Pizza Hut’s New Tavern-Style Pizza: A Critic’s ReviewPizza Hut’s New Tavern-Style Pizza: A Critic’s Review Pizza Hut’s recent announcement of their “real” Chicago-style pizza sent shockwaves through the culinary world. NBC Chicago Food Guy Steve Dolinsky decided to investigate this bold claim and purchased a tavern-style pizza from a Lakeview Pizza Hut location. Dolinsky’s initial impression was that the pizza was inspired by traditional Chicago tavern pizzas but with a sprinkle of Pizza Hut’s signature style. However, upon further examination, he found several flaws that prevented it from meeting the expectations of a true Chicago tavern-style pizza. Firstly, the pizza’s crust lacked the necessary crispiness, as it was cooked at a lower temperature than desired. The cheese, while praised for its flavor, was not complemented by the bland sausage. Additionally, the square slices were larger than typical tavern slices and struggled to hold their shape when held loosely. Dolinsky emphasized that an authentic tavern-style pizza should be thin, cracker-like, and crispy with a generous amount of fennel and fat in the sausage. Pizza Hut’s pizza fell short in these crucial areas. Moreover, Dolinsky noted the absence of giardiniera, a quintessential ingredient in Chicago tavern pizzas. Despite the location being within city limits, there was no option to include this essential topping. While Pizza Hut offers customizable toppings, they also provide pre-designed recipes such as double pepperoni, pesto margherita, and spicy chicken sausage. According to the chain, these tavern-style pizzas are available at participating locations for a limited time. In conclusion, Dolinsky’s review of Pizza Hut’s tavern-style pizza revealed that it lacked the authentic characteristics of its inspiration. While it may resemble a Chicago tavern pizza on paper, it ultimately fell short in terms of flavor, texture, and authenticity.
Just a few weeks after Pizza Hut made the bold announcement that they were now serving “real” Chicago-style pizza, NBC Chicago Food Guy Steve Dolinsky bought a pizza to see what all the fuss was about.
According to Pizza Hut’s website, the newly launched pizza is “inspired by Chicago bar pizzas” and prepared with “a touch of Pizza Hut magic.”
Dolinsky got his tavern-style pizza from the Lakeview Pizza Hut, near the intersection of North Clark Street and West Wellington Avenue. It was a “medium” pizza, about a foot in size, and cost $22.89.
According to Dolinsky, the pizza was cooked at 420 degrees for eight to eight and a half minutes. He said the pizza could have used a higher temperature.
While the cheese on the pizza was praised by The Food Guy, Dolinsky wasn’t impressed with the flavor of the sausage or the size of the square slices, noting that they’re larger than most tavern-style pizzas.
The slices also had trouble holding their shape when held loosely. Dolinsky noted that pub-style slices are typically crispy enough that they don’t fall over when held.
“It’s cut into squares and it’s thin. But is it Chicago tavern style? No,” Dolinsky said after diving in.
“It needs to be as thin as a cracker, it needs to be crispier, there needs to be more fennel in the sausage and definitely more fat,” Dolinsky said.
Dolinsky also noted that Pizza Hut did not offer giardiniera, despite sourcing their pizza from a location well within city limits.
While people trying the new pizzas can customize their own toppings, Pizza Hut also offers recipes like double pepperoni, pesto margherita and spicy chicken sausage.
According to the chain, the pizzas are currently available at participating locations and will only be available for a limited time.
To see if your nearest location offers these tavern-style pies, check out the menu on the website of your nearest Pizza Hut.
