I love pizza! Pepperoni with extra cheese is probably my favorite, but I like mixing it up too. Plain mushroom. Maybe mix pepperoni with mushroom. All the meats (pepperoni, sausage, bacon & ham). I love it all! Judging by the number of pizza places in the Cocoa Beach area, I am not the only one either.
Unfortunately, I discovered a few years ago that I developed a gluten intolerance and had to change my diet to a gluten-free lifestyle. I become a label reader in the grocery store and ask for the gluten-free menu at restaurants. I had to say no to beer, pasta, bread, and pizza…How can someone exist without these basics in life???
The best thing I learned to do is to focus on what I can eat instead of what I cannot. There are always options available. And that is what helped me through my new gluten-free lifestyle. I love fruits & vegetables. I learned to eat a hamburger without the bun. I have discovered some decent tasting GF bread (and tolerate the mediocre breads) I also discovered quite a few of our local pizza shops have gluten-free options. Below is a list of all the pizza shops in the Cocoa Beach & Cape Canaveral area. I will note the ones that I know offer gluten-free pizza on their menu. I also plan on visiting all that offer a gluten-free pizza to let you know what I think of their pies.
From Downtown Cocoa Beach to North Cape Canaveral, here are your pizza options in our area.
Salucci’s Brick Oven Pizza 38 S Atlantic Ave https://www.saluccis.com/menu Conveniently located in downtown Cocoa Beach and one of the newer pizza shops in the area. They are definitely a New York Style pizza place …down to the water used for the dough. They import their water from New York to improve the quality of their dough. I have yet to try this place because I have not confirmed they have any gluten-free options. Have you tried Salucci’s yet? What do you think?
Little Z’s Pizza and Subs 3 N Atlantic Ave https://littlezspizza.com/ Another downtown Cocoa Beach pizza shop that is fairly new to the area. They are the sister shop to Zarella’s in Cape Canaveral. Little Z’s offers a gluten-free crust and I look forward to trying it in the near future. Have you tried Little Z’s yet? What do you think?
Bruno’s Pizzeria 366 N Orlando Ave http://brunos-pizzeria.com/ Located just south of the triangle where A1A splits at the beginning of Cottage Row and all the cool little shops and restaurants between 4th St North and Minutemen Causeway. Even though I don’t know the owner Mike Powell directly, I do know he grew up here and went to Cocoa Beach High School. This is also one of two locations for Bruno’s Pizzeria. The original location is in Merritt Island next to the Home Depot. Prior to going GF, I did like the pizza Bruno’s offer (especially the crust) Unfortunately, they do not offer a gluten-free pizza option at this time. Have you tried Bruno’s yet? What do you think?
Anacapri’s Pizzeria 605 N Atlantic Ave https://anacapri-pizzeria.com/ is one of the oldest pizzerias in Cocoa Beach. They have been at this location over 25 years and they were located next to Ace Hardware for 5 years prior to this. I was a regular here back in my “gluten-days”. They have a great pizza and also serve up one of the best calzones I have ever had. I ran into the owner the other day while taking a picture of their sign for this blog to learn they do have a cauliflower crust pizza. I look forward to giving it a try in the near future! One thing I love about Anacapri’s is how they give back to the community. During the school year, you will see the high school students doing carwashes here to raise money for various fundraisers. They also donate regularly to other functions throughout the city. Do you know what other business operated from this location prior to Anacapri’s? Please comment below or send me a DM Have you tried Anacapri’s Pizzeria yet? What do you think?
Brano’s Italian Grill 3680 N Atlantic Ave https://branositaliangrill.com/ Located in central Cocoa Beach and has been a staple in our community for some time. They have an extensive menu offering some classic Italian dishes, which of course includes pizza. I am happy to learn they do offer a gluten-free pizza at Brano’s and I am looking forward to trying it. Have you tried Brano’s Italian Grill yet? What do you think?
A New York Pizza House 3850 N Atlantic Ave https://a-new-york-pizza-house.business.site/ Located in central Cocoa Beach, this is another staple in our community. Besides offering a gluten-free pizza option, they also have gluten-free pasta options on the menu too. They recently completed a pergola offering outside dining on the east side of the restaurant. I am looking forward to going back to A New York Pizza House to let you know what I think of their GF pizza option. Have you tried A New York Pizza House yet? What do you think?
The Shark Pit Bar & Grill 4001 N Atlantic Ave https://www.sharkpitgrill.com/ Located in the lobby of the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. At the very least, you need to check out this location just to see the 5600-gallon aquarium and watch the shark swim by. They do offer a large menu of items that include pizza that will be baked in their brick oven. Unfortunately, they do not have a gluten-free pizza option at this time. (still worth stopping by to see the aquarium). Have you tried the Shark Pit for pizza? What do you think?
Magnia & Bevi Pizzeria Napoletana 218 W Cocoa Beach Causeway https://www.facebook.com/pg/mangiabevipizzeria/menu/?p_ref=pa One of the newer pizza shops in town located on 520 next to the Dinosaur Store, Carousel Florist, and Nolan’s Irish Pub. Since they opened, I have seen only great things online about this pizza place. When I popped in to pick up a menu, the owner’s let me know they do not have a gluten-free option because they only have one oven and do not want to take the risk of cross-contaminating a gluten-free pizza with any of the gluten menu items. I love the fact that they are doing this and are upfront with their reasons for not offering a GF option. If you are able to eat the gluten, definitely give this place a try! Have you tried Mangia & Bevi yet? What do you think?
