When Pizza Menus Were Full of Surprises
In the 1970s, a few dollars could buy dinner, entertainment and possibly leftovers. Aside from obvious price differences, pizza parlor menus were also far more adventurous than many people remember, featuring everything from smoked oysters to pasta platters.
Which of these forgotten favorites once earned your money?
#30. Imported Sardine Pizza
Shakey’s offered a pizza topped with imported sardines, an intensely salty choice that sounds almost unbelievable today. Sardines have largely retreated to cans and crackers. A family-sized specialty pizza likely cost approximately $4 to $6 during the mid-1970s.
#29. Smoked Oyster Pizza
Smoked oysters packed in olive oil gave this Shakey’s pizza a rich, smoky flavor. It appeared in a 1972 promotion for just $1 for a single-sized pie, although its regular price was higher. A family size probably cost around $4 to $6.
#28. Stuffed Spanish Olive Pizza
Green olives were not merely an optional topping. Shakey’s devoted an entire pizza to stuffed Spanish olives. A single-sized version was included in the chain’s $1 promotional offer in 1972, making it inexpensive enough for curious diners to take a chance.
Rusty Clark ~ 100K Photos from merritt usland FLA, Wikimedia Commons
#27. Idiot’s Delight
The strangely named Idiot’s Delight combined pimento with green pepper. Its attention-grabbing title would probably never survive a modern corporate review. Shakey’s advertised a single-sized version for $1 during a 1972 promotion; regular family-sized pizzas generally cost several dollars more.
tracy ducasse from Massachusetts, usa, Wikimedia Commons
#26. The Right-Hander’s Special
Created as a meatless selection for Fridays and Lent, this unusual Shakey’s pizza combined shrimp, mushrooms and olives. Depending on size and location, a specialty pie like this likely cost approximately $4 to $6 in the mid-1970s.
Calgary Reviews from Calgary, Canada, Wikimedia Commons
#25. Louisiana Shrimp Pizza
Shakey’s Louisiana Shrimp Pizza brought shellfish out of the cocktail glass and placed it directly on a thin crust. Surviving menus do not provide one universal price, but a family-sized seafood pizza likely sold for approximately $4.50 to $6.
#24. Eastern Polish Sausage Pizza
Before pepperoni completely dominated American pizza menus, Polish sausage received its own Shakey’s selection. A single-sized Polish Sausage Pizza appeared in a 1972 $1 promotion. Its regular family-sized price was probably somewhere around $4 to $5.50.
#23. Imported Anchovy Pizza
Anchovies were once advertised with pride, and Shakey’s specified that its fish came from Lisbon. The topping has not vanished completely, but the featured specialty has. A family-sized version likely cost about $4 to $6, depending on the restaurant.
Burkhard Mücke, Wikimedia Commons
#22. The Public House Special
The Public House Special combined pepperoni with chopped green pepper. It was straightforward, flavorful and much more memorable than “two-topping pizza.” A single-sized pie cost $1 during a 1972 promotion, while a regular family size likely cost roughly $4 to $5.
#21. Italian Sausage and Black Olive Pizza
Spicy Italian sausage and salty black olives made this one of the more approachable Shakey’s combinations. It also appeared in the chain’s 1972 $1 single-pizza promotion. A normal family-sized order probably cost approximately $4 to $5.50.
#20. Bouncy Meatballs
Goldberg’s Pizzeria in New York gave its meatball pizza the playful name Bouncy Meatballs in 1976. Its exact price is not preserved in the available account, but comparable small pizzas generally cost approximately $2 to $4 during that period.
#19. The SMOG Pizza
SMOG sounded unpleasant, but the name stood for sausage, mushrooms, onions and green peppers. Goldberg’s served it in 1976. Based on contemporary pizzeria prices, a standard pie probably cost roughly $3 to $5, depending on its size.
BrokenSphere, Wikimedia Commons
#18. Pizza España
Pizza España featured anchovies, black olives and green onions over cheese and tomato sauce. A documented 1976 Red Boy Pizza menu priced a small at $3.30, while an extra-large cost $5.45. The name and combination have since largely disappeared.
Javier Ocampo Bernasconi, Shutterstock
#17. Pizza Palermo
Hot Italian sausage and chili peppers gave Pizza Palermo far more heat than the average 1970s pie. On a surviving 1976 menu, a small cost $3.30 and an extra-large sold for $5.45. It was an early choice for spice lovers.
#16. Devil’s Delight
Devil’s Delight combined specially seasoned hot pepperoni with chili pepper. It cost $3.55 for a small or $5.85 for an extra-large in 1976. The name promised excitement before anyone began discussing heat scales or ghost peppers.
