tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption

CHAIN -- Godfather's
Owner -- Godfather's Pizza, Inc
Primary Operating Region -- Nationwide
Number of Locations -- Nearly 700 in over 40 states

There's a new Godfather on the box.

As a child, I recall seeing Godfather's "Godfather" in ads and he was a white-haired semi-evil looking guy with a great voice.  The current Godfather looks like a pudgy Italian.  Too much pizza, methinks.

Willie Thiesen is the man behind Godfather's Thiesen sold pizza out of his bar in 1973 and the pizza evolved into its own animal.  The company went public in 1982, was bought out by Pillsbury the same year, then sold to Herman Cain in 1988.   Thiesen is now a Famous Dave's franchisee. 

My first Godfather's pizzas were NOT as a child, but as an adult in North Dakota.  Our local Godfather's was one of the restaurants radio jocks could count on for a free delivered pie with the obligatory plug on the air.  Shakey's and Happy Joe's were also good sources for free pies.

I am not a fan of Godfather's for a custom-topped pizza.  Your basic Pepperoni just isn't very good.  But they do the best combos.  A thicker crust (progressively thicker from the center outward) piled high with your garden-variety pizza stuff.  The regular combo and the Bacon Cheeseburger top my list at Godfather's.  But your mileage may vary.  We have two different franchisees around the metro, and you can tell who owns what just by the quality of their pizza.  One uses canned mushrooms, one uses fresh.  One makes their bacon cheeseburger with generic whole pickle slices, the other dices premium pickle chips.  

Get the idea?  They're both ultimately good, but you might go a little out of your way for the other guy.  

Click here to return to tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption