May 4, 2014: Pinthouse Pizza

Pinthouse Pizza
4729 Burnet Rd.
436-9605
30.318865°N, 97.73927°W
WiFi: Yes.
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men’s room: 2.

Lawrence’s Comments

This is a brewpub that serves pretty decent pizza. It’s an “order at the counter” sort of place, though they do have people busing the tables. Seating is BBQ bench tables style, like The Salt Lick.

The pizza is pretty good and reasonably priced. I also liked their soft pretzel, which seemed better than the average New York cart vendor.

Drawbacks: The place has the feel and acoustics of a crowded barn, and is probably the ninth or tenth loudest venue we’ve been in. Also, soft drinks are that weird off-brand Maine thing, which I’m not fond of. And the appetizer and dessert selection is pretty limited.

Worth trying if you’re in the area, or want to try the beer (which I’ll let Dwight review).

Dwight’s Comments

My problem is that I drink beer, from time to time (relatively infrequently) but I’m not a beer snob. I got a sampler of the Pinthouse house brews, and liked almost all of them. My one exception was the Bearded Seal, which I think is their attempt to brew a Guinness stout style beer: it was just too bitter and too hoppy for my taste.

As for the pizza and other appetizers, they were all perfectly fine. And that’s sort of the problem. The pizza is good, but there’s just as good or better pizza at at least four pizza places I can think of (Cajun Pizza Place, Milto’s, Pizza Bistro, and Brooklyn Heights, off the top of my head). And none of those places give you the feeling that you’re sitting in a loud crowded barn. Pinthouse’s big advantage is the craft beer, if you’re into that sort of thing. And I give them maximum points for service. I’d go back if I was with people who are into the craft brewing scene. On my own, though, there’s nothing that really jumps out at me and makes me want to return.