America is the land of opportunity – the opportunity to have the most outrageous, most impressive slice of pizza, that is. Here are the most over the top pizzas in the United States.
1. Taco Pizza at Ian’s Pizza (Milwaukee, WI)
With a wide variety of options, Ian’s Pizza has cemented itself as a Midwest staple. The taco pie is made of everything you would find in a taco including, Pico de Gallo and sour cream.
2. Bottarga Pizza at Pizzeria Paradiso (DMV Area)
Although it comes with a poached egg on top, this pizza is not just for breakfast. This pie is out of this world, with toppings that seem kind of out of this world like bottarga (cured eggs from either tuna or swordfish).
3. Short Rib Pizza at Harry’s Pizzeria (Miami, FL)
Barbecue or Italian? How about both? This pizza combines the best of both worlds with short ribs, gruyere and caramelized onions.
4. Guanciale Pizza at Tarry Lodge (Port Chester, NY)
Guanciale: cured meat product prepared with pork jowl or cheeks. In addition to guanciale, this pizza also has a sunny side egg and black truffles.
5. Mashed Potato, Scallion and Bacon Pizza at Otto (Portland, ME)
Really, everything you need to know is in the name. What’s better than the carb-on-carb combo that is mashed potatoes on pizza crust?
6. Clam & Bacon Pizza at Area Four (Boston, MA)
The clams in this pizza aren’t used as a topping, but instead as a base for the sauce. Surf and turf takes on a whole new meaning with this one.
7. Chicken of the Sea Pizza at Hog & Hominy (Memphis, TN)
The Chicken of the Sea pizza takes the last pizza to a whole new level featuring clams combined with chili. Who would have thought the words “clams” and “chili” would ever be in the same sentence?
8. Squash Blossom Pizza at Pizzeria Mozza (Los Angeles, CA)
A staple of summer in Italian households, squash blossoms are the flowers that grow from the squash plant. This pizza combines these flowers with tomato and burrata cheese.
9. Breakfast Pizza at Maximiliano (Los Angeles, CA)
This is the supreme breakfast pizza. Reminiscent of the full English breakfast, this pie has tomato, potatoes, bacon and sausage all atop a wonderfully crafted crust.
10. Bacon Date Pizza at Simmzy’s (Long Beach, CA)
An unlikely pair, bacon and dates combine salty and sweet to create the ultimate pizza experience. A bacon date slice is sure to absolve any craving you might have.
11. Pizza Fritta at Babbalucci (New York, NY)
Literally meaning fried pizza in Italian, the Pizza Fritta is exactly what it sounds like; a fried pizza crust topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce. If it’s fried, sign me up.
12. The Gravlax at Speedy Romeo (Brooklyn, NY)
Breakfast pizza meets brunch. This over-the-top pizza is a complete lox breakfast, swapping the bagel for a grilled pie.
13. Calamari Pizza at Al Forno (Providence, RI)
The most famous grilled pizza restaurant in Rhode Island is home to the only pizza featuring the official state appetizer. Don’t trust me? There was an actual legislative act to make calamari the Rhode Island state appetizer.
14. Baby Bella at Providence Coal Fired Pizza (Providence, RI)
Looking at this pizza’s name, no one would be able to tell that its made with oysters, Cremini mushrooms, truffle oil, and both ricotta and mozzarella.
15. Tortellini Pesto Pizza at Antonio’s Pizza (Providence, RI)
Tortellini and pesto, all on top of a pie? With this slice there’s no need to go anywhere else for tortellini and pizza. This has it all in one.
16. Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza at Boss Lady Pizza (Boulder, CO)
A dessert pizza is a pizza for me. Boss Lady Pizza in Boulder, Colorado is known for its extreme pizza combinations. With pies like the pizza fry, made with waffle fries, Boss Lady Pizza is high up on our list of over-the-top pies.
17. Dessert Pizza at Anthem Kitchen (Boston, MA)
The dessert pizza at Anthem Kitchen, made with Nutella, caramelized bananas and toasted marshmallow, sounds like a sugary and messy nightmare but it’s a nightmare we’d try any day.
18. Banana con Canela pizza at Copacabana Pizza (Houston, TX)
The hometown of Beyonce obviously does everything over the top. This dessert pizza is made with bananas, cinnamon and mozzarella cheese. It may sound odd, but we think it sounds oddly delicious.
19. Emack and Bolio’s Ice Cream Pizza (Boston, MA)
Wow, what more could you ask for in an ice cream sundae, let alone a pizza? Emack and Bolio’s creates this two pound masterpiece made of ice cream, brownie, and hot fudge.
20. Chocolate Chunks Pizza at Max Brenner (Various Locations)
This dessert pizza makes a personal pizza, personal. With the choice of hazelnuts, bananas, peanut butter or marshmallows, the possibilities with this customizable pie are endless.
It seems as though people thought that pizza was an untouchable classic; something built with only tomato sauce and cheese. Obviously, that’s no longer true thanks to new creative combinations and the determination of pizza connoisseurs. I’ll still probably stick to the plain cheese pizza, though.