Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

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sharukh
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Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by sharukh »

Hi,

I have been eating pizza over many decades. For the first time I came across a thick crispy crusty pizza.

It is in sbarro pizza chain shop.

Please share the best pizza you found in a chain store.

As you can guess, we can't come over to your near by local shop. So only looking for national chain.

Thank you.
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Watty
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Watty »

Jets Pizza deep dish, if you like deep dish.

Bonus: I have found that the best way to reheat leftover pizza is in an air fryer so try that if you have one. It keeps the crust crispy and the top will just slightly brown which can taste great.
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bengal22
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by bengal22 »

Dewey's in southern Ohio has great pizza. Pies and Pints are also good.
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ronno2018
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by ronno2018 »

I really like https://www.tuttabella.com/menu/ in Seattle. I just like Neapolitan pizza a lot. I mean really a lot. :beer

Would be nice if there was a similar national chain. Maybe there is?
Bigt3142
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Bigt3142 »

Call me crazy but I think Flying J Travel Centers have the best pizza's.
protagonist
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by protagonist »

Do you live that far from a decent local pizzeria that you need to go to a chain restaurant? Decent local pizzerias are all over.

I can't ever recall getting a good pizza from a chain. OK is about the best I remember (Sbarros might fall in the "OK" category).
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by whodidntante »

I can enjoy chain pizza, but I mostly think about how I could be eating excellent pizza instead. And there is no excellent chain pizza that I have encountered.
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whodidntante
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by whodidntante »

protagonist wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:23 pm Do you live that far from a decent local pizzeria that you need to go to a chain restaurant? Decent local pizzerias are all over.

I can't ever recall getting a good pizza from a chain. OK is about the best I remember (Sbarros might fall in the "OK" category).
Maybe I've just been unlucky, but I would rank Sbarro in the garbage pizza category. I would seriously rather skip a meal than eat it.
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Quirkz
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Quirkz »

Honestly, I like Domino's. For a long time it was pretty bad, but they retooled a while back, and it's generally been better than the other chains I've tried.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by protagonist »

whodidntante wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:29 pm
protagonist wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:23 pm Do you live that far from a decent local pizzeria that you need to go to a chain restaurant? Decent local pizzerias are all over.

I can't ever recall getting a good pizza from a chain. OK is about the best I remember (Sbarros might fall in the "OK" category).
Maybe I've just been unlucky, but I would rank Sbarro in the garbage pizza category. I would seriously rather skip a meal than eat it.
Note, I used the word "might". I don't really recall eating Sbarros, but the OP seemed to like it.
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sharukh
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by sharukh »

protagonist wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:23 pm Do you live that far from a decent local pizzeria that you need to go to a chain restaurant? Decent local pizzerias are all over.

I can't ever recall getting a good pizza from a chain. OK is about the best I remember (Sbarros might fall in the "OK" category).
We go to local shop too, but it might not be right discussion point to get to know the pizza available anywhere in the country. So picked a national chain shop.
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sharukh
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by sharukh »

protagonist wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:41 pm
whodidntante wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:29 pm
protagonist wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:23 pm Do you live that far from a decent local pizzeria that you need to go to a chain restaurant? Decent local pizzerias are all over.

I can't ever recall getting a good pizza from a chain. OK is about the best I remember (Sbarros might fall in the "OK" category).
Maybe I've just been unlucky, but I would rank Sbarro in the garbage pizza category. I would seriously rather skip a meal than eat it.
Note, I used the word "might". I don't really recall eating Sbarros, but the OP seemed to like it.

Yes, It was the first time I saw such a thick and yet crusty pizza.
runninginvestor
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by runninginvestor »

More of a larger regional Midwest chain, but Casey's breakfast pizza is on my top 5. If you're ever on a roa trip stopping to get gas in the morning, try it.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by JakeyLee »

If I’m going chain pizza (which is all mediocre at best), then I will grab a slice at Costco. It’s not a bad slice for the price.
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jayjayc
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by jayjayc »

Grimaldi's Pizza. Yes, it's the same famous pizzeria from Brooklyn but now it's growing nationwide. Their pizza is still fantastic.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by AnnetteLouisan »

whodidntante wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:29 pm
protagonist wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:23 pm Do you live that far from a decent local pizzeria that you need to go to a chain restaurant? Decent local pizzerias are all over.

I can't ever recall getting a good pizza from a chain. OK is about the best I remember (Sbarros might fall in the "OK" category).
Maybe I've just been unlucky, but I would rank Sbarro in the garbage pizza category. I would seriously rather skip a meal than eat it.
Oh! An aristocrat! 😉
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by tonyclifton »

jayjayc wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:11 pm Grimaldi's Pizza. Yes, it's the same famous pizzeria from Brooklyn but now it's growing nationwide. Their pizza is still fantastic.
I find it weird to eat a coal fired pizza - it seems wrong to use coal as a fuel source and adds a hint of flavor Like a whiff of diesel.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by whodidntante »

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:12 pm
whodidntante wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:29 pm
protagonist wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:23 pm Do you live that far from a decent local pizzeria that you need to go to a chain restaurant? Decent local pizzerias are all over.

