# How important is it to you that your pizza be pie shaped? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 13, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908 "2009-09-13T14:21:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/1 "2009-09-13T14:21:31Z")
Does your pizza have to be a round pie sliced into radial wedges, or do you care? I ask because it occurs to me that pizza restaurants have repeatedly tried to market square pizza slices (doubtlessly cheaper and easier to prepare than traditional pies), yet except for deep-dish it’s never caught on. ETA: this was supposed to be in IMHO. :o ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/2 "2009-09-13T14:29:35Z")
It’s important because the worst, absolute worst pizzas I ever choked down in my life were in elementary-high school, and they were rectangle-shaped monstrosities. I cannot to this day eat a square-cut pizza without thinking back to the repulsive pizzas in school lunches. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/3 "2009-09-13T14:37:47Z")
It doesn’t matter to me. In fact, when I lived in Maryland, the cheapest local place that did delivery did square (or rectangular) pizzas. For the price, it was pretty good. I _don’t_ like the corner pieces, though, because I don’t like that much crust. OTOH, square or rectangular pizzas, unlike round, have pieces in the center with _no edge crust at all_! Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/4 "2009-09-13T14:52:39Z")
Square, round, Other? Doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/5 "2009-09-13T15:33:10Z")
for taste it doesn’t matter. for structure a wedge is better. a rectangular piece has too much mass on the inside end and it folds weakening the slice, you then need to hold two handed until almost the end. for a wedge you can pizza in one hand and beer in the other. with a rectangular piece you have to keep setting something down. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/6 "2009-09-13T15:33:38Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > It’s important because the worst, absolute worst pizzas I ever choked down in my life were in elementary-high school, and they were rectangle-shaped monstrosities. I cannot to this day eat a square-cut pizza without thinking back to the repulsive pizzas in school lunches. This. It’s a childhood trauma thing. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/7 "2009-09-13T15:35:03Z")
It doesn’t really matter that much. I have a slight preference for square pizza, because I’m not fond of crust. I’ll eat the crust, mind you, I’m just not that fond of it. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/8 "2009-09-13T15:38:41Z")
I have fond memories of the pizza squares sold at the deli of a grocery store that is no longer in business. Never had any pizza, any shape, that was so delish… And a few bakeries here sell squares of Utica Pie (pizza with a garlicy-herby sauce, parmesan, but no mozzarella). So I like squares, except for the all-crust corners of the big square things sold for feeding a crowd at superbowl parties. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/9 "2009-09-13T15:50:16Z")
No preference whatsoever . . . except that if it’s rectangular you might get stuck with a corner piece; at least with round pies the pieces are all the same. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/10 "2009-09-13T15:55:53Z")
Crust is food of the gods. Vorlon Jr. saves his pizza bones for me. Besides, without a crust to hang on to, where do you grab the slice, and not burn your fingers? What holds the cheese? Nothing is worse than getting a steaming hot blob of sauce and cheese plopped on your shirt as you consume the slice ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/11 "2009-09-13T16:03:43Z")
> [@The\_Vorlon](#): > > Crust is food of the gods. Vorlon Jr. saves his pizza bones for me. > Besides, without a crust to hang on to, where do you grab the slice, and not burn your fingers? What holds the cheese? Nothing is worse than getting a steaming hot blob of sauce and cheese plopped on your shirt as you consume the slice Well, obviously we disagree on the goodness of the edge crust. 😉 As for holding the center pieces when they’re too hot, that’s why you start on the _outside_ of the pie. You get the pieces with edge crust first, and by the time you get to the very best center pieces, it’s not too hot! As for holding it, well, if you flatten your hand, palm side up, and spread your fingers out, you can kind of use your hand as a “dish”. At least, that’s how I do it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/12 "2009-09-13T16:04:53Z")
Shape doesn’t matter. I was a little surprised on my last business trip when a place served me a pie and hadn’t sliced it, but I have been informed that slicing a pizza is predominately an American thing… ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/13 "2009-09-13T16:05:18Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > at least with round pies the pieces are all the same. If I had to WAG, I’d say this is why they’re almost always round. I only know of one place that had a rectangular pizza, [The Zigzag Inn](http://zigzaginn.com/index.htm) near Mt. Hood. I think they have round pizza now, but I couldn’t be certain. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/14 "2009-09-13T16:06:25Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > It’s important because the worst, absolute worst pizzas I ever choked down in my life were in elementary-high school, and they were rectangle-shaped monstrosities. I cannot to this day eat a square-cut pizza without thinking back to the repulsive pizzas in school lunches. I remember those pizzas, and, yes, they were terrible. But I think in general rectangular pizza is called “Sicilian-style” and there are perfectly respectable pizzerias that serve that style. Note that some of the pizza restaurants in New Haven make pizzas that are rough oblongs that are then cut across the middle in sort of a mix of a square and a radial cut. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/15 "2009-09-13T16:06:25Z")
Pizza squares have way too much dough in them. I like my thin crust NY pizza, thank you. There’s a distinct difference. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/16 "2009-09-13T16:29:50Z")
I never would have thought that other people shared this quirk with me, but I don’t like square pizza either. Especially the crustless ones in the middle. As a child, I always ate the rest of my family’s crusts. And pizza bones is my new favorite term. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/17 "2009-09-13T16:35:11Z")
Well, if it’s square it hasn’t been prepared twirling it. I want mine twirled, so yes, I want it round. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/18 "2009-09-13T16:36:58Z")
WTF is it with cutting a round pie into eeensy squares, as is done in much of the midwest? One one level I don’t care, it’s still pizza. But on another level it feels like a giant appetizer instead of a meal. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/19 "2009-09-13T16:43:16Z")
Papa Murphy’s (take home & bake) Pizza uses rectangular for deep dish and round for all else. Doesn’t seem to be a problem. Barone’s (an upscale local Los Angeles chain) only serves rectangular, thin crust pizzas. They taste great. ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908/20 "2009-09-13T16:53:49Z")
I don’t understand square sliced pizza. Why cut a round pizza into squares? It doesn’t make any sense. It’s okay though, I guess. As long as they don’t put the pepperoni under the cheese, that’s just wrong. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-important-is-it-to-you-that-your-pizza-be-pie-shaped/509908.md?page=2)