There's no easy way to say this but not every chain pizza restaurant is popping out the best pizza. While the world would love nothing more than for fast-food pizza to be right up there with their favorite family-owned Italiana restaurants, it's just not and likely never will be. With that being said, there are some pizza chains that are - pardon the pun - off the chain when it comes to creating hot and cheesy creations that satisfy both a pizza-loving level as well as a need for something that doesn't taste like cardboard.
With pizza being one of the number one takeout orders for the past year (and in general) it was time to determine which chains are worth ordering from, and which chain's coupons should probably remain in our inboxes. Of course, no two pizza tastes are the same as it's always a personal preference based on whether a person leans more crust, sauce, cheese, or toppings, but here's a general idea.
Uno Pizzeria & Grill
It's interesting that a restaurant chain that boasts pizza in the title has some of the least-loved pizza, as told by Mashed. While the pizza itself isn't too bad, it's the cooking method that bears the problem when it comes to love pizza from Uno's.
The deep-dish pizza isn't really traditional in the sense that most people expect it to be and while their thin-crust pizza will satisfy a craving (somewhat) it's just not the best when compared to what's coming out of other chain's pizza ovens.
Little Caesar's
With the class 'Pizza! Pizza!' slogan that so many people are conditioned to hear and automatically start craving pizza, Little Caesar's is definitely popular. Despite its popularity, though, it's definitely not the greatest addition to the pizza world.
This pizza could best be described as average depending on the day and time it's ordered and while it's made incredibly fast, it makes sense that some quality would be sacrificed for a pizza that's always 'hot 'n ready.'
Papa John's
There's somewhat of a love/hate relationship with Papa John's, it would seem. While the chain is offering plenty of creative and innovative options in terms of pizza toppings, that's not always what people want.
The pizza is mediocre at best at times and gets the job done, but lacks some of the heft and grease of the others that makes pizza what it is. However, the garlic sauce is divine even if it is likely to clog an artery in one serving.
Pizza Hut
It's really the stuffed-crust pizza that gets Pizza Hut the reputation for making great pizza. With that being said, there are a solid number of people who would turn down Pizza Hut for its competitors.
Outside of that, many would argue that Domino's is better for the price, however, Pizza Hut does offer plenty of options for sides and desserts, as well as party-sized meals, which put it further at the top of the list.
Sbarro
This mall chain originally began in Brooklyn which definitely makes it one of the top contenders for some of the best chain pizza out there.
Many people would complain about the amount of grease that drips off a slice but if they've never actually eaten pizza in NYC, it's not likely that they'd understand, to begin with. This chain is also serving up extras that echo what you'd find in a traditional pizzeria, and they've vastly improved their pizza recipe over the last decade or so.
California Pizza Kitchen
As surprising as it is, California Pizza Kitchen has been knocking it out of the park with its culinary creations, mainly due to the fact that the ingredients used are of higher quality than most.
Their topping combinations also play well with the ratio of cheese to sauce to crust thickness, making their pizzas satisfying and tasty, and it's clear how much work goes into creating a menu such as this.
Bertucci's
One thing Bertucci's boasts that many pizza chains can't is the use of a wood-burning oven. It's obvious that the pizzas coming out of this location, even though it's a chain, are authentic in their creation.
They're far more authentic and always achieve the perfect level of crunch to go with that slightly chewy dough, and their toppings are just as delicious as they are good-lookin'.
Domino's
With all of that being said, Domino's is still the clear winner when it comes to chain restaurant pizza. It's the most popular with a landslide of fans rallying for its quality, creative yet not over the top menu, and nearly perfect ratio of melted cheese to sauce ratio.
It's almost surprising to have such good pizza such as this from a chain and while it's definitely not mom and pop's, it's a good enough contender to make it one of the most popular in the US.