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An unofficial poll said that nearly 1 in 4 people in the United States claim pizza as their favorite food. (Realistically this could be an exaggeration, but we're happy to run with it). For true pizza aficionados, a great level of enjoyment is a pizza club. Can you think of anything more indulgent than a pizza showing up on your doorstep at regular intervals?
Enjoying a pizza from a pizza club for lunch or dinner you can put absolutely no thought or effort into, yet it will be delicious. Plus, you'll get to try different flavors with each delivery. There's not an individual or family out there who wouldn't love and appreciate a pizza of the month club subscription. It's the ultimate gift that keeps on giving.
Sunday, February 9th
Tastes of Chicago was started by Lou Malnati and has been shipping deep dish pizzas to customers all over the country since 1987. Driven by ex-Chicagoans who craved the Windy City's favorite foods, Tastes of Chicago collaborated with some of the finest restaurants in Chicago in a collaboration known as Lou Malnati's Tastes of Chicago to offer a solid variety of deep dish pizzas. They now ship over 500,000 deep dish pizzas throughout the year, and Lou Malnati's pizza remains their most popular menu item.
You choose your flavors
Not only can you get a 3, 6, 9, or 12 month subscription from Tastes of Chicago, but you also can opt for either 2, 4, or 6 pizzas and choose your own flavors. Your choices include cheese, sausage, pepperoni, veggie, spinach, or crustless pizzas. These are good staples for those who want a perfected pizza recipe and aren't into trying exotic flavors and mixtures of ingredients.
Starting at $196.99
The cost of shipping is included in each delivery, and that makes things super simple here. At its cheapest, an order from Tastes of Chicago will be $196.99 for 3 months of deliveries ($65.66 each). Your cost will change based on how many pizzas you choose in your order and the length of the subscription you go with. It appears based on other pizza listed on Tastes of Chicago's website, that the pizzas are 9” in diameter, but they don't state this specifically. Overall, the cost here is fairly competitive with other pizza clubs, so we're happy with that.
Keeps frozen up to 90 days
Dry ice is used to keep the perishable items from Tastes of Chicago cold for at least 3 days of transit. Your pizzas will arrive frozen with storage and baking instructions. If you want to keep your pizzas frozen for a while, they'll last for 90 days until you heat them up and dive in.
Final sale
As is the case with most companies that sell food, all sales are final. If an item arrives damaged or spoiled, you can reach out to Tastes of Chicago within 14 days either by phone or through their online contact form and they will make things right.
Rave reviews
There are no reviews for the pizza club from Tastes of Chicago or a Better Business Bureau rating, but there are thousands of reviews on the other pizzas on their menu. People rave about the flavors, and we saw many comments about how these pizzas are the best people have ever tried and they keep coming back to order more. We have no concerns over being disappointed with taste or quality here.
True and authentic
Tastes of Chicago has earned our highest rating because they have a likeable variety of pizza flavors, you get to choose the ones you want, you can be flexible with quantity and the duration of your subscription, and pricing is less than we've seen some other places. If you want a taste of true, authentic Chicago pizza on a regular basis, you've found the right pizza of the month club.
BricknFire Pizza Company is a popular mobile truck with a wood-fired oven on wheels that you might find cruising the streets of Baltimore. They're committed to making the best brick oven pizza you've ever tried. This company does catering events, sells pizzas locally, and ships pizzas frozen nationwide (to everywhere except California). They combine locally-sourced ingredients and authentic Italian ingredients to make their renowned creations.
Choose your pizzas
You can choose to have deliveries from BricknFire Pizza Company monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly. Once you select the frequency you'd prefer, you'll be shown a list of flavors and choices for your orders. Subscription choices include a half case of gluten-free pizzas (5 frozen pizzas), a full case sampler box (3 cheese pizzas, 3 pepperoni pizzas, 2 margherita pizzas, and 2 fig pizzas with bacon, chorizo, fig, and mascarpone spread). You could opt for the half case sampler box and receive 2 cheese pizzas, 1 pepperoni, 1 margherita, and 1 fig pizza. The other option is a full custom case where you can choose 2 types of pizzas (5 of each) from BricknFire Pizza Company's list of traditional pizzas or their monthly specials. Lastly, customers could also opt for a full (10) or half (5) case of cheese, pepperoni, margherita, fig, and the monthly special. Pizzas are 15”x15”, which is a pretty decent size.
Deals on subscriptions
BricknFire Pizza Company comes in hot (pun intended) with their pizza of the month club deals. You'll get 20% off your first order and 10% off each recurring one. Pretty sweet, right? The listed prices of each type of pizza include:
Pizzas shipped frozen
We know that BricknFire Pizza Company ships their pizzas frozen. They are initially cooked at 800°F and then frozen to keep in all their flavor. The pizzas will last for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you're ready to cook them, it only takes about 7-8 minutes in a 400°F oven before they're ready to enjoy. The company says that all orders placed by the end of the day Tuesday will be delivered by Thursday of the same week. Otherwise, orders will arrive on Thursday of the following week.
