Fast Food Foofaraw

[Rumpy]

Our local Pizza Hut downgraded to takeout only long ago. They moved out of their iconic building and into a strip mall location, so they've been long in decline. There's a breakfast restauraunt chain that took up their vacancy of their original building.

[Jeff V]

My son gets monthly Pizza Hut gift cards. They get stuck to the fridge with a magnet until a fistful accumulates and they get thrown away. He'll eat it just fine, my daughter too...they have no refined sense of taste. The Pizza Hut is only convenient if I am stopping at Flight for a beer run, which I haven't been able to do in months. Since I'd have to buy my daughter her pizza, the total cost exceeds $4, which is the maximum price of a Red Baron's or Tombstone pizza that they split between them.

[Holman]

Our local Pizza Hut downgraded to takeout only long ago. They moved out of their iconic building and into a strip mall location, so they've been long in decline. There's a breakfast restauraunt chain that took up their vacancy of their original building.

We have a local diner that very obviously occupies a former Pizza Hut. You can tell by the roofline.

[Rumpy]

Yeah, the iconic roofline. It's kind of funny because I often see local pizzerias all over the place take over former Pizza Huts.

[Daehawk]

Some people are pizza elitist....not pointing fingers at OOrs.

Some think that unless a pizza costs $40+, the place has an unpronounceable name, and when you get to the counter to pay that the owner doesn't slap your face and talk down to you its not good pizza.

I love Pizza Hut. The wings are amazing too for a pizza place. Im a simple guy...Pan pizza, double pepperoni , black olives, and pork sausage. Sometimes with or without jalapeno.

On a side note I have GOT to stop typing it as Pizza Hutt. Thanks Spaceballs...damnit its been 34 years!

[Z-Corn]

Yeah, the iconic roofline. It's kind of funny because I often see local pizzerias all over the place take over former Pizza Huts.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FormerPizzaHuts/

[Rumpy]

$40? Damn, that'd be some expensive pizza. I even consider around $25 to be expensive for pizza.

Edit: Wow, there's a reddit for everything isn't there?

[Daehawk]

A bunch of ours are gone and replaced with different things but kept the building shape. Its kinda weird. We still have the main big original one though in town. Haven't dined in there since I was a kid...at least 40 years ago. It was always WAY too damn dark in there. It was like they didn't want you to see your food. Dont like those places.

The one near my home is just a strip mall pick up and delivery spot. Great pizza though. I do miss the one down the road that had such a good buffet.

Those pics remind me of a lot of other food places that are now gone and the places reused. ...like Burger Chef or old Hardees or Zestos. There were some reused Kays Kastles around me that kept the big giant icecream cone sign for the longest. Ours is now a Jersey Mikes.

Until just 10 years ago we had a local Arbys that still had the old sign.

[Z-Corn]

Some people are pizza elitist....not pointing fingers at OOrs.

Some think that unless a pizza costs $40+, the place has an unpronounceable name, and when you get to the counter to pay that the owner doesn't slap your face and talk down to you its not good pizza.

So does it make me a pizza elitist if I make my own pizzas but the ingredients I use cost $40 per pizza?

Does it make you Judge Hot Fudge?

[Holman]

Some people are pizza elitist....not pointing fingers at OOrs.

Some think that unless a pizza costs $40+, the place has an unpronounceable name, and when you get to the counter to pay that the owner doesn't slap your face and talk down to you its not good pizza.

I love Pizza Hut. The wings are amazing too for a pizza place. Im a simple guy...Pan pizza, double pepperoni , black olives, and pork sausage. Sometimes with or without jalapeno.

Point away!

I referenced an expensive Neapolitan pizza restaurant above that I consider among the best dining experiences of my life. But that doesn't mean that I don't also love trotting down the block for a big $2.75 pepperoni slice that will leave me satisfied all afternoon.

[Daehawk]

Last time I had pizza by the slice was Sbarros at the mall. Must have been 8 years ago now or so. I think it was a good bit more than $3 too. It was good though.

[LordMortis]

$40? Damn, that'd be some expensive pizza. I even consider around $25 to be expensive for pizza.

Edit: Wow, there's a reddit for everything isn't there?

I consider $20 expensive for pizza and mostly don't go above $10 or $12 for an 16" round pizza with two items but there are some pizzas for which the $30 tab is expensive but sooo worth the expense. A great 20" square deep dish garbage pizza will push or exceed that $30 mark and is a treat when you can warrant $30 for pizza.

