Pizza Hut's Big Dipper Reviewed

by Erik R. Trinidad, Posted Jan 21st 2011 @ 4:00PM

Pizza Hut's The Big Dipper Pizza Photo: Erik R. Trinidad

You might have noticed that most "new" items at fast-food chains are just rearrangements of the ingredients found in their usual fare, and Pizza Hut is no stranger to this concept. Their latest offering is the Big Dipper -- made from their staple ingredients of crust, tomato sauce, cheese, and toppings. It's the presentation that's new: This pie is sliced to share three or four ways on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Claim: The Big Dipper is a rectangular pizza (about 24"x9"), served with one or more toppings. It is cut into 24 pieces, each about 2" x 4.5", and served with four 3-oz cups of marinara sauce, presumably so that four individuals can have his/her own.

My full review after the jump...

The Price: $12 with one topping, $2 additional for more toppings.

The Verdict: Grade B+. At a glance, The Big Dipper appears to be a cross between Pizza Hut's pizza and their breadsticks, and at an existential level it is: It's a pizza, this time with the right angles of a Sicilian, and cut into little "sticks." The twist is, everything is on top of the crust except for the tomato sauce, which is served on the side as a something to dip in.

We sampled it with pepperoni as well as with the toppings of a Supreme Pizza (pepperoni, beef, pork sausage, white mushrooms, red peppers, and green peppers). The toppings are baked into the crust with mozzarella, sans marinara, but there is enough sauce on the side for generous dips for every bite (without double dipping). Overall, Pizza Hut's signature taste is still there, just with the added step of dipping, and it is good, but nothing inventive.

All makes it sound like The Big Dipper is merely a rectangular pizza that requires a little sauce interaction, but the texture of crust is actually what sets it apart from Pizza Hut's other items -- and in a good way.

It's a lot lighter, flakier, and crispier than what I recall in their breadsticks or regular pizza crusts, with less dough density. Perhaps it's because the dough is rolled out two feet long, or the fact that it feels more delicate in your mouth because you're only chewing a two-inch width at a time, but it makes a difference...not that you'll care too much about that when you're shoving it down your mouth and drowning it with beer during the big game on February 6th.

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Pizza Huts New Big Dipper Pizza

Photo One: The Big Dipper looks like a mini pizza Super Bowl football field with pepperoni and Supreme toppings, except for the tomato sauce on the sidelines.

Pizza Huts New Big Dipper Pizza

Photo 2: Pepperoni, meet tomato sauce.

Pizza Huts New Big Dipper Pizza

Photo 3: It wouldn't be a Big Dipper if you didn't dip it.

Pizza Huts New Big Dipper Pizza

Photo 4: Supreme toppings on a light, flaky crust.

Pizza Huts New Big Dipper Pizza

Filed Under: Taste Test, Reviews
Tags: Big Dipper, BigDipper, pizza hut, PizzaHut

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 3)

1-21-2011 @4:46PM cathy said... Clever idea, easier to eat I suspect. But, if it still has the same cardboard taste as I think all of their pizza tastes like, a new shape isn't going to make me change my mind. http://newsy1.wordpress.com
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1-22-2011 @2:59PM Walter Timmons ( SSG RET. ) said... I live in Columbia,SC North East The store on Two Notch I've tasted all they'll PIZZAS AND EVERYONE OF THEM SICK, ITS ALWAYS COLD WAND YOU GET IT OR TO MUCH SAUCE THE STORE IS NEVER CLEAN, OR YOU BUY A PIZZA FOR 10.00 DOLLARS AND IT COST YOU 16,00 DOLLARS WAND THE PIZZA MAN GET THERE, I THINK THEY SOULD CLOSED THEM ALL DOWN.

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1-22-2011 @5:43PM jimmyv said... I think Walter Timmons should learn to spell or use spell check. And he's retired from the Army. Thank God!!

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1-25-2011 @12:42PM dave said... I live just outside NYC and we have real pizza here. Why anyone in this area would buy pizza chain crap is beyond me. I don't know how Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Godfather's, Pappa John's or any of those places keep their light bills paid here. I can get a large hand-made cheese pizza delivered to my door for under 10 bucks.

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1-26-2011 @4:12PM alan said... I just got one of these, i expected it to be a pizza with very little sauce. Really it's a bread stick with pepperoni. Nothing about it makes you think your eating a slice of pizza including the dipping sauce.
It's not bad but if you want a pizza then get a pizza or you will be disappointed.