No satisfaction guarantee
Details about how the pizzas are packaged are not offered on BricknFire Pizza Company's website. They also don't have a satisfaction guarantee or anything about a refund policy, so you'd need to reach out to the company by phone or email if you wanted to discuss an issue with them, but there are no guarantees on how things would be resolved.
High ratings on taste
No customers have left reviews about the pizza subscriptions here, even though they have the option to. The Better Business Bureau hasn't rated this business, but luckily people have made comments about their experience with the company on third-party sites. Everyone has said how good the pizzas are, so we have no doubts about the flavor. However, most of these people are probably visiting the food truck and eating them fresh. Overall, we trust that you're going to get something delicious, even if it is reheated.
Affordable option with great quantity
BricknFire Pizza Company could definitely use some work on their website to add more details and make it more user-friendly. However, we like that there are some basic, well-liked flavors of pizzas here, as well as monthly specials to change things up. Getting 5 or 10 pizzas per delivery is fantastic and we like that they can be saved for later so you always have a stockpile of them when you need a quick meal. This isn't our #1 choice for pizza clubs, but it's a great, affordable option, so definitely give BricknFire Pizza Company a chance.
Goldbelly is an online marketplace for food items like nachos, pie, sandwiches, BBQ, ice cream, bacon, cheese, and nearly anything else your heart (or stomach) desires. They also offer drink subscriptions, meal kits, and other monthly subscriptions for things like pizza. The company was founded in 2013 with the mission to bring people comfort through food. It's become a place where people can search out their favorite chefs or restaurants throughout the country and enjoy the foods they have to offer through delivery.
Sample pizzas from all over the US
The monthly pizza subscription through Goldbelly can come to you monthly, for 3 months, 6 months, or a full year. If you choose to give it as a gift to someone, they can get an instant email notification outlining the details of their subscription. The pizzas you'll get here will allow you to sample the entire country's wide variety of regional pizza, from classic NYC slices to Detroit squares and handmade Neapolitan. You won't know ahead of time what you're getting, but you can rest assured knowing that the pizza variety here is made up of some of the best of the best the country has to offer.
Feeds Four
Each order of pizza you receive will feed at least 4 people. What isn't totally clear is whether or not this is from a single pizza or if Goldbelly ships you more than one. The cost of each delivery is $89.95, so we'd hope that you'll receive plenty of food for that price.
Free nationwide shipping
Goldbelly ships nationwide, and shipping is included in your pizza club. You'll need to place your order before the 24th of the month to receive your first subscription order the following month. Orders placed after that will take another month to arrive. Boxes are announced around the 15th of each month and take 3-5 business days to arrive, so you can use the tracking information Goldbelly sends to get an accurate delivery date.
Unanswered questions
It isn't entirely clear if pizzas are shipped completely frozen and how they are packaged. Since Goldbelly sells so many types of food items, they don't really go above and beyond with each one to give you every detail you might be in need of. We hope that cooking instructions are included in the box you receive, but again, we can't know for sure. This is one area that Goldbelly can improve for sure.
Happy with variety
Subscribers can't leave reviews on Goldbelly's website about their pizza club, so we had to look elsewhere. The Better Business Bureau gives the company an "A” rating and generally customers praise Goldbelly for their variety of high-quality pizzas from different regions and freshness of delivery. Unsurprisingly, the main complaint is the price point - it's definitely a splurge to order your pizza here.
Access to unique restaurants
Many of us dream of the unique, delectable places we eat during our travels and wish we could go back one more time. It's fun that Goldbelly opens this up for people and allows you to try (or retry) pizzas from popular chains around the country. We don't love the price, but if you're really wanting to spoil someone (or yourself) then Goldbelly will always deliver something fun and unique. This is a good choice for pizza clubs if you are willing to pay for it.
Clubs of America began in 1994. Back then, book clubs and CD clubs were popular by mail, so brothers Doug and Dirk Doretti decided to put their own spin on the trend and offer a microbrewery subscription that they advertised by radio. The company went viral and soon they began adding more products to their inventory like the wine, flowers, cigars, chocolate, coffee, and pizza that you can buy here today.
Three pizzas monthly
Through the Pizza of the Month Club from Clubs of America, customers can explore gourmet pizza month after month. Each order contains three different flavors of 9” deep dish pizzas made in Chicago with a monthly club newsletter. They're all pre-selected by the company's chef, so you aren't able to choose the flavors you receive. Some examples of pizzas you might receive include Big Al's Italian Beef, Chicago Spinach, Mucho Mushroom, Thai Chicken, Super Veggie, Emma's Eggplant, or Sam's Meatball.
Save monthly with 12-month subscription
You can choose to receive pizzas for 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12 months from Clubs of America and select if you want them to come monthly, every 2 months, or every 3 months. We like the flexibility here to be able to work with different schedules and preferences. The cost for each delivery is $61.95 unless you choose the 12 month plan, which drops the cost per order to $57.95.
Free, next-day delivery
Each pizza shipment from Clubs of America will arrive by the third or fourth week of each month. Shipping is free, so the prices you see online reflect the total cost. Pizzas are shipped through FedEx and normally go out on a Tuesday for delivery on a Wednesday. Pizzas will come with individual instructions about thawing and cooking to get the best results.
