The Brief

I love cheese and butter, and I swear I could eat a steak for dinner each and every night. I think I naturally align with a keto or low-carb lifestyle. Except the one thing I could never, ever give up is — pizza.

Savvy businesses across Southern California know this, and many have created low-carb or “keto-friendly” pizzas. Are they any good? I decided to find out.

Before I get to the findings, here are a few cautions: I have yet to find a low-carb or keto pizza that really, truly replaces the real thing. None of these pizzas on the list will be confused for a slice of the Margherita at Pizzeria Mozza.

Instead, the spots on this list will help you scratch that pizza itch without straying from low-carb goals that many of us adhere to as a way to keep blood sugar and weight in check. (Remember that choice of topping makes a difference when you’re carb counting — best to stick to cheese or meat options).

I also gave my test slices some broiling time in the toaster oven before eating, and I had a side of ranch for dipping too. (I figured these faux pizzas could use all the help they could get.) YMMV if you don’t take these extra steps.

Finally, many of these places do not go into great detail about the ingredients in their low-carb crusts. Where the information was available, I included it. If you have a food sensitivity, you might want to do more research before chowing down.

Here are six of the best low-carb and “keto-friendly” pizza options I could find in and around L.A. and Orange County. But I bet I missed some others. If you know of a great place making low-carb pizza, please let me know.

Stoney’s Pizza in Huntington Beach

I will be ordering this white sausage keto pie again and again.

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This was so good that my husband described it as “suspiciously good.” As in, we found ourselves eating as we wondered … could this really be “keto friendly," as stated on the menu? As well as gluten free? Hmmm. Owner Jennifer Kulik said via text that the dough is housemade, and includes cauliflower, zucchini, roasted red peppers “and some other secret ingredients we won’t say.”

This version only comes in a 12-inch pie. I certainly wasn’t fooled into thinking this was the real thing. The texture was a tad chewy, verging on a bit gummy. But the menu — and Kulik — say the entire 12-inch pie crust has only 10 net carbs. A crust that is a little gummy seems like a fair tradeoff when a “real” 12-inch pizza crust could easily pack over 150 grams of carbs.

I ordered the Keto White pizza, with fresh mozzarella, ricotta, romano cheese, oregano and a drizzle of garlic-infused oil. My husband and I wolfed it all down while standing at the kitchen island. No leftovers.

Verdict: Meet my new neighborhood pizza joint. I’m putting in a standing Friday night order.

Price: $13.99 and up, depending upon toppings.
Carb count: The 12-inch pizza crust only has 10 net carbs. For the whole thing!

Papa Johns in Los Angeles and Orange counties

Low-carb tortilla pizza is in your future.

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This almost didn't make the list because ... it's not actually a pizza. There's no attempt to fake a crust here. This is just about Papa Johns pizza toppings served up in a bowl. I tried the chicken alfredo, and the Italian Meats Trio, made with sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, bell peppers and onions. It absolutely hit the spot, even as I still wished for some kind of crust. So here’s what we did: We made our own pizzas using low-carb tortillas.

Here's how to do it: Find a low-carb or keto tortilla of your choice. Toast it up just a bit in the oven, slather on some of the Papa Bowl as your toppings and then finish it off under the broiler with a little more cheese on top. DIY low-carb tortilla pizzas. You're welcome.

Verdict: I know there will be people who turn their noses up at this chain known for bargain-basement pizzas. But if you’re trying to stick to low-carb goals, then this Papa Bowl can help keep you on track.

Price: $8.49
Carb Count: 15 grams for the entire bowl (which seems far too rich for one person to eat in one sitting, so… leftovers!).

Fresh Brothers in Los Angeles and Orange counties

This take-out pizza was especially good once it was reheated, and made for plenty of leftovers.

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Fresh Brothers is a fast-casual pizza chain that emphasizes fresh ingredients and a healthier bent. Wings are baked, not fried, for example. And the salads are ah-mazing. The menu says they offer a keto crust, but I couldn’t find one in the area and I was told by a server in Irvine that they no longer do keto crusts.

But Fresh Bros. does make a “skinny dough,” and their website says these clock in at 14 grams of net carbs for two slices. There is also a personal 7-inch pizza crust that only has 20 grams of net carbs for the whole thing, and that can easily be shared with two people, so two slices apiece. (Of course, I’d rather eat the whole thing myself, but two slices of pizza for 10 net grams is not bad!) So that earned Fresh Bros. a spot on this list. I ordered the Charcotta, seen here, with double pepperoni, ricotta, mozzarella and parm and then a personal size pizza, half pepperoni and half sausage.

Verdict: Would absolutely order again. I think a great dinner would be splitting a salad such as the California Caprese or simple green salad and spliting a personal pizza heaped with low-carb toppings. That would absolutely scratch the pizza itch.

Price: $9.49 and up, depending upon the toppings
Carb count: 10-14 net carb per two slices

Xtra Cheese in Whittier

Xtra Cheese in Whittier is known for its Halal Detroit-style pizzas — and for piling on the cheese. If you like thick-sliced pizza, you are going to love this place. They offer up 8 x 10” slabs of low-carb crust pizza just dripping with cheese. In fact, the cheese-y burnt edges are a selling point. I was never fooled into thinking this was the real thing, The thick slab keto dough might be too doughy and dense for some, and it’s also a slightly purplish to light gray color, almost like kalamata olive bread. But, overall, it did hit the spot.