I can't ever recall getting a good pizza from a chain. OK is about the best I remember (Sbarros might fall in the "OK" category).
Maybe I've just been unlucky, but I would rank Sbarro in the garbage pizza category. I would seriously rather skip a meal than eat it.
Oh! An aristocrat! 😉
I always read that in a Curly voice. :happy
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by brian91480 »

Quirkz wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:35 pm Honestly, I like Domino's. For a long time it was pretty bad, but they retooled a while back, and it's generally been better than the other chains I've tried.
I like their pizza too... and Domino's is more affordable compared to many other pizzerias in my area. 👍👍

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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by doobiedoo »

Pizza Hut's pan pizza.
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ClevrChico
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by ClevrChico »

1980/90's Pizza Hut will forever have a place in my heart. Modern chain stores are fine, but not stellar IMO.
Last edited by ClevrChico on Fri Sep 30, 2022 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
mortfree
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by mortfree »

Not exactly on topic. But…

Boboli pizza crust kit to be made at home. Cheese sold separately

It should be bogleheads approved since I get 8 mini pizzas for $11.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Jags4186 »

I don’t know of any good truly national pizza. Mellow Mushroom is the best chain pizza I’ve had but it’s mostly in the south east although toppling at the locations map they have expanded to select markets outside their core region.

All of my experiences with Sbarros are at highway rest stops and not good.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by topper1296 »

Watty wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:10 pm Jets Pizza deep dish, if you like deep dish.

Bonus: I have found that the best way to reheat leftover pizza is in an air fryer so try that if you have one. It keeps the crust crispy and the top will just slightly brown which can taste great.
Love the 4 or 8 corner pizza from Jet's.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Orangutan »

doobiedoo wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:28 pm Pizza Hut's pan pizza.
I'm not sure what happened, but it's not the same as before. 90's Pizza Hut was the best.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by WingsFan4Life »

Hungry Howie's
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by SnowBog »

I'm not sure if they are in all 50 states, and they aren't exclusively a pizza chain, but Old Chicago deep dish pizza (and calzones) are probably one of the best deep dish I've found by "chain" standards.

If I'm in Chicago, there are far better options... I'm partial to Gino's and when in the mood (different type of deep dish) Lou Malnati's. But I haven't been to either since a few years before the pandemic...
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by SnowBog »

Orangutan wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:03 pm
doobiedoo wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:28 pm Pizza Hut's pan pizza.
I'm not sure what happened, but it's not the same as before. 90's Pizza Hut was the best.
Agreed. Their cheese bread used to be one of my favorites. They are a sad shadow of what they used to be...
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by protagonist »

sharukh wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:54 pm
protagonist wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:23 pm Do you live that far from a decent local pizzeria that you need to go to a chain restaurant? Decent local pizzerias are all over.

I can't ever recall getting a good pizza from a chain. OK is about the best I remember (Sbarros might fall in the "OK" category).
We go to local shop too, but it might not be right discussion point to get to know the pizza available anywhere in the country. So picked a national chain shop.
Ah, is this because you travel a lot?

My experience traveling is I usually find better pizza wherever I go than I have found in any of the chains.

That is not always true, but unless you are very risk-averse, I think it is worth the gamble and the adventure.

I suppose there are places where local pizza does not exist, and in that case I defer to others here who know the chains much better than I do. I have rarely gone to them. I do think Dominos is terrible (at least that is my distant recollection).

I'm not very elitist when it comes to pizza, either. I find "gourmet pizza" to often be inferior...when you start throwing chicken and seafood and all sorts of things on it, it is often impossible to cook the toppings properly and still have a well cooked crust.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by investorpeter »

I'm originally from NYC so I know pizza, and the best national chain store pizza is Domino's.

Sbarro's is good when fresh, but they usually let the pizza sit out for way too long before serving.

Costco pizza is also surprisingly good, though a bit too much dough and cheese for my taste.

Pizza Hut used to have good pizza but the quality fell off a cliff about a decade ago for some reason.

Also, this is excluding deep-dish pizza, which is not really pizza.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by ClassII »

Bigt3142 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:22 pm Call me crazy but I think Flying J Travel Centers have the best pizza's.
Put me in the “bad pizza is best pizza” category. I eat fancy pizza plenty but there are times where I need to go back to my college kid days with a $5 pizza.
Walkure
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Walkure »

With chain pizza, you're not expecting any miracles or major disappointments from the sauce or cheese, so it basically all boils down one's bread texture preference. Are you on Team Rubbery Carcinogens (NY style) or Team Deep-Fried Styrofoam (Chicago)? Personally, I'm on Team Garlic Dipping Sauce Shots...
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by btq96r »

sharukh wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:06 pm
As you can guess, we can't come over to your near by local shop. So only looking for national chain.

