What's the best pizza chain?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

My vote goes to Bolis...

[GOPisEvil]

1. I don't eat national chain pizza often. When I do: Papa John's.

But, I choose to eat pizza at a local place: Mangia. Chicago-style and yummy!

[Nikia]

11. I like Papa John's too

Unfortunately, we moved to a small little town that doesn't have one. Domino's and Little Caesar's are alright. For some reason, Pizza Hut often gives me diarrhea after eating their pizza.

[truthseeker1]

17. Do you order their pan pizza?

The crust on Pizza Hut's pan style pizza is enormously greasy, like overly greased french bread. REALLY Nasty stuff. Try their hand-tossed crust sometime. The crust makes a big difference. We usually get the Big New Yorker - it's pretty good.

[corporatewhore]

24. I love Mangia and Austin Pizza

verry yummy indeed

[GOPisEvil]

26. We've gotten together at Mangia before.

The Austin DU crowd, that is.

[Renew Deal]

51. I also like Papa Johns

and you can order online.

[WillParkinson]

2. Chain

We don't have much around here.

When I was still vegetarian (before going Vegan) we LOVED Edwardo's pizza. Now we just do Pizza Hut with no cheese and tons of veggies.

[JVS]

3. Vocelli's which until recently was Pizza Outlet, but they discovered...

that south of the PA-MD border people were interpreting outlet to mean really cheap pizza. It is good stuff.

As far as nation wide goes, I'd have to say Papa John's. But Vocelli is much better than papa's

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. They have them in MD?

Where? I'm always ready to try a new pizza place!

[JVS]

30. Probably in the western panhandle

I don't know all the details, but I've heard that they are expanding into other states from pittsburgh. They are the dominant chain here

[wtmusic]

4. Edwardo's in Chicago

:-)

[goodhue]

6. Pizza Luce

http://www.pizzaluce.com/

[NightTrain]

7. Chain pizza sucks!

Thankfully, I live in an area with lots and lots of Italians, so it's never hard to find a locally-owned independent pizza parlor with kick-ass cuisine.

[Trajan]

15. Independents ALWAYS rule ....

Of course, they are rarely 'chains' ...

We recently went to NYC, and just LOVED Ray's Pizza in Manhattan (Cooper Square), which is a part of a Northeastern store 'chain' ....

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm ... DAMN that was gooood .... It took all of FIVE minutes for us to order and receive our pizza .... They use 800 degree F ovens, and use TONS of ingredients on their hand tossed crusts ... coooking time ? ... FOUR minutes ...

Superb ....

Otherwise: .... I prefer independents ....

Here is what we look for in an Independent:

1) Storefront and/or interior painted with the colors of the Italian Flag ...
2) A large calendar with pictures of ALL the US Presidents ...
3) A picture of the pope ...
4) A picture of JFK ....
5) Optional: Store also sells Italian groceries ...

I can almost GUARANTEE you will get an incredible pizza from such a store ....

I speak from years of experience ....

[corporatewhore]

25. there is a great pizzaplacethat is coveredinstevie ray vaughn paraphenalia

posters
ticket stubs
albulm covers drawings
concert programs
coffee table books
Pictures
alot of fabulus thunder birds stuff and a few jimi hendrix memoribila

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. I'm in Chicago, the home of deep-dish pizza.

Best are Gino's East, Uno & Due, and Edwardo's for stuffed pizza.

For regular pizza, another local place -- Home Run Inn.

[Philostopher]

9. I agree on Uno's.

We have them here in Ohio, I've never had a bad meal at one (though don't ask me about the service at the ones in Dayton).

There's a local Cincinnati chain, LaRosa's, that's pretty good, too.

National chains? Gotta go with the Papa John's folks, there. They're better than some of our local stuff, in fact.

[mydawgmax]

12. Giordanos

I used to live in chicago and was a big fan of all of the ones you mention, but really think Giordanos does one of the best stuffed pizzas you can find.

[James T. Kirk]

10. Pizza Hut

There may be better pizzas, but they have the best chain.

