Papa John's — Review by Daym Drops
Connecticut, United States — Pizza
Dame reviews Papa John's new pepperoni stuffed crust pizza and finds the crust itself to be the standout feature, but the overall pizza is let down by a greasy, flimsy base and underwhelming sauce. He wishes the pepperoni stuffed crust came on a deep dish version instead, as the regular pizza format makes the whole experience disappointing despite the quality of the crust.
What was great: The pepperoni stuffed crust itself was good with plenty of pepperoni pieces and good flavor in the crust
What could improve: The main pizza was greasy with a flimsy, non-crispy base that couldn't properly support the toppings. The pizza sauce lacked fresh tomato flavor and seemed to be missing key ingredients like fresh tomato, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic
The Dishes
The main focus of this review is Papa John's new pepperoni stuffed crust pizza. The pizza came loaded with approximately 30 pieces of pepperoni on top, in addition to the pepperoni baked into the stuffed crust itself. Dame particularly appreciated the crust portion, noting it had better flavor than the actual pizza pie, with the cheese and pepperoni filling providing a satisfying cheesy and salty experience.
The Experience
Dame conducted this late-night review using his special lighting setup he calls the Ghetto lights, which allowed him to film a proper evening food review. The pizza arrived fresh and hot, so hot that it didn't want to stay properly in the box. The experience was more of a solo tasting in his studio rather than a restaurant visit, though he mentions Papa John's is open until around 1:00 AM on Sundays for those seeking late-night bites.
Value and Pricing
While specific pricing wasn't mentioned, Dame's criticism focuses more on the quality-to-concept ratio rather than the actual dollar value. He feels the execution on the overall pizza doesn't match the promise of the specialty stuffed crust feature.
Notable Moments
I feel like we lost translation on that- Dam's comment on the missing fresh tomato and seasonings in the sauce.
It's a greasy greasy flop with a good pepperoni crust- His overall assessment of the pizza's execution.
I wish the pepperoni stuffed crust was on something else other than the regular pizza- His key suggestion for improvement, advocating for a deep dish version instead.
The Verdict
While Dame wanted to love this pizza because of the pepperoni stuffed crust concept, the execution falls short. The regular pizza base is too greasy and flimsy, unable to maintain its structure and lacking the crispy underside he demands from quality pizza. He compares it unfavorably to Papa John's potential and uses an analogy about not wanting to touch something dirty even if it has value. The pepperoni stuffed crust is good enough to make the pizza doable, but the greasy main pizza drags down the entire experience. This pizza is best for those who want to isolate just the crust portion and ignore the rest of the pie.