Bar Stool Sports founder Dave Portnoy of Swampscott certainly loves a good bar pie.
Ever since 2013, Portnoy has been reviewing pizzas as part of his famous online video series: One Bite Pizza Reviews.
Portnoy grades a pizza shop off his personal criteria: the store-owners' vibes and the attitude of the patrons eating there, the ambience and atmosphere of the place and, arguably the most important part: the quality of the pie.
Lower ratings on Portnoy's scale tend to be around 6.0 to 7.5. In 2024, the best pizza places Portnoy reviewed in Massachusetts only got a 8.1 or greater from the Barstool head.
These are the best pizza restaurants in the state of all time, only 9.2 and above, according to Portnoy's pizza reviews.
Rosie's Pizzeria — Braintree, Mass.
Portnoy came to Rosie's Pizzeria at 305 Pond St. and got a whole pie on the house. It may have helped that he was in full Boston Bruins gear, but nevertheless, he got the chance to taste and rate the Braintree establishment.
"This is excellent pizza," Portnoy said. "This is what eating pizza is all about: light, super light, super fluffy. I'm loving every second of this."
He gave Rosie's Pizzeria a 9.2 out of 10.
Halftime King of Pizza — Boston, Mass.
Conducting a pizza review within the establishment itself and surrounded by sports fans, Portnoy was primed and ready when he reviewed Halftime King of Pizza at 115 Causeway St.
Portnoy said in the review that this is being filmed during Game 1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers-Boston Celtics series of the Eastern Conference Finals, which occurred on May 17, 2017.
"In honor of this city, in honor of rising up, this is a 9.2," Portnoy said. "One bite, everybody knows the rules."
This pizza review can only be found on the One Bite Pizza Reviews website; you can watch it here.
Oath Pizza — Nantucket, Mass.
Portnoy came to Oath Pizza at 44 Straight Wharf for pizza. He certainly got that as well as an infamous picture of him in a "Crust Fund Baby" t-shirt.
"This is great pizza, not good pizza," Portnoy said. "Great pizza."
Portnoy gave Oath Pizza 9.3 out of 10.
This pizza review can only be found on the One Bite Pizza Reviews website; you can watch it here.
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana — Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Portnoy was disappointed when he came to Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana at 199 Boylston St. and learned that there would be an hour-long wait for a to-go order of pizza. However, the wait did not destroy the score.
"It's a good pizza," Portnoy said. "Strong, strong, that's how you ride a Cadillac, with Pepe's pizza."
Portnoy gave Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana on Chestnut Hill a 9.4.
This pizza review can only be found on the One Bite Pizza Reviews website; you can watch it here.
Monte's Restaurant — Lynn, Mass.
Monte's Restaurant at 141 Eastern Ave is Portnoy's only 10.0 out of 10.0 One Bite Pizza Review rating in his nearly 12 years of making pizza reviews.
"Everything everybody's been saying about this pizza: the sauce, the crisp, the texture; this is the best pizza I've had during my pizza reviews," Portnoy said.
The full pizza review can only be found on the One Bite Pizza Reviews website; you can watch it here.