Pizza Chains Tier List: 21 Big Chains Ranked S to F
Everybody has a pizza chain they'll defend to the death, and usually one they'd never order again. We read through the taste tests, the review sites and a lot of heated forum threads to figure out where the crowd really lands.
The short version? The regional chains are winning. Detroit-style squares from Michigan and hippie-themed pies from Atlanta beat most of the national giants. Domino's has climbed a long way since its 2009 recipe reboot, while buffets and mall slices sit near the bottom. Here's all 21, sorted.
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SS Tier: Worth Driving Across Town
Jet's Pizza
Get the eight-corner pizza. Every slice has a crispy, cheese-crusted edge, and that caramelized frico is the whole reason people in Michigan swear by this place. The Detroit-style square has barely changed since 1978, and taste testers keep putting it at or near the top of their lists.
About Jet's Pizza
Brothers Eugene and John Jetts opened Jet's Pizza in Sterling Heights, Michigan, in 1978. The chain is known for its square, Detroit-style deep-dish pizza, including a trademarked eight-corner pizza, made from their mother's recipe.
- Founded
- 1978, Sterling Heights, Michigan
- Headquarters
- Sterling Heights, Michigan
- Locations
- About 425 (2024)
Mellow Mushroom
The dough is chewy and a little pretzel-like, and it holds up to heavy toppings better than anything else here. Order the Holy Shiitake, with three kinds of mushrooms, caramelized onions, garlic aioli and a hit of truffle oil. It costs more than a delivery pie, sure. It also tastes like a real pizzeria made it.
About Mellow Mushroom
Mellow Mushroom opened in Atlanta in 1974 and is known for its counterculture art and decor, with each restaurant decorated differently. Its menu leans on specialty pies like the Holy Shiitake and a stone-baked, spring-water crust.
- Founded
- 1974, Atlanta, Georgia
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Locations
- 200+ in about 20 states
Marco's Pizza
This Ohio chain quietly became the favorite of a lot of people who used to order Domino's. The sauce is made in-house, the cheese is a three-cheese blend, and the Old World pepperoni cups up and crisps at the edges. Fans split on whether it's truly S-tier, but we think it's the best big delivery chain going.
About Marco's Pizza
Italian immigrant Pat Giammarco opened the first Marco's Pizza in Oregon, Ohio, near Toledo, in 1978. It has grown into one of the largest pizza chains in the U.S., with stores in several other countries as well.
- Founded
- 1978, Oregon, Ohio
- Headquarters
- Toledo, Ohio
- Locations
- 1,300+
AA Tier: Friday Night Approved
Donatos
Thin, crackery crust with toppings run all the way to the edge. A large pepperoni here carries over 100 slices, so you get pepperoni in every bite instead of a sad bare rim. Outside Ohio it can be hard to find, which is the only thing keeping it from S.
About Donatos
Jim Grote bought a small pizza shop on the south side of Columbus, Ohio, in 1963 and turned it into Donatos. The chain is known for thin crust with toppings spread edge to edge. McDonald's owned it from 1999 to 2003 before the Grote family bought it back.
- Founded
- 1963, Columbus, Ohio
- Headquarters
- Gahanna, Ohio
- Locations
- About 450 (2025)
California Pizza Kitchen
CPK basically put barbecue chicken on pizza on the map back in 1985, and that pie still holds up with its smoked gouda and red onion. It's a sit-down restaurant, so you're paying for the table and the pasta menu too. Critics love it more than delivery fans do, and we land in the middle.
About California Pizza Kitchen
Former federal prosecutors Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax opened the first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills in 1985. The chain popularized the barbecue chicken pizza, and its frozen pizzas are sold in grocery stores under license.
- Founded
- 1985, Beverly Hills, California
- Headquarters
- Costa Mesa, California
- Signature pie
- The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza
Blaze Pizza
You walk down the line, point at toppings, and a blistering open-flame oven finishes the pie in about three minutes. That char on the thin crust is the best part. Toppings can taste a bit flat, but for a fast lunch it beats most chains that take 40 minutes to deliver.
About Blaze Pizza
Blaze Pizza was founded in Pasadena, California, in 2011 by Elise and Rick Wetzel, who also started Wetzel's Pretzels. Pizzas are built to order and cooked in an open-flame oven in about three minutes.
- Founded
- 2011, Pasadena, California
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Locations
- 300+
Domino's
Remember when Domino's admitted its crust tasted like cardboard? The 2009 overhaul actually worked. The hand-tossed crust now has a garlic-butter seasoning, the Pan Pizza gets properly crisp, and the app is the best in the business. It's not special, but it's reliably good, and that counts.
About Domino's
Domino's started in 1960 when brothers Tom and Jim Monaghan took over a pizzeria in Ypsilanti, Michigan, originally called DomiNick's. It is now the largest pizza chain in the world by store count and famously rebuilt its pizza recipe from the crust up in 2009.
- Founded
- 1960, Ypsilanti, Michigan
- Headquarters
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Locations
- 21,000+ worldwide (2024)
BB Tier: Solid When You're Hungry
Pizza Hut
Nostalgia carries a lot of weight here. The Original Pan Pizza, with that fried, buttery bottom, still tastes like a Book It! reward, and the Stuffed Crust is a guilty pleasure. The thin crust and the wings? Skip them.
