National Pizza Chain Poll

[HaRuMaN]

The McD's / Wendys / BK thread got me thinking about national pizza chains.

Which do you guys like?

My personal fave is Pizza Hut pan crust pepperoni. 

[whammoed]

For nostalgia sake partly, I prefer the pizza hut thin crust with sausage, mushrooms, and onion.  There's a couple more local places I prefer to go to of course, but they aren't national chains.

[HaRuMaN]

I think nostalgia plays a part in my choice, too.  Pizza Hut is where I was first exposed to arcade games.

Of course, now, there are local shops that I prefer, but for national chains...  gotta be Pizza Hut.

Dominos is getting better since they revamped their pizza, but I find it a bit too garlic-y for my taste.

[yotsuya]

I voted other- Peter Piper Pizza is my favorite.

[Hoopz]

Papa Murphy's if I have to buy pizza.  Cheaper and better to make it from scratch.

[Vigo]

I'm with Hoopz, Papa Murphy's is the best chain to go with.

I hate paying for pizza from chains. I gravitate towards the family restaurants and cost is always comparable. Of the chains listed, Papa John's probably tastes the best, but it is also the biggest waste of money. Two of their "Large" Pizzas couldn't even properly feed 3 people.

[Donkbaca]

Is Roundtable national?  By far the best chain

[Ginsu Victim]

Papa Murphy's if I have to buy pizza.

Must not have those around here. Never heard of it.

Cheaper and better to make it from scratch.

This is what we usually do, though sometimes a cheapy Tony's pizza from the frozen section is enough to get by on.

[Woodshop Flunky]

I have to go with "Other".  I eat Domino's for convenience... but I think the best chain pizza around my area is Red Brick.

[spoot]

I would say Old Chicago....but we don't have one here.  So, I have to go with Papa Murphys.

[Mikezilla]

Is Roundtable national?  By far the best chain

They are good, but man, they are SO expensive. And their EXTRA large is only 16 inch. Like Vigo mentioned, there are really good mom and pop places where I live, but the best deal, is a costco supreme. An 18 inch pie with sausage, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions! All for 10 bucks! Where can you get a deal like that?! Its pretty damn good too.

[Samstag]

I miss living near an Uno's.

[whammoed]

Little Caesar's for me.  Hard to beat $6 and ready when you walk in the door.

 

It's $5 here and *almost* worth it.  bleh

[whammoed]

I voted other- Peter Piper Pizza is my favorite.

I don't think Arizona, California, Texas, and New Mexico quite count as national.

[knave]

Papa Murphy's if I have to buy pizza.  Cheaper and better to make it from scratch.

Papa Murphy's Best out of the chains...but there are local places that have even better Pizza.

[yotsuya]

I voted other- Peter Piper Pizza is my favorite.

I don't think Arizona, California, Texas, and New Mexico quite count as national.

They had some in Mexico, so you could say they were INTERNATIONAL! 

[whammoed]

Papa Murphy's if I have to buy pizza.  Cheaper and better to make it from scratch.

Had a free coupon for one once.  It wasn't good.  Very greasy and bad crust.  If I'm going to buy a pizza, go ahead and bake the damn thing for me.  Don't make me do the work.
Do they sell kits or something?  I don't see how picking up a cold pizza to bake in your own oven is making something from scratch?
Now making your own pizza from fresh dough...that's good stuff:

[whammoed]

I voted other- Peter Piper Pizza is my favorite.

I don't think Arizona, California, Texas, and New Mexico quite count as national.

They had some in Mexico, so you could say they were INTERNATIONAL! 

touché

[Le Chuck]

1. Shakespeare Pizza
2. Gumby's
3. Mellow Mushroom.

Not sure if #1 is national but other two are.

[yotsuya]

Now making your own pizza from fresh dough...that's good stuff:

Agreed! 

Also, +1 on the Costco pizza. Great for parties as well!

[whammoed]

3. Mellow Mushroom.

Hmmm, didn't realize they were national since there is only one anywhere near here.

[knave]

I like Papa Murphys for a number of reasons, First I just like the sauce. We have multiple stores in my town and the pizza is a bit different from one to another. I go to my usual place and the guys will add as much or as little sauce as I want, add garlic or do whatever crazy pizza Idea I think of. I almost always use a $2 or $3 off coupon so my pizza can be between $7 to $12 depending on toppings.

I don't mind baking it myself, it takes 18 minutes I can have a few beers and watch TV, no worries. And I like my pizza cooked a little more, there's nothing like a crisp crust and the cheese toasted just right. 

