America's best-tasting pizza chain is an old-school favorite, survey finds
Pizza Hut remains America's favorite pizza chain, according to a new YouGov survey of more than 44,000 diners across the country, edging out Domino's in a closely watched ranking of national pizza brands.
The survey, conducted between March 2025 and February 2026 as part of the organization's annual restaurant rankings report, found Pizza Hut earned 19.1% of votes for best-tasting fast-food pizza, compared with Domino's at 17.1%.
Papa Johns (11.4%), Little Caesars (5.3%) and Marco's Pizza (4.7%) rounded out the top five.
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"Pizza Hut's lead over Domino's in our best-tasting pizza rankings suggests the brand continues to benefit from strong long-term affinity among consumers, particularly older Americans who maintain a very positive impression of the chain," Kenton Barello, Chicago-based senior vice president of YouGov, told Fox News Digital.
"There is likely also a nostalgia factor at play, as Pizza Hut has been a familiar part of the American dining landscape for decades."
Fox News Digital reached out to Pizza Hut and the American Pizza Community for comment.
The results underscore how legacy pizza chains continue to resonate with consumers, even as restaurant habits evolve and diners increasingly seek value, convenience and familiarity amid higher food costs and economic uncertainty.
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Pizza chains also face mounting competition from frozen pizza brands and independent pizzerias, making brand loyalty increasingly important.
Frozen pizza sales reached about $7 billion in 2024 as consumers cut back on takeout spending, Food & Wine recently reported.
The results also show that while national chains continue to dominate brand recognition, many Americans still believe the best pizza may come from somewhere closer to home.
More than one in five respondents said local or regional pizza brands beat the national chains altogether.
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"One of the more interesting findings is that the single largest share of Americans selected an 'other local or regional brand' over the national chains we tested, highlighting the enduring strength of independent pizzerias," Barello said.
YouGov's findings analyzed responses from more than 44,000 U.S. consumers about restaurant quality, value and dining preferences. The broader report examined consumer attitudes toward fast food, casual dining and specialty restaurant brands.
For the pizza category specifically, respondents were asked which chains they believed served the best pizza among major national brands.
"The broader takeaway for the pizza industry is that while marketing visibility matters, familiarity, emotional connection and consistency continue to play a major role in shaping consumer preference in a highly competitive category," Barello said.
Pizza Hut was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1958 and started franchising a year later. Now headquartered in Plano, Texas, Pizza Hut has nearly 20,000 locations in more than 100 countries, according to its website.
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Domino's opened its first restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, two years after Pizza Hut.
Originally called DomiNick's Pizza, it was renamed Domino's in 1965 and opened its first franchise location in 1967.
Domino's now has more than 22,300 locations worldwide, according to its website.