Florida Pizzeria Goes Viral with Unconventional Iguana Pizza

A South Florida pizzeria has gained widespread attention online thanks to an unusual culinary creation by its owner. Bucks Coal Fired Pizza in Lake Park, Florida, has crafted what owner Frankie Cecere dubbed ‘the first iguana pizza in the history of mankind.’ This inventive pizza emerged after content creator Ryan Izquierdo collected cold-stunned green iguanas during a recent Florida freeze and brought them to Cecere’s restaurant.

In collaboration with Izquierdo, Cecere crafted the ‘Everglades Pie,’ a white pizza topped with three types of meat: venison, bacon, and the highlight—iguana. Ryan Izquierdo, keen on trying something unconventional, had been gathering iguanas immobilized by the cold snap, which allowed Florida residents to catch and hand them over to wildlife officials for humane euthanasia.

This venture sparked a whirlwind of attention on social media for Bucks Coal Fired Pizza. Comments and views poured in by the thousands, with many expressing fascination over the unique pizza topping. Cecere reported, ‘The majority of people have loved it. We’ve probably received at least 1,500 calls asking if we have iguana available. A lot of people seem interested in purchasing it.’

‘We’ve had a fair amount of hatred coming our way,’ Cecere mentioned, acknowledging negative feedback from some quarters.

Despite the enthusiasm, the iguana pizza was a one-time experiment created specifically for the viral social media video and isn’t available for general purchase. Iguanas are an invasive species in Florida, and trying to control their population has been a concern. Bucks Coal Fired Pizza often incorporates nontraditional meats into its menu, including venison and gator tail, reflecting the region’s outdoor culture and cuisine.

Izquierdo enthusiastic about the results of his project, pointed out, ‘We were able to use pretty much all the meat on the bone of just four iguana legs and a little bit of tail meat.’ He compared the taste, caught on video, to ‘frog legs’ with a hint of sweetness.

Currently, Bucks Coal Fired Pizza is evaluating the possibility of offering iguana meat through approved vendors in the future. Until then, this specialty ingredient remains off the official menu. Izquierdo added, ‘People really should be more open-minded, especially about using an invasive species for something that’s good. It was absolutely fantastic.’

The idea of utilizing iguana meat might be unconventional, but Izquierdo suggests it possesses great potential. ‘It is a delicacy in many places around the world, and I think iguana definitely belongs on pizza.’