I’m Not Saying It’s The Best Pizza In The World

[+ Gar1eth]

I love pizza. And yes for the purists on here I’m talking about the American Version. But I’ve pretty much always hated Domino’s. I probably first had it in college-or if not college then in grad school. I’m talking about the early to mid 1980’s. I’ve hated it so much that I’ve probably had less than 10 pieces of it since the 1990’s. Even if a committee I was on for something was serving it, I pretty much abstained. And yes I know there are many gourmands on here many of whom can make equal claims. But I’m middle class single guy from Texas who doesn’t really cook very often. I loved pizza growing up, and when I was working, I often kept late hours where pizza places were often the only thing still open.

 

I think what made me dislike Domino’s mainly was the crust. It was doughy, and I always thought it tasted like cardboard. In general I’m not fond of thick doughy crusts unless they have some taste to them. Uno’s in my opinion has a nice deep dish crust because it has a buttery taste to it-or at least it used to. I probably haven’t had an Uno’s since around 2008. Their franchising seems to have screwed up as I know lots of their restaurants closed in the 1990-early 2000’s.

 

Well tonight I had a coupon for Domino’s. I decided I’d look and see what they offered these days. They now have different crusts. I chose their equivalent to Pizza Hut’s Thin n’ Crispy. And it wasn’t bad. I’m not saying that I like it as well as I like Papa John’s or Pizza Hut. But it was definitely edible.

 

Gman

Edited February 18, 2018 by Gar1eth

[rvwnsd]

...Uno’s in my opinion has a nice deep dish crust because it has a buttery taste to it-or at least it used to. I probably haven’t had an Uno’s since around 2008. Their franchising seems to have screwed up as I know lots of their restaurants closed in the 1990-early 2000’s....

The franchised Uno's are not anything like the original in Chicago. They even opened one in Chicago - didn't last.

 

...Well tonight I had a coupon for Domino’s. I decided I’d look and see what they offered these days. They now have different crusts. I chose their equivalent to Pizza Hut’s Thin n’ Crispy. And it wasn’t bad. I’m not saying that I like it as well as I like Papa John’s or Pizza Hut. But it was definitely edible.

 

Gman

My first Domino's pizza was when I was 37 and had moved to San Diego. Couldn't really find a decent pizza place and ordered Domino's. Like you said, edible and not terrible.

[+ azdr0710]

I remember going off to college in the very early 80s and Domino's was the omnipresent pizza everybody had delivered......first time I'd ever had pizza delivered and that was quite a concept to me at the time (before college, the parents always went and picked it up somewhere, even if they delivered!)......remember "30 minutes or less or it's free"?.......limited delivery area

 

 

[+ Gar1eth]

Uno’s in my opinion has a nice deep dish crust because it has a buttery taste to it-or at least it used to. I probably haven’t had an Uno’s since around 2008. Their franchising seems to have screwed up as I know lots of their restaurants closed in the 1990-early 2000’s.

 

Well tonight I had a coupon for Domino’s. I decided I’d look and see what they offered these days. They now have different crusts. I chose their equivalent to Pizza Hut’s Thin n’ Crispy. And it wasn’t bad. I’m not saying that I like it as well as I like Papa John’s or Pizza Hut. But it was definitely edible.

 

Gman

 

The franchised Uno's are not anything like the original in Chicago. They even opened one in Chicago - didn't last.

 

 

 

The first place I ever had Uno’s was in Houston in the mid 1980’s. After that I had them in Cincinnati, Ft Worth, and Madison, Wi. They were usually pretty good. And the one time I went to one of the company Uno’s in Chicago (it was a small Uno’s and didn’t have as large a menu as the bigger restaurants), I thought that it tasted pretty much the same as the pizzas I’d had at the franchises with one exception. There is, or at least was, an Uno Franchise at Houston’s Intercontinental Airport. It was lousy. I might also have had a lousy pizza at another airport Uno’s, but I can’t remember for sure.

 

Gman

[+ nycman]

Always hated Dominoes (and Uno’s).

 

Mass produced pizza....is just a bad idea.

[+ Reisr30]

I don’t like Pizza Hut or Domino’s pizza but I grew up in Manhattan where you can get great pizza pretty much in any corner. I love pizza and remember having a hard time finding pizza I like when I moved to the Midwest for university; I guess I was spoiled by the options in NYC.

[BSR]

I don’t like Pizza Hut or Domino’s pizza but I grew up in Manhattan where you can get great pizza pretty much in any corner. I love pizza and remember having a hard time finding pizza I like when I moved to the Midwest for university; I guess I was spoiled by the options in NYC.

