Picture this: you're standing at the Papa John's counter, eyes glazed over, and you suddenly realize there are two different pizzas staring back at you. One is the Original, the OG legend, and the other is the New York Style newcomer trying to crash the party. Choosing between them feels a bit like picking a favorite child, except one of your kids is wearing a Yankees cap.
The Original: The One That Started It All
Let's start with the Original, shall we? This is the pizza that built the Papa John's empire from a humble broom closet in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Yes, a broom closet. That's around the same size as my first apartment, which I didn't even know was legal to live in.
The Original crust is medium in thickness with a slightly bready, pillowy texture. It's soft in the middle with a lightly crisped edge that makes a satisfying crunch when you take that first bite. The dough itself is seasoned with a subtle sweetness, because apparently bread now also needs a personality.
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What makes the Original truly iconic is its buttery garlic sauce brushed generously over every square inch of that crust. The sauce base is Papa John's signature, carrying this rich, tangy flavor that somehow complements everything on top. It's basically a hug in pizza form, if hugs were usually 2,000 calories.
New York Style: The Comedian Who Moved to the City
Then there's the New York Style pizza, the big-shouldered sibling with something to prove. This one comes thinner, larger, and stretched out like it's trying to reach both ends of Manhattan simultaneously. If the Original is a friendly neighbor, the New York Style is that loud dude who hails cabs you didn't ask for.
Papa Johns New York Style Pizza Size - Infoupdate.org
The crust on the New York Style is noticeably thinner and crisper, designed for that classic fold-and-eat maneuver. You know the fold? You pick up a slice, fold it in half, and pretend you're casually strolling through Pizza Boyla nights. It's basically a formal invitation to be messy in public.
Because the crust is thinner, the New York Style punchier with a more pronounced chew. Every bite hits with a slightly firmer texture, offering a satisfying crunch that makes you question why you ever chose crunchy at all. In short, it bites back.
Papa Johns New York Style Pizza Size - Infoupdate.org
Head-to-Head: The Real Showdown
When it comes to flavor, the Original leans richer and butterier thanks to that legendary garlic sauce. The New York Style, on the other hand, lets the toppings shine a little more because the crust isn't hogging the spotlight. Think of it as a battle between warmth and crispness, and honestly, there are no losers here, only hungry people.
Portion size is another point of contention. The New York Style generally offers bigger slices with a wider diameter, while the Original pieces are more modest and manageable. One is a ragutilio for partiers, the other is perfect for your couch at 11 p.m. with a Netflix documentary about true crime and bad decisions.
So, Which One Wins?
The truth is, there's no wrong choice here, only a slightly hungrier one. Whether you crave the bready, buttery comfort of the Original or the thin, crisp, streetwise attitude of the New York Style, Papa John's is feeding your cravings either way. And at the end of the day, any pizza is great pizza when it's 2 a.m. and you're regretting every text you ever sent.
