Papa Murphy's Popular Menu Items Ranked Worst To Best
Papa Murphy's is an American fast food pizza chain with over 1,000 locations dispersed everywhere in the U.S. except the Northeast, according to ScrapeHero. Whether or not you know about Papa Murphy's already, it's time that you get acquainted.
This Take 'N' Bake pizza chain came about in 1995, when two failing businesses (Murphy's Pizza and Papa Aldo's) merged together. It is now the fifth largest pizza franchise in the world, per the chain, putting it just behind Domino's, Little Caesars, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's (via Franchise.com). Part of the success could be due to recipe testing: Papa Murphy's tried out hundreds of pizza dough recipes before settling on a winner. Popularity may even continue to grow with the addition of Papa Murphy's three dipping sauces (garlic butter, marinara, and ranch). Whatever the reason may be, customers seem to love taking and baking Papa Murphy's frozen pizzas at home.
To rank the best menu items, we first narrowed the list down to what Papa Murphy's products were the most popular and interesting — omitting the dairy-free cheese pizzas and keto-friendly crustless pizzas. The menu items coming from the stuffed, classic, and signature menu sections were some of the most popular. But Papa Murphy's line of Gourmet Delite pizzas ended up at the top. To learn how specific menu items stacked up against one another, read on.
15. Classic Cheesy Bread
Papa Murphy's Classic Cheesy Bread is one of the chain's popular sides. Its thick dough is topped with herb garlic spread, mozzarella, mild cheddar, and an herb & cheese blend, per the menu. With every purchase, customers also receive a side of marinara for dipping. As with all of Papa Murphy's products, you're going to need to bake the Classic Cheesy Bread yourself. Luckily for you, it's already completely assembled. After less than 15 minutes in the oven, it's ready to eat.
Blogger Avoiding Blowout appreciated the thickness of Papa Murphy's cheesy bread. But they had at least one significant complaint: They said the amount of provided marinara dipping sauce was insufficient. This creates a dilemma, as the marinara sauce seems to be an essential part of enjoying the Classic Cheesy Bread. Another blogger, Jennifer A. Lambert, said the quality flavor of the sauce perfectly completed the cheese-covered bread. Without enough sauce, this side is lacking.
The inadequate amount of marinara dipping sauce is part of what warrants the Classic Cheesy Bread a place at the bottom of this list. Additionally, this carb-loaded side is not a must-have. When you're ordering from Papa Murphy's, you're not there for the bread — you're there for the pizza. Once you get that pizza, you don't necessarily need another deconstructed pizza — which is basically what the Classic Cheesy Bread is — as a side. The Classic Cheesy Bread is nowhere near an essential item.
14. Scratch-made 5-Cheese Bread
The Scratch-made 5-Cheese Bread is a very similar product to Papa Murphy's Classic Cheesy Bread. It's dough that's topped with herb garlic spread, mozzarella, mild cheddar, and an herb & cheese blend. However, the breads come in different shapes. Per the menu, the 5-Cheese Bread comes in rectangular slices, but the Classic Cheesy Bread comes in triangular slices. The menu also mentions that the 5-Cheese Bread is made with ¼ pound of mozzarella, implying there is more cheese used with this particular side. However, the nutritional information again reveals two very similar ingredient lists for each of Papa Murphy's cheese breads.
Despite what seems like only slight deviations between the two products, some customers saw a difference. One Facebook reviewer, Brandon Graham, wrote, "Tried the new scratch-made 5 cheese bread this weekend, holy crap!! It is easily 10x better than the original!"
We have to agree with this very enthusiastic Papa Murphy's customer. The shape of the Scratch-made 5-Cheese Bread is superior. That's because it's more distinct from actual pizza. If you're going to get cheese bread with pizza, you don't want everything to be the same shape (a triangle). However, we still don't think you need a cheesy bread at all. It takes up valuable oven space that could be used to heat multiple pizzas.
13. Cinnamon Wheel
The Cinnamon Wheel is one of Papa Murphy's desserts. Per the nutritional information, it's a circle of dough topped with "cinnamon schmear" (a brown sugar and margarine spread) and oatmeal crisp topping (a sweetened oat mixture). Each wheel also comes with cream cheese frosting. This can be drizzled onto the wheel or used as a dipping sauce. This dessert, like the Classic Cheesy Bread, comes cut into triangles.
One blogger, Tiffany Haywood, said the Cinnamon Wheel was a "perfect pair up of sweet and savory." On Yelp, customer Jasmine F. adds, "comes with real cream cheese frosting, which I enjoy."
