Pizza Hut's Cheeseburger-Stuffed Crust Pie Looks Different In Real Life

When we first heard about Pizza Hut's new pizza with crusts made out of cheeseburgers last month -- alas, it's only being offered in the Middle East -- we were curious and a bit grossed out.

Reports of fearless diners who have ordered the delicacy are now beginning to crop up, but we couldn't help but notice some discrepancies in these pies' appearances.

The one sampled last month by Serious Eats' Slice correspondent Arva Ahmed looks normal enough, and bears a respectable resemblance to the pizza in the advertisement. It's from a Pizza Hut branch in Dubai.

Photo by Arva Ahmed at Serious Eats' Slice

Unfortunately, it didn't impress in the flavor department. Writes Ahmed, "If I took the antonym of 'delicious,' strapped it onto a rocket and blasted it twenty thousand light years away, I may begin to get close to my experience with the burger patties."

College Humor also tried out the pie, which they achieved by sending their correspondent, Jon Gabrus, all the way from New York City to Dubai. The pizza looks pretty similar to the one Serious Eats tried, though Gabrus didn't think it looked much like the ad. "...[A]s you can expect, the pizza looked nothing like the pizza I saw in the commercial," he wrote. "It was smaller, thinner, and all around greyer."

Photo by Jon Gabrus at College Humor

But an image uploaded by Reddit user Pinkeller looks strikingly different. The post's title says it all: "I don't think this is what I ordered." According to the author's comments, it's from a Pizza Hut in Saudi Arabia.

Photo by Reddit user Pinkeller

Sure, we know that food styling is all the rage these days -- experts use a variety of tools to make a dish look more appetizing, even if that sometimes means rendering it inedible. It's not unheard of for stylists to swap in motor oil for syrups that doesn't photograph well, or add brown shoe polish to raw meat.

Could that be what's going on with Pizza Hut's cheeseburger pizza? But even if that's true, we still don't know what's to blame for the differences between the above pies. Perhaps it's time to invest in some more quality control measures.

Also on HuffPost:

The Worst Fast Food Creations Of 2011:

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• Domino's Stuffed Cheesy Bread

  Plain old stuffed crust? That's so last decade -- at least according to <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/dominos-ipad-app-makes-you-pizza-hero?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>Domino's Pizza</strong></a>. Earlier this year, the chain rolled out a line of "Stuffed Cheesy Bread" that's full of "cheese, cheese, and more cheese." In fact, the breads -- which come in Spinach and Feta, Bacon and Jalapeño, and plain Cheese -- contain as much cheese as an entire medium pizza. <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/most-bizarre-pizza-toppings-slideshow-0?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>Most Bizarre Pizza Toppings</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © Jeff Padrick/Klug Studio

• KFC Cheesy Bacon Bowl

  A bowl can hardly contain "layers of your favorites" without including bacon. Or so was the logic at KFC, which added bacon as a limited-time topping to <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/kfc-debuts-cheesy-bacon-bowls?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>the chain's line of "Famous Bowls."</strong></a> How did they do it? Well, they took a 680-calorie combo of mashed potatoes, corn, Popcorn Chicken, gravy, and cheese -- then added bacon. <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/fast-food-you-cant-find-america-slideshow-0?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>Fast Food You Can't Find in America</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © brandeating

• Starbucks' Trenta Drinks

  Fast-food excess is hardly reserved for food alone. Take Starbucks' Trenta-sized cups, the veritable Big Gulps of coffee consumption, which each contain 31 ounces of caffeinated brew to pour down your gullet. And if caffeine-induced twitching <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/how-healthy-are-your-kids-healthy-snacks-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>isn't enough of a health risk</strong></a>, consumers should be advised to pace themselves: The cups are actually larger than the typical human stomach. <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/how-eat-well-while-training-marathon-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>How to Eat Well While Marathon Training</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scelera/" target="_hplink"><strong>Flickr/samantha celera</strong></a>