[hitbyambulance]

i miss 99 cent lower east side slices that looked to be 1/8 of a 18" pie. i maybe liked them toooooo much. good thing i didn't live in Manhattan that long

[Isgrimnur]

[hepcat]

Last time I had pizza by the slice was Sbarros at the mall.

That wasn’t pizza.

[Blackhawk]

Some people are pizza elitist....not pointing fingers at OOrs.

Oh, I will. But to be fair, for random internet hangouts, OO has a higher level of intelligence, more education, and more than you average number of professionals, and that translates to money. People with money often have the option to spend more on better stuff. I can't fault them for that.

On the other hand, there are a few that have either never been poor, or don't remember what it's like. We have a local place and we have a Dominoes. We can afford take-out Dominoes on a special maybe once every couple of months, and we usually feel guilty for spending that much on a single meal. When people talk about how they don't understand how anyone can even call that sort of thing pizza*, let alone eat it, it's pretty demeaning.

*substitute hot dogs, or sandwiches, or steak, or beer, or anything else where there are more expensive versions.

[gilraen]

Last time I had pizza by the slice was Sbarros at the mall.

That wasn’t pizza.

I used to love Sbarro's. I'd probably still happily eat it, except I haven't been to the mall in years, and I'm not sure it's got a Sbarro's anymore.

[Sudy]

When I hate on PIzza Hut, it has nothing to do with value or class. I eat plenty of inexpensive and unsophisticated pizza and food in general; I just really dislike Pizza Hut. In fact, Pizza Hut is more expensive than a lot of the local non-deep-dish chains.

That doesn't mean that I judge anyone for liking Pizza Hut though. Not beyond lighthearted teasing, at least. If it seems like more than that, I apologize. I mean, I do have a deep-seated hatred of Pizza Hut and anyone who eats there deserves to come down with genital death-itch, but it's less snobbery than holy crusade. Similarly, I'm sure there are those who would cast me out with the lepers for my unrepentant love of Burritos Supreme.

[Jeff V]

During my first trip to the Philippines, we went to some pizza place in the mall next our hotel and I commented it was so bad it had me pining for Sbarros. Then a day or two later later I discovered that there was a Sbarros in that mall.

Still didn't go there.

[LordMortis]

When I was a teenager, Sbarro wasn't so bad for foodcourty mall food if you wanted to afford $3 an oversized slice in 1980s monies.

[ImLawBoy]

Some people are pizza elitist....not pointing fingers at OOrs.

Oh, I will. But to be fair, for random internet hangouts, OO has a higher level of intelligence, more education, and more than you average number of professionals, and that translates to money. People with money often have the option to spend more on better stuff. I can't fault them for that.

On the other hand, there are a few that have either never been poor, or don't remember what it's like. We have a local place and we have a Dominoes. We can afford take-out Dominoes on a special maybe once every couple of months, and we usually feel guilty for spending that much on a single meal. When people talk about how they don't understand how anyone can even call that sort of thing pizza*, let alone eat it, it's pretty demeaning.

*substitute hot dogs, or sandwiches, or steak, or beer, or anything else where there are more expensive versions.

I don't mean to minimize your feelings here, but since this seems to have started with my "review" of my Pizza Hut order, I feel the need to defend myself a bit. My post was not about financial pizza elitism as much as maybe it was about regional pizza elitism. I'm not punching down on Pizza Hut because I consider it to be a cheap, unworthy pizza alternative. I'm punching down on Pizza Hut because I consider it to be an unworthy pizza alternative. There are plenty of much better options for pizza in my area in the same price range, which is why don't see myself ordering Pizza Hut again in the near future. Daehawk's example of a $40 pizza is both misleading and ridiculous (using its app, I assembled a Lou Malnati's (it's pretty pricey as far as pizza goes) large deep dish with 4 toppings and extra cheese and still didn't hit $40 (and no true pizza snob would go for 4 toppings and extra cheese - it's too overwhelming!).

Again, this Pizza Hut example is more about there being more options in my area than it is about wealth disparity. It certainly wasn't meant to be demeaning, either. I think most of us assume there is an implied "in my opinion" for these types of posts, with the acknowledgement that others have different tastes and opportunities (although there are certainly some people who seem to take their own opinion as universal gospel truth). If someone else enjoys Pizza Hut - more power to them. I'll eat a cheap burrito from the place around the corner and not worry too much about someone clucking because I'm not getting food from a more hip (and more expensive) taco place. I certainly do have my preferences and sometimes they range into the more expensive (like with beer), but I try really hard not to rag on folks who like something (or can only get something, whether due to economics or location) other than what I like. I'll still give my opinion on things, but I hope I can do that without seeming like I'm demeaning other folks for their preferences and/or circumstances.

