keltickennedy
Member
I've had that same pizza a year ago on vacation with my girlfriend. Ended up giving it to a group of kids hanging out by the pool.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Let's talk about mainstream pizza chains
- Thread starter shinobi602
- Start date
- Status
I've had that same pizza a year ago on vacation with my girlfriend. Ended up giving it to a group of kids hanging out by the pool.
shinobi602
Member
You guys want the worst pizza, go to Golden Corral. Downright awful.
National chains? Papa Johns, though after almost a decade of avoiding Dominos after how terrible it used to be, I have to admit they've really stepped things up and are pretty good. Pizza Hut is the WORST.
I suppose for local-ish but still chains I'd have to go with Ledo's. Honestly probably some of my favorite pizza even though I know they aren't "traditional" in any way (square pizza, sweeter than usual sauce, provolone cheese).
I suppose for local-ish but still chains I'd have to go with Ledo's. Honestly probably some of my favorite pizza even though I know they aren't "traditional" in any way (square pizza, sweeter than usual sauce, provolone cheese).
ZQQLANDER
Member
Fucking Costco.
Domino's gets the job done too
Domino's Bacon+Jalapeno Cheesy Bread is phenomenal.
CMojicaAce
Member
Anyone ever have Crispy Crust? Is it any good? There's one relatively near me and I'd like to give it a try.
keltickennedy
Member
Is Fox's Pizza just east coast? That is Pizza Hut levels of shit. Maybe one tier above.
We have one by me in Ohio; I thought it was a standalone until I saw one when I was in Atlanta. It's not too bad.
Delivery options for local places are also often completely nonexistent. Places that do deliver can have spotty service since managers are focused on running a restaurant rather than a delivery operation and as such won't want to have a lot of drivers. And they won't want those drivers going very far away from the store.
National chains are almost all pretty much delivery-focused at this point, and tend to offer a wider delivery radius than local joints.
If I had to guess I'd say that and price are the two biggest reasons people go with national chains.
Unhandled Exception
Member
There's one in the Denver area (or was a few years ago). Fucking trash pizza, first time I've ever seen American cheese on a pizza. What the fuck.
That is true, I agree. Dominos for example could be seen as selling their delivery, not their pizza. 30 minutes or less, pizza tracker, etc...It's always been more about the delivery than the actual pizza for them.
You've never had Peter Piper Pizza I take it.
Psychoward
Banned
The worst pizza I've ever had was the pizza hut in Great Wolf Lodge in PA. Saying it tasted like cardboard would be doing it favors.
Unhandled Exception
Member
I think you mean CiCi's Pizza.
TheCowboyPoet
Member
Yeah I can't believe no one else had said Panago, that's clearly the best.
Westshore Pizza my man.
Tastes like they got Chef Boyardee and spread it on cardboard. It doesn't stop them from winning awards every year at a certain notable newspaper where the owner may or may not be related to multiple persons working there.
What a joke.
CharminUltra
Member
Sbarro is my favorite New York Pizza joint.
Here in Ohio there is a really big chain called Donato's that is really good. Thin crust cut into rectangles. Really good sauce, good toppings. I always thought it was a national chain but I think it's fairly local. There's just a ton of them all around here.
As far as national chains go, I think I prefer Domino's to Pizza Hut, while Papa Johns is probably last. Little Caesar's is kind of a different thing entirely.
As far as national chains go, I think I prefer Domino's to Pizza Hut, while Papa Johns is probably last. Little Caesar's is kind of a different thing entirely.
Crazymoogle
Member
Panago is my favourite in Vancouver, but sadly it's basically just a west coast Canada chain.
speculawyer
Member
This is a joke, right?
If you are talking about chains 2 bros is the best for me. Only a NYC chain but their $1 slice deal and NY taste put it at the top of my list.
For the west coast it's a tie between Round Table and Mountain Mikes for me. Both have great skins, killer sauce, and quality toppings that are hard to beat.
As for larger more "mainstream" chains. I think Cosco wins for its combination of cheap, tasty, and huge, though not a dedicated parlor.
Otherwise Caeser's gets the job done. Especially with it's hot n ready promo.
Honestly I just wanted to use this excuse to post pizza pics.... I realized while working at a parlor over a decade ago that it's the one food I can never tire of.
For the west coast it's a tie between Round Table and Mountain Mikes for me. Both have great skins, killer sauce, and quality toppings that are hard to beat.
As for larger more "mainstream" chains. I think Cosco wins for its combination of cheap, tasty, and huge, though not a dedicated parlor.
Otherwise Caeser's gets the job done. Especially with it's hot n ready promo.
Honestly I just wanted to use this excuse to post pizza pics.... I realized while working at a parlor over a decade ago that it's the one food I can never tire of.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
You know, the only major chain pizza I've eaten in the last five years is Little Ceasars. Not bad, not great, certainly cheaper than the competition and a reliable choice for catering. When I was still in middle-school, baking Papa Murphy's was always good eatin'. The pies never cost too much, they were oily and delicious as fuck, and so we basically stopped ordering Papa John's for family dinner at that point (good riddance, that corp treata everyone like shit).
