Santarpio's Pizza

Recommends

Eric Grossman

Joined 10 years ago

After 100 years, this convivial Italian pizzeria still charms newcomers and longtime neighborhood regulars with the basics.. The Scene
Locals, some of them of Italian lineage, flock to this local institution to soak up the atmosphere. Some posters and photographs hanging on the windowless wooden walls date back to the restaurant's days as an all-male establishment, serving slices for five cents apiece. Local characters sip at a long bar, while diners take a seat in wooden booths. Smoke from the grill intermingles with amiable chatter, Frank Sinatra tunes and the aroma of authentic, homemade Italian marinara. Friendly waiters snag any opportunity for a good wisecrack.

The Food
Pizza comes in one size: Large (12 inches). A small amount of cheese and lots of wonderfully sweet, fresh-tasting marinara cover a crust of medium thickness. The list of toppings sticks strictly to the basics. Charred lamb chunks and large, juicy pork sausages are surprising additions to the otherwise exclusive pizza menu, but customers love them as sides or appetizers.

Recommends

Substantial

Joined 5 years ago

An experience to remember. 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.

Doesn't Recommend

Sfgogs

Joined 5 years ago

This place is the worst of the worst. 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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doesn't Recommend

jimmy2112

Joined 6 years ago

Horrible. 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.

Doesn't Recommend

spanner26

Joined 6 years ago

Was a GREAT Pizza Place. Not even close anymore. 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 !!!!!!!!

Recommends

babsyeastie

Joined 6 years ago

A Class of Its Own!. 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....

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!

It's worth the experience and the food... TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT!!

Recommends

ricf964

Joined 6 years ago

Sorry, didn't do it for us. 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.

I would never recommend Santarpios to someone without a caveat. In fact, I actually think DiGiorno's is better.

Recommends

bobbyinboston

Joined 6 years ago

the pizza's great...the decor - not so much. "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."

Recommends

jonnorthend

Joined 6 years ago

BEST PIZZA IN MASS. I lived in the North End for 10 years and would go to Santarpio's at least once a week. Best sauce and crust. Highly recommend the gralic pizza and the bbq combo (sausage and lamb tips) cooked on their indoor charcoal grill. Great casual old school envirnoment that has stood the test of time.

Recommends

madginmgs

Joined 6 years ago

the food is excellent, waiters not so much. I have been dining out at Santarpio?s for more than 4 years. I cannot complain about the food but the waiters are sometimes impertinent, some of them don?t pay any attention to their clients at all.

For instance, today, after spending almost one hour time, there and having interaction with the waiter 6- 7 times during my stay, at the end I handed to the waiter the total amount due + 30% tip and asked him for another glass of water for my wife. We stayed 5 more minutes at the table after I paid the check, On our way out the waiter came after us (yelling ) to tell me that I left without paying and embarrassing me in front of dozen of people waiting in line.

Respectful, I told him that I paid $ x amount and remembered him that I handed the money to him, then he went: yeah? I remember?. And that?s was it..

I thought that 30% is a good tip?apparently they don?t give a s?, Next time I will not leave any tip and I am sure I will be remembered.