[Blackhawk]

FWIW, you weren't the inspiration. There are a couple of repeat offenders, but it's more of a sort of forum culture here (and the same thing happens with tech, vehicles, appliances, travel, etc.) A bit of elitism is just the price I pay for hanging with a bit of the elite!

[ImLawBoy]

We're all elite at something, man.

FWIW, Pizza Hut (and Dominos, and Papa John's, etc) continues to do business in the pizza mecca of Chicago, so even around here some people still must prefer those options to what I consider to be better options. Different strokes and all.

[Daehawk]

Actually I dont think I saw your post on $40 pizza. I just pulled that number as a good number for a high priced food..to me. I had in my mind all the fancy folk and chefs on Food Network and such.

[Rumpy]

One of our favourite places when I was little was this awesome pizzeria. It was an awesome place, especially to little me, as they had TVs showing Laurel & Hardy. I only recently realized it was a chain called Mother's. I thought it was completely local given how much charm it had, but a few years ago I went on a trip to another city that had one and found out that they're still around. It both blew me away and made me sad, given the location we used to go to closed down in the early 90's. I see they were purchased by Little Ceasar's, which was around the time that location closed. Fits the description on Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_ ... etti_House

Browsing their old commercials, given the recent convo here, I found this one amusing:

[Daehawk]

We had a Pizza Inn right across the street from Pizza Hut. It was actually better pizza. They also served cold beer. Plus they served dessert pizza and stuff. I remember going there when I was 17 with some friends and getting a couple 12" pizzas and a pitcher of ice cold beer then hitting up the buffet for dessert pizza slices like chocolate chip, peanut butter, and something else I cant remember. Was my first time with dessert pizza. Im not sure it was the pizza or the weed we had before we went but it was great.

For some reason it closed up in the early early 90s. Its right beside my doc's office as a Gabriel's Pizza these days. That place gets seriously great reviews and lots of them but never been.

[Rumpy]

I would certainly hope it's not warm beer they serve

[LordMortis]

One of our favourite places when I was little was this awesome pizzeria. It was an awesome place, especially to little me, as they had TVs showing Laurel & Hardy. I only recently realized it was a chain called Mother's. I thought it was completely local given how much charm it had, but a few years ago I went on a trip to another city that had one and found out that they're still around. It both blew me away and made me sad, given the location we used to go to closed down in the early 90's. I see they were purchased by Little Ceasar's, which was around the time that location closed. Fits the description on Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_ ... etti_House

Browsing their old commercials, given the recent convo here, I found this one amusing:

I didn't know they were a chain. We used to go to the one in downtown Windsor when I was coming of age. It's been a long time. Mother's and the Station or "Dancing Food" as we called it were regulars for us. Nothing quite like being 19 knocked out on higher alcohol content beer, thinking you're broke, counting your change, and discovering your change is enough to order two more pitchers of beer.

[Daehawk]

[Rumpy]

I didn't know they were a chain. We used to go to the one in downtown Windsor when I was coming of age. It's been a long time. Mother's and the Station or "Dancing Food" as we called it were regulars for us. Nothing quite like being 19 knocked out on higher alcohol content beer, thinking you're broke, counting your change, and discovering your change is enough to order two more pitchers of beer.

Awesome. Nice to see someone else has memories of one. I have quite fond memories of the place. It was magical to me. As per Wikipedia, the chain was revived in 2014 and by 2019, they were all closed. But in 2016, I took a trip out to Kitchener which is where I saw one of the new locations. Didn't eat there, but tons of memories came flooding back when I realized what I was seeing.

[Sudy]

I have only the dimmest memories of Mother's, as they were bought out while I was still a kid. But I recall having their spaghetti and have a strong memory of the greated parmesan, possibly being taught how to use the shaker as a child. My grandparents, recently deceased, had some branded glasswhere... flared at the top, with an engraved sepia image of a flapper woman. I recently saw some in a thrift shop but didn't have a need for more glasses.

Not to be confused for Mother Tucker's, which evolved into Tucker's Marketplace buffet in the mid-90s and finally closed for good last year during covid. Similarly, I barely remember the original. The buffet became a family favourite though, especially of my grandfather's. I never cared for most of its offerings, but going to a buffet, a dying breed, was always fun.

