Tulsa, Oklahoma, surprised us in many ways, and one of the most unexpected (and surprisingly delightful) discoveries was pickle pizza. Yes, you read that right. Pickles. On a pizza. Now, I’m a fan of a good briny bite, so when I spotted this intriguing concoction at ZaZa’s Pizzeria inside the bustling Mother Road Market, my curiosity was instantly piqued. Justin, on the other hand? Let’s just say his expression ranged somewhere between mild disgust and utter disbelief.
The beauty of a food hall is the freedom to choose your own culinary adventure, and this was a prime example. After making two laps, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try this unique pizza, Justin got tacos. Over the years I’ve found I am not a huge fan of red sauce pizza, sure I still eat it, but when I see a pizza with some sort of white sauce I take notice. I also don’t like mayonnaise and aioli. So, while I was excited, I was also wondering what my backup lunch would be if this was gross.
The first bite was… different. I wasn’t sure. The second bite was surprisingly fantastic. If you’re someone who enjoys the tangy, salty crunch of a good pickle, it actually works incredibly well with the richness of the cheese and the savory pizza sauce with the dill drizzle. The dill flavor is prominent but not overpowering, adding a refreshing zing that cuts through the other ingredients in a really interesting way. The crust from ZaZa’s was also spot-on – a nice balance of chewy and crispy, providing a solid foundation for this unconventional topping.
I found myself genuinely enjoying the combination and was sad when I was near the end. The textural contrast between the soft cheese and the slightly firm pickles was also a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t just a novelty; it was genuinely a tasty and unique pizza experience. I kept offering Justin a bite, convinced he might be missing out on something special, but his polite (and slightly horrified) refusal remained steadfast. He just couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of pickles on pizza. More for me, I suppose!
My verdict? Don’t knock pickle pizza until you try it – if you’re a pickle enthusiast, that is. It’s a bold and unexpected flavor combination that actually works surprisingly well. I did take off some of the aioli, it was a little too much for me. As for Justin, well, he stuck to his more traditional choices, and that’s perfectly fine. The Mother Road Market food hall allowed us both to indulge our individual cravings, even if one of those cravings involved a whole lot of dill. It was a fun and memorable culinary detour in our Tulsa explorations, proving that sometimes, the most interesting discoveries are the ones you least expect – even if your travel partner thinks you’re a little crazy for ordering it!