Satisfaction guarantee
All pizzas come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if there is any problem with an order, the company will make it right by either replacing your pizza of the month club delivery or refunding it altogether.
Lacking reviews
The Better Business Bureau gives Clubs of America an "A+” rating. They don't have ratings on their website and there isn't anything we could find about their pizza of the month club specifically, so this is a bit of a bummer. It would be nice to see what people think about the quality of the ingredients for the price, timeliness of deliveries, and overall flavor. Unfortunately we couldn't gauge this, so it would be a little bit of a shot in the dark if you go this route.
Ideal for individuals
A 9” deep dish pizza won't come close to feeding more than a couple of people, so this club is ideal if you're gifting to an individual or just wanting good pizza for yourself and a friend to share. It's nice that your order comes next-day (in most cases) without added shipping costs, but you're still paying about $20 for a small, almost personal-sized pizza, which seems a bit on the high end. Since there also aren't many reviews for this company, it's not our first choice for pizza clubs, but we wouldn't completely write it off.
The famous deep dish pizza from Giordano's was born over 200 years ago in northern Italy. Coined the "Italian Easter Pie”, the pizza was described as a double-crusted, cheese-stuffed masterpiece. The recipe was introduced in Chicago and Giordano's pizza shop was opened in 1974. It's been called "Chicago's Best Pizza” by media outlets like NBC, CBS Chicago, The New York Times, Chicago Magazine, and more.
Two 10” pizzas
You can choose the flavor of pizza you wish to receive from Giordano's among pepperoni, sausage, cheese, or spinach. If you subscribe to their Deep Dish Club, you'll get two 10” deep dish pizzas monthly for either 3, 6, or 12 months. You could send these to a friend or have them delivered to yourself for your own enjoyment. They will serve 2-3 people (if we're being generous), but might easily be eaten by a single person with a hearty appetite as well.
Longer subscription means cheaper pizza
The longer you subscribe to Giordano's, the cheaper each delivery will be. The cost of each order for 3 months is $79.99, 6 months is $75.99, and 12 months is $74.99. At its cheapest, this breaks down to $73.49 for 2 pizzas. This seems pricey to us, but we'll give this company the benefit of the doubt and assume that these pizzas are extremely filling and truly one of the best that Chicago has to offer.
No-cost delivery
Shipping is free from Giordano's, which we love. Of course, delivery costs are just incorporated into the price of the pizzas, but somehow it feels better to believe that shipping is actually happening at no cost to us.
Shipped frozen
All pizzas from Giordano's ship frozen via UPS and FedEx. Pizzas are put in an insulated cooler with dry ice to ensure they stay frozen in transit. They'll arrive at 40 degrees or colder and can be cooked immediately or placed in your freezer to eat later.
No refunds or re-shipments
Because pizzas are perishable in nature, Giordano's does not offer cancellations, refunds, or re-shipments for any orders unless there is an issue as a result of manufacturing, packaging, or handling of goods by Giordano's themselves. If pizzas arrive damaged, they ask that you contact them within 14 days with photos and details about the order, and they will handle such issues on a case-by-case basis.
Strong flavor
Giordano's Pizza is not rated by the Better Business Bureau. They have great reviews on third-party sites from customers who say that their crust is thick and buttery, there is lots of cheese on each pizza, and the flavor of the sauce is rich. However, most people note that they've never tried these pizzas frozen, but rather always eat them fresh at a Giordano's brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Niche customers
Those who sign up for Giordano's Pizza Deep Dish Club are likely the same people who have had their pizza in person and couldn't get the taste out of their head. It's a good way to stock up if this is your favorite pizza, to always have some on-hand if you are craving it. However, for those who want a variety of pizza flavors and a lot of pizza, Giordano's isn't going to cut it. Plus, the prices here are wildly high, so it's not our go-to pizza club.
Pizza is one of those foods that takes considerable effort to make (if you want something high-quality). You have to make the crust, let it rise, arrange all your toppings, and then bake it. Purchasing all the ingredients is a hassle alone, so it isn't a super quick dinner that you can whip up within minutes or sometimes even an hour. That's why pizza takeout and delivery services are so popular. Everyone loves a good pizza, but no one really wants to spend too much time making their own.
Signing up for your own pizza club or giving it as a gift is a great way to try all the different flavors of pizza that are out there. Some companies offer sourdough pizzas, which are bursting with flavor and others add unique ingredients into their dough to give your pizza a unique zest. Many places have a mix of toppings and sauces that you likely won't get at your local grocery store or even think of putting together yourself. Realistically, there's no way to enjoy the variety of pizzas that are out there by baking them from home.
The pizza of the month clubs we've found prioritize fresh, high-quality ingredients, so that with every bite you'll want to exclaim, "This is the best pizza I've ever had!” They almost always include their nutrition facts and any allergens you should be aware of, so you know if the company will work for you or not. Here are a few other things to keep in mind when looking at different pizza clubs:
The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched the best pizza clubs available for you to sign up for online. We can't wait for you to start trying all the unique, bold pizza flavors that are crafted by gourmet shops around the country!
Select any 2 Pizza of the Month Clubs to compare them head to head