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Attitude topping: McKinney dark horse reaches top two for 'Best Pizza in DFW'
Photo courtesy of Cadillac Pizza Pub - After undergoing major renovations and revamping its menu about a year ago, Cadillac Pizza Pub received regional notoriety when it was shot up as the top two places for pizza in DFW. The small local restaurant is competing against Dough Pizzeria Napoletana in Dallas for the reigning title.
By Kelley Chambers, kchambers@starlocalnews.com, @KelleyChambers7 on Twitter
Cadillac Pizza Pub owners Preston Lancaster and Tony Smith go through round after round when it comes to topping their menu with the unthinkable.
From brisket to tzatziki sauce, it seems as if there's nothing they won't try. They go so far as to let their customers take stabs at it through online contests and to encourage face-to-face feedback.
"After drinking enough beer and playing around with pizza, we come up with some cool combos," Lancaster said. "Since we've reopened, we've updated our menu and are on version four. It's not a whole-thing change, we just have the attitude that we always like to keep getting better."
Located off Kentucky Street one block off the downtown square, "The Caddy" earned "Elite 8" status and a spot in the "Final 4" of the area-wide competition earlier this week. The Final 4 round wrapped up Thursday night, leaving the Caddy and Dough Pizzeria Napoletana in Dallas in the final round, which runs through Wednesday night.
The online competition generated more than 30,000 votes in the first two rounds.
In the Final 4, Cadillac vied against Campisi's, a chain with eight locations across the Metroplex, award-winning Dough Pizzeria Napoletana, and Grimaldi's Pizzeria, a national chain boasting New York City-style pizza with restaurants in Allen, Dallas and Grapevine.
"We feel like we've been underdogs every step of the way in this competition, but our loyal customers [keep] pushing us over the top," Smith said in a release.
One aspect of the Caddy that helped it stand out is the sourcing of local ingredients for its menu. Its signature Texas sausage, smoked bacon and brisket, for example, are made exclusively for them by nearby Hamm's Custom Meats off Louisiana Street, also downtown.
"We started with these awesome ingredients that are really unique to pizza places," Lancaster said. "Usually the toppings are frozen and processed. We literally walk around the corner, pick it up from Hamm's and come back."
Lancaster and Smith bought the Caddy in 2007 and closed it down for renovations for six weeks in early 2012. Included in the changes was the addition of 12 beer taps featuring three dedicated to in-town Franconia Brewery and signature drinks like a Bloody Mary made with spicy, pepper-infused vodka.
As the fourth owners of the restaurant, Lancaster and Smith knew they had do something different to rise up and stay put. They may not carry the clout of competitors like Campisi's, but with an interactive and up-to-date website and Facebook page, Lancaster said the grassroots movement is leading them to big things.
"We wanted to make it a place more attractive to families, a place with great food and known as a music destination," Lancaster said. "We have a really loyal following from the customers we have currently, but we're getting new customers in daily. We reopened with a new attitude. It's been awesome ever since."
McKinney resident Alichia Whitehead and her family have been to Cadillac several times for dinner and a show, having seen musician regular and McKinney native Zane Williams plays there a few times.
Whitehead, one of the restaurant's Facebook fans, said the online contest recognition was pretty amazing considering the restaurant only reopened a little more than a year ago.
"We just really like it and being able to go somewhere close to home," she said. "It's not like a total party place; we can take family and enjoy some good pizza and good music. It is neat to see the same staff there, too. It's small and busy."
For more on Cadillac Pizza Pub, visit its Facebook page or www.cadillacpizzapub.com.
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