By some counts, there are around 34 million ways to customize a Domino's pizza. It's a
lot to take in, which is where specialty pizzas come in. These tried-and-true pies satisfy
without the added stress of too many options. Here are all the specialty pizzas ranked worst
to best.
At bare minimum, a true cheeseburger has ground beef, cheese, and a bun. Domino's take is
lacking that very crucial last ingredient because, well, it's a pizza. But that's not
what shoots the cheeseburger pizza straight to last place on this list of specialty pies.
The ketchup-mustard sauce does that all on its own. To put it simply, ketchup and mustard
do not belong on pizza.
The addition of the sauce is immediately noticeable from the smell, as are all the onions. It's
easily the defining ingredient, to which a reasonable person might ask, why? According
to a press release, Domino's created the cheeseburger pizza and launched it in late August of 2020
for people who crave a cheeseburger but don't want something that's, quote, "cold and soggy
when it's delivered."
"The burger was wilted."
"We hate to see anything delivered poorly"
This hypothetical person would, however, be wanting a pizza, or else they wouldn't be
perusing the Domino's website for dinner. The cheeseburger pizza, unfortunately, won't
satisfy a pizza craving or a cheeseburger craving.
This is simply a cheese pizza by another name. Nothing against the purists who prefer cheese
and nothing but cheese on their pizza, but the Wisconsin 6 Cheese doesn't bring much
to the table other than lots and lots of its namesake. It's like a cheeseboard, but one
where you're forced to eat every available cheese at once on a pizza crust with some
tomato sauce.
Wisconsin 6 Cheese first came out in 2010 as part of the American Legends pizza line,
and it was announced with a press release that assertively began with the statement,
"Cheeseheads Unite!" It has mozzarella, feta, provolone, cheddar, Parmesan, and Asiago.
All are great cheeses perfect for pizza, but the lack of an excitement factor is hard to
get past. And then there's the issue of the name. All of these but cheddar are typically
associated with Italy or Greece rather than Wisconsin. Domino's, and nearly every other
big pizza chain, gets its cheese from one company: Leprino Foods, which is headquartered
in Denver, Colorado.
That all said, there is a time and a place for Wisconsin 6 Cheese. Namely, that time
and place is either when you're with a group of extremely picky eaters, or when you have
a bunch of toppings from home that you plan on adding yourself.
This specialty pizza faces the same identity problem as Wisconsin 6 Cheese. If you want
a pepperoni pizza with lots of pepperoni, then why not just order extra pepperoni? If
you order from the Domino's pizza builder, it costs $9.99 for a medium pepperoni pizza,
and $11.99 for the same pizza but with double pepperoni. A medium Ultimate Pepperoni, on
the other hand, costs $15.99.
Domino's says that the Ultimate Pepperoni is made with two layers of the titular meat,
quote, "to honor pepperoni's top spot in the pizza universe."
While it's true that it is the most reliable classic topping and deserves respect as such,
springing for a pie off the specialty menu that's just a pizza with extra pepperoni is
not going to turn any heads.
This arrived at the same time as the Cheeseburger pizza with the same intention: deliver a popular
food that's not a pizza, but in the format of a pizza. The Chicken Taco pizza, however,
does not have a sauce as atrocious as that ketchup-mustard blend. Yet instead of using
standard sauce, the Chicken Taco pizza has a mix of spices it loosely labels as "taco
seasoning."
On top of that seasoning are ingredients like grilled chicken, onions, green peppers, diced
tomatoes, and a mix of provolone and cheddar cheeses. What it's really missing is a big
heat presence. There's always the option to add jalapeños, but that should be standard
for anything claiming to be taco-inspired.
Superficially, the Chicken Taco pizza has many of the ingredients required for a real
taco. Except, of course, the one thing that truly makes a taco a taco: the tortilla. It's
worth trying for the novelty, but it's not going to satisfy anyone craving either a pizza
or a taco.
There are two types of sandwiches in this world: those that are better as a pizza, and
those that are not. The Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza from Domino's represents the latter,
but barely. It's topped with ranch, bacon, grilled chicken, tomatoes, and a mix of mozzarella
and provolone cheeses. To up the cheese factor, it also has a provolone-enhanced crust.
The main argument going against this pizza is that Domino's also has a Chicken Bacon
Ranch sandwich. Ranch dressing holds up better on thick sandwich bread than it does on thin
pizza dough. Still, if you have a crowd of people who want chicken, bacon, and ranch,
this pizza is a much better option than attempting to split a sandwich of the same type six-to-eight
ways.
Steak on pizza doesn't always fly. The meat can be too much to bite through, though that's
not the case with the Philly Cheese Steak pizza from Domino's. It also avoids the trappings
of the Cali Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza, because although the sandwich version of a Philly
cheesesteak is a tried and true classic, the pizza version is something of its own.
The Philly Cheese Steak pizza is topped with beef tenderloin steak, onions, mushrooms,
green peppers, and, of course, cheese. It's provolone rather than the traditional Cheez
Whiz option, but the adjustment works better for pizza. Domino's skipped using any traditional
sauce to keep it closer to the classic sandwich, though there's a case to be made for ordering
a marinara dipping sauce on the side to add your own.
At the end of the day, you might run into the same problem as you do with the other
specialty pizzas inspired by non-pizza foods. It won't satisfy a craving for either food
individually, but in this case, there's the possibility that it will start an entirely
new craving.