• Denny's Maple Bacon Sundae

  What's more horrifying than an ice cream sundae that features vanilla soft serve, maple syrup, and bacon bits? An entire menu of creations based on the same bacon-centric principle. Denny's, however, has gone there: <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/20-food-topics-just-wont-die-slideshow#7?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>The chain's "Baconalia!" menu</strong></a> included that cringeworthy sundae, along with a triple-decker BLT, Bacon Meatloaf, and Bacon Flapjacks. <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/20-food-topics-just-wont-die-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>20 Food Topics That Just Won't Die</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloha75/" target="_hplink"><strong>Flickr/Sam Howzit</strong></a>

• Burger King Stuffed Steakhouse Burger

  If fast food has taught us one thing, it is this: Any food item can be stuffed inside any other. <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/burger-king-rolls-out-premium-hamburger?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>Burger King's Stuffed Steakhouse Burger</strong></a>, introduced earlier this year, is a prime example. Not content to simply put cheese atop a burger patty, the chain stuffed bits of Cheddar and jalapeño inside the beef, for "an experience you can see and taste in every bite." <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/burger-king-debut-new-fries?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>Burger King to Debut New Fries</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/theimpulsivebuy/" target="_hplink"><strong>Flickr/theimpulsivebuy</strong></a>

• Pizza Hut's Big Dinner Box

  Pizza Hut's "epic-size" repast offers up two medium pizzas, <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/americas-best-buffalo-wings-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>eight wings</strong></a>, and five breadsticks -- in one convenient box! For the low prize of $20, ravenous diners might be tempted to scarf down the entire thing themselves, but please, make this one a family affair: The items in a single box are estimated to contain around 5,000 calories. <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/10-fast-food-favorites-made-healthy-slideshow-0?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>10 Fast Food Favorites Made "Healthy"</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aloha75/" target="_hplink"><strong>Flickr/Sam Howzit</strong></a>

• Dunkin' Donuts Sausage Pancake Bites

  If you're craving a pancake and sausage breakfast, but just can't find the time, <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/dunkin-debuts-new-holiday-items-45?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>Dunkin' Donuts</strong></a> discovered a solution in 2011. An order of the chain's Sausage Pancake Bites offered diners three nuggets of flapjack dough that each enclosed a sausage link. A trio of nuggets also managed to enclose 20 grams of fat, more than most doughnuts. <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/mcdonalds-magic-window-menu-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>McDonald's Menu Mash-Up</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/theimpulsivebuy/" target="_hplink"><strong>Flickr/theimpulsivebuy</strong></a>

• Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos

  Think outside the bun -- and the conventional taco shell. In an apparent bid to include as much junk as possible in a single meal, <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/taco-bell-looks-reinvent-taco?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>Taco Bell</strong></a> used California and Ohio residents as guinea pigs to test shells made entirely of Doritos' nacho-flavored chips. The cheesy delicacy might be introduced nationwide next year, when, presumably, the chain will also swaps burrito wraps for potato chips. <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/chicos-tacos-love-story?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>Chico's Tacos: A Love Story</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © thatsnerdalicious

• Friendly's Ultimate Grilled-Cheese BurgerMelt

  Why eat one sandwich, when you can eat three? The KFC Double Down may have replaced a burger bun with fried chicken, but this year, Friendly's managed to outdo even that monstrosity. They swapped out a cheeseburger's bread with two entire grilled cheese sandwiches. This gastronomical innovation, not surprisingly, is also a caloric nightmare: 1,500 per sandwich(es). Even that <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/no-happy-ending-friendlys?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>doesn't seem to be helping the company</strong></a> -- the 76-year-old family-dining brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 5, and is scheduled to be auctioned Dec. 22. <em>Related:</em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/no-happy-ending-friendlys?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>No Happy Ending for Friendly's</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit:</em> © <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zombieite/" target="_hplink"><strong>Flickr/zombieite</strong></a>

