Santarpio's Pizza

Wow - who cares if it's in the guidebooks, it's not like too many people ever venture over to East Boston for pizza. But those who aren't are missing out! more

I went to this pizza place for the first time last week. It was fantastic!!! Just getting a plain cheese with a little parm sprinkled on is great. Also a beef kabob will level out all the carbs and make it a well balance meal. Get there early I hear the place gets packed at prime times. more

Awful. The worst restorant experience I can remeber. The all-male abusive waiters will shove you around the place like cattle to fit new clients, all of whom, like me, must have read the fake reviews that SANTARPIO CORP must have posted on the Web; yes, SANTARPIOPIZZA dot com is a chain, not the cozy neighborhood piza place they try to portray on the adds. When you get there, you will eat burnt pizza and pay through your nose or else. If you don't tip the abusive waiters above the 15% rate they will confront you on your way out, implicitly threatening you, making you fell terribly unconfortable. Don't ever go there !!! more

When a waiter mutters, ""Whaddya want"" and writes the order on a greasy piece of paper or a napkin(!), you can pretty much be assured that you won't be having a fine dining night. And perhaps that's what makes Santarpio's so special. It is so completely unpretentious in an old-Boston sort of way that it is at once memorable and, yes, even lovable, kind of like a crusty uncle who's always telling you to stop doing whatever it is you're doing. Don't come to Santarpio's expecting a varied menu. To paraphrase the comedian Buddy Hackett, the menu consists of two choices: take it or leave it. About all you'll find on the menu here is pizza and skewers of lamb and sausage. But that is plenty, as the pizza has a delicious crust that is heavy on corn meal and a particularly zesty sauce going nicely with the greasy cheese, while the meat skewers are so tasty that some people forsake the pizza entirely to make the skewers their meal. Some folks are turned off by the Elks Lodge atmosphere of Santarpio's and the sarcasm and rudeness of the waiters, but to me, this is all part of the charm of the place. Indeed, there are fewer and fewer of these old-school joints in the Boston area each year, which is an absolute shame. I know that people seem to either love or hate this place, but put me firmly in the ""love"" category for Santarpio's. Pros: excellent pizza, old-school atmosphere Cons: long lines, atmosphere that may turn some people off more

The atmosphere was good, but the pizza sucks. Over-rated. The pizza came out so soggy that it just flopped over and fell apart. We also waited 1 hour just to get in, and 1 hour just to get our pizza. I'd rather have Papa Johns. more

i honestly don't even understand how anyone, can honestly write a bad review on the place. im a top flight italian chef and i can say that you can not beat this pizza. loved the old school atmosphere in this place. die hard boxing fan and loved all the boxing posters and memorbilla. cant be beat, cant wait to go back. Pros: their pizza is as good as it gets, love it Cons: nothing more

This is a great place to get no frills pizza. The waiters and bartenders for fun to talk to and have been there for years! Pros: Pizza Cons: nothing more

Okay..Honestly...the pizza was pretty good BUT the waiter was horrible. He was rude, unattentive, gave me the wrong beer, threw our silverware on the table, didn't say hello or thank you(or anything else but ""OK""), interrupted while we were placing our order to talk on his cell phone(yes, he really did) and, to top it off, my back was to the waiter station where they kept the bus bucket so I was lucky enough to get splashed in the back of the head with some liquid(God knows maybe it was someone's discarded beer) without even so much as an apology.\r \r I was very disappointed and I have NO idea what all the hype is about..Not worth the effort to get there!!!\r \r Bottom line: DON'T GO THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more

Expect to wait in a line that moves quickly for some yummy pizza! What makes it unique is the cornmeal on... more

Expect to wait in a line that moves quickly for some yummy pizza! What makes it unique is the cornmeal on the bottom of the crust. Nice thick sau... more

I am from Italy, and I realize that American Pizza is different then traditional pizza - but I don't get the hype about this place. It's a completely average American style pizza. The remarkable thing about this place is the terrible service - i'm not asking for much, but a bit of politeness should be a given.... I asked the waitress what kind of cheese they use (the menu states simply ""Italian cheese"") - she did not know, and was VERY upset when my wife & I asked (politely) if she would let us know. The staff complained in front of everyone about the customers without even trying to hide their discontent. \r \r I understand that these small local popular places have their own character & charm for being layed back & ""no frills"" - but rude service is unacceptable anywhere - from fast food dives to 5 star dining.\r \r I do not recommend this place at all. Cons: service more

