Pizza Foundation
- Hours:
Mon 12 pm - 8 pm
Thu-Sun 12 pm - 8:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- Yes
61 reviews for Pizza Foundation
Review Highlights
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"It's in an old gas station, so it's ultra casual." In 6 reviews -
"It had a thin crispy crust and fresh tomato sauce." In 24 reviews
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"We usually get pepperoni and jalapeno." In 8 reviews
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61 reviews in English
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Review from Gabriel G.
Austin, TX
4/4/2012
So, they said it was the best 'za in TX and they're right -- the limeades (blueberry especially pleases) are a slushie, non-ETOH alternative. Nice salades, condiments (Siracha!!), etc. Good peeps runnin' the place, too.
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Review from Kyle J.
Houston, TX
5/19/2012
Warning. Went by this place 5/18/12 and it is closed. It looks like they are undergoing renovations because the place is totally gutted. Call before you plan a trip there.
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Review from Clown H.
Brooklyn, NY
4/1/2012
I was all set to be meh about this place since I am a giant snob from NY...but it's impossible. It is so good! My best meal in Texas was pizza! The crust is awesome, thin and tasty despite it being a large pie. I went with tomato, jalapeno, and red onion for my toppings. Do this- it's addictive. My boyfriend and I fought over the two day old leftovers we traveled 3 hours with at the Midland airport waiting to fly home.
Also, as a non-drinker I love that they had sugar -high inducing limeades. -
Review from CJ B.
Seattle, WA
3/23/2012
We ate two meals in a row here, it's that good! Both times we had the bread and tomato salad and the Greek salad. They were excellent (especially the bread and tomato) and the staff works exceptionally hard to make sure you get them early because the pizzas can take a while. The pizzas are very homemade and quite large (8 cut) but they will do halves and slices. The first time we had a chorizo, red pepper and fresh mozzarella; the second it was chicken, spinach and olives. It's a little weird that they limit you to three toppings but they know what they are doing so we didn't second guess the restriction. Try the limeades. They are inexpensive and very tasty.
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Review from Lola C.
Berkeley, CA
3/28/2012
The pizza here is exceptional--for Marfa and for anywhere in the world! The crust (and I'm not typically a crust person) is incredible--fresh, crunchy yet soft--I'm in love. We had two pizzas and I LOVED the margarita with fresh basil leaves. I am incredibly impressed and want to come back about 5 more times before I have to leave...
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Review from Gringo P.
Marfa, TX
5/1/2012
I love this place. The best pizza in Texas and priced extremely reasonably. Wait times can be long since they're popular and nothing is not made fresh as its ordered, but they always TELL YOU when there is a wait and it's an honest assessment. Anyway, before I moved to Marfa 5 years ago this was one of the factors that made me decide I could live here. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
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Review from Sarah C.
8/14/2011
So the pizza was ok, not spectacular, but not bad..it does the job! But the limeade, oh sweet Jesus! There are so many choices...I'm partial to the cherry flavor, but my friend had the honeydew and it was awesome! The regular is nice too!
Also, they've got a cute little outdoor patio seating area. It was cozy! -
Review from Mr G.
TX
Updated - 9/15/2011
Finally got in when the place was open ... pizza's pretty good, the environment is fun. Pizza took 45 minutes to get ... that's a pretty long wait for a pizza, but hey.. it is what it is.
I'm bumping my review up to a 4 star ... I hope you catch this place on a good day!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/27/2011
Decent pizza, when you can get it ... seems to be another seasonal place. The last two times I've… Read more »
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Review from El Rauncho Grande G.
Houston, TX
7/8/2011 3 Check-ins Here
The Pizza Foundation may just be the best thing that happened to the formerly sleepy cowtown of Marfa Texas after it started to go all Wine Bar, NPR and Donald Judd. Built in an old gas station at the corner of two "highways" that cross just a couple of blocks from the courthouse square, this place offers a helluva good thin crust pizza. The crust is so good I'll even forgive them for their blunt (borderline rude) "we have a three topping limit" stance. They want the crust to stay crispy. It's their thing. I know that now, and can respect it.
You can dine in the former auto repair bays or on a nice ivy-draped patio (equipped with gas heaters for the chilly high desert nights). They have a pretty good selection of wines too, which you can pick out yourself from the racks and bins near the order counter (and which you then get to drink out of plastic cups, just in case you'd forgotten you were in west Texas), but to their credit, they'll offer to plunge your mid-range California red into some cool water to try to get it closer to cellar and not lift bay temperature. Unpretentious, with a dash of foodie. I love it.
