Pizza News

Hall of famer Pudge Rodriguez will sling pizza at Texas Live Arlington

Pudge + pizza = restaurant magic.

Photo courtesy of One Mission

There's another celebrity restaurant opening at Texas Live, the Arlington Entertainment District, and it's centered on the hottest of cuisines: pizzzzza.

Called Pudge's Pizza, it's the brainchild of Hall of Fame catcher Iván "Pudge” Rodríguez, who unveiled details of his first restaurant at an exclusive media event at Globe Life Park, to which we, of course, were invited but were unable to attend. The point is, we got invited.

Located on the second level of Texas Live overlooking Live! Arena, Pudge's Pizza will boast a family-friendly environment, with signature pies that are created by Rodriguez with the freshest ingredients in mind. Specialty dishes will include The Vega Baja, The 20-20, and The Texas Slinger.

Pudge says in a release that he can't wait to debut his new restaurant. "I look forward to seeing all my fans and sharing a good slice of pizza with my Rangers community at Pudge's Pizza, come August."

Pudge's Pizza represents the third celebrity concept at Texas Live, joining Troy's Sports & Social, the sports bar-like spot from former Dallas Cowboys Troy Aikman; and a signature venue from irresistible Food Network star Guy Fieri, whose name and concept is still TBA. C'mon Guy, don't keep us hanging.

Pudge's will start slinging when the project opens in the Arlington Entertainment District on August 9, joining a dynamic lineup of dining and entertainment space including Arlington Backyard, Live! Arena, PBR Texas, and Lockhart Smokehouse.

Texas Rangers CEO Neil Leibman says it's exciting to have one of the most decorated players in Rangers history be a part of Texas Live.

"Iván Rodríguez is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word, and Pudge's Pizza is a great addition to the lineup of so many iconic venues that have been developed for Texas Live," Leibman says. "It's hard to believe that the opening is just a few weeks away, and everyone with the Rangers organization is looking forward to August 9 with great anticipation."

Texas Live, in partnership with the Texas Rangers, The Cordish Companies, and the city of Arlington, is the $250 million world-class dining, entertainment, and hospitality district.

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Pizza News

Dallas' love affair with pizza peaks with 2 pizza festivals on deck

Eataly

Many pizzas on the menu at Eataly Pizza Fest

Dallas loves pizza so much right now, there are two festivals to celebrate it. That includes Eataly Dallas Pizza Fest, a food-fest hosted by Eataly at NorthPark Center with more than two dozen pizza purveyors serving up hot slices.

The festival takes place on Sunday, April 19, spotlighting more than 10 pizza styles – from Neapolitan to New York to Detroit-style.

This is the second year for the festival, which launched in 2025. Taking place in the parking lot in front of Eataly's entrance, it feastures tasting stations where pizzerias hand out samples. There'll also be beverage stations serving Italian wine and local beer, plus hands-on pizza making, chef demos, and guest appearances.

(Note: This is also not Dallas' only pizza festival: There's another one called Dallas Pizza Fest taking place on April 26 at Epic Central in Grand Prairie. It's a family-friendly event with games, pizza trucks, and a pizza eating contest. Entry to that festival is free, and you pay for your pizza per slice.)

While pizza has been trending up across Dallas-Fort Worth for a few years, things have really crested as of late, with a growing number of places offering pizza by the slice, as well as a sudden influx of artisanal pizzerias debuting in Fort Worth.

Participants at Eataly's Dallas Pizza Fest will include:

Andrew’s American Pizza
Cenzo’s Pizza & Deli
Delucca Gaucho Pizza and Wine
Doughbird
Fireova Pizza
Fortunate Son
Greenville Avenue Pizza Co.
Il Forno
Jet’s Pizza
Mimi’s Pizzeria
NEONY Pizza Works
Olivella's Pizza & Wine
Partenope Ristorante
Pazzeria by Pietro's
Pizzana
Pizzeria Carina
Poco Fiasco
Salisbury’s Pizza
San Martin Bakery
SauceBros
Starship Bagel
Urban Crust
Zoli’s

In addition, Eataly Dallas will showcase two types of pizza from its offering – Roman-style pizza alla pala and Neapolitan pizza — in collaboration with Rossopomodoro.

Eataly previewed the event on March 19 with a sit-down dinner attended by two dozen influencers and their plus-ones.

It started with a trio of salads, followed by four pizza courses from highlighted entrants:

Diavola Dolce, a spicy salami pizza from Rossopomodoro
Mexican elote, featuring corn, Mexican crema sauce, and cilantro, from DeLucca (who were one of the two winners of Best Pizza in. 2025)
Star Luca, a star-shaped thin-crust pizza with Calabrian spicy salami from MisterO1
Leche Quemada, a decadent dessert offering from Starship Bagel, featuring bagel dough topped with whipped cream cheese, condensed milk, Leche Quemada candies, cinnamon, and vanilla

The festival will be open with two time slots: early/lunch from 11:30 am-2:30 pm, or afternoon from 4-7 pm.

General admission tickets are $75. VIP passes are $125, with access to a dedicated lounge, cocktail bars, and exclusive bites. Admission is free for children under the age of 10, with RSVP.

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