Bottom line: The Fiery Pepperoni Pizza from Marco’s brings a nice kick to the pie, while the Inferno Cheesy Bread really amps up the heat.
The pizza industry has been getting into the spicy food trend lately, and Marco’s has really kicked things up with its new Fiery Flavors Menu (more on that here). I decided to try out a couple of their spicy new selections and picked up the Fiery Pepperoni Pizza and the Inferno Cheesy Bread. Here is the official description of those two:
Fiery Pepperoni Pizza: Featuring crispy, cupped Old World Pepperoni® and NEW spicy cheese blend.
Inferno CheezyBread: Original CheezyBread topped with NEW spicy cheese blend plus jalapeños for an extra kick.
Basically, the main thing that is bringing the burn to these items is that spicy cheese blend, and that’s okay because who doesn’t love cheese that adds a kick?
For the pizza, I ordered the thin crust because that is my favorite among their selections (though the original crust is quite good as well). It has a cracker-like consistency on the edges and is a little softer in the middle under the weight of all the toppings, though it still holds up. The sauce is sweet and rich with a note of Italian herbs. The “old world” pepperoni is the type that cooks up into little cups, and it delivers a nice crunch along with saltiness and a hint of smokiness. It also has some spice to it, but not too much.
Most of the heat comes from the “spicy cheese blend” which consists of Monterey Jack infused with jalapeños, habaneros, and Carolina Reaper peppers. It melts up quite well and delivers a bit of sharpness along with a touch of heat. Not nearly as much as you might expect from something with the three chilies they added, but it still delivers a nice warmth while eating the pizza. I would put it above Mild on my scale and pleasantly piquant for a pizza.
As for the Inferno Cheesy Bread, that brings even more heat to the table. The bread part is like a thicker version of Marco’s original pizza crust, and that is doughy and pillowy with some sweetness and a hint of yeast. I could just eat that stuff by itself, especially with their tasty marinara on the side for dipping. The spicy cheese kicks that up, and then they add the jalapeños to really bring the heat. They are generous with those, and the chilies add some tang and that distinct jalapeño flavor to make this a tasty side that could actually be a meal.
Heat-wise, the Inferno Cheesy Bread does not quite reach the “inferno” level, but it still packs a punch. I would put it above Medium on my scale, and that is pretty good for one of the chain restaurants. They also include a spicy Ranch sauce that has a nice herby kick and adds a little more burn as well. When you dip the cheesy bread into it, the heat gets up to almost Hot on my scale.
I can’t find the nutrition info for these on the Marco’s website, but if I do a search on the internet, a slice of the thin crust pepperoni comes to 190 calories and one serving of the cheesy bread is 80 calories. I’m guessing the fiery versions are not too much more than that, but don’t think you are eating low calorie here. One serving of the thin crust pizza is about a two-inch square, and you know that you are in for at least four of those. And I am thinking that serving of cheesy bread is about half a stick, so you know you will probably eat two whole sticks. That has you over a thousand calories already, and did you add some wings to your order as well? Pizza is good stuff, but it packs in the calories. And if you got the original crust, one slice of that is 380 calories!
I rather enjoyed the two Fiery Flavors items even if the pepperoni pizza did not bring much heat. Next time I will probably try the sausage pizza, which comes with peppers and onions, and I might get them to throw on some jalapeños. But these items are scheduled to head back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville before too long, so you will want to give them a try while still available. And hopefully, they will keep that spicy cheese blend so that you can build your own fiery pizza even after the special ends. Marco’s is one of my favorites among the pizza chains, and that’s a menu option I would like to have available going forward.