鈥� Though Detriot Lakes' original Zorbaz has been an iconic Minnesota lakes country hangout for more than 55 years, with 10 other branch restaurants now scattered at locations across the state, it gained national recognition recently with a mention in a July 5 titled, "Our Readers' 15 Favorite Pizza Places Around the World."
"We were super excited to see that," said Zorbaz Owner Tate Jansen, who added that he wasn't familiar with the NYT reader who submitted the review, a Las Vegas resident named Conor Rayl.
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Rayl, who recommended "The Lowden" pizza, referred to Zorbaz in the article as "the greatest Mexican-Italian pizza joint in the world."
"It's also right on the lake," he added.
"The Lowden" is a pizza that combines pepperoni, cheese and jalape帽os on a peanut butter base.
According to former Zorbaz co-owner Rick Jansen (Tate's father), the pizza was first added to the Zorbaz menu in the late 1980s and was named in honor of its creator, Kenny Lowden.
"At the time, we were doing some experimenting (with flavors), because Kenny liked different things," he recalled.
One of Lowden's favorite things was peanut butter, which Rick Jansen admitted is a favorite of his as well.
"I like peanut butter on hamburgers and hot dogs, and on toast," he said. "I like to mix in some sriracha (on the peanut butter toast)."
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Tate Jansen admitted that while the Lowden has been popular enough to remain part of Zorbaz' permanent menu since it was first introduced, some customers "were a little hesitant to order it" because of the unusual flavor combination.
"I would ask people, 'Do you like peanut butter toast?'" he said, adding that if they answered in the affirmative, he would encourage them to "give it a try."
"It is pretty unique," he added.
A few years after "The Lowden" was introduced 鈥� first as part of Zorbaz' "word of mouth" menu, and a short while later as a permanent addition 鈥� Kenny Lowden went from working at the Detroit Lakes Zorbaz to the one in Perham, where he introduced a slight variation on the original, adding pizza sauce to the peanut butter base.
"At Detroit Lakes, we stuck with the original recipe," Rick Jansen said, though each location varies on whether they offer the pizza sauce addition.
He admitted that when he orders it, he sometimes "switches it up" by having the staff add anchovies to it. Though he has been retired for nearly two decades now, Jansen is a frequent late afternoon/early evening visitor at the Detroit Lakes Zorbaz, where he jokingly says he has to "do quality control on the craft beers."
He has no regrets about selling the business to his son and daughter-in-law. "He's (Tate) doing a good job," Rick said.
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"This is my 19th summer here," Tate said, adding that he and his wife Devon are owner partners in the business, which had its beginnings in the summer of 1969 at the Detroit Lakes location, in what was formerly a candy store.
At that time, its founder, Tom Hanson, was a 23-year-old drama and debate teacher and coach, and Zorbaz was only open in the summertime, when school was out.
As the business grew and became a year-round enterprise, Hanson took on his first partner, Rick Jansen. Under their leadership, Zorbaz grew to 11 locations, all on different Minnesota lakes, and the majority of them are now open year-round.
Hanson 鈥� who is also Tate Jansen's uncle 鈥� after a nine-year battle with cancer.
The Detroit Lakes Zorbaz has been added onto and renovated several times over the years, Tate said, with the on the restaurant's back patio that was completed in time for this past Memorial Day weekend.
"It provides shade from the sun and shelter from rain when we need it," he said.
But the original structure is still intact, and is what customers first see when they walk inside. For more information about Zorbaz, including a list of its other locations, visit online or check out their Facebook page at for updates on all of the live music and other events they have on tap this summer.
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