Looking for good gluten free pizza that’s local to Ocean County?
You’re in luck!
Hi my name is Sydney! I suddenly became gluten free over the summer due to stomach issues, and had to have a pretty quick turn around in my diet to accommodate my discomfort. As a result of that, eating out/ordering food was one of the many challenges I experienced. Along with finding gluten free food that didn’t taste like cardboard…
For my Celiac friends THIS REVIEW COMES WITH A WARNING!!! Cross contamination does not bother me and does not play a role in my rankings. However I did include if the kitchens are dedicated gluten free per each of their websites and information I found on the app called
“Find Me GF”.
As someone who remembers the taste of regular food, here are my top 3 local gluten free pizza places in the area that I believe are the most comparable taste wise to a normal plain pie!
3. Pies Place
I’ve only dined here once, admittedly because my dad strictly orders from Popouli’s (NO. 2). On their website the gluten free pizza is not listed on the menu. I also could not find them on the “Find Me GF” app. But when I dined with my friends the gluten free pizza was okay! It appeared to be made with a frozen, pre-wrapped crust. Which is not a big issue, especially with cross contamination. But the taste after it was done cooking was slightly off, like it had no taste. Aside from that this was by far the cheesiest gluten free pizza I’ve had to date. And the family who owns the restaurant is always sweet to every customer. Very nice establishment, and well kept!
2. Papouli’s Brick Oven Pizza & Restaurant
This was a close second as I find their pizza almost equally as amazing as the 1st place restaurant. It does not state on their website how dedicated their kitchen is to being gluten free, nor is there any information on the “Find Me GF” app. Back to the pizza, What throws me off is the crust. The pizza is the perfect thickness, but I find it’s very crumbly. I can never hold a slice without the bottom layer giving out. That being said, it is a sign that their crust is made in house, which I do appreciate. I also love how their pizza is always extra cheesy. Every single gluten free pizza I’ve ordered from this establishment has sent each pizza with an individually wrapped pizza cutter. Which to me shows their dedication to being gluten free. This is my dads favorite place to get a regular plain pie, so I’ve had their gluten free pizza quite frequently.
1. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
BJ’s pizza is hands down the best. The restaurant rates four out of five hearts for gluten free safety. Along with the warning that BJ’s is a chain restaurant, and cross contamination is of high risk. Upon arriving I first found it odd that a brewhouse was selling a gluten free variety of foods, but I could barely tell the difference between a normal plain pizza and their gluten free version. The crust is on the thinner side. Though I find that the thin crust probably helps the taste more, because like I said sometimes gluten free tastes like cardboard. You can customize the toppings to whatever you feel! Along with the servers/phone operators who are very cooperative and understanding when I explain I have a gluten intolerance. I also love dining in and ordering their gluten free chocolate chip pizzookie! Which I highly recommend for a good tasting sweet treat as well!!
I urge you to do your own research on each establishment, or even call and ask questions to really solidify if you’ll be safe dining there. As I am still on the hunt for other restaurants that sell gluten free pizza, this list is subject to change. Currently these are my top 3 recommendations for gluten free pizza places in the area, with my top most favorite being BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse.
Thank you for reading my review!