The only real disappointment: they put uncooked mushrooms on their pizza. A light sautee with some garlic would work wonders there.
But that's a minor quibble. If you are in Marfa, by all means, make time to stop and savor a pizza at this quirky purveyor of quality grub.
To quote the immortal Bard, "God save the foundation!"
El Rauncho Grande -
Review from Ben E.
5/25/2011
Tired of Dairy Queen?
Since I was a little boy I remember going through Marfa, TX on our family road trips to Mexico. They were always the same, McDonald's or Dairy Queen stops on the way with the normal sprinkling of gas station fare. Most people don't usually expect gourmet in the oil rich sands of West Texas, but like a oasis stands the towns of Marfa and Alpine.
Still with all the beauty of these towns we never though to find such a great spot like Foundations Pizza. I wish this was more than just a pit stop on the way back to Dallas, it would have been great to enjoy some wine with my pizza on the patio and enjoy the weather.
We got a pizza with locally grown tomatoes, mushrooms and pepperoni. It was delicious, The crust was nice and crispy like I like it. The addition of roasted garlic, Parmesan and pepper only make me love it more.
Beltbuster no more! -
Review from Mandy B.
Dallas, TX
8/16/2011
I was very surprised when I realized I had not yet reviewed the source of my favorite pizza! And, I do not mean favorite pizza in Marfa, or Texas. This is my favorite pizza anywhere.
We discovered Pizza Foundation a few years ago, on our first night in Marfa. Now we go to Marfa quite often, and always make at least one stop at Pizza Foundation.
The crust is just wonderful - very thin, with just the right texture. I love the crust so much that I eat my husband's leftover crust. He calls that "pizza bones" but he actually eats most of his crust at Pizza Foundation.
We usually get pepperoni and jalapeno. The jalapenos are fresh, which is an added bonus.
The pizzas are all one size: Large. Or, you can buy by the slice, although we have never gone that route. I would say the whole pizza will feed four average appetites, especially if you share a salad.
Another must-have is the tomato bread salad. This is a glorious pile of tomatoes, freshly toasted bread cubes, a ton of basil, and feta in a vinaigrette dressing. It is quite large, great for sharing.
It's Marfa, so sometimes they aren't open when expected, maybe they run out of dough early. Or a plumbing issue occurs. Stuff happens in small, remote towns. Another reviewer suggested that Pizza Foundation might be "seasonal" but we haven't found that to be the case. Their hours are posted, and they mostly stick to those hours. -
Review from Alex M.
12/11/2011
It was fairly good pizza and it was made even better since it was the only place open on a Sunday afternoon. What's up with your lack of anything going down on Sundays, Texas?
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Review from AMY D.
1/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pizza Foundation is a counter order pizza joint set up inside an old service station. I went during lunch and it was very busy with locals and tourists alike. They surprisingly have some great wines sold by the bottle or 1/2 bottle. They also have a decent selection of bottled beers.
The dining areas inside are random and they do not make the best of the space they have. It was so crowded when in line ordering, people were dancing around each other to get through the line. They do however have a nice outside dining area.
They have just about everything you could want on a pizza and about seven salads to order from. I ordered a half portion of Greek salad and the husband ordered two slices of pepperoni. I can get picky when it comes to ordering salads and sandwiches and must say the staff was accommodating with my requests. The food took a little while to get served but was well worth it, and it helped having a bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir to entertain our taste buds as we waited. The salad was good, a typical Greek salad and they were very generous on the cheese and olives. I tried the pepperoni pizza and it was great, cheesy not to much sauce and good crust.Listed in: Road Trip to Marfa, I.Heart.Pie
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Review from Mavis F.
Austin, TX
4/13/2011 2 photos
The Pizza Foundation serves up the best pizza in Texas.
There, I said it. -
Review from Karen P.
Dallas, TX
1/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not sure why this gets "Best Pizza EVARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!" reviews from everyone else. This is good pizza. And it's surprising for a small town like Marfa. Not the best pizza I've ever had in my life ever ever EVAR, but worth the wait and the $$.
Atmosphere: old gas station. Laid back. Very nice, reasonably priced wine & beer selection. I got a bottle of Cotes du Rhone for $20. That was a very pleasant surprise.
