What's your favorite / least favorite pizza (pizza thread)

[gunn]

We have all sorts of non-tbird related threads here so after seeing some pizza themed plates (p-plates?) on the carmod rant thread, I figured we migth as well have a pizza thread.

What I Like: SF
- SF has a LOT of pizza options, including several restaurants opened by Tony Gemignani, a 13-time World Pizza Championship winner. His flagship restaurant, Tony's Pizza Napolitana, has 7(!) different pizza ovens to showcase 12 different pizza styles.
- I've also begun visiting NYC more regularly after reconnecting with my cousin and her fam. They live in the heart of chinatown (which is next-door to Little Italy -- funny how ethnic ghettos get clustered together), and everytime I visit, I try their recommendations.

Favorite Slice: Detroit style square pizza from Golden Boy (SF)
- Detroit style is square, but not an inch of cheese thick like Chicago pie style. Its a lighter foccacia style with a cornmeal crusted bottom that fries to give it an extra crunch
- Clam and garlic is NOT a typical topping choice but if you arent' adverse to it, its really delicious. Not a great first-date food though.
- Was fantastic as drunk food (I used to live around the corner in North Beach) in my 20s but still delicious sober

Favorite Shop in SF: Tony's
- As mentioned above, Tonys is good. Besides the wait (best is to get in line before they open at Noon to join the first seating), the biggest problem here are the sheer scope of options. If you don't like to wait, he also owns the Slice House next door (coal fired oven)

https://tonyspizzanapoletana.com/currentmenu

- I do like his St Lous style

Tony Gemignani’s Take On The Once-Obscure St. Louis Pizza

There are some very unusual pizzas on the menu at Tony's Pizza Napoletana – but the quirky St. Louis-style pie may just be the most unusual of all.

tonygemignani.com

Honorable Mentions: Gialiana (thin crust, very "california" topics like wild nettles), Pizzahacker (stupid name, but delicious thin crust)

What I Like: NYC
- Fun Fact: inflation has hits everywhere and while a year ago you could still find a slice of pizza for $1, that no longer exists in Manhattan. The cheapest I ifound was $1.50 for a slice of cheese pizza. It wasn't bad, it didn't make me sick, but it wasn't amazing.
My three recommendations for classic NYC pizza slice but better quality are as follows
Nolita - https://nolitapizzanyc.com/

L'Industrie Pizzeria

NY Pizza Suprema - next to Madison Square Gardens/Penn Station

What I don't Like: Thai Style Pizzas

While I'm clearly OK with clams in pizza, my cousins in Thailand have clearly gone overboard. imitation crab, fried shrimp stuffed crust, thousand island, nothing is sacred. They also mix OJ into coffee, so clearly this appeals to a different taste palate.

Final Note: Neopolitans hate pineapple
I don't mind it but these folks do

 

[MadMikeyL]

I’m a total pizza snob! Bad pizza is worse than no pizza. I don’t understand how places like Dominoes and Pizza Hut continue to exist. NY style only for me. And I would be perfectly content instituting the death penalty for anyone who order anchovies or pineapple on pizza.

 

[gunn]

I’m a total pizza snob! Bad pizza is worse than no pizza. I don’t understand how places like Dominoes and Pizza Hut continue to exist. NY style only for me. And I would be perfectly content instituting the death penalty for anyone who order anchovies or pineapple on pizza.

Mikey,I think there's plenty of room under the pizzeria tent for all shapes, thicknesses, and flavors. I don't think you can truly appreciate a good slice of pizza without having eaten a shitty slice.

Ham and Pineapple clearly isn't for pizza purists but to be fair neither is NY style pizza (FWIW, I always found the sauce on a true neapolitan style margherita pizza to be a bit too... bland.. for my tasted when even compared to the american american pizza sauce. I don't think it needs to be chock full of sugar like Pizza Hut, but it needs flavor.

Pizza Hut - Ingredient Statement Search

Pizza Hut Nutrition Information, Calories, Allergens

www.nutritionix.com

Just because general tsos chicken "isn't real chinese" doesn't mean it doesn't taste good.

 

[Grog6]

Some weed, a pile of rice, gen cho, sweet and sour chicken, hot and sour soup, egg rolls, ; I'm ready for bed!

 

[Irv]

Bad pizza is worse than no pizza.

