A walk-up window slinging New York-style pizza slices is coming to the stretch near Southern Methodist University, as Italian-American restaurant Barsella prepares to open this winter at 5600 SMU Blvd., Suite 120. The spot near Greenville Avenue will function as a full-service restaurant, pizzeria and late-night cocktail bar, with offerings that shift depending on the time of day.
The concept marks the first hospitality venture from Dallas native Oliver Steinberg, according to FSR Magazine. During the day, a walk-up window will sell individual New York-style pizza slices from a rotating lineup of staple pies and specials, while the dinner menu leans into Italian-American comfort food like rigatoni alla vodka, ravioli and lasagna. As CultureMap Dallas reports, Steinberg said the goal is familiar dishes people already know and love, just executed at a high level.
Pizza Bar, Patio and a Late-Night Scene
Inside the roughly 3,100-square-foot space, diners will find a seven-seat pizza bar alongside an 80-seat main dining room and an intimate private dining room built for about 16 guests. A patio connects to the indoor bar through sliding windows, and the bar menu includes a curated wine list, craft cocktails and spritzes. Live music is set to fill the room most Thursday through Saturday nights, with light bites served until 2 a.m.
The owners told CultureMap Dallas that the menu drew inspiration from New York City restaurants and speakeasies they visited while developing the concept. Oliver Steinberg said Barsella was designed to become a neighborhood institution, flexible enough to work for a full dinner, a regular weeknight visit, or a late-night stop. Additional menu details and a firm opening date will be announced closer to launch, per CultureMap Dallas.
A Design Built on Red Booths and Mosaic Floors
Interior design is being led by Liz Johnson of Wallace Johnson Studio, who is drawing on classic Italian-American concepts, New York café culture and Europe's aperitivo tradition to shape the space, the same report from FSR Magazine notes. Expect hexagonal mosaic floors, olive-green millwork, green tile and red accents, including dark cherry pleated booths, setting the tone throughout the dining room.
Part of a Busier Dallas Pizza Landscape
Barsella arrives as Dallas's pizza and Italian-American scene keeps expanding. D.L. Mack's opened its third Dallas location in West Village in March, following spots in University Park and Preston Hollow, according to the Dallas Morning News. That restaurant serves cracker-thin pizzas, salads, a cheeseburger and Italian-American dishes like chicken Parmesan and spicy rigatoni, with martinis a particular draw, the outlet reported. D.L. Mack's parent company also said it plans to open a third restaurant concept, Ten Ramen, in Uptown's West Village later this year.
No exact opening date has been set for Barsella beyond the winter window the team has targeted, and further menu details remain to come. For now, SMU-area diners have a slice window, a seven-seat pizza bar and a 2 a.m. light-bites menu to look forward to once the doors open.