I've read other reviews complaining about the attitude from the staff. This was not my experience at all. I was carrying out, and the woman at the counter was very gracious--made sure I had plates, lots of extra napkins, asked if I needed cups for the wine I was carrying out, did I have a wine opener, etc. I was appreciative of her thoughtfulness.
If you're in Marfa and not willing to drop Cochineal bucks, this is your place. -
Review from diego m.
Austin, TX
6/20/2011
This is what appears to be an old auto mechanics shop that was converted to a pizza place.
Pizza is good and they have a pretty decent selection of bottled beer. I think I got an IPA here.
They have open wifi here you can use freely.
This place is open in the day time! -
Review from Tom A.
12/20/2010 2 Check-ins Here
We get so jaded about pizza. it's just such a common fallback plan for any meal that it's easy to not think much about it. And out here in Presidio County how many pizza places do you have to choose from? So how lucky are the people of Marfa that the one pizza place is also possibly the best pizza in all of Texas?
I arrived here accompanied by a hungry crowd of native Bostonians and if you think these people aren't picky about pizza you need to listen to them go on about Regina Pizza in the North End. Or about how our part of the world doesn't really know good pizza. Or how the Fall of Man was precipitated by Chicago deep dish pizza. Please.
Well, when the pie was finally served (on a Saturday night it was about a 40 minute wait) what you would have heard was five cruchy first-bites and five exclamations something along the line of, "Oh my God this is REALLY GOOD!"
The Red Sox banner displayed by the counter didn't hurt the places credibility. Oh and the salads? They are awesome too. -
Review from Iso B.
Austin, TX
10/27/2011
Tasty pizza, decent price. I dig it.
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Review from Widda L.
Austin, TX
11/6/2010
I'm not a tried and true pizza fan- not someone who is always in the mood for pizza. Happened in here on our first night in Marfa, as we were in the mood for regular food and nothing fancy. I'm gonna honestly say this was the best pizza I've ever had. Delicious. First, the crust was really perfect. As Felecia said in her review, it is thin and crispy, but chewy too. Just right. And it has a good flavor- it adds to the pizza, but is very subtle. We opted for spinach, roasted garlic, olives, and mushrooms. The veggies were flavorful and led the way because there was just the right amount of cheese and tomatoes. The pizza left us feeling full, but not yucky because there was not too much cheese. Really, it was just great!
The place is pleasant and comfortable. Great selection of cold beer and wine. The salads were good too- fresh, good dressing, real quality.
Definitely come here- it is well worth it! -
Review from Felecia I.
Austin, TX
7/18/2010
How do they get their crust to be thin, crispy and chewy at the same time? Gotta be magic. Someone in the kitchen has to be a real-life wizard. The crust was unbelieveably tasty.
We ordered various slices to try several different types: spinach ricotta, Marghareta, pepperoni and tomato/jalapeno. All were fantastically delicious. I couldn't stop eating. Our family fought over the last piece. Seriously. We bickered and argued well into the car ride back to our hotel room. We've never, ever done that over pizza.
FYI, there's no air-conditioning, so if you're there late afternoon/early evening in the summer, leave your heavy jeans behind.
They can be super busy, so it's best to call ahead and order an hour before you actually want to eat... or not... in that case, be prepared for an excruciating wait while watching all around you joyously tuck into their pies. -
Review from Jennie C.
Austin, TX
5/27/2010
The pizza here is pretty darn good. Probably better than most of the pizza I've eaten so far. The crust is perfect. The toppings are the correct proportions. I have no beef with this pizza. It was yummy.
The ices/slushies/whatever you want to call them were also pretty tasty and in a wide array of flavors. However, I didn't like that they were overly sugary.
So why just four stars? The food is good. The location is a remodeled garage (cool). However, the attitude of some of the staff made me feel like they didn't want our business. It made a somewhat awkward experience. -
Review from Stephan S.
Houston, TX
5/19/2009
This was not the kind of place I expected to find in West Texas. A transplant from the Boston area, the owner takes your order at the window, and lets you know how long it will take, and be prepared for over an hour wait when it gets busy.
The most important piece of information though, is that the pizza is fantastic! The crust was thin, a little crunchy, and darn delicious. The toppings were substantial and fresh. These guys know how to make a good pizza!