I've heard excellent things about Mellow Mushroom Bakers. They've got a store in downtown McKinney, no surprise given they're a southern chain. The place I go to for a regular pie is Brooklyn's, which is a tad pricey but does good dine-in and an excellent variety of items (New York pizza through stromboli). Market Street slices are good, too...still haven't tried the fabled Costco pizza, though.
I've heard excellent things about Mellow Mushroom Bakers. They've got a store in downtown McKinney, no surprise given they're a southern chain. The place I go to for a regular pie is Brooklyn's, which is a tad pricey but does good dine-in and an excellent variety of items (New York pizza through stromboli). Market Street slices are good, too...still haven't tried the fabled Costco pizza, though.
Kitsunebaby
Member
Pizza Hut is the only national chain I can stand. Their thin and crispy style crust is pretty good, their sauce has the most spice, and their pepperoni gets nice and crispy. Some people complain about greasiness, but that leaves me wondering why they're getting pizza in the first place.
For smaller chains I like Coal Fire Pizza and Ledo's Pizza here in Maryland. Mellow Mushroom Pizza is pretty great, too.
For smaller chains I like Coal Fire Pizza and Ledo's Pizza here in Maryland. Mellow Mushroom Pizza is pretty great, too.
Wafflecakes
Member
I agree. By far the most bang per bunk in my experience.
Believe it or not a good pizza shouldn't be covered in grease, especially the crust.
PeskyToaster
Member
The Mitten sends its regards.
Jet's is really good. I also enjoy Domino's after all the changes they made.
Kitsunebaby
Member
True, but the cheese needs a high enough fat content that it doesn't burn on the top like Dominos' constantly does. It's only common sense that if you cover a pizza with full fat cheese and cured pork products that there's probably gonna be a little grease.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Really? They're all over here. I'll have to try them.
As for the others, Little Caesar's is my favorite. Domino's is serviceable. Pizza Hut is terrible. Just awful.
Avid Reading Horse
Member
Papa John's is OK. Dat dipping sauce gimmick. But I'd rather go with a local place. There is a serviceable option a block away, so I have no need of the chains. Honestly I'd rather just cook up a DiGiorno than get Domino's or Pizza Hut at this point.
old
Member
Papa Johns is tasteless. Has no flavor.
Pizza Hut is too sweet and the cheese doesn't look/taste right.
Dominos is serviceable for cheap delivery pizza.
Little Caesars hot n ready's are great for when you want/need a carry out pizza right now, but you can get better take-n-bake pizzas for 5-6 dollars at the grocery store deli.
Pizza Hut is too sweet and the cheese doesn't look/taste right.
Dominos is serviceable for cheap delivery pizza.
Little Caesars hot n ready's are great for when you want/need a carry out pizza right now, but you can get better take-n-bake pizzas for 5-6 dollars at the grocery store deli.
Not gonna lie, I love Pizza Hut, especially their stuffed crust pizza. I've found that Costco's pizza is overrated.
The one pizza chain I dislike is Pizza Pizza here in Canada. It tastes good while it's fresh and warm, but keep it the fuck away from me when it's cold and stale.
The one pizza chain I dislike is Pizza Pizza here in Canada. It tastes good while it's fresh and warm, but keep it the fuck away from me when it's cold and stale.
Sure but with Pizza Hut what ruins it for me is that their crust is soooooooo bready and somehow soooooo greasy.
Alligatorjandro
Banned
I like dominoes
Mountain mikes doesn't hold a candle to round table imo. They skimp on toppings
It depends on the place you're eating, but I've certainly eaten at some "authentic" places that have low quality pizzas that are easily beaten by Dominos'.
What I absolutely fucking hate are pizzas that emphasize the tomato over the cheese, thusly passing off their pizza as "real". Some places have a truly disgusting habit of doing this, and although Dominos' obviously isn't a top tier pizza, you can be sure that you'll get a good amount of cheese from them because you can custom order.
Costco pizza is pretty damn good if you eat it right after it comes out of the oven. Quality goes down the longer it sits. Domino's is my favorite delivery, the crust is soooo good. I use to hate Domino's, but they really turned around. Not sure how nationwide it is, but Black Jack pizza is odd. I don't like it fresh, but its bomb as left over pizza.
The Vallejo one and Bakersfield one's have been pretty nice to me. For mikes though it's really about the sauce and BBQ chicken pizza for me. They used to also have some killer Tuesday deals. But your right about difference of topping coverage between the two. Round table consistently has enough toppings that half fall off while eating. (even when you fold)
canoli2006
Member
Has anyone gone to a sit down Pizza Hut recently? Do they even exist anymore? I used to love their pizza back in the 80s.
Yes they still exist and most of them have lunch buffet which is the only reason I'd still go to Pizza Hut.
Some of the mentioned places aren't really nationwide.
Around New England, the best wide chain is Papa Gino's. There are still plenty of other ones, that is just the most recognizable.
If I had to fuck with the major three?
Dominos > Papa Johns > Pizza Hut (I have a craving for them a couple times a year)
Around New England, the best wide chain is Papa Gino's. There are still plenty of other ones, that is just the most recognizable.
If I had to fuck with the major three?
Dominos > Papa Johns > Pizza Hut (I have a craving for them a couple times a year)
canoli2006
Member
Is it me or was the pizza better in the restaurant.
- Status