Restaurant Review: Pizza Fusion (Ridgewood, NJ 07450 and Red Bank, NJ 07701)

I recently had lunch with a friend of mine at Pizza Fusion in Ridgewood, NJ. This was the first pizza place in NJ to offer both Gluten Free and Dairy Free Pizza and is one of only a handful that now do.

Pizza Fusion is a gourmet pizzeria using mostly organic ingredients and has a heavy environmental slant (they’re heavy into recycling, renewable energy, energy efficiency, etc.). Their menu clearly marks the gluten free options and vegan options. For the dairy free they offer both a soy cheese and Daiya cheese (the GF crust is dairy free but contains egg).

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Pizza with Grilled Chicken,
Roasted Garlic, and Basil at Pizza Fusion in Ridgewood, NJ

Since they are gourmet (and organic, and buying renewable energy, etc) they are a bit pricey. There is an additional charge for a gluten free crust and dairy free cheese. Their price on their GF crust came down 25% since they first opened and they now also offer a personal sized pizza so it’s not as bad as it once was.

They are very careful, preparing the GF pizzas in a dedicated area, using dedicated utensils, and baking them on the top shelf of their oven (which is also dedicated GF). The staff is very knowledgeable on what is safe and what isn’t (gluten free items are marked GF on the menu and vegan items are marked V and the staff easily confirmed the lack of dairy in everything I ordered). The crust is thin and crisp and all of the toppings are high quality and fresh. They’ve also got a nice variety of beverages including various Boylan sodas, Honest Tea’s, and fresh brewed teas and coffee.

Left over pizza freezes well and can be reheated in the oven for 10 minutes at 350. Since the crust contains bean flour I wouldn’t recommend storing the leftovers in the refrigerator as that bean aftertaste will become more prevalent.

The highlight of their menu (at least for me) is the Gluten Free / Vegan brownie on their dessert menu! It’s light and airy and one of the few desserts I can order anywhere in the state!

(p.s. I’ve heard rumors that they’re expanding their GF offerings but there isn’t any info on their website and I didn’t notice it on the menu while I was there.)

Other reviews you may be interested in:

Rutherford Pancake House (Rutherford, NJ) - they have dairy free cheese for their pizza but I've yet to try it.

Janice A Bistro (Ho-ho-kus, NJ) - no pizza here but an amazing restaurant in the Ridgewood area.

And of course, don't forget to check my giant List of New Jersey Restaurants with Gluten Free Menus and my giant list of Chains with Gluten Free Menus.