Papa Johns<\/a> is stating its case by making a major menu addition: it’s bringing back pan pizza after nearly a decade. The brand claims the pizza captures the same nostalgia as the original, but with a new and improved recipe. I, for one, was equal parts curious and skeptical. <\/p>\nPan pizza is one of those formats everyone thinks<\/em> they love\u2014thick, cheesy, and indulgent\u2014but it\u2019s also easy to get wrong. Too bready, too greasy, too much cheese doing all the work. I wanted to see how the new Papa Johns version stacks up instead of just taking the brand at its word. So I did what felt right: I tasted the plain cheese and gave it my full, undivided attention.
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![\"pizza](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/img-3002-697b9ed9e54ae.jpg?crop=0.815xw:0.611xh;0.104xw,0.277xh&resize=980:*\" "\\"pizza")
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Steven Morea<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\nThe first thing you notice isn\u2019t the toppings or the sauce, but the crust. Papa Johns bakes Parmesan and its signature garlic sauce directly into the bottom of the pan, which means the pizza arrives with crisp, caramelized edges that actually crackle when you bite into them. <\/p>\n\nThat garlicky, cheesy crunch hits immediately, and it\u2019s genuinely satisfying in a way most chain pizza crusts are not. From there, the interior is thick yet surprisingly airy. It has that pillowy chew you want from pan pizza without tipping into sponge territory. <\/p>\n
The cheese blend\u2014six cheeses, if you\u2019re counting\u2014does the heavy lifting in the middle, melting into a rich, cohesive layer that tastes indulgent without being overwhelming. Even as someone who usually thinks more than two cheeses is unnecessary, I\u2019ll admit this blend works.<\/p>\n\n\n
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![\"a](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/screenshot-2026-01-29-at-3-56-52-pm-697bc9f57d990.png?crop=0.605xw:0.686xh;0.202xw,0.181xh&resize=980:*\" "\\"a")
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Steven Morea<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\nWhat really surprised me, though, was how the experience changes as you eat a slice. Typically, the closer you get to the crust, the less exciting things become. Here, it\u2019s the opposite. Each bite toward the edge gets more<\/em> flavorful than the last. The crispy, buttery crust becomes the star, and by the final bite, I actually understood Papa Johns\u2019 claim that the last bite is better than the first. I didn\u2019t expect myself to agree, but I get it. <\/p>\nPan pizza is a crowded category, and Papa Johns clearly knows that. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, this version leans hard into texture, flavor, and nostalgia\u2014and mostly pulls it off. And while it won\u2019t replace my usual go-to order, it\u2019s definitely earned a spot in the rotation for moments that call for something extra.
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It officially launches nationwide on January 29, with prices starting at $11.99 for a one-topping medium pan pizza at participating locations.<\/p>\n\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n
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Papa Johns brought back its pan pizza after nearly a decade. The new and improved recipe includes a crispy, cheesy, garlic sauce-infused crust. A six-cheese blend and airy interior make this pan pizza rich without feeling heavy or soggy. Choosing which pizza chain to order from on Super Bowl Sunday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}