Hamilton restaurants making Big Mac pizza. Here’s where to find them
Who would have guessed lettuce would taste good on pizza?
Hamilton kitchens are taking inspiration from McDonald's for a specialty pizza straight off the burger grill.
Big Mac pizzas, also know by other non-trademarked names, mimic the flagship double-decker sandwich from the international fast food chain - topped with ground beef or a veggie alternative, something resembling Thousand Island dressing, pickles, white onions and diced lettuce.
For a time, the hamburger inspired pizzas were easy to find, on the menu at area Boston Pizza franchises. But the BP Big Mac pizza is no more.
So where does a hungry customer looking for a hamburger, but in pizza form, go to find a pie? Here are some places to try:
Moodys in Hess Village serves a burger inspired pizza for both vegetarians and meat eaters.
The pizza, pasta and sandwich restaurant and bar at 107 George St. has small, $15.99, and large, $20.99, pizza options. Vegan cheese and gluten-free crust are available.
Their Mac Daddy has ground beef, white onion, cheddar, processed cheese, pickles, special sauce, shredded lettuce and sesame seed crust. The Veggie Mac Daddy has all the same toppings but with veggie ground round," a soy based alternative, instead of beef.
Moodys is open noon to 9 p.m. daily. They have a large patio and are taking reservations for indoor dining. Or you can order online at moodyshamilton.ca.
Mr. Grande on Rymal is offering a six-topping McDonald's inspired pie.
It comes with classic tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, ground beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, fresh mushrooms, white onion, Thousand Island sauce and pickles.
The traditional pizza spot at 1157 Rymal Rd. E. serves a variety of sizes of their Big Mac pizza for pickup and delivery, from a 14-inch pickup pizza for about $21 after tax, to a huge 64-piece slab for about $52 after tax.
Mr. Grande is open until 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Order online at mrgrandepizza.com or over the phone.
Democracy on Locke offers a vegan version of the double-decker meat burger.
The cafe at 202 Locke St. S. has pickup and delivery options on democracyonlocke.com, but technical difficulties temporarily left their $16 Big Mac pizza off the site.
It's made with gluten or gluten-free house-made pizza dough, vegan cheese, taco flour (a cauliflower-based vegan ground beef), onions, pickles, sesame seed crust, shredded lettuce and house-made sauce.
MaiPai Tiki Bar on Barton Street East occasionally offers a McMaiPai pizza, with many of the same ingredients as the pizzas above. Watch for it on their website maipai.ca.
Jeremy Kemeny is a Hamilton-based web editor at The Spectator. Reach him via email: jkemeny@thespec.com