The Upper Crust

(617) 723-9600

20 Charles St (Beacon Street)
Boston, MA 02114 42.3565 -71.0697

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Neighborhoods: Back Bay, Beacon Hill

THEUPPERCRUSTPIZZERIA.COM

Hours:

Mon-Wed 11:30am-10pm

Thu-Sun 11:30am-10:30pm

Price:

$$

Last updated 8.07.11

Category:

Catering, Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Cash, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Food Delivery, Cheap Eats, Carry Out

Cuisine:

Pizza

Smoking Permitted:

No

Other Locations:

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About The Upper Crust

Featured Review

Eric Grossman

Contributor

With its limited seating area--there's a 10-seat communal table and a few wall-mounted shelves--the Beacon Hill Upper Crust location lends itself to carry-out or free delivery service. Creative diners mix and match from an endless variety of gourmet toppings (arugula, baby clams, Canadian bacon), and the menu suggests several tantalizing combinations. The flavorful "white spinach" (spinach, garlic, mozzarella and feta with no tomato sauce) and the carnivore-friendly "state house" (hamburger, pepperoni and spicy Italian sausage) varieties both prove popular. Gooey calzones and fresh Greek and…

Editor's Tips

When to Go:
It may be across the Common, but Upper Crust is good for grabbing a quick bite before the theater.
ambiance
81.25% positive
  1. “normally don't like super-thin crust pizza, but I love the fun flavors at upper cr.”
  2. “Nice crust, great taste, nice decor.”
  3. “The family style open table dining is wicked fun and the staff efficient , engaging and entertaining!”
  4. “The staff is always nice and it has a nice little ambiance that other food places don't.”
  5. “this location has been open for about 5 years and your rude comments are the FIRST of their kind.”
  6. “Those kids work very hard at creating a great atmosphere to eat and you try to tear it down with that bs?”
  7. “The atmosphere was very warm.”
  8. “Plus, the funky decor is as good as the food.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Toppings are of the best quality, and their pie selection is very well thought out.”
  2. “had an amazing pie!”
  3. “The slices are as big as a New York slice, but better than most New York pie i've had.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “This is the best pizza in the city, bar none!”
  2. “This is true gourmet pizza - I just wish they had a wine list to go with it, because pizza this good deserves a nice bottle of chianti to go with it.”
  3. “Also if you are you owe me a beer and a perfect pizza if we get up that way lol.”
food quality
90.62999725341797% positive
  1. “You're going to be unhappy if you're in the mood for deep dish, and you may occassionally wind up with a pizza of mediocre quality but this is the exception rather than the rule.”
  2. “One of the best pizza places in Boston.”
  3. “There are not many places downtown to find a good slice of pizza.”
  4. “1st of all there pizza sauce is not only so thin u can't even taste it, but the flavor is nasty even too sweet if u ask me!”
  5. “don't get how ppls can say there pizza is the best!”
  6. “The pizza tastes fresh because it is.”
  7. “Great pizza!”
  8. “My demented friends and i will drive an hour to Upper Crust to have arguably the best pizza EVER!”
  9. “love pizza.”
  10. “Finally after a good 60+ minutes I asked where my slice is and he said "oh yea here it is" and took it from the top of the ovens (not in the ovens, but outside next to the boxes) and gave me a cold slice of pizza.”
  11. “The dough and toppings are fresh and the combinations are delicious.”
  12. “was reminded of how much I think of the Upper Crust as a great Neighbor as well as the best pizza in town.”
  13. “This is true gourmet pizza - I just wish they had a wine list to go with it, because pizza this good deserves a nice bottle of chianti to go with it.”
  14. “The buffalo chicken is great (for a thin crust pizza).”
  15. “The pizza was nice and hot while the toppings were plentiful.”
  16. “always heard that they had good pizza but when I went and tried it for myself I was obsessed!”
  17. “This is, hands down, the best pizza I have ever had (and I've had some za!)”
  18. “The featured slice of the day was sausage and basil, it was exactly what I was looking for, thin crust, fresh ingredients and a tasty sauce.”
  19. “The pizza here is great!”
  20. “The last time I was there, they had fresh squeezed lemonade outside the store which was great because it was extremely hot and it was very refreshing.”
  21. “the veggies are fresh, and they don't over do the cheese.”
  22. “Nothing beats Upper Crust for awesome pizza.”
  23. “This is, by far, the best pizza I have found outside of Napoli (the origin of this type of pizza).”
  24. “When i moved to Boston six years ago, my friend brought me to Beacon Hill and we went in to this cool little pizza place.”
