While I may be a fellow New Jerseyan and have access to Jersey or New York-style pizza, I personally prefer a traditional Italian-style pizza! The chewy and fluffy crust of a Neapolitan-style pizza and the freshness of the ingredients really draw me in. After studying abroad in Italy and enjoying many rustic pizzas, I knew I needed to find that style of pizza here in NJ! Talula’s Pizza in Asbury Park is a unique, local eatery that creates incredible wood-fired pies right here at the shore!
Talula’s Pizza: A Must-Try in Monmouth County
I’ve been dining at Talula’s for 6+ years now, and I look forward to many more years of eating here! They have an impressive brunch/lunch menu in addition to dinner! Talula’s pizza is made with sourdough and fired up in a wood-burning oven to perfection. The light and fluffy dough is used to create a plethora of 12″ red or white pies. They offer classic options such as the “Margie” which is crafted with their homemade 4-hour tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, basil, and sea salt. Their seasonal pie, “My Little Roni”, is topped with their 4-hour tomato sauce, asiago, mascarpone, pepperoni, pickled long hots, garlic, and pecorino!
Fresh Ingredients
Everything at Talula’s is made from scratch in-house, and a lot of their ingredients are locally sourced. Talula’s pickles, ferments, makes, and bakes everything in-house including many of their cheeses, dairy-free cheeses, and ice cream! It’s truly a gem of a restaurant and you can tell how fresh the dishes are here!
Menu Options For Different Diets
Talula’s offers options for vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, etc… They make their own dairy-free cheeses and vegan “meats” including cashew ricotta, vegan sausage, vegan pepperoni, and more. As an omnivore, I love their authentic ricotta and traditional meat toppings, but the vegan ones are also delicious! If you are a cheese lover like me, I highly recommend ordering the ricotta toast as an appetizer. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
My Menu Favorites
Talula’s has an ever-changing menu that switches up with the seasons! They do have a few classic pies, such as the Margie, that always make the menu. The fresh ricotta toast($9) makes for a wonderful starter, as well as the delicious hummus with focaccia ($9). Starters also currently include house-baked bread and butter($6), creamed leak toast($14), hearty salads($13-$15), and more. Talula’s offers different starters with the seasons as well. While I love the pizza here, I did recently order the cacio e pepe entree ($17) made with hand-cut ramen, and loved it! My boyfriend has been enjoying the meatball entree ($15) lately which comes with garlic toast and fresh ricotta.
My sister loves their “Rocket” white pie which is made with house mozzarella, ricotta, garlic, cream, arugula, lemon, Aleppo, and aged gouda($19). Their current eclectic menu also includes some unique options that I have not tried yet such as their vegan crab cakes made with hearts of palm and chickpeas($18), fermented chili carbonara($18), and more. They also have a nice selection of house-made desserts. From panna cotta($10) to affogato ($8), to the “Cookie Smash”($10) which comes with handmade cookies, ice cream, caramel, and fudge. Check out the full menu here!
Talula’s Rating
Food: 4.8/5
Fresh ingredients that are locally sourced. Mainly everything is made in-house with unique menu choices that cater to a variety of dietary needs. New seasonal menu items every few months plus incredible sourdough, and wood-fired pizza.
Service: 4.8/5
The staff is always very welcoming and friendly; I’ve never had a bad experience. Food doesn’t take too long to come
Atmosphere: 4.7/5
Small, open layout with tables, benches, and bar seating. Limited outdoor seating is available in warmer seasons.
Price: 4.6/5
Price is fair for the quality of the ingredients and experience dining here. Entrees and 12″ pizzas range from $12-$19.
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