If you love pizza, then never ever move to Las Vegas. After living in Boston for so long (it's not all clam chowdah in Boston, they have some truly great pizza), I went into pizza deprivation here in Las Vegas. OMG, the pizza here is AWFUL!! It's like cardboard, ketchup, and Kraft American singles. Las Vegas is actually a great foodie town for almost every cuisine and taste, except pizza. After more than a decade here, I finally found a great pizzeria, run by a guy from New Jersey who knows what real pizza is. I don't miss the winters in Boston or the cost of living in NYC (lived in Manhattan for 3 years), but I sure as hell miss the almost limitless choices for great pizza.

[+ sync]

Pizza franchises, like all franchises, render "the luck of the draw." Way back, I think around 2009 while living in Queens, NY, I ordered a Papa John's pizza...it scarcely deserved the name.

[craigville beach]

In New England we have Papa Gino's which is always good.

[+ Gar1eth]

I don’t like Pizza Hut or Domino’s pizza but I grew up in Manhattan where you can get great pizza pretty much in any corner. I love pizza and remember having a hard time finding pizza I like when I moved to the Midwest for university; I guess I was spoiled by the options in NYC.

 

I’m actually not that fond of NY style pizza. I like the thinner crust. But it seems to me the toppings -pepperoni, sausage, and etc are often thrown on at the last minute such that if you turned the pizza over they would fall off. I like the toppings incorporated and bound into the cheese. If this isn’t the way real NYC pizza is, I’ve had some bad ersatz NYC pizza.

 

Gman

[+ Charlie]

I grew up before the age of the pizza chains, and the "pizza parlors" of my youth still were better--at least in my memory--than any of the chains I have been to in recent years.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

The franchised Uno's are not anything like the original in Chicago.

 

That's because the magic of Uno's pizza are the original ovens still used at the Ohio/Wabash location. It's been seasoned and baked in for so long that the crust comes out just perfect nearly every time. Same can be said for the sister location Due, down the street.

 

When they franchised out, I knew it would end in misery. Chicago deep dish is an artform. You shouldn't franchise art

 

I don't eat big box pizza as it's always been a disappointment to me. Going local when ordering pizza is almost universally a better choice.

Edited February 17, 2018 by Benjamin_Nicholas

[Deadlift1]

Best rated Pizza in NYC by NYers last year was in Jersey City, NJ. Try getting a philly cheesesteak in Macon, GA.

[rvwnsd]

That's because the magic of Uno's pizza are the original ovens still used at the Ohio/Wabash location. It's been seasoned and baked in for so long that the crust comes out just perfect nearly every time. Same can be said for the sister location Due, down the street.

 

When they franchised out, I knew it would end in misery. Chicago deep dish is an artform. You shouldn't franchise art

 

I don't eat big box pizza as it's always been a disappointment to me. Going local when ordering pizza is almost universally a better choice.

Yep, I know - I was raised in Chicago (born across the street in Oak Park) and lived there until my mid-30's. While I like Uno and Due, Gulliver's is my all-time favorite pan pizza. Giordano's is my favorite stuffed pizza and Calo and Rosati's are tied for conventional pizza. Now that I live in Phoenix (where all the expat Chicagoans end up) we have several Rosati's, Lou Malnati's, and even a Giordano's.

 

Side note: Most Rosati's are franchised, yet the pizza always comes out the same way - very good. And the service is consistently indifferent. They must have a strong training program for franchisees.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Yep, I know - I was raised in Chicago (born across the street in Oak Park) and lived there until my mid-30's. While I like Uno and Due, Gulliver's is my all-time favorite pan pizza. Giordano's is my favorite stuffed pizza and Calo and Rosati's are tied for conventional pizza. Now that I live in Phoenix (where all the expat Chicagoans end up) we have several Rosati's, Lou Malnati's, and even a Giordano's.

 

Side note: Most Rosati's are franchised, yet the pizza always comes out the same way - very good. And the service is consistently indifferent. They must have a strong training program for franchisees.

 

Chicagoan here as well

 

I'm sad we're not also including Gino's in this discussion... And Chicago beef (Al's is my favorite with Mr. Beef coming in a close second). Dipped, with, no motz.

Damn, I'm hungry.

[wklucas]

Chicagoan here as well

 

I'm sad we're not also including Gino's in this discussion... And Chicago beef (Al's is my favorite with Mr. Beef coming in a close second). Dipped, with, no motz.

Damn, I'm hungry.

 

Al's Italian Beef .....5 stars....the bread, the green peppers.....all soaked in the au jus.....w/the fries = great lunch

[wklucas]

Yep, I know - I was raised in Chicago (born across the street in Oak Park) and lived there until my mid-30's. While I like Uno and Due, Gulliver's is my all-time favorite pan pizza. Giordano's is my favorite stuffed pizza and Calo and Rosati's are tied for conventional pizza. Now that I live in Phoenix (where all the expat Chicagoans end up) we have several Rosati's, Lou Malnati's, and even a Giordano's.

