Walking into One Trick Pony feels like stepping into someone’s very specific and very well-curated obsession. The restaurant is well lit from an almost completely glass western wall. Stained concrete and cedar beams throughout give the space a rustic feel that suits Fort Worth without sacrificing style or creativity. Golf memorabilia shares wall space, paying homage to the players and sports that inspired the concept. Somewhere in the mix is a subtle nod to Chicago – a wink at the style of pizza that inspired the whole thing. It doesn’t feel like a themed restaurant. It feels like a place built by people with actual taste who happen to love a lot of things.
The space is split-level – a more traditional dining room downstairs and the bar upstairs with a few high-tops. It gives you the option of a proper sit-down dinner or a quick bar bite without feeling like you’re in two different places. Both are great options depending on what you’re in the mood for. What struck me most was how the whole room felt. Not like a pizza spot in DFW. More like I’d been transported somewhere with a longer, more detailed history around pizza bars – Chicago, maybe, or somewhere that’s had decades to figure out what a neighborhood tavern is supposed to feel like. Fort Worth doesn’t have a lot of rooms that do that. This one does.
Travis and Emma Heim are no strangers to building something people care about. The care and passion that have gone into doing this right the first time – that’s not something you leave at the door. It shows up here in every detail, from the intentionality of the menu to the way the room is put together. When asked why a pizza joint, the answer was simple. “I love pizza. Everyone loves pizza.”
The name says the rest. One Trick Pony is a nod to the fact that BBQ was never the only thing the Heims could be good at. Turns out they’re not just a one-trick pony. They noticed something missing in a city they clearly love and decided to do something about it. Unlike most modern menus, the one here is short and to the point. A few starters to warm up and share with the table, a salad if you want to keep it light, and expertly crafted pizza in whatever style you choose. Instead of making a lot of things just good, they chose to make a few things great. In a restaurant landscape full of sprawling menus that overpromise, that kind of restraint is its own statement.
We opened with mozzarella sticks, meatballs, and sampled a few bites of the house focaccia.
The mozzarella sticks are big enough to feed a table of four. The mozzarella is pulled fresh daily and fried perfectly. Funny enough, someone wrote a review complaining they were too big – but in a modern world where portions seem to get smaller and prices seem to get bigger, these felt like a gift from the cheese stick gods. Call them cheese logs if you need to. Either way, order them.
The meatballs are a blend of HeartBrand Wagyu beef, Italian sausage, fresh herbs and spices, topped with a beautiful marinara. Hearty and textured, they’re the perfect pairing for the house focaccia – whether you’re dipping the bread or topping it and slathering on that marinara. Honestly, the meatballs are hearty enough to be their own meal if you really wanted them to be. Nobody would judge you.
We didn’t go crazy and explore the full cocktail menu. Rather, we had a cold beer, as one does at a pizza spot. The steins were huge and ice cold. A cold beer and a classic pizza is one of those combinations that doesn’t need any help, and One Trick Pony doesn’t try to complicate it. If beer isn’t your thing, the wine list is worth a look – well-curated and a natural fit for an evening that’s more dinner than bar night. The cocktail program is there, too, for those who want to lean into a more curated drink rather than just a simple classic. There’s something for everyone without feeling like it’s trying to be everything.
When it comes to pizza, they took the time to dial in the dough rather than rushing a product out the door, and it shows with each square, each slice.
As much as they don’t technically call it New York-style, they’ve built something that would stand tall in that company. The crust is crispy while remaining chewy, with enough structure to hold its own without folding from excess moisture or a lack of technique. The sauce has a natural sweetness from the tomatoes they use – no added sugar, just the tomatoes naturally sweetening the bite. In a time when most people are trying to avoid added sugar anyway, that’s noteworthy to me.
They offer both that East Coast style and a personal favorite – Chicago tavern-style, thin, crispy, and cut into squares. More quality pizza is what we all need, but more tavern-style pizza is exactly what Fort Worth and the Metroplex need more of. I recently wrote about the tavern style at Division Brewing, and this addition from One Trick Pony is another top-tier option on the west side. Crispy edges, a cornmeal crust with beautiful leoparding underneath that gives you a visual guarantee it was cooked right.
The pizzas are named after icons from both Chicago and New York – Reggie White, The Big Hurt, Darryl Strawberry, and Iron Mike. Names that will make anyone’s ears perk up no matter the context in which they’re said. The pizzas carry the same energy.
We started with a few of the notable tavern-style options. The Big Hurt – pomodoro sauce, shredded mozzarella, Italian sausage, hot giardiniera, oregano. Nice spice, big chunks of sausage, perfectly crispy crust. One of my favorites and the one I’d tell a first-timer to start with. That sweetness in the sauce helps balance the heat from the house-made giardiniera. The Darryl Strawberry in tavern style – vodka sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, red pepper flakes, Calabrian chili oil. Spicy but more subtle about it. Something everyone could eat, but maybe stick with the cheese slice for the kiddos. A creative approach to what could’ve been a standard pepperoni pizza. It isn’t.
Comparatively, we tried the East Coast options. The Reggie White – garlic confit, olive oil, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, fontina, and lemon. I would argue it’s one of the better white pies I’ve had in a long time. Balanced, full of flavor, never one note. The lemon does more work than you’d expect, so don’t skip that little squeeze before you take a bite. The Skinny Marg – pomodoro sauce, olive oil, pecorino, cold stracciatella, fresh basil. One of my favorite ways to eat pizza. The perfect homage to old-world pizza, a tomato pie jazzed up a little bit. The cold stracciatella meeting the fresh basil is near perfection. Simple done right is still the hardest thing to pull off, and this one pulls it off.
South Main Village is an area that continues to grow. Each new addition helps cement why it’s become a hotbed for good food, good drinks, and great culture. One Trick Pony is the latest addition, and it fits the block in a way that feels intentional. A century-old brick building on a corner that’s finally got the right tenant.
Date night, family dinner, or a bar seat with a cold beer and a game on – it works for all of it. Go soon. Take people with you. Order the cheese logs and tell your friends.