  25. “The pizza alone at The Upper Crust makes it great, but it's also a good place to take a date in that it's aethetically pleasing with a post-modern look and feel.”
  26. “The staff is always nice and it has a nice little ambiance that other food places don't.”
  27. “The veggies were as fresh as I've ever had, and the creative specialty pizzas were a favorite of my wife (I stll say their margarita is the one to try if it is your first time - it is a 10!)”
  28. “Seriously keep it real the only way your gonna get this pizza to taste good!”
  29. “Really nice and crispy pizza, good tomato sauce.”
  30. “The Upper Crust makes the best pizza in Boston.”
  31. “This is by far the best pizza in town!”
  32. “Not only are the pizzas big (Large is 18, Small is 14), but they are very good.”
  33. “But the pizza, on average, really is quite good.”
  34. “The Upper Crust is great pizza.”
  35. “have loved the Upper Crust since day one - the pizza is consistently delicious - cheesy, crisp thin crust, slightly chewy, the best combinations - the one with eggplant and sundried tomatoes is my favorite!”
  36. “The Upper Crust Pizza is by far one of my favorite pizzas.”
  37. “Their thin crust is delicious, especially if ordered well-done.”
  38. “lOVE Pizza and would rather buy a pizza from NY Pizza or Nicole's mediterranean PIzza!”
  39. “think Im smitten with the thin crust, the great sauce, and the herb-dusted pizzas.”
  40. “As a low-carb vegetarian this is the best bet for pizza around!”
  41. “great pizza.”
  42. “It is worth the wait to find a seat to enjoy your slice of pizza or you can take it to go!”
  43. “This is the absolute best pizza I have ever eaten.”
  44. “Thin, crispy crust with lots of outstanding options to top it off, this pizza is perfect for low-carb living!”
  45. “Good pizza, okay service, bad delivery”
  46. “Realy good pizza - I order it once a month or so and then repeatedly whenever I have family visit from out of state because they're all obse.”
  47. “normally don't like super-thin crust pizza, but I love the fun flavors at upper cr.”
  48. “Great local pizza”
  49. “the dough was crisp, the viggies were fresh, and the environment was unique - to say the least.”
  50. “Every time I go there, the pizza and the service are outstanding.”
  51. “Most fantastic slice of pizza I've ever had”
  52. “this pizza is what pizza is supposed to be - the dough was fresh, the veggies were crisp, and the sauce was good enough to eat with a spoon.”
  53. “If you're willing to put up with a wait and service that barely acknowledges your existence (except for that $20 please), you will walk away with a great pizza.”
  54. “have eaten pizza across the world, spent many years in New York where I had many favorites but the Upper Crust in Beacon Hill has by far the best slice around.”
  55. “This is the best pizza in the city, bar none!”
  56. “Plus, the funky decor is as good as the food.”
  57. “This pizza place is good.”
  58. “love their pizza, it really just tastes so good.”
  59. “Too BaD good bread and they can't even hook up the ingredients RiGhT!”
  60. “Simply, great pizza!”
  61. “Pizza is my favorite food!”
  62. “As for the toppings, the veggies were all fresh, and you can really taste the difference - it's nice to go in there and actually watch them putting fresh toppings on dough that was just rolled out in front of you!”
  63. “wonderful place to get pizza with a nice staff!”
  64. “Up from the Cape and we stopped at Upper Crust and I have to say that I thought the pizza was fantastic.”
  65. “love Upper Crust's pizza!”
  66. “the pizza is huge!”
  67. “It was a marriage of the perfect amount of cheese, sauce, and toppings on a scrumptious crispy crust.”
  68. “this is, by far, the best pizza i have ever had.”
  69. “This is really good pizza at a great price.”
  70. “Huge pizzas, fresh everything.”
  71. “Great idea, and amazing pizza!”
  72. “The pizza suace again not great tasting, and too thin, the cheese wasn't even covering the bread!”
  73. “The crust is crispy, the specialty toppings are tasty (!)”
  74. “Caesar salad was good too.”
  75. “All the people there let me know that this must be a pretty popular place to eat and must have pretty good food.”
  76. “Awesome sauce, great chicken.”
  77. “So while I have had better "tasting" pizza, I still find myself coming here more frequently because the taste of this pizza is uniquely fresh which puts it over the top.”
  78. “This place produces an excellent, unpretentious pizza.”
  79. “I'll be short and sweet, it's really great pizza !”
  80. “We love the thin crust pizza in Beacon Hill.”
  81. “Without a question, the best crust, best pizza I've ever had!”
  82. “CONTRARY TO 'FROMBOSTON'S' REVIEW (which i don't believe for a second, as i eat at the upper crust 2-3 times a week and find it very well maintained and clean), this is some of the best pizza i have ever tried.”
  83. “The crust is fresh and tasty, the toppings are plentiful, and everything tastes as fresh as it is!”
  84. “The pizza is great -- perfect, thin crust; fresh ingredients; good olive oil but, best of all, the boys who work there are adorable.”
