When East Boston locals talk about pizza, one name rises above the rest like smoke from a charcoal grill.
Santarpio’s Pizza has been turning out legendary pies since 1903, when it started as a humble bakery under Francesco Santarpio.
Fast forward to 1933, and the family began crafting pizzas that would eventually earn them spots on best-of lists nationwide.
This family-owned gem survived over a century by keeping things refreshingly simple: thin-crust pizza, charcoal-grilled meats, and zero pretense.
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How Santarpio’s Won Massachusett Hearts
The story of how Santarpio’s captured Boston’s pizza-loving soul starts with a sacrifice that changed everything.
Joseph Santarpio, Francesco’s son, turned down an offer to play for the New York Yankees to run his father’s bakery.
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That decision meant Boston got to keep one of its greatest pizza destinations instead of losing a promising athlete to New York.
After Prohibition ended, the bakery evolved into a bar serving lunchtime fare, and by the 1940s, Joseph’s brother-in-law Joe Timpone started making pizzas at night while working as a mason during the day.
The third generation took over in the 1960s when Joseph’s son Frank assumed control, dedicating himself to the pizzeria six or seven days a week for decades.
Now under fourth-generation ownership with siblings Joia, Joe, Frank, and Carla Santarpio, the restaurant maintains its commitment to quality over flash.
What truly won hearts was the family’s refusal to change with trendy times.
Santarpio’s kept things stripped down: a thin crust, fresh-cut mozzarella, plain tomato sauce without fancy herbs, and traditional toppings like sausage, peppers, and onions.
They assemble pizzas “upside-down” by adding toppings first, then cheese, and finally sauce before cooking until the crust becomes crunchy and crispy.
This simplicity became their signature.
Food & Wine named them among the best pizza places in the US, while Boston Magazine awarded them Best Traditional Pizza in New England seven times over 20 years.
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The Daily Meal ranked them #7 in America’s best pizzas in 2020.
Celebrities including Ben Affleck, Jay Leno, and even the Red Sox with their World Series trophy have made pilgrimages here.
The secret? 🍕 They do a few things really well rather than making everything merely good.
Generations of East Boston families grew up with Santarpio’s, and word spread from neighborhood secret to must-visit destination.
Food Highlights
Italian Cheese and Garlic Pizza: This simple yet perfect combination features fresh Italian cheese topped with aromatic garlic and a sprinkle of oregano, creating a flavor bomb that showcases how quality ingredients need minimal embellishment to shine.
The garlic adds punch without overwhelming the creamy cheese and sweet-tangy sauce underneath.
Customers consistently call this one of the best garlic pizzas imaginable, making it a must-order for first-timers and regulars alike who crave straightforward, powerful flavors.
Italian Cheese, Sausage, and Garlic Pizza: Santarpio’s most popular pie combines their house-made Italian sausage with garlic and cheese, creating a wonderfully spicy masterpiece that regulars order by name.
The sausage is char-crusted and high-spiced, making it spectacular enough to be ordered as its own appetizer with hot cherry peppers and crusty Italian bread.
This combination won recognition from food critics nationwide and represents everything the restaurant does best in delivering bold, memorable flavors that keep people coming back decade after decade.
Italian Cheese, Pepperoni, Garlic, and Hot Peppers Pizza: For those who crave heat, this favorite combination layers pepperoni slices under the cheese along with garlic and hot cherry peppers, creating a spicy, garlicky experience that builds with each bite while the cornmeal-dusted crust adds textural contrast.
The pepperoni gets perfectly crispy beneath the cheese layer, and the hot peppers provide a vinegary kick that cuts through the richness, making this pizza addictively balanced for heat seekers who want complexity beyond simple spice.
Italian Cheese, Chicken, Broccoli, and Garlic Pizza (Served White): This white pizza without red sauce features tender chicken pieces, fresh broccoli, and garlic over a cheese base, offering a lighter but equally satisfying option that regulars swear by as an institution favorite worth ordering every visit.
The absence of tomato sauce lets the garlic oil shine through, creating a different flavor profile that showcases the quality of their chicken and the freshness of their vegetables in ways red sauce would mask completely.
The Works Pizza: For the truly adventurous, this loaded masterpiece packs mushrooms, onions, peppers, garlic, sausage, pepperoni, extra cheese, and anchovies onto one pie, creating a symphony of flavors that showcases every topping Santarpio’s does well, though the crust may soften under the weight of this delicious abundance.
It’s the ultimate test of whether you can handle everything this legendary pizzeria offers simultaneously, and fans say it’s absolutely worth the potential cheese slippage for the explosion of tastes in every bite.
Shrimp Scampi Pizza (Served White): This unexpected gem features shrimp and garlic on a white pizza base without red sauce, offering a seafood twist on traditional pizza that brings coastal New England flavors to the table and keeps adventurous eaters coming back.
The shrimp stays tender and juicy, while the garlic creates an aromatic experience that feels more like your favorite Italian seafood dish transformed into pizza form, proving Santarpio’s can innovate while staying true to their roots.
Atmosphere
Santarpio’s atmosphere transports visitors straight back to old-school Boston.
The restaurant occupies the first floor of a triple-decker building with wood paneling covering the walls and boxing posters creating a vintage sports bar vibe that feels authentically Boston rather than manufactured nostalgia.
There are no windows, and the parking situation is basically nonexistent, but that’s all part of the charm that makes this place feel like a hidden neighborhood secret even though people travel from across the country.
The moment you walk in, smoke and garlic from the charcoal grill hits you immediately.
🔥 That grill sits right inside the front door behind a tiny bar, where cooks prepare lamb skewers, steak tips, and homemade sausage over open flames throughout service, adding immeasurably to the restaurant’s character with smoky aromas that make your mouth water before you even order.
Seating options include wooden booths with torn leather cushions or spots at the bar where you can watch the action unfold.
The staff has a reputation for being efficient if brusque, with take-no-prisoners waitresses carrying battered metal trays through the crowded space with the kind of no-nonsense attitude that only adds to the authentic experience of dining at a place that doesn’t need to impress anyone.
It’s loud and festive, filled with regulars who’ve been coming for decades alongside first-timers making their pilgrimage after reading about this legendary spot online or hearing about it from locals.
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The walls showcase photos of famous patrons including celebrities and politicians, plus various awards from Boston Magazine over the years proving this place has earned its stripes.
There’s even a photo of JFK campaigning outside the restaurant above the bar, a reminder that this establishment has been part of Boston political and cultural history for generations.
This place feels like stepping into an old Italian mafia movie set, where time never passed and the focus remains purely on great food and local character rather than Instagram-worthy decor.
Don’t expect quiet or intimate dining—expect authentic Boston grit with a side of nostalgia and the satisfaction of eating at a place that has earned every bit of its legendary reputation.
The vibe says you’re eating where generations of East Boston families have celebrated, commiserated, and connected over slices that taste exactly like they did decades ago.
Bottom Line
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Over 120 years of family tradition means they’ve perfected their craft across four generations of dedicated ownership
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Ranked #7 in America by The Daily Meal and repeatedly named best pizza by Boston Magazine over decades
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Thin, crispy crust with cornmeal creates the perfect balance of crunch and chew that defines Boston-style pizza
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House-made Italian sausage and charcoal-grilled meats add smokiness you can’t replicate with gas or electric cooking
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Authentic old-school atmosphere that refuses to modernize or lose its East Boston working-class charm 🎯
Address: 111 Chelsea St, Boston, MA 02128
📞 (617) 567-9871
🕐 Open Daily, 11:30 AM–10:00 PM