Baltimore, Maryland, is a city that takes its food seriously — and when it comes to legendary locally-owned pizza, few institutions command more respect than Matthew’s Pizza in the heart of Highlandtown.
Matthew’s has been doing things the same honest, time-tested way since 1943, making it the oldest continuously operating pizzeria in Baltimore — and one of the most beloved in the entire Mid-Atlantic.
One bite of their signature crust and you’ll understand immediately why generations of Baltimoreans have never needed to look anywhere else. 🍕
How Matthew’s Pizza Won Baltimore’s Hearts
The story of Matthew’s Pizza is, at its core, a story about staying true to yourself when everything around you is changing.
Founded in 1943 by Matthew Cacciolo on Eastern Avenue in Baltimore’s tight-knit Highlandtown neighborhood, the pizzeria was born into a community of working-class Italian-American families who knew exactly what good pizza tasted like — and would not accept anything less. 🇮🇹
From day one, Matthew’s built its reputation on a thin, crispy crust that manages to be simultaneously light and structurally sturdy, topped with a sweet, slow-cooked tomato sauce and generous layers of quality ingredients.
What makes Matthew’s story even more remarkable is its resilience through decades of neighborhood change.
Highlandtown has transformed significantly since 1943, evolving from a dense Italian immigrant enclave into one of Baltimore’s most culturally diverse and artistically vibrant communities — and Matthew’s has remained a constant, beloved anchor through every chapter of that evolution.
The restaurant passed through family hands over the decades, and each generation of ownership has maintained the same fierce commitment to quality over shortcuts that Matthew Cacciolo originally instilled.
Regulars who grew up eating Matthew’s pizza with their parents now bring their own children, and that multigenerational loyalty is the most powerful testament to what this place represents. ❤️
That’s the kind of reputation you can only build one pie at a time, over more than eighty years of doing things right. 🏆
Food Highlights 🍕
- Crab Pizza: The undisputed signature of Matthew’s and a love letter to Baltimore itself — jumbo lump crab meat piled onto their classic crust with Old Bay seasoning and mozzarella. 🦀
- Pepperoni Pizza: Classic cupped pepperoni layered over house sauce and mozzarella on that legendary thin crust — the gold standard of the traditional pie. 🍕
The Original Cheese Pizza: The foundation of everything Matthew’s stands for — thin, crackly crust topped with sweet house tomato sauce and a generous blanket of mozzarella — deceptively simple, absolutely iconic. 🧀
BBQ Chicken Pizza: Tender grilled chicken, smoky BBQ sauce, mozzarella, and a perfectly blistered thin crust — a crowd-pleasing modern classic. 🍗🔥
White Pizza: A sauceless pie finished with olive oil, fresh garlic, ricotta, and mozzarella — creamy, aromatic, and utterly satisfying. 🧄
Sausage Pizza: Generous crumbles of seasoned Italian sausage over house tomato sauce and melted mozzarella — robust, savory, and packed with flavor. 🌿
- Meat Lovers Pizza: A carnivore’s dream loaded with pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and ham piled high over house tomato sauce and melted mozzarella.
- The Everything Pizza: Exactly what it sounds like — every topping, maximum flavor, zero compromises — this kitchen-sink pie is the ultimate expression of Matthew’s topping generosity and the undisputed crowd-pleaser
Atmosphere
Stepping into Matthew’s Pizza feels like stepping back into Baltimore’s past — and that’s meant as the highest possible compliment. 🕰️
The dining room is unpretentious and warm, with vinyl booths, checkered floors, and the kind of lived-in charm that only decades of loyal customers can create.
The BYOB setup keeps things casual and communal — tables of friends, multigenerational families, and solo regulars all share the same easy, unhurried energy that defines a true neighborhood institution.
It’s loud, it’s lively, it smells incredible, and it feels like exactly where you’re supposed to be. 🏘️
Bottom Line
Why Matthew’s Pizza belongs on every Baltimore itinerary: It’s the oldest pizzeria in Baltimore, operating since 1943 with the same legendary thin-crust recipe; the Crab Pizza alone is worth the trip — there is nothing else like it anywhere; it’s a multigenerational neighborhood institution that defines Highlandtown’s identity; and proof that when something is truly great, it never needs to change 🏆
Address:
3131 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224
📞 (410) 276-8755
🕔 Wed–Thu 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Fri 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Sat 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Sun 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Closed Mon–Tue)