Review: Domino’s Chicken & Bacon Carbonara Artisan Pizza

The latest addition to Domino’s artisan pizza line is the Chicken & Bacon Carbonara.

The first time I heard of this pizza was in a new TV ad where they tell you that their artisan pizzas are so frickin’ awesome that they won’t allow customers to make any alterations to them. It has sparked a great debate about whether that’s good business. I can see both sides of the argument, but it seems like an odd marketing strategy for Domino’s, who I’m sure many still associate with the taste of cardboard despite the Great Pizza Overhaul of 2009. It’s one thing for the chef at some swanky NYC spot to say they want the customers to experience their food exactly the way it was intended, because their food is probably amazing. It’s another thing for Domino’s to try to pull that off.

My main problem with it is the fact that taste is so subjective. Ten people could eat the same thing and have completely different opinions about it. I don’t know why someone would think that just because they like something, everyone else should, too. But this is a discussion for another day.

So what is the Chicken & Bacon Carbonara? According to Domino’s:

An inspired blend of our marinara and alfredo sauce, grilled chicken breast, bacon, cheese, diced tomatoes and a dash of oregano all on an artisan-style crust.

They are currently selling each of their artisan pizzas for the low price of $7.99. But thanks to Eick’s connections, he was able to set me up with a free pizza, courtesy of Domino’s. Thanks, Domino’s! You’re a real pal.

So the pizza arrived at my door, attached to the hand of a strange man. I said, “Who are you and why are you holding my pizza?” Then I punched him in the face area and took what was mine. Either that or he just handed it to me. I can’t remember. The pizza is a 13″ x 9″ rectangle, sliced into 8 pieces. It’s not huge; I would say it serves 2 people, but that’s not bad for $7.99. He also gave me a box of Parmesan Bread Bites, which are sort of new. There were 16 bites, by my count.

The bread bites were just okay. Not surprisingly, the main flavor was parmesan, but really that was the only flavor. They came with a cup of marinara sauce which made them a little better. I’m just not a huge fan of parmesan in general, especially when it’s baked. 5/10 from me.

I must say the pizza was pretty good. The crust was thin and crispy. There was plenty of mozzarella cheese. The grilled chicken pieces had good flavor. There was a good amount of bacon, which was nice and smoky. Alfredo sauce added a creamy element. I was skeptical of the diced tomatoes because I’m not usually a tomato guy, but they weren’t that noticeable.

There were two things I did not like about this pizza. First off, not enough chicken. I liked the chicken, but there were only about two pieces of chicken per slice. I was left wishing there were more. But the bigger problem was the lack of pizza sauce. Some people like pizzas without marinara sauce. They might prefer alfredo or barbecue sauce or something. I am not generally one of those people. I think marinara adds a sweet, tangy element that is an important part of a good pizza. While Domino’s describes this pie as having a blend of marinara and alfredo sauce, the marinara may as well not have been there because I couldn’t taste it.

Overall, the Chicken & Bacon Carbonara Artisan Pizza was very flavorful. I never mistook it for some sort of authentic Italian artisan pizza (in fact I find their use of the word artisan somewhat ridiculous), but it’s better than I expected from Domino’s. The main thing keeping it from greatness was the lack of pizza sauce. That made it just a little too savory for my liking. For that reason I can only give the pizza 7/10. I’d like to try it sometime with more marinara, but of course the pretentious Domino’s chefs won’t allow such blasphemy, because everyone has the exact same tastes, right? Fine, I’ll just add the sauce myself.

Anyway, it’s a pretty good value at $7.99, so if you’re into such things I would recommend giving this pizza a try.

(Disclaimer: I got this shit for free!)