Christopher and Rachel Stephens are determined to treat every person that walks into their neighborhood trattoria on Lincoln Street as a guest in their own home. Maybe because that’s where their pizza-making journey began, five years ago as a hobby.
The Fredericksburg couple began cooking pizza out of their kitchen in January, 2020. Pizzas sold to family and friends and came accessorized with feedback forms, stamped and marked with a return address. “What do you like as toppings?” Rachel asked on these forms, or “How much would you pay for pizza?” Meticulous forethought such as this is definitive of the Stephenses.
Photo by Melinda Ortley and Barton Springs Mill
They spent hours poring over cookbooks, according to Christopher, chasing the perfect dough recipe. At Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, they conducted further research. Then at Lovely’s Fifty Fifty in Portland and then at Roberta’s in New York. Word spread, and the demand for their pizza grew.
“The punchline of the story is always that, you know, we are selling pizzas out of our house one to two nights a week through Instagram or word of mouth, and COVID-19 hits, and we have an underground pizza delivery service already,” joked Christopher.
Selling pizzas out of their kitchen gave the couple a task to focus on during the pandemic. Soon they were cooking up to six nights a week. A lot of their time was spent tracking down ingredients in half-empty grocery stores: searching for pepperoni in Kerrville, driving to San Antonio for Calabrian chili. They also spent time sanitizing the home kitchen and developing a tangy ranch dressing recipe.
They began to use 100% fresh-milled flour from Barton Springs Mill, perfecting the recipe with help from mill owner, James Brown. Rachel Stephens has not forgotten the financial uncertainty she and her husband felt during this period. However, she also recalls the simplicity of a life consumed by pizza. “I do look back on it as a very fun, good time,” she said.
In September 2020, Prometheus Pizza became a food trailer located next to a peach stand on the edge of town. According to Christopher, expanding their pizza side-hustle into a food truck had never even crossed his mind. Yet after Rachel’s father, Jeep Collins, suggested the two purchase a trailer equipped with an oven, the idea took root. They remained glued to that trailer for the next few years, working hard to convince tourists and locals alike to detour away from downtown Fredericksburg for their fine-tuned pies.
Two and a half years later, the couple was ready to open an actual restaurant, with red-checkered cafe curtains, wooden bistro chairs, and a “Rio Bravo” poster beside the bar. The Texan homage to the iconic Florentine trattoria opened its doors in June 2024. It’s no wonder the best-selling pizza is named “Spaghetti Western.”
The simple yet engaging interior is largely due to Rachel’s expert design curation. “Whether it’s a restaurant or a store or anything, I like creating environments and spaces and experiences,” she said.
Chefs Vince Florez and Steven Kelley channel their rigorous work ethic and a natural interest in people into their culinary expertise. Guests are frequently delighted with off-menu specials, such as a bone-in lamb shank on a bed of bloody-butcher polenta, or a warm bowl of classic Italian wedding soup on a rare Texas snow day. Meanwhile, Sommelier Ami Sanchez complements the selection of both fresh and hearty bites with natural wines that cause the geekiest of oenophiles to gasp with joy.
Christopher Stephens’ perspective on hospitality has been influenced by the teachings of esteemed restaurateur Danny Meyers, along with his professional experience at high end restaurants. He insists, “I can do all the steps at a table perfectly for fine dining, but if you’re rude to your guests or condescending, that’s not nice.” At Prometheus, upscale service marries the easy-going friendliness of a beloved local haunt.
“It’s not even a thought when you go out to eat that you want to come here because you’re remembered, you’re treated well,” Christopher said. “The staff remembers what you had last time, and you’re excited about different things that might be coming, but you can’t stray from what you’ve had.”
After years of watching mom-and-pop shops fade into a slew of corporate chains, this family-owned trattoria strives to deliver value with a breath of fresh, pizza-scented air.
PROMETHEUS PIZZA
108 S Lincoln Street #300 Fredericksburg, Texas
Everyday 11am – 9pm
prometheus-pizza.com