About Us
On Paseo Del Pueblo Norte since 1990
Out Back since 1990
You turn off Paseo Del Pueblo Norte onto a gravel drive, roll past the old adobe out front, and there it is — the restaurant out back. That's the whole story behind the name, and it's been that way since we opened in 1990.
The buildings on this half-acre have worn a lot of hats over the years before they ever smelled like pizza dough. Locals found the place anyway. Taos has been called more a state of mind than a location; the same has always been said about Out Back.
The Pizza
Hand-tossed, sesame-seed crust — the reason people keep coming back
Our signature crust is topped with sesame seeds and baked to order, layered with local green chile, fresh vegetables and real cheese. Alongside the pies there are calzones, pastas, soups, salads and desserts, craft beer on tap and a solid wine list.
Taos has voted us Best Pizza in Taos since 1993. The New York Times came through and wrote us up, and we've been called the best pizza in the state. We're still making it the same way.
New hands, same place
In 2018 John Arnold and Kim Rhodes bought Out Back from the previous owners. They modernized what needed it — real point-of-sale, online ordering, takeout and delivery — and deliberately left alone everything people actually come here for.
Same recipes, same kitchen crew, same crayons and paper on the tables. Much of the staff has been here for years, which is rare in a mountain town that runs on seasons.
Pizza Out Back & Black Jack Smoke Shack
Two kitchens, one patio, one gravel driveway
There are two restaurant buildings on the property. The pizzeria out back handles the pies, pastas and calzones. Black Jack Smoke Shack runs the smoker — barbecue, sides and the kind of plates that go well with a cold beer.
Between them sits the patio and the Out Back Bar: shade in the summer, a fire pit and string lights once the sun drops behind the mountains. Order from either kitchen and sit wherever you like.
