Review: Domino's Crunchy Thin Crust Pizza

While the purpose of the Pizza Quixote blog is finding destination pizza - pie that is worth the trip - we can't ignore the popularity of the huge chain pizza makers. Previously, we ate and reviewed Pizza Hut and Papa John's. I haven't had Domino's pizza in more than a decade, so it's past time to give it a fresh evaluation.

Crunchy Thin Crust style. Click any image for full size resolution.

We chose a delivery deal of two "large" one-topping pizzas, with a 2-liter Coke, for $20.99. A Domino's "large" is a smallish 14" pie. Domino's offers five crust styles: Hand Tossed, Handmade Pan, Crunchy Thin Crust, Brooklyn Style, and Gluten Free. This review covers the Crunchy Thin Crust pizza.

For the record, we found the Brooklyn style to be better than Domino's of the past, but overall a disappointment and surely not worth the calories. See the full review HERE. Happily, the Crunchy Thin Crust pie was significantly better.

This pizza sported the "party cut" which yielded 16 small square slices. Instantly, it reminded me of some the the thin crust midwestern pies I've had, such as the standouts at Rubino's in Columbus, OH and Chicago's Vito & Nick's.

Here, the crust was a bit more flaky and crackerlike than those wonderful midwestern pies I've had, and also more greasy. But it had a nice rigidity, a satisfying crunch, and even a touch of flavor.

Underside of the crust

This pie was allegedly topped with salami, but whatever small amount of cured meat present was buried in the sauce (scant) and cheese (meaningful amount). The cheese was an adequate role player. Smartly, the sauce was limited so that it would not turn the thin crust into soggy cardboard. However, that also deprived the pie of a rich tomato flavor.

This pie surprised on the upside. Still, it was so thin that a normal adult could easily eat this entire "large" pizza. Not a great value, even for $10. It's probably better served as a snack, hence the party cut was appropriate.

The crust earns a 6, the cheese a 5, the sauce a 4. Overall, this pie comes in at a 5 and it was better than a frozen pizza, which is an accomplishment for big chain pizza. Domino's is still in last place among the big three national chain pizzas.