The other plus is sometimes I just get a family size cheese for $6 after coupon and add my own toppings.

[Generic Eric]

Papa Murphy's

[Le Chuck]

Little Caesar's for me.  Hard to beat $6 and ready when you walk in the door.

 

It's $5 here and *almost* worth it.  bleh

There aren't a ton of them but they're coast to coast. Does the one near you do trivia competitions? Ours is the hipster hangout but man the pie is good.

[hypernova]

It's only in 6 states or so right now, and mostly here in Ohio, but I vote Donatos as my favorite chain.  Love the sauce, love the thin crust (which is actually their standard crust), love the toppings.

[Hoopz]

It's only in 6 states or so right now, and mostly here in Ohio, but I vote Donatos as my favorite chain.  Love the sauce, love the thin crust (which is actually their standard crust), love the toppings.

Donatos is good too but I still prefer Papa Murphys.  Ironically, Donatos is owned by McDonalds.

I do like the crust at Papa Murphys more than any other pizza by far.  The sauce is good but understated.  Even the basic Delite pizzas really have great flavor.

[RayB]

I've had Roundtable: Nasty
Shakey's: Nasty
Domino's is ok if you ask for it "well done", otherwise it's gross and soggy.
Used to love Pizza Hut but their pizza's are greasy. Once you wean yourself off it, you realize how unhealthy it is.

So now I stick to Pizza Nova (Toronto chain).

Best pizza EVER though was BJ's Chicago pizza in Orange County, California (either Santa Ana or Costa Mesa). Dunno if it's a chain.

[jamesjones626]

Me n Ed's pizza chain.............peperoni with extra cheese.

[kahlid74]

I prefer local pizza joints like the Social and Olive Pitt in Milwaukee but if I have to go with a chain it would be Pizza Hut for the Nostalgia.

[Vigo]

I prefer local pizza joints like the Social and Olive Pitt in Milwaukee but if I have to go with a chain it would be Pizza Hut for the Nostalgia.

In Milwaukee, the coolest Pizza joint I was at was Organ Piper Pizza. I don't remember how good the Pizza was, but the entertainment was awesome. They have a full theater organ with a slew of animatronic things the come alive to the songs when the organist was playing. The fact that the organ player will play just about any song requested maked it very entertaining.

[Hoopz]

I prefer local pizza joints like the Social and Olive Pitt in Milwaukee but if I have to go with a chain it would be Pizza Hut for the Nostalgia.

In Milwaukee, the coolest Pizza joint I was at was Organ Piper Pizza. I don't remember how good the Pizza was, but the entertainment was awesome. They have a full theater organ with a slew of animatronic things the come alive to the songs when the organist was playing. The fact that the organ player will play just about any song requested maked it very entertaining.

We had a place like that in Indy when I was growing up.  Paramount Pizza Palace.  You definitely went for the entertainment and fun not the pizza.  As a little kid, I'm sure it was fine.  I went back one before it closed and the pizza was terrible. 

Good times.   

Mom and pop places are always better than chains.  I'll pay a few extra bucks for something good rather than the average cardboard crust.

[HaRuMaN]

I haven't been to CiCi's in a few years, I didn't know they were doing that now.... that sucks.

[Mikezilla]

We used to go to Cici's quite a bit but now they hide all the food except the pizza and you have to specifically request things.  No hints as to what they have, you have to know before you got there.  I have a hard time believing they lost so much money on sliced cucumbers and black olives that they had to hide the salad bar, but there you go.  Now they paid a kid to stand behind the counter and carefully meter out croutons.

They also quit making the cheese bread.   

I dared to try the hamburger pizza when I went there for the first time a few months ago, it was surprisingly good. Its funny how the buffet costs 5 bucks and drinks are 3 

[Green Giant]

I am so confused on so many of these weird places you guys are listing.  I guess you yankees must have some strange yankee pizza cravings.

[Vigo]

They closed down both the Cici's in my area at the same time about a half year ago. Even though they both closed, each one had a sign on their door directing you to go eat at the other location. 

[Dartful Dodger]

In HS and college I'd have a few friends over and we would wanted cheap food, but didn't want to leave the basement so we'd have it delivered.

Now I don’t have time to sit in one place and wait 30 minutes for a cheap meal and if I want a pizza I’ll spend a few extra bucks and go to an Italian restaurant.

