Brian Nagele
Hungry Howie’s started as a small neighborhood pizzeria in Detroit, Michigan. There are now more than 550 locations in over 20 states around the country.
A unique aspect of Howie’s is that they focus on independently operated and owned franchises. So the staff at your local Hungry Howie’s are members of your community.
Known as the inventors of the flavored crust, the company takes pride in bringing customers an innovative twist to the conventional pizza crust recipe. More than that, they want to bring the flavor at affordable prices.
There are eight unique crust flavors, and they have thin, gluten-free, and other crust options.
Check out my list of the best Hungry Howie’s Crust flavors and a few recommendations of toppings to pair with each.
Butter
The butter crust is a popular base for many pizzas, such as the Italian sausage and the pepperoni pie.
The crust is buttery, golden, crispy, and adds a richness to each bit that doesn’t overpower the toppings.
By taking melted butter and brushing it along the edges of the pizza crust, you get a crunchy and flakey ending to each slice that’s still airy and light on the inside.
For those who like to eat the slice crust-first, you’ll enjoy the buttery goodness that awakens your taste buds before you get to the toppings.
The butter crust works as the best pairing with the tangy and sweet sauce that Hungry Howie’s is known for; essentially, you can’t go wrong with picking the butter crust as a simple yet delicious crust to complement any toppings.
Asiago Cheese
The Asiago Cheese crust is unique and packed with flavor. Asiago cheese has a flavor similar to parmesan, but it is creamier and nuttier.
When you infuse these sharp notes into the crust, it gives your pizza an added nuance that goes well with certain toppings.
For example, the sausage, pepperoni, and veggie pizza are an excellent pairing for this crust.
The Asiago cheese tastes buttery and slightly tangy with their made from scratch pizza sauce; this is one of my favorite crusts when I order the sausage and pepperoni pizza with olives and green peppers!
I don’t prefer it with the basic cheese pizza because I think it’s better with a protein atop, but if you love cheese, you definitely won’t mind!
Cajun
Cajun seasoning usually consists of garlic powder, paprika, oregano, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Sometimes, additional spices can be added to give it a twist, but traditional Cajun seasoning generally consists of these flavors.
The Cajun crust at Hungry Howie’s is one of the best options because you don’t usually get the spice in the crust as opposed to the toppings.
If you can take the heat, it’s a welcomed kick at the end or beginning of the slice, depending on how you eat it.
The crispy and crunchy bite packs a punch, so be prepared! I think it pairs beautifully with a plain cheese pizza or the Chicken Bacon Ranch pie that they offer.
Butter Cheese
The Butter Cheese crust is the best of both worlds between the butter option and the Asiago cheese selection.
It combines the brushed butter with parmesan cheese, which is similar in flavor to the Asiago cheese. So not only do you get that crispy, golden, buttery bite, but there’s a prominent cheesy aftertaste.
I suggest getting this crust with the Meat Lovers pie or the Works Pizza, which has ham, pepperoni, ground beef, and Italian sausage for the proteins.
It also comes with extra mozzarella, olives, red onions, mushrooms, and green peppers. The butter cheese adds a savory element that ties everything together so well.
Sesame
Hungry Howie’s offers an assortment of uniquely flavored crusts, and perhaps none is as unique as the flavored sesame crust.
As you can imagine, you can mix and match this crust with some of your favorite kinds of pizza and discover some tasty combinations.
Sesame crust has a unique toasty flavor that can add an extra dimension of flavor to your most beloved pizza.
If you’re unsure what to pair with sesame crust, Italian sausage pairs well with this crust because the toasty flavor complements the sausage’s tanginess.
Garlic Herb
Hungry Howie’s has delved into a niche with tremendous untapped potential—flavored crust.
Perhaps no other flavored crust offers the nostalgic feeling one gets when they bite into delicious garlic bread with herbs.
However, this bread isn’t alone; it’s paired with your favorite pizza toppings.
Furthermore, if you are the kind of person who orders a pizza only to dip in some extra garlic sauce to satisfy your craving, this flavorful onslaught of garlic and herbs comes built-in with your favorite pizza.
If you want an idea of where to start with garlic herb-flavored crust—Italian sausage is just the place.
As you can imagine, garlic bread and Italian sausage have always made for an excellent pairing, and now it comes in pizza form.
Ranch
Ranch lovers will be thrilled to discover that Hungry Howie’s offers ranch-flavored pizza crust!
What is there not to love about ranch? And now, it comes infused inside of a perfectly prepared crust capable of complementing your favorite pizzas.
Let your imagination run wild as you dream up the perfect ingredients to pair with your ranch-flavored crust.
The ranch-flavored crust offers a zesty, bright, and tangy flavor that can go with various ingredients.
However, if you’re looking for a fun and exciting pairing to sink your teeth into, we recommend adding ranch-flavored crust to your Hungry Howie’s buffalo chicken pizza—it’s simply a match made in heaven!
Onion
Hungry Howie’s even has something for those who love bold flavors. If you are someone who typically wants intense flavors and subtly usually isn’t your forte, then their flavored onion crust is just for you.
Pair this onion-flavored crust with an assortment of savory components to build the most flavorful pizza that you can bear.
You can pair this crust with a classic meat lovers pizza to give your pizza a little more kick, or you could try it out on a traditional pepperoni pizza to give your pizza a little more zing!
Just know that no matter what savory elements you choose, that onion-flavored crust will pair nicely with it.
I just moved down here to Floirda from Pennsylvania. Where I had first heard of hungry howies, and I will say best pizza chain in the area. At first glance I was like I bet they are just like Foxes Pizza which is a chain from Pa. Their pizza taste bland and like carboard. Boy, I was wrong. Man, the garlic herb stuffed crust is amazing. Especially the crust part. And ya know what makes it taste a step beyond. Eat it cold right out of the fridge. Wooo. That’s my favorite.