photo courtesy Alexas Fotos from pexels.com
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — For anyone diagnosed with lactose intolerance, finding pizza that satisfies the classic cheese taste without discomfort is hard to come by. After confirming my own intolerance to lactose with a doctor and trying lactaid pills, I finally had to make a life changing decision to give up cheese.
That choice was not easy. Cheese is found in many foods and giving it up meant changing my everyday eating habits. Ultimately, it came down to choosing a better quality of life versus having cramps, and painful stomach aches. Even after making that decision, one question remained: What am I going to do to replace my love for tasty cheesy pizza?
The answer came after discovering that Mellow Mushroom on Vaughn Road sells vegan cheese pizza. “ If you’re looking for pizza that won’t bother your stomach because you’re lactose intolerant, look no further. This is the pizza for you,” said Dendrick McGhee, an AUM senior.
According to a 2025 National Center for Biotechnology Information study written by Eric Goosenberg and Muriam Afzal found that 65% to 70% of the global population are lactose intolerant. Those affected are primarily adolescents and young adults.
For those who suffer from lactose intolerance like me, many restaurants do not offer dairy-free cheese and online reviews are mixed. So, finding pizza with vegan cheese took some time. I was skeptical at first, but that changed after trying a slice of the Vegan Veg Out pizza.
After trying the pizza I wasn’t a big fan of the mushrooms but everything else was really good. The vegan cheese had a cheesy texture and the taste reminded me of real cheese. So because of my positive experience, I decided to order a small vegan cheese pizza with regular crust minus the butter and parmesan finish.
When getting my order from Mellow Mushroom the staff was nice, my food was hot and it smelled good as well. My mouth was watering while driving, anticipating my first bite of my food. And when I arrived home and I was able to taste it, the pizza satisfied my craving. I do want to mention that the cheese has a slight sweetness, but it’s not overpowering. Instead, the cheese has a creamy, melty texture like mozzarella. As well as having a stretch to it like traditional cheese would have on a fresh cheese pizza.
Another benefit this pizza has is that it reheats well. Whether you decide to heat your pizza in the microwave or oven, the cheese doesn’t lose its texture of flavor.
However, the downside of this cheese is that it sticks to whatever it gets on so I wouldn’t recommend eating the pizza when it’s extremely hot because you will burn yourself. Overall, the flavor and texture recreated the experience I used to have when I was able to eat traditional pizza.
A reviewer from Birmingham on Trip Advisor said, “Best vegan pizza ever!”Another review on a Facebook post from a group called the Alpha Gal Kitchen noted that the vegan pizza at Mellow Mushroom is “safe to eat”, because the restaurant uses Follow Your Heart cheese with no reactions on her second visit.
However, even with these positive reviews, a Trip Advisor reviewer at a Myrtle Beach location said, “ Do not order a pizza with the vegan cheese, this was the worst vegan pizza I’ve ever had,” which showed that the quality of your food depends on what location.
I do want to make note that though I am advocating for those who are lactose intolerant to try this vegan pizza, I do want to make sure everyone knows that just because the vegan cheese is vegan that doesn’t mean it’s healthy because the Follow your Heart Brand cheese brand is still a processed product.
So, I would say try it, because I didn’t have any stomach pain after eating the pizza, and though the reviews are mixed online and the location depends on whether your experience is good. I believe this pizza is worth the try.
So eat sparely and enjoy your new found pizza.
