7 Things To Always Avoid Ordering At Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut has unfortunately made it to the list of things that used to be better in "the good old days." Currently, there is overwhelming consensus that the chain's quality has declined. The trouble it's facing has been reflected not just in anecdotal complaints, but also in its sales numbers. These days, the much beloved brand is losing the pizza battle to its rival Domino's. While some have abandoned the Hut entirely, others have taken a middle-of-the-road approach, simply being more selective about the items they do choose to purchase. 

In fairness, workers do point out that there can be menu and quality differences from store to store. While this can mean that some people's least favorite items are other customer favorites, there are a few menu items that most people seem to be unhappy with. Portion sizes, excessive amounts of oil, and the fact that some items sit on store shelves too long are just some of the reasons these items are on the avoid list. If you don't feel like betting your precious dollars away, avoid these seven items at Pizza Hut. 

If you're trying to balance out the carbs from your Stuffed Crust Pizza, you may want to make a salad at home. Once upon a time, the salad bar was a signature part of the Pizza Hut experience. And when nostalgic diners talk about missing the salad bar, it feels like they're using it as a catch-all for a time when Pizza Hut was a sit-down restaurant with an arcade corner, red-and-white checkered tablecloths, and more modest prices. But the salads nowadays just aren't good. 

These days, customers complain about old, brown lettuce, spoiled dressing, and frozen vegetables: "Sticks of carrots and celery with limp lettuce and enough ranch dressing to [bathe] in," one reviewer said on Tripadvisor. Another customer took to Facebook to vent about a Pizza Hut in Atoka, Tennessee: "Broccoli, [cauliflower], onions and bell pepper, just not fresh as it should have been. Not worth that trip," they said.

Still, some customers report having positive experiences at dine-in Pizza Huts. If you're lucky enough to live near a highly-rated dine-in Pizza Hut, good for you. For the rest of us, the salad bar glory days will have to live on in our memories. 

It's not a good look for a restaurant chain with the word pizza in its name to have one of its pizzas be amongst the most complained menu items. This decline is especially unfortunate since the Stuffed Crust Pizza, despite its contentious origins, used to be a signature item for Pizza Hut. 

But consumers have called the current version of the Stuffed Crust Pizza processed and flavorless. The biggest complaint is that the current version of the Stuffed Crust is mostly crust. One disgruntled customer lightheartedly joked of the item on Reddit, saying: "New – Pizza Hut Crust Pizza." Another Reddit user said: "I got one once and never again! More like a 'bread pizza'." While some love the stuffed crust and even argue it's the best part of the pizza, these feelings understandably seem to depend on the crust-to-cheese ratio.

If Pizza Hut wants to win back more fans, it will have to step up to the pan. Even as some continue to hold onto their childhood favorite, the benefits of brand loyalty may not be enough to save them now that Domino's has its own version of the Stuffed Crust.

Customers complain about the pork sausage at Pizza Hut having an off-putting smell. Employees explain that this ingredient is unpopular, meaning you are more likely to get sausage that has been sitting longer than ideal. Others point to recipe changes as being the source of the problem. 

Meanwhile, many agreed that the cupped pepperoni also has a strange smell. One Reddit user said this of their pizza: "I immediately noticed a strange fishy smell." Another Reddit user echoed: "The cupped pepperoni always smells weird to me, maybe it was that." A third Reddit user added that: "Pork sausage has also changed....and definitely not for the best." Even the bacon has had complaints. One Reddit user perfectly summed up these grievances, writing: "[Sometimes] it's all weird big fatty pieces." Between the pepperoni, the pork sausage, and the bacon, for whatever reason it seems the pork toppings are among the worst in quality according to customers. 

We advise staying away from the pork toppings, lest you ruin the rest of your pizza. Alternatively, you can save your money for a night out at the best Italian restaurant your state has to offer.

Pizza Hut advertises its breadsticks as being: "crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside" and "seasoned with garlic and parmesan." Unfortunately, the chain just can't seem to get the balance right. While some complain about receiving dry and stale breadsticks, others have had the opposite problem. Rather than being cheesy and garlicky, some wonder why its breadsticks are slathered in oil. Customers have complained about everything from the pizza to the lasagna being too greasy. "Their breadsticks have been gross for years," one Reddit user said.

