Little Caesar’s turns barbecue pizza on its head
Little Caesar’s Smokehouse Pizza is a carnivore’s dream, piled high and wide with meat, meat and more meat.
So this pie with beef brisket, pulled pork, Applewood-smoked bacon, mozzarella and Muenster cheese, and barbecue sauce has got the goods, all right. Here’s the question, though … is this a pizza? Just because it’s round and red and has meat and cheese don’t make it a pizza. Marie Callender’s doesn’t call it’s chicken pot pie a pizza. Well, huh? I’m not picking on Little Caesars for stretching the pizza franchise. I had the same knock against Pizza Hut’s barbecue pie, inspired by country superstar Blake Shelton, in 2014.
I do like this, it’s only $9 for a large Smokehouse Pizza.
Back to … is this a pizza? Where’s the tomato-based pizza sauce? None. Where’s the traditional Italian-style cheese and seasoning? Nope. Where’s the familiar meat toppings, like pepperoni and sausage? You tell me.
Instead, Little Caesars has loaded this baby with meats usually found at your local barbecue joints. So I’m not calling this a pizza. Consider it a round, open-faced BBQ combo sandwich with brisket, pulled pork and bacon.
That sounds freaky good, and I admit, this whatever-it-is delivers. While the meat is trucked in from off campus — you won’t find huge smokers in back of Little Caesars at the strip center — the brisket and pulled pork have legit, slow-smoked barbecue flavor. The bacon adds a salty lick. The sauce is the real surprise, it’s got an adult, spicy knockout punch.
Odd, Little Caesars paints the outer crust with barbecue seasoning. If you’re one of those scavengers who waits for others to throw their crust (called bones in the biz) back in the box, you’re in for a barbecue bonus.
There’s nothing bare bones with this heavyduty, meat-laden pie.