I Asked 6 Chefs for the Best Pizza Chain—These 2 Are Their Favorites

From New York, Chicago, and Detroit to tavern, French bread, and even pita pizza, we’re huge fans of pizza any which way you make or slice it. And your ratings, reviews, and contributions to our archive of pizza recipes prove that you feel the same.

As much as we adore DIY-ing our pies so we can customize each element, we’re not too proud to admit that we always stock at least one frozen pizza in our freezers and have several pizza delivery apps on our phone for easy access.

To date, our team has taste-tested the best plain pizza, pepperoni pizza, and thin-crust pizza each delivery chain has to offer, and even declared our pick for the ultimate pizza chain. In that final category, Domino’s edged out Pizza Hut to take home the gold, thanks to Domino’s flavorful, savory sauce, its garlicky, tender crust, and its thoughtful ratio of crust, sauce, and cheese.

While Domino’s was the unanimous winner of our internal taste test, we couldn’t resist comparing notes with professional chefs to hear which slice they think is supreme. (Spoiler alert: Pizza Hut didn’t snag a single vote.)

Our Panel of Pizza-Rating Chefs

• Nicole Bean, owner of Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana in Houston, Texas
• Jeanette Donnarumma, a recipe developer and Emmy Award-winning producer in Ridgewood, New Jersey
• Kimberly Dunn, chef-owner of Domestic Bones hand pies in Des Moines, Iowa
• Alex Green, executive chef at Mileta in Lexington, Kentucky
• Dominic Iannarelli, chef-owner of Prime & Providence in West Des Moines, Iowa
• Mary Payne Moran, chef-owner of The Silver Lake Kitchen cooking school in Los Angeles and the author of “The Vita Gang Mysteries: Who Stole Vita D?”

Qualities of the Best Chain Pizza

Food lovers can debate all day about whether pineapple belongs on pizza, but we can agree on the fact that the features of the best pizza chain remain consistent regardless of what toppings star on the pie. According to our panel of chefs, these include: 

• Quality ingredients showcased in pleasing ratios. Dominic Iannarelli seeks out freshly made dough, easy-melting and tasty cheese, tomato sauce that isn’t too sweet, and crust that isn’t overly doughy. “When it comes to pizza, since veggie toppings are our family’s favorite, we especially want those to be fresh,” adds Kimberly Dunn. “I try to stay clear of pizza that has too much cheese (yes, there is such a thing as too much cheese!) since greasy pizza is not my favorite.”
• Consistency. Jeanette Donnarumma admits that finding top-tier pizza is easy in her neck of the woods. A chain will never beat her local parlors in quality, but the larger brands dominate at two other qualities: consistency and convenience. “With a pizza chain, it’s nice to know I’ll get the same product every time,” she explains. Also, the fact that delivery is almost always an option can help fill the gap when she doesn’t have time to visit her local pizza joint.
• Unique menu items. Since Nicole Bean owns an award-winning pizza shop, chains have a lot to live up to to earn her stamp of approval. She has such a handle on classic Neapolitan-, Detroit-, and New York-style pies, so she turns to chains “when I’m looking to try novelty items you can’t find elsewhere.” (Think, Little Caesars’ Four-N-One Pizza, Pizza Hut’s Bigfoot, and Papa Johns’ Cheesy Burger Pizza.) “Sometimes a collaboration or new menu item just looks delicious,” Bean says about checking out the hype.
• Ease of ordering. Donnarumma and Iannarelli agree that technology can be your best friend on pizza night. The best pizza chains now have user-friendly apps that offer coupons and allow you to repeat previous orders with a single click.

The Best Chain Pizza, According to Chefs

In between delivery chains and the increasingly popular build-your-own shops (such as &pizza, MOD Pizza, and Blaze Pizza), competition is stiff in the pizza world. We asked chefs to choose just one as their MVP. Once again, Domino’s excelled, but it tied with another pizza chain—and no, it’s not The Hut.

