by Aliyah Armstrong | staff writer
My Rating: ⋆⋆ (Very good)
6989 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, (210) 979-6565, doughpizzeria.com
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11 am-9 pm, Friday & Saturday: 11 am-10 pm, Sundays: 11 am – 9 pm
Price range: Lunch: $5-24, Cicchetti menu: $6-7 Antipasti: $7-20, Insalate: $7-16, Pizza: $10-20, Mozzarella & burrata bar: $7-24
Rating: (no stars) I cannot recommend this restaurant at this time.
⋆ Good.
⋆⋆ Very good.
⋆⋆⋆ Excellent.
⋆⋆⋆⋆Superior
If you venture a little out of the Johnson area and head south down 281, you may discover a pizza place that is not your typical chain restaurant, i.e. Papa John’s, Pizza Hut, or Domino’s. That little pizza place would be Dough Pizzeria Napoletana. With a sign that boasts their motto of “Pizza Forever,” you know the pizza here is going to be amazing before you even walk in the door. Of course that’s if there isn’t a line out the door, so when you decide to go, pick a time where you’re likely to be seated in a timely fashion, because San Antonio loves this restaurant. Sunday at 4:15 PM is a pretty good time since it’s right before the dinner crowd rushes in.
The little things are what make this authentic pizza place a fantastic restaurant, from the good service down to the delicious Italian sodas (the peach flavor is a great choice). It’s a busy restaurant but not overly noisy with pretty much every table filled inside and outside. It has a really homey atmosphere with pictures of Italy and a humorous take on The Persistence of Memory with pizzas instead of clocks decorating the walls. The server was very knowledgeable and really polite. As for pricing, it is more expensive than a Papa John’s pizza but it is definitely worth it.
If you want to snack on something before your pizza arrives, I would suggest ordering the Mozzarella Sampler so you can figure out what particular cheese fits your taste. It comes with three cheeses that are all very different in texture and flavor. The truffle burratini is very creamy and smooth but it kinds of coats your tongue in a bad way which makes it an acquired taste. The mozzarella di bufala is the one that fit my taste buds the most. It is smooth with a delicate flavor. The pesto adds nuttiness and it is the firmest of the three cheeses. The third cheese is in between the two, being firm on the outside and creamy on the inside with a flavor similar to that of the mozzarella di bufala. The accompaniments elevate this dish to the next level. The charred bread gives you a sneak peak of the delicious dough that will serve as the pizza crust. The marinated semi dried tomatoes add the perfect amount of acidity and salt and the balsamic reduction adds an element of sweetness.
When it is time to order pizza, there are many great options. My first choice is their Signature Pork Love pizza. Let me just start by saying, I can see why this is the signature pizza. The cheese has the perfect amount of stretch that you expect from a good pizza and the sauce is flavorful without being overpowering. The home-made sausage is definitely what separates their pizzas from the competitors. It adds spice and a different texture and the other meats add saltiness. With the combination of all the elements, this pizza achieves perfect balance.
If you are not a meat lover, there are two other notable pizzas worth trying, which includes the Shrimp Fra Diavolo pizza and the House Made Sausage and Spinach pizza. The Shrimp Fra Diavolo pizza is a special pizza, however, and may not be available every day. It was a really good pizza, but beware, this pie is pretty spicy just like the classic Italian dish. That being said, this pizza is not all spice and you can still taste the flavorful tomato sauce. My only complaint is that it could definitely use more shrimp because there was only one tiny shrimp on each slice so savor each bite. The House Made Sausage and Spinach pizza once again features the delicious sausage as clearly stated in the name. This pizza is not for everyone because it has a few interesting characteristics. Once again it’s spicy because of the sausage but unlike the Fra Diavolo pizza, it does not have much tomato sauce to balance out the spice and the Calabrian chili ricotta which is what really weighs it down. The cheese is so creamy that in every bite, it is basically the only thing you can taste and there is so much of it, something like a dollop on each slice. It really ended up being unpleasant for me but if you like a lot of cheese and less sauce, maybe you will enjoy it.
On all the pizzas and the breads, the dough is the best part and what makes it Dough Pizzeria Napoletana. It is chewy, charred, the perfect thickness (which is actually pretty thin) and never soggy. So whenever you get the craving for pizza, step away from the computer and put down the phone. Head over to Dough Pizzeria Napoletana for pizza that won’t disappoint.