  85. “Also if you are you owe me a beer and a perfect pizza if we get up that way lol.”
  86. “The pizza is the best!”
  87. “thought it was a little strange given the time in the morning, so I poked my head in the open door and saw a big group of young kids laughing, kneading dough, and intently watching the staff members make a pizza.”
  88. “Upper Crust is one of the few pizzarias that breaks out of the canned sauce, chewy crust, cheap toppings, and poor cheese ranks which seem to rule the area.”
  89. “highly recommend the BBQ chicken pizza.”
  90. “Amazing pizza.”
  91. “Everyone loves pizza”
  92. “There seems to be a mentality here that because their pizza is so great, you should just be thankful they're talking to you.”
  93. “Just because a place is in Beacon Hill doesn't mean it has good food.”
  94. “It took a little while, but they've got a bunch of new pizzas, and if you like BBQ chicken, try it here!”
  95. “very good spot to get thin crust Neapolitan pizza.”
  96. “All i have to say is "roni" I am a traditionalist, I don't really like more than one topping on my pizza, so if I'm not grabbing a slice of roni for lunch and/or dinner, I get a small prosciutto and fresh basil well done.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Thin, crispy crust with lots of outstanding options to top it off, this pizza is perfect for low-carb living!”
  2. “UC is the place for a great slice -- their daily selections are creative and YUM!”
  3. “Toppings are of the best quality, and their pie selection is very well thought out.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “lot of young single people hang there and it's a great place to sit and read in the afternoon.”
  2. “The pizza alone at The Upper Crust makes it great, but it's also a good place to take a date in that it's aethetically pleasing with a post-modern look and feel.”
service
58.69999885559082% positive
  1. “Often this has to do with the ingredients (too much grease) or perhaps just slow or sloppy service.”
  2. “bad service!”
  3. “The family style open table dining is wicked fun and the staff efficient , engaging and entertaining!”
  4. “Good pizza, okay service, bad delivery”
  5. “The service was friendly.”
  6. “they've gotten my order wrong every time & the staff is rude and unhelpful.”
  7. “Soggy crust, and rude service.”
  8. “don't get why people love this place.”
  9. “Every time I go there, the pizza and the service are outstanding.”
  10. “also do not like the service.”
  11. “It was very busy, but the service was great and they do a great job of moving people in and out and make sure you get what you need.”
  12. “Pizza very average, service poor”
  13. “The staff is always nice and it has a nice little ambiance that other food places don't.”
  14. “this location has been open for about 5 years and your rude comments are the FIRST of their kind.”
  15. “The people there were very friendly and kept making sure all of the patrons were all set.”
  16. “The service is good but they are very busy, so you got to talk fast.”
  17. “wonderful place to get pizza with a nice staff!”
  18. “lot of young single people hang there and it's a great place to sit and read in the afternoon.”
  19. “thought it was a little strange given the time in the morning, so I poked my head in the open door and saw a big group of young kids laughing, kneading dough, and intently watching the staff members make a pizza.”
  20. “The service was horrible.”
  21. “All the people there let me know that this must be a pretty popular place to eat and must have pretty good food.”
  22. “If you're willing to put up with a wait and service that barely acknowledges your existence (except for that $20 please), you will walk away with a great pizza.”
  23. “was surprised by some of the other reviews I read, I thought that I got great service there and the staff was very friendly and would highly reccomend anyone to check it out.”
value
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. “Anyways, you've got to go there, perfect first date spot too, not too expensive and very casual.”
  2. “It is worth a try for the unique pies, but not more then once.”
  3. “This is really good pizza at a great price.”
  4. “Upper Crust is one of the few pizzarias that breaks out of the canned sauce, chewy crust, cheap toppings, and poor cheese ranks which seem to rule the area.”
  5. “the pizza is huge!”
  6. “The prices are very affordable as well.”
  7. “It is worth the wait to find a seat to enjoy your slice of pizza or you can take it to go!”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “Often this has to do with the ingredients (too much grease) or perhaps just slow or sloppy service.”
  2. “Finally after a good 60+ minutes I asked where my slice is and he said "oh yea here it is" and took it from the top of the ovens (not in the ovens, but outside next to the boxes) and gave me a cold slice of pizza.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/09/11

