Topper's Pizza

Topper's Pizza is a Wisconsin-based chain that opens its first Ohio location on Calhoun Street in Clifton, next to the old Papa Dino's. This is exactly the sort of chain pizzeria I am predisposed not to like. But I was (modestly) pleasantly surprised. It tastes a little like Pizza Hut used to taste when Pizza Hut was good - or at least when it seemed good in grade school.

I orderd a "Tall Boy", Topper's thick-crust pizza, with thick-cut pepperoni and sausage. It is a greasy mess, but sometimes that is exactly what you want. The cheese is plentiful, the thick pepperoni curls into tasty little cups, and the sausage is fine, if not especially memorable.

The crust is fluffy but somewhat soggy inside, while the sauce is nearly nonexistent. The pizza is heavy, excessive, and not particularly refined, but it is also pretty tasty.