Do512 recently had the privilege of reliving the experience of a dearly missed staple of the Guadalupe Drag, the unbeatable pizza at Mellow Mushroom. For years, UT students and knowledgrable locals got their pizza fix here until it was tragically overtaken by the (far less delicious) Urban Outfitters expansion. It was a sad sight, but luckily just a brief hiatus. Mellow Mushroom is back and just as amazing as ever! Take the short drive up I-35 and your saucy, cheesy, trippy dreams will come true once again. Trust us, it’s worth the trip.
After being greeted by the smiling faces of the welcoming hostesses, we we’re shown to the raddest booth you will ever see in your life nestled under a giant mushroom emitting different colors and setting the scene for our evening. While enjoying a nice house margarita, the wait staff brought out a selection of appetizers prepared for us. First up was a simple pleasure, a nicely prepared Bruschetta. Crisp toast points topped with diced tomatoes, fresh basil, feta cheese, and lightly accented with a lattice of balsamic glaze. It’s a great light start to any meal.
However, for those less inclined to light options, you’ll want to try this next one. Everyone’s favorite, Garlic Bread baked with Cheese and served with Marinara. How can you go wrong? It’s the holy trinity of foods. Garlic bread, cheese, and marinara, if anyone you know has a problem with that, you need to sit them down for a SERIOUS talk. Next up, not to be looked over, the stuffed Portobello. How do you go to mellow mushroom without muching on some shrooms? A Portobello mushroom cap stuffed full of flavor. Artichoke hearts, spinach, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella, it’s a thing of beauty. Exploding with rich flavors, it was a decadent addition to our trio of starters.
Before jumping into the pizzas, we had to at least pretend to be health-conscious, so we ordered a couple salads, the Enlightened Spinach and the Greek Salad, specifically. Let us tell you, the salads are not an afterthought at this pizza joint. The Enlightened Spinach Salad was delightfully presented with fresh spinach, apples, dried cherries, homemade candied pecans, and feta. As for the Greek Salad, well that’s a bolder endeavor. This thing was packed full of delicious fresh ingredients! Two types of lettuce, carrots, red cabbage, green peppers, Roma tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, and more, this salad was stacked! It was an unanticipated highlight of our meal. We ate every bite. Both were very solid salads, even your health nut friends will be happy here.
Now here’s what you really came here for. The pizzas, the headliner you can put on any bill. They’re everything you remembered them being and more! One bite and we were instantly reminded what made Mellow Mushroom such an important landmark in West Campus. All the memories of love and cheese come pouring in like hot marinara. It was a beautiful reunion. The staff brought us two of their best pizzas. First up was the Thai Dye. This one is a common go-to for MM lovers. It features all natural grilled curry chicken on an olive oil and garlic base. What makes this one so unique is the addition of crisp cucumbers and a sinfully sweet swirl of Thai chili sauce. It’s an amazing combination of flavors that you just can’t get anywhere else.
And of course, we couldn’t go without having the House Special. This one is a monster of a pizza. That classic red sauce and mozzarella and tons of meat, pepperoni, sausage, ham, ground beef, and a thick cut Applewood smoked bacon.
All that topped with mushrooms, black olives, Roma tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and we’re not even done yet! We’ve come this far; why not go a little further with ANOTHER layer of mozzarella? That’s exactly what they did, and it was astounding. The House Special has set the bar for future carnivore pizzas to be compared to. Overall, the pizzas are as amazing as ever and, it goes without saying, far and away better than your standard pizza joint.
MELLOW MUSHROOM
2600 Interstate 35 Frontage Rd
Round Rock, TX 78681
512-291-7253
Sun 11am-9pm
Mon-Sat 11am-10pm
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Our mission is to provide delicious food in a fun and creative environment. We are the originators of Classic Southern Pizza, and our unique and flavorful crust is a true original!
