth it. I'm going to follow them on Facebook so I can keep up with new offerings. Oven baked pasta someday, maybe?

I also love how downtown Abilene just keeps getting better and better!

1056 N 2nd St.
Abilene, TX
325-268-4321
 http://vagabondpizza.com/
 https://www.facebook.com/vagabondpizza/
Open Tues-Sat for lunch and dinner service

Pizza By Design--Create your own "fast" pizza (update: only on the Southside off of Catclaw Dr. now, northside location closed)

Menu board

Pepperoni, bacon, black olive, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes

Pizza by Design brings to mind the familiar sandwich and burrito places. You know what I'm talking about...pick your crust, sauce, cheese, add toppings of choice, they run it through the conveyor belt oven and off you go. The 9-inch individual pizzas are $7.99 ($1 price increase since initial review). I also got a fountain drink and a side salad (romaine or spinach, cheese, grape tomatoes and carrots) for $3 more plus tax. Even at that price, I predict they will become a lunch staple for folks on the north side, particularly during the school year when the college students are in town. They opened in late April 2016.

This being said it wasn't outstanding pizza. Better than frozen but not up to the standard of a traditional pizzeria. The sauce and cheese were not very generously applied but the upside is that you can get all the toppings you want and there is quite a variety. They also serve beer and wine.

Side salad and drink

My pizza was original crust which was a bit chewy in texture. Other crust options were thin, wheat and gluten-free for $2 more. For sauce, I choose the spicy tomato sauce. It really is spicy and I'm not wimp when it comes to heat. They also have non-tomato options for sauces such as Alfredo, pesto or olive oil. Cheeses included buffalo mozzarella, in addition to traditional shredded mozzarella, cheddar, feta, and Parmesan rounded out the cheese choices.

Get in line to create your pizza

Once you choose the basics you can go wild with the other toppings. They advertise "unlimited" for the same price as one topping. I went for pepperoni, bacon, black olives, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes. I could have added a lot more veggies and more meats. They also have some specialty creations if you don't want to bother with choosing your own toppings.

The decor is modern; yellow, red, blond wood, and metal. There is not a ton of seating but I imagine there will be a lot of "to go" business. Ordering to consuming took about 10 minutes, a little longer than Subway but the pizza has to cook so that is to be expected. The restaurant is located in a strip shopping center on the east side of highway 351 south of the E. Lake Road intersection. This part of Abilene is booming right now with eating and shopping options (and road construction).

Pizza by Design
1811 Hwy 351
Abilene, Texas 79601
(325) 704-5450

Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 am to 10 pm. Closed Sunday's.

https://www.facebook.com/PizzabyDesignAbilene/

Rancho Pizzeria in Coleman--So worth a road trip!!!

The owners of the celebrated Rancho Loma in Valera have opened a contemporary pizzeria in downtown Coleman called Rancho Pizzeria. As Rancho Loma is one of my all time favorite dining experiences, you know I had to make the 100 mile round trip to try some of their pizza.

Exterior--no outside signage at the moment

The decor is industrial chic with some West Texas nostalgia mixed in. Inside there are about 8 high backed booths, 3-4 tables for two, a large group seating area at the front and a private dining room in the back. All this to say, it isn't all that large of a restaurant. Peak times may mean a wait, especially as word spreads about them. A bar with some additional seating runs along one sided adjacent to the chef station and brick oven. Service was friendly, prompt and professional.

Art above the bar

We ordered the olive tapenade with goat cheese ($7) as an appetizer. It was served with toasted bread. Loved it!!! My favorite item of the night. I believe that Chef Trueblood, that owned the now shuttered Bonterra Blu in Clyde, where I adored the olive tapenade on his salads is part of the Rancho Pizzeria team...pretty sure it was him making the pizza when we were there. Yes, you can see them preparing the food which is fun. One of the owners was also around chatting with customers.

