# Rank Your Pizza Toppings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 8, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738 "2009-03-08T17:00:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/1 "2009-03-08T17:00:25Z")
I see this as a toss-up between CS and IMHO. Food wins out. This is one list of Papa John’s toppings: Pepperoni Sausage Spicy Italian Sausage Ham Hickory-Smoked Bacon Grilled All-White Chicken Fresh-Sliced Onions Fresh-Sliced Green Peppers Baby Portabella Mushrooms Fresh-Sliced Roma Tomatoes Black Olives Sweet Pineapple Extra Cheese Feel free to add others from your preferred pizzeria. When you order pizza, what are your must-haves, your secondary options (when you’re “filling it out” because it’s a specialty), and your never happens? For us, in order, it’s: Must have: Pepperoni Spicy Italian Sausage Black Olives Can have: Fresh-Sliced Onions Fresh-Sliced Green Peppers Baby Portabella Mushrooms I don’t care for pineapple and anchovies (not on Papa John’s list), but I can handle the others I didn’t include. If it’s to be a one-topping, it’s pepperoni. You? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/2 "2009-03-08T17:05:29Z")
Wow, we must have a different Papa Johns. My number one topping is jalapeno peppers. I also like mushrooms and tomatoes. My never haves are onions and pineapple. 99.99% of the time it is a one topping jalapeno pizza for me. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/3 "2009-03-08T17:09:37Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Wow, we must have a different Papa Johns. My number one topping is jalapeno peppers. I also like mushrooms and tomatoes. > > My never haves are onions and pineapple. > > 99.99% of the time it is a one topping jalapeno pizza for me. Not to argue, but out of curiosity, here’s my source for the OP’s list: > **[404 Page or Resource Not Found | Papa John’s Pizza](https://www.papajohns.com/menu/toppings.shtm)** Does your shop have an online listing available? I have yet to have a jalapeno pizza! Sounds awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/4 "2009-03-08T17:13:19Z")
Extra sauce Mushrooms Onions After that, in descending order of importance/need Green peppers Spinach Artichoke hearts Broccoli I’m a vegetarian, so no meat. Extra cheese is fine. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/5 "2009-03-08T17:20:13Z")
I’m a simple man. I like a plain cheese Pizza. Second to that I’ll eat it with mushrooms and onions. Then I’ll have pepperoni. And if none of those are available, I probably won’t have pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/6 "2009-03-08T17:22:50Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I’m a simple man. I like a plain cheese Pizza. Second to that I’ll eat it with mushrooms and onions. Then I’ll have pepperoni. And if none of those are available, I probably won’t have pizza. If none of those are available, it ought not be called a pizza place. Are there such places? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/7 "2009-03-08T17:27:07Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Not to argue, but out of curiosity, here’s my source for the OP’s list: > [Technical Difficulties - WD-NS | Papa John’s Pizza](http://www.papajohns.com/menu/toppings.shtm) > > Does your shop have an online listing available? I have yet to have a jalapeno pizza! Sounds awesome. I’m not sure of your location, but I put in several zip codes into the Papa Johns website and then I went to their online ordering form as if I was going to order a one topping pizza. I saw jalapeno peppers listed as a choice in their drop down menu for all the zip codes I entered. You’re quite correct that jalapenos are not on their “Our toppings” section of their website. The zip codes I used were 33071, 43205, and 85014. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/8 "2009-03-08T17:34:52Z")
Double mushrooms. Triple if I can get them. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/9 "2009-03-08T18:00:34Z")
Just looking at my order history from the past few months: 1. Pepperoni 2. Extra Cheese 3. Bacon 4. Grond Beef (Hamburger) ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/10 "2009-03-08T18:12:17Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > You? I like meatballs. My local place slices them so they’re a 3/16th to 1/4 inch slices of meatball. Like a big thick pepperoni slice that tastes like a meatball. Delicious. I like other toppings, too, but that’s my topping-not-many-other-people-get. At home I like to crack an egg on my pizzas before baking. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/11 "2009-03-08T18:46:16Z")
