Garage Pizza serves five varieties of Sicilian-style pizza.
PROVIDED BY GARAGE PIZZA
Philip Speer was making great pizza in Austin long before the current wave of artisan pizzaioli elevated the scene to new heights.
The longtime Austin chef was the driving force behind St. Philip, the sibling bakery and pizzeria from the Uchi family that operated for a little more than a year before closing in 2015.
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A decade later, the Comedor executive chef and former culinary director at Uchi is back in the pizza game — though he says he never really left. He has hosted some of Austin’s top pizza makers at the Field Guide Fest, where he serves as culinary director, and has been constantly experimenting on his own time.
“I’m always kind of thinking about it,” Speer told the American-Statesman. “Pizza is really where my heart is.”
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But now one of Austin’s most tenured chefs has a platform for his latest evolution in the pizza and baking arts. Speer and his partners at hidden cocktail bar Garage have launched Garage Pizza in the space inside the parking garage at 503 Colorado St. adjacent to Comedor (a Statesman Top 40 restaurant).
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Speer’s experimentation with baking has led him to a 72-hour cold-fermented dough that serves as the basis for his play on Sicilian pies. The main difference between his take and the more traditional Sicilian is the long fermentation time, which provides an airy texture and subtle twang, and the fact that he cooks the pizzas in round steel pans, not rectangular trays.
“The baker in me is really excited about it,” chef Philip Speer said about his Garage Pizza.
STEPHEN SPILLMAN FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Garage Pizza recently began serving four variations of pies. There are two red-sauce based pizzas (a cheese pie made with mozzarella and 20-month American parmesan; and a pepperoni), and two white pies (a vegetarian option with Hi-Fy Mycology mushrooms, mozzarella, garlic oil and kale; and one with locally sourced fennel sausage, caramelized onion jam and kale).
Garage Pizza also serves a gluten-free version, and that dough is fried in scallion oil to make croutons for the Caesar salad ($9), which is punched with smoked anchovies.
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The pizzas, all named to honor American motorcycle and racetrack culture, are par-baked, then covered with clarified butter before the finishing bake that gives the bouncy, dough triangles a glossy crunch.
“The baker in me is really excited,” said Speer, who will roll out a series of collaborations with Austin chef friends in early 2026.
The pizzas are served by the $8 slice for dine-in only and have been selling out during Garage Pizza’s soft opening, though Speer says he hopes to eventually satisfy demand all night.
“We’re not trying to build a hype-beast, sell-out model,” Speer said of the pizzas that became a viral sensation in short order.
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For those who may balk at the price, Speer says that he is only using high-quality ingredients at a business that also takes care of its people.
“You can buy a sports coat at the Gap, or you can buy one from Tom Ford,” Speer said.
Garage Pizza is taking reservations via Garage’s Open Table site, though Speer is encouraging walk-in ordering for the slices. Garage Pizza is selling slices from 5 p.m. until sold out Tuesday-Saturday, though Speer hopes to increase the hours once he gets a bigger oven. Speer also plans to eventually serve whole pies and add takeout.