The Convenience Store Take-And-Bake Pizza That Outshines 3 Major Grocery Chains

Many grocery store brands offer cheaper dupes of big brands that are often as good as their competitors. But in the case of take-and-bake pizza, it's actually a convenience store that has a leg up on the competition. We tasted and ranked 6 store-bought take-and-bake pizzas according to flavor, chew, and how well the cheese melted and one of the highest ranking pizzas comes from 7-Eleven, beating out grocery giants like Wegmans, Target, and Aldi.

The Ultimate Pepperoni pizza at 7-Eleven looked promising when we picked it up from the refrigerated section as it was covered in two types of pepperoni: round slices and chopped pieces. However, looks can be deceiving, so we reserved judgment until after pulling the pizza out of the oven. Luckily, it tasted pretty amazing. Both types of pepperoni had distinct flavors, and each flavor was delicious, contributing more depth of flavor to the pizza as a whole. The sweet and savory taste of one type of pepperoni complemented the spicy savory notes of the other. 

While some may think the cheese was overshadowed by the pepperoni, it offered just the right amount of melty goodness to balance and contrast with the tomato sauce underneath. The ratio of cheese to sauce was masterfully executed, and the crust, while a little thick for our liking, was the structurally sound foundation all that pepperoni needed. Plus, it wasn't as doughy and chewy as Target's pizza which came in right behind 7-Eleven in our ranking.

While customers weren't completely wowed by 7-Eleven's take-and-bake pizza, many call it convenient and budget-friendly. One Facebook comment summed it up nicely, saying: "Is it the best pizza ever? No. But it's better than frozen pizza and you get it in less than [five] minutes." A TikTok review enjoyed the amount of pepperoni on the pizza. Even though they thought the "crust is super soft," it still received an 8.4, compared to 7-Eleven's other hot food selections. However, according to some reviews, there is such a thing as too much pepperoni, and one Facebook review gave it a 5 out of 10, stating, "way too much pepperoni, I can't find the cheese."

Of course, we agree that 7-Eleven isn't the ultimate take-and-bake pizza as it came in third place behind the Lidl's second place take-and-bake as well as our overall winner, Whole Foods. Still, 7-Eleven's take-and-bake pizza was the only pizza included in the ranking from a convenience store, so third place is pretty impressive. Plus, you can get the employees to "bake" or microwave the pizza at the store and hand it to you in a cardboard to-go pizza box like a conventional pizza chain. Convenience at its best! According to customers it takes a mere three to five minutes to heat up, during which time you can peruse the aisles for more snacks or pick up your favorite flavor of slurpee to pair with the pizza.