Redlands Pizza Guide (Tips from Locals)

Pizza is more than just a meal — it’s an experience that brings people together. Whether you’re savoring the melty cheese, crispy crust, and tangy sauce alone or sharing a pie with friends and family, every bite feels like a little celebration. The Redlands pizza eateries offer an endless variety of toppings, crusts, and ambiance. 

From date nights and birthday celebrations to family dinners and casual get togethers, pizza’s not just food. Pizza is joy in a slice!

Notes from the Authors: This experience was sponsored and supported by the makers of Lactaid (wink wink). Jacquelyn is self-diagnosed with lactose intolerance. She sacrificed a lot for this article, but she has zero regrets.

Featured Spots to Get Pizza In Redlands

• Gourmet Pizza Shoppe Redlands
• Jerseys Pizza
• La Volata Pizzeria
• Surfer Joe’s Eatery

4 Can’t Miss Redlands Pizza Destinations

Fun Fact: Ian’s Alma Matter/First Job ever

Host: Laura

Nearly 17 years ago, Ian was an eager teenager craving some funds and independence when he applied to work at the Gourmet Pizza Shoppe Redlands. He has shared his stories of high jinx, weird pizza creations, and strange lunch order (deli turkey and avocados). Ian worked at the Shoppe for roughly 4 years. He had a blast the entire time. The same family who owns it today and has nothing but praise for Ian and his hard work in the kitchen!

This little slice of Italy known as Gourmet Pizza Shoppe Redlands was started 25 years ago in downtown Redlands. “On a Pizza!?” is their slogan and I think we said it a few dozen times while reading their extensive menu. They have 75 pizzas on their menu (yeah!) with even more possibilities to create a pizza on your own.

As you can imagine, the possibilities are endless! Along with their substantial pizza menu, they also have classics like buffalo wings, garlic bread, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and desserts. We got to try their dessert pizza called “The Great Pumpkin,” which has pumpkin pie mix, candied pecans, light jack cheese (I know), marshmallows, and some festive spices. 

Additionally, Gourmet Pizza Shoppe can make a wide variety of vegan pizzas. Have your eyes on two different pies? Get the best of both worlds with the half-and-half option where you can get two different flavor combinations on one pie!

Our Order

• Annie Oakley. This is always my guilty pleasure. It has ranch dressing, chicken, bacon, angel hair pasta, mozzarella cheese, and seasoning.
• The Bulldog is an ode to The University of Redlands mascot. It has a base of alfredo sauce with chicken, spinach, tomato, garlic, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
• The Rio has refried beans, enchilada sauce, black beans, white rice, green chilis, tomatoes, red onions, jack and cheddar cheese, and corn tortilla chips as the final topping.
• The Kiss has mashed potatoes, BBQ sauce, chicken, mozzarella cheese, and is drizzled with more BBQ sauce.
• The Wild Mayan Was hands down the “wildest” pizza we tried. It has peanut butter for the base, bacon, red onion, mozzarella cheese, and topped with Cholula hot sauce. This one I was a bit skeptical about. Luckily, Ian was very encouraging and insisted I give it at least a try. I was pleasantly surprised! This crazy combo was so good! 

Upcoming:

You can reserve a few tables for any event; just give them a call. They can also accommodate large groups of people. Want to take it home? Check out their “take and bake” pizza that you can cook at home. Or skip the drive all together. They have partnered with third-party delivery systems to help get the pizza to you!

Fun Fact: New Owners, Same Quality ingredients

Hosts: Holly and Joey

This unassuming pizzeria might not boast a flashy exterior or trendy gimmicks. But what it lacks in pretension, it more than makes up for in mouthwatering pizza, warm hospitality, and a sense of community that keeps you coming back for more.

This downtown pizzeria is host to Yankees fans believe it or not (booo). They are open every day except Tuesday. During the week they offer lunch specials, as well as pizza by the slice! So if you’re downtown and looking for a quick bite, Jerseys has you covered.

In their nostalgic restaurant, they have a bar top and serve a wide variety of beer and wines. If you belly up to the bar, don’t be surprised to meet Stu, the restaurant’s regular. (We met him!) 

They have added a few new appetizer items like garlic bread, BBQ bacon bread, and Caprese Bread. We also got a pro tip from the bartender Joey — he suggested asking for “meat sauce” on the pizza instead of marinara to level up their classic pizzas.