[Elidor]

13. About 19 years ago, in Dallas, TX

There was a pizza place just around the corner from me on Upper Greenville. I've long since forgotten the name, but they had the best damn pizza on earth. Their entire menu was gourmet, but they delivered and had reasonable prices. My favorite was their seafood pizza with scallops, peas and carrots, I think it was. I never had a less-than-stellar pie from them. I heard they went out of business after I moved away. Whoever they were, I loved them.

Still recall a place in Indianapolis, something like (pi symbol) pizza, with the motto: Our pi are square. And they were.

[VOX]

14. On the West Coast, Il Fornaio has spoiled me...

Although it's sort of an upscale chain, the food is authentic Italian, as most of the chef-partners were raised and trained in Italy.

But I *lust* after their pizza. God, I am actually salivating as I type this!

Guess what I'm gonna have for dinner now? :bounce:

[truthseeker1]

18. I don't suppose they deliver?

[VOX]

23. Not at this point. You've gotta go in among 'em...

to get the goodies.

But worth the trip!

[shanti]

28. il fornaio

is hardly a chain store pizza place. it's an upscale italian restaurant.

anyway, i say round table.

[corporatewhore]

16. corporate pizza sucks !!! I love the pizza made by locals

more flavor and more love I loves austin pizza they even offer feta or soy cheese!!
Shop locally THink globally!!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

33. Well my favorite pizza comes from the Dogfish Head brewpub

in Rehoboth, DE. http://www.dogfish.com/

But that's a bit of a drive from here; and there aren't any decent indies that deliver in my neighborhood.

I don't think Bolis is a very large chain; and they manage to keep their ingredients fresh, so I go for that when I want something local.

I used to enjoy Ledos before they got too big. Their pizzas are pretty greasy now.

[Red_Storm]

19. Lombardi's in NYC...........

not a chain but it's the best pizza you'll ever have.......

[RUexperienced]

20. Chain? Figaros Best Pizza? GIno's in Chicago

[Enraged_Ape]

21. Me 'N' Ed's

A chain formerly owned by Ed Sandlin and Dennis Culp (supposedly a son or nephew of the actor Robert Culp). When I frequented it in the 1970s, the chain was based in Garden Grove, CA, and had branches in Montana and Idaho.

I grew up with this pizza. The sauce was tangy, and the crust was fairly crispy and had a distinct beer-like taste. I was absolutely devastated when they apparently went out of business in the mid-80s.

In the late 90s, Me 'N' Ed's was revived as a sort of gourmet pizza boutique in Plano, TX, just north of where I lived. I was elated. I drove my wife an hour to Plano to partake in their latest offerings. To my surprise, it was JUST as good as it was in my youth.

By the way, Giordano's in Chicago is a close number two; that's how much I loved Me 'N' Ed's.

[shanti]

29. omigod, the memories!

i remember me n eds, and the family used to frequent this pizza place in the 60's and 70's. we went to the garden grove location too! it was GREAT pizza.

i would say shakey's comes in second...are they even around anymore?

[absyntheNsugar]

22. Piz'za Chicago

But theyre just a Bay Area Chain

But closest stuff to real Deep-Dish Chicago Pizza I've had here in Cali...

But I'm sure a number of you Chicagoans can name a million Pizzarias better than this place....

[camero]

27. Pizza Pizza Thank you Thank You

I like a lil Caesar's once in a while.

[dae]

31. To me, Pasquales' but the ones in Baton Rouge all shut down...

guess others didn't share my tastes.:shrug::cry:

[solinvictus]

35. Pasquale's

Is that the chain with the little guy wearing a chef hat holding up the pizza? We had them in Birmingham, AL and my aunt worked at one for years. I loved visiting her in the summer and helping her around the restaurant. I also love their thin crust pizza, it is very crispy.

[dae]

48. Don't know about the logo but they had the best thin crust pizza and

garlic bread you ever tasted. Just afraid not enough people did taste it.