This is the best American style pizza I have ever had. Everything is fresh, delicious and affordable. Lamb kabobs make a great appetizer. It is a little annoying that they only accept cash, but it's worth the effort to stop at an ATM. It's really close to the Airport subway station which is nice. Pros: Great Pizza! Cons: cash only more

I am not from Boston, (LA native) but I have friends who live there and whenever I visit I have to go to Santarpios. The last time I visited was in February and there was a line outside waiting for tables. I braved the freezing rain for 40 minutes, it was completely worth it. I love love love the pizza and the sausages from the grill. The service is classic diner or deli style with a personality I can only describe as Boston. Do not miss Santarpios when you get to Boston! Pros: Fabulous Pizza and Sausage Cons: Not enough tables so you have to wait more

I'm a former New Yorker who now lives in Los Angeles where the are no good pizza joints. On a recent visit to Boston I asked my friend to take to a good pizza joint so he brought me to Santarpio's. The pie was outstanding. I loved the thin crust and the sauce. The sausage was was also very good. I loved the fact there were no frills, pizza in one size, either lamb or sausage and the decor was something out of the 1940's. There is no way a place like Santarpio's could even get an operating permit in sanitized Los Angeles. The service was fine up until the point where my friend informed the waiter I was a Yankee fan at which point the insults started to fly, not only from the waiter, but from other customers as well. It was all done in good taste and added to the experience. I will definitely go back the next time I am in Boston. Pros: Outstanding Pizza, atmosphere Cons: parking more

If you want maybe the worst service, add on a sprinkle of rude bartenders, long lines and below average pizza, please come to Santarpios. Seriously if you are a local, come on in, if you are not, beware. This place might have been good at one time, but let me tell you not anymore. I will admit the crust on the pizza was different and tasty (garlic), but I just can't get past how disappointed I was I had heard how amazing pizza it was. Coming to Boston for business quite a bit, I can tell you without hesitation Regina's destroys this pizza. BEWARE IF YOU ARE NOT A LOCAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pros: Get the food to go Cons: Service, behavior of staff, behavior of manager, don't bring women or children more

If you like average pizza, rude and non attentive service, and a ridiculous long wait to get in the place. I would recommend this so called pizzeria. Cons: everything more

This was the Best Pizza place in New England hands down. This place has been there for over 100 years and all the big names have stopped in when in the area and the pictures on the walls show it. I have eaten from this place for the last 30+ years and over the last 4-6 years it has gone down hill and family members that are running it now should be ashamed. This place is an institution and how they make the food is as important as what is on the menu. The larger menu and bubbly waitresses are not in the spirit of the founder. A real shame I can not even take my children to the place as it is becoming no different than PizzaHut !!!!!!!! Pros: Original location and New England Insitution for over 100 years Cons: latest generation of the family in operation changed too much and quality is down !! more

I grew up practically across the street from Santarpio's and it's always been a landmark I give when people want directions to my house.... I would never go there on a weekend night or a holiday because the lines are ridiculous....but the pizza is good... some love it a lot and some not so much... Personally, I LOVE the lamb barbeque.... It's delicious, simple -served with fresh bread they make there and hot Italian peppers - and not expensive. They also barbeque sausages in their same brick oven but I am not a sausage fan but I have tasted them and folks love them because they are delicious.... \r \r The waiters have all been there for years and so have the dishes, glasses and silverware... it's part of their ""charm"" ... no extras like salad or coffee it's true, but it is what it is and that is good.... Too bad there was the one bad review about an inattentive lawyer who embarrassed a customer saying he hadn't paid after he left a 30% tip!! I hear they expanding to the second floor of their building... who knows if that will bring an expanded menu...but hopefully the lines won't have to be outside so long... especially in the snow or hot summer time!\r \r It's worth the experience and the food... TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT!! more

I live in Chelsea and people have been recommending Santarpios since we moved here three years ago. Recently we were in Eastie and stopped there...and to be honest, we have no idea what people are raving about. The pizzas were huge, which is nice, but the crust was soggy, there was too much cheese, as others mentioned the atmosphere and service are sub-par, and the glasses for soda were dirty/spotty. I like a gritty, historic atmosphere, but this place didn't cut it. I'll even stop at Little Stevie's on Boylston Street at 2AM, so I'm not a pizza snob.\r \r I would never recommend Santarpios to someone without a caveat. In fact, I actually think DiGiorno's is better. Pros: Can't think of any Cons: All of the above more

""Great pizza, no doubt. But there's little atmosphere to speak of, and it can be hard to get to if there's airport traffic."" more