I loved Dominoes in HS, but that was almost 20 years ago. the last time I had Dominoes was right after I graduated college, there was a pool of grease in the middle of it. I can still remember how horrible it was. They now have got an aggressive marketing campaign, so maybe they’ve upped the quality too.

I think I'm just too old to have an honest opinion on this one.

[Woodshop Flunky]

...

I also love that everything is "artisan" now.

  Agreed!

If some place wants to sell an "artisan" product, I expect to see someone with a few year under their belt making my pizza.  Not someone who hasn't even finished high school.

Just call it fancier.   Wouldn't sell as well though.

[Mikezilla]

They closed down both the Cici's in my area at the same time about a half year ago. Even though they both closed, each one had a sign on their door directing you to go eat at the other location. 

  That sucks. Blockbuster did the same thing.

[lilshawn]

I'm allergic to dairy...so pizza is out.  well aaaaaallllllmost.

I have on occasion managed to get a pizza place to make me a pizza without cheese, but most with much hassle and grumbling. It's like I go into some resturaunts and let them know them i'm allergic to dairy and i get this sigh like i'm trying to make things difficult for them. I mean, I don't order a grilled cheese and complain it has cheese. I order things i know are 90% safe, and just let them know so they (or I) can check for hidden dairy ingredients.

but I Love pizza. Hate disgusing chese substitutes. would rather have no cheese on it.....

Pizza Hut basically REFUSED to not put cheese on it... phoned for delivery, CSR actually hung up on me the second I asked if they could make a pizza without cheese. another saying something allong the lines as it's used to bind the ingredients to the crust and it's not a pizza without it. So yeah, they wouldn't.

Pizza 73 (my favorite for obvious reasons) - The only home delivery pizza place so far i have managed to get delivery with no cheese. (sometimes i'll get a callback "you sure you want NO cheese on that?!") but i'd rather field 100 phone calls asking if i really don't want cheese then to get it with. AND they don't use milk products in their crust. (indication of fresh made dough not premixed crap)

NOTE: pizza 73 is not national (or even in the US for that fact) mainly Alberta, with a few locations in BC and Saskatchewan but still 

[knave]

One of my buddies has the same issue. No dairy anything, even powdered like on a dorito. I get him no cheese pizza from Papa Murphy's without any trouble.

[crashwg]

Have you all not had Dominos in a while?  They changed up so much of their pizza it's nothing like it was before.  They make the only pizza that I will eat the crust on otherwise it's just a handle to be discarded to me.

[lilshawn]

You can order pizzas from Pizza Hut without cheese.  Try online next time.

 

How in the hell is someone allergic to dairy?  I'm lactose intolerant and swell up like a beach ball if I eat pizza but I still eat through the pain.

if I take a sip of milk, lick of ice cream, my throat swells up and I choke to death. even holding a slice of cheese for more than a few moments results in my fingers getting itchy to the point I want to cut them off.

if i eat a piece of toast with bread and margarine containing whey protein, i end up with severe hives/cramping/liquid #2/vomiting.

I have a special lactose free margarine I use (as normal margarine contains whey protein) You'd be surprised at how much crap has whey in it. It's cheap, it's nutritional. (by-product of cheese making process) so they add it to EVERYTHING to try and make the "nutritional information" box look better cause now it has vitamins and crap in it.

hell side story: I bought some crawling insect insecticide. Supposed to be diatomaceous earth. cool...safe for plants and kids and animals. Double cool.  Well I spread this crap all over the place and nearly kill myself, can't breathe... later on find info online about product... F-ING WHEY PROTEIN is the attractant. great. and I just inhaled it. hospital for 2 days and wife cleans house of insecticide.

double hell side story: bought over the counter allergy pills (just in case i eat something that might be disagreeing with me) out of town. take a bunch. hour later feelsbadman.jpg take a few more. hour later feelsreallybadman.jpg on way home...read literature from box. nearly throw up... OMFG! allergy pill has fricking LACTOSE in them! WTF?! another 2 days in hospital.

TL;DR - allergic to all things milk...and they put it in everything so i eat pocket lint now.

[Le Chuck]

My best friend has a nut allergy, although not nearly as debilitating as your lactose allergy it still gets him into trouble all the time.  His throat closes within about 90 seconds of contact with the little buggers and you'd be amazed how many nut free products seem to come into contact with nuts.  We were eating Afghan rice and had to epi-pen him because the terps had boiled cashews or something in rice pot previously and the residue was enough to trigger an attack.  Usually he can tell right away because his tongue will start to swell before he can even swallow the food.  Makes visiting countries where you don't speak the language interesting to say the least. 

