Zalat Pizza — Restaurant in Dallas

whenever I go to a new pizza place, if margherita is on the menu, I order it as a way to measure the quality of the food. if they can make something that simple delicious, I get a good insight into what comes out of their kitchen, and even if it's sub par, it's nothing a little balsamic vinegar can't fix (yes, even the cheap stuff).

looking through the window I was torn: Marge was on the menu, but so was.. what is this? elote pizza?? oh, I couldn't decide, but the lab nextdoor said it'll be a half hour and I'm starving, so I decided I wasn't leaving without lunch. maybe the people working here can make a recommendation?

after I explained my plight, the woman gave a friendly, inviting smile, advising that a fresh margherita had just come out of the oven, and I could buy a slice while I waited for my personal Mexican street corn pizza. definitely one of those moments where, looking back, I felt so lucky I should have picked up a lottery ticket on the way home.

the margherita, I am sorry to report, fell short of my expectations. I wish I could say what it was, but it just didn't work for me there on the curb. maybe at home some balsamic would fix it, but it was only a slice, and the reason I went into the shop was baking in an oven nearby, anyway.

I'm really glad those stars aligned, because had a fresh slice of margherita not been available, that's the impression I would have left from Zalat's. needs improvement, but not bad; probably won't make a point to return.

but the elote pizza?

I could write sonnets of my adoration for this pizza. long love letters, etchings of the innermost chambers of my heart. simply put, it is the best pizza currently available in the north texas area (RIP Dicky's Late Night Puzza on Eastwood in Arlington, gone 20 years but never forgotten). it's so much better than I was expecting, and having this right next to where my doctor is sending me every month means I have a new favorite treat to look forward to while I wait my turn at the lab! the young woman at the front desk was so kind, and so genuine, and just.. genuinely kind, I want to think she made it special just for me, but I know every box that slides over that counter is holding something delicious inside.

she did, however, take 60 seconds out of her day to draw something on the inner lid that made me smile when I finally got home. this doctor sending me to this lab just broke some rough news, and if I'm honest, the bit of human connection she gave me in this medical whirlwind I'm in, it was just.. one of those unexpected moments in life that turn out to be more fulfilling than you expected. it was just a pizza, but between the service and the product, it made me feel as if some small part of the world was put right for a few hours.

thank you, Zalat's, for being just as passionate about making good pizza as I am...

First off I’d like to say that my wife and I have loved Zalats for years, we used to order from the Fitzhugh location back when we lived in East Dallas. It was always a treat because let’s be real the pizza is a little pricey but you got what you paid for.

That being said tonight we ordered two pizzas and I couldn’t be more monumentally disappointed. I’m not sure if they changed ownership, leadership or what the situation is but it was sad to find out they got rid of the 18 inch pizzas. Not only that but they offer a 12 and a 14 at the prices that the 14 and the 18 used to be. I get inflation hits everyone but when you’re asking someone to pay $20+ for a 14 inch pizza that’s a bit extreme. ESPECIALLY when I pay for the 14 inch and I get an oval shaped pizza that’s 12 inches one way and 14 the other. I’m no mathematician but that’s a lot of pizza I paid for and didn’t get.

Not only have the pizzas gotten smaller but they’ve gotten markedly worse. The crust was soggy, the sauce was layered on (and different than normal) and everything was cold. Not to mention the removal of the elotes pizza, a disappointment that deserves its own review but I understand why flavors come and go. My perspective isn’t so egotistical that I think a flavor should stay just because I like it but I was sad to see it go nonetheless. (My wife almost cried about this, no joke lmao)

I’ll not be ordering from zalats again and that makes me very sad because for years I’ve called Zalats my favorite pizza in Dallas. I wish I didn’t feel the need to be harsh, I wish I didn’t have to find a new pizza spot but such is life. I hope Zalats goes back to the old way of doing things, I’ll miss what it was in...

Yeah go ahead and give me my refund Ronin or Izzy (not sure which one's his actual name). Only have had a couple of interactions with him but based off of those usually he's a chill guy but today he seemed to have a problem with me asking for a refund (which took him a while to process, no receipt so not even sure if he actually did it or not) after I showed him how bad his pizza making skills are compared to another nearby location. Ordered the same exact pizza at the same time, picked 2 locations and had to go back to this location and get a refund, the difference was truly outstanding! All with a smile on my face, very politely and patiently talked about it. I've came here about 3-5 times this past week, never had a problem until it was his shift. After so many years with the company you would think one would have built a decent skill in pizza making. I guess not. Most likely won't be going back here, after all he practically told me not to. Thanks anyways guys! Still a fan of the pizza and the staff here is actually not bad. I'm not upset much but just had to share the experience so if you care about such details for what you're eating you might want to consider other...