Review: Little Caesars - Smokehouse Pizza

Little Caesars' Smokehouse Pizza features a large, hand-tossed round pizza covered in the chain's signature blend of mozzarella and Muenster cheeses, topped with beef brisket, pulled pork, applewood-smoked bacon and barbecue sauce. The crust is sprinkled with smokehouse seasoning.

I paid $9 for one.

In my experience, when a fast food chain offers pulled pork, it's usually braised (or, at least, it feels that way) and smothered in sauce. Where ever Little Caesars' sourced their pulled pork from, they did it right. I could actually taste the smokiness from the wood rather than from barbecue sauce. The meat wasn't so overcooked that it was mushy and they didn't shred it to bits so that there were actual pieces. Furthermore, the pork sported some charred bits from the oven for an extra bit of flavor and crunch.

The barbecue sauce was relatively mild and managed a nice balance between smoky, tangy, and sweet without pushing too far in any direction. Additionally, there was actually more meat than sauce, which meant I got some tasty barbecued meat in every bite (except for the crust) and the sauce accented the meat instead of covering it over.

Like the pork, the brisket exhibited a nice smokiness. It was tender at parts but because it was sliced thin, the edges were a little dry from baking. It was still plenty good though.

The cheese added the expected creaminess and kept all the meat in place while staying in the background.

The smokehouse seasoning reminded me of a dry rub for ribs. There was that combination of sweet, smoky, and spicy notes except on Little Caesar's hearty crust. It was interesting to be sure and not unpleasant but I'm a little on the fence on whether I prefer it.

When it comes down to it, Little Caesars did an excellent job with their Smokehouse Pizza. The barbecued meats are the best I've had at fast food chain and there was enough that I could have picked off all the toppings and made myself a nice barbecue sandwich. The crust really hammers the theme home and, while a little weird to me (maybe because I keep expecting meat underneath), is definitely worth trying.