It is a new year and Papa Johns is here right on cue to promote one of the newest pizza variations: the Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza!
According to Papa Johns this pizza is here only for a limited time, so if you are a stuffed crust lover like me, just curious about the taste, or simply a fan of all things Papa Johns, then you absolutely do not want to miss out on this opportunity.
Papa Johns is always looking for newer versions of their existing products, and I for one am a huge fan of that mentality as it is a win-win scenario for consumers.
They first released their original Epic Stuffed Crust pizza back in 2021, followed by their Epic Pepperoni Stuffed Crust Pizza in 2022, and lastly their Epic Garlic stuffed Crust Pizza last year in 2023. Each of those variations were widely loved by the fans and there’s no doubt the Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza will be right up there.
So lets get into it!
Buying papa johns Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza
You can order the Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza online from Papa Johns website to have it delivered or you can always just pick up the order at one of their numerous locations. I decided to place a phone order at Papa Johns near my house and pick it up in person.
The whole process was very smooth. The representative on the phone was very polite and patient as I was trying to place my order. This pizza originally comes with one topping but you are always able to add extra toppings and just pay a little more per topping.
I was torn between wanting either pepperoni or chicken as my topping of choice since both sounded delicious. As the Jeopardy theme was playing in my head with the timer counting down…I quickly requested chicken and hoped for the best.
I only ordered their promotional Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza and not beverages so my total with tax came out to $16.23. The cost definitely sounded a bit steep for a one topping pizza. Regardless, there is always the possibility that the flavors of their pizza and especially the crust will justify its price.
I got there after waiting the 20 minutes they said it would take for my order to be ready. Upon arriving I was out of there within 5 minutes with my pizza in hand.
Now lets get into the review!
How Does papa johns Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza Look Like
Even before I opened the pizza box, my sense of smell was on its own journey during the car ride home. Upon first opening the box, my nose was hit with multiple sensations of sweet and tangy as well as a strong herbal smell that was likely coming from the crust.
For a one topping pizza, the chicken distribution was quite decent. The crust itself looked thick, girthy, filled with that amazing cheese and was baked to perfection, as there were no signs of burnt edges or even burnt toppings.
The pizza slice size distribution was pretty even with maybe just one slice that was slightly bigger than the rest, and that by default also results in one pizza slice appearing smaller than the rest.
There were 8 slices in total originally, but you can request for them to be cut into 10 or 12 slices as well at the time of order placement. Each slice had pretty good thickness and a good ratio of marinara sauce to cheese to topping.
The undercarriage had not one spec of grease whatsoever, rather it was perfectly toasty in appearance. Last but not least with every Papa Johns pizza order you their special garlic dipping sauce as well as one small banana pepper.
Now that our eyes are visually satisfied, lets get to tasting this glorious pizza!
How Does papa johns Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza Taste Like
I am a huge fan of pizza shops and franchises that go out of their way to create a sauce that can stand out of its own. Papa Johns pizza sauce delivers exactly that way as it is sweet and tangy.
While it is true that Papa Johns sauce uses sugar, there needs to be a delicate balance that also does not shift the overall sauce flavor into being overly sweet and still maintain other spices and herbs.
The cheese was adequate with every bite and eating it while it is fresh and hot allows you to have that wonderful cheese pull experience. The chicken was cooked nicely throughout for the most part.
There were definitely a few pieces here and there that were smaller than others which caused them to be slightly dried in the center. Overall it was still really good and not something that would ruin the experience. Each bite from the sauce, to the cheese, to the slightly toasty undercarriage was delicious.
Finally it was time to try the whole reason we bought this Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza, the stuffed crust itself! My very first bite into that crust was absolutely immaculate. Biting through the slightly crispy crust, our taste buds experienced both mozzarella and ricotta cheeses that were stuffed inside.
The cheese pull action was divine! You could taste the mild and slightly salty taste coming from the mozzarella cheese but that was not all, as there was this smooth yet slightly nutty texture surrounding it very likely coming from the ricotta cheese.
It was impressive to see that while both of these cheeses were stuffed together in the crust, neither of them were overpowering enough to mask the taste of the other.
As if all the components from the pizza slice to the crust itself were not already perfect, I decided to dip both the slice and crust into their garlic butter dipping sauce. Papa Johns knows what’s up with that dipping sauce as it definitely managed to elevate the flavors.
Nonetheless, the garlic butter sauce is not a necessity as both the pizza and the stuffed crust offer exceptional flavors that can be enjoyed by themselves.
How Does papa johns Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza BE IMPROVED
The only thing regarding this deal that seems to irk me in a negative manner is the price point. I mean paying over $16.00 for a one topping pizza regardless of stuffed crust seems way too high.
I would normally expect something like this to be under $15.00 with tax, otherwise the price may definitely be seen as a deterrent to purchasing this.
Perhaps Papa Johns could offer two or three toppings as opposed to the one topping it comes with to validate the $16 price tag.
Overall Thoughts
It is nice to see Papa Johns wanting to share another variation of their seasonal stuffed crust pizzas, and I am sure those who do order the Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza will absolutely love the overall taste. Just remember this pizza is only here for a limited time so get one while you can!
Overall Rating: 8.3
As far as stuffed crust pizzas go, this was a very good experience. Are you going to try out Papa Johns Cheesy Calzone Epic Stuffed Crust Pizza?
