I’d never seen pizza stalked by paparazzi until I visited Big Lou’s Pizza at 2048 South W.W. White Road. Cameras come out when pizza is brought to your table because Big Lou’s pizza is 42 inches in diameter. That’s right. Three and a half feet across equaling 1,385 square inches of pizza. For comparison, a 14-inch pizza is only 153 square inches.

If 42 inches isn’t big enough for you, go ahead and order their 62-inch pizza…5 feet, 2 inches in diameter equaling 3,019 square inches…but you’ll have to make a reservation. Call (210) 337-0707 to be placed on a waiting list. With pizza that’s the height of many humans, it’s no surprise that Big Lou’s made the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food television show.

Big Lou’s has a loyal following. Their Facebook page has been given the thumbs up by more than 25,000 fans. The great thing about liking Big Lou’s Facebook page is that you’ll stay on top of all of their specials, like Whiskey Wednesday and Thirsty Thursday, and learn other interesting news, like the perfect score they nabbed on their recent health inspection.

You don’t have to order a 42-inch pizza. Big Lou’s pizzas do come in smaller sizes. The first time we visited, my husband and I ordered a 12-inch cheese pizza and side salads. When we returned with our daughter, we ordered a 10-inch cheese, a 10-inch white pizza and side salads. Both pizzas were delicious, especially their crusts, and we brought slices home both times. Next time we’re going to try their BBQ brisket pizza. The salads are also very tasty. Big Lou’s was just written up in the San Antonio Express-News for having one of the top ten salads in town.

Big Lou’s menu also has pizza wraps, wings, calzones, Italian subs, spaghetti and lasagna. And if you still have room after all of that, they offer a boatload of desserts, including brownies, cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, cannoli and cinnamon bread.

Besides pizza, Big Lou’s is also famous for its daily Happy Hour from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. All domestic draft beers are $2.50 for 23-ounce icy cold mugs with imports and specialties setting you back a dollar more. Big Lou’s also has quite the specialty drink selection. The woman sitting next to me ordered a white peach prickly pear margarita that was almost too pretty to drink. The pièce de résistance, however, is their fishbowl-sized margarita infused with a bottle of Big Red. Only in San Antonio!

Valerie, the bartender who served us, explained that Big Lou’s is a family-owned business started in May of 2000 by Arthur and Judith Lujan. Eleven family members work at Big Lou’s, including Valerie. Big Lou’s is a happy place, and you can tell that people enjoy working there. Judging from the long lines, people certainly enjoy eating there, too.

Big Lou’s is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, they are open from 11 a.m. until midnight. On Sundays, Big Lou’s is open from noon until 10 p.m. They are closed on Mondays. When you go, be sure to bring your camera.

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!