[Daehawk]

Had lots of pizza and still think Godfathers was best. Even worked there. They've been gone here for at least 30 years.

[Rumpy]

Don't know if this is typical of the style, but we had that wood-fired pizza this weekend and the number one thing I felt disappointed in was the crust, which was paper-thin. We tend to prefer our crusts to be more substantial and it felt kind of cheap, but was rather expensive ( $26 for a 15") given what it ended up being. Based on that, probably won't be doing it again.

[Sudy]

So, Pizza Hut Canada has a new promotional item: "KFC popcorn chicken pizza". It involves popcorn chicken, sweet corn, KFC gravy (in lieu of tomato sauce), and a dusting of parmesan.

And... it's actually good. Like addictively good.

I'm usually not a fan of non-traditional pizza sauces (with the possible exception of pesto, because pesto is always delicious... it would be delicious on ice cream), and from recent posts in this thread you know I'm also an extremely harsh critic of the Hut. But this is inexplicably delicious. The sweetness of the corn really helps, otherwise it would be a sodium bomb. The popcorn chicken was also fresh and tender, which isn't always the case when I get it directly from KFC.

I experienced a similar surprise 5-10 years ago when they introduced a poutine pizza. It was just, (bad) poutine gravy for sauce, cheese, and fries. Should be revolting, right? When it was hot... it was delicious. I'm also of the opinion that potato never belongs on pizza (or in *%#@ing burritos), unless it's at the hands of a master chef or genuine Italian who knows what the hell they're doing. But somehow it worked.

Thankfully I'll try anything on a fast food menu once.

[Z-Corn]

That's...interesting. And just weird enough I would try it.

[Sudy]

Tried Papa John's for the first time tonight. I think they've had a presence in southern Ontario for a while, but not close enough to be convenient. I'm not impressed. (Not that I was expecting to be.) I mean it wasn't disgusting... but it's not good. It reminded me the most of Little Caesar's. Little Caesar's is mediocre-to-bad (outside of their best-in-the-business Crazy Bread), but they're cheap as free. I think what reminds me of them the most is the sweetness and texture of the dough. Papa John's is a lot more expensive though.

Got a The Works pizza that was surprisingly generous with the toppings, but the crust was a little soggy as is the risk with toppings-heavy pizzas. Mrs. Nym wanted to try a stuffed crust pizza with additional cheese toppings (it's her thing). It was... I mean, I'd gladly accept it if I were hungry. The bacon cheesesticks were fine but not particularly memorable. The buffalo wings were uninspiring.

So I doubt they'll make it into the rotation. But I was glad to finally try them.

[Daehawk]

I have never ever liked stuffed crust. Have a friend who cant eat Papa Johns cause their pizza gives him terrible diarrhea lolz. I used to hate Dominoes. It was bad. Had one about 12 years ago and it had vastly improved. But didn't get another..yet. I like Little Caesars pizza. Still prefer Pizza Hut pan pizza over all else store made.....then again I like Red Baron, Tombstone, and DiGiorno the most I guess.

[Sudy]

I feel neutral on Domino's. I never really like it, but for some reason I'm always willing to try again a few months later. I'm breaking my brain to think of anything on their menu I truly like. I guess the cheesy bread is OK, but bread appetizers at pizza joints always seem redundant to me. (Except Crazy Bread!)

Stuffed crust seemed like such an awesome gimmick when I first had it in the 90s. But it was kind of underwhelming, at least the classic Pizza Hut implementation. That brick cheese is just kind of heavy and gross, especially once it cools.

We rediscovered Little Caesar's a few years ago after they largely disappeared from Ontario for a long time. But my family loved it growing up in the 90s. The thing is, I can't remember what any of their food was like back then other than the Crazy Bread. Their current pizzas don't really seem familiar to me.

[Rumpy]

We have a Little Caesar's not far from us, and honestly, it's the pizza we get most often, mostly because it's convenient, and also because it's cheap enough while the others around us tend to be a little pricy. And while we had stopped doing so for about 5 years in favour of another place at one point, when that one had a fire and had to close down, we've gone back to Little Caesars, and we actually feel the pizza is actually better than it was, but it also hasn't changed very much in terms of what they offered in the past.

[Sudy]

I'm sorry to see you don't have a Pizzaville. It appears they haven't gotten north of Parry Sound.

The most damning thing I think I can say against Papa John's is that there's leftover pizza in the fridge right now, and I'm not tempted to eat it--cold nor hot.