A new comprehensive report by the international research behemoth, YouGov, has shed interesting light on America's favorite pizza delivery joints. The report relied on the opinions of over 44,000 Americans to rank the popularity of nationwide restaurant chains.

Within the span of a year, from March 2025 to February 2026, YouGov's consumer insights platform - CategoryView, gathered insightful data on Americans' preferences for fast-food, drive-thru spots and most importantly, their favorite pizzerias. The report even managed to tackle the contentious question of which chain delivers the tastiest pizza.

Responses indicated a leaning towards Pizza Hut, with almost 20% of the respondents dubbing it their preferred go-to pizza chain, closely followed by Domino’s at 17.1%. Interesting commonalities surface here, as both brands were founded within a two-year span in the late 1950s and have roughly the same number of physical outlets.

Ashley Brown, a senior director at YouGov America, led the research team for this report and deciphered some of the key elements of Domino's success. According to Brown, the brand stands out for its advertising awareness, buzz, and verbal promotion. Likewise, Domino's cost-effective carryout deals make it a favorite among budget-conscious Americans. YouGov’s insights show that Domino's customer base is concentrated mainly in the South and Midwest, whereas Pizza Hut has a marked preference among those over 45 years old.

Despite Domino's best efforts, Pizza Hut takes home the trophy, creating a very "positive impression" on many of the survey respondents. This could be attributed to nostalgia, a potent factor as mature consumers may remember the chain's vintage establishments and their popular Book It! reading program for schoolchildren.

The pizza scene in America also hosts worth-noting contestants like Papa John’s, which received positive reviews from 11.4% of those surveyed. Offering a bang for the buck, Little Caesars (5.3%) and Marco’s Pizza (4.7%), which boasts about 1,100 locations, occupy the top five spaces on the list as well. Ashley Brown, while referring to Papa John's ranking third on advertising awareness, highlights that the brand's impression scores indicate it's more divisive than the other top-chains. However, Little Caesars’ value proposition remains highly amplified, with a more divided impression on the quality of its pizzas.

Interestingly, a sizeable 21.6% of respondents opted for a homegrown local brand over any national name in the survey, indicating a strong preference for local favorites.

The report further disclosed a surge in frozen pizza sales. This trend can be traced back to consumers reducing restaurant and takeout spending. The frozen pizza food category witnessed a considerable increase to $7 billion in 2024 sales, underscoring the impact of a rise in grocery prices on consumer behavior. Yet, YouGov researchers maintain that pizza chains can still carve out a significant role in consumer habits. Brown concluded that while frozen pizzas have their place, consumers are split on whether they provide better value than fresh pizza. Thus, pizza chains may hold an edge by offering a hot meal, quick delivery, and an easy pickup option - a combination that frozen pizzas might not be able to match.