Let’s be real: not all pizza is good pizza. Some spots get it right with melty cheese and crispy crust, but others? Total letdowns.
From chain restaurants with soggy slices to frozen pies that taste like cardboard, this list calls out the pizza places that just don’t deliver.
We’ve got 15 you might want to skip—and 5 that are so bad, they’re almost legendary.
1. Little Caesars
You get what you pay for—and sometimes, not even that. Little Caesars may be known for its $5 Hot-N-Ready deal, but the crust is cardboard-like, the sauce is bland, and the cheese doesn’t melt so much as it just… sits there.
Great for feeding a crowd fast, terrible if you actually care what your pizza tastes like.
2. Chuck E. Cheese
You’re really there for the games, not the food. And the pizza? It’s an afterthought at best. The crust is soft and oddly sweet, the cheese tastes synthetic, and everything is served lukewarm—if not cold.
Kids might not notice, but adults deserve better.
3. Sbarro
A staple of mall food courts, Sbarro gives off the illusion of being authentic, with massive slices and a wood-fired aesthetic. But bite into one and you’ll find a chewy crust, greasy cheese, and sauce that tastes like canned tomato paste.
It’s Instagram-friendly, not taste-bud-approved.
4. Papa John’s
This chain’s pies are known for their overly sweet sauce and doughy, flavorless crust. The garlic butter dipping sauce masks a lot—but not everything.
Add in inconsistent quality between locations and you’ve got a pizza experience that rarely satisfies.
5. CiCi’s Pizza
An all-you-can-eat pizza buffet sounds amazing until you realize most of the pizzas taste the same—and none of them taste great. Whether it’s the undercooked crusts or toppings that seem frozen and rehydrated, it’s hard to find a truly good bite here.
Quantity doesn’t equal quality.
6. Domino’s (Select Locations)
Domino’s did revamp their recipe years ago—and some stores nail it. Others? Not so much. Depending on where you go, you could end up with an oily, over-salted pie with rubbery cheese and burnt crust.
Consistency is key, and Domino’s just doesn’t always have it.
7. Pizza Hut (Depending On Franchise)
Pizza Hut can hit the spot, but some franchises serve crusts drenched in grease and undercooked dough that leaves you with more regrets than flavor.
The sauce often tastes overly processed and too salty. Nostalgia doesn’t always taste as good as you remember.
8. Speedway Pizza
Yes, it’s pizza from a gas station. And no, it’s not secretly amazing.
Speedway’s pies are often pre-cooked, then left under heat lamps until they’re dried out or soggy in all the wrong places. You’re better off grabbing a granola bar and moving on.
9. Jet’s Pizza
Detroit-style pizza should be thick, airy, and crispy on the edges. Jet’s sometimes gets close, but more often than not the crust is too dense, the cheese is greasy, and the whole pie feels overly processed.
You’ll want a nap, not seconds.
10. California Pizza Kitchen (Frozen Products)
The restaurant might be passable, but their frozen versions fall way short.
Thin, dry crusts, offbeat topping combos that don’t quite work, and barely-there sauce make these pizzas a letdown. It’s “gourmet” in name only.
11. Red Baron (Frozen)
An old-school freezer favorite, Red Baron delivers nostalgia, but not much else. The crust is stiff and chewy, the cheese tastes artificial, and the sauce is barely there.
If you’ve got no other options, fine—but don’t expect to be wowed.
12. Totino’s Party Pizza
It’s cheap. It’s crunchy. It’s more of a pizza-flavored snack than a real meal. The crust is cracker-thin, the sauce is sugary, and the cheese is more like topping dust.
Good in a college dorm emergency. Otherwise, not worth it.
13. Marco’s Pizza
Marco’s tries to be a more premium chain, but often misses the mark. The sauce is oddly sweet, the crust lacks crispness, and toppings can taste rubbery or bland.
Not the worst, but it’s definitely not worth going out of your way for.
14. Tombstone Pizza (Frozen)
The name alone feels like a warning. The crust is thick and tough, the sauce is forgettable, and there’s a processed taste that lingers no matter which variety you try.
It might fill your belly, but it won’t satisfy your pizza craving.
15. Hunt Brothers Pizza
Sold in gas stations and convenience stores, Hunt Brothers is more about convenience than taste. The crust is thick and underbaked, the toppings minimal, and the flavor mostly comes from salt.
You won’t cry over it, but you won’t go back for seconds either.
16. 7-Eleven Pizza
Heat lamp pizza that tastes like regret. The crust is either stiff as a board or wet in the middle, the sauce is bland, and the cheese doesn’t do much except slide off.
It’s cheap, fast, and nearly inedible. You’ll wish you grabbed the taquitos instead.
17. School Cafeteria Rectangle Pizza
Everyone remembers it—but not for good reasons. These rectangular slabs were dry on the edges, gummy in the center, and topped with cheese that felt more like melted plastic than mozzarella.
Nostalgia aside, this pizza was barely edible even when you were 12.
18. Gas Station “Personal Pizzas”
Sold next to the jerky and windshield wiper fluid, these pizzas often have freezer burn and mystery cheese.
Whether they’re rubbery or soggy, they almost always taste stale—and never truly hot. They’re called “personal” because no one else wants them.
19. Amusement Park Pizza Slices
You paid $9 for a slice that was cooked three hours ago.
These pizzas are typically dry, overly chewy, and sit under heat lamps until they’re borderline fossilized. It’s the kind of meal that makes you wish you’d just eaten a churro.
20. That Random Bowling Alley Pizza
You know the one—overpriced, undercooked, and somehow both greasy and bland. Bowling alley pizza often tastes like it was made with ingredients that expired during your last birthday party there.
No strike here. Just a sad, floppy slice of disappointment.