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I was on a mission, and that mission was to prove my husband wrong. Ever since we moved back to my home state two years ago, he has maintained that Massachusetts doesn’t do pizza properly. Determined to pry from him the last vestiges of his New York-centric pizza snobbery, I paid a recent visit to an old favorite of mine.
To be honest, Pizzeria Regina (which is what you call it if you live here, although Regina Pizzeria is the spot’s actual name) is no secret to Bay Staters. The Polcari family opened its doors in 1926 in the North End, and the brick-oven pizza produced from the original outpost — there are now 12 locations, all but one of which are in Massachusetts — still commands a line around the corner, no matter when you go.
About that pizza, though. The crust? As charmingly crisp as even the most seductive New York slice. Even the whole pies we grabbed to go retained their structure on the move, proof of quality ’za. I looked over at my husband who, preferring not to concede defeat, was instead polishing off the last of his own 10-inch personal pie. “Not bad,” he said, but I knew what that really meant. It was perfect. It was Boston-made. He had been missing out.
There are other worthwhile pies to explore in and around Boston, of course. Read on for a comprehensive guide to my picks for the best slices and pies available on DoorDash.
Max & Leo's
With three Massachusetts locations, Max & Leo’s is Bay State-famous (the Newton location is the original; there’s also Chelmsford, Sudbury, and Fenway), thanks in large part to their 900℉ coal oven. Pizzas are char-perfect and chewy. Stay simple with either a Margherita pie or the Mikey, a blessed ode to all-beef pepperoni.
Santarpio's
With a paper-thin crust and a longstanding East Boston reputation (it opened as a bakery in 1903, and pizzas didn’t emerge until sometime in the ’30s), Santarpio’s is one of the classics when it comes to local pizza. It’s a so-called upside-down pizza, meaning the toppings go on first, followed by the cheese. Come to Boston and skip a Santarpio’s cheese pizza? You wouldn’t dare.
HotBox
The pizza at Somerville’s HotBox in Bow Market is Greek in style, with a thick, pillowy crust. Try the inventive spicy pickle version, which comes with house tomato sauce, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, dill pickles, and hots.
Mast'
A few blocks from Boston’s Chinatown sits Mast’, an ambitious Italian restaurant embracing traditional pizza-making traditions (indeed, the restaurant prefers not to modify their obsessed-over pies). The superlative Margherita uses fior di latte cheese, San Marzano tomatoes, and fresh basil. Truly, there are few better pizza places in Boston.
Dirty Water Dough
Welcome to Newbury Street, perhaps Boston’s toniest thoroughfare. If Dirty Water Dough — an homage to That Boston Song by the Standells — feels like an anachronism here, well, it probably is. Doughs contain just a hint of IPA (love that dirty water). Order by the slice or by the pie, with traditional and less-traditional options, like the Fenway frank pie, which comes topped with Kayem franks, sauerkraut, sweet relish, white onions, and, naturally, yellow mustard.
Area Four
This spot in Cambridge’s Kendall Square serves up wood-fired pizzas in a space that’s casual and cool, not unlike the pies themselves. The mushroom pie? It comes topped with a decadent mushroom sauce as well as plenty of fontina. You won’t find pepperoni here but, rather, its spicier cousin, soppressata. And all pies share one common denominator: a charred and chewy crust that is among the city’s best.
Mario's
New to Jamaica Plain is Mario Bailote’s hotspot, the self-named Mario’s, where pizza dough ferments for three days before heading into the oven where crusts become thin and snappy. Bailote bills his restaurant as “Portuguese-with-a-twist,” not unlike his previous restaurant, Mario’s Pizzeria, in Roxbury, which closed in 2022. In addition to the 12 pizzas that are on the menu, customers can also build their own. But it’s wise to trust Bailote’s instincts with pies like the Sweet and Savory (red sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, bacon, caramelized onion, fig glaze) or the Portuguesa (Chouriço, onion, green peppers, garlic).
Picco
If you believe pizza and ice cream are the ultimate match, Picco, in the South End, may be your new favorite restaurant. Yes, you can order your small or large pie with cheese or pepperoni, but why not try the Alsatian version as well? It comes with sautéed onions and shallots, garlic, crème fraîche, bacon, and Gruyère. Their fresh-made ice cream — in flavors like passionfruit and cinnamon — is available for delivery, too.
