Adventure #45: Jax Neighborhood Cafe

[8/24/2013 Update: Jax has closed] Audacity has been defined by Jax Neighborhood Cafe. "Austin's ONLY Gourmet Pizza" adorns a banner in front of this neighborhood restaurant and bar. We had to check this bold claim. . .but first, we had to get beer and cheese fries:

The vibe at this place was very un-West Campus (especially for a place in West Campus). There was a crawfish boil going on, along with a karaoke competition. As we nommed on delicious cheese fries with Elgin sausage, we mused openly about what level of gourmet we should expect from such an odd place. . .

And the result? Surprisingly gourmet, yet not close to "the ONLY gourmet pizza in town" given the volume of excellent pizza in Austin. With the big reveal out of the way, let's highlight what we loved about this pizza, which was a simple pepperoni and mushroom.

- simple and bold sauce

- above average ingredients (I especially liked the mushrooms)

- amazingly light and tasty crust

I can't help but think that the pride they take in this pizza is all about the crust, which doesn't draw many comparisons with other crusts we've eaten--it's unique. It has the thick rectangular shape of the sicilian pizza at Miltos, but without any of the heavy weight from oil. A thick, yet airy and somehow crispy crust is the star of this show.

But it's still not the best pizza in Austin, gourmet or otherwise. : ) Touche, Jax, touche.