New York-style pizza has landed in Melissa, and it did not bother with a quiet entrance. Yonx Pizza Bar & Co. has opened a full-service spot that is already drawing crowds for its giant slices, oversized pies and a lively bar, giving locals a sit-down pizzeria to replace the one that left a gap when the previous tenant moved out.
Yonx moves into former Palio's space
The new Yonx outpost sits at 1521 McKinney St. #700, in the space that housed Palio's Pizza for nearly a decade, according to CultureMap Dallas. The Melissa location, which CultureMap reports began serving customers in January, mirrors the menu from the original Wylie shop and offers pizza by the slice along with lunch combos. Owner Robert Hede, who shifted his focus from burgers to pizza in recent years, has been hands-on at the Melissa restaurant and told CultureMap he is betting on growth in the northern suburbs.
From Wylie to Melissa
Yonx traces its roots to 1125 FM 544 #800 in Wylie, where the concept first caught on. The brand’s site lists separate order pages for both Wylie and Melissa, showing the same core menu at each location, according to Yonx's website. The chain leans into large-format pies and value-focused lunch pairings that travel easily to nearby suburbs. That consistency helped turn a Wylie following into customers willing to drive to Melissa for slices and whole pies.
Menu and 'Kong' pies
At Yonx, the focus is New York-style thin crust, with standard 14-inch pies and a showpiece 24-inch "Kong" that barely fits on a table, plus pizza by the slice and a $9.99 lunch combo, per CultureMap Dallas. Prices reported by CultureMap range from about $16 for a 14-inch cheese to roughly $46 for the NY Giant Supreme Soho. The menu also features house-made focaccia sandwiches, soups served in bread bowls and the signature "Brooklyn Ballers" meatballs. A full bar with frozen margaritas and mojitos, along with a "Frozen Fridays" drink promotion, rounds things out for post-work visitors and families.
Early reviews and local reaction
Early feedback has been upbeat. A post on OneBite called Melissa's pies "solid" after an opening-week visit, and Yonx’s own review page and local listings show multiple positive early comments. Local neighborhood pages picked up February posts praising the pizza, service and generous portions, suggesting that the Wylie playbook translated into quick local interest, per Local Yahoo. Business directories list the former Palio's unit at this address as permanently closed in 2025, highlighting Yonx's arrival as a noticeable new tenant in Melissa's dining scene, according to MapQuest.
For Melissa diners, Yonx now offers a hometown option with a New York tilt: quick slices at lunch, big pies for family nights and a bar that aims to be a neighborhood gathering spot. Whether Yonx expands further into the northern suburbs is still an open question, but the early response suggests the formula is working. For now, Melissa has another late-night pizza option that looks built to stick around.
