Merlins Pizza in Worongary, Palm Beach and Varsity Lakes named best pizza shop on the Gold Coast
The Gold Coast’s favourite pizzeria has shared why it can’t be topped. Find out their secret.
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The Gold Coast’s favourite pizza shop has shared why it can’t be topped.
Merlins Pizza in Worongary, Varsity Lakes and Palm Beach has been voted by Bulletin readers as the best pizzeria on the Gold Coast.
Co-owner Jordan Powell said the win was supreme after taking out runner-up last year.
“We work so hard to provide good honest service and even better pizzas,” he said.
Mr Powell and Scott Jelich opened their first location at Palm Beach in 1991 and became a local favourite before expanding to Varsity Lakes in 2017 and Worongary last year.
“It all started with a little humble store,” Mr Powell said.
“I think Gold Coasters love Merlins because it’s a local small business that started here decades ago. Even though the Gold Coast has changed a little over the years, Merlins hasn’t.”
Mr Powell said their secret to rolling out the best pizzas was “consistency”.
“It’s so cliche but it’s gotten us to where we are,” he said.
Controversially, Mr Powell said he believed stuffed crust was overrated and customers should be dough-lighted with fruit toppings.
“When you put the amount of toppings on that we do, you don’t need to stuff the crust with anything,” he said.
“Personally I think fruit on pizza — whether it be pineapple, mango or banana — is underrated.”
The most popular Merlins pizza is the Excalibur with mozzarella, ham, sliced button mushrooms, capsicums, onion, spicy pepperoni, pineapple, bacon, olives and garlic sauce.
The Mega Chicken, Magic Mornay, and Chicken Avocado are also top sellers.
Mr Powell said he had his sights set on an even bigger slice of the action and was planning to open more locations on the Gold Coast.
“We are pretty ambitious and want to try service most of the Gold Coast with our pizzas,” he said.
TOP 5 PIZZAS ON THE GOLD COAST
1. Merlins Pizza, Worongary, Varsity Lakes, Palm Beach
2. Arlo’s Pizzeria, Chevron Island
3. Maries Pizza, Gold Coast wide
4. Franc Jrs, Coolangatta, Nobby Beach
5. Roy’s by Gemelli, Bundall
Check out the finalists in the poll down below.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Facebook nominations closed on Friday, January 24 at 6pm.
Nominations, via the comment section on our Facebook post, will be calculated and finalists will be announced on Friday, January 24 at 6pm.
Finalist voting will be a subscriber-only poll vote that runs on the Bulletin website.
The poll will close on Friday, January 31 at 6pm.
The winner will be announced in the Gold Coast Bulletin paper and online.
**Note nominations from outside the City of Gold Coast will not be counted**
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Originally published as Merlins Pizza in Worongary, Palm Beach and Varsity Lakes named best pizza shop on the Gold Coast