If you think pineapple pizza is weird, prepare yourself. There’s a wide world of pizza toppings out there and it tends to get pretty bizarre. At least, that’s what a pizza purist might say.
These are some of the weirdest pizza toppings you’ll find in the United States – don’t knock ‘em ‘till you try ‘em:
Cream cheese pizza
Do you like extra cheese on your pizza? Well, how about cream cheese as a topping on your pizza?
Cream cheese pizza is one of the hottest items at Sarpino’s in Lawrence, Kansas. They start with their traditional pan pizza, load it up with their signature cheese blend, and finish it off with a generous schmear of cream cheese.
It may sound odd, but we don’t see what the big deal is. As a wise man once sang: When pizza’s on a bagel, you can eat pizza anytime. The same applies to cream cheese and the students of KU are all for it.
Reuben-style pastrami pizza
The Reuben might just be the most glorious sandwich of all-time. With mountains of meat, sauerkraut, cheese, and dressing, it’s a mainstay at kosher-style delicatessens…and a featured pie at Krave It in Bayside, Queens.
Yup – smoked pastrami, Swiss cheese, caraway seeds (to represent the rye bread), and a serious swirl of Thousand Island dressing, all on one amazing pizza.
If a Reuben pizza isn’t up your alley, Krave It’s bible-thick menu has many more unholy creations to suit your taste. Our personal favorite is the wonderfully weird Love At First Sight, made with fried chicken, buffalo sauce, mozz. mac-n-cheese. jalapeños, ranch dressing, and a whole bag of cool Ranch Doritos.
“It’s a new trend. A new style. It’s our version of pizza,” Krave It owner Vishee Mandahar told me late last year. “If someone is stuck in their old ways, that’s just what they’re used to, I guess. Welcome to 2020 – it’s all about the millennials now. I’m not trying to say regular pizza is boring, but we’re trying to push the limits and take it all to the next level.”
Amen, Vishee.
Mustard pizza
Mustard is the perfect partner for pretzels and hot dogs, so why not try it on a pizza? That was the thinking at Papa’s Tomato Pies in Trenton, NJ, and they found a huge following for it.
The Mustard Pizza at Papa’s features spicy brown mustard, plenty of cheese, and, yes, it still has tomato sauce. The head chef at Papa’s says it tastes just like a Philly pretzel. The hosts of “Really Dough?” say it’s more like a knish or a turkey sandwich. Your Meal Might Vary, but no matter what, you can’t send it back:
Mussel pizza
If anchovies, clams, and shrimp can go on pizza, why not mussels? Some might find it to be a little fishy, others might not be wild about the texture, but if it goes with pasta, there’s no reason why it can’t go on your pizza.
Order your mussel pizza with garlic as a second topping for a truly memorable meal. If it’s date night, just be sure to use some Listerine afterwards.
Dried fish & seaweed (Japanese furikake)
The menu at Los Angeles’ Lupa Cotta is top secret, but Ines Glaser occasionally tips her hand on the ‘gram. Her most recent creation is decidedly outside of the cardboard box – a miso yakimo pie topped with purple yams, roasted mushrooms, and furikake, Japan’s beloved blend of dried fish, seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, and salt.
Taylor ham pizza
Should this classic breakfast meat be called Pork roll or Taylor ham? And how is it made, anyway?
These are questions you can ask (or not bother to ask) as you chow down on the Taylor Ham and Cheese Pizza from Joe’s Rotisseria. Encrusted with pinwheels of pepperoni rolls, this megaslice is as weird as it is undeniably delicious.
Corn pizza
Sweet corn as a pizza topping? Weird, right? No, it’s a-maize-ing. (Thank you, we’ll be here all week. Try the garlic knots!)
Just ask Kristina Vega, head chef/owner of Tampa, Florida’s Gourmet Pizza Co. Her “Falcorn pizza” with bacon, onions, and ranch is one of her best sellers.
Pickle pizza
Sounds strange, but it’s a big dill at Rhino’s Pizzeria in upstate New York. (Alright, seriously, we’ll stop now.)
Soda-soaked marshmallow pizza
Just before Christmas, Slice asked Tony Boloney’s to concoct a pizza that would make Buddy the Elf proud. Hours later, owner Mike Hauke got back to us with a pie that hit the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.
Mike made his Elf pizza with chocolate spaghetti, M&Ms, maple syrup, peanut butter, jelly, candy canes, sprinkles, and whipped cream, but it still wasn’t sweet enough. That’s when he decided to top it off with festive fistfuls of marshmallows, marinated in cola.
Ice cream pizza
No, we’re not just finishing with dessert – ice cream is, indeed, a pizza topping. At least, it’s a pizza topping you can request at Pizza Brain in Philadelphia.
Mind blown? Prepare for some real brain freeze, because it’s a pizza-flavored ice cream. Yup, it’s pizza inception. A dream come true, or a nightmare of flavor contrasts, depending on how you look at it. Either way, you better make it a quick one, because that scoop melts fast.
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