D.L. Mack’s cracker-crust pizza is the real Chicago style

When most people hear Chicago-style pizza, they think of saucy deep-dish pizzas with buttery crusts and lots of cheese. Chicago natives don’t frequent deep-dish joints, several food blogs in the area claim.  That’s for the tourists. A real Chicago pizza should have a cracker-like crust.

New-to-Preston Hollow D.L. Mack’s is setting the record straight for Dallasites. 

Located in the old Neighborhood Services space in the Preston Royal shopping center, this is the second location for the Vandelay Hospitality Group. The group also owns and operates Dallas favorites like Hudson House, Drake’s Hollywood and Brentwood. 

“It’s a really great neighborhood,” Lindsay Rodman, D.L. Mack’s manager, says. “Our location was damaged by the tornado that came through a few years ago, and one thing we have heard over and over from the community is that they’ve been waiting so long for a new restaurant to come in, so from the beginning we were so excited about being that restaurant for them and living up to those expectations.”

The space features reclaimed wood from a 16th-century French church, reclaimed antique brick from 19th-century Chicago, black leather booths, vintage lights and other nods to Chicago’s past decor.

It’s an upscale Chicago-style tavern based on taverns in the Wrigley area of Chicago, the area surrounding Wrigley Stadium and the Wrigley Field. 

“It really … has a warm neighborhood feel. Somewhere people can feel comfortable coming by with their family from a sporting event or really anything for pizza and martinis,” says Rodman.

Though pizza is the staple, it’s a diverse menu that includes deviled eggs and smoked salmon for starters, honey pepper salmon and spicy Lumachi pasta for an entrée and several salad options. 

“We have everything from really creative toppings on our cracker crust to black and red fish that we (get) locally from Galveston to several pasta dishes and shrimp scampi,” Rodman says.

Pizza options include The Caprese, the Harry Caray Special, the Honey Truffle Chicken, the Spicy Hawaiian and the Sweet Chicken Barbecue on cracker crust made as thin as possible, impossible to fold. 

“I have heard a couple of times from two separate diners that commented on the cracker kind of pizza and were like ‘Oh, this is the real Chicago; this is so great,’” Rodman says. “And one of them said it really felt like home. That is just so lovely to hear.”