Evil Austin Pizza Reviews #2: Little Deli

How does this local fan favorite stack up in 2025?

Review #1 is in the rear-view, and my Austin pizza sojourn now takes us to a venerable and highly-regarded haunt—Little Deli & Pizzeria (the original location in Crestview).

Whenever I’ve done posts on my various socials asking y’all for the best pies in our city, Little Deli always seems to be near the top, suggesting, at a minimum, a very loyal customer base. But with high praise comes elevated expectations from this humble reviewer.

As I typically do for consistency’s sake, I ordered a fairly basic offering, this time a half-cheese/half-mushroom. Simple, but a good window into the product.

I grabbed a table outside and, while the flies were a bit overpowering (thanks, moist June Austin!), it was a pleasantly basic setup, with a view of the old school strip mall that it’s a part of.

So, let’s get to the review, shall we?

SCORE LEGEND:

9+ Incredible pizza and experience that I highly recommend.

7.5-8.9: Damn good and most people will enjoy it a lot. I recommend it without reservation.

6.0-7.4: Good, with some issues but definitely worth checking out for most people.

5.0-5.9: Marginal. Some people will like it and it’s not a disaster, but y’all can do better.

4.9 or below: Problematic for a number of reasons. Skip.

Pizza is love

PIZZA:

As noted above, my bar is very high with Little Deli, and I’m pleased to report that it vaulted over said bar with plenty of room to spare.

Said another way, this pizza is outstanding.

A tasty cheese blend and savory sauce with perfect crust—like, flawless—combined for an outstanding pizza experience.

A tasty cheese blend and savory sauce with perfect crust—like, flawless—combined for an outstanding pizza experience. If someone in Austin does it better, I’m curious to find out who it is. Hopefully, I will in the coming weeks.

If you’re not into New York City style, you might not be as enthused, but if this is your thing, you’ll be very happy and satisfied. Just amazing stuff.

COST: No, it ain’t cheap, but do you really want cheap pizza? If you pay Domino’s prices, you get Domino’s pizza.

But compared to several other well-regarded pizza places in Austin, the prices are very reasonable, especially if you stick to basic offerings like I did.

The New York pizza style I sampled was similar in basic ways to the Allday pies in my last review, but the cost was substantially cheaper at Little Deli.

For example, a 16” pizza here starts at $18 with each topping running you an extra $2.50. A massive 18” is $21 and the toppings are $3 each.

The specialty pizzas are $23 for a 16” size and offer a wide swath of choices like The Hawaiian (if you’re a sociopath who likes pineapple on pizza), The Italian, and The Original Meat Combo.

Again, these are less expensive than comparable offerings at some other higher-end Austin pizzerias.

You order at a counter, and the staff is super chill, with none of the we’re too cool for school bullshit you have to deal with at a lot of Austin places where the vibe feels like they’re doing you a favor by taking your order.

SERVICE:

Down home and understated is the best descriptor.

You order at a counter, and the staff is super chill, with none of the we’re too cool for school bullshit you have to deal with at a lot of Austin places where the vibe feels like they’re doing you a favor by taking your order. Not here. It’s down home and comfortable—the same on visit 1, 10, or 100. That’s a rare thing in 2025.

VIBES:

I visited at dinner hour on a weekday but didn’t have to fight any lines bursting with cool kids doing content for The Gram as can be common in these parts. Business was brisk but not claustrophobic and the woman who took my order was Austin cool and laid back, with some down-home insider suggestions but nothing pushy. The space is small and a bit old-school, feeling authentic and not even a tad bougie.

Vibes are obviously highly subjective, but I just love this place. The low stress, come as you are scene with a no-frills, 90s nostalgic feel hit the mark perfectly for this reviewer.

Vibes are obviously highly subjective, but I just love this place. The low stress, come as you are scene with a no-frills, 90s nostalgic feel hit the mark perfectly for this reviewer. Nobody is putting on airs here and the focus is on the pizza like it should be, right down to an open view into the kitchen.

SCORE: 9.1

I’ve already hinted that the final score was going to be quite robust and here we are. The inherent subjectivity of evaluating pizza aside, this place is simply outstanding across every parameter that I value highly.

If you’re seeking bespoke, luxury pies in an ultra-fancy setting that features phones perpetually out and buttholes clenched because their owners are fixated on finding a perfect IG story, then buddy, this won’t be for you.

But if great pizza in a comfortable, chill environment is your thing, step right up and Little Deli will take care of you.