Leslie Brenner Finds Some Hits Among the Misses at Pie Tap Pizza Workshop

This week, Leslie Brenner filed on Pie Tap Pizza Workshop + Bar, the two-month-old Oak Lawn Ave. restaurant that kept us waiting. And while the Design District finally has its own neighborhood pizza joint, the Dallas Morning News critic still thinks Pie Tap has some work to do. In her review, Brenner comes across a lot of flops, but some of the pizzas help save the day. Here’s the critic on some of her favorite pies:

Happy to say, in their more basic iterations, Pie Tap's pizzas are pretty successful. Their supple, slightly crisp, nicely charred and blistered, puffy-edged crusts have some depth of flavor, and the toppings are fashioned from top-notch ingredients. I'd cheerfully commune with the one adorned with smoked mozzarella, caramelized onions, slices of fennel sausage and a judicious smattering of dried oregano any old time.

Still, not all the pies can convince Brenner. "Other pies I sampled from the list of eight took some unfortunate turns with their toppings," says Brenner. "Rubbery, overcooked clams wallowed in lemon beurre blanc spooned with unfortunate abandon over one."

Non-pizza items like the workshop salad, bucatini with chicken meatballs, and not-so-local charcuterie fail to impress Brenner, too. She even calls out the Pie Tap for sourcing its meats from Iowa and Utah. She concludes: "Pie Tap's menu is likable enough (give me a good Caesar and a sausage pizza and I'm happy), but original it ain't." The verdict: two stars out of five.

• Crusty classics are the order of the day at Pie Tap Pizza Workshop [GuideLive]