Our Order:

• The Vegetarian Pizza has mushrooms, green and red onion, sweet red bell peppers, broccoli, and is topped with parmesan cheese. I typically don’t like vegetarian pizzas because I am not a fan of green bell peppers. Luckily, this pizza has everything but! The broccoli is my favorite addition and it’s cooked perfectly and crispy!
• The Bullfighter has chorizo, jalapeno, and onion. This one was HOT — in the best of ways! We also got to try it with their spicy ranch, which gave it quite the kick.
• The Spicy Chicken has a base of spicy BBQ and traditional pizza sauce, green onions, cilantro, shredded carrots, pineapple, and chicken. This flavor packed pizza was very unique and equally delicious. (For the record, we are proud pineapple on pizza lovers.)

Upcoming

If you’re looking for a place to rent for your next birthday celebration or even host a Super Bowl party, you can rent out the entire restaurant! They have a few TVs to catch up on your favorite sports games all year round. Their lunch specials include a slice and beer, mini lunch specials, a spaghetti meal, or a slice and a salad.

Fun Fact: Classy Community

Host: Lori

La Volata isn’t just a place to eat. It’s a hidden gem where food, art, and passion collide. Whether you’re looking to indulge in a gourmet pizza or treat yourself to an unforgettable evening, La Volata delivers more than amazing pizza fresh out of the wood-fired brick oven. 

This is one of our go-to date night destinations. It’s held a special place in our hearts for 10 years (and counting)!

La Volata also has some amazing pasta, desserts, curated charcuterie, and a few starters. Lori insisted we try the seasonal ricotta topped with carrots, spiced cashews, and honey. It was served with bread made from pizza dough. It was so good!

The restaurant sources the majority of its ingredients from local farms and producers as well. We also got to sample a few of their Autumn-inspired cocktails that complemented the dishes perfectly.

Our Order:

Since we know and love our favorites, we decided to expand our horizons and venture to their seasonal pizzas. 

• Fall’a Lori (named after the owner) was the first pizza we tried. It had a base of cranberry spread, gorgonzola, crispy prosciutto, and pecans. It’s topped with fresh arugula. Most of the employees said that it reminded them of eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! That was true! This was fun.
• Fall Verdura was our second pie. It had a pistachio ricotta base, red onion, fontina, and topped with chopped pistachios. This one was the perfect combination of fall in a pizza.

Upcoming:

They are currently celebrating their 10th anniversary by showcasing all of their fan favorites on their fall menu. This includes bringing back some classics and showcasing employee creations!

Along with their pizzas, they have a fun menu that changes each season. One of their bartenders recently won the Redlands Chamber of Commerce Cocktail Competition, and the winning drink is on the menu. We highly recommend treating yourself to the award winning Kettle Corn Martini!

You can reserve a table for any event. Need something specific? Be sure to call the restaurant for help. I had my bridal shower here a few years ago and the staff made it extremely memorable. 

Fun Fact: Local Staple for a Slice and More

Surfer Joe’s Eatery is tucked next to our friends from Wild Goose off of Lugonia. It has been serving this community since 1991. Even though it’s on the quieter side of town, Surfer Joe’s eatery transports you to the beach.

Their menu is always expanding, but they are known for their home made bread, wings, salads, potato wedges, and — of course — pizzas. Back in the day, I used to work across the street from Surfer Joe’s. My order was always a classic turkey sandwich. When I wanted to spice things up a bit during my work day, I would order a small pepperoni and cashew pizza. It sounds like a strange combo, but I highly recommend it! 

Our Order: 

• Pastrami Pizza had a base of a classic red sauce, mozzarella cheese, pastrami, spicy mustard, and pickles! This pizza was so good. As a pickle lover, I have never considered putting them on a pizza, but now I think I have a new favorite.
• The Spicy Chorizo had a similar base of red sauce and mozzarella cheese, but was topped with jalapenos, chorizo and pepperonis. This Pizza was delightfully HOT. It definitely packed a punch.

Upcoming

You can rent out their surfer space for any event, celebration, or sports game! You can get their pizza delivered to you via Doordash if you can’t make it! Also if you’re enjoying a beer at Ritual Brewing Co. across the street, you can order at the bar, and someone will walk it over to you! Talk about service!

For dessert you can enjoy their new recess cup cookie or (my personal favorite) their homemade baklava. There is chat about beer and wine coming to surfer joes very soon to enjoy with your pizza or other menu favorites, so stay tuned! 

Show Your Redlands Pizza Shops Some Love

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times — let’s support our local shops and restaurants! Beyond being a regular patron (which we strongly encourage), the best way to support your Redlands pizza shops is with a positive social review. An @mention with a positive review plays can go a long way in helping small businesses. 

Make your mention go even further by tagging About Redlands to get your post re-shared!

The restaurants showcased here provided complimentary drinks and food to our guest contributors. About Redlands works incredibly hard to support all of our local businesses. If you have a business you would like showcased, please send us a note on social media or an email. We’d love to talk to you about being highlighted on our blog!