Olive tapenade with goat cheese

I also got a small Cesare salad and my husband ordered a small house salad. Both were very good made with super fresh, high quality ingredients.  The Gorgonzola cheese on the house salad was gorgeous and plentiful. The dressing on my salad was super flavorful, if a bit heavy on the capers. The romaine was crisp. Both a bargain at $5 and $4 each. Larger entree sized salads are also available.

Caesar salad

The 12" pizzas are wood fired in a brick oven and are big enough for two to share, particularly if you have an entree and a salad as we did but we tried two of them anyway.  My husband got the carne pizza with  crushed tomatoes, prosciutto, Italian sausage, pepperoni, fontina cheese, and Calabrian chiles ($18).  It was the highest priced on the menu. It also had fresh shaved Parmesan on top.  I had the fungi ($14) pizza that was topped with roasted shiitake mushrooms, bechamel sauce, fontina cheese, roasted garlic, and white truffle oil.

Carne pizza

The crust on my husband's pizza was crisp yet tender and the taste of the meats really popped with the addition of the peppers. It was simply delicious. The mushroom pizza had an expected earthy flavor, with the shiitake and tuffle oil, and the unexpected arugula. The garlic was subtle. However, the crust was just a little underdone. You need to really, really like mushrooms if you order this pizza. I like mushrooms but shiitakes are not my favorite. The surprise arugula topping was too bitter for me and, admittedly, I missed the tomato sauce. Maybe if the roasted garlic had been more pronounced I wouldn't have missed it as much. The menu also includes a classic Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil) on the menu as well as the pepperoni, sausage, and arugula with prosciutto. Next time, I'm getting the Greek salad, a pepperoni pizza and my husband is hankering for the meatball appetizer.  There will DEFINITELY be a return trip!

Fungi pizza

The meal was certainly worth the drive from Abilene and if you are passing through Coleman on a Wednesday-Sunday during their open hours, you should eat there. You won't regret it. We had leftovers for the next day.

Please note that substitutions are not allowed on the pizzas and there is no "create your own" option. However, at times there are specials for the lunch or dinner service such as lasagna or steak if pizza is not your favorite. Check their Facebook page for current offerings. Reservations are not accepted, unless booking the private dining room.

There is a small but thoughtful beer and wine selection available and occasional live music. The do takeout if not slammed with dine-in patrons.

 Hours--

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday: 11am–2pm, 5pm–9pm
• Thursday: 11am–2pm, 5pm–9pm
• Friday: 11am–2pm, 5pm–10pm
• Saturday: 11am–10pm
• Sunday: 11am–3pm

If you are traveling on 84 between Abilene and Brownwood, you will need to make a detour to get to Commercial which is right off 153 and 206.

414 S. Commercial
Coleman, TX 76834
(325) 726-9307
ranchopizzeria.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rancho.pizzeria/timeline

Cafe Rio Pizza equals awesome pies in Ruidoso, NM

Cafe Rio is a quirky little pizza and sandwich shop smack-dab in the middle of mid-town Ruidoso, NM. There are all sorts of interesting things tacked to the walls. They serve hands-down the best pizza you can get in Ruidoso, maybe the best in the region, and are very popular with both locals and tourists. The lines can get pretty long so I recommend eating at odd hours during the busy seasons, since the place isn't very big. They used to serve spanakopita, a Greek spinach and feta pie, but it isn't on the menu anymore. They do have roasted garlic bulbs and some other unexpected items on the menu. We ordered a jumbo 18" pizza  that was half "white"and half "meat".  A regular sized pizza is 12". The white has mozzarella, ricotta, olive oil and garlic and the meat includes pepperoni, Italian sausage, beef, salami and Canadian bacon with cheese and tomato sauce.

Jumbo size half white and half meats

The crust is tender and on the thinner side but comes out with a nice crisp on the bottom. Toppings are generous and fresh.  The pizza was perfectly cooked and not rushed.  That being said don't be in a hurry to eat. It takes a while to create the pie. We also shared a HUGE chef's salad with the house dressing.Way too much food for two people. The jumbo specialty pizzas run from about $19.50-$24.50.  You can also just grab a slice of cheese or pepperoni on the go during the tourist season.