Although the Cinnamon Wheel is well-liked, we think it's the worst dessert option at Papa Murphy's. It's too similar to pizza, doesn't look great, and sometimes requires guests to decorate it themselves. However, we think it's worth getting a dessert from Papa Murphy's — if you're in the mood.
12. S'Mores Bars
The S'Mores Bars combine the best elements of Papa Murphy's other two desserts. Essentially, it's the chain's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with the Cinnamon Wheel's crisp topping. Of course, the S'Mores Bars also come with a sprinkling of mini marshmallows. For those looking for a summer-inspired, campfire vibe, the S'Mores Bars could be the perfect end to their pizza dinner.
On a Reddit thread concerning this dessert, users called the S'Mores Bars "great" and "surprisingly delicious." However, blogger Avoiding Blowout pointed to the dessert's biggest shortcoming: the lack of graham crackers. They found the oatmeal crisp topping to be a sad substitution for these campfire cookies.
We agree with this blogger's assessment of the S'Mores Bars. It seems that Papa Murphy's is simply trying to utilize leftover materials by adding the oats-filled crisp topping that's used to make the company's Cinnamon Wheels. A different ingredient on the S'Mores Bars would better evoke graham crackers; instead, it's more like eating cookies with marshmallows on top. For the most satisfying dessert, we would stick with the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
11. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
The best, and most reliable, dessert you can get from Papa Murphy's is the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Per the menu, it's simply cookie dough with semi-sweet chocolate chips. According to the baking instructions, the dessert is ready in under 15 minutes. It's hard for Papa Murphy's — or the customers heating the cookies at home — to mess this up. But it's still nowhere near the best thing to get at Papa Murphy's.
Blogger Kerry Howell made and ate the cookies, but was mostly unimpressed. He called the cookies lacking in flavor and average-tasting. But others were more enthusiastic. "I always get the chocolate chip cookie dough so we can have fresh baked cookies for dessert. The dough is excellent," said Minnesotamadge on Tripadvisor. Perhaps the most accurate review of this dough read, "Not bad, considering you get warm cookies made at home," per Nicole S. on Yelp. For groups or families looking for a sweet end to a quick meal at home, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough offers a convenient option. Just don't expect them to taste amazing.
10. 5 Meat-Stuffed Pizza
Of the stuffed pizzas sold by Papa Murphy's, the 5-Meat Stuffed Pizza is the best possible one you can get. To get the most bang for your buck, why not get something with the most meat? Of course, meat and cheese do not fit everyone's dietary requirements. But if you are even considering buying a stuffed pizza from Papa Murphy's, health is probably not at the forefront of your mind.
On Tripadvisor, customer David H. was satisfied with their 5-meat pizza. "It is very good pizza!" he wrote. Bloggers The Pizza Lads also gave it a favorable recommendation: "It looked lovely, beautiful golden brown with oozing cheese on top ... a good meat combo and really tasty fluffy crusts and dough."
A stuffed pizza is something you should get when you're really hungry, or when trying to feed an entire group. For days when you need an extra serving of meat stuffed inside a pizza, we recommend this pie. It's a meat lover's pizza stuffed within a meat lover's pizza. On top of the pie, there is beef. Inside, you'll find four more meats (pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, and crispy bacon). However, there are many other pizzas from Papa Murphy's that taste better.
9. Cowboy Pizza
The Cowboy Pizza is made with the usuals (red sauce and mozzarella) along with a mixed bag of vegetables and meat. We're pretty sure everyone will appreciate the pepperoni and sausage toppings. However, the Cowboy Pizza's toppings of mushrooms and black olives are not as universally beloved. These two toppings are why we rank this item near the bottom of the signature Papa Murphy's pizzas.
Bloggers The Pizza Lads thought this pizza was satisfying — but it wasn't just the olives that bugged them. Aside from finding way too many black olives on the pie, they found a lack of cheese, an excess of meat, and an overwhelming amount of spiciness. The lads were not alone in these critiques. On Review Stream, reviewer Steve appreciated the amount of food provided by the Cowboy Pizza, but said the pizza was too spicy, too meaty, and lacked cheese: "While I like some sausage and pepperoni, it was a bit of an overkill."
Despite critiques, the Cowboy Pizza is something you can balance with another pizza from Papa Murphy's for the utmost success. The thick crust, red sauce, and combination of vegetables and meat are sure to please a few people (or at least leave them full).
