All right, dammit! I admit it, I like Pizza Hut?
As a former Manhattanite who grew up on real pizza, I think my family and friends in the Big Apple just hung their heads collectively in shame and disgust. I would probably garner a better reaction if I yanked my vintage Bugle Boys pants down and angry-sharted on my grandparent’s ugly Thomas Kinkade print (..alas, aren’t they all ugly?).
Since I’m in a mood to confess…I also secretly love dog-shaming pictures. You know the ones where the owners hang a sign around their necks proclaiming they did something bad.
And I not only love Pizza Hut, I also love their stuffed crusts. I see your head shaking, I know. Despite eating at some of the best pizzerias in New York and Chicago, I come to you throwing myself on the sword asking, “What’s so wrong with Pizza Hut’s pizzas?”
Besides, I now live in a major city in Florida where everyone proclaims their pizza is “New York”-style when in actuality, it is about as New York as the set of Jackie Chan’s “Rumble in the Bronx.” How many mountain ranges can you name that’s in the middle of the Bronx?
For pizza chains, in my experience, Pizza Hut is the most consistent overall. The sauce always has a nice subtle earthy and peppery flavor that pairs well with the tangy acidity of the tomato sauce. Furthermore, the pizza satisfies my cravings when the only local pizzeria around also specializes in Mexican food. Those in Ketchikan, Alaska know what I’m talking about.
After diving into several hours of Destiny, what perfect food than pizza can accompany hours of button mashing? I don’t have time to coordinate with a fork when I’m too busy coordinating the controls to grind levels.?
The delivery was quick and upon opening the box, the familiar fresh smell of fourteen delicious inches of hot pizza rose up and jacked my nostrils into heaven.
Noticeably, the pizza looked a little weird because the crust was almost an inch and a half wide, which contained a mixture of melted cheeses and hardwood smoked bacon. The bulging crust begged to be ripped apart so the cheddar, provolone and mozzarella mixture could ooze out. I tore it apart and although there was no oozing, there was a rush of smoky bacon that filled the air around my face.
The crust was buttery with a pleasant chewy texture and the mixed melted cheese imparted a nice creamy taste, like the inside of a crab rangoon without the fake cream cheese flavor. The small bits of bacon cut through the cheese and it was awesome enough for me to eat just the crusts of several slices alone.
Initially, I was not happy with the paltry amount of bacon in the stuffed crust but it turned out it was the right ratio. The cheese mixture really carried the bacon well and amplified that salty and fatty porky taste. There was also a slight onion flavor in the mixture that was well received by my mouth as I continued to hand cannon aliens in the hope of grabbing some elite stuff.
The $11.99 special allowed one topping and I opted for the mushrooms, which was stupid. Pizzeria chain mushrooms are either rubbery or so thin that they are dried up like mummified corpses. I had the latter. The pizza was good but the mushrooms detracted from the pizza and I picked them all off. However, I take the blame and should have ordered onions instead.
The pizza itself sans mushrooms was good as the cheese was perfectly stretchy and the sauce lifted the flavors well. The chewiness of the crust extended to the slice and, as a whole, the pizza satiated my craving. Yet, to be honest, I would be satisfied just eating the crusts and leaving the pizza in the box.
If you’ve eaten the stuffed crust before and didn’t like it, no amount of bacon is going to change your mind. If you were on the fence, bacon does actually make it better. If you liked it, then get ready for Valhalla of epic stuffed crust-pizza proportions. While it’s not as gooey as I hoped, like a fried mozzarella stick, the taste was good enough to overlook this.
(Nutrition Facts – 1 slice w/o toppings – 340 calories, 140 calories from fat, 16 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 810 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 16 grams of protein.)
Item: Pizza Hut Bacon Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza
Purchased Price: $11.99
Size: Large
Purchased at: Pizza Hut
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: The cheese mixture carried the bacon well. The stuffed crust was buttery and had a nice chewy texture. Bacon and melted cheese, what is there not to like?
Cons: The cheese in the crust wasn’t gooey. The dried mushrooms sucked the life out of a good pizza. Laughing at dog shaming photos, I’m embarrassed to admit I laugh at those.
Millions of peoples, enjoy Pizza Hut” their is nothing wrong liking them
Man, I hate to say it that’s one sorry looking pie. Probably tastes decent though.
Don’t Feel Ashamed! I liked Pizza Hut (I only say liked because I can’t eat gluten anymore)!
If you said you like Donato’s Pizza (Columbus Ohio chain that make me glad I’m gluten intolerant), I would worry about you.
Some people just like poop – e.g. McDonald’s burgers. Pizza Hut / chain pizza is just sorry. It’s mostly [greasy] bread & a hint of sauce & crummy cheese. I actually do like the stuffed crust part of PH but would throw the rest out. ~Chicago pizza snob
My wife and I ordered this and I dunno. The bacon didn’t taste enough like bacon. It tastes like ham. In fact, it both tasted and smelled like a Ham & Cheese Hot Pocket, of which I’m not a fan. I much prefer the normal 3-Cheese Stuffed Crust with some marinara.
The pizza isn’t that bad, but their pizza sauce is definitely sweetened. I wish the dough had a bit more heft to it. It’s almost biting into a raised doughnut rather than a dense crust. Though it’s much better than most typical Chicago thin crust or hand tossed crust that has no taste and crumbles like a pretzel (without any flavor).
Dog shaming pics are an all time fave of mine too!
See, I *love* the regular and three-cheese stuffed crust, but this? I honestly just did not care for it. It was like a weird, overly porky meat overload.
Nasty groos could only eat one piece. I am a fat guy too and I love pizza this just was completely gross.
i really need to order this again maybe in the middle of the day. I’m eating it right now and it looks nothing like yours (I’m in Florida too!). This pizza seems like they made it 2 hours ago and the order was cancelled. I will agree though, this is an epic stuffed crust.
I ordered this and was completely disgusted by it. The bacon in the crust tastes nothing like bacon and was just nasty. Also, it seems the cheese in the regular stuffed crust pizza has changed from when I last had one. Now, it is just gross.