Service was good. We ate during the middle of the afternoon on weekday and were the only customers.

Cafe Rio also has ice cream and home-made desserts.


Cafe Rio--Facebook
2547 Sudderth Dr.
Ruidoso, NM 88345
575-257-7746
Menu
Hours Vary
CASH or local check only--no plastic accepted (ATM in the building)

Brick Oven Pizza Co.--A Thin Crust Delight

We enjoy the variety and taste of the pizzas at Brick Oven. They are a small chain with 8 locations in 3 states. Many of the pizza options are quite different from other places in town. They all have a thin crunchy crust. I tend to get the Portobello--pictured on the bottom right--(olive oil, pesto, fresh portobello mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, feta and three other cheeses) or the Mediterranean (olive oil, chicken, sauteed onions, green olives, green peppers, seasoned tomatoes, feta, cheddar and mozzarella).  My husband usually goes for the Supreme--on the left--and my son likes the Bubba's Choice--upper right--since it has so many different kinds of meats. Some pizzas do use canned mushrooms or dried herbs instead of fresh ones but I think almost anyone could find one they like or create their own.

They do indeed use a brick oven and sometimes it takes a while to get your food. If the place is busy the servers can get overwhelmed with tables. We like to go on a weeknight and have always found the servers friendly. Don't be in a hurry when you go, just in case. No delivery but they do have take-out. The 8-inch small pie is great for one person. Cost for the small runs about $7.25 more or or less. The 10-inch medium is about $12.00 and the 14-inch large is approximately $15.25.

Other food options are several different types of sandwiches (also baked in the oven), salads and pasta dishes. The only appetizer we have ever ordered were the regular or spicy bread sticks but they have nachos, quesadillas and spinach artichoke or portobello dips. They also serve a wide variety of beers which the hubby appreciates.

Brick Oven Pizza Co. is located in the Woodhaven Shopping Center next to Hobby Lobby--

Su-Th 11-10
Fr-Sa 11-11
4714 South 14th Street  Abilene, TX 79605 
(325) 691-5303

CLOSED but there is a new version at a different address--The Pizza House in Clyde, TX

18 inch with everything

9 inch with pepperoni and mushroom

The family decided to take a little jaunt east on I-20 to eat at The Pizza House in Clyde.  I had heard some good buzz about the place. Since it is Spring Break, we have some time for a short road trip to satisfy a craving for pizza.

The place is large. We hit it at 4:30pm and there were already a few cars parked in front. Lots of seating. The ambiance is nothing fancy...really. Cobbled together decor, concrete floor, seating that looks like it came from a school cafeteria and a couple of ripped vinyl booths. Orders are taken at the window. Parmesan and peppers are in leftover seasoning containers and honey-bear bottles with holes in top. Making use of what they have on hand seems to be the motto. There was also a stage. The ads on the windows said they have live country western music on certain Saturday nights.

After checking out the menu, we ordered a large pizza with everything, a small with pepperoni and mushroom, cheese bread sticks, and three medium sodas. The salad bar didn't tempt us. We were there for the pizza. The bill amounted to $34.00.  No complaints about amount of food for the money...couldn't finish it all and the boys were starving when we hit the door.

I was most impressed by the crust on the pizza. Crispy, flavorful and not too thick. Toppings were generous. Sauce was put on with a light hand but wasn't heavily spiced. Plenty of cheese. There was a bit of garlic salt put on top before they brought it out. My main complaint with the food is that they used canned mushrooms instead of fresh ones but the onions and peppers were freshly chopped. Other than the mushrooms, it is tasty pizza. If you can get past the shabby surroundings give it a try. Next time I might get it to go on my way home from a trip to Dallas/Fort Worth.

The Pizza House
725 South Access Road  Clyde, TX 79510 
(325) 893-4141