Thank you.
I can eat Sabarro, but it's usually a lack of options instead of a choice depending on where I'm at in the moment. Your own local area may have some great pizza hidden out of sight. Look into the One Bite App which is a great local pizza review source from Barstool Sports. I've found some spots I tried and now hit habitually.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by whodidntante »

Orangutan wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:03 pm
doobiedoo wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 6:28 pm Pizza Hut's pan pizza.
I'm not sure what happened, but it's not the same as before. 90's Pizza Hut was the best.
1993. They would bring it out in the pan it was cooked in, using some kind of apparatus that prevented the 642.7 degree cast iron pan from burning the server if they made the trip quickly enough. The "world wide web" was stupid and useless, but simultaneously so great that you would pay by the hour for slow access and irritate everyone in your household by tying up the phone line. The geeks would talk about BBS, Usenet, Gopher, Spyglass, and NCSA Mosaic. If you wanted to download something, you had to know the FTP commands. Don't forget to set to binary transfer mode. You might have known someone with a math co-processor. When you got an e-mail, it was a good day.
Last edited by whodidntante on Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Walkure »

investorpeter wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:31 pm Also, this is excluding deep-dish pizza, which is not really pizza.
I believe the proper culinary term is "cheese casserole."
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by jbuzolich »

Costco is great. Domino's is nice enough and unbeatable prices. Also love Mod Pizza
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by uaeebs86 »

Not a chain per se, but I went twice to one of the dollar a slice places in NYC back in August.

Not bad for a buck! A Bogleheads dream.
Last edited by uaeebs86 on Thu Sep 29, 2022 8:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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MathWizard
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by MathWizard »

Blaze pizza, something like Subway's for pizza.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Kenkat »

If you are talking about a pizza place where you can find in almost any populated area in the US, I would say Dominos. For a regional chain that I would recognize, Mellow Mushroom would be my selection.
investorpeter
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by investorpeter »

Walkure wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:41 pm
investorpeter wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:31 pm Also, this is excluding deep-dish pizza, which is not really pizza.
I believe the proper culinary term is "cheese casserole."
Or "tomato soup in a bread bowl". :sharebeer
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Random Musings
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Random Musings »

For chains, Costco is decent. Domino's in it's current form is a bit better. Been to Mellow Mushroom over the years on vacations, seems to I have taken a dip but still decent.

RM
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by FrugalFed »

runninginvestor wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:57 pm More of a larger regional Midwest chain, but Casey's breakfast pizza is on my top 5. If you're ever on a roa trip stopping to get gas in the morning, try it.
Their regular pizza is really good too. Whenever I'm in the Midwest on business, I always try to get a slice at Casey's.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Random Poster »

I’m not clear in what “chain” precisely means, but Bullman’s (only in Montana now it seems, but used to also have a location in Idaho) is fantastic.

Best “chain” pizza I’ve ever had, and I’ve specifically driven 3 days just to have it.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by SevenBridgesRoad »

We like MOD Pizza. Very good. Tons of locations.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by FoolMeOnce »

I really like Blaze's crust. (Pizza is build-your-own, similar to MOD. I prefer Blaze to MOD).

Jet's is surprisingly good. I don't get it for myself, mind you, but sometimes for my kids and I finish what they don't eat. Think and crunchy/chewy crust.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by SnowBog »

investorpeter wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 7:31 pm I'm originally from NYC so I know pizza...
...
Also, this is excluding deep-dish pizza, which is not really pizza.
Them there is fighting words... :sharebeer

I can't/won't eat deep dish all the time... But for my money, I'll take a good deep dish any day over pretty much anything else. Unfortunately, I've found few places that make good deep dish...

But I'd agree that Domino's of late has really improved. I have found memories of their late night pizza delivery in college (the college pizza place closed earlier and was mostly geese anyway). Then they were really bad for a long while... But the last time I tried Domino's, I was pleasantly surprised (again by "chain" standards)!
Last edited by SnowBog on Thu Sep 29, 2022 10:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1year23
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by 1year23 »

Have you tried Fresh Brothers Pizza? Its my favorite
cheapskate
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by cheapskate »

Zpizza and Patxis. The former is good and the latter is very good.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by lostinjersey »

ronno2018 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:20 pm I really like https://www.tuttabella.com/menu/ in Seattle. I just like Neapolitan pizza a lot. I mean really a lot. :beer

Would be nice if there was a similar national chain. Maybe there is?
I completely agree about Neapolitan pizza. If you ever get to Minneapolis, check out Punch Pizza. They have several locations in the MSP metro. Even better than Tutta Bella, if you can believe it!

I always scour this website when I’m traveling to find authentic Neapolitan pizza. https://www.pizzanapoletana.org/en/associati So far Punch is my absolute fave.
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Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Post by Dilbydog »

Mountain Mikes & Pizza Factory for a west coast chain. Nod to Grimaldi’s.
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