Mod vs Dominos

Annika Stromer

Professor Montoya

English 102

25 September 2025

Mod Pizza vs. Domino's Pizza

Over the past years, numerous pizza chains have been created and spread worldwide. With the skyrocketing use of social media, there has been a lot of debate among food critics online, arguing over which pizza chain is the best. Mod and Dominos are similar yet so different that I found it intriguing, and wanted to see what they are both like. But which one of these two pizza places is the best? After scrolling through many influencers' social media, I wanted to find out for myself which chain I believe is the best. I do have a gluten allergy, so I will be comparing it from that angle.

Pizza Chain #1- Mod Pizza

Locations: There are 453 locations spread throughout 26 states in the U.S. Washington makes up 68 of those locations. (Mod website)

Crust: Mod Pizza has a couple of options for crusts. They have the thin crust and the mega dough crust. The thin crust has crispiness to it and allows you to thoroughly taste the toppings. The mega dough crust has a similar consistency except that it is a bit softer and puffier. They have the original crust as well as allergen-friendly crusts that consist of gluten-friendly and cauliflower crusts.

Cheeses: Mod offers asiago, cheddar, plant-based, feta, gorgonzola, mozzarella, parmesan, and ricotta cheese.

Meat: There is a big variety of meat that can be chosen from. This consists of anchovies, crispy bacon, Canadian bacon, grilled chicken, seasoned ground beef, mild Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, spicy chicken sausage, and plant-based Italian sausage.

Toppings: Mod offers so many different toppings that you could add to your pizza. Because of this wide variety, you can customize your pizza to your liking. These toppings include artichokes, arugula, banana peppers(select locations), basil, black olives, roasted broccoli, cilantro, corn, garlic, roasted garlic, green bell peppers, Mama's Lil Sweet Hot Peppers, oregano, pickled jalapenos, pineapple, sliced red onion, roasted red peppers, rosemary, salt and pepper, spinach, and lastly, sliced and diced tomatoes.

Sauces: Balsamic fig glaze, garlic pesto, hot buffalo, Mike's hot honey, ranch dressing, sriracha ranch, sweet BBQ, and tomato sauce dollops. (Mod website)

Cooking: There is an option to bake the pizza lightly or to make it extra crispy.

Pizza Chain #2- Domino's Pizza

Locations: Domino's has 7,108 locations spread throughout the United States. Washington makes up 161 of those locations. (Domino's website)

Crusts: Domino's offers a selection of crusts. They offer handmade pan pizza crust, hand-tossed crust, crunchy thin crust, New York-style pizza crust, parmesan-stuffed crust, and a wheat-friendly (GF) crust. (Domino's website)

Cheeses: Dominos uses a blend of mozzarella and provolone for their usual pizzas, but if you want another option, they also allow you to add cheddar, feta, and shredded parmesan-asiago

Meat: There is a decent variety of meat you can choose from. These consist of ham, beef, pepperoni, Italian sausage, premium chicken, bacon, and Philly steak.

Toppings: Hot buffalo sauce, jalapeno peppers, onions, banana peppers, diced tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, pineapple, green peppers, and spinach. 

Sauces: Ranch, garlic, marinara, hot buffalo, sweet mango habanero, honey BBQ, and blue cheese.

Cooking: Depends on the crust you order.

Pricing-

The pricing per pizza will vary depending on the size or what you order. I personally have an allergy, so I wasn’t able to choose my size. With a gluten allergy, both Domino's and Mod Pizza only offer one size. For dominos, it is a 10-inch pizza, and for Mod, it is an 11-inch pizza. I ordered the same two pizzas, a pepperoni pizza and one with meat on it, to compare the two fairly. The pepperoni and meat pizza have the same price of $19.59 from Domino's, while the pepperoni from Mod costs $14.49, and the meat pizza from Mod costs $15.49. Both of the two pizza chains charge a little bit extra for gluten-free crust, which can be a little frustrating, but it makes sense.

Thickness-

Dominos: The thickness between the two pizzas is different. I noticed that Domino's tends to lean toward a thicker crust with a softer side to it, while Mod excels in the thinner, crunchier crusts. Both places do offer thinner and thicker crusts, but not as many as the other. Domino's doesn't have a crust as thin as Mod Pizza does, but Mod doesn’t have a crust as thick as Domino’s. I personally don’t have a preference and think both crusts have a nice taste. When I picked up a slice of Domino’s pizza, it slightly flopped. I believe that is because of the softer crust. The Mod pizza, being more toasted, results in it being firmer. I do think that the thickness of the crust impacts the amount of toppings you get, though. At Dominos, I noticed that they added a thicker amount of toppings to add a good crust, topping ratio, while at Mod Pizza, they added a thinner amount of toppings on the crust. If you were modifying your own pizza at both places, you could get a larger amount of toppings to crust ratio, but it completely depends on your preference. 

Taste-

The taste of both pizzas is really good! I got a pepperoni and Meat pizza from both places, and they were noticeably different. Domino’s has a greasy but soft feel to it. I believe that is from the toppings or the oil they use to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the pan.  It does provide a decent balance between the toppings and crust so that you are able to taste both. The taste of the crust does stand out a bit more than usual because of the thicker crust. I feel like I taste a good ratio between crust, sauce, and toppings with Mod; nothing specifically stands out to me. The balance allows you to have a taste of everything. The crust is a bit drier, but it's crispy, which complements the style of the pizzas they offer.

Meat: The meat, specifically the sausage used on the meat lovers pizza, tasted quite similar in both places and had basically the same texture. It truly just depends on the sausage you get. Dominos only offers one type of sausage, while Mod offers 3 types: plant-based, spicy sausage, and original Italian sausage. Since I wanted the pizzas to be as similar as possible, I got the original sausage from Mod, which is also what Domino's offers. I didn’t notice anything different about them. As for the pepperoni pizza, the pepperoni is average-tasting. 

Sauce: I got the original sauce from both places, which were definitely different from each other. The Dominos sauce has a noticeable sweet side to it, possibly from using the Mediterranean vine tomatoes. Mod Pizza has what you would consider a “standard” pizza sauce. It has a good pizza taste, not overly sweet or salty, and not overpowering the taste of the toppings. 

Cheese: For both the meat lovers and the pepperoni pizza, they used mozzarella cheese. It has a creamy, milky flavor at both of the pizza chains. 

Delivery-

These two pizza chains both deliver through online platforms like DoorDash or Uber Eats. However, for Mod, I suggest you go in person for the customization experience of your pizza. You are able to watch them make it in front of you, including adding, pushing out the dough, and adding all the toppings. With Dominos, you will likely get the same results from getting it delivered as you would from going in person. It is quite efficient in both aspects.

Result-

I don’t have a specific one that I like better; they both have their perks and their flaws. If you prefer a softer, thicker crust and a sauce that stands out while balancing a good amount of toppings, Domino's would be for you. However, if you prefer a thinner, crunchier crust, with a nice balance of toppings to crust ratio, Mod would be for you. It truly is all up to your preferences.