They had quite a back up when we were there and some how our order was lost in the mix. Without us having to go report it, the owner came up to me, apologized, and bought us a round of Lone Star.
For anyone in the Marfa area, or those just passing through, check, it, OUT! -
Review from Skyler T.
Austin, TX
11/12/2007
Let's say you decided that you were going to move to a po-dunk town and open a pizza place. Being opportunistic you decide that, since you have no competition, you're going to make crap pizza. This would be the smart way to maximize profit. This is how the situation is likely to occur, right?
Someone forgot to send the Pizza Foundation the memo, because they make fantastic pizza for very reasonable prices in Marfa-f'ing-Texas. This is the pizza that I had envisioned when I heard people having verbal orgasms about Homeslice. Do yourself a favor and enjoy it and all its quirks while you're visiting. -
Review from Larry M.
Austin, TX
4/3/2007 1 photo
NOW, we're talking...this is where I "got" Marfa...
Great pizza, and in the middle of a hot day, this large shady space with concrete floors, old metal furniture and a fun, hip staff (they all have myspace links on the web page), I felt like I was in the best rec room, ever.
A Marfa-regular feel that was kind to outsiders. Pizza was great, and sitting between cops and gallery owners made it insider-spectacular. -
Review from David P.
Austin, TX
4/4/2010 1 Check-in Here
If you're craving pizza in Marfa, you don't have a lot of options - or any really. This is it. And it's damn tasty.
The facts:
- The sauce is rock solid - full of flavor and complements the cheese well
- The crust is thin, but 'meaty' and the edges are browned to perfection
- They close a little early for a pizza joint and will even close early on a busy night (I know, I know, but they apparently 'run out' of ingredients)
- Good beer selection -
Review from Alicia J.
Ventura, CA
5/10/2010
Marfa is a weir mix of backwoods, middle of nowhere, small West Texas town and Urban Hipsters and artists. My husband and I just wanted something good and unpretentious to eat (everything about Marfa was pretentious.) The owner of the inn we stayed at in Ft. Davis suggested Foundation Pizza.
It's an old gas station service garage, complete with garage doors and chipped paint walls. Place your order at the counter, grab and ice cold beer or bottle of wine, and snag a table on the secluded patio to wait for your pizza. A great retreat from the hot summer sun.
We're not usually big fans of thin-crust pizza, but this one might have converted us! Great mix of cheese, tasty, herby sauce and crunchy dough. We were shocked at how large the pizza was but it was so good, my husband and I ate the entire thing.
We've been trying to decide if the almost 4 hour drive from our home is worth it for this pizza! -
Review from Eunice B.
Austin, TX
8/1/2010
Super thin crusts. Super size pizzas. Fresh ingredients.
Essentially, choose your own toppings so you only have yourself to blame if you don't like the flavour.
Perfect for take-away food during those super Marfa storms. -
Review from Misti W.
Austin, TX
11/24/2009
Best Pizza in Marfa! ;)
Seriously though, a solid pie. Great topping options, frozen lemonades, beer/wine for purchase. Seating could be better. It doesn't seem like the space is utilized well.
The price point seemed a bit high for what we got, but overall, a decent place. -
Review from Jason D.
San Angelo, TX
6/27/2011
The pepperoni and black olive pizza had just the right amount of greasy goodness on it's thin, crisp crust and tasted great even in the 105 degree heat.
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Review from ClayAshley T.
San Clemente, CA
10/19/2010
TIP: Order extra cheese. The pizza is very flaky and flat, although flavorful. We devoured the whole pie very quickly, and still felt hungry. You order a cheese pie, then add toppings a la carte. We decided on onions, chicken, and fresh basil...which didn't make a hearty meal. It would have been better with extra cheese, and there wasn't much chicken.
The wine selection was surprisingly awesome! We had a vinho rose with dinner - great choice from Portugal. Amazed to find this selection in Marfa, TX.
We read the Yelp reviews on our way into town, searching for a good dinner place. If we hadn't seen the positive feedback, we would have turned away at the roughly converted gas station exterior. -
Review from Belle l.
Long Beach, CA
8/17/2008
This is one of the few places in Marfa that actually seemed to have normalish business hours. The pizza is GREAT and cheap. Actually it is pretty outstanding that this town had the best pizza joint ever. the crust was crunchy but chewy. the sauce was perfect and the toppings were great. it was fantastic. I tried the greek salad and that was pretty good. the bread salad was strange.