#15. Pizza Venecia
Linguica sausage and mushrooms topped Pizza Venecia, creating a smoky, earthy combination rarely featured by national chains today. A 1976 menu priced it at $3.70 for a small and $5.95 for an extra-large, making it one of the costlier options.
Beginner Shot Creative, Shutterstock
#14. Pizza Favorita
Pizza Favorita combined salami and green onions with tomato sauce and cheese. The green onions gave it a sharper flavor than an ordinary salami pie. In 1976, prices ranged from $2.95 for a small to $5.20 for an extra-large.
#13. Pizza Americana
Ground chuck and green onions made Pizza Americana a hearty choice for diners who preferred beef over pepperoni. A small cost $2.95 on a documented 1976 menu, while an extra-large cost $5.20. Today, hamburger pizzas usually receive far more toppings.
#12. Pizza Italia
Pizza Italia featured Italian sausage and green pepper, a familiar combination presented with a grand name. It sold for $2.95 in a small size and $5.20 as an extra-large in 1976. The ingredients survive, but the named specialty does not.
Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock
#11. Pizza Roma
Italian sausage and mushrooms turned Pizza Roma into a dependable crowd-pleaser. A 1976 menu listed the small at $3.55 and the extra-large at $5.85. It lacked the shock value of sardines but probably caused fewer arguments around the table.
#10. Red Boy’s Favorite
Red Boy’s Favorite layered salami, mushrooms and green pepper over cheese and tomato sauce. In 1976, it cost $3.65 for a small and $5.90 for an extra-large. It was filling, savory and much more tempting than its forgotten name suggests.
#9. Red Boy’s Delight
Pepperoni and mushrooms made Red Boy’s Delight one of the safest vintage selections on this list. A small sold for $3.55 in 1976, while an extra-large cost $5.75. The combination remains popular, although the original menu name disappeared.
#8. Portland Supreme
Shakey’s Portland Supreme paired salami with green pepper. Its regional-sounding name gave two simple toppings more personality. Exact prices varied, but a family-sized Shakey’s specialty pizza generally cost approximately $4 to $6 during the middle of the decade.
#7. Big Ed Special
The Big Ed Special was a Shakey’s combination pizza prepared without olives. Its friendly name sounded like a recommendation from a neighborhood regular. Comparable family-sized Shakey’s specials cost around $4.95 in 1975, depending on the location and recipe.
#6. Sandwich Supreme
Pizza Hut once competed for lunchtime customers with hot submarine-style sandwiches, including a loaded supreme selection. Surviving advertisements confirm the sandwiches, although prices varied. A hot pizza-parlor sandwich in the 1970s typically cost approximately $1.50 to $2.50.
Bhuppigraphy, Wikimedia Commons
#5. The Thin ’n Crispy Lunch Pizza
Pizza Hut’s 1976 lunch special included a 10-inch, single-topping Thin ’n Crispy pizza for just $1.59. The crust name survived in different forms, but that generously sized individual lunch offer and its remarkably modest price did not.
Pink Sherbet Photography from USA, Wikimedia Commons
#4. The Thick ’n Chewy Lunch Pizza
For 30 cents more, customers could order Pizza Hut’s 10-inch Thick ’n Chewy lunch pizza. It cost $1.89 with one topping in 1976. The substantial crust was eventually overshadowed by the chain’s better-known Pan Pizza.
#3. Deep Dish Spaghetti
Pizza Hut’s Deep Dish Spaghetti combined meat sauce, cheese and pasta in a hot baking dish, accompanied by garlic bread. The luncheon portion cost approximately $1.49, while the regular serving was around $1.99. It was inexpensive, filling and wonderfully unfashionable.
Rimma Bondarenko, Shutterstock
#2. Cavatini
Cavatini mixed pasta shapes with seasoned tomato sauce and melted mozzarella before being baked until bubbling. Pizza Hut charged approximately $1.69 during the 1970s. It became one of the chain’s most fondly remembered dishes despite eventually disappearing from most American locations.
#1. Cavatini Supreme
Cavatini Supreme earns the top spot for combining pasta, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions and green peppers in one bubbling dish. It reportedly cost around $1.79, only a dime more than regular Cavatini. That may have been the decade’s easiest upgrade decision.
The Menu Changed, and So Did the Prices
A family-sized Shakey’s cheese pizza cost around $3.10 in 1975, while its combination special was approximately $4.95. The prices are nostalgic, but so are the playful names, unusual toppings and sit-down pizza parlors that made dinner feel like an event.
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