Howie's Frequently Asked Questions

We're happy to answer any of your questions about Howie's! Don't see what you're looking for here?

Call us at (650)-327-4992

About Us

What makes Howie's "artisan"?

Everything you eat at Howie's starts with high-quality ingredients. We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch: every salad dressing, pizza sauce, crouton and dough ball are homemade. We make our own fennel sausage, roast our own bacon and chicken breasts, bake our own cookies and brew our own iced tea. Our Pizza's begin with a sourdough starter, sourced from a family bakery in San Francisco that has been kept alive for over 60 years. We take our time with every ingredient so that you can savor every bite.

How long have you been open?

We opened our doors in the Town and Country Village in 2009, we are proud to serve Palo Alto and Stanford for over 15 years. While a few things have changed around here, our dedication to our product and patrons hasn't wavered one bit.

Any awards?

We have been awarded "Best Pizza" by Palo Alto Weekly readers and "Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite." multiple times. We have also received the Spectrum Award for Excellence in Customer Service and others. We have been featured on the Food Origins Podcast and Sunset Magazine.

Reservations & Private Parties

Do you take reservations?

Howie's seats on a first come, first serve basis. Larger parties are welcome to send someone a few minutes ahead of time to be seated before the rest of their party arrives.

I have a large party coming in, what should I do?

Larger parties are welcome to call ahead to gauge our availability, but we can make no promises on wait-times until you've arrived. A service charge is applied to parties of 8 or more people.

Can I host a private party at Howie's?

Yes! We have the option for private parties to buy out the patio or indoor-dining area for a meal (lunch or dinnertime). Please contact our manager via info@howiesartisanpizza.com for all inquiries. We will work with you regarding menu, timing, and staff size for your private party. Costs vary depending on desired location and number of guests. Private parties generally start at $2500.00 per section.

Location & Hours

Where are you?

Town & Country Village, 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (across from Stanford)

What are your hours?

Every day 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM

Hours are subject to change during Holidays.

Does Howie's have parking?

Howie's utilizes the available parking in the Town and Country Village. There are a number of handicap-accessible parking spots on either side of our outdoor patio.

What kind of seating is available?

Inside the restaurant, Howie's has a dining room and bar. The dining room has standalone tables and leather banquettes towards the rear of the room. The bar, which serves beer and wine is open to diners of all ages, we serve our full menu at the bar.

Is there another location besides Palo Alto?

Our only location is in Palo Alto, CA. We previously had another location in Redwood City which is now permanently closed, but our delivery partners can service Redwood City in most cases!

Food & Menu

What kind of Pizza is made at Howie's?

Our pizzas are best described as "California Thin Crust", meaning we use a sourdough starter, and bake a thin, but sturdy undercarriage with a puffy, blistering curst. Pizzas can be made half one flavor, half another, and generally take less than 15 minutes to bake in our oven.

Is your pizza gluten-free?

No, while our bread, pizza, and pasta doughs do contain gluten, number of our appetizers and salads are gluten free or can easily be modified to be gluten free. For example, we can always remove croutons from a salad, or substitute carrots and celery instead of flatbread to accompany our hummus.

What size pizzas do you have?

Our pizza's are one size, a 14" pie, which is a medium in most cases. It has 8 slices and serves 2-3 adults.

Do you sell pizza by the slice?

Yes. The Howie's "big boy" slice special is served from opening until 5:00 PM. It is a larger slice (1 slice for 1 person) and comes with a complimentary soft drink. You can add a half-size salad for an additional charge.

Can I make a custom pizza?

Absolutely! In addition to ordering any pizza half and half, you can make a pizza custom to your liking. We offer Pomodoro (red) sauce, nut-free Basil Pesto, Garlic-cream sauce, and a smoky Chipotle sauce. From there we offer a myriad of cheeses, meats, and vegetable toppings.

What do you serve besides pizza?

Besides Pizza, we serve pasta, sandwiches, salads, various appetizers and a rotating list of desserts, all of which we make from scratch, in-house.

Do you offer Vegetarian/Vegan items?

Our Pizza dough is inherently vegan, just flour, water, and starter. Our list of plant-based toppings includes bell peppers, roasted and fresh red onion, green and Kalamata olives, mushrooms, broccoli, fresh arugula and more.

Our pasta contains egg in the dough, but we have multiple vegetarian options for sauces including A la Vodka, Pesto, and Marinara.

Many of our appetizers are vegetarian as well.

What are "Those" Cookies?

They're our beloved Chocolate Chip Cookies; "inappropriately large" Chocolate chunk cookies with walnuts.

Does Howie's serve alcohol?

Yes, we serve beer and wine. We have bottles and cans of beer as well as several on-tap beers. We serve wine by the glass, bottle and carafes and half-carafes of our house red and white wines.

Does Howie's serve cocktails?

Howie's does not serve cocktails, only the aforementioned beer and wine. That being said, we do offer lighter alcoholic beverages such as Aperol Spritz as a special during warmer months.

Ordering

Does Howie's Deliver?

We Deliver through Doordash and Uber Eats.

How can I order for pickup?

The best way to order for pickup is by using our website, this way you avoid the fees added by the delivery platforms. You can also call for pickup by dialing (650)-327-4992

How long are the wait times?

Everything is made fresh to order - call ahead during busy periods. Generally speaking everything is prepared in 15 minutes or less, but this can increase if we're busy. We provide wait times for online and phone orders.

Take-home Meals

How do frozen meals work?

We currently serve Baked Ziti, Cauliflower Gratin, and Lasagna Bolognese as frozen, take home meals. Instructions can be found on our Frozen Meals Page. They are meant to serve 2 people.

Our frozen meals are meant to be reheated from frozen in an oven. Generally, they take about 1 hour in a home oven. But specific instructions for each meal are linked in the paragraph above.

Can I buy pizza dough?

Yes! We sell dough balls, and Pizza Kits. Pizza Kits are built for 2-3 pizzas and come with sauce, cheese, seasonings, and 2 toppings of your choice.

How long does the pizza dough last?

Dough balls should be refrigerated within 2 hours of receiving them, they keep for a maximum of 5 days but are best used within 3. Remove dough from the fridge 1 to 2 hours before baking.

Can I buy Howie's sauces and dressings?

Most certainly! We sell marinara, Bolognese, Alla Vodka, and salad dressings in various sizes.

Allergies/Dietary Restrictions

I have food allergies, can I still eat Howie's?

Yes, we work hard to accommodate food allergies and can often modify dishes by removing or substituting ingredients like dairy, tree nuts, or other allergens. Please inform our staff of any allergies when ordering so we can communicate with our kitchen team.

We take precautions including changing gloves, omitting ingredients, and cleaning equipment between orders when needed. However, our kitchen regularly works with dairy, eggs, wheat/gluten, tree nuts, and other common allergens. While we have a very strong track record of safely serving guests with food allergies, we cannot guarantee 100% allergen-free preparation due to the nature of our busy kitchen environment. We will always try to accommodate allergies, but please be aware that cross-contamination does occur, dine at your own risk.

For severe or life-threatening allergies, please call ahead at (650) 327-4992 so we can discuss taking extra precautions within reason.

Thank you for understanding.