My nephew was glutten sensitive until he was 7.  Couldn't wear cotton either, only synths... damndest thing.  He too lived on pocket lint. 

[whammoed]

if I take a sip of milk, lick of ice cream, my throat swells up and I choke to death. even holding a slice of cheese for more than a few moments results in my fingers getting itchy to the point I want to cut them off.

if i eat a piece of toast with bread and margarine containing whey protein, i end up with severe hives/cramping/liquid #2/vomiting.

I have a special lactose free margarine I use (as normal margarine contains whey protein) You'd be surprised at how much crap has whey in it. It's cheap, it's nutritional. (by-product of cheese making process) so they add it to EVERYTHING to try and make the "nutritional information" box look better cause now it has vitamins and crap in it.

hell side story: I bought some crawling insect insecticide. Supposed to be diatomaceous earth. cool...safe for plants and kids and animals. Double cool.  Well I spread this crap all over the place and nearly kill myself, can't breathe... later on find info online about product... F-ING WHEY PROTEIN is the attractant. great. and I just inhaled it. hospital for 2 days and wife cleans house of insecticide.

double hell side story: bought over the counter allergy pills (just in case i eat something that might be disagreeing with me) out of town. take a bunch. hour later feelsbadman.jpg take a few more. hour later feelsreallybadman.jpg on way home...read literature from box. nearly throw up... OMFG! allergy pill has fricking LACTOSE in them! WTF?! another 2 days in hospital.

TL;DR - allergic to all things milk...and they put it in everything so i eat pocket lint now.

Yikes.  You must be thin.

[lilshawn]

Nope. I'm a fat ass. I eat alot of deepfried foods...seems to be the only thing that tastes good anymore. And rice. I eat rice probably 4 days a week.

Worst part is... I wasn't always allergic. I became allergic later on in life so I know how good ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- with cheese tastes and I'm no longer able to eat it.

[Mikezilla]

I would be mad all the time if that was me. Sorry man that sucks. 

[whammoed]

Nope. I'm a fat ass. I eat alot of deepfried foods...seems to be the only thing that tastes good anymore. And rice. I eat rice probably 4 days a week.

Worst part is... I wasn't always allergic. I became allergic later on in life so I know how good ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- with cheese tastes and I'm no longer able to eat it.

I have developed an allergy to most beer.  Nothing life threatening but it will ruin a meal.  I've been OK with German beer perhaps since they must follow the German purity law for brewing.  I'm thinking the allergy may be to some additive common to most brewers?  Oddly enough I have found 0 restaurants so far that stock any German beer.  I did email Buffalo Wild Wings recently and am told they now stock St. Pauli Girl per my request.    My first choice was Warsteiner, but hey, St. Pauli Girl tastes like beer.  May have to get some wings tonight.
I miss cheap beer.

[Hoopz]

I have developed an allergy to most beer.  Nothing life threatening but it will ruin a meal.  I've been OK with German beer perhaps since they must follow the German purity law for brewing.  I'm thinking the allergy may be to some additive common to most brewers?  Oddly enough I have found 0 restaurants so far that stock any German beer.  I did email Buffalo Wild Wings recently and am told they now stock St. Pauli Girl per my request.    My first choice was Warsteiner, but hey, St. Pauli Girl tastes like beer.  May have to get some wings tonight.
I like good beer.

Fixt your quote.   

I love good German beers.  That's gotta suck having a beer allergy.   

[knave]

Cheap beer is the next best thing...

[whammoed]

I have developed an allergy to most beer.  Nothing life threatening but it will ruin a meal.  I've been OK with German beer perhaps since they must follow the German purity law for brewing.  I'm thinking the allergy may be to some additive common to most brewers?  Oddly enough I have found 0 restaurants so far that stock any German beer.  I did email Buffalo Wild Wings recently and am told they now stock St. Pauli Girl per my request.    My first choice was Warsteiner, but hey, St. Pauli Girl tastes like beer.  May have to get some wings tonight.
I like good beer.

Fixt your quote.   

I love good German beers.  That's gotta suck having a beer allergy.   

Oh, I've definitely become a bit spoiled to better beer now that I must buy it, hence the craving for Warsteiner.  It's not cheap though.  I rarely buy beer.

What do you consider good German beers?
The ones commonly found seem to be
Warsteiner (not that common but still privately owned and really good)
St. Pauli Girl
Spaten
Becks

I think the last three may be owned by the same large corporation?

