Best Pizza in the Heights: Wood-Fired, Detroit, NY and Delivery

You can eat pizza seven nights in a row in the Heights without repeating a restaurant or a crust. Wood-fired Neapolitan on Studewood, Detroit squares on Shepherd, a 20-inch hand-tossed pie on 19th Street, and a 1 a.m. delivery box on West 20th: it's all inside the same few square miles.

This guide sorts the neighborhood's best pizza by style, then answers the question that actually decides dinner: are you going out, or is the pizza coming to you?

What we mean by "the Heights"

For this guide, the Heights means the Greater Heights: the Katy Freeway (I-10) on the south, the North Freeway (I-45) on the east, Loop 610 on the north, and the Shepherd and Durham corridor on the west, counting businesses on both sides of those two streets. That takes in the historic Houston Heights, Woodland Heights and the blocks around 11th, 19th and 20th streets.

Places just outside that line, like Star Pizza on Washington Avenue or Coastline on Houston Avenue south of the freeway, live in our citywide best pizza in Houston guide instead.

The quick list

• For a wood-fired date night: The Gypsy Poet on Studewood.
• For pizza as one course of a great dinner: Coltivare on White Oak.
• For a Neapolitan lunch with an Italian market attached: Nundini on North Shepherd.
• For Detroit-style squares: Gold Tooth Tony's.
• For a New York-style pie and delivery: Pepperoni's.
• For a build-your-own family night: Crust Pizza Co.
• For a giant pie and your own bottle of wine: Collina's Italian Cafe.
• For a 1 a.m. delivery box: Zalat Pizza.

How we chose

Every pick sits inside the boundary above and had to show a current Heights address and hours (or ordering) on its own official website when we checked in October 2026. We looked for a clear point of view on crust, a reason to choose it over the delivery-app default, and a mix of sit-down rooms and places that travel well in a box.

We left out pizzerias we couldn't confirm were operating, and anywhere whose official site listed the Heights location as not yet open. Hours change, so treat every schedule here as "typically" and check the restaurant's site before you go.

Wood-fired and Neapolitan-leaning

The Gypsy Poet

1050 Studewood St · dine-in, takeout and online ordering · closed Mondays

The Gypsy Poet cooks artisan pizza in a wood-fired oven and treats the whole thing as a creative project; its own site asks whether the oven is a canvas or a paintbrush. The menu is short: eight pizzas, three salads and a few desserts.

What to order: Margherita "The Queen" to judge the crust, then the Fancy Backpacker (prosciutto di Parma, black truffle oil and arugula) or Pepperoni Madness with hot honey. Finish with the Nutella confezione, which comes in a 9-inch and a 13-inch size.

Insider tip: the Heights location typically opens only at dinner Tuesday through Thursday, adds a short lunch window on Friday, and opens at noon on weekends. The site also warns it stays open "until the dough lasts." Go early on a Saturday.

Best for: a casual date night on Studewood.

Coltivare

3320 White Oak Dr · dinner only · reservations on Resy · closed Tuesdays

Coltivare's full name is Coltivare Pizza & Garden, and it describes its cooking as rustic Italian with a Gulf Coast perspective, set by Houston's growing seasons and its own backyard garden. That makes its pizza the most seasonal in the neighborhood, and it shares the table with pastas and vegetables that deserve equal attention.

What to order: whatever pie leans on what's coming out of the garden, plus a pasta for the table. Takeout is available if you call or order online.

Insider tip: it takes reservations through Resy, which is rare for a Heights pizza dinner. Book a weekend table rather than gambling on a walk-in.

Best for: a sit-down dinner when pizza is one course, not the whole meal. More ideas in our Heights restaurant guide.

Nundini Chef's Table

500 N Shepherd Dr · lunch and dinner · closed Sundays and Mondays

Nundini is a full-service Italian restaurant and shop tucked into what it calls an unassuming warehouse in the Heights, and that combination is the point. Its wood stone pizzas come in personal 12-inch sizes at lunch and 14-inch pies at dinner, from a Margherita and a caramelized-onion Pugliese to the Bufala, made with imported buffalo mozzarella.

What to order: the Bufala if you want it simple, or Dante's Inferno (spicy salami, peppers and peperoncino) if you want heat. Save room for the house-made gelato or sorbetto.

I didn't know that: after lunch you can walk through Nundini's shop and buy the very products its kitchen cooks with, plus wine from across Italy's regions.

Insider tip: the kitchen typically closes between 2 and 5 p.m., so time lunch accordingly. The kids' menu includes a small thin-crust cheese or pepperoni pizza.

Best for: a long Italian lunch, with groceries to take home.

Detroit-style squares

Gold Tooth Tony's

1901 N Shepherd Dr, Suite 4 · dine-in, takeout and delivery · open daily

Gold Tooth Tony's is built around Detroit-style pizza: a thick, airy crust with crispy, caramelized edges. The menu also runs to what it calls Houston-style pizzas, plus deep dish, wings and build-your-own pies.

What to order: the Hunger Force (house-made all-beef meatballs and whipped herb ricotta) or Sebastian's Big Idea, which tops a square with Spam, charred pineapple, togarashi and furikake.

I didn't know that: there's a pie on the menu named for the neighborhood. The 181 Heights is a Detroit square with arugula pesto, almond, chili flake, lemon zest and fennel pollen, about as far from a pepperoni default as pizza gets.

Best for: feeding a group, since square slices share well. The Heights location typically keeps the same hours every day of the week.

