Texas' Retro Pizza Restaurant In Boerne Is An '80s-Themed Blast Of Nostalgia Customers Can't Help But Love

Whether you grew up in the '80s or you're a fan of John Hughes movies like "Say Anything," there's a retro pizza restaurant that's metaphorically holding a boombox over its head, waiting for you. Located in Boerne, Texas, a quaint city just outside of San Antonio, Darkside Brick Oven Pizza Co. serves its brick oven pizzas with a side of '80s nostalgia. Expect posters and specially-made prop replicas inspired by movies like "Star Wars," "E.T.," and "Gremlins." A wall featuring a giant "Jaws" shark head popping out of it is a highlight. In fact, Darkside is as much of an '80s pop culture museum as it is a pizza restaurant.

Darkside is owned by two pop culture enthusiasts: Michael Hawes, a Star Wars collector, and his wife, Denise Hawes, a Barbie collector. "Seeing the expressions on all the people who came in here who are remembering when. That's why I built this place, for all these people to come in and see all these old toys they might've played with as a kid," Michael told local news site KENS 5 when the restaurant opened in 2024. Darkside has become so popular that the Haweses added a new building, a bar called Darkside After Dark, in 2025, that is based on the movie "Predator."

Darkside's pizzas are cooked in a traditional stone oven but have a regional twist: the oven uses Texas oak fire. The pizzas are thin-crust, New York-style pies using Darkside's in-house homemade dough recipe. The menu offers six signature pies along with "create your own" options, as well as various salads, sandwiches, and calzones. Starters such as garlic knots and meatballs, and desserts like lemon cake and creme brulée, are available as well.

The restaurant has a 4.4 average rating on Google reviews, with reviewers frequently praising the signature brisket BBQ pizza (which is so popular it sometimes sells out) and the skillet cookie. However, the unique decor is the main draw. "The atmosphere, along with the memorabilia, of course, is the coolest part of this restaurant," writes one Google reviewer. "Any fan of the '80s and '90s movies, toys, etc, would definitely have their nostalgia fix." If you're following your tastebuds around nearby San Antonio, don't miss traipsing through the walkable neighborhood of Tobin Hill next, which has plenty of delicious eats.