Bacon, or bacon and onion. Garlic. Occasionally a white pie with spinach, green peppers, and/or broccoli. The Wife likes mushroom. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/12 "2009-03-08T20:39:10Z")
Must have: Regular cheese pizza WISH it had: Pepperoni, tomatoes, bacon Sometimes like: sausage CAN have: mushrooms, ground meat, Canadian bacon, ham Wal-mart sells some decent ‘take it and bake it’ pizza at the deli. I usually throw some diced tomatoes and same crumbled bacon on their pepperoni version, and it’s pretty tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/13 "2009-03-08T21:31:30Z")
Must Have: Bacon Extra Cheese Enjoyable: Pepperoni Sausage Peppers Other than that, I don’t really mess. The only ones I find really despicable, however, are pineapple, anchovies, and olives. ---
**Author:** ![wunderkammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ed8c4c/32.png) [@wunderkammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wunderkammer)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/14 "2009-03-08T21:40:20Z")
My must-haves are either sausage, pepperoni (if the restaurant uses large, greasy hunks of sausage, or sausage with caraway), or neither if it’s a place with crappy pepperoni and crappy sausage. Pepperoni gets paired with black olives. Sausage gets paired with mushrooms. Plain cheese gets paired with olives and mushrooms. Onions, peppers, and pineapple will be picked off or shunned. I guess my secondary choices are a bit idiosyncratic, but they seem like good combinations to me, at least. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/15 "2009-03-08T21:58:29Z")
sausage mushrooms fresh diced tomatoes (not every pizza place offers those) fresh garlic (ditto) anchovies (if I’m in the mood) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/16 "2009-03-08T22:03:06Z")
Sausage Mushroom Bacon green pepper chicken extra cheese That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/17 "2009-03-08T22:15:16Z")
\*\*Love: \*\* -bacon -sausage -onions -extra cheese -garlic **Like:** -pepperoni -green pepper -hamburg -ham -chicken **Cannot abide:** -mushrooms (they taste of Satan’s ejaculate to me – no, don’t ask how I know) -anchovies (my husband loves 'em, but even the smell is not allowed in our house) -olives of any color, creed, or nation of origin **No opinion:** -pineapple (I’ve never had it on a pizza, but I can see how the sweet/salty combo would work) -clams (hey, Frank Pepe’s makes it but I’ve not been tempted) ---
**Author:** ![MC\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@MC\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_E)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/18 "2009-03-08T22:24:25Z")
Plain Cheese is OK. I prefer just Pepperoni and sliced Pepperoncini. I’ll eat: Onions, Olives, Ground Beef, most Sausage, tomatoes, ham. Please leave off the: Mushrooms Anchovies Pineapple Chicken And the local Mama Lucia’s makes a great hot pizza, with spicy pizza sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/19 "2009-03-08T22:47:49Z")
Sour Cream is the number 1 ingredient that no one outside of Manitoba knows about. Delicious, fantastic, and largely un-available. Grilled Chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and sour cream is my favourite combination. Pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, green peppers, italian sausage or salami and sour cream is not bad either. I’ve never cared for pineapples, myself. ---
**Author:** ![PopeJewish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738/20 "2009-03-09T00:06:48Z")
I’m a huge fan of the Pepperoni and Pineapple mixture. Pineapple adds a lot of sweet that really balances out the saltiness of the Pepperoni. I’m a california boy, though, so that might explain it (my parents, New Yorkers the both of 'em, nearly disowned me the first time they saw me eating one of those). My second favorite, what I default to at the sorta “upscale” pizza places, is Garlic, Feta, and either Olives or Basil, depending on my mood. I have an unhealthy obsession with Feta Cheese that was cured only by moving to a country where such a thing doesn’t exist (Japan, where “natural” and “sliced” are the most common types of cheese) beyond those two I’m not picky, though I’m not a huge fan of Anchovies on my pizza. The only pizza I absolutely refuse to eat are those fucked up Japanese inventions like Corn and Mayo pizza, or Mayo and Tuna. Mayonaise on pizza is just wrong. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-your-pizza-toppings/488738.md?page=2)