This Pizza Chain Serves The Absolute Worst Cheesy Bread

It never feels like a bad idea to order pizza. Whether you're having people over to watch a movie or just can't summon the strength to cook a homemade meal, a delicious dinner is always just one phone call away. But you know what makes pizza night even better? A side of cheesy bread. Unless, of course, you are ordering from Papa John's. In that case, you might want to opt for wings, as Papa John's came in dead last on our pizza chain cheesy bread ranking.

According to Selena Aiyla, the Tasting Table writer who undertook this side dish investigation, the problems were evident from the start. "The second I took a bite of this classic cheese stick-style cheesy bread," she wrote, "I knew immediately where I'd place it." She went on to describe the cheesy bread as insipid in every way: flat, flavorless — except for the bitter char on the bottom — with the texture of cardboard and with none of the gooey, stretchy cheese that is pretty much the whole reason we eat this favorite pizza side. "It was also the most pricey item on this list," she added, "so it's not like Papa John's sacrificed quality to keep costs down."

The only note of positivity was that Papa John's cheesy bread came with a spicy garlic dipping sauce. The sauce was unfortunately not enough to salvage the experience, but it was a good way to mask the flavor and make the side dish more bearable.

It's not great to end up at the bottom of the ranking while also being the most expensive, but Papa John's has found success by avoiding big discounts. That said, the internet is pretty much on board with our negative assessment of the chain's cheesy bread. It is essentially just a Papa John's pizza, but without any sauce or toppings, and it is generally received as being exactly that: a worse version of a pizza. However, there does seem to be a hack to help alleviate the blandness of this cheesy side dish. Papa John's has a special seasoning blend with dried herbs and Parmesan cheese that comes in little green packets, and you can request a few to be added to your order. Sprinkle a couple of these over the top, and your cheesy breadsticks will have more flavor.

It is important to note, however, that not everyone hates the cheesy bread from Papa John's. Maybe some stores are putting in extra effort and adding their own spin, or maybe there are just people out there who want to eat bland cheese off burnt cardboard. Whatever the reason, there are folks on social media rating this Papa John's offering eight out of 10 and calling it "the best cheesy garlic bread."

For our part, we suggest you skip adding cheesy bread to your next Papa John's order. We do have a replacement suggestion for you, though. Surprisingly, Papa John's came in near the top of our ranking of fast food cookies. And who doesn't like something sweet after dinner?