Fellow Chicago transplants..Gino's east is coming to town (Houston: 2015, home)

[Antny12]

So Gino's east will be opening shop here in Austin by early 2015 after San Antonio and Houston get theirs first. Personally can't say Gino's was my favorite by any means but hell it's a start. Bring me some paps, Portillos, white castles, char dogs, Italian beefs, cheese fries and what not on!!

Yay for Austin gaining some more food diversity...don't know shy they decided on San Antonio over Dallas but meh whatever.
World-famous Chicago pizzeria Gino's East headed to S.A.

[Reggieray]

Nice, can't wait to have some again. I know some will gripe it won't be the same but I'm pretty sure it wiki be the most authentic Chicago pizza in Austin.

[RoadWarrior12]

Oh yay. Another chain restaurant. Maybe it'll get to 174 pages like the In-N-Out thread.

[petro]

ATX Brands, which operates Texas "breastaurant" chain Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, is partnering with Gino's East to bring its iconic pizza to the Lone Star State.

Oh, a "breastaurant" partnership … sounds classy.

Seriously though, what's the deal with people who move here (from Chicago in this case) and want to fill up Austin with the crappy chain stores of their home state?

OP—have you even tried any of the amazing pizza options Austin has to offer? Eastside Pies, Home Slice, Bufalina, Hoboken—the list goes on. Do yourself a favor and enjoy what Austin has to offer and go back to Chicago when you want authentic deep dish or Chicago dogs.

[AMJ27]

Originally Posted by petro

Oh, a "breastaurant" partnership … sounds classy.

Seriously though, what's the deal with people who move here (from Chicago in this case) and want to fill up Austin with the crappy chain stores of their home state?

OP—have you even tried any of the amazing pizza options Austin has to offer? Eastside Pies, Home Slice, Bufalina, Hoboken—the list goes on. Do yourself a favor and enjoy what Austin has to offer and go back to Chicago when you want authentic deep dish or Chicago dogs.

Sorry, but Austin's so called "amazing" pizza options are okay, but they really do not compare to the pizza in Chicago, or New York, I imagine. The rest of the pizza in Austin is pathetic. Sorry, but it is true.

I generally have a rule that I don't expect much from pizza or Italian in Austin and I avoid tex-mex when I am up north. I'm happy that Gino's is coming to Austin the same way my parents would be thrilled if Chuy's was coming to Chicago.

Speaking of which, is something like Chuy's a "crappy chain store" to you? They seem somewhat like a local restaurant to me, but they are expanding like crazy all over the country. Gino's and Uno's in Chicago have a similar feel. I just looked at the website for Gino's and they have 10 location in Chicago and the suburbs. In comparison, Maudie's has 7 locations around Austin, Trudy's has 5 (counting South Congress Café), and Kerbey Lane has 6. Gino's is a restaurant that is expanding outside of it's original metropolitan area, but I don't think it is far to compare it to a Chili's or an Applebees. Currently, it is only slightly larger (and it comes from a much larger metro area) than many of the restaurants that people from Austin consider local.

[RoadWarrior12]

Originally Posted by AMJ27

Speaking of which, is something like Chuy's a "crappy chain store" to you? They seem somewhat like a local restaurant to me, but they are expanding like crazy all over the country. Gino's and Uno's in Chicago have a similar feel. I just looked at the website for Gino's and they have 10 location in Chicago and the suburbs. In comparison, Maudie's has 7 locations around Austin, Trudy's has 5 (counting South Congress Café), and Kerbey Lane has 6. Gino's is a restaurant that is expanding outside of it's original metropolitan area, but I don't think it is far to compare it to a Chili's or an Applebees. Currently, it is only slightly larger (and it comes from a much larger metro area) than many of the restaurants that people from Austin consider local.

There's always a drop-off in quality with expansion. Yes, Chuy's is a crappy chain - the quality of the one in that just opened in Addison is far from the one on Lamar - and that's not saying much.

Maudies is great if you're grabbing breakfast at the airport, again - not saying much.

Trudy's food is generally lousy, but the mexican martinis are on point.

[petro]

Originally Posted by AMJ27

Sorry, but Austin's so called "amazing" pizza options are okay, but they really do not compare to the pizza in Chicago, or New York, I imagine. The rest of the pizza in Austin is pathetic. Sorry, but it is true.

I generally have a rule that I don't expect much from pizza or Italian in Austin and I avoid tex-mex when I am up north. I'm happy that Gino's is coming to Austin the same way my parents would be thrilled if Chuy's was coming to Chicago.

Speaking of which, is something like Chuy's a "crappy chain store" to you? They seem somewhat like a local restaurant to me, but they are expanding like crazy all over the country. Gino's and Uno's in Chicago have a similar feel. I just looked at the website for Gino's and they have 10 location in Chicago and the suburbs. In comparison, Maudie's has 7 locations around Austin, Trudy's has 5 (counting South Congress Café), and Kerbey Lane has 6. Gino's is a restaurant that is expanding outside of it's original metropolitan area, but I don't think it is far to compare it to a Chili's or an Applebees. Currently, it is only slightly larger (and it comes from a much larger metro area) than many of the restaurants that people from Austin consider local.

Yes, Austin does have amazing pizza. Better pizza than this crappy Chicago chain will ever serve up (nice Yelp reviews BTW—even the locals hate it). You should stop living in your Chicago past and start enjoying what Austin has to offer—you chose to move here after all. Gino's East will shutter just like Mangia Pizza did.

Your last paragraph shows just how little you know about the Austin food scene. 'Nuf said.

[jscro]

To be fair those pizza's that Austin has to offer are all New York Style, and one Neapolitan style. Those are just as much transplants into our culture as Chicago pizza would be. Gino's East ain't my favorite, but this is how our food culture grows. The more, the merrier.

Mangia's might be Chicago style, but it was always really terrible. The closest is VIA 313 (which is awesome), but it's technically Detroit style.

[petro]

Originally Posted by jscro

To be fair those pizza's that Austin has to offer are all New York Style, and one Neapolitan style. Those are just as much transplants into our culture as Chicago pizza would be. Gino's East ain't my favorite, but this is how our food culture grows. The more, the merrier.

Mangia's might be Chicago style, but it was always really terrible. The closest is VIA 313 (which is awesome), but it's technically Detroit style.

Ha! You're saying that Eastside Pies is New York style? That's hilarious.

The point is, stop moving here and then trying to bring all your crappy chain stores to Austin.

[jscro]

Regardless, pizza isn't central Texas regional cuisine.