Then, in 2019, everything fell into place, and they took the leap to open Sabino’s Pizza Pub in Leander.
“It all just kind of came together,” Sabino said. “The timing was right and location was right and professionally, it seemed like the opportunity was just about perfect.”
The restaurant is known for its Chicago-style pizza—deep-dish pizza in which the dough is worked up the sides of the pan and filled with cheese, sauce and toppings. But it also serves pan pizzas, salads, sandwiches, desserts and more, featuring the recipes Sabino said he learned from his grandfather and were passed down through generations of Sabinos.
“We’re pretty much a pizza, beer and wings place,” Sabino said.
The eatery offers several specialty pizzas, including five-cheese, Smokey Mesquite BBQ Chicken, bacon cheeseburger, Chicken Bacon Ranch and Fiery Hawaiian, among others. Build-your-own options also allow for a cauliflower crust.
The menu also features Sabino’s rolls—either the Sabino Beef Roll or the Gyro Roll—which are made with homemade dough and come stuffed with cheese, meat and other ingredients.
Beyond pizza, Sabino’s also has 14 beers on tap, including several local options such as Whitestone Brewery and Red Horn Brewing Co. Other food menu items include over 10 different flavors of chicken wings, Sabino said, as well as Chicago-style hot dogs that they added to the menu in May. The dish is a beef hot dog topped with tomatoes, a pickle spear, sport pepper and onions on a poppy seed bun—no ketchup, Sabino added.
With Sabino’s, Sabino said he wanted to bring a piece of home to Central Texas. But the eatery is about more than a pizza-style preference. Sabino said he wanted to build a place that he remembers going to as a kid, one where he would go to on a Friday night, excited to open up a box of freshly made pizza and where guests would simply just want to hang out.
The design of the restaurant, with long picnic-style community tables and classic arcade games, also pays homage to his childhood experiences.
“I’ve always wanted to do something fun, and there’s nothing more fun than making pizza and serving up cold beers every day,” he said.
Sabino’s Pizza Pub
2082 US 183, Ste. 110, Leander
512-548-6963
www.sabinospizzapub.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
