Late-night DFW pizza chain Zio Al's opens on Grand Parkway

Address: 1522 W. Grand Pkwy S., Katy, TX 77494
Hours: 11 a.m.–3 a.m. daily
Phone: (281) 396-4177
Order online: zioals.com/katy

A Dallas-Fort Worth pizza chain known for staying open until 3 a.m. has landed in Katy, marking its first location in the Greater Houston market.

Zio Al's Pizza & Pasta opened at 1522 W. Grand Pkwy S., according to Community Impact Newspaper, which confirmed the opening Aug. 13. The restaurant offers dine-in, pickup and delivery daily from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Founder Alex Frijat started as a pizza delivery driver before launching the chain, which now operates 13 locations across DFW and Houston. The name translates to "Uncle Al's" in Italian, according to the company's website.

The Katy location serves specialty pizzas in small, medium and large sizes with build-your-own options, plus pasta dishes including cheese manicotti, shrimp fettuccine alfredo and lasagna. Wings, sandwiches, salads, stuffed jalapeños and desserts such as chocolate mousse cake round out the offerings, according to Community Impact.

All meats are halal. The chain uses beef pepperoni, beef bacon and beef sausage, with no pork on the menu, according to the restaurant's website. Catering packages with halal-friendly options are also available.

More Houston locations planned

Katy is just the beginning of Zio Al's Houston-area push. A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing shows a $250,000 tenant build-out underway at 106 Westheimer Road in the Montrose area, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31. A second inner-loop location at 250 W. 19th Street in the Greater Heights area started construction July 1, with a $200,000 renovation expected to wrap up by Jan. 31, 2027. Both inner-loop locations are listed as takeout-only, unlike the Katy spot's full dine-in setup.