Taste Preview: Aviator Pizza & Drafthouse

Elgin, Texas favorite Aviator Pizza, recently opened it’s doors to its new restaurant located at 6501 S. Congress Ave #105, Austin, TX 78745 featuring an updated menu and 24 Texas craft beers on tap.

 

In 2014 Husband and wife duo, John McElroy and Dr. Ana Lam-McElroy opened Aviator Pizza’s first location in Elgin, which has since then has become a staple in the small town’s local dining scene, providing a variety of fresh menu items made with high quality ingredients and a wide selection of Texas craft beers.

 

 

What to Eat

Aviator features a few favorites from the original Elgin location as well as a variety of new items. While we had a few favorites, the true highlight of Aviator Pizza is their hand-tossed pizza dough. In my opinion, pizza dough sets up the flavor for the entire pie.  Aviator’s dough is made from a 26-year old family yeast strain featuring a crispy sourdough crust brushed with an in-house, rosemary-infused pizza oil.

 

Courtney’s favorite was the Greek Pizza, made with pesto base, black olives, Portabella mushrooms, artichokes, fresh basil and and Feta cheese. My favorite was The Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza, topped with a home-style ranch base, smoked bacon and chicken breast.  Both were very tasty but my personal silent hero of the menu has to be the house made calzone, which in my opinion is the most authentic available in the city.

 

Aviator’s fresh flavor can be attributed to their quality ingredients from local farms and producers including Fallen Oak Mushrooms, Good Flow Honey, Mozzarella Co., Elgin Heirlooms, Francis & Thatcher Farms, Vital Farms and Yegua Creek Farms, along with many others.

Blueberry Cinna Sticks

What to Drink

The restaurant also has an extensive rotating beer and wine list featuring 24 Texas craft beers and six wines on tap. A few of the Texas craft beers available include Big Bend, Thirsty Planet, Deep Ellum Brewing, Adelbert’s Brewery, Independence Brewing, Beta Brewing and Austin Eastciders as well as growler re-fills of any brew on tap.