Prairie Fire267724
Brookline’s Coolidge Corner neighborhood is home to Prairie Fire, not itself a pizza restaurant, yet home to some of the Boston area’s best. A longstanding sourdough starter provides the base for the dough, which is then turned into magnificent Neapolitan pies. The slim pizza menu focuses on fresh ingredients (whipped ricotta, fennel, red onion, sausage; San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, basil; roasted garlic, chives, onions, mushrooms, fontina). In the end, it’s that dough — and a crackle of fire — that shines brightest.
Coppa
Ken Oringer’s South End Italian restaurant is an ode to high-quality Italian food. (Until recently, the restaurant was part of a partnership between Oringer and Jamie Bissonette, though the two have now parted ways.) At Coppa, 11-inch pies come topped with unique ingredients like ’nduja, roasted eggplant, and fried artichokes, which perhaps explains why the place is known as a hangout for local chefs.
Si Cara
Cambridge’s Central Square is home to Si Cara, a pizza joint specializing in canotto-style pizza (it’s a close cousin to Neapolitan, with a puffy, tender crust). The dough originates with a sourdough starter, and pizzas are finished in a gas-fired Marra pizza oven, ensuring even cooking and just enough char.
Regina Pizzeria
It’s impossible to discuss Boston pizza — or, more accurately, North End pizza — without discussing Regina, the brick-oven pizzeria that has held court in Boston’s Italian neighborhood since 1926. The meatball pomodoro fresco, made with homemade meatballs and the pizzeria’s iconic sauce, is just one of many crowd pleasers here. You have to taste the pizza to fully understand this place’s hallowed place in this town. Yes, it’s that good.
Stoked Pizza Co.
Brookline’s Stoked offers up delicious pie without an ounce of pretension, which is why it’s so beloved among locals. Pizzas are wood-fired and available with a host of condiments (one of the things that Stoked devotees love the most), including the pineapple salsa, chipotle aioli, and coveted hot honey. In addition to a roster of regular offerings, Stoked has a line of vegan pizzas, too, with cheese and meat substitutes to suit every kind of palate.
Apizza by MIDA
Right near the TD Garden you’ll find Hub Hall, the modern food hall that hosts Apizza by MIDA, where two types of pizza are served: New Haven-style (thin, charred, crisp) and Roman-style, which is thicker and chewier. The New Haven Hot Mamma (Italian sausage, spicy tomato, green bell pepper, cheese) just may be the best in show.
Posto
This Cambridge stalwart from Joe Cassinelli continues to churn out the wood-fired pies that have made the spot so popular among locals. Yes, the standard pizzas are winners, but do try the off-beat apple pizza, featuring wood-fired apples, caramelized onions, fontina, gorgonzola, and a fresh bite of arugula.
Ducali Pizzeria & Bar
The North End may be known for its superlative Italian, but you can cast a wider net when it comes to the city’s best pizza. That said, when talking about Boston’s best ’za it would be criminal to overlook Ducali, which opened in 2009 in the North End. Pizzas are Roman-style — large-ish, crispy, and best enjoyed at the bar — and the Polpetta, a lobster pizza topped with mascarpone, guanciale, and mozzarella, is the restaurant’s signature dish.
All Star Pizza Bar
If the only thing that comes to mind when you hear “Cambridge” is “Harvard,” allow us to expand your knowledge of the area. A perennial neighborhood fave is All Star Pizza Bar, known for its brick-oven pizza. A roster of creative pies include the Atomic Meatloaf Meltdown — white sauce, jack cheese, mozzarella cheese, meatloaf, and red onion jam — and the Mr. Butternut, a white vegetarian pie with roasted butternut squash, mozzarella, goat cheese, roasted red grapes, and fresh rosemary.
Florina Pizzeria / Paninoteca
Long a Beacon Hill neighborhood favorite, Florina’s oblong pies are also available by the slice. The Margherita pizza is a sure bet, but if you’re looking for an added kick, don’t skip the Sausage Arrabiata, a pie studded with Italian sausage, garlic, basil, and plenty of crushed red pepper.