Coming out on top as the best pizza chain, with two votes each: Papa Johns and Domino’s.

If you ask Dunn, “Papa Johns has the best value for the quality of pizza, hands down.” She appreciates that the app allows diners to customize the crust (original, garlic cheese-stuffed, cheese-stuffed, thin, or gluten-free), adjust the amount of sauce and cheese, and even make special requests about how the slices are cut. Prefer squares instead of triangles? Simply check that box.

Papa Johns is also Mary Payne Moran’s favorite. “The list of ingredients to make each component of the pizza is short and has few additives,” Moran says. “Some pizza places have sauce that’s chunky or too sweet, and theirs isn’t.” She admits that Papa Johns also holds nostalgic appeal: “When I was a tween, we would get it at our middle school events and parties.”

The price per pie might make you feel like you’re stepping back in time, Dunn adds. “You don’t have to be a frequent customer to benefit from Papa Johns’ rewards program. We order a large one-topping pizza for carry-out for around $10 bucks. You can’t beat that!”

The best order if you pick Papa Johns? Dunn and Moran dig the Garden Fresh Pizza and the Fiery Buffalo Chicken Pizza. And don’t forget to dunk the crust in the brand’s signature garlic sauce.

With votes from Bean and Donnarumma, Domino’s ties with Papa Johns at the top. “The menu is vast and customizable, which is helpful for feeding groups. And most importantly, the pizza is consistently delicious and exactly what you’re looking for, when you’re looking for it,” Donnarumma says.

Bean speaks from experience when she confirms that “Domino’s has really broken the mold in many ways. Not only did it finally overtake Pizza Hut’s long run as the No. 1 chain [in terms of revenue], but it’s also done so many innovative things to set itself apart—including autonomous delivery, robotic delivery, pizza insurance, and bundle deals,” she explains.

Domino’s app is user-friendly, according to Donnarumma, giving diners the opportunity to save money with the preloaded coupons and quickly reorder favorite menu items. You don’t have to wait long for the deliciousness, either: “Domino’s pizza is often done in under 20 minutes and they offer very easy options for carry-out or fast delivery,” Donnarumma explains.

If you opt for Domino’s, ask for a couple extra cups of ranch for crust dunking, then order one of these chef-approved pies—the Honolulu Hawaiian or the homemade pan cheese pizza with banana peppers.

Honorable Mentions

With one chef thumbs-up each, honorable mentions go to Casey’s and Marco’s.

Those who live in the vicinity of Midwest staple Casey’s might think of it first as a convenience store and gas station, but the brand is also well known for its pizza that “checks all the boxes: fresh dough, great cheese, and it offers lots of options—including its famous breakfast pizza,” Dominic Iannarelli says. “It’s somehow good cold or reheated, and everything is reasonably priced.”

Casey’s has about 2,600 locations, making it the sixth largest pizza chain in terms of the number of shops (behind Hunt Brothers, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, and Papa Johns).

Casey’s offers a “great balance of toppings and cheese to crust,” according to Iannarelli, who adds that your go-to order should be the Taco Pizza (with the lettuce on the side to add just before eating) or the sausage pizza with onions.

Lastly, if you live near a Marco’s location, you won’t be disappointed, Alex Green believes. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any locations here in Lexington, but when I lived in Memphis, it was my go-to when ordering out,” he says. Green is particularly fond of the brand’s Old World Pepperoni, which is cup-shaped and crisps up around the edges. “I’m a sucker for textural contrast, and those little bits of crispy bites makes the pizza that much better,” Green tells us.

Beyond traditional pizzas, Marco’s menu offers a lot of variety—including pizza bowls, salads, subs, wings, calzones, and pizzoli (pizza rolls)—so there’s something to please everyone.

Unsure of where to start? Green suggests the Pepperoni Magnifico with double Old World Pepperoni. To take it to the next level, Green suggests that you “add a drizzle of honey and extra-hot Valentina hot sauce once you open the box.”