First Look: Texapolitan Pizza in Van Alstyne

Fans of Neapolitan-style pizza can choose from several great places to find it around North Texas. However, a spot in Van Alstyne, which we first tried at the State Fair of Texas last year, lured us north for a road trip.

Stefan Nedwetzky was always a barbecue guy. He spent years traveling with his pit between Texas and Florida peddling his barbecue.

But, Nedwetzky discovered a second love, which is Neapolitan-style pizza. This passion was stoked when he (briefly) moved to New York. Some Italian friends had brick ovens at home and shared with him the painstaking details of making the dough and getting the temperatures in the ovens exactly right for that quick char that leaves the middle soft.
He married these two passions and created barbecue-topped pizza.

In 2022, after years of running a mobile operation, Nedwetzky and his wife Yolanda found an opportunity to open a permanent location in Van Alstyne, a small town about 50 miles north of Dallas. The space doubles as both a pop-up barbecue spot, now called Nedwetzky Barbecue (Saturdays only), and a pizza spot other days, Texapolitan Pizza.
The restaurant is in a beautiful brick building with original hardwood floors and high ceilings in downtown Van Alstyne. On our visit, we were greeted by a charming gentleman with a twisty mustache. He described how the pizza is made, including the 72-hour fermentation process for the dough, and offered to take our order at the counter.

We were impressed by the creativity and high-end ingredients. We ordered three pies and had a seat, eager to taste what was soon to come out of the 900+ degree pizza oven. The pies are 12 inches and are personal size, but could stretch a little farther than that if you have a normal appetite.

Our first order was ground Duroc pork. The dough was thin and chewy with a little crunch to it. The sauce had a great flavor and the pizza held together well even with a lot of toppings. The crust was amazing on its own. Be sure to order a side of the house-made Texy or Hulk Sauce for dipping. The second pizza was generously covered in cup-style pepperoni with thick pieces of shaved parmesan cheese. Another winner.
The third pie was a real stunner. Called the Crab Queso, it is as described. Handmade dough covered with house-made fire-roasted queso, fresh mozzarella, a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning and jumbo lump crab. It was rich and indulgent. The seasoning pulled everything together perfectly. Nedwetzky said this pizza was an epiphany after a few drinks on the beach in Florida at a crab boil. We would make the drive again just for this.

Is it worth the journey you ask? We say yes. Bonus tip: try the Austrian baby back ribs and jalapeno cheese sausage on Saturdays.

Texapolitan Pizza, 224 E. Jefferson St., Van Alstyne. Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.