When I first moved to San Antonio’s Northwest side, I wrote Fralo’s Art of Pizza off as a touristy spot for the busloads of travelers on their way home from Fiesta Texas. There was something about their huge white sign at the corner of I-10 and Boerne Stage Road that screamed “roadside attraction.” But months passed, and my husband and I were having trouble finding a go-to pizza place near our apartment. On a whim, we decided to give Fralo’s a try. And I’m so glad we did.
First, you can’t talk about Fralo’s without mentioning its outdoor dining area. On the patio, patrons dine at rustic wood tables beneath oak branches and twinkle lights. Add a local singer crooning on stage in the corner to set the mood. The effect is positively enchanting. I took one look at the patio and I was already planning a future get-together with my friends.
But the outdoor seating isn’t the only crowd pleasing element at Fralo’s. Beer and pizza are a classic combo and Fralo’s offers a standard beer menu. You can also BYOB for a small fee—a real plus if you or your friends are craft brew fans.
The appetizer menu offers Italian-inspired staples such as fried calamari and tomato and basil bruschetta. Since I’m not a seafood fan, I went for the bruschetta. Served on freshly baked bread, this bruschetta is piled high with fresh, juicy tomatoes drizzled in a tangy balsamic reduction. The tomatoes stole the show. So juicy. So flavorful. I was tempted to ask our server for an extra side of tomatoes.
The pizza menu provides an array of classics, Fralo’s signature recipes, as well as build-your-own options. All with house-made sauces and your choice of traditional, whole wheat, quinoa or gluten free crusts. But my husband and I never agree on pizza toppings. He likes his pizza spicy with lots of veggies, and I’m annoyingly indecisive. We often wind up ordering more pizza than we need just to make us both happy. Luckily, this isn’t the case at Fralo’s because they have a sampler pizza. You can choose four of their signature pizzas, and they’ll put them all on one completely shareable 15-inch pizza. And somehow, the toppings from each of the four pizzas don’t even touch! It’s magic, I swear.
For my half of the sampler pizza, I chose the Nutty Chicken and the Pozzi. The Nutty Chicken is a pine nut and chicken pizza with pesto sauce. At some restaurants, chicken pizza toppings are a throwaway ingredient and are often flavorless, overcooked and dry.But the savory, perfectly cooked chicken on the Nutty Chicken shines against the crunch of the pine nuts and sweet basil. I wasn’t disappointed.
The menu describes the Pozzi as a creamy Alfredo, bacon and potato pizza. But don’t listen to that description. It’s a carbivore’s dream meal: a baked potato-fettuccini Alfredo-pizza hybrid. If you’ve never had potato on pizza before, you must order this pizza. It will blow your mind.
Of course, I had to try some of my husband’s slices, too. He chose the Little Hottie and the Mediterranean. The Little Hottie is a southwestern twist on a traditional combination pizza: spicy Italian sausage, red onion, jalapeño, tomato, corn and cilantro. I don’t normally go for spicy on pizza, but this one worked for me. The heat from the sausage and jalapeño paired perfectly with the bright flavors of the corn and cilantro. I recommend this one for combination lovers looking for something a little different.
The Mediterranean was a winner, too. I mean, can you go wrong when you slap gyro toppings on a pizza? Of course not. Lamb, Kalamata olives, feta and red onion tasted even better than a gyro when stacked onto Fralo’s puffy, just-crispy-enough wood-fired crust. Confession: as we devoured our slices, I kept forgetting I was supposed to be taking pictures. The pizza was just that good.
I think we found our go-to pizza place. My husband and I didn’t have to argue over pizza toppings. We left stuffed and frankly, a little starry-eyed. Fralo’s inviting outdoor patio and artful take on wood-fired pizza is a magical combination. Go at sunset, order a couple sampler pizzas and see for yourself.
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