Pizza Hut Vs Papa Johns: Which Chain Makes The Better Supreme Pizza?

It's hard to find a major fast food pizza chain that doesn't have some version of a supreme pizza, which is quite a testament to its level of greatness. And Papa Johns and Pizza Hut are among the top two contenders.

Although the origins of supreme pizza are debated, Pizza Hut is widely considered to be the first to bring it to the States in 1977. The pie was a hit then, and it still endures today. And while Pizza Hut was the first to state a claim, Papa Johns also has a unique tie to the type. The chain named its version "The Works," and has found success with its supreme pie as well.

Which is better, though? I tried both companies' versions of a supreme pizza to find the best. Personally, I believe that more is more when it comes to pizza toppings – and I don't think I'm alone on this. Standard pizza types are usually pretty simple, and adding more toppings often means added fees. Supreme pizzas are a symbiotic hack for both maximalist pizza lovers and the chains they support. As a maximalist pizza lover, here's where I'm coming from: I don't want to choose between one or two toppings. I want it all!

By ordering a supreme pizza, I can have it all without nitpicking my way through options and additional pricing. Also, what's worse than spending extra money when adding your toppings? Doing so and then finding out you created a monstrous combination of flavors. Here's how the two pizza chains fared.

Although the supreme pizza boasts mass popularity, not all of these jam-packed pies are created equal. This pizza recipe has more components, which means there are a lot more variables to consider. Or, to put it more casually, there are a lot more ways to mess up a supreme pizza than, say, a pepperoni pizza.

Keeping this in mind, I decided that this taste test needed to scrutinize every single component independently through a side-by-side comparison. I also took into account integrated standards like price, portion, and flavor cohesiveness. Finally, I made sure to keep an eye out for any details unique to each chain's style.

To judge the individual components, I first established the specific categories of bread, meat, cheese, sauce, and vegetables. Unified standards came later through observing the overall qualities of these pies. Once I checkmarked my way through this lengthy list of comparisons, I ultimately found clarity on how Pizza Hut and Papa Johns ranked in this supreme pizza race.

I'm starting with bread because, without good bread, supreme pizza doesn't have a leg to stand on. Right away, I noticed that Papa Johns and Pizza Hut have very different takes on what constitutes the standard of good pizza bread.

Pizza Hut's bread was soft, cushy, and substantial throughout the whole slice. The base bread held the pizza chain's toppings sturdily in place without being too hard or chewy. I especially liked the crust — it was fluffy and doughy with a delicious garlicky seasoning reminiscent of Pizza Hut's Hut Dust. Additionally, there was a nice crispy fry on the top of the crust. I usually could not care less about pizza crust, but Pizza Hut's won me over.

Papa Johns, on the other hand, showed opposite characteristics. Flat with a hard crust, the bread itself had barely any flavor, or perhaps the flavor was overwhelmed by the noticeable staleness. In addition, I found its texture to be extremely dry and chewy. I understand that crust and bread dimension is a widely debated point of preference, and in the right circumstances, thin pizza crusts can be ideal. However, because of the stale quality, I can't imagine who would be cheerleading this bread. 

Although I have my critiques, I did appreciate that neither of these bread bases was soggy or falling apart. Supreme pizzas have many toppings, so it's worth mentioning that both were able to carry the weight.

Moving on to meats, both pizza chains had pros and cons. First off, I liked Pizza Hut's pepperoni much more than Papa Johns'. These moist, thick pieces of pepperoni were generously scattered throughout the pie and added substantial savory flavor to the overall pizza. Pizza Hut's pepperoni was juicy and flavorful, while Papa Johns' pepperoni immediately tasted processed to me. The texture was rubbery, the flavor fell flat, and I didn't feel like it enhanced the pizza at all.

With that said, Papa Johns' sausage soared above the version found on Pizza Hut's supreme pizza. With the use of interesting spices and herbs, this fennel-infused sausage had an elevated quality. Pizza Hut's sausage was fine, but it didn't shine amongst the other ingredients like Papa Johns' did.

Ultimately, the category of meats comes down to matters of quality and quantity. Even though Papa Johns' sausage was better, Pizza Hut's meat options tasted higher quality overall and were more plentiful on the pizza.

If there's one pizza ingredient I'm especially particular about, it's cheese. Fortunately, both chains rated pretty well in this department. To start, I hate when a pizza slice is missing cheese in spots — neither of these supreme pizzas had that problem. Taking the topic of cheese coverage one step further, Papa Johns' supreme pizza had both a base layer of cheese and a lighter layer of cheese over the top of the ingredients. This ingenious move not only added more cheesy goodness, but it also kept the meats and veggies in place. Pizza Hut's supreme did not have this feature, and its toppings did not stay put.

The flavor of Pizza Hut's cheese was uniquely enjoyable. It tasted like real cheese, instead of the waxy surface that can often come out of pizza chains. I really enjoyed the exceptionally smooth texture of the cheese, which made the overall pizza taste better. Lastly, it had a mild and subtle flavor that wasn't too intense but still brought depth to the pizza.

