Birria, paneer and even pumpkin: Unusual, creative takes on pizza found in Charlotte

You can never go wrong with pizza. But if you thought your options for ordering were limited to cheese, pepperoni or margherita, you’d be mistaken.

Besides the basics, there are tons of unique pizzas available in the Charlotte area, from birria to Indian fusion and everything in between.

Check out these restaurants’ options, and spice up your dinner rotation:

Breakfast Pizza at 300 East

Location: 300 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC, 28203

Price: $18.00 for a pizza

When you want to order a pizza during brunch, head over to 300 East for its breakfast pizza. You’ll only find this selection on the brunch menu, which is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. It’s made with a house crust, red sauce and cheddar-jack cheese, then topped with chorizo, scallions, queso fresco and fried eggs.

Birria Pizza at Maria’s Mexican Restaurant

Location: 5234 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC, 28217

Price: $24.99 for a pizza

Birria is a food trend that’s taken over in recent years, and Maria’s Mexican Restaurant is one of the best to do it in Charlotte. With an entire section of the menu at Maria’s dedicated to birria, you can get everything from birria fries to birria burritos to, of course, a birria pizza. The pizza, which is topped with cheese and birria, is served with salsa, sour cream and two dipping broths.

Chapulines seasoned crickets at G.O.A.T. Pizza

Location: The Village at Oakhurst, 9623 Bailey Rd Suite 100, Cornelius, NC 28031

Price: $3.50 to add on any pizza (prices range from $15-$27)

After G.O.A.T. Pizza opens on Saturday, April 27, you’ll be able to walk on the wild side and add Chapulines Seasoned, Dry Roasted Crickets as a specialty topping to any of the restaurant’s pizzas. The protein source is popular in parts of Mexico and Central America.

Fried Calamari Pizza at Sal’s Pizza Factory

Location: Dilworth Crossing Shopping Center, 2212 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28203

Location: 3723 Monroe Rd, Charlotte, NC 28205

Price: $25.95 for a 12” pizza

Instead of getting calamari as an appetizer, why not combine it with your pizza to create a main dish full of flavor? Seafood lovers have to try Sal’s Fried Calamari Pizza, an unusual pie made without any cheese. It’s simply a tasty crust, marinara sauce and fried calamari piled high on top.

Irish Reuben Pizza at Great Wagon Road Distilling Co.

Location: 610 Anderson St, Charlotte, NC, 28205

Price: $18.95 for a pizza

The Irish Reuben Pizza at Great Wagon Road Distilling Co. is made with Swiss cheese, a three-cheese pizza blend, corned beef and sauerkraut. Not only does it taste delicious, but it’s also made with some of the freshest ingredients in the Charlotte area. All the pizzas at Great Wagon Road Distilling Co. are made with pure artesian spring water sourced from Yancey County. Water is retrieved as often as twice a month for pizza-making purposes.

Latin Lingo Pizza at Salud Cerveceria

Location: 3306 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC, 28205

Price: $18.00 for chicken pizza; $16 for vegan pizza

Both meat-lovers and vegans alike can enjoy the Latin Lingo Pizza at Salud Cerveceria. The meat version of this specialty pie is made with a spicy crema base, then topped with chicken, roasted corn, onion, jalapeños, cotija cheese, cilantro, tajin and lime. The vegan Latin Lingo Pizza comes with chili powder, roasted corn, jalapeños, red onion, vegan cheese, vegan cilantro aioli, cilantro, tajin and lime. Two different versions – both equally delicious.

[GET AN INSIDE LOOK: Go behind the scenes of a Spanish-language TV shoot at this Charlotte restaurant.]

Mexican Pizza at Intermezzo

Location: 1427 E 10th St, Charlotte, NC, 28204

Price: $17.95 for a 10” pizza, $26.95 for a 16” pizza

Intermezzo in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood is known for its Italian and Serbian dishes, but did you know it also has a Mexican-inspired meal on the menu? The Mexican Pizza is a pizza topped with seasoned beef, mozzarella, black beans, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and jalapeño. The finishing touch is a drizzle of spicy crema over the entire thing.

Omelizza Pizza at Carmella’s

Location: 1513 Montford Drive, Charlotte NC 28209

Location: 8124 S. Tryon St., Charlotte NC 28273

Location: 3150 US-21, Fort Mill SC, 29175

Price: $20 for a 14” pizza or $25 for an 18” pizza

Combine an omelet and a pizza to have breakfast for dinner with Carmella’s Omelizza pizza. This specialty pizza is made with an alfredo base, then topped with fresh scrambled eggs and bacon. Eating pizza for breakfast is never a bad idea, but it’s especially delicious when you have leftovers of this breakfast-inspired pizza in your refrigerator the next morning.

Paneer Tikka Masala Pizza at Pizza Twist

Location: 3050 Derita Rd #40, Concord, NC, 28027

Location: 3735 Davis Drive Suite 121, Morrisville, NC, 27560

Location: 311 S Polk St Suite #10, Pineville, NC, 28134

Price: $24.99 for a 10” pizza, $33.99 for a 14” pizza or $36.99 for an 18” pizza

If you can’t choose between Indian food and pizza for dinner, get both at Pizza Twist with the Paneer Tikka Masala Pizza. This pizza is made with signature tikka sauce, masala paneer, diced mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, crisp red onions, juicy tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, ginger and green chilies. It’s finished with a garnish of cilantro, packing in the flavor.

Pumpkin Pizza at Inizio (seasonal)

Location: 2230 Park Rd #101, Charlotte, NC, 28203

Location: 10620 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277

Location: 16627 Birkdale Commons Pkwy, Huntersville, NC 28078

Location: 816 Brayden Pkwy, Fort Mill, SC 29708

Price: $24.99

Inizio’s pumpkin pizza is something of a staple in the Charlotte pizza world. Unfortunately, it’s exclusively served in the fall, typically starting during September and going throughout November, until the restaurant transitions to its winter specials. But keep this one in the back of your mind for later, because you don’t want to miss the pumpkin pizza. It’s made with a savory pumpkin base, buffalo mozzarella, fior di latte, ricotta, basil and pecorino. And pro tip – there’s usually a pumpkin cannoli to pair with your pizza, too.

Shrimp Chorizo Pizza at Renaldo’s Culinary Experience

Location: 1540 West Blvd Suite #107, Charlotte, NC, 28208

Price: $15.99 for a 10” pizza

Renaldo’s Culinary Experience is serving up a Shrimp Chorizo Pizza made with shrimp (of course), mozzarella cheese, chorizo, red peppers and chili sauce. The heat from the chorizo and chili sauce balances perfectly with the shrimp. Renaldo’s also has some other unique specialty pizzas, like the Duck Pizza with duck and Cheerwine BBQ sauce and the Broad Street Bully pizza, which uses nacho wiz.