Cult-Favorite LA Pizzeria Pizzana Opens its First Houston Location

There’s plenty of pasta, and a special Tex-Mex pizza just for Space City, too

Pizzana, the celebrated Los Angeles pizzeria known for its neo-Neapolitan pies and plump interpretations of arancini, opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

Following its first Texas opening in Dallas in 2022, the California-based pizzeria opened in Houston last Friday, March 22, offering a familiar and sought-after selection of pizza, pasta, and sweets. Sprinkles co-founder and couple Candace and Charles Nelson and actor Chris O’Donnell and his wife and partner Caroline first collaborated with pizzaiolo Daniele Uditi in 2017, when they opened the first location in Brentwood. Uditi quickly became recognized for rich, multi-hour sauces, and his two-day fermented “slow dough,” which serves as the foundation for spinach, pepperoni, and mushroom pizzas, and fodder for a Bib Gourmand designation from the Michelin Guide.

Courtesy of Pizzana

Embracing the convergence of southern Naples and California cooking that first popularized the pizzeria, Uditi brings that same selection of Italian tastes — including his beloved cacio e pepe pizza of provoloncino d’agerola, fior di latte, parmigiano crema, cracked black pepper — to the Houston area. For the opening, chef Uditi created a Tex-Mex pizza just for the Houston location: It’s topped with spiced porchetta, roasted tomato chipotle salsa, parsley cilantro salsa verde, fior di latte, shaved serrano chile, and several Mexican spices.

“There’s such an exciting food scene here, and that’s what makes us really excited to be here,” Hannah Wright, the pizzeria’s vice president of special projects, told Eater Houston.

Courtesy of Pizzana

The pizza special and classics can be paired with Pizzana’s Aperol slushy, a frozen, boozy beverage that’s exclusive to the Houston and Dallas locations, or with a number of inventive beverages that will be rolled out alongside the restaurant’s new cocktail program. The pizzeria offers a full bar program featuring wines by the glass and bottle, local and imported beers, and cocktails. Signature cocktails include the Ravello Ranch Water — a Pizzana twist on the Texan classic — and the Negroni di Napoli, a vibrant mix of rose-infused gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Pizzana will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m, and Friday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.