Review: Domino's Is Finally Serving Stuffed Crust Pizza, But Is It Better Than Pizza Hut's?

In 1995, Pizza Hut launched its iconic stuffed crust pizza, which quickly became a favorite of kids everywhere. I know that, personally, it was the thing I begged my mom for every Friday night throughout my childhood. Although the pizza chain stood alone in its offering for years, other companies eventually followed suit. Papa John's released a stuffed crust nationwide in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Little Caesars launched its version of the product in 2021 and reintroduced an upgraded version to its menu a few years later. Now, Domino's is joining the other big players in pizza with a stuffed crust of its own. 

Domino's version of a stuffed crust is marketed to be filled with delectable Parmesan goodness, with a crust sprinkled in Parmesan and garlic seasoning. And what better way to determine how well the chain did than to compare it to the original? Luckily, I got the chance to do just that. Here are my thoughts on Domino's and Pizza Hut's stuffed crust showdown.

I placed my Domino's order online and picked it up in the store because there was no delivery to my home. Upon opening the box, Domino's Parmesan Stuffed Crust didn't look very appetizing at first glance. The coloring was darker than I expected, making it look as though it was overcooked. That being said, I could immediately tell there was ample Parmesan seasoning on the outside of the crust and there was a generous amount of curled pepperoni — albeit looking like it was sloppily thrown on top with zero consideration for aesthetics. This could be an issue if you're a visual eater, like me. However, there wasn't a ton of grease sitting atop the pizza, nor were there pools of it sitting inside the box — which was promising. Thankfully, this carried through to the taste test, where the grease remained less than I expected from a pepperoni pizza.

The first bite was surprising in the best way. The pizza had a nice balance of cheese, pepperoni, sauce, and crust in each bite — each of which had a nice flavor on its own. The cheese was rich and mildly gooey, which paired perfectly with the savory pepperoni. The sauce had the slightest sweetness with mild earthy notes, while the crust had a satisfying crunchy texture. As for the stuffed crust? It was well-seasoned and crunchy, with an appropriate amount of Parmesan stuffed inside.

Pizza Hut's Stuffed Crust appeared much more aesthetically pleasing overall. The pepperoni was bright against the pale cheese and well dispersed atop the pizza in a way that looked purposeful rather than haphazard. However, the one negative was the grease — it noticeably sat on top of the cheese, which didn't come through in pictures but made the whole pizza seem a little extra shiny.  Still, Pizza Hut's option just looked more appetizing and more strongly reminiscent of what I believe an ideal pizza should be. If I was choosing a pizza based on visuals alone, Pizza Hut would be an easy choice.

Unfortunately, that first bite was extra greasy, which isn't something I appreciate in my pizzas. This is really a shame, too, because the pizza itself was absolutely delectable. The cheese-stuffed crust was mild and creamy, as was the cheese on top, and the layering of savory pepperoni offered the slightest kick of spice. The bottom crust was lightly crunchy with a thin layer of softness on the top side of the pizza — it was everything I hoped a pizza to be, but I just couldn't get past how greasy it was and knew my stomach was going to hurt because of it later.

This taste test was primarily about the stuffed crust — a category where my nostalgia told me nothing could be better than the original from Pizza Hut and yet, admittedly, Domino's won by a large margin. The differences in these two stuffed crusts are undeniable when you get them side by side or have the opportunity to taste them both in one sitting, as I did. 

Domino's stuffed crust was nicely seasoned and not overstuffed, with strong buttery notes laced with hints of tangy garlic and salt. It's an excellent option for people who are looking for a good balance across the board instead of being overpowered by the cheese. 

Pizza Hut's stuffed crust was underwhelming with an odd texture — the cheese was a little too stringy and the inside of the bread felt underdone and gummy. The taste was mediocre and a bit bland, without any real seasoning to influence the milky taste of the cheese.

Domino's stuffed crust pizza is only available as a medium, which limits your ordering options. I think medium is an odd size because it's a little small for a standard family pizza night, but typically too large for one person to eat alone. Based on what my own family of four eats, I believe two of these mediums would be necessary to feed everyone, while one would likely suffice for a couple.

That being said, Pizza Hut only offers its stuffed crust in a large — although I've never noticed, this may be standard and most places may only offer their specialty stuffed crusts in specific sizes. The one good thing about Pizza Hut's large is that it's definitely enough to feed a family — but, of course, it's even less convenient if an individual wanted one to eat alone. In this case, a couple would also struggle to finish it, but leftovers aren't necessarily a bad thing if you enjoy reheated pizza. (Disclaimer: I don't like reheated pizza.)

While Pizza Hut may have the prettier pizza, it was outdone by Domino's in every other way. This is a shame because if the Pizza Hut pizza hadn't been so greasy, the taste overall would have been a winner. As it stands, Domino's offered a nice balance of flavors without the gross greasiness and was a relatively comparable price to Pizza Hut when you take into account the pie's size differences. But, the stuffed crust is where Domino's really shined and showed me why it came to dethrone Pizza Hut as the largest pizza company in the world.

I'll definitely be choosing Domino's stuffed crust pizza as my new go-to and no longer find it surprising that my local Pizza Hut was empty during what should have been dinner rush hours. In fact, I might re-order Dominos this upcoming weekend and pair it with its Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread and a glass of my favorite Italian wine variety.