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1-29-2011 @7:39AM Jo M said... It's funny that the reviewer touched on that fact that this pizza is a cross between pizza and the PH breadsticks. If you look closely at the photo above, you will see that it is actually TWO pizzas placed side by side. Yes, pizza hut is cooking two pizzas, cutting off an end of each pizza and then placing them end to end in the box to fool people into thinking they are getting one long pizza.

Also, the douch tastes like cardboard because it is frozen. PH stopped making dough with a mixer and portioning up the dough years ago and started shipping it in frozen. It's all frozen. Gives it that nice card board taste.

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2-13-2011 @2:51PM Dan said... Lol @ Walter Timmons. I guess he didn't take an English class while in service.

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1-22-2011 @2:37PM gabi said... The big dipper is the same as the cheese stick family size. Pizza hut cuts it the same and gives you the sauce. Its not really new.
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1-22-2011 @3:30PM LST said... I used to love Pizza Hut, but the last time I had one delivered, it was so horribly greasy I swear I could have wrung it out, and I haven't ordered another since, I'm afraid to again after that one, now I order from Papa Johns which normally is terrific.
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1-22-2011 @3:39PM mary said... i really enjoyed this pizza. it was easy for the kids to eat and the taste was great.
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1-22-2011 @3:51PM Kathy Handyside said... $2 for each additional topping??! That's highway robbery! Those toppings don't cost THAT much! Still, I guess the CEO of Pizza Hut is tired of driving that two-year-old yacht and wants to get a new 2011 one, so the prices have to be jacked up to cover the cost of his new yacht. The cost of food in this country is getting obscene!
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1-25-2011 @6:47PM Rusty said... I added 4 additional toppings on top of my chicken topping and it was only $2 extra for all additional toppings, not $2 each additional topping. So, that was basically .50 cents for each topping over the entire pizza. When I tried adding 5 additional toppings, then it showed up as costing $3 extra. Still, I don't think $12 or $14 for a 2ft x 9in pizza is that bad for an occasional or rare splurge, if you don't feel like cooking.

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1-22-2011 @5:21PM Torey said... The dough isn't rolled out, for the record.

It's two separate pieces of dough prepped in two separate breadstick pans... Then, when cutting the pizza, the ends are cut off the sides of both pizzas to make them look like they fit together.

... I don't think I could imagine prepping a two foot long piece of dough every night. Those would be giant pans and a hell of a lot of oil.
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1-24-2011 @1:32AM Torey said... It's also not red peppers on the supreme; they're red onions.

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1-22-2011 @5:58PM Angiebaby said... Dear Pizza Hut, next time you want to try out a new product, try out making a pizza that is double crust with a cheese filling. You know, like your stuffed crust, but a whole pie sold with sides of marinara sauce and garlic butter sauce. On top? Maybe a little pizza sauce & a sprinkle of parm & maybe a shake of oregano. Better yet, cut the cheese filled pie into slices like the big dipper slices!

I think this would be a big seller, even though I, myself, can't eat them. By the by, it would be nice if you included some marinara and or garlic butter for dipping with your stuffed crust pizza, even though I don't eat that, either.
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1-25-2011 @2:18AM John H said... Pizza Hut did have something similar to what you are describing. It had a layer of cheese between two thin crusts and then topped as usual. I think it was called the Triple Decker Pizza and was sold sometime during the mid-90s if I remember right.

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1-22-2011 @6:28PM barb said... This is the perfect pizza for a family that has a member that can't eat the sauce. This way, it's optional, because you don't have to dip it. Thanks, Pizza Hut! I appreciate it!
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1-22-2011 @7:27PM jordan said... Pizza Hut is just a plain waste of money, I rather order from Cranky Pats, at least they know how to serve real pizza without draining your pocket book. I will NEVER order Pizza Hut even if its free, I don't care what they come up with, there just to expensive. I dont even think there competitive anymore! If I ordered from Pizza Hut it would be similar to asking Papa John to join the team of cardiologist when I end up having a heart attack.
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1-24-2011 @8:00AM Bill C said... Pizza Hut is NOT Pizza, I repeat NOT Pizza. For some people not living in the Northeast it may be, but Pizza Hut should be it's own food group. Right along with Domino's and Papa John's. If you think they are good, try the pizza from New York of Philly.
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