• Denny's Mac 'N Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt

  Leave it to Denny's to create a sandwich that has <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/01/dennys-mac-n-cheese-patty-melt_n_945390.html" target="_hplink"><strong>both mac 'n cheese and hamburger meat</strong></a> as ingredients...and sauce and more cheese. This gutbomb was part of Denny's "Let's Get Cheesy" menu, and cheesy it is indeed. We fear what the chain will come up with next, given that this calorie-laden meal has twice the calories as a stick of butter. <em>Related</em>: <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/americas-best-buffalo-wings-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=years%2Bmost%2Bover%2Btop%2Bfast%2Bfood%2Bdishes" target="_hplink"><strong>America's Best Buffalo Wings</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit</em>: Denny's

Comments

[KodiakT]

02:35 AM on 09/26/2012

How is Domino's Stuffed Cheesy bread a "worst creation" ?? We sell these by the armload at my store, hell i eat one every other day for lunch/dinner at work. And i love the "it has as much cheese as a medium pizza" comment.

It has roughly 3oz of pizza cheese and 1.5 of cheddar. 4.5 oz of cheese only.

[amy mcduffie]

04:56 PM on 09/25/2012

i don't get why they put pepperoni on the advertisement. Its made of pork?

[bc82]

04:44 AM on 09/26/2012

There are kosher and halal variants of pepperoni/salami, made from beef and/or pultry.

[ariellindz]

02:25 AM on 09/25/2012

This is why I prefer my pizza homemade.

[bdl00]

09:59 PM on 05/09/2012

I don't know why people still think that the pictures that chains produce in adverts and on panflets etc are going to look the exact same in real life. Are you stupid?

[Naithom]

11:00 PM on 05/06/2012

Is it just me or does none of that look particularly edible or appetizing?

[artk2219]

05:36 PM on 04/11/2013

Its literally just you lol.

[suemj]

06:33 PM on 05/06/2012

Can I just get a simple, plain slice of pizza anymore?

[Sara Lira]

11:01 AM on 05/06/2012

Pizza is something I can't eat anymore! Gallbladder stones are the best motivation to stop eating greasy foods.

[RedDog79]

09:56 AM on 05/07/2012

sorry to hear that - but not all pizza is greasy - only American pizza.
Real Italian pizza looks little like american pizza - and best part is - hardly any fat.
try using a little olive oil on the crust and putting thin sliced ham pieces, pineapple, waterchestnuts and a little mozzarella and/or parmesan.

[Curlee]

11:02 PM on 05/05/2012

Well, here we are. This is what it has come to. We in the U.S. are so obsessed with fast food garbage, that we have become bored with our own and are now taking interest in fast food garbage from other countries. Bon Appetit!

[iMetal]

03:25 AM on 05/07/2012

Tried to get regular popping corn at two different stores today. Suddenly they no longer carry it, but they must've had 10 feet of shelf for the microwave garbage.

[VTKrissy]

10:50 AM on 05/09/2012

Try your local co-op or Health Food store - you can buy as much as you like.

[Nosquares]

09:42 PM on 05/05/2012

And then, let's have a nude photo-shoot of the lovely patrons of these delicacies.

[Ledebard57]

09:37 PM on 05/05/2012

Disgusting......couldn't pay me to eat it

[stape45]

12:21 PM on 05/05/2012

Whatever bilks you out of your dollar...

[Veronix1617]

11:58 AM on 05/05/2012

Very strange and very gross.

[Greg BIS]

12:14 AM on 05/05/2012

The things people pay good money to put in their mouths. Amazing.

[charlesfrith]

10:54 PM on 05/04/2012

Nobody cares about real life. This is America.

[BeerLover]

07:30 PM on 05/04/2012

So let me get this straight....you flew someone to Dubai.... easily a $10,000 trip.....to try this pizza? Seriously? Way to manage those budgets!!

[TaxpayingVoter]

11:55 PM on 05/04/2012

It's a cake job...if you can get it...lol

[Aelfgifu1]

12:00 AM on 05/05/2012

No. The blogger who posted about the Dubai pizza actually lives in Dubai. No one had to fly anywhere.

Seriously?

[camanokat]

04:26 AM on 05/05/2012

Two different guys. Arva lives in Dubai and is a correspondent for super cool Serious Eats, Slice (pizza) page.

Jon lives in NY and is somehow involved with College Humor website.