Agreed that bad pizza is worse than no pizza. I never understood how some people can say otherwise. I've tasted some trash pizza before in college and knew it back then long before my palate became more refined. It was so bad, most frozen pizzas had more flavor and better texture. People joke about cardboard. This wasn't too far from that with badly burnt cheese on top. The sauce may as well have been corn starch and red food coloring. They got business solely due to their proximity to campus and their regular price special of 4 larges for $20 back in the aughts.

If I am given pizza with pineapple on it, I'm peeling off the pineapple and eating it by itself. I can tolerate some of the pineapple juice mixing into the sauce and cheese, even though I don't like it. But a full burst of pineapple chunk in a bite of savory pizza? I ain't having that. Also, I've only met one person who actually likes anchovies on pizza. Until then, I thought that was an urban legend.

New York style is my go-to that I'll pick 8/10 times. Occasionally, I'll go for Neapolitan and Detroit styles as well. I have to be in a fork-eating pie mood for Chicago deep dish (even though I still eat it by hand), but it's a very different dining experience. There's a Chicago pizza place somewhat nearby my old workplace that does a great deep dish, but it's so far out of the way now that I work elsewhere that I don't even bother anymore.

Over the weekend, I tasted the best New York style I've had around these parts at Carlo's Pizza which actually got me pretty excited, but it's a 25-minute drive away from home with no traffic. I later found out Portnoy gave them an 8.1 in 2020 for the frozen version of their pizza that they were shipping during the pandemic. They still ship them today. If I had to use his rating scale but take into account that I don't like my cheese burnt, I'd give the freshly baked Carlo's a 9.

 

[XR7-4.6]

New York style cheese or pepperoni is my preference, I don’t like veggie or sausage or anchovies or pineapple or anything else at all as toppings, I basically have the palette of a child. Second would be Chicago thin.

Dominoes is the worst pizza I’ve ever had, remember like 10 years ago they had the ad campaign where they’re like “we know it tastes like ketchup cardboard, but we’re changing!”? Well I had it before and after and as far as I can tell they just dipped the same old ketchup and cardboard into a vat of garlic. Good for repelling Draculas, not so good as a pizza. Pizza Hut I hate to admit I kind of like as McDonald’s level fast food slop, don’t call it a pizza and it’s tasty junk food, but it’s probably largely nostalgia based because the Pizza Hut restaurants of my childhood were awesome.

 

[Kurt K]

I really can't pick a favorite, but I know by the looks of the responses so far that St. Louis style pizza is likely hated here. I will say that ordering just cheese pizza is a waste of a topping and that pepperoni is my least favorite toping.

 

[Irv]

I've never had St. Louis style but it looks like Provel cheese is what sets it apart. I wouldn't call it worthy of hating so much as it would be necessary to turn your brain off when comparing it to a more common definition of pizza. If I had to say I hated any kind of pizza, it's one that's badly made like the place near where I went to school. We're here debating all these different regional styles, then you have whatever style you consider different national pizza chains to be, and finally there was this crap that was so bad that I still talk about it 20+ years later.

Favorite toppings would be sausage, mushroom, meatball, and spinach. If for some reason someone wants to order two toppings together which I never do on my own, then I'll pair sausage with mushroom, and meatball with spinach. I'll go with those pairings for calzones as well.

Either way, I don't like too many toppings. If all that extra weight is enough to cause a New York slice's crust to flop, then I'd rather have cheese only.

Some other less common toppings I'm good with that are more likely to be found on Neapolitan pizzas are sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto. In the category of "decidedly non-traditional that I'll eat but now I'm no longer judging its merit as pizza" is barbecue chicken.

 

[Irv]

Pizza Hut I hate to admit I kind of like as McDonald’s level fast food slop, don’t call it a pizza and it’s tasty junk food, but it’s probably largely nostalgia based because the Pizza Hut restaurants of my childhood were awesome.

Pizza Hut was one of my favorites in college because we had a Pizza Hut Express on campus in the student center that was conveniently placed in the main corridor. Even if I wasn't in the mood for a personal pan, their breadsticks were always solid. I haven't had Pizza Hut in years though aside from a random takeout/delivery pizza order by some coworker.

The times that I've been in charge of ordering pizza, there's no chance it's coming from a national chain with the lone exception of Jet's. Even then, that comes from a specific craving for Detroit style because it is heavyweight pizza.

I also won't bother with regional chains like Mellow Mushroom either, which I consider to be the most overrated pizza in the Southeast. I was turned off by them 20+ years ago when one location basically revealed that they don't make their dough in-house because they were out of large but offered to stretch a medium. Also, the outer crust has the profile of a 35-series tire.