8. Hawaiian Pizza
In 2017, a poll of around 34,000 Americans found that around 50% of pollsters enjoy Hawaiian pizza (via Today). It's no surprise that Papa Murphy's Hawaiian pizza is so popular.
Yelp reviewer Caroline B. called Papa Murphy's Hawaiian pizza "excellent," writing, "Just what I ordered and it was ready when I got there." On the website Queen of Reviews, four different commenters listed Hawaiian pizza as their favorite pie from Papa Murphy's, one calling it "wonderful!" These customers are probably all naturally unopposed to Hawaiian pizza, but they also seem to enjoy Papa Murphy's take on the recipe.
Aside from the underlying controversy surrounding pineapple on pizza, we don't like that this comes with cheddar cheese. However, most Papa Murphy's customers will not bat an eye at this. Cheddar is also less offensive to some than black olives or mushrooms. That's why this pizza ends up around the middle of this ranking.
7. Garden Veggie Pizza
The Garden Veggie Pizza from Papa Murphy's comes with a base of red sauce and mozzarella. On top of that, you get mushrooms, black olives, onions, green peppers, and Roma tomatoes. There's also a sprinkling of cheddar cheese on top.
Someone who tasted the Garden Veggie Pizza (in a vegan version, no less) appreciated this pie. "It was delicious and I will be returning for another soon," wrote customer Kelly Northway on abillion. "The plain garden veggie pizza is very tasty here," said reviewer Matthew Montey on the website Restaurantji. If you're looking to avoid meat while purchasing a more traditional pizza, this is the one for you.
This is a solid veggie pizza. It has more positive reviews than the Cowboy Pizza. It is less controversial than a Hawaiian pizza. It even has something to offer vegetarians, with the easy ability to be made vegan. This pizza serves a purpose. However, it's not outstandingly creative or unique.
6. Chicken Garlic Pizza
Papa Murphy's Chicken Garlic Pizza is one of the most interesting signature pizzas made by the chain. First, it's a white pizza (made with Papa Murphy's creamy garlic sauce). Next, there's a layer of mozzarella cheese — no pizza from the chain is complete without it. Then there's a unique mix of chicken, Roma tomatoes, and green onions. To top it all off, there's more cheese, plus an herb & cheese blend. This pizza is packed with flavor.
Even for those new to the world of white pizzas, the Chicken Garlic Pizza from Papa Murphy's is easy to like. Blogger TamTam said, "I was pleasantly surprised with how well the flavors blended." The sauce provides creaminess while the toppings provide freshness. Together, these two elements complement each other to create a balanced pizza, she decided.
We don't think this pizza is better than any of the Gourmet Delite pies, but the Chicken Garlic Pizza is solid. Its unique use of green onions adds a mild kick. The Roma tomatoes add a taste of freshness. The chicken adds heartiness to it. If looking to get a pizza with a thicker crust from Papa Murphy's, go with this one.
5. Gourmet Vegetarian Pizza
In 2014, Papa Murphy's launched their collection of Gourmet Delite pizzas, made with thinner crusts and more sophisticated ingredients, such as sun-dried tomatoes and spinach (via Papa Murphy's). The chain's Gourmet Vegetarian Pizza is one of those. As such, it is a white pizza made with creamy garlic sauce instead of red sauce, a crispier crust, and highbrow toppings including zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, artichoke hearts, Roma tomatoes, and more.
The Gourmet Vegetarian Pizza has a fan base, as most pizzas in the Gourmet Delite category do. On Zomato, customer Allison G. reminisced, "We used to pick up a gourmet vegetarian pizza every Friday night when we lived in Napa." It says something if a customer goes back for more.
While this pizza is similar to others in the Gourmet Delite collection, the toppings make it worse than its counterparts. We could do without the zucchini or mushrooms, which tend not to be adequately cooked when made for national pizza chains like Papa Murphy's. This might be able to work in a red sauce pizza with a thicker crust, but with the Gourmet Vegetarian, there is nowhere to hide. You can see and taste these lesser-quality zucchini and mushrooms. However, the taste isn't the worst of the offerings from Papa Murphy's.
4. Greek Pepperoni Pizza
Papa Murphy's Greek Pepperoni Pizza is another thin crust pie that's part of the Gourmet Delite category. At its core, it's a typical pizza made with red sauce, mozzarella, and toppings. Those toppings are mainly vegetables, including spinach, olives, and Roma tomatoes. But there is also pepperoni and extra cheese, which comes in the form of feta. For additional flavor, you get a sprinkling of herbs on top. It's a step up from the Gourmet Vegetarian: It doesn't have many of that pizza's flaws and includes the added flavor provided by pepperoni.
