Table of Contents
Introduction
Back in February, I wrote (click here) a review titled Hell Has Frozen Over. After decades of frozen pizza disappointment, I had discovered a Newman’s Own Margherita pizza from Publix that was actually…can I say it?
GREAT?! Not “GREAT for frozen.” Simply GREAT!
In fact, it was so good that I immediately bought another one the next day just to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind.
The second pizza was every bit as good.
Naturally, I started wondering whether frozen pizza manufacturers had finally figured things out. Maybe technology had advanced. Maybe Italians had taken over the frozen food aisle. Maybe we were entering a Golden Age of Frozen Pizza.
Well, after months of highly scientific research—which involved wandering grocery store aisles, reading suspicious claims on pizza boxes, and spending far more money on frozen pizza than any reasonable person should—I have my answer.
Not exactly.
While Hell has not completely frozen over, I have discovered that there are actually a handful of frozen pizzas that are genuinely worth buying. Some are surprisingly good. One is genuinely great. And a few others reminded me why I normally head straight for a real pizzeria.
This first compilation focuses on the winners—the pizzas that rose above the frozen pizza mediocrity that has plagued mankind for decades.
The rest? Well, we’ll get to them in Part 2.
The GREAT and the GOOD
Newman’s Own Margherita (Made in Italy, Publix) – February 2026 (click here for previous review)
This is the pizza that started the whole thing. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting much. The box looked promising, but so have many other pizza boxes that later betrayed me. Instead, this pizza shocked me.
The Dough – GREAT! Oh my! I truly did not expect this from a frozen pizza. It actually had some fermentation flavor, a soft center, and a respectable cornicione. If someone had blindfolded me, I wouldn’t have guessed it was frozen.
The Sauce – GREAT! Sweet, tangy, and surprisingly tomato-forward. This tasted much closer to real pizza sauce than frozen pizza sauce.
The Cheese – GOOD – moozedell flavor with better texture than most frozen pizzas. Not quite pizzeria quality, but remarkably close.
The Value – GREAT! At roughly ten bucks, this was a true bargain especially when you consider the above!
The Rating – GREAT!
Would I buy it again? – I already did. The very next day.
Note – we also bought a Newman’s own Quatro Fomaggio. I wasn’t as good as the Margherita. Simple is better when it comes to my pizza!
Table 87 (Whole Paycheck – oops, that’s Whole Foods) – October 2025
Before Newman’s came along, Table 87 held the title belt for best frozen pizza I’d found. We visited the original Table 87 pizzeria in Brooklyn in 2021 (click here for that review) and enjoyed that experience especially a coal oven from back when Italian immigrants came here. So when I saw that Table 87 was now selling frozen pizzas locally, I thought we’d give it a try.
The Dough – GOOD – Not truly Neapolitan, nor was it a true New York style, but respectable. A little chew, decent texture, and enough character to remind you that you’re eating pizza.
The Sauce – GOOD – Pleasant and balanced. Nothing extraordinary, but no complaints.
The Cheese – GOOD – Solid. Good coverage and flavor without becoming greasy.
The Value – MEH, at $12 for a 10″ pizza, that’s the same as $17 for a 12″ pizza. On the MEH side, but read on…
The Rating – GOOD, the price holds this back from a higher rating.
Would I buy it again? Knowing what I now after my more recent, less expensive purchases, PROBABLY.
Screaming Sicilian Detroit Style – December 2025
Better than its Nebaletan style version (next blog post), but that’s not exactly a high bar. We had both a plain cheese and a pepperoni.
The Dough – GOOD – Better structure and texture, near what you’d expect from Detroit Style. Tall and soft.
The Sauce – GOOD – More balanced without the overwhelming oregano. Although, the one Detroit style that we bought with pepperoni caused a serious case of heartburn.
The Cheese (Moozedell) – MEH – Adequate.
The Value – MEH – this is much more expensive at $13 for a smallish rectangle (which is about $19 for a 12″ round equivalent)
The Rating – GOOD
Would I Buy It Again? LIKELY, I’ll stay away from the pepperoni if we do.
Pizzeria Uno Frozen Chicago Style
When I saw this in the freezer case, I was curious. Maybe not excited, but definitely curious. I love Chicago Style pizza and especially love the flakey pie-crust style that Pizzeria Uno’s restaurants are known for.
The Dough – GREAT!!! Very similar to the crust at the actual restaurant. More pie crust than pizza crust, and that’s a great thing. The only downside was that the crust, although deep, was not as deep as in the restaurant.
The Sauce – MEH – it lacked both richness and quantity found in the restaurant
The Cheese (Moozedell) – MEH – not very flavorful, Chicago style moozedell tends to be greasy due to the large amount used. This truly lacked near that quantity.
The Value – MEH – tiny size with a high cost, really expansive at about $20 for a 12″ equivalent
The Rating – GOOD – despite that, the dough was so good, I’d want to try again and add some of my own sauce and cheese!
Would I Buy It Again? YES
Final Thoughts
First, Newman’s Own Made in Italy Margherita remains the undisputed champion of my freezer.
Second, “Made in Italy” means a lot less than I originally thought it did.
Third, value matters almost as much as taste. A $3 frozen pizza only has to be edible. A $12 frozen pizza starts competing with takeout pizza, and that’s a much tougher neighborhood.
Most importantly, I learned that frozen pizza doesn’t have to be terrible.
Now, let’s not get carried away.
I’m still not choosing frozen pizza over a great pie from Napoli, Brooklyn, New Haven, or even my local neighborhood pizzeria.
But when it’s late, I’m tired, and I don’t feel like putting on pants and driving somewhere, there are at least a few frozen pizzas that can get the job done.
Back in February, I thought Hell had frozen over.
Today, I’d say Hell experienced a brief cold front.
There are a few genuinely good frozen pizzas out there.
The rest?
Well, the rest are the reason Part 2 is called Hell’s Order Restored: 5 MEH Frozen Pizzas.
