Papa Romano's Pizza in Detroit, MI

The Facts:

Pizza: Papa Romano’s Pizza

Business Category: Regional Chain (30 locations, mostly near Detroit, MI)

Website: http://paparomanos.com/

Location: 22310 Middlebelt Rd. in Farmington Hills, MI (corner of 9 Mile Road and Middlebelt)

Date of Review Visit: August 4, 2017

What I Ordered: 4 Corners Pizza with pepperoni and sausage; 5 piece Bambino Bread

Price: $10.45

The Micro:

Crust: Papa Romano’s Pizza comes with the thick pan crust typically associated with northern climates.  The crust is not as crispy as you might expect in terms of consistency.  It’s not the best crust I have ever eaten, but it does the job and does it well.  Score: 8/10.

Sauce: This pizza comes with lots of sauce, as you would expect for a thick crust pizza.  The garlic flavor is too strong for my taste, and hence the score is not that great.  Score: 6/10.

Cheese: The cheese appears in good quantity and does not produce too much grease.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: Both toppings appear in good quantity, but they are lifeless in terms of flavor.  Score: 5/10.

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: The pizza looks like the hearty robust pizza it is, while the Bambino Bread is akin to Little Caesar’s Crazy Bread.  The location I visited only offered carryout, but the chairs in the waiting area were comfortable.  The service was fine.  Score: 8/10.

Value: This pizza is more expensive than it should be.  Papa Romano’s offerings are a cross between Jet’s and Little Caesars but more expensive than either one.  Score: 3/10.

Taste: The 4 Corners pizza impresses with pure heartiness rather than finesse.  I can’t say the taste is anything impressive, but this pizza fills you up.  Score: 13/20.

The Final Judgment:

Papa Romano’s is an odd cross between Jet’s and Little Caesars.  I would probably rather have Jet’s pure heartiness or Little Caesars’ pure value than the combination offered up here, which I find to be a rather average entry in the thick crust pizza category.  I would sanction coming here but not over other options.  Score: 51/80.

Bellacino’s Pizza and Grinders

The Facts:

Pizza: Bellacino’s Pizza and Grinders

Business Category: Regional Chain (71 locations in 12 states; based in Michigan)

Website: http://bellacinosgrinders.com/

Location: 29101 Northwestern Highway in Southfield, MI (behind Valero at the corner of 12 Mile Road and SR 10)

Date of Review Visit: August 1, 2017

What I Ordered: small (8”) pizza with pepperoni and sausage, fountain drink, and a white chocolate chunk cookie

Price: $9.47

The Micro:

Crust: The crust at Bellacino’s comes in medium thickness with just enough body to make it a northern-style crust.  The crust has a nice crispy texture, but it is hard to cut with the dull case knife they provide you.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: The sauce has a strong sweet taste that some may say is too sweet.  The sauce appears in high quantity.  I like sweet-tasting sauce, so this sauce ranks high in my book.  Score: 9/10.

Cheese: The cheese appears in excellent quantity and has some flavor, but it produces quite a bit of grease.  Therefore, there is the usual mandatory deduction.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: Like the sauce, the sausage has a very sweet taste.  I could hardly taste the pepperoni.  Both toppings appear in good quantity.  Score: 7/10.

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: The cut on my pizza was slightly asymmetrical, which affects the pizza’s appearance.  Bellacino’s has a nice casual dining atmosphere with 2 TV’s for your viewing pleasure.  My pizza took longer to cook than I would have thought.  Score: 7/10.

Value: The pizza is small, but the quality is good.  Also, you get a pizza, drink, and dessert for less than $10.  Only pizza buffets offer more eats for your money than this, and their pizza quality is not as good.  Score: 10/10.

Taste: The sweetness of the sausage and sauce really overpowers everything else.  Score: 16/20.

The Final Judgment:

Just shy of the best pizza around, Bellacino’s is a very good budget-minded pizza option.  If I lived near one of their locations, I would come here regularly.  Score: 66/80.

Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant in Minnesota

The Facts:

Pizza: Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant

Business Category: Regional Chain (15 locations in MN, WI, and ND)

Website: https://mysammys.com/

Location: 305 Sunnyside Drive in Cloquet, MN

Date of Review Visit: July 27, 2017

What I Ordered: small (10”) pizza with pepperoni and sausage

Price: $10.41

The Micro:

Crust: Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant puts their signature twists in the crust of their pizza.  The twists have a nice crispy texture.  The crust is thinner than you would expect for a regional chain this far north.  My pizza was perfectly baked, which is essential due to the twists.  This crust is unique, and I like it.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: The sauce has a slightly sweet taste.  It appears in good quantity, and it blends well with rest of pizza.  What more could you want? Score: 10/10.

Cheese: The cheese comes in good quantity and has decent flavor, but it produces quite a bit of grease.  Therefore, a mandatory deduction applies.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The sausage really steals the show: it comes in big chunks and tastes like fresh, tasty pork.  Eating this sausage is almost like eating pork meatballs.  The pepperoni is less remarkable: it comes in thin slices without a lot of favor.  Both toppings appear in good quantity.  Score: 9/10.

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: The toppings are neatly placed with exactly one slice of pepperoni and one chunk of sausage on every piece of pizza.  This symmetry is not easy to achieve with Sammy’s criss-cross cutting pattern.  I ordered to-go, but they have a nice casual dining area.  The service was fine.  Score: 10/10.

Value: The quality is excellent, but this pizza is expensive.  The price I list above does not even include a drink, and it is only a 10” pizza.  Therefore, value is not the strength of this pizza.  Score: 5/10.

Taste: The sausage takes center stage, but everything works together rather well.  Score: 18/20.

The Final Judgment:

Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant started as a family-owned business with a single location.  They have since expanded, and the region’s pizza eaters are better for it.  Sammy’s is a good pizza option if you find yourself in the upper Midwest.  Score: 70/80.