Boston Pizza: Overrated or Overhated?

Let's eat some pizza! We ordered some Boston Pizza Takeout and enjoyed some pizza, wings, and pasta for a hefty weekday dinner for 2. For a mid-tier pizza restaurant and chain, does it still hold up in 2026?

Boston Pizza is a well known restaurant chain with a good brand image. They've really positioned and established themselves as a reliable, 'safe' place to eat; not outstanding, but not terrible. They have a wide selection of food and dishes, but that comes with trade-offs; as a chain restaurant with many locations, the quality has been known to be inconsistent and the food isn't as memorable. 

One thing stood out when I ordered on skipthedishes; it's definitely more on the expensive side. Yes there are built in service and fees for ordering, but part of what you pay goes to the restaurant experience. Next time, I'd probably eat in instead of getting takeout, but let's review the food. 

We ordered three things: lemon pepper wings and fries, the Meateor pizza, and the Jambalaya pasta. The price was not cheap but we got a lot of food (it was enough for 3 people). We paid $20 for wings and fries, $32 for a medium pizza, and the pasta was around $25. Here's a quick rundown and review of what we ordered:

Meateor pizza: This is one of Boston Pizza's signature items and it shows. It's hearty, packed with meats, and had a good flavour from the sauce and meats. The variety of meats completed each other well (ham, pepperoni, sausage) and had lots of savoury flavour. The crust didn't taste like a cheap, fast-food crust - it had good chew and texture, though it could have been a bit more flavourful. Overall it the pizza is a strong, dependable choice whether you're ordering take-out or dining int.

Lemon Pepper Wings and Fries: The weakest dish of the night; the wings came out noticeably overcooked and some were dry. You can see in the photo that some ends are completely black. There was some lemon pepper flavour, but that wasn't enough to save the dish. The fries are standard and your typical restaurant pre-cut fry. Good, but nothing special. At $20 you can skip this dish. 

Jambalaya Pasta: This is another popular dish at Boston Pizza and it was a highlight of the meal. It had a spicy kick and good mixture of chicken, shrimp, and sausage. Good portion size. If you're not in the mood for pizza, this is a solid backup at a more palatable price point. It also came with a garlic toast and with the toast, this would make a very good entree for one. 

Overall, next time I eat Boston Pizza, I'd probably dine in. The experience justifies the price more. For takeout, it's harder to justify the order when the food isn't significantly better than other alternatives and restaurants. Boston Pizza's kind of in this weird middle spot: it's not as cheap as faster, quicker alternatives but it's not as premium as higher end restaurants that serve flatbreads and pizza. They need to be more consistent and provide more value for me to go more often. 

Hits:

• Their popular dishes are good; pizza and pasta still deliver
• Portion size was decent
• Large menu size makes it easy for large groups to dine

Misses:

• Didn't love the price
• Wings were burnt to a crisp
• Lacks that "wow" factor, especially for takeout

Rating: 3.75/5 - Boston Pizza delivers what it's supposed to do; safe, reliable food but it doesn't stand out, especially in Vancouver with many dining options that are either tastier, cheaper, or both