 

[Ericv8thunderbird]

In the south shore of MA, we have bar pizza. They’re usually about 10” and traditionally baked in seasoned steel pans. I order them well done with laced edges, which is sauce brushed on the crust before baking it.

And no that’s not burnt, That is perfection!

@Rodeo Joe knows what I’m talking about!

 

[Green T]

So, my thoughts on pizza might be influenced by the local educational system here. Throughout grade school I loved and looked forward to what was probably not the best pizza in the world. But Friday "Pizza Day" rocked.!



Nowadays I dont mind the Dominos "Extravaganzza" which is a supreme. Dominos did improve a few years ago and now they have 4 crust options. Quality varies by location of course. I get a large one of these for the family about once a month and I am ok with result vs the price.




I did check out a new fancy pizza place here in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood a couple months ago and I got 2 slices and a soda for $23 +tip and I didnt think it was all that and probably wont be back there.

I suppose due to college pizza eating habits I think of Pizza as a casual meal and its not ever going to be fine dining for me; although I have been known to have a salad and red wine on pizza night if we were trying to be fancy but it is still Dominos!

 

[Vicinity]

I love a white sauce pizza with garlic, chicken and sundried tomatos. Occasionally. I'll eat one knowing I'll spend some additional time in the restroom the next day. Unlike a red sauce pizza, its good with a pickle spear

 

[Grog6]

I love pizza, lots of meat, sauce, cheese. I'm not sure I ever had a bad one. I like thick pizza; pan, chicago, detroit, or "crew pie". You only see that last one if you're partying with the staff, lol. A crew pie is a couple of crusts turned into whatever fits the oven, and all the overflow trays from the pizza building station , leftover sauce, and anything near its expiry date.
That ends up as a 2" thick, huge cheesy conglomeration that is pure nirvana!

 

[Kenz]

I really enjoy making my own. I used cheap premade crust on these ones unfortunately; real pizza dough is best.

Bacon, tomato, peppers, onion, goat cheese, and fresh basil and chili peppers from my garden. Cook on hot pizza stone at 450

No after cooking pictures, but they were really good!

 

[LukesCougar]

As a pizza shop cleaning manager, it is very difficult to decide because i eat way too much of it.

We have something called the bearded dragon that is pretty hard to get tired of- Pepperoni, sausage, banana peppers, mozz, and hot honey drizzle after its out.

Edit: i would say my favorite isnt on the menu but something id bring ingredients in and make myself. It was just pizza sauce, cheese, diced garlic, sardines, and whatever small cherry/ grape tomato i could find at the time and cook down. If you like fish and pizza i would recommend it any day

 

[Zep5.0]

I've come to be a bit more picky than I used to be. In my highschool days I would have eaten and enjoyed a tostinos, but there is no chance I'd go near that anymore. Same with Pizza hut as that was my favorite chain. Not sure if it's gotten worse or if my palette changed. I think it's been 20 years since they made a decent pizza.

Top spots:
My mom's- she lost her crust recipe, and that was the best by far. Agreed luckily still has her bread recipe.
Aurelli's -downtown Chicago - thin crust, but not NYC thin.
Other Place- Waterloo Iowa - hand tossed- seems homemade.
Any place in Rome- I miss the pizza there. The dough is just so much better from a stomach standpoint. The non-gmo grains are the different in my opinion (I have no scientific backing). Just no bloating like you often have here.

Really, if it's fresh ingredients and not a super thick crust, I'll give it a go. Basically only say no to chains and frozen pizza

 

[supergordo]

Man this thread might turn out to be worse than an open political debate thread.....

 

[LukesCougar]

Any place in Rome- I miss the pizza there. The dough is just so much better from a stomach standpoint. The non-gmo grains are the different in my opinion (I have no scientific backing). Just no bloating like you often have here.

longer fermentation, lower gluten wheat aswell. Even where i work the dough is full of the stuff but it also sets in a day. so you aren't wrong.

Its all made from scratch here but our source of flour is definitely what would cause your issues edit: and if u are eating cheap dough thats ready to go quickly your stomach is doing the work a long ferment would

 

[Grog6]

Big Ed's Pizza in Oak ridge Tn; Best Pizza on the planet! The owner Ed has passed, but it's still family owned. Similar to dominos, but better all the way.
Ed was a WWII marine, and a serious hard ass.
He tried to hire me for years, just so he could make me cut my hair, lol.

