Austin’s Latest Pizzeria Brings Brisket Pizza and Frozen Margaritas

Adding to Austin’s pizza explosion this year is Toss Pizzeria & Pub, coming to South 1st Street in early July. With Toss, general manager Justin DeLaCruz wants to create a home base for pizza-loving regulars, who’ll partake in New York-style pies ranging from standard to inventive. Think pork belly carbonara, shrimp pesto, smoked brisket, and other pizzas.

Update, July 6: Toss Pizzeria is now soft open, with hours from 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Friday, and 2 p.m. to midnight on Saturday.

Slinging up the pies will be chef John Pennington, who worked in the pizza trenches over at Southside Flying Pizza before running the kitchen at Winflo Osteria. His other Toss dishes will include stuffed pretzels, salads, soups, and s’mores. Customers will also be able to create their own customizable pies.

Booze mastermind Jason Kosmas (the man behind Employees Only’s Austin expansion) concocted most of the cocktails available from the full bar, which will also include frozen margaritas and sangria. Texas beers dominate the hoppy offerings.

For other distractions, there will be several televisions. The dog-friendly outdoor space, dubbed the Toss Yard, will have games like washers and corn hole.

DeLaCruz wanted to open a pizza shop in Austin after exploring Chicago’s pizza scene. Originally, he was working opening in Brazos Lofts, but couldn’t make it work because of the historical building. Instead, he took over the defunct Deutchman Plumbing Supply building, which happens to be located next to the Torchy’s Tacos visited by President Barack Obama earlier this year.

Toss joins the latest rush of pizzerias heading to Austin. This summer alone includes Cane Rosso and Pizzeria Sorellina. There's also Nashville-based Neapolitan DeSano Pizza Bakery in September. Then there are so many various out-of-state pizza chains expanding to Austin.