It’s surprisingly easy comparing the big four of American pizza chains to the big four of 1980s thrash metal bands. Pizza Hut is Metallica, so that makes Domino’s Megadeth by default. And since Papa John’s is Anthrax (because when both go wrong, they go horribly wrong), that must make Little Caesars the fast food equivalent of Slayer.
And much the same way Slayer has consistently been the heaviest and fastest of those bands, so has Little Caesars been the heaviest and fastest of the pizza pie big four. Seriously, what’s heavier and faster than a HOT-N-READY bacon-wrapped DEEP! DEEP! Dish pizza, anyway?
Well, the newfangled Smokehouse Pizza is pretty much the musical equivalent of Slayer releasing a bluegrass album. On the surface, it doesn’t sound even remotely feasible, but then you realize, “Hey, the instruments may be different, but this stuff is STILL really heavy and fast. Just the way I like it.”
And yes, this super savory meat-a-palooza pie is pretty spectacular. Little Caesars did not skimp out on the fix-ins, as the cacophony of brisket, bacon, and pulled pork gels incredibly well. The high-quality meat is certainly smoky and savory, and you get an absolute ton of it piled atop your pizza.
While each variety of meat maintains a distinct taste and texture, the medley of flavors blends together nicely. No one meat becomes too dominant on your tastebuds – thanks in no small part to the delicious barbecue sauce base, which does a bang-up job tying everything together.
The mozzarella and Muenster mix, however, was a bit underwhelming. With so much meat on the pie, there really needs to be an extra handful of cheese on this thing, lest the dairy flavorings literally be buried.
The biggest problem with the pizza, however, has to be the superfluous mesquite seasonings on the crust. Basically, it tastes like BBQ potato chip dust, and moving from a very authentic barbecue flavor to a very synthetic tasting one definitely lessens the experience. It’s also an extremely messy pizza, so be mindful if you decide to tackle this bad boy while wearing your Sunday best.
Still, the Smokehouse Pizza is unique and flavorful enough to warrant at least one taste test. For just $9 you are getting a colossal amount of food, and the overall quality of the meat is likely to surprise you.
Be forewarned, though: as any veteran BBQ enthusiast will tell you, ingesting enough BBQ sauce-slathered pork and beef in quick intervals CAN put you in nap-mode out of the blue. So just to be on the safe side of things? If you order this pizza, make sure to have a pillow or two handy.
(Nutrition Facts – Not listed on website.)
Purchased Price: $9
Size: Large pizza (8 slices)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Pros: A very rich and robust smoked barbecue taste. A nice and savory BBQ sauce base. Being so full of brisket you come *this close* to reaching beef enlightenment.
Cons: Nowhere near enough cheese. The artificial BBQ seasonings on the crust are a little off-putting. Trying to ward off the food coma effects about a half hour after eating your last slice.
I don’t like the way this looks.
Looks can be deceiving and remember…Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
Forgot to add we had one for lunch today and it was AWESOME! Best pizza I’ve tasted in years!
Am I looking at intestines? roaches?
Nah. It’s the grass talking.
Yeah, it’s not the prettiest thing. But this reviewer was lucky. I got one of these and all the toppings were relegated to the middle of the pie, leaving at least 4 inches of crust all around! BTW, I thought the “mesquite seasoning” tasted like good old-fashioned Lowery’s seasoning salt…
SPS Review from Fayetteville, GA:
Overall – Very Good
I had the Smokehouse Pizza and was pleasantly surprised at how good the pizza was.
Appearance – The pizza looked appealing and it was hot. It was not the hot and ready so I did have to wait a few minutes for it. It was not cheesy like most pizza’s but tasty nonetheless.
Temperature – Pizza was hot and stayed hot for the duration of my 10 minutes to my home. I did not have to warm it up.
Crust – I prefer thin crust pizza but the crust was just right. Not too thick. I wasn’t put off by the seasoning on the crust. I ate the pizza with some black beans and the crust fit right in.
Meat – The pork and brisket wasn’t very distinguishable to me on the pizza but I don’t eat enough BBQ to know the difference. It did taste like BBQ and the applewood bacon gave it a nice finish . . . especially if you like bacon.
I would try the pizza again.
,CERTIFIED: SMOKAFIED
certified crazified
I might like it , but the big Fat Guy, on the commercial, makes me sick to my stomach, when he has a Mouth full of BBQ Pizza, and he starts Talking,, It’s Discussing…..
Bull sh** !, every time I’ve tried to get one I don’t even have 1/8th the topping depicted in this picture or the commercial. Crappy part is I complained once and got a free one “made the right way”. And my wife picked it up and it had the same amount of skimpy toppings! Huge huge huge disappointment
We tried it last night. It had a horrible sweet taste to it. We like good pizza and we like good BBQ. But the combination for us was a mess. Will never get it again. We were very disappointed.
I love it! I was so sad when Little Caesars got rid of the Pretzel pizza so I didn’t really get pizza anymore after that. But tried the Smokehouse one and it is delish. I pretty much get it once a week.
This is one pizza we will NEVER buy again!!!!! The BBQ sauce was entirely TOO sweet! That was all we tasted. It totally overpowered the meat and cheese that was on the pizza. We are now totally convinced that BBQ sauce does not belong on pizza.
Anyone who doesn’t like the ” Smokehouse “, is not an American!!
This thing is awesome!! And cheap too !!
Horrible pizza. Horrible customer service. Cold, hard, rubbery, and rude people.
I tried this and thought it was WAY too spicy! I think it was the bbq sauce. It was sweet at first but then had a lingering heat that I can’t stand.
I just wanted to say that every Little Ceasars are not alike. Where I am currently living you need to travel about a half hour to find one. This brand of pizza was always my favorite,until I tasted the Little Ceasars here. Worst pizza ever. I was so excited to get my favorite pizza,until I opened the box to find a half burnt pie with little to no cheese. The crust wasn’t fluffy,the cheese couldn’t be found and the burnt part was a total loss. My point is this. I think a lot depends on the manager and workers . Having said this I must give accolades to the Little Ceasars in Warren,Pa.. Best pizza ever. I miss them enough to move back and enjoy a slice with my friends!
Bring back the smokehouse pizza it IS the best one little caesars makes.. i dont really like their regular pepperoni pizza nearly as much as that one.. it made me actually want to eat the pizza from there.. otherwise I’d rather go to a place with better pizza
ok…it’s time for this to come back. I wonder if it will?