The Cheap Pizza Chain That's Still Pretty Good, Despite The Hate

If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that everyone loves to talk trash about pizza. People are passionate about their favorite pies, and considering there's a worldwide constellation of pizza styles out there, it's inevitable that someone's going to take a dig at one; and at chain spots in particular. But I think there's one pizza chain that absorbs way too much undeserved flak, and I'm here to stand up for it: Little Caesars deserves way more credit than people give it.

The arguments are frequent. One Reddit thread titled "Is Little Ceasars [sic] actually worse than pizza hut or Dominos?" is representative of the general conversation. The Redditor who posted it defends their stance, saying, "Everyone around me says I am crazy for saying I would most want little ceasers over the other chain pizzas, but I genuinely think that ... Am I alone? Not saying it is better than a local premium pizza, but better than other chains, yes."

Little Caesars' Hot-N-Ready pizzas are way better than they should be, considering they start at $6.99. Sure, they're greasier than most, but that's not the point. You can't even get most Extra Value Meals from McDonald's for under $7, and Little Caesars' Hot-N-Ready pizzas are only one size: large. That means you can feed a small family with one or two pizzas (heck, a single Little Caesars' pizza feeds our household of two for multiple meals). Countless kids' parties have been saved by these cheap pizzas; I have a lot of fond memories of this being our pizza of choice.

If you want something a little more exciting than a cheap cheese, sausage, or pepperoni pizza, Little Caesars does have a full menu outside of that, including its Detroit-style Deep Dish along with thin crust options. Its signature Crazy Bread comes with a thick, robust Crazy Sauce, is always a crowd-pleaser, and is one of the few breadstick items I actually crave. The Cheezy Jalapeño dip is also a sleeper hit.

The rotating selection of limited-time pizzas at Little Caesars keeps things interesting with items like the Pretzel Crust pizza as well as playful (and goofy) one-offs, like the Bacon Wrapped Deep Dish, the Batman Calzony, and other items we totally want back. So really, it's not much different than the other pizza chains, like Domino's or Papa John's. If you haven't had Little Caesars in a while we have our opinions on the best things to order there, but its appetizer-sized Crazy Puffs are a little bundle of fun. Is Little Caesars perfect? Obviously not — ultimately, I know it's still fast food. But I also can't think of a pizza chain that sits at that perfect intersection of cheap, fun, and decent for pretty much any night of the week. You haters can direct your ire somewhere else for once.