This place is also known for its inventive toppings, including piped ricotta flowers. There's the street taco pizza (carne asada, jalapeno, radishes and creamy cilantro drizzle), the shawarma pizza (chicken shawarma and pickled turnips topped with garlic sauce), the cheeseburger (ground beef, pickles and American cheese) and the chipotle shrimp (shrimp and a spicy chipotle cream sauce), among others. If you want to drool, scroll through their IG feed.

Price: $25.99 and up. Pricey, but you will have leftovers because the pie is so huge.
Carbs: Not available on the website

Pizza Man in North Hollywood

Not sure you can beat this deal at Pizza Man for an L.A. pizza that advertises itself as keto: $17 for a small pie, with up to six toppings of your choice, not including the cheese and sauce.

We ordered a simple sausage and onion pie from this no-frills spot that also serves salads, pastas, wings, sandwiches and more, making it a nice option for group ordering (as it allows you to stick to your low-carb game plan while everyone else can also get exactly what they want). Some of their specialty pizzas include the Mediterranean, with feta and basil, the BBQ chicken, the buffalo chicken, and the chicken alfredo, all available on keto crusts.

The verdict: Would happily order it again. Split a keto pie and a salad for a Friday night meal that won’t lead to a carb hangover in the morning.

Price: $17 and up, depending upon toppings
Carbs: Not available on the website

Pizza Boy in Glendale

If you look closely, you can tell that there's something different about this pizza crust. It's made from chicken for a zero carb treat.

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Can you get more low-carb than zero carbs? No, you cannot. Pizza Boy in Glendale makes several keto-friendly pizzas, including a pizza crust made out of chicken. Yep, chicken. Other available low-carb crust options include zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, almond flour and coconut flour crusts, plus many more for those with food sensitivities.

We ordered the chicken alfredo version and TBH, the chicken crust was a little strong-tasting, and it verged on being a bit crumbly. But then I reminded myself that I couldn’t judge it against the real thing … and we ate it all. This place is serious about keto pizzas, and offers up an attractive variety including a BBQ chicken, chicken alfredo, and feta and sujuk versions as well as build-your-own options.

The verdict: Chicken crust is not for me, but it could be for you if you are dedicated to a low-carb lifestyle. I was impressed at the lengths this place goes to for people looking for alt-pizzas.

Price: $23.49 and up, depending upon the toppings
Carbs: Zero carb crust, so ultimate carb count depends upon your toppings

President Donald Trump launched a military strike against Venezuela overnight, resulting in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

In a news conference this morning, Trump said the U.S. is going to "run" that country, until a proper transition is in place.

California lawmakers are reacting to the attacks.

"Nicolás Maduro was a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela, terrorizing and oppressing its people for far too long and forcing many to leave the country. But starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution, it further erodes America’s standing on the world stage and risks our adversaries mirroring this brazen illegal escalation," says Sen. Adam Schiff, a democrat.

Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, who represents areas including Murrieta and the Temecula Valley, says President Trump, "has taken strong action to protect America’s homeland from neighboring threats of narcoterrorism and the scourge of deadly narcotics. The Trump administration has my full support."

Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla says, "Let’s be absolutely clear: Trump’s military action in Venezuela is unlawful without approval from Congress."

California Governor Gavin Newsom did not directly commented on the attacks. He zeroed in on a comment Trump made about the L.A. fires during the news conference.

"Unless Trump is finally delivering the federal aid survivors need to rebuild after the horrific fires — nearly a year after California first requested it — he should keep Los Angeles out of his mouth," Newsom's office says on social.

Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face a raft of charges in the United States following President Trump's announcement early Saturday that the U.S. attacked Caracas and took them into custody.

Maduro, Flores and senior Venezuelan officials face charges related to alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies," according to an unsealed indictment posted on social media Saturday by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The indictment alleges that, starting in 1999, the defendants partnered with international drug trafficking organizations to ultimately transport thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States.

Maduro and his wife "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," Bondi wrote in an earlier post on X.

The new indictment adds to charges from the first Trump administration, when the U.S. Justice Department announced a federal indictment against Maduro in March 2020.

That indictment alleged that Maduro was the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, and that he and other defendants took part in a narco-terrorism conspiracy with the Colombian guerrilla group known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Prosecutors said that the Cartel de los Soles was made up of high-ranking Venezuelan officials who abused the Venezuelan people and corrupted the nation's institutions to import large quantities of cocaine into the United States.

According to the 2020 indictment, Maduro helped manage and ultimately lead the Cartel de los Soles, which sought to get rich and flood the U.S. with cocaine, allegedly using the drug as a weapon against the United States.

Prosecutors said that Maduro helped negotiate multi-ton shipments of cocaine, and directed the Cartel de los Soles to provide military-grade weapons to FARC.

He also allegedly coordinated foreign affairs with Honduras and others to facilitate large-scale drug trafficking.