About Pizza Hut
Brothers Dan and Frank Carney opened the first Pizza Hut in Wichita, Kansas, in 1958. The chain is known for its pan pizza and for the Book It! reading program, which has rewarded students with free pizza since 1985.
- Founded
- 1958, Wichita, Kansas
- Headquarters
- Plano, Texas
- Owner
- LongRange Capital (outside mainland China, since 2026)
MOD Pizza
The big selling point is that toppings don't cost extra, so you can load a pie with as much as you want for one price. The crust is thin and cooks fast in a very hot oven. It's a bit less charred and a bit less exciting than Blaze, which is why it sits a tier lower.
About MOD Pizza
Scott and Ally Svenson started MOD Pizza in Seattle in 2008 with a build-your-own model and a single price no matter how many toppings you add. Elite Restaurant Group acquired the chain in 2024.
- Founded
- 2008, Seattle, Washington
- Headquarters
- Bellevue, Washington
- Owner
- Elite Restaurant Group (since 2024)
Round Table Pizza
West Coast families grew up on this one. The King Arthur's Supreme stacks pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami and linguiça with veggies, and the crust has a nice crunch. Some reviewers find the sauce under-seasoned, and we get it, but a Round Table pie is still better than most national chains.
About Round Table Pizza
William Larson opened the first Round Table Pizza in Menlo Park, California, in 1959, with a King Arthur theme that still runs through the menu. The chain is concentrated on the West Coast.
- Founded
- 1959, Menlo Park, California
- Locations
- 400+
- Signature pie
- King Arthur's Supreme
Hungry Howie's
Butter Cheese crust. That's the move. Howie's has been brushing flavors onto its crust since 1985, and it turns the normally boring rim into the best bite. The rest of the pizza is average, so the crust is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
About Hungry Howie's
Jim Hearn opened the first Hungry Howie's in Taylor, Michigan, in 1973. In 1985 the chain rolled out its Flavored Crust line, which remains its signature.
- Founded
- 1973, Taylor, Michigan
- Headquarters
- Madison Heights, Michigan
- Locations
- 550+ in 18 states
Uno Pizzeria & Grill
The original Uno in Chicago claims it invented deep dish in 1943, and the Chicago Classic still has that thick, buttery crust with sauce on top. The chain has shrunk a lot, and some locations feel tired. Get the deep dish and ignore everything else on the long menu.
About Uno Pizzeria & Grill
Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo opened Pizzeria Uno in Chicago in 1943, and the restaurant claims to have invented Chicago deep-dish pizza. The chain grew into a casual-dining brand and has shrunk to a few dozen locations.
- Founded
- 1943, Chicago, Illinois
- Headquarters
- Norwood, Massachusetts
- Known for
- Chicago deep-dish pizza
Mountain Mike's
Their calling card is a mountain of small, crispy, curly pepperoni that cup up and get crunchy in the oven. It's a California favorite, pretty much a pizza-parlor-with-a-salad-bar kind of place. The crust is fine, the pepperoni is great.
About Mountain Mike's
Mountain Mike's Pizza was founded in Palo Alto, California, in 1978. The chain is known for its crispy, curly pepperoni and has grown to more than 300 locations, mostly in California.
- Founded
- 1978, Palo Alto, California
- Headquarters
- Newport Beach, California
- Locations
- 300+
CC Tier: Fine, We Guess
Papa John's
Most fans will tell you the best thing on the menu is the garlic dipping sauce, and they're not wrong. The crust is soft and sweet, and a loaded pie can turn greasy fast. Papa John's does win the odd taste test, so people do disagree, but we can't put it higher than C.
About Papa John's
John Schnatter started Papa John's in 1984 in the back of his father's tavern in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The chain's garlic dipping sauce, packed with every pizza, became one of its best-known products.
- Founded
- 1984, Jeffersonville, Indiana
- Headquarters
- Louisville area, Kentucky, and Atlanta area, Georgia
- Locations
- About 6,000 in roughly 50 countries
Papa Murphy's
Take-and-bake is a clever idea: they build it, you cook it at home, and it comes out hot from your own oven. The problem is your home oven can't get as hot as a pizzeria's, so the crust often ends up pale and bready. The fresh toppings and low prices keep it out of D.
About Papa Murphy's
Papa Murphy's was formed in 1995 by merging two take-and-bake pizza companies, Papa Aldo's and Murphy's Pizza. Customers pick up an unbaked pizza and cook it at home. Canada's MTY Food Group bought the chain in 2019.
- Founded
- 1995 (merger)
- Headquarters
- Vancouver, Washington
- Locations
- 1,500+
Pizza Inn
Pizza Inn is mostly about the buffet, where you'll find the Taco Pizza and a dessert pie they call Pizzert. It's a small-town Southern staple and a decent deal for a hungry family. The pizza itself is thin and forgettable.
About Pizza Inn
Pizza Inn opened in Dallas, Texas, in 1958 and is owned by Rave Restaurant Group. Its restaurants center on an all-day pizza buffet.
