Pizza News

Rock 'n' roll pizza restaurant plies pies near Rangers stadium in Arlington

Pizza is on the menu at Rock Wood Fired Kitchen in Arlington.

Photo courtesy of Rock Wood Fired Kitchen

Arlington is the newest home to Rock Wood Fired Kitchen, a gourmet pizza restaurant chain from Washington state with a rock 'n' roll vibe.

The restaurant is adjacent to Globe Life Park and Six Flags, and is the third location in Texas, following branches in Fort Worth and Wylie, according to president and co-founder Don Bellis. It takes over the space formerly occupied by the Trail Dust Steak House, which closed in 2015. But The Rock kept its signature 1970s metal neon sign, which is kind of cool.

"Trail Dust was an Arlington institution, and we’re honored to incorporate their iconic sign into our decor," says co-founder Jay Gigandet in a release, noting that it fits in with the crumbling brick, wrought iron, and rusted-out classic truck above the bar.

The menu includes pizzas from a wood-fired oven, each inspired by its own rock royalty namesake; burgers; pasta; sandwiches; salads; appetizers; and a signature alcoholic beverage called The Bucket. The menu evolves: Guests can submit recipes to be battle-tested in locations across the country.

The new restaurant will be open daily with late hours, from 11:30 am to midnight. It will be No. 22 for the chain, which has one location in Alaska, three in Colorado, three in Texas, three in Oregon, and 11 in Washington including the first branch that opened in Tacoma in 1995.

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In Today's Bun News

Fun Asian restaurant in Fort Worth smashes together burgers and ramen

Sumo Smash

Cute buns at Sumo Smash

A restaurant combining two buzzy food groups — burgers and Asian fare — has just opened in north Fort Worth: Called Sumo Smash, it’s an innovative mash-up of smash burgers and ramen, all under one roof at Presidio Towne Crossing, in the former Char’d space at 8901 Tehama Ridge Pkwy. #137.

Founder Binh Ngyuen says they opened in September. He previously owned a poke concept called Poke Stop, which he opened in 2017 with Dat Bui of My Lan Vietnamese. He sold his share in that restaurant to turn his attention to Sumo Smash.

"The concept was inspired by a friend who wanted to do smash burgers, and I have experience in ramen," Nguyen says. "We decided to put the two together."

On the burger side, there are half a dozen options, most featuring 5-ounce Angus beef patties, served on a buttered hamburger bun and topped with fun Asian and foodie ingredients such as:

Sumo Pro topped with fried mozzarella cheese stick, potato crisp, and onion ring
Tokyo Lights, topped with pork belly, fried egg, spinach, tomato, onion strings, and enoki mushrooms

There's also a mushroom burger and veggie burger made with Beyond Meat, done classic style with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and vegan mayo.

Other sandwiches include a half dozen sliders, served on fluffy, white steamed bao buns including soft-shell crab and lemon pepper tofu; and sandwiches on baguettes including shrimp katsu and a Korean peppersteak with Hellman's mayo, no less.

Five varieties of ramen include spicy miso; black garlic tonkotsu; and yuzu shio, a vegetarian option in a clear salt base broth with tomato, mushrooms, and corn.

They even offer chicken tenders, a Cobb salad, and roti wraps in choice of chicken, beef, or tofu. Their fries are curly fries, and you can get them in a loaded-style dish called Sumo fries topped with crumbled beef, American cheese, and a fried egg. Prices range from $5 for a bao slider to $15 for a bowl of ramen.

Sumo Smash serves no alcohol but they do have a huge selection of shakes in 16 options such as vanilla Oreo, pumpkin spice, strawberry & cream, sea salt caramel, and matcha.

Nguyen has so far done little marketing — his Instagram page has yet to see a post — but diners in the area have already discovered this fun mixed-up fusion place.