The current Trump administration has ramped up the pressure over the past year. In November 2025, the U.S. designated the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization.

The new indictment released Saturday reiterates these charges and also alleges that Maduro "partnered" with organizations including the Sinaloa Cartel, the Zetas and Tren de Aragua.

Separately, the International Criminal Court has been investigating the Venezuelan government for alleged torture, sexual violence and arbitrary detentions.

This is a developing story, which may be updated.

The impact of the Trump administration's stunning airstrikes and "capture" of Nicolás Maduro already are being felt well beyond Venezuela's borders — the most significant U.S. intervention in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

President Gustavo Petro in neighboring Colombia announced that security forces were deployed along the border to prepare for a possible refugee influx. Colombia hosts the largest Venezuelan diaspora.

Petro confirmed multiple strikes in Caracas, including a military airbase, other installations and the legislative building. He condemned the attack as an aggression against Venezuela and Latin America, urging de-escalation.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the U.S. attack on neighboring Venezuela and the seizure of Maduro, saying the strikes "crossed an unacceptable line" and set a "dangerous precedent."

Lula said the action evoked "the worst moments of interference" in Latin America and threatened the region's status as a zone of peace. Despite his past alliance with Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chávez, relations have cooled since Brazil refused to recognize Maduro's disputed 2024 election victory, widely dismissed as fraudulent.

Other regional powers, including Chile and Mexico, echoed strong condemnation. Mexico called the strikes a violation of the U.N. Charter and urged an immediate halt to acts of aggression. In a Fox News interview Saturday, President Donald Trump said Mexico was run by drug cartels, adding, "Something is gonna have to be done with Mexico."

Cuba and Nicaragua — two of Venezuela's closest allies — are closely monitoring the crisis. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel labeled the U.S. action "state terrorism" and called for urgent international intervention.

Cuba, facing its most severe economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, relies heavily on Venezuelan oil. Any disruption could worsen an already dire situation, and the government in Havana — which has been in power since 1959 — has been watching the unfolding situation closely.

What's next: The global stage

Close allies China and Russia also have reacted. Russia condemned the strikes, reaffirming solidarity with the Venezuelan people. In a statement, Russia's Foreign Ministry called the Trump administration's pretext for attacking Venezuela unfounded and said if the reports of Maduro's capture were true, the U.S. action marked an "unacceptable assault" on Venezuela's sovereignty.

Despite such expressions of support, Moscow has stopped short of challenging the U.S. more forcefully amid a months-long pressure campaign by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan leadership.

China said it strongly opposed the U.S. action, condemning the move as a violation of international law. In a statement, the foreign ministry said Beijing was "deeply shocked" by what it called Washington's "blatant use of force" against a sovereign state, arguing it infringed on Venezuela's sovereignty and threatened peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the E.U. supports "a peaceful and democratic transition" in Venezuela. But she stopped short of criticizing the U.S. attack.

"We stand by the Venezuelan people and support a peaceful and democratic transition," she said, adding that any solution must respect international law and the U.N. Charter.

Venezuela has called for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, raising questions about the legality of the U.S. operation. In a statement, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply alarmed" by the overnight developments, expressing concern "that international law hasn't been respected."

Updated January 03, 2026 at 12:01 PM ET

This is a developing story.

President Trump said the U.S. will run Venezuela until a "proper transition can take place," as he defended Saturday's military strikes that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

"We're there now, but we're going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place," Trump told reporters from Mar a Lago. "So we're going to stay until such time as we're going to run it, essentially, until such time as a proper transition can take place."

Trump's remarks cap a dramatic few hours that began with reports of explosions in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, the scale of which became apparent only when the president said Maduro and his wife had been captured. Trump later told Fox & Friends that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were being brought by boat to New York where they'd stand trial.

He said U.S. oil companies would head to Venezuela to operate in their oil reserves, and the military is set to attack again if necessary to secure the effort.

"We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country, and we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so," he said.

Watch President Trump's remarks

Trump said there were some U.S. injuries sustained during the operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, but no fatalities.

"This is something that gee, I don't know, is amazing and to have a few injuries but no death on our side was really amazing," Trump told Fox and Friends ahead of his Mar-a-Lago address.

Trump told Fox that he watched the "extremely complex" operation unfold "like I was watching a television show."

Trump defended the operation, telling the network, "You know what, we did a great job with stopping drugs from coming into this country, and nobody's been able to do it until we came along. But they should say, 'great job.' They could say, 'Oh, gee, maybe it's not constitutional.' You know, the same old stuff that we've been hearing for years and years and years."

He was asked by Fox about China's concerns about control of the oil and responded that he has a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"There's not going to be a problem, and they're going to get oil. We're going to allow people to have oil, but we can't take a chance after having done this incredible thing last night of letting somebody else take over, where we have to do it again," he said.

Trump did not outline clear next steps for regime change, but noted Venezuela does have a sitting vice president and sent a warning to anyone who might continue supporting Maduro.

"Well, if they stay loyal, the future is really bad, and really bad for them. If they convert, there's a conversion factor. I would say most of them have converted. He's had very little loyalty," he said.

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