 

[gunn]

2026 Pizza Trends for Pizzeria Operators | Styles, Ingredients, Pricing & Marketing

A data-driven breakdown of 2026 pizza trends, pricing, marketing shifts, and tech moves that pizzeria operators must understand to stay competitive.

krghospitality.com

Pizza Today​

1. New York
2. Traditional American
3. Chicago Thin (including Tavern)
4. Detroit
5. Neapolitan/Neopolitan
6. Sicilian
7. Deep Dish
8. Grandma
9. California/American Artisan
10. Roman

Hot Pizza Styles in the US for 2026​

Pizza Today​

1. Detroit
2. New York
3. Chicago Thin (including Tavern)
4. Deep Dish
5. Sicilian

Datassential​

1. Chicago Tavern-Cut
2. Detroit
3. Brick Oven
4. Chickpea Pizza Crust
5. Flatbread Pizza
6. Neapolitan
7. New York

Top Pizza Ingredients​

Pizza Today​

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Bacon
5. Onion
6. Extra cheese
7. Chicken
8. Black olives
9. Canadian bacon
10. Jalapenos
11. Ham
12. Red/Green pepper
13. Meatballs
14. Pineapple
15. Basil
16. Beef
17. Fresh garlic
18. Banana peppers
19. Spinach
20. Artichoke

Hot Pizza Ingredients on the Rise in 2026​

Pizza Today​

• Brisket
• Calabrian chili pepper
• Chorizo
• Figs
• Nduja
• Pistachios
• Ricotta

Pricing Across the US​

PMQ Pizza analyzed pizza trends and data, including pricing.

They engaged Slice, the app that for several years released their own Slice of the Union report, for several data points. I used to look forward to this study each year, but Slice appears to have stopped releasing their report after 2024.

One of the bits of info PMQ asked Slice to provide is the average price for a large cheese pizza. On average, a large cheese pizza costs $16.92 in the States. That said, pricing can be region-specific.

In New England and on the East Coast, a large cheese pizza is under the national average, ringing in at $16.71 and $16.82, respectively.

Moving to the Central US, that price climbs to $17.10. A large cheese pizza, on average, costs $20.17 on the West Coast.

My thoughts
1) I never understood why people like chicken on pizza. or some sweet BBQ sauce. Baffles me. I like chicken. I like BBQ. I don't want either on my pizza.
2) On the hot toppings, I get why calabrian chili, chorizo, and nduja (basically a paste-like hot italian sausage) are "hot" ingredients. But Brisket? This must be a regional thing as I've never heard of that being popular.
3) Food costs more on the west coast. Yeah, no shit.

 

[Grog6]

forgot about one pizza;
In the 80's I dated a chick that worked at pizza hut, and we made a pizza from hell. a Priatzo pizza was like two pizzas on top of each other, with the top one upside down. an inch and a half thick. Pepperoni, sausage, black olives, mushrooms, beef,and a ton of cheese. And an ounce of weed, lol.
Jeezus, that was good!!

 

[Vicinity]

1) I never understood why people like chicken on pizza.

I think you have a papa murphys in your area. Check out their chicken/garlic or chicken Mediterranean on a thin crust, try not to register it as a pizza. Think of it as a pasta cracker. 100% agree on barbeque sauce. It's oddly sweet in general

 

[Grog6]

I've had chicken pizza, buffalo chicken pizza, and pulled pork BBQ pizza, and never had a bad pie. My worst pie is anything with anchovies,pineapple, or onions.

 

[Irv]

Anything can go on a pizza crust, but at some point, it's no longer fair to judge it as a pizza. If the other core elements of a pizza aren't there, then your expectations of a pizza can't be met. The crust then merely serves the role of a carb base like slices of bread.

I've had some absolute nonsense on a pizza crust before when I was in another country (not Italy), and at the time, I was still judging it as pizza. Of course it was the worst pizza I ever had. To be honest, it wouldn't have been much better as a sandwich, but nonetheless, that crap was less of a pizza than cheese and sauce on a bagel, and nobody was mistaking this for pizza (and arguably not bagels) either:

 

[Grog6]

I've seen some travesties:
Veggie Pizza, ham and cheddar pizza, spaghetti pizza, and roast beef and saurkraut, with the last literally making me puke when I opened the box. (can't deal with kraut)

 

[Generalee0527]

