The following “CHEW THAT!” column originally appeared in “The Courier-Times” and / or “The Shelbyville News”. Check their websites for further information.

“CHEW THAT!”

Pizza King

Blaise Doubman

If you are from Indiana then you already know all about Pizza King! One of my favorite things to do is take friends and family from out of state to a Pizza King and s ee their reactions. I would say that 9 times out to 10, the first timers are blown away by it! It is easily, hands down my favorite pizza. And I am not saying that I don’t eat or love or still order out after eating there, all I am saying is that  this is the best pizza I have ever had. I love pizza and I do not really think I have ever turned one down or even actually complained about it. What sets this pizza apart is the fact that they use tomato paste instead of sauce and dice their vegetables up super fine. There are no huge chinks of toppings going on here. Everyone has their own favorite but mines is for sure the Royal Feast. It is their special combination of pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, onions, red and green peppers. They also have your other typical topping options such as their pepperoni lovers, meat lovers and things of that nature but by far the best is the Royal Feast!

Pizza King was born in 1956 in the heart of Lafayette, Indiana. Wendell Swartz had an idea to open a pizza restaurant and the rest is history! Apart from their delicious pizza options they also have pastas, such as different spaghetti features, sub sandwiches, like their ham and cheese or their Big Sir that contains baked ham, salami, cheese and onion. They also have wraps, salads and a variety of desserts that vary by location. Peanut butter or graham cracker pie anyone? 

For years I used to always get the same thing whenever I would go to Pizza King. I would get their hamburger pizza, extra sauce, as well as an order of their breadsticks, I would get this order at least twice a week when they had a location in Kennard, when all I would have to do was walk a block and pick it up. I miss those days. Anyways, one time my Grandma and cousin and I were out to eat and my cousin told me two things. One, she introduced me to half baked breadsticks, which was a concept I had never heard before. Yes, you can order your breadsticks half baked if you want. Or three quarters baked! Anything you want. Half baked means they are still a little doughy. Perfection. She also told me about the little sprinkles of green on top of each breadstick. I always wondered what it was and then she dropped the bomb and told me. Dill! Dill? Yes, dill. Who would have thought? Whoever came up with that, my guess would be the founder, Wendell, that was a stroke of genius and still holds up in taste comparisons to other restaurants and pizza chains today after all of these years.

I will tell you what the sleeper hit of the whole chain is. Their pasta salad! The best pasta salad I have ever had anywhere in my life and I do not say that lightly! It is phenomenal. It contains spaghetti, pizza cheese, parmesan cheese, tomato slices, green olives, salami and Italian dressing. Most times I order it without the olives because I am not an olive fan. When I tell you this salad is amazing, I am telling you, it really is! I highly recommend you try it. It is far better than any of their other sides and their other sides are delicious so that should say something.

There are 63 Pizza Kings in Indiana and only 1 outside of Indiana, located in Hoopeston, Illinois. If you never have, stop by one of their many locations and get a taste of the King!