Some of the best Italian food in Texas is hiding where you’d least expect to find it: the densely forested landscape of the Piney Woods. Switch Brick Oven Pizza & Wine Bar in Palestine is an East Texas icon, but the rest of the state doesn’t even know it exists. From the authentic Neapolitan-style pizza to the wine room that looks like it belongs at a vineyard in the Italian countryside, this hidden gem is so worth seeking out.

When you pull up to Switch Brick Oven Pizza & Wine Bar in Palestine, you'll think you've traveled to Tuscany. Between the ivy-wrapped columns, trees that dangle overhead to form lush canopies, and romantic ambiance, the restaurant is a little slice of Italy nestled deep in the Piney Woods.