Cowboys superfan opens Starboy's Pizzeria in Medical District food hall

There's a new pizza counter in Dallas' Medical District. Starboy's Pizzeria is now open inside Food Nation Cinco Cocinas, the food hall at 4711 Maple Ave., and its pies carry a Tex-Mex twist. One of them is a birria pizza.

The owner is John Flores, an IT professional who calls himself a Dallas Cowboys super-fan. Friends call him "Starboy." He says the nickname comes from his love of the Cowboys and his fascination with NASA and space. The shop took over the space where Sal's Pizza and Restaurant used to be. Lupe Ibarra, a chef with 25 years of experience who worked at Sal's, stayed on to cook at Starboy's.

Flores met the food hall's creators, Ray Quintanilla and Dallas Tex-Mex restaurateur Mico Rodriguez, while he was hosting karaoke at Mico's Bar, which is also in the hall. After Sal's closed earlier this year, they saw a chance to bring pizza back with a fresh concept. Rodriguez, best known for founding Mi Cocina, died earlier this month at age 68. Flores told CultureMap the project started because of him. "He was part of this, he was always happy, and we really hit it off, so I miss him," Flores said.

Starboy's has a lot of company in the hall: Mico's Bar, Picazo Sushi and Poke, Wing City and JJ's Cafe. Flores still hosts karaoke at Mico's Bar and puts on Cowboys watch parties to bring people to the whole complex. His adult children, Nathan, Natalie and Amy, run the shop's social media and website and help promote it. "When people try our pizzas for the first time, their eyes light up," Flores said.

Starboy's Pizzeria is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

This story is based on original reporting by CultureMap Dallas, with more background from the Lake Highlands Advocate.