New York-style and hand-tossed

Pepperoni's

946 N Shepherd Dr, Suite B · pickup and delivery

Pepperoni's has been making New York-style pizza in Houston since 1990. It now has more than 20 locations, and the Heights shop on North Shepherd is one of them.

What to order: a large New York-style pie for the table; the menu includes gluten-free and vegan options.

I didn't know that: Pepperoni's says it works with a California tomato grower on the tomatoes for its signature sauces, and that its dough uses untreated flour that's never bleached or bromated.

Best for: a dependable delivery order that pleases everyone on the couch.

Crust Pizza Co.

1215 N Durham Dr · dine-in, curbside, delivery and patio

Crust is a family-friendly, build-your-own kind of place: pick a 10-inch or 14-inch pie and stack up to 10 toppings, or choose from a dozen gourmet combinations. Crust options include cauliflower and stuffed crust, and you can turn any pizza into a calzone.

What to order: the Mr. Potato Head (alfredo, sliced potatoes, bacon, cheddar and scallions) if you're curious, the Big Don's Meat & Cheese if you're hungry.

Insider tip: the Heights location typically runs Kids Eat Free Tuesdays and Half-Off Wine Wednesdays, and a weekday lunch special lets you pick any two items, such as a 7-inch pizza and a salad. Check the store page for current deals.

Best for: a weeknight with kids. See our kid-friendly restaurants guide for more.

Collina's Italian Cafe

502 W 19th St · dine-in, online ordering and delivery

Collina's is a neighborhood Italian cafe on 19th Street with a pizza for every size of table: hand-tossed pies come in 8, 12, 16 and 20-inch sizes, each topped with mozzarella, provolone and Romano. You can choose traditional, whole wheat or gluten-free crust (gluten-free is 12-inch only).

What to order: a 20-inch pie for a crowd, with the house focaccia to start.

I didn't know that: Collina's lets you bring your own bottle of wine, and the business started in 1993 as an eight-table storefront near Greenway Plaza.

Insider tip: Collina's advertises free delivery, with area restrictions, so check whether your street qualifies. It typically opens at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Walk 19th Street before or after with our Heights shopping guide.

Best for: a BYO-wine dinner with friends, or a party-size pie.

Late-night delivery

Zalat Pizza

250 W 20th St, Suite 300 · pickup and delivery · open past midnight later in the week

Zalat is a Texas pizza chain built for late nights, and its Heights shop typically stays open until midnight on Thursday and until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Every pizza is scratch-made with fresh-tossed dough, and the menu leans into big flavors.

What to order: the Pho Shizzle (chicken, red onions, basil and cilantro with sriracha and hoisin swirls), plus a side of the house SiRANCHa sauce, which is exactly what it sounds like: sriracha plus ranch.

Best for: the pizza you order at 12:30 a.m. For more after-dark options, see our late-night food guide.

Delivery or dine-in? A cheat sheet

Some pizza is at its best the minute it leaves the oven. Some is built to ride across town in a box. Here's how we'd split the Heights:

• Go there: The Gypsy Poet, Coltivare and Nundini. Wood-fired and thin-centered pies lose their texture in a box, and all three are worth the room.
• Either way: Gold Tooth Tony's and Crust. Detroit squares and thicker crusts hold their crunch well on the drive home.
• Bring it home: Pepperoni's, Collina's and Zalat, all of which list delivery on their official sites.
• Chain backups: Domino's on Houston Avenue and Papa John's on West 11th Street both deliver from inside the neighborhood.

Save this: a Heights pizza week

Seven nights, seven pizzerias, no repeats, planned around each one's typical days off:

1. Monday: Gold Tooth Tony's, a Detroit square (The Gypsy Poet and Nundini are typically closed).
2. Tuesday: Crust, on Kids Eat Free night (Coltivare is typically closed).
3. Wednesday: Coltivare, with a reservation.
4. Thursday: The Gypsy Poet, Margherita and a Nutella confezione.
5. Friday: Zalat delivery after midnight.
6. Saturday: a long lunch at Nundini, then shop the market (before the 2 p.m. break).
7. Sunday: Collina's after 3 p.m., with a bottle from home.

Want a beer with your pie? Our best breweries in Houston guide has Heights taprooms. For the rest of the neighborhood, start at our Heights area page, and for Italian beyond pizza see our best Italian restaurants guide.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best pizza in the Heights?

It depends on the crust. For wood-fired pizza, try The Gypsy Poet on Studewood or Coltivare on White Oak. For Detroit-style squares, go to Gold Tooth Tony's on North Shepherd, and for a late-night delivery, Zalat on West 20th Street.

Which Heights pizza places deliver?

Gold Tooth Tony's, Pepperoni's, Crust Pizza Co., Collina's Italian Cafe and Zalat Pizza all list delivery on their official sites. Collina's advertises free delivery with area restrictions.

Where can I get pizza late at night in the Heights?

Zalat Pizza on West 20th Street typically stays open until midnight on Thursday and until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday for pickup and delivery. Check its site for current hours.

Is there Detroit-style pizza in the Heights?

Yes. Gold Tooth Tony's at 1901 N Shepherd Dr specializes in Detroit-style pizza, including a pie called the 181 Heights with arugula pesto, almond and fennel pollen.

Can I bring my own wine to a Heights pizza restaurant?

Collina's Italian Cafe at 502 W 19th St lets guests bring their own bottle of wine or order from its wine list.

Which Heights pizza restaurants take reservations?

Coltivare on White Oak Drive takes reservations through Resy. Most other Heights pizzerias are walk-in or order-ahead.