Papa John's 99 Cent Pizza (with purchase)

by Julie Gentry | More from this Blogger

With three teenagers in the house, we eat a lot of pizza. Our favorite pizza place of all time is Tony & Alba's in Mountain View, CA. Whenever we're in Silicon Valley, we make it a point to stop in for their garlic pizza. It's not something to get for a romantic evening, but the taste is fantastic!

My kids are a little pick...er, "particular" when it comes to food. Growing up, we ate what we were served (burritos and tacos, mostly. Yum!). And we were grateful for it. Somewhere along the lines - probably from their first bite - my husband has passed along his discriminating taste. That flows over to pizza, too. We rarely get out with fewer than three larges, and it often takes four to make sure everyone gets what they want.

When they were younger, we used to love Little Caesar's. We could get four pizzas for less than $20 and everyone was happy. The quality varied by franchise, but who's complaining when the whole pie was $4.99? Nowadays, Domino's is our cheapie stop. Their 555 Deal is three medium pizzas for $5. The pizza is delicious! The only problem is that my boys can devour a whole medium in five minutes and still be hungry. (Oh, to have their metabolisms!)

Pizza Hut in nice for dine-in. Again, though, the quality varies widely. There's one in our area that's great for an all-you-can-eat buffet. The other isn't worth getting for free, even.

Our most often visited one here is the Pizza Factory. Their secret? They cook the crust first, and then send the pizza through a second time with the toppings. Sure, it takes a little longer, but I'm a bread person and their crust is unsurpassed. Paul eats their Shipwreck pizza - Canadian bacon, ground beef, linguica (linguica on a pizza?), sausage, and a few other meats. Unfortunately for the rest of you, they're not nationwide.

Our other frequently visited chain here is Papa John's. We've never gotten a bad pizza from them, and their sauce is mouth-watering. They're today's deal. Order any large one-topping pizza and get the second for only 99 cents. A pepperoni pizza is about $13, so you're getting two for $14. Or, in our case, four for $28.

Who says pizza isn't frugal? For seven of us to eat at fast food, it's about $40 - and we're still hungry. Yes, it would be smarter to go home and eat, but for those ballgames, Scout meetings, and shopping days, Papa John's makes the sting to the budget just a little easier.

What's your favorite pizza?

Papa John's Online Code: 62207 Link to Papa John's Online

Learn more about Julie Gentry

Julie is affectionately known as GoGo Mama to her friends since she seems to always be out and about.

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