This Was Clearly The Worst Pepperoni Pizza That We Tried From A Popular Chain

We should never, ever take cheap pizza joints for granted. Sure, there are great pizzerias in every state, but when you're nearly incapacitated with a hangover and are craving a greasy, cheap slice, there is no better spot to visit than a chain pizzeria. You know what you're getting when you walk through the door, and while it's far from artisan, you're guaranteed to satisfy your pizza hankering.

In an effort to find the best chain restaurant pepperoni pizza, we sampled six brands and ranked them from worst to best. One in particular was in a league of its own; then there were a few "just okay" picks. Then there was the bottom of the barrel: Papa Johns. 

The first thing our taster noticed when they tried this slice was the impressive (and not in a good way) amount of cheese globbed on top. While some cheese is warranted on pizza, too much makes the bite cheese-centric and ruins the experience. The crust, while adequate in flavor, was chewy, and combined with the greasy cheese and thin pepperoni, our taster got a slice that was wholly out of balance. We're not saying it won't satisfy a greasy pizza craving; we're just saying that if you want a decent slice, you may want to look elsewhere.

Reddit users aren't afraid to make jokes about the quality of Papa Johns (or as one reviewer on Reddit's r/NewHeights called it, "Poopy Johns") pizza. Another labeled it "Cardboard with sauce [and] garlic butter" and said it was only marginally above frozen and Costco pizza (to which a third Reddit user said, "Don't you insult Costco pizza like that"). 

Other reviewers on the same Reddit thread shared some nostalgia about the chain, saying it truly does have its place in the pizzasphere. "Papa Johns is JUNK food pizza," said one Redditor. ". It has its place late at night after many drinks, twice a year max."

And still others offered fond memories of ordering the pizza at parties and work gatherings. "On my last day of work at my last job my boss asked me what takeout food I wanted for a going away 'party' for me at lunch," said one. "I told her Papa John's. She was like 'are you sure?'. I told her I've never been more sure of anything."

The Papa John's New York-style pepperoni pizza, specifically, has its haters. A group of folks on the Petincton Nissan YouTube channel, working at a dealership in British Columbia, shared a video of them sampling the pie. One said, "This is the kind of pizza you'd order at 3 a.m. when your standards are low and expectations are high." While car dealers may not be credentialed food reviewers, it's easy to agree that there are better pepperoni pizza options than Papa Johns.