"First, we like the thin crust ... Second, there was a decent amount of toppings on the pizza. Third, the red sauce is one of my favorites among the large chain pizzerias; it has a bold tomato flavor with just the right amount of other seasonings. Fourth, it smelled great before, during, and after cooking," wrote Nicholas Zoller, one pleased Papa Murphy's customer of the Greek Pepperoni Pizza, on Zomato. Yelp customer Marty W., who ordered this pizza (along with a few others) wrote, "Best pizza EVER ... Everybody loved them!!"
Papa Murphy's Greek Pepperoni Pizza is sufficient for people who don't mind black olives. Yet we know this will turn some people off. If buying for a group, go with another pizza. If you don't mind olives (or maybe you love them), this is the pizza for you.
3. Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza
The Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza is another Gourmet Delite pizza from Papa Murphy's. It isn't made with red sauce or garlic spread — which tends to make it a little too dry. Instead, it comes with a series of cheese and toppings. Spinach covers the whole thing, making this pizza appear green. Chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta make up the rest. For added flavor, herbs, olive oil, and garlic are also added on top. It's a colorful and flavorful pizza that appears to be very popular with Papa Murphy's customers.
One particularly blunt, yet positive, review on Tripadvisor came from 71douglasm, who enjoyed their Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizzas. "I brought them home and baked them for 8 minutes. They tasted great. We will return," they wrote. "Their thin crust Mediterranean Chicken Pizza is wonderful," said Chelsea J. on Yelp. The only critique of this pizza we came across was the following: "the outer edges of the thin crust got a little too hard for me," said Yelp customer Tiffany S.
This is a good point, but having a hard crust isn't unique to the Herb Chicken Mediterranean Pizza. It's something that can happen with any of the Gourmet Delite pizzas. With their thin crust, it's easy for these pizzas to overcook, becoming crunchy. However, that's how many people prefer their pizzas. But as for the Herb Chicken Mediterranean pizza itself, our critique is the sun-dried tomatoes — fresh tomatoes would be better.
2. Tuscan Chicken & Sausage Pizza
Along with both types of meat mentioned in the title, Papa Murphy's Tuscan Chicken & Sausage Pizza has toppings of spinach, Roma tomatoes, parmesan, and herbs. According to the menu, it's also finished with olive oil and garlic. These two simple additions could be why this pizza is so popular.
On Tripadvisor, rhauser8 ordered the Tuscan Chicken & Sausage Pizza and said of it, "fresh and unique flavors ... It cooks up perfect in the oven." On Restaurantji, customer Nick enjoyed it, saying, "tasty as always ... will definitely be back for the great food." In 2018, Nan R. on Yelp also said, "it is light and full of flavor!" For years, people have been enjoying this pizza. If thin crust and the aforementioned ingredients sound good to you, we recommend giving this one a try. It's not the best, but it's definitely near the top.
Everyday flavors like garlic and olive oil offer familiar yet satisfying tastes to the top of the pie. However, there is no sauce. Having garlic sauce would take this pizza over the edge. Since all pizzas in this section are trying to appeal to the health-conscious, we think ones made with fresh tomatoes do a better job at that. This pizza is made with fresh tomatoes — instead of sun-dried ones — which we think make it better than most of the Gourmet Delite offerings.
1. Chicken Bacon Artichoke Pizza
The Chicken Bacon Artichoke pizza is a Gourmet Delite pizza made with garlic sauce. For the core toppings, there are chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, and spinach. This pizza comes with two kinds of cheese — mozzarella and parmesan. There is a lack of olive oil or garlic, which is also a downside. However, there are herbs, adding an extra layer of flavor.
Blogger The PennyWiseMama applauded this pie. The trio of chicken, bacon, and artichoke toppings together make a flavorful combination. Add garlic sauce to that, and you get something really special that the whole family can appreciate, she writes. This was not the only outstanding recommendation of the Chicken Bacon Artichoke pizza. "I have ordered the same Thin Crust Chicken Bacon Artichoke pizza every weekend from here for over a year. I've never been dissatisfied with the food or the service," said customer Ryan Pierce on the website Restaurantji.
This pizza lacks any substandard toppings — such as mushrooms, zucchini, black olives, or sun-dried tomatoes — which tend to be divisive or unsatisfactory on pizza. This, along with the pizza's inclusion of garlic sauce, makes it the best.