Waaay back in the day we had a local owned/operated pizzeria that was as good as it gets. Pizza Hut was great back then as well when they sprayed lard in their pans. Well today the Hut just sucks donkey balls. They can have your order ready in 20 minutes flat. That pre-made crust is Sh8t for sure. We like the consistency of Marcos but we don't have one within 45 miles so it is rare. Dominoes who gives a rip if they go bankrupt. I won't touch their crap with a 10 Ft pole. The local pizzeria is ok w/ crust but they could be better with a less acidic sauce and toppings that are not so--processed. You can tell it is too salty and comes from one of thse big conglomerates. Then again it comes down to where did they learn the trade? As for toppings, it has to be pepperoni and not that thin shit. I will sometimes add sausage but that is it! I tried doing chicken w/ buffalo sauce at the HUT and it only works if you delete the marinara sauce completely (because of all the sugar). Then again, just get wings if that is what you want. As for mushrooms, I don't like or want them unless it is those that are canned-the little sliced ones. They have no taste but the texture is better than those tough dried ones. If there is one smidge of bell pepper I will toss it in the can. No peppers just like NO ANCHOVIES! No to pineapple as well cause they use chunks.

 

[gunn]

I've seen some travesties:
Veggie Pizza, ham and cheddar pizza, spaghetti pizza, and roast beef and saurkraut, with the last literally making me puke when I opened the box. (can't deal with kraut)

Spaghetti pizza sounds like the Japanese snack food which is a serving of yakisoba noodles in a bun. Yakisoba-pan

Or the british toast sandwich

I can't say I understand the appeal of ANY of these starch on starch dishes.

 

[Kurt K]

I think you have a papa murphys in your area. Check out their chicken/garlic or chicken Mediterranean on a thin crust, try not to register it as a pizza. Think of it as a pasta cracker. 100% agree on barbeque sauce. It's oddly sweet in general

I pretty much get this pizza every time we get their pizzas

 

[Grog6]

toast sandwich sounds like a fancy version of an american 'jam' sandwich, jamming two pieces of bread together, and call it a sandwich.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

How did I miss this amazing thread? Good stuff!

2026 Pizza Trends for Pizzeria Operators | Styles, Ingredients, Pricing & Marketing

A data-driven breakdown of 2026 pizza trends, pricing, marketing shifts, and tech moves that pizzeria operators must understand to stay competitive.

krghospitality.com

Pizza Today​

1. New York
2. Traditional American
3. Chicago Thin (including Tavern)
4. Detroit
5. Neapolitan/Neopolitan
6. Sicilian
7. Deep Dish
8. Grandma
9. California/American Artisan
10. Roman

Hot Pizza Styles in the US for 2026​

Pizza Today​

1. Detroit
2. New York
3. Chicago Thin (including Tavern)
4. Deep Dish
5. Sicilian

Datassential​

1. Chicago Tavern-Cut
2. Detroit
3. Brick Oven
4. Chickpea Pizza Crust
5. Flatbread Pizza
6. Neapolitan
7. New York

Top Pizza Ingredients​

Pizza Today​

1. Pepperoni
2. Sausage
3. Mushroom
4. Bacon
5. Onion
6. Extra cheese
7. Chicken
8. Black olives
9. Canadian bacon
10. Jalapenos
11. Ham
12. Red/Green pepper
13. Meatballs
14. Pineapple
15. Basil
16. Beef
17. Fresh garlic
18. Banana peppers
19. Spinach
20. Artichoke

Hot Pizza Ingredients on the Rise in 2026​

Pizza Today​

• Brisket
• Calabrian chili pepper
• Chorizo
• Figs
• Nduja
• Pistachios
• Ricotta

Pricing Across the US​

PMQ Pizza analyzed pizza trends and data, including pricing.

They engaged Slice, the app that for several years released their own Slice of the Union report, for several data points. I used to look forward to this study each year, but Slice appears to have stopped releasing their report after 2024.

One of the bits of info PMQ asked Slice to provide is the average price for a large cheese pizza. On average, a large cheese pizza costs $16.92 in the States. That said, pricing can be region-specific.

In New England and on the East Coast, a large cheese pizza is under the national average, ringing in at $16.71 and $16.82, respectively.

Moving to the Central US, that price climbs to $17.10. A large cheese pizza, on average, costs $20.17 on the West Coast.

My thoughts
1) I never understood why people like chicken on pizza. or some sweet BBQ sauce. Baffles me. I like chicken. I like BBQ. I don't want either on my pizza.
2) On the hot toppings, I get why calabrian chili, chorizo, and nduja (basically a paste-like hot italian sausage) are "hot" ingredients. But Brisket? This must be a regional thing as I've never heard of that being popular.
3) Food costs more on the west coast. Yeah, no shit.

WTF is Nduja ?