REVIEW: Papa Johns Garlic 5-Cheese Crust Pizza

Like geologists, Papa Johns has been into crusts recently. More specifically, turning the plain toasted bread-flavored end crust of a pizza into something worthy of consumption. Earlier this year, it dug up the Cheddar Crust Pizza, which I loved. And now that cheesy crust is passing its mantle to the new Garlic 5-Cheese Crust Pizza, which features the chain’s core original crust seasoned with garlic parmesan sauce and a cheese blend of parmesan, romano, asiago, fontina, and provolone.

Much like my attempt to fit geology references into the paragraph above, I wondered if it was necessary to include five cheeses. Would eaters even be able to detect all five? Is this another situation like the number of blades in a disposable razor cartridge? Do we need five cheese crusts and seven blade razors? Well, unlike disposable razor blade cartridges with seven blades, the five cheeses here do make a tasty difference, even though I can’t detect all of them.

My order’s crust looked a tad overcooked. Although I assumed that was because of the catalog of toasted cheeses on it. When I took a bite of the crust, that browned layer gave my teeth delightful tremors with a crisp texture, and the soft dough below it had a pleasant chewiness. Then, the avalanche (oops, slipping back into geology references) of cheesiness came sliding over my taste buds. I can’t say one cheese stood out more than the other. Instead, it was a mingling of them. Also, some crust bites had a stronger flavor than others. But it’s almost as tasty as the Cheddar Crust Pizza.

However, the one flavor that seemed lacking, which I wish there were more of, was the garlic from the sauce. As someone who likes the pungent ingredient, I wanted garlic bread levels of the stuff, but it gets lost a bit among the cheeses. Which is not surprising since the chain’s Garlic Parmesan crust lacked a lot of garlic flavor. However, dipping the crust into Papa Johns’ obligatory Garlic Sauce can easily resolve this.

Much like the previously mentioned cheddar crust pizza, the crust on this menu item kind of reminds me of a cracker I’ve had. But it’s not instantly recognizable as the cheddar one, which I thought tasted like a Cheez-It.

As for the rest of the pizza, it’s what you’d expect from a Papa Johns’ pepperoni pizza. Mild mozzarella cheese, sweet pizza sauce, and salty and meaty pepperoni.

While Papa Johns’ limited time Garlic 5-Cheese Crust Pizza isn’t as earth-shattering as its cheddar predecessor, I think it’s worth a try while it’s still around.

Purchased Price: $15.99*
Size: Large
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 slice) 320 calories, 11 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 790 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 13 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

SPOTTED: 8/18/2025

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Stranger Things Creel House Chocolate Cookie Scene
(Spotted by Sage G at Publix.)
Purely Elizabeth Apple Harvest Crumble Protein Instant Oatmeal
Purely Elizabeth Maple Cinnamon Roll Protein Instant Oatmeal
(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)
Banza Gluten Free Brown Rice Rotini
Banza Gluten Free Brown Rice Pasta
Banza Gluten Free Brown Rice Penne
Banza Gluten Free Brown Rice Elbows
(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)
Whole Foods Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Tea Bread
Whole Foods Coconut Lime Tea Bread
(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)
Central Market Hatch Grilled Pineapple Cilantro And Coconut Sorbetto
Central Market Chocolate Hatch Gelato
(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: Feastables Creamy Chocolate Hazelnut Cups

Feastables Creamy Chocolate Hazelnut Cups.

Mr. Beast’s Feastables has increased with a new release. (Spotted by Tommy at Shaw’s.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

PUMPKINUNDATION 2025: Puff Cookies Limited Pumpkin Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough

Puff Cookies Limited Pumpkin Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough.

Welcome to the Pumpkin Spice Party, Puff Cookies! (Spotted by Sage G at Target.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Crush Electric Blue Razz Soda

Crush Electric Blue Razz Soda 1.

It’s new! It’s blue! It’s like, totally tubular to the max! It’s Crush’s Back to the 80s Electric Blue Razz soda, and if you tend to like blue raspberry flavored things, you’re going to love it!

The can design, featuring a subtle vaporwave style background and some pixelated blue raspberries, really nails the 80s aesthetic. I can totally picture Ms. Pac-Man herself chasing down those squared off fruits, desperate for a taste of blue razz. But luckily for us, no mazes are required if you want to get your hands on some! It only took me a quick stop at my local Walmart.

Crush Electric Blue Razz Soda 2.

As soon as I popped the top on the first can, I was met with a scent as familiar and cozy as a well-worn blanket. That sweet, slightly tart, very blue scent I’ve grown accustomed to from a variety of candies and other treats greeted me like an old friend.

Crush Electric Blue Razz Soda 3.

The flavor was spot on. A sweet, bright top note followed by a quick burst of tartness, but it’s not sour. It finishes off with a well-balanced fruit-forward aftertaste. This stuff was exactly what I wanted from a blue raspberry soda. It hit every note perfectly, the only thing keeping it from achieving a perfect 10 out of 10 score is that the flavor was a bit milder than I’d hoped. It’s definitely more subtle than say, Mountain Dew. It does, however, make truly excellent floats. And if you have a Ninja Slushi, it makes for a movie-theater-worthy blue slush with the perfect texture and viscosity. All in all, I love this addition to the summer soda lineup. I hope it sticks around for a while. But just in case it doesn’t, I’ll be stocking up.

Sidenote: if you’ve ever wondered about blue raspberries and why they are just a flavor and aren’t an actual fruit, the answer is to help easily distinguish it from other “red” flavors and to replace a specific food dye that was discontinued in the 1970s. The more you know!

Purchased Price: $6.34
Size: 12 pack/12 oz cans
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Per Serving: 170 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 43 grams of total sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

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