"Domino's Philly Cheese Steak pizza"
"No drooling this time"
Don't be too confused by the double "z" in the name, as this is simply Domino's take
on a regular old meat lovers pizza. Ham, beef, Italian sausage, and pepperoni define the
pie. You might be wondering why Domino's didn't just go all out and add the rest of its meat
options to the mix, and that's a fair question. Bacon and Philly steak could have upped the
ante, and even adding some chicken for a white meat option would make the MeatZZa stand out
more.
When it comes to specialty pizzas, though, people have to work with what they're given
unless they want to pay extra for additional toppings. The MeatZZa is still a hefty option
with what's included, making it a fine standby, though it lacks any true depth to give it
an edge.
Perhaps you're craving a salad, but also pizza. If that's the case, Pacific Veggie pizza from
Domino's is the vegetarian meal for you, as this specialty pie is pretty close to just
being a salad on top of a pizza. It's topped with the traditional Robust Inspired tomato
sauce, mushrooms, onions, roasted red peppers, black olives, spinach, diced tomatoes, and
a blend of mozzarella, feta, and provolone cheeses. That's a lot to load onto each piece,
but the Pacific Veggie can handle it, whether you get hand-tossed, Brooklyn style, or crunchy
thin crust.
What this pizza really has going for it is that it's vegetarian without being plain.
There's the umami from the tomatoes and mushrooms, the salt kick from the cheese and olives,
and plenty of flavor coming from the onions and peppers. Even meat lovers can appreciate,
if not fully embrace, a vegetarian pizza as loaded as the Pacific Veggie pizza.
The Deluxe pizza from Domino's comes with pepperoni, Italian sausage, green peppers,
mushrooms, onions, and mozzarella cheese. It's essentially a very similar but slimmed-down
version of the ExtravaganZZa pizza. Consider it an ExtravaganZZa-lite that's built for
people who are hesitant to go the full distance.
The Deluxe does play with the hits, though. Pepperoni and Italian sausage are the two
ideal options for anyone looking to use only two types of meat. The blend of pork with
garlic, fennel, paprika, and chili powder in the sausage is a nice compliment to pretty
much anything else typically put on pizza. The three types of veggies on top balance
everything out to keep it from becoming too one-sided, like the MeatZZa or any of the
veggie-only options.
All in all, the Deluxe is a prime order for someone looking for a pizza that lacks any
extreme ingredients.
Few things will make a certain subset of pizza lovers angrier than declaring allegiance to
the Hawaiian pizza. But when it comes to successfully balancing sweet and savory flavors, the style
doesn't get enough respect. Domino's did more than just add "Honolulu" to the name and call
it a day. The chain throws in a couple more ingredients that may even convert some Hawaiian
pizza purists: smoked bacon, roasted red peppers, and a mix of mozzarella and provolone cheeses,
along with the traditional ham and pineapple, define the Honolulu Hawaiian pizza.
This all works because pineapple is a natural sidekick to pork. Island resort luaus aren't
the only places you'll see capitalize on combining sweet pineapple and savory pork. Al pastor
tacos — arguably one of the best types of taco — also mix the two. Putting the combo
on pizza to bring them together with crust and sauce is a logical, and flavorful, move.
Order the Honolulu Hawaiian pizza from Domino's if you are already a Hawaiian pizza fan, but
also give it a try if you're not.
You have to appreciate Domino's dedication to specialty pizzas that include chicken.
According to the company, non-traditional toppings like chicken started in California
in the 1980s as "California Pizza."
Throwing in a Memphis spin takes the California-inspired addition of chicken up a notch. Memphis is
famous for its barbecue made with a tangy tomato-based vinegar sauce that's all about
balance, according to Serious Eats. Domino's does a fine mass-market take on Memphis barbecue
that works on pizza. The grilled chicken and onions are enough of a topping option when
you factor in the sauce and the mix of mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar cheeses. Domino's positions
the pizza as, quote, "summer in a box" and,
"A great way to beat back winter blues when you're longing for the carefree living of
warmer months."
But why restrict yourself? This pizza is a good go-to any time of year.
The Buffalo Chicken pizza is saucy, but not traditionally saucy. This pie, as the name
suggests, uses Buffalo sauce, which has a vinegar acidity and mildly spicy flavor reminiscent
of Buffalo, New York's most famous food. Doubling down on that association, of course, is the
addition of chicken.
This is far from just a novelty pizza for people who appreciate Buffalo wings. The buttery,
spicy flavor of buffalo sauce is hard to hate, and the same is true for the Buffalo Chicken
pizza from Domino's. The bread and cheese come together to make the experience almost
like ordering a side of mozzarella sticks with Buffalo wings. It's truly a notable flavor
combo.
As far as meatless pies go, it's hard to beat Domino's Spinach & Feta pizza. Creamy Alfredo
replaces red sauce, and spinach, onions, and a mix of feta, Parmesan, Asiago, and provolone
cheeses round this pie out. It can feel just about as filling as a meat-topped pizza thanks
to loads of cheese and the creamy sauce.
The spinach does a great job of balancing out the rich dairy presence. Cream, cheese,
and bread is a winning combination, but it can get tiresome after too many bites. The
spinach keeps the Spinach & Feta pizza interesting for however many pieces you choose to eat.
And while this won't win any health awards, it will keep the carnivore-minded satisfied
when eating a pizza in a crowd of vegetarians.
The ExtravaganZZa pizza from Domino's is topped with pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, beef,
onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, and extra mozzarella. Classically inspired?
Maybe not. Filling and obliging to those who love pretty much everything on their pizzas?
Definitely.
The ExtravaganZZa pizza is for when you're with people who can't decide on toppings and
just want it all. That's what puts it ahead of the similar, but lesser, Deluxe and brings
the ExtravaganZZa to the top of the specialty options.
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