Pizza Hut 179 E W Cocoa Beach Causeway https://locations.pizzahut.com/fl/cocoa-beach/179-e-cocoa-beach-causeway Located on the east end of SR520 just before the beach & Alan Sheppard Park. One of the few chain restaurants you will find in Cocoa Beach. They currently do not offer a gluten-free option. I am pretty certain, we have all tried a Pizza Hut pizza, right? What do you think?
PizzaVola 5240 N Atlantic Ave #150 https://www.pizzavolafl.com/ Located along A1A in north Cocoa Beach near the Pier and Our Saviours Church, they are a newer restaurant in Cocoa Beach and is one of three locations here in the county. I heard from a friend who has celiacs that they have gluten-free options for pizza. PizzaVola offers a regular gluten-free crust as well as a gluten-free cauliflower crust. I have tried both, liked them both, but choose the cauliflower crust most of the time. They are both 10” pies that are thin crust. I personally like the flavor of their cauliflower crust and the crispy edges it has. If you haven’t been here yet, I highly recommend them. Have you tried PizzaVola yet? What do you think?
Dominos Pizza 5360 N Atlantic Ave https://www.dominos.com/en/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=loclist&utm_campaign=localmaps Located on A1A near the Pier and Our Saviours Church. Dominos is one of the few chain restaurants in Cocoa Beach. If you did not know it, Dominos does offer a 10” gluten-free pizza. It was one of my first gluten-free pies and I was pleasantly surprised how good of a job they do on it. Have you tried Domino’s gluten-free pizza yet? What do you think?
Papa Vito’s Italian Restaurant & Pizza Kitchen 6200 N Atlantic Ave https://www.papavitositalianrestaurant.com/ Located on A1A in Cape Canaveral, this is a very popular restaurant. Back in my gluten days, we used to live in Cape Canaveral and would get our pizza here often. Good crust, good flavor sauce, at a good price. Besides having good food, Papa Vito’s also gives back to the community. Unfortunately for me, they do not have a gluten-free option. They do not want to take the chance with cross-contaminating the gluten-free product with the gluten. Have you tried Papa Vito’s yet? What do you think?
GoodFellas Cape Canaveral New York Style Pizza 8177 N Atlantic Ave https://www.goodfellascapecanaveral.com/ Located on Old North Atlantic in Cape Canaveral and have been serving classic New York-style pizza since 2011. Their menu has the items you would expect from a good pizza place (pizza, stromboli, calzones, etc) and also includes a variety of appetizers, sandwiches, subs, and burgers too. At this time, they do not offer a gluten-free pizza. Have you tried GoodFellas yet? What do you think?
DiLorenzo’s Pizza, Subs, and Italian Restaurant 8125 Canaveral Blvd http://www.dilorenzospizzasubs.com/ Located on Old North Atlantic Avenue in Cape Canaveral, this is one of the oldest pizzerias on the beach. This family-owned and operated restaurant has been serving the Cape Canaveral community for over 30 years. This would not happen if they did not serve great food that also includes a gluten-free pizza. Have you tried DiLorenzo’s yet? What do you think?
Kelsey’s Restaurant & Pizzeria 8699 Astronaut Blvd http://kelseyscanaveral.com/ Located on A1A just south of Port Canaveral has an extensive menu that includes Greek, Italian, Sandwiches, Salads, and of course Pizza! I learned shortly after going gluten-free that Kelsey’s in Cape Canaveral did offer a 10’ gluten-free pizza that is worth checking out. Next time I get a pie from here, I will have photos so you can see what they have to offer. Have you tried Kelsey’s in Cape Canaveral yet? What do you think?
Zarella’s Italian & Wood Fire Pizza 8901 Astronaut Blvd https://www.zarrellasitalianfl.com/ is the first pizza place you will come across if you are heading south on A1A from either 528 or Port Canaveral. This was one of my favorite places prior to going GF. The wood-fired oven adds great flavor to the pie and they also use a quality cheese and spicy pepperoni on their pizzas. I recently learned they also offer a gluten-free pizza or a cauliflower crust pizza that is also GF. Have you tried Zarella’s yet? What do you think?
If a new pizza place comes to town or if I happened to miss a location; I will certainly add it to the list and work on trying their gluten-free pizza options. As I visit a pizzeria, I will have a separate post linked from this blog post on the pizza places in the Cocoa Beach area. I would love to hear what your favorite pizza place is here in Cocoa Beach. Please comment below or tag me on a Facebook or Instagram post if you have visited one of these pizza restaurants. I am @CocoaBeachInsider on Instagram and Facebook. (If FB doesn’t tag my business page, you can always tag me personally Eric Larkin).
About the author:
Eric Larkin is a Broker Associate with REMAX Solutions. He lives, works, and plays in the Cocoa Beach area. Eric has been helping buyers and sellers with their real estate needs since becoming a real estate agent in 2003. His focus is always on helping, answering your questions, and doing everything possible to make certain you have a smooth transaction from beginning to end.
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