Review: Papa John's - Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

Papa John's new Philly Cheesesteak Pizza is a hand-tossed pizza with creamy garlic sauce, topped with steak, onions, and green peppers, then covered with mozzarella and provolone cheese.

The pizza is being offered at $12 for a large, but I picked up one for $8.50 with a local discount given on days that the Lakers are playing.

Papa John's has tried something similar to this one with the Steak and Cheese Pizza (which I tried) last year. That one featured a blend of pizza sauce and creamy garlic sauce, while the Philly Cheesesteak only includes the latter.

Unlike the Steak and Cheese, the Philly Cheesesteak didn't suffer from a lack of cheese. Combined with the garlic sauce, there's a rich creaminess tinged with garlic.

The steak was tender and seasoned to a nice flavor. The cheese and sauce covered it up a little though.

The onions and green peppers are largely overwhelmed by the cheese and sauce and barely noticeable except for a bit of occasional texture.

The crust turned out rather well on this visit with an even brown crust, just slightly chewy breadiness, and thin, crispy shell.

Overall, Papa John's Philly Cheesesteak Pizza was pretty good but not great. The cheese and garlic sauce and the steak were tasty. To make it great and more true to the Philly Cheesesteak experience, they'd need to double up on the steak and veggies, but I think the price would be closer to $16 at that point.

Nutritional Info - Papa John's Philly Cheesesteak Pizza - Large
Serving Size - 1 slice - 1/8 pizza (150g)
Calories - 380 (from Fat - 160)
Fat - 18g (Saturated Fat - 7g)
Sodium - 1150mg
Carbs - 38g (Sugar - 5g)
Protein - 16g