*****sorry for the pizza thread derail, but hey, beer and pizza go together like beer and pizza.

[lilshawn]

I have developed an allergy to most beer.  Nothing life threatening but it will ruin a meal.  I've been OK with German beer perhaps since they must follow the German purity law for brewing.  I'm thinking the allergy may be to some additive common to most brewers?  Oddly enough I have found 0 restaurants so far that stock any German beer.  I did email Buffalo Wild Wings recently and am told they now stock St. Pauli Girl per my request.    My first choice was Warsteiner, but hey, St. Pauli Girl tastes like beer.  May have to get some wings tonight.
I like good beer.

Fixt your quote.   

I love good German beers.  That's gotta suck having a beer allergy.   

Oh, I've definitely become a bit spoiled to better beer now that I must buy it, hence the craving for Warsteiner.  It's not cheap though.  I rarely buy beer.

What do you consider good German beers?
The ones commonly found seem to be
Warsteiner (not that common but still privately owned and really good)
St. Pauli Girl
Spaten
Becks

I think the last three may be owned by the same large corporation?

*****sorry for the pizza thread derail, but hey, beer and pizza go together like beer and pizza.

c'mon, I derailed with milk and no one said anything. 

I don't drink beer. Vodka shooters anyone? I have a couple of nice homemade vodka infusions. (i was making watermelon and lemon flavored vodka long before those Smirnoff losers started doing it)

[Vigo]

I am a cider drinker. I could sit on a porch and drink cider all summer long. 

[HaRuMaN]

Do you like hot Dicken's cider?

[Mikezilla]

Do you like hot Dicken's cider?

Hahaha!!! VULGAR!   

[knave]

Not vulgar, men love to have their Dicken's cider.

[Donkey_Kong]

Doesn't anyone have Godfather's? Me either. Well not within like 100+ miles, anyway. For a major chain I would vote for them.

However, there is a new pizza sheriff in these parts called Pizza Ranch. Pretty sure they are just in the upper midwest so far.

[Donkey_Kong]

Know what my post above needs more of? COMMA's!

[DNA Dan]

+1 for Round Table or any of the original laminated California crust parlours, Shakeys, Straw Hat, etc.

[shmokes]

I'm lactose intolerant and swell up like a beach ball if I eat pizza but I still eat through the pain.

I have no experience with them as I'm not lactose intolerant, but can't you just sprinkle a few lactase drops on your dairy products before eating?

[shmokes]

As silly as it is for these clearly non-artisan products to be labeled artisan, I had the new Dominos artisan pizzas a few times last fall when I moved to D.C. suddenly and was living in a motel for three weeks. They were by far the best chain pizza I've had. Still not nearly as good as something from a sit-down place with a brick oven (sorry Chad, don't be mad), but the best delivery pizza out there. Far better than Papa Johns or Pizza Hut.

[Donkey_Kong]

I never even heard of Godfather's Pizza until Herman Caine.  Turns out I've got one down the street.

 

Go check it out man, you might be surprised. The pizza sauce is what sets these guys apart (I'm a pizza sauce fanatic).  The Cinnamon Streusel is damn good, too!

Loosen the belt before sitting down...

[Hoopz]

Dominos is infinitely better than it was years ago.  

@whammoed, I prefer Erdinger's to Warsteiner, but not by much.  I generally prefer a weissbier over a dunkel.  

EDIT:  Damn typos.  

[whammoed]

Dominos is infinitely better than it was years ago.  

@whammoed, I prefer Erdinger's to Warsteiner, but not by much.  I generally prefer a weissier over a dunkel.  

I'll see if I can track that down.  I'm sure there are many good German beers in Germany.

[Le Chuck]

Dominos is infinitely better than it was years ago.  

@whammoed, I prefer Erdinger's to Warsteiner, but not by much.  I generally prefer a weissier over a dunkel.  

I'll see if I can track that down.  I'm sure there are many good German beers in Germany.

Augustiner Helles! Best bier in der wurld.  Any heffe will do in a pinch except maisel weisse... Which is nasty

[Vigo]

Doesn't anyone have Godfather's? Me either. Well not within like 100+ miles, anyway. For a major chain I would vote for them.

However, there is a new pizza sheriff in these parts called Pizza Ranch. Pretty sure they are just in the upper midwest so far.

Oh, hell yeah! Pizza Ranch is the best!    

[Donkey_Kong]

Pizza Ranch is awesome!