Pizza Hut and Domino’s have long dominated the American pizza scene, with Little Caesars and Papa Johns always playing catch-up.
But let’s face it – the pizza wars have intensified, and loads of new and delicious options have sprung up.
It’s not just a decision between bad grocery store pizza and Pizza Hut anymore, you know?
And because of that…
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Lots of people are now claiming that Pizza Hut has lost a step vs some of its competitors.
Are they right?
Well, that’s really for you to decide.
So get ready for some cheesy goodness, starting with one of my personal favorites:
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Where you’ll find them: Primarily East Coast, Vocelli stretches from Pennsylvania (and Ohio) in the north down to Alabama and Georgia, with outposts in a total of seven states.
All about the pizza: Excellent pizza all around (and they just introduced stuffed crust, get excited) – plus their Vocelli pizza rolls are fantastic. They’re a little pricier than your local Pizza Hut, but the quality is superb. Get the bbq chicken pizza and see what I mean.
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Where you’ll find them: 35 states, so just about anywhere you need them!
All about the pizza: Again, all about the stuffed crust. The Papa’s All Meat stuffed crust pizza is fantastic. You have to bake the pie yourself, which provides a disadvantage (you can’t eat it immediately) and an advantage (it’ll always be exactly as hot as you want it).
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Where you’ll find them: Domino’s has over 14,000 locations worldwide, including every state and tons of foreign countries. If you want Domino’s, generally speaking you can get it.
All about the pizza: Do you remember that set of commercials Domino’s ran, like, 15 years ago talking about how they fixed their crust and made their cheese a lot better? Well, they did – and today Domino’s is a great go-to pizza for tons of time-strapped parents like me.
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Where you’ll find them: Over 200 locations in 22 states, if you live in the South, you can always find a Cici’s!
All about the pizza: I don’t think anyone is going to argue that Cici’s makes the best pizza on earth – but they make it up with volume and value! If you’ve never been to a Cici’s, they do all-you-can-eat pizza buffets, and usually some of the pizzas are pretty interesting. (Think mac & cheese pizza, or pizza with alfredo sauce.) Their cinnamon dessert pizza is an all-time favorite!
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Where you’ll find them: Mellow Mushroom is in 16 states, including Georgia (their hometown is Atlanta), Texas, Nebraska, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and lots of points in-between.
All about the pizza: I’m a sucker for a good crust, and Mellow Mushroom’s is fantastic – anytime you add garlic butter and parmesan cheese to bread, it’s gonna be good! Their pizzas are a little off-the-wall (you can guess from the name), but the flavor combinations are strong and delicious. Great for the adventurous eater.
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Where you’ll find them: Costco is in most states and a ton of international markets (including over 100 in Canada alone).
All about the pizza: Costco’s pizza is big, tasty, filling, and cheap. Admittedly, you can’t get it delivered (yet), but it’s worth a quick trip to the food court for a hot pie. And while you’re there, you can pick up cheap toilet paper, selzer water, and just about anything else you can imagine!
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Where you’ll find them: MOD Pizza is in 28 states, especially on the West Coast.
All about the pizza: Good pizza with lots of modifications as needed. My vote? The Jasper or the Caspian (which is basically a souped-up bbq pizza).
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Where you’ll find them: Little Caesars has over 4,000 locations in all 50 states. It’s just about everywhere you’ll want one!
All about the pizza: Little Caesars makes my favorite thin crust pizza, which is their pepperoni. They’ve done a great job with new and interesting additions, including their “slices-n-stix” pizzas that are part pizza, part cheesy breadsticks! Also try their crazy puffs if you want a solid “pizza in a bite” with dipping sauce.
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Where you’ll find them: Marco’s is in 34 states, with stores just about everywhere across the South and Midwest.
All about the pizza: Get the pepperoni magnifico and thank me later. (Or try the pizza bowls if you’re counting carbs – all the toppings, none of the crust! It’s like the best lasagna ever.)
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Where you’ll find them: Tombstone is in basically every normal grocery store. If you’re looking for it, you can find it for sure.
All about the pizza: Tombstone is hands-down the best frozen pizza I’ve ever had. (And better than lots of “fresh” pizzas too.) They’ve just got a great balance of flavors in every slice – and because you’re baking it yourself, you can usually get it “just right” if you keep a close eye on the oven – so the crust is crispy but not burned, the cheese has melted, the pepperoni has settled in just perfectly…yum!
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I couldn’t leave without giving Pizza Hut some love! After all, Pizza Hut is, for many of us, the original chain pizza.
Where you’ll find them: Old Chicago is in 22 states, mostly in the Midwest, Southwest, and West.
All about the pizza: Great Chicago-style deep dish pizza. My favorite overall is the “Meat Me” which has andouille sausage along with all your usual pizza meats. But if you want something really different, try their Thai pie – sweet Thai chili sauce, cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack), chicken, red peppers, mushrooms, green onions, broccoli, sesame seeds, and teriyaki sauce.
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I couldn’t leave without giving Pizza Hut some love! After all, Pizza Hut is, for many of us, the original chain pizza.
Where you’ll find them: Pizza Hut is everywhere, including all 50 states and loads of other countries.
All about the pizza: Solid execution all around, their pizzas are always delicious. Try the Chicago Tavern Style for a good thin crust.
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So there you have it – eleven chains whose fans would claim they’ve beaten out Pizza Hut.
And let’s face it – they make a good argument!
But here’s the REAL question:
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Are they right?
And which have you tried?
Make sure to let us know in the comments!
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