Pizza and Its Popularity Around The United States

Ever since its introduction in 1905, pizza has been a national favorite throughout the United States. As it became more popular, more and more people took the traditional recipe and tried to give it their own personal touch, leading to the plethora of pizza companies spread across the country today. With such a vast variety of places to purchase pizza nowadays it can be difficult for one to decide where they want to get their next meal. It may be hard to determine which pizza place would be the best for the current meal situation, breaking each option down into different categories that pertain to one’s needs could make the decision much simpler.

While different situations can call for different criteria, taste of the pizza, overall price, speed of service, and the atmosphere of the store, are universal things to consider for each situation. Personally, I have a habit of sticking with one thing once I find what I like, but to find that one thing experimentation is required. Three places that widely vary with this set of criteria and will be evaluated here are Blue Pan Pizza, Papa John’s, and Little Caesar's (to keep all these pizzerias on an even playing field, the only food that will be evaluated from each restaurant will be a regular cheese pizza).

The first to be evaluated of the three is Little Caesar’s. Upon walking in one can usually find a small and crowded store front. However, it’s easy to get in and out of the crowded front when ordering a basic cheese pizza, as they often have medium cheese, pepperoni, and sausage pizzas ready for pick up at any time. Each one of these ready-to-pick-up medium pizzas cost only five dollars. The pizza itself was less than impressive with thin, dry dough topped with a sauce that lacked much flavor, and cheese that’s overpowered with the amount of grease on top. It tasted almost as if it had been previously frozen and then reheated. While it’s not something I’d seek out, the lack of flavor and overall quality of the pizza it is the quality one would expect for it’s cheap price.

Second on the list, is Papa John’s. Like Little Caesar’s, Papa John’s has a relatively small small front, but unlike Little Caesar’s, it’s almost never crowded, which may be due to the fact that Papa John’s offers delivery along with their in-store pick up. Unlike Little Caesar’s, your food must be ordered in advance, either over the phone, or on their website. Once ordered, you have the choice to pick up your food at the nearest location, or to have someone deliver it. If picking up the food yourself, the food is usually ready fifteen minutes after the order has been placed. When it comes to delivery, it can take between twenty to thirty minutes for the pizza to arrive. Price wise, a medium pizza from Papa John’s costs about fourteen dollars if you pick it up from the store. If delivered, the pizza will still cost about fourteen dollars, but a delivery fee and a (while optional, but recommended as the delivery fee doesn’t go directly to the driver) tip fee.

A cheese pizza from Papa John’s costs about nine dollars more than one from Little Caesar’s, but cost is definitely justified by the higher quality of the pizza. This pizza tasted much more fresh than the prior, with a good balance of ingredients. On a normal pizza, the only thing off is that there’s isn’t enough sauce for it to stand out, but the store will allow you to ask for extra sauce free of charge.

Lastly, we have Blue Pan Pizza located in Denver. Of the three restaurants, Blue Pan Pizza is the only one with a real restaurant setting with a number of tables and a bar to sit at. The store is cozy, but at times feels a little cramped with a limited amount of seating, but you can take your order to go as well. The restaurant serves Detroit-Style pizza, which is a square pizza that has a thick crust, typically twice baked. Unlike the other two stores, Blue Pan Pizza only has options for a small and a large when ordering their Detroit-Style pizza. Instead of a regular cheese pizza on their menu, the closest thing they have is their Margherita Napoletana which contains, classic Italian pizza sauce, fresh basil, fior di latte fresh mozzarella cheese, and sea salt. Overall, their ingredients taste fresh, and they have a decent ratio of each ingredient throughout their pizzas. However, their pizzas can be a bit pricier than the first two, as the one pizza described can range between thirteen and twenty-seven dollars.

All in all, each of these three options have their strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes to everyday dining Papa John's is the most convenient. With multiple locations in most towns, decent prices,and quality ingredients, the restaurant is a great option for a night at home.