ZPizza is a small pizza chain out of So-Cal that’s done its fair share of innovating in the pizza game. Hot honey pepperoni and the sweet/spicy pineapple made on gluten-free crusts are just two examples of creative pizzas on Z’s menu.
I drove past my local zpizza for years without giving it much thought as the restaurant looked like another typical pizza joint in the neighborhood, but I was pleasantly surprised the night I gave them a try.
It was good to see a small pizza chain offer two types of gluten-free crusts and vegan cheese to cater to special dieters and have a safety prep procedure for GF orders.
But, then again, only taste testing could’ve revealed whether the quality and taste were worth returning for.
So, let me tell you how my pie turned out and lay out everything I learned about zpizza’s GF menu so you can decide if you want to give them a shot for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- zpizza offers two gluten-free crusts: 1) Cauliflower crust and 2) Regular GF crust
- The GF crusts come in small and large sizes, but the cauliflower crust is only available in a small size
- They use Daiya as their vegan cheese option, so eating vegan at zpizza is possible
- They do offer Beyond Meat as well
- Prices slightly vary from location to location because each zpizza is independently owned
- zpizza has a safety protocol in place to ensure that cross-contact is minimized, but I wouldn’t say they’re 100% safe for celiacs since all pizzas are cooked in the same oven
Pizza’s Review | Taste, Texture, Prep, and Price
At zpizza, you can pick any of their signature pizzas and ask to be made on your choice of gluten-free crust.
I picked the Tuscan Mushroom on the 10″ (small) regular gluten-free crust.
This bad boy was topped with their housemade roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, cremini, shiitake, button mushrooms, onions, feta, truffle oil, and fresh thyme.
And here’s everything I experienced.
The Pizza (Taste & Texture)
The Tuscan Mushroom was full of zesty and robust flavors.
The acidity of the garlic sauce, the earthy smell of the truffle oil, and the saltiness of the feta cheese, topped with thyme, gave the pizza a sharp taste and it felt like each topping was over-flavoring the other.
The mushrooms were somewhat lost in between all the other sharp-tasting toppings, and the onions were what ultimately surprised me. They were caramelized onions that added sweetness to the rest of the bold flavors.
But I could tell this recipe had been carefully worked on because all these polarizing flavors came together nicely and the pizza was enjoyable.
Texture-wise, the crust was just crisp enough. The server rotated my pizza in the oven pretty timely and that helped with the crust’s well-balanced texture.
Although I cannot confirm this, the taste was similar to MOD’s and Pieology’s gluten-free crusts, which leads me to believe they are all using the same supplier for their gluten-free crusts.
Overall, the pizza was really good and is worth a try if you are looking for something different.
Pizza Preparation
Zpizza has a safe preparation procedure for gluten-free orders to ensure cross-contact is minimized.
This entails using a separate prep area in the kitchen and all the bells and whistles like dedicated cutting boards, pizza pans, and utensils.
But, similar to most pizza joints, all the pizzas are cooked in the same oven and that could expose your order to gluten.
So, if you’re Celiac or have a high sensitivity to gluten, tell your server about it, but use your best judgement as well because I highly doubt that your pizza will be sufficiently free from gluten contamination.
Price
Zpizza’s gluten-free pizza prices are within the same range as other pizza joints. In fact, the prices are right in the middle of the pack.
Here’s the break down of what I paid for my small GF Tuscan Mushroom pizza:
Tuscan Mushroom GF |
---|
Pizza……………….$14.99 |
GF Crust…………$3.00 |
Tax………………….$1.71 |
Total…………..$19.70 |
ZPizza Gluten Free Menu (Plus Vegan)
Zpizza’s menu is broad enough to accommodate everyone’s taste buds and dietary needs.
Of course, there’s no shortage of classic toppings from which to build your own pie. In addition, you can order any of their specialty pizzas on a GF crust and/or substitute vegan cheese and beyond meat for any toppings that do not fit your diet.
However, their website doesn’t offer an allergen chart to filter toppings based on different food sensitivities. So, I have organized their menu’s GF and vegan items categorically below so that you can pick and choose more efficiently.
Gluten Free Crusts |
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Regular Gluten Free (10″) |
Regular Gluten Free (14″) |
Cauliflower Crust (10″) |
Cheese |
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Mozzarella |
Vegan |
Feta |
Sauces |
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Organic Tomato |
Marinara |
Basil pesto |
BBQ sauce |
Roasted garlic sauce |
Mexican salsa |
White sauce |
Veggies |
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Heirloom Tomatoes |
Mushrooms |
Bell Peppers |
Red Onions |
Zucchini |
Pineapple |
Cilantro |
Avocado |
Olives |
Fresh Basil |
Fresh Oregano |
Fresh Parsley |
Garlic |
Jalapeno |
Meats |
---|
Pepperoni |
Italian Sausage |
Salamis |
Chicken Breast |
BBQ Chicken |
Lime Chicken |
Dressings |
---|
Ranch |
Caesar dressing |
Lemon Vinaigrette |
Balsamic Vinaigrette |
Italian |
Vegan Pizzas |
---|
Berkeley Vagan |
Vegan Cheese Pizza |
California Roasted Veggie |
Napoli (No Parmesan) |
Tuscan Mushroom (No Feta) |
Sweet & Spicy Pineapple Vegan |
Gluten Free Crust Ingredients
ZPizza’s Gluten Free Crust Ingredients: Rice flour, Tapioca flour, Water, Potato flour, Potato flakes, Olive oil, Sugar, Yeast, Salt and Seasonings.
These ingredients were listed for Z’s regular GF crust. There was no information on the ingredients for the cauliflower crust.
FAQs
What’s in zpizza’s Cauliflower Crust?
Unfortunately, the exact ingredients for zpizza’s cauliflower crust are not listed.
However, cauliflower crusts are usually made with a combination of cauliflower, dairy products and corn or potato starch for texture.
I’ll be sure to update this answer if I come across it from a reliable source.
What are the Calories in zpizza’s Gluten Free Pizza?
Zpizza has a nutrition calculator which can be used for build-your-own or specialties pizza to determine their calorie counts.
Access the feature, choose “Pizza Classic” for build-your-owns or “Pizza Creations” for specialties, and then select the right size and follow the prompts to get the calorie count for your pizza.
The gluten-free crust is not listed as a standalone product among the calculator’s options.
Wrap Up
Zpizza is a must-try if you are looking for a pizza joint that offers unique pies. I mean, where can you find a whole salad baked on a crust as a pizza? Where do you get feta cheese and caramelized onions as toppings in one pie? Who drizzles honey over hot pepperoni?
These mixes may not be your idea of classic pizzas, but it’s worth a shot. So, drop in or go through their online menu, and next time you’re in the mood for something “out of the box,” give zpizza a try.