 

Side note: Most Rosati's are franchised, yet the pizza always comes out the same way - very good. And the service is consistently indifferent. They must have a strong training program for franchisees.

 

For stuffed pizza, Edwardo's stuffed spinach was always v v tasty....I think that Gino's had the corn meal crust which was different & not bad....anyway, Malnati's shipped frozen overnite from the "tastes of Chicago" website is used here quite regularly.....(& as we've discussed privately - ❤️ Barnaby's)

[+ Gar1eth]

Chicagoan here as well

 

Dipped, with, no motz.

 

As a native English speaker, I have no idea what language this is in, or what it means.

 

As for franchised Uno’s, again I’ve begin to one of the originals, and I liked it. But I thought the franchised ones in Houston and Cincinnati were very good too. I loved their mini chicken fajita pizza. It’s where I learned to love bell peppers.

 

Anyone here from Cincinnati, Donato’s is awful too.

 

Gman

[+ FreshFluff]

As a native English speaker, I have no idea what language this is in, or what it means.

 

As for franchised Uno’s, again I’ve begin to one of the originals, and I liked it. But I thought the franchised ones in Houston and Cincinnati were very good too. I loved their mini chicken fajita pizza. It’s where I learned to love bell peppers.

 

Anyone here from Cincinnati, Donato’s is awful too.

 

Gman

 

Same here. I love Uno's and have only had the franchised version. IMO the problem with the Domino's pan pizza is that it doesn't have much of a crust.

[gallahadesquire]

As a native English speaker, I have no idea what language this is in, or what it means.

Gman

 

It was referring to the Italian Beef. It can be plain, au jus, or the whole thing dumped into the vat of delicious juice. Sigh. No moyz refers, in this context, to no mozzorella.

 

 

[gallahadesquire]

@rvwnsd Another DOOPER! I was born in Melrose Park, then River Forest until 18, so I went to OPRFHS.

 

Yep, I know - I was raised in Chicago (born across the street in Oak Park) and lived there until my mid-30's. While I like Uno and Due, Gulliver's is my all-time favorite pan pizza. Giordano's is my favorite stuffed pizza and Calo and Rosati's are tied for conventional pizza. Now that I live in Phoenix (where all the expat Chicagoans end up) we have several Rosati's, Lou Malnati's, and even a Giordano's.

 

Side note: Most Rosati's are franchised, yet the pizza always comes out the same way - very good. And the service is consistently indifferent. They must have a strong training program for franchisees.

[+ ursalex]

The founder of Domino's Pizza, Thomas Monaghan, is known as " A champion of the pro-life movement and other Catholic teachings "to combat the nation's 'moral crisis'," Monaghan has spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting them" according to Wikipedia. I personally attended a conference where a professor from the law school he funded, Ave Maria, did an awful lot of gay bashing. Sorry, I'm not spending my hard earned gay dollars on his pizza.

[BSR]

The founder of Domino's Pizza, Thomas Monaghan, is known as " A champion of the pro-life movement and other Catholic teachings "to combat the nation's 'moral crisis'," Monaghan has spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting them" according to Wikipedia. I personally attended a conference where a professor from the law school he funded, Ave Maria, did an awful lot of gay bashing. Sorry, I'm not spending my hard earned gay dollars on his pizza.

I'm just not into boycotting. Don't misunderstand, if you want to boycott a business, more power to ya! It's just not something I get all fired up about.

 

I had Domino's only once. It was surprisingly expensive for what we got, and off the top of my head, it was the worst pizza I've ever had. I'll never patronize Domino's again, because their pizza massively sucks!

[+ FreshFluff]

That's because the magic of Uno's pizza are the original ovens still used at the Ohio/Wabash location. It's been seasoned and baked in for so long that the crust comes out just perfect nearly every time. Same can be said for the sister location Due, down the street.

 

When they franchised out, I knew it would end in misery. Chicago deep dish is an artform. You shouldn't franchise art

 

I've never had the original, so I can't speak to that. But the Uno franchises' deep dish product is still way better than those of its competitors.

Edited February 18, 2018 by FreshFluff

[Lookin]

Chicagoan here as well

 

I'm sad we're not also including Gino's in this discussion...

 

Long ago, when I lived in Chicago, Uno's, Due, and Gino's were the holy trinity. High hopes when they opened an Uno's in San Francisco but, sadly, Chicago deep dish pizza does not travel well.

 

Some things just have to be eaten in situ.

 

PS: I've discovered that most flat crust takeout pizzas benefit from spending five minutes on the lower rack of a 450º oven.