Papa John's New Oven-Baked Papa Bowls Were Spotted In These States

Sometimes, a regular pizza just can't cut it. Some ingenious chefs found ways to spice up their pies by loading them with left-of-center toppings, like chicken tikka masala or Thanksgiving leftovers, per Brit+Co. And what about calzones, which are technically just folded pizza pockets that were created "to be eaten on the go," according to Spizzico Italian Kitchen. Papa John's now has yet another twist on traditional pizza that just might enter the pantheon of other great innovations on the dish.

Chewboom reports that diners have spotted new, oven-baked Papa Bowls at Papa John's locations in Louisiana. These bowls feature all the toppings you normally see on the brand's pizzas, minus the crust. Astute diners have noticed that the restaurant sells three types of bowls, plus a create-your-own bowl if you have your own idea of what should go into this breadless meal. The pre-set varieties include the Chicken Alfredo Papa Bowl (shown above) loaded with alfredo sauce, grilled chicken, spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, three cheeses, and an Italian seasoning blend, while the Italian Meats Trio Papa Bowl comes with pizza and alfredo sauces, pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, three cheeses, and an Italian seasoning blend. The Garden Veggie Papa Bowl rounds out the new menu. This item features pizza sauce, spinach, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, banana peppers, three cheeses and an Italian seasoning blend. 

How the Papa Bowl stacks up and where to find it

If you've got $8 and you want to get your hands on one of these 800 calorie, bread-free delights, make your way over Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio, Maryland, Illinois, Louisiana, or Texas, per The Fast Food Post. But be warned, this is apparently a limited time item. 

Wondering how this new pizza-like creation stacks up to an original, tried and true pizza? According to one YouTuber Iceberg Gem, who reviewed and enjoyed the Italian Meats Trio, the portion was too small. The mix of flavors did work according to the reviewer, but didn't warrant the current price tag. Texas-based YouTube reviewers Melz&Chris (shown above) tried the same bowl and wished it had more sauce, but did appreciate the fact that it worked for anyone who wanted to avoid bread.

Only time can tell if this item might make it to Papa John's locations beyond those lucky seven trial states. In the meantime, you can keep crossing your fingers that the product tests well and that the chain might bring it to your area in the near future.