- Founded
- 1958, Dallas, Texas
- Headquarters
- The Colony, Texas
- Parent company
- Rave Restaurant Group
Godfather's Pizza
These days you're more likely to find Godfather's inside a gas station than in its own building. The original-crust pies are thick and pile on the cheese, and the Taco Pizza has its fans. For a quick slice on a road trip, it does the job.
About Godfather's Pizza
Godfather's Pizza began in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1973 and grew under Willy Theisen. Herman Cain later ran the company and led a buyout from Pillsbury. Many locations today are express outlets inside convenience stores.
- Founded
- 1973, Omaha, Nebraska
- Headquarters
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Formats
- Buffet, traditional and express
DD Tier: Only If It's Free
Little Caesars
Five bucks and zero wait was a genius idea in 1997, and the Hot-N-Ready still wins on convenience. Crazy Bread is honestly the best thing they make. The pizza has a candy-sweet sauce and thin toppings, so it's a budget pick, not a good one.
About Little Caesars
Mike and Marian Ilitch opened the first Little Caesars in Garden City, Michigan, in 1959. The chain introduced Crazy Bread in 1982 and its $5 Hot-N-Ready pepperoni pizza in 1997.
- Founded
- 1959, Garden City, Michigan
- Headquarters
- Detroit, Michigan
- Known for
- Hot-N-Ready pizza, Crazy Bread
Sbarro
A giant slice under a heat lamp in a mall food court is a specific kind of experience. It's New York style in name, but after an hour on the counter it turns doughy and greasy. Fresh out of the oven it's actually fine, which is why it isn't in F.
About Sbarro
Gennaro and Carmela Sbarro, immigrants from Naples, opened an Italian grocery in Brooklyn in 1956 that grew into a pizza chain. Sbarro is best known for large New York-style slices sold in malls, airports and travel stops.
- Founded
- 1956, Brooklyn, New York
- Headquarters
- Columbus, Ohio
- Locations
- 600+ in about 28 countries
Cici's
All-you-can-eat pizza sounds great until you notice how thin the toppings are. The buffet does have some fun oddballs, like mac and cheese pizza and cinnamon rolls. Kids love it. Adults tend to leave a little sad.
About Cici's
Joe Croce and Mike Cole opened the first Cici's in Plano, Texas, in 1985. The chain is built around an all-you-can-eat buffet of pizza, pasta, salad and desserts.
- Founded
- 1985, Plano, Texas
- Headquarters
- Coppell, Texas
- Format
- All-you-can-eat buffet
FF Tier: Go for the Games
Chuck E. Cheese
Nobody goes here for the pizza, and it shows. Reviewers keep comparing it to frozen school-lunch pizza, and at party prices that stings. The skee-ball and the animatronic band are the draw, so this is a fun place with a bad pizza.
About Chuck E. Cheese
Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell opened the first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California, in 1977. The chain pairs pizza with arcade games and has phased out its animatronic band at most locations.
- Founded
- 1977, San Jose, California
- Headquarters
- Irving, Texas
- Founder
- Nolan Bushnell
How we ranked them
This ranking reflects fan and critic consensus. We read published taste tests and rankings from food sites, customer reviews, and long-running forum and Reddit discussions about which chains people actually reorder from. Where most sources agreed, we followed the crowd. Where opinions split, like Papa John's and Marco's, we picked a side and said so in the writeup. Location counts and founding details were checked against company and public records.
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Rank these yourselfFAQ
What is the best pizza chain in America?
Fans and critics most often point to Jet's Pizza, with Mellow Mushroom and Marco's close behind. Among the biggest national chains, Domino's gets the most praise since its 2009 recipe change.
Which pizza chain is the worst?
Chuck E. Cheese lands at the bottom of most rankings because the pizza comes second to the arcade. Cici's and Sbarro also show up near the bottom a lot.
Is Domino's or Pizza Hut better?
We rank Domino's higher. Its crust and app are better overall, but Pizza Hut's Original Pan Pizza is still the better pan pie.
What is Detroit-style pizza and who makes it?
It's a rectangular pan pizza with a thick, airy crust and cheese baked right to the edges so they turn crispy. Jet's Pizza is the best-known chain serving it.
Which pizza chain has the most locations?
Domino's, with more than 21,000 stores worldwide as of 2024. Pizza Hut is close behind with roughly 20,000.
From the blog
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Image credits
- Jet's PizzaImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Mellow MushroomImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Marco's PizzaImage: Wikipedia · Source
- DonatosImage: Wikipedia · Source
- California Pizza KitchenImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Blaze PizzaImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Domino'sImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Pizza HutImage: Wikipedia · Source
- MOD PizzaImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Round Table PizzaImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Hungry Howie'sImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Uno Pizzeria & GrillImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Mountain Mike'sImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Papa John'sImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Papa Murphy'sImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Pizza InnImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Godfather's PizzaPhoto: M.O. Stevens, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · License · Source
- Little CaesarsImage: Wikipedia · Source
- SbarroImage: Wikipedia · Source
- Cici'sLogo: Cicis, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Chuck E. CheeseImage: Wikipedia · Source