[IADEMO2004]

32. Zio's in Omaha NE.

Worlds best 3 store chain

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. Smaller is definitely better...

I don't agree with those who've said chain pizza is lousy...

When a company puts out a good product, the demand increases and expansion is necessary. There is, however, a point at which a company gets too large; and that's when the quality of the product and service begins to decline.

[pstokely]

36. none Big Pizza gives heavily to repukes

[tedoll78]

37. Yup.

The owner of Dominoes sponsored an effort to repeal a gay rights law in Michigan a few years ago. Since then, I have never eaten from there.

Besides.. why pay $13 for one delivery pizza when you can get three good pizzas out of the freezer at the grocery store?

[regnaD kciN]

38. I USED to choose Godfather's...

...until I found out they're owned by a wingnut who's a Repug congressional candidate. After that, I found their pizza "hard to swallow." :puke: Now, I go to Round Table...a bit farther away, but I haven't heard anything bad about their politics yet. If I'm in Seattle, Pagliacci, MAD Pizza, or Jet City. If I'm ever up in Everett (north of Seattle, where I lived during the 80s), I ditch the chains and go to Georgio's...the best in the area!

[fujiyama]

39. I live in MI...

and I like Cottage Inn.

[FDRrocks]

40. Viva la local pizza! n/t

[mrbill]

41. in my little town best pizza chain is an oxymoron,

an oxymoron like military intellegence or barbizon school.

the chains all suck and are vasty over-priced and give to republican causes.

a $3.99 digornio beats the heck out of my local pizza hut, pizza inn, domino's, the place formerly know as little ceasars and ci-ci's.

twelve bucks plus tip delivered or $3.99 for a better product and less hassles?

[waywest]

42. Life is too short..

to eat chain pizza.

[sendero]

50. I agree....

... Papa John puts sugar in the crust and sugar in the sauce. It is inedible to me.

Pizza Hut tastes ok, but there is so much salt that a hour later there's not enough water in Lake Erie to slake your thirst.

Luckily, I live in an area where there is lots of good non-chain Pizza. I think I'll have some tomorrow :)

[Bertha Venation]

43. ZPizza, Long Beach, CA.

I'm glad it's not national even though I can't get it here. Expansion dilutes quality.

[Trajan]

45. As an old long time Long Beach resident ....

Marri's Pizza ... was the ultimate in LB .... I know most of them are now gone: but I think there are still two: one on Palo Verde Ave near Stearns, and the other actually in Anaheim, by Disneyland ...

Barro's Pizza was a distant second ....

Never had Zpizza ... I moved to OC in '83 ....

[HuckleB]

44. Blind Onion.

[Don_G]

46. From The Home City Of Yum And Papa Johns?

Pizza Magica.

It's a local chain run by experienced members of Pizza Hut who escaped to a less corporate Papa Johns who went further to establish a better product line.

Local so far, they arrange franchise deals for major ingredientes like flour, tomato sauce, olive oil and leave the local tastes to the local franchisers/farmers when they can find a better deal.

I eat there whenever I can considering the Manager at a KFC/YUM once expected me to choke on a carton of Milk three weeks past the experitation date....

[jmowreader]

47. Shakeys if you can get to one

Another good one was Godfather's--a pizza you can't refuse.

In Fayetteville, Pizza Hut sucks, so I go to Pizza Palace at the end of Hope Mills Road.

[Padraig18]

49. Pagliai's (Illinois/Iowa collegtown chain).

EVERYTHING made from scratch, including their sausage! YUMMMMMM! :)

[MrSlayer]

52. Yick. Chain Pizza is for Medigons.

With so many handmade pizza shops around here it's sacrilegious to even consider eating chain pizza. It would be like eating a Subway hoagie or something. Ewww.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

54. Well doesn't that depend upon the chain?

Some "chains" consist of no more than a handful of restaurants that make their own pizzas by hand.

[Kat45]

53. The local Italian pizzerias are the best!

But I will occasionally go to Papa Gino's if I have no choice and need to get a quick slice or two for supper.