Florida Restaurant's Viral Iguana Pizza Sparks Fascination and Fury

Bucks Coal Fired Pizza in Lake Park, Florida created the "Everglades Pie" pizza topped with iguana meat during a cold snap.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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A South Florida pizzeria, Bucks Coal Fired Pizza, has gone viral for a video showing its owner making a pizza with a unique topping - iguana meat. After collecting cold-stunned green iguanas during a recent cold snap in Florida, the restaurant's owner Frankie Cecere created the "Everglades Pie" pizza, which also included venison and bacon. The video has racked up thousands of comments and millions of views, sparking both fascination and fury from viewers.

Why it matters

The use of iguana meat as a pizza topping highlights the ongoing issue of invasive green iguanas in Florida, which the state has recently allowed residents to humanely capture and euthanize during cold snaps. While some see the iguana pizza as an innovative way to address the problem, others have reacted negatively to the idea of eating the reptile.

The details

Bucks Coal Fired Pizza owner Frankie Cecere, 39, created the "Everglades Pie" pizza after content creator Ryan Izquierdo, 27, collected a number of cold-stunned green iguanas and brought them to the restaurant. Cecere then humanely euthanized the iguanas and used their meat as a topping, along with venison and bacon. The video of Cecere making the pizza has gone viral, with thousands of comments and millions of views. While many have expressed fascination with the unique topping, the restaurant has also received negative feedback, including hateful Google reviews and angry phone calls.

  • During a two-day cold snap in Florida, the state waived its law requiring permits to transport iguanas, allowing residents to capture the invasive reptiles.
  • The "Everglades Pie" pizza was made specifically for the viral video and was prepared before the restaurant opened.

The players

Frankie Cecere

The 39-year-old owner of Bucks Coal Fired Pizza in Lake Park, Florida, who created the "Everglades Pie" pizza topped with iguana meat.

Ryan Izquierdo

A 27-year-old content creator who collected the cold-stunned green iguanas and brought them to Bucks Coal Fired Pizza.

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What they’re saying

“The majority of people have loved it. We've probably received at least 1,500 calls asking if we have iguana available. A lot of people seem interested in purchasing it.”

— Frankie Cecere, Owner, Bucks Coal Fired Pizza (Fox News Digital)

“We've had a fair amount of hatred coming our way, mentioning negative Google reviews and repeated complaints from people just yelling at us on the phone for, I guess, making an iguana pizza in general.”

— Frankie Cecere, Owner, Bucks Coal Fired Pizza (Fox News Digital)

“Unbelievable. It's a little bit sweet. I equate the taste to frog legs.”

— Ryan Izquierdo (Fox News Digital)

“It was absolutely fantastic — and people really should be more open-minded, especially about using an invasive species for something that's good. I mean, you can make all sorts of recipes with it. It is a delicacy in many places around the world. And I think iguana definitely belongs on pizza.”

— Ryan Izquierdo (Fox News Digital)

What’s next

Bucks Coal Fired Pizza is still looking into whether iguana meat could ever be offered through an approved vendor, but for now, it remains off the menu.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing debate around the use of invasive species like iguanas, with some seeing it as an innovative solution and others expressing outrage. It raises questions about public perceptions of unconventional food sources and the balance between addressing environmental issues and respecting cultural norms.