As you might have guessed it is also a pretty popular spot in Marfa so you might want to call ahead and order the pizza or prepare to wait. -
Review from Glen L.
San Antonio, TX
4/28/2011
We almost didn't come here because it was in an old gas station and you never know what foul chemicals have seeped into the land. However we wanted something fairly quick so we could hit the Marfa mystery lights. The staff attitude was a bit odd and curt, not what I expected. I'm used to more laid-back friendly attitudes from Texas towns. Anyways, we ordered a 1/2 pizza and it was fantastic! Black olives, Canadian bacon, and roasted red peppers. We scarfed it down within seconds. It was truly a surprise to both my gf and I how delicious it was. Stay away from the salad though. It was just mainly lettuce, unless you like plain lettuce. Will definitely come back again.
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Review from Susan B.
New York, NY
9/29/2008
I loved this pizza, even though I had to ask them to make me a cheeseless half-pie since I can't eat dairy. Awesome thin crust that was crispy but also substantial, and high-class toppings, including ham that must have come straight from Italy on the Milan-El Paso Concorde. There was a bit of a wait, but well worth it.
They were also open on a Monday, a day on which pretty much every other place you might like to eat in Marfa is closed. Free WiFi too. A friendly, unpretentious vibe, and a great selection of health-food-store type sodas to wash down the pie. -
Review from Eric P.
Lubbock, TX
6/9/2011
Real NY style pizza in Far West Texas. This place is neck and neck with One Guy From Italy in Lubbock as the best pizza in West Texas, but since it's in Marfa it wins by a nose. Can get backed up on Friday and Saturday nights in the fall, but it's worth the wait.
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Review from Jayantha T.
Columbia, MO
4/5/2009
Hands down, the BEST PIZZA, in the United States (I have yet to try Italy).
Better than anything in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago....anywhere (and diyamn, these places make some GOOD PIZZA PIE).
This place alone makes the trip out to West Texas worth it.
The crust, sauce, ingredients.....all out of control. It's thin crust, so if you like Chicago style it's not fair to compare because, c'mom, we're talking about two different animals here.
My only gripe is this place is one-of-a-kind and not in LA or NYC. -
Review from Arthur O.
Oakland, CA
11/28/2010
This place is fantastic, if I lived in Marfa I would go here a couple times a week. Great food, nice staff, and wonderful atmosphere.
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Review from Elaine P.
Syracuse, NY
5/30/2011
Fun, very casual atmosphere (it's in a converted garage or gas station, if I recall correctly) and very yummy pizza. I ate there a just couple of times in the week I spent in Marfa, but I can still recall what I ordered.
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Review from Lilly N.
Dallas, TX
4/13/2011
My go-to place while we were in town. The salads are great, the pizza is good and the blueberry frozen lemonade will be forever remembered by my tastebuds. People are very friendly, has a great local feel. Watching an older man suck on a frozen lemonade and get mad at people who stood in front of the miniature TV was one of my favorite 20 minutes of my trip.
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Review from Sean G.
Austin, TX
12/10/2010
Worth the 7 hour trip from Austin. It's that good.
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Review from sarah h.
Carmel Valley, CA
9/19/2010
I stopped here on a recent trip through Marfa, and I can't get this place off my mind. I am dying to go back. I had two slices of cheese pizza, and they came as close to perfect as any I've had.
The sauce is outstanding. It is homemade, and not just run-of-the-mill homemade. The ingredients--including the spices--are all fresh (as I learned when I complimented the owner and could see as I peered into the kitchen). It was so savory and zesty that it would make an excellent standalone pasta sauce. No kidding. It's not even in the same league as other sauce I've had.
But enough about the sauce, because the rest of the pizza was phenomenal too. I loved the cheese; it was quality stuff, not greasy. And the crust was flawless. It's a thin crust, and I don't like thin crust, but this one was so good it won me over: chewy and crispy all at once, perfectly salted, not bland.
The way this pizza was put together really worked for me too. It had just the right balance of sauce and cheese and crust. Not too much of anything. You could really taste all the excellent, fresh flavors.
This is now my favorite pizza in the US. I liked the converted garage atmosphere. (Other reviewers have described that aspect already, so I won't bother.) And I thought the price was very reasonable for the quality of ingredients and excellence in these slices. I will be making my way to Marfa again just for this pizza.
