“I love it when you call me Grand Papa…Throw your pizza (dough) in the air if you a true playa.”
Probably not what Notorious B.I.G. had in mind. But honestly? Fitting for the absolute swagger of this new pizza.
Papa Johns just launched its biggest pizza (and biggest box) ever with the new 18-inch Grand Papa. While bigger isn’t always better – Papa John’s is my Number One, so I went in optimistic.
The pizza chain also dropped a Salted Caramel Blondie the same week. However, the star here is the debut of Papa Johns’ savory deli-style pepperoni – larger slices, milder and more savory than the standard pepperoni, and very Italian-sub energy.
To compare, I ordered the Grand Papa alongside a regular mushroom pizza.
First: the box. It was massive. The kind of massive that doesn’t fit in your fridge, which felt like Papa John’s way of saying “finish this in one sitting.” (Half kidding. Mostly.)
The pizza itself was noticeably huge and thin-crusted. The first bite was a flavor bomb. The three-cheese blend and Italian seasoning hit totally differently than with a regular Papa Johns pie, and the crust was perfectly thin with zero soggy spots. The new deli pepperoni? Legit. I’m usually a cup-and-char girly, but I’d absolutely love to taste this pepperoni in other menu items, like a Papadia.
It was so flavorful I didn’t even reach for the garlic butter – even though there was basically no crust to dip anyway. After tasting my two orders side by side, the regular pizza tasted bland and much more tomato-forward to me. Hard to believe they use the same “original” dough.
At $19.99 vs. $16.99 for a regular large, it isn’t even that big of a premium.
And honestly? For the size, flavor, and the deli pepperoni glow-up, it felt completely worth it.
My only hesitation is whether this thin crust can handle my usual topping chaos (your girl likes more than just pepperoni, even if it is deli pepperoni) – but time, and a few future orders, will tell.
Purchased Price: $19.99
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 slice) 380 calories, 17 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 960 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of total carbohydrates, 4 grams of sugar, 0 grams of dietary fiber, and 17 grams of protein.
No Papa John’s in our hometown, but wouldn’t mind trying this super-sized pizza at least once the next time we pick up takeout pizza when we’re on a road trip. (Probably the pepperoni version like you tried, too, since the whole family is OK with pepperoni.)
Thanks for the good review and the pics! I’d seen this over at Brand Eating and was thinking about of trying it; now I know I’m trying it, and bringing lots of parmesan cheese to soak up the grease. Yup! Love thin crust pizzas.