Great food, superb service

by Vikt at Citysearch

We will come back for another delicious meal and service.

Thanks.

1 Star Rating: Poor

12/05/10

Do I have to give a star?

by krickkin at Citysearch

There are MANY reasons I don't like UPPER CRUST (see latest Boston Globe) but personally I think that the pizza is terrible..too thin, too expensive and flavorless. I think Sweet Tomatoes has the best pizza in Boston.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

05/16/10

Great local pizza

by Eminboston at Citysearch

The Upper Crust makes the best pizza in Boston. Some earlier reviews said the crust was too thin and the sauce spread too thin and sweet. That's what makes this pizza GREAT. It's not all crust. I can split a pizza with someone and not feel bloated and comatose. This is as consistently close to the pizza you get in NY that you'll ever find in Boston. The guys that work there are all regular guys that work hard and the place has a great vibe. I've been to some other locations but the one on Charles Street will always be my favorite. My two favorite pizzas are the grilled chicken and the hawaiian.

  • Pros: great pizza
  • Cons: forget about parking
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/02/10

Damm there Pizza IS BaD!!!

by Michelle Pimentel at Citysearch

I don't get how ppls can say there pizza is the best! Have ppls lost there taste buds!!!!!! 1st of all there pizza sauce is not only so thin u can't even taste it, but the flavor is nasty even too sweet if u ask me! I ordered a Hawaiian pizza! The pizza suace again not great tasting, and too thin, the cheese wasn't even covering the bread! That's how poorly these ppl cover there pizza! & super over priced!! I could'nt believe that,,, LMAO,, the only thing that was worth swallowing was the bread that was made in the brick oven!!! Too BaD good bread and they can't even hook up the ingredients RiGhT!!! I lOVE Pizza and would rather buy a pizza from NY Pizza or Nicole's mediterranean PIzza!! NoW that's YUM, YUM!!! Seriously keep it real the only way your gonna get this pizza to taste good! is by telling them to add more sauce, cheese and toppings!! and NoW your LooKiN AT A $30 pizza!! WhAt A Ripp Off these ppl are!!! These ppl must have paid so much to false advertise there pizza!! HAHAHA,, to you ppls that are lien to the public!!!!! SHAME ON U......

  • Cons: Taste Is nasty,,,
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/10/10

Still on top

by Alex Rosenzweig , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

No matter how you slice it, the folks at Upper Crust know what they are doing. This is one of the top pizza chains in Boston, though sadly I would have loved them to keep the formula to less not more locations. Something gets lost when you go from niche to being everywhere. I've now been to almost all Boston locations + cambridge, except for the financial district, and can confirm that these guys know what they are doing. I still like to go the Beacon Hill original location for its nostalgic roots. It's worth it to just sit and watch them make a pie, and see how much care goes into each creation. Job well done. Your hungry to the core patron.

  • Pros: Quality pizza, locations, taste
  • Cons: Becoming a chain

The Details on The Upper Crust

Place Categories:

  • best local pizza
  • great service
  • great thin crust
  • best slice
  • good little pizza place
  • great specialty toppings
  • rude staff
  • too thin superthin crust pizza
  • great pies
  • favorite food
  • all fresh veggies
  • unique slice combinations
  • fresh dough
  • fresh ingredients
  • loved upper crust
  • amazing bbq chicken pizza
  • very affordable price
  • like bbq chicken
  • great atmosphere
  • yum now
  • great taste
  • fresh everything
  • nice funky decor
  • good tomato sauce
  • yum daily selections
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