Dallas’ Design District Gets a New Retro Pizza Spot and Cafe

“Espresso, Champagne, Chain Lube.”

That’s the credo of The Meteor, anyway: a fresh all-day cafe in Dallas’ Design District. Co-founded by friends (and avid cyclists) Doug Zell and Chris St. Peter, The Meteor started as an Austin phenomenon: an “unexpected mash-up” — as its website puts it — of a cafe, natural wine store and bike shop. The founders quickly gained local traction; coffee drinkers, food lovers and cyclists flocked to the store to get a taste of what the owners claim are all of their favorite things under the same roof.

Since then, The Meteor has expanded to locations in Bentonville and Fayetteville, Arkansas. This September marked The Meteor’s first appearance in Dallas, located next to the Virgin Hotel in the Dallas Design District. While the new location has yet to unveil its bike shop, the coffee, wine and word of their famous sourdough pizza crust was tempting enough to entice us inside.
The retro setting is visible even from outside the cafe, through floor-to-ceiling windows. Classy decor includes warm lighting, sleek bar seating and retro tiled flooring that gives the location an almost vintage appearance. The space is split into thirds, with a formal dining room, extensive bar and even a lounging area dotted with private couches. Just deciding where to sit is a struggle in itself. Bar seating is a convenient distance from the wine selection, although a dimly lit lounge is a nice room to linger after your meal. The space, covered in vintage posters, drawings and other trinkets, makes for an almost refreshing deviation from the typical Dallas coffee shop decor.
Three side-by-side menus boast different selections of wood-fired pizza, burgers, coffee and cafe pastries. Regardless of the time of day, it’s hard to say no to an order of the classic sourdough pizza. The “Hey Butter Butter” offers a hearty pizza base of brown butter topped with butternut squash, melted mozzarella, sage and pine nuts. Sweet toppings lead into a spicy punch of hot honey at the end and a chewy-yet-crisp sourdough crust. Other options like the Maglia Rosa — The Meteor’s take on a classic margherita — and the Meatier, dotted with nduja and sausage, add to the variety.
Burgers are complemented best with a side of “OMG fries,” scented with turmeric and sesame before being crisped on the outside. Wash your meal down with a tea latte, macchiato or perhaps a glass of on-tap wine. A selection of daily pastries includes a guava-strawberry tart or chocolate chip pecan cookies. Sate your palette, sweet tooth and wine-cravings in one sitting.

But what we appreciated most is perhaps how The Meteor takes its all-day promise. The cafe remains open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. for late-night coffee, an early-morning glass of wine or middle-of-the-day lounging. It's truly a cafe, bar and pizzeria all under the same roof.

We can't complain.