Long-time fans reminisce about garlic butter options and generous servings of the marinara cups served warm. While employees confirm via Reddit the use of "butter-flavored oil," the details of Pizza Hut's changes are a corporate secret. What we do know is that decades of cost-saving measures and small recipe tweaks have resulted in a beloved favorite becoming a source of disappointment for many customers. 

The breadstick controversy touches on one of pizza lovers' biggest gripes with Pizza Hut, which is that the chain switched from dough made in-house by a dough master to what one Redditor called "frozen disks" that are shipped in from elsewhere. Fans do not mince words when it comes to letting the powers-that-be know that they can taste the difference. 

Customers say that Pizza Hut's pasta options have gotten smaller and blander. Unfortunately, the complaints are not limited to one pasta dish. Of the Cheesy Alfredo Pasta, one Reddit user said: "Well, they did it. I've never managed to eat something that tasted like an entire plate of nothing." Another Reddit user expressed confusion over the nearly empty container of Triple Cheese Mac they said was delivered to them. While a bigger portion would probably go to waste considering the subpar taste, we understand people still want good value for their money. 

Though negative reviews come from all over the country, Pizza Hut loyalists are quick to point out that customer experiences can vary greatly based on the location they go to. One Reddit user said: "Pizza Hut quality is 100% location dependent, even if the ingredients and methods are supposed to be the same. Our town has a good one. A few towns over, totally greased out trash." Some have taken to reporting where they've had their best and worst experiences to help guide their fellow foodies. 

Pasta (thankfully) remains a cheap grocery store item. If you don't want to take your chances with your local Pizza Hut, it makes more economical sense to make pasta at home. For example, with only five ingredients, you can make this Cacio e Pepe recipe. 

Like many fast-food restaurants, Pizza Hut is constantly phasing out old items and introducing new ones. While new items are meant to renew excitement for the brand, customers are largely nostalgic for classic menu items untouched by time. Even though Pizza Hut attributes much of its struggles to a changing market (like the trend towards healthier eating in the U.S.), customers say otherwise. Customers say Pizza Hut's Melts are not worth the price, with some calling them sad substitutes for the beloved P'zones of the early 2000s. A Reddit user explained that P'zones were "basically medium pizzas folded in half, with no sauce." Fans attribute the P'zones' superiority to it having more filling and a better texture. 

In comparison, a Reddit user described the Melts as "sad, thin, crunchy calzone-wannabes." Part of the problem is that some of Pizza Hut's new releases are not actually anything new. One Reddit user asked: "is [it] supposed to be a quesadilla? Calzone? What is it trying to be?" Whatever it is, consumers seem united in their dislike of the Melts, so you'll probably want to skip them.

Pizza Hut describes its S'mores Sticks as a "campfire classic...in a tear-and-share format." It sounds alright; however, customers have no love for the S'mores Sticks. Reddit reviews range from "meh" all the way to "disgusting." This under-thought new release simply can't compete with fast food brands that are finding ways to make higher quality food with traceable ingredients. 

The S'mores Sticks are pretty transparently just a remix of an item Pizza Hut already sells. Here we have repurposed breadsticks with broken graham crackers, melted chocolate, and marshmallows on top. Customers are pretty vocal about how little sense a S'mores topping makes on top of breadsticks. One Redditor said: "They are kinda nasty... I bet they would have been better on a cookie. The breadsticks don't even cook right with the toppings." 

Neither healthy nor decadent, S'mores Sticks may not be the worst thing ever, but they sound like a drunk invention that doesn't taste as good in the morning. While some stand by it, we simply don't think it's worth the cost. 

We used Reddit, Facebook, X, and Tripadvisor to get information from Pizza Hut workers, customers, and former fans. Our list of items to avoid is based on reviews from pizza eaters all over the country who took to the Internet in the past year to share their opinions about Pizza Hut. We compiled this list based on the menu items these reviewers were most aggrieved about. We looked at complaints about freshness and taste, as well as presentation, value for money, and the discrepancy between the advertised products and what customers received. 

If you do still crave this childhood favorite, it's best to research the stores nearest you. In our research, we found many pizza lovers pointing out that despite sharing a name, all Pizza Huts are not created equal. Nevertheless, if you're concerned about quality and curious which chains do make food fresh to order, we've got you covered.