In contrast, I thought Papa Johns' cheese was pretty nondescript. It wasn't bad, but I wish it had a punchier flavor and a more ooey-gooey texture. As mentioned above, the texture and consistency of the cheese on Papa Johns' supreme pizza threw me off the most. Overall, I preferred the taste and texture of Pizza Hut's cheese, but I wish it had a second layer for a better eating experience.

Side by side, the pizza sauces from Pizza Hut and Papa Johns were starkly different. I thought Pizza Hut's fell pretty flat in flavor — it didn't add much acidity, salinity, spiciness, or any other characteristics worth mentioning. At first, I thought the Pizza Hut option had barely any sauce; however, when I got close to the crust, I unpleasantly found huge globs of sauce. Too much of this ingredient can be really unappetizing, so I believe proportionate distribution of sauce is essential.

The sauce from Papa Johns differed greatly in flavor, texture, and amount. This one had a slightly spicy profile, which brought more complexity to the rest of the slice. I do think there was slightly too much sauce on the piece overall, but it wasn't off-putting. Overall, I liked Papa John's sauce over Pizza Hut's, but everyone's preference is different. It's important to note that Papa Johns' pizza sauce had a flavor similar to spaghetti sauce, which I understand might not be everyone's ideal.

Of all the categories, these supreme pizzas varied the most when it came to vegetables. Firstly, Pizza Hut's onions were thinly slivered, while Papa John's used chopped chunks of onions. This point greatly impacted these supreme pizzas — with Pizza Hut, I could barely recognize the onion, but the ones on Papa Johns' were tasty and crunchy.

The mushrooms were pretty similar on both pizzas — both were chunky, fresh, and savory with that necessary umami taste. With that said, Pizza Hut's mushrooms didn't hang on to the pieces very well.

When it came to green bell peppers, both of these supremes had nearly identical peppers that matched in categories of both flavor and texture. However, in terms of olives, Papa Johns' featured salty black olives while Pizza Hut omitted them completely. I think olives are an essential part of a supreme pizza, so I was bummed to not see them on the Pizza Hut option.

All in all, I think both pizza chains did a good job with the veggie components. There are a few things I'd change, but ultimately the elements on both options were fresh and snappy, amping up the overall complexity of each supreme pie.

When I embarked on this taste test, the first thing I noticed was the size difference between the pies. It may not be obvious in photos, but Pizza Hut's was larger, whereas Papa Johns' was much smaller and flatter. To add to this problem, Papa Johns' was also slightly more expensive. This didn't mean Papa Johns was immediately out, but it was definitely something to take into consideration.

Additionally, I liked that Pizza Hut's toppings were evenly dispersed throughout the pie. The Papa Johns pizza didn't lack toppings, but they were mostly scattered towards the middle of the pizza. Because of this, almost every slice was imbalanced in some way. I think a supreme pizza owes everything to its toppings; however, if you can't decipher or appreciate them in the eating process, the whole pie could turn against you. I found this to be true with Papa Johns' supreme pizza. To add, I also found Pizza Hut's slices to be more even in portion size when compared to those of Papa Johns' supreme pizza.

When it comes to the unique elements of each pizza, I did find it odd that Pizza Hut's pie didn't have olives, and I missed them. I assumed that all supreme pizzas came with black olives, but maybe the originator of this pizza type knows better than I do.

Lastly, while this may not be about the pizza itself, I appreciate how Papa Johns' pizza box always includes its signature pepperoncini pepper and garlic sauce add-ons. I like a sauce to dip or drizzle on pizza, and Papa Johns' garlic sauce is so delicious. Pizza Hut's box didn't come with anything other than the supreme pizza, so no bonus points there.

This was a toss-up (pun intended), but I have to go with Pizza Hut as the overall winner for the best supreme pizza. Supremes are for the pizza lovers who like a loaded pizza. A perfect supreme pizza is covered in chunky toppings and holds strong with a fluffy height. Pizza Hut's supreme pizza was large and filling, and each piece was adorned with toppings from crust to point. For the most part, these toppings were hearty and high-quality — they reminded me of ingredients you might find at an artisanal pizza joint. I also thought the price per value was very generous.

Thin crust fans, don't hate me; I couldn't get behind Papa Johns' supreme pizza with its flat, hard bread. This isn't the only thing I would change either — the lazy application of the toppings really took away from experiencing the supreme pizza as intended. As mentioned earlier, cheese is a major category for me, and Pizza Hut won that round. I appreciated the double layer of cheese on Papa Johns, but I would have appreciated it more had it boasted a better flavor and texture.

Most importantly, the lazy execution, small, thin size, and subpar bread were made worse by the pizza's price per value ratio. Pizza chain restaurants such as Pizza Hut and Papa Johns have similar costs and tight competition; because of this, I expect more from those who charge more. Pizza Hut's pizza was $17.61, and Papa Johns' was $18.81, and although this may seem like a tiny difference, it's notable considering the neck-and-neck pricing of such chains. At the end of this review, Pizza Hut's supreme pizza presented itself as the better deal in matters of both quality and quantity.