TripAdvisor Claims Boston Has The Best Pizzeria In The U.S. And As A Bostonian I Cannot, In Good Conscience, Accept The Award

iStockphoto


After getting bamboozled by the Red Sox in the ALDS, New York can at least hang its reputation as one of the country’s prime pizza cities. Well, the world’s largest travel site may have something to say about that.

TripAdvisor announced the top restaurants and cities for pizza in the U.S., based on millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor diners, with more weight to reviews received in the past year.

The best pizza in the country can be found in New York Chicago ….Boston! Hmm. How convenient for a Massachusetts-based company.

I’m from Boston and used to live a stone’s throw from TripAdvisor’s number 1 ranked pizza spot, Regina Pizzeria. I’ve stood in the line you see below many times. I’ve eaten it drunk, sober, and somewhere in between. It is excellent pizza with an old school vibe, family vibe that undeniably adds to its charm.

I would die defending my city, but even I have a shred of integrity left. Regina is most certainly not the best slice in America. I live in New York now and Prince Pizza Pepperoni Sicilian slice is the best I’ve ever had. L&B Spumoni Gardens deep in Brooklyn is not far behind. Both edge out Regina, objectively. And this is coming from a guy who thinks they didn’t have enough evidence to put Aaron Hernandez behind bars. Joke. Kinda.

My preference aside, here is the Trip Advisor’s definitive list of Top 10 U.S. Pizza Restaurants:

1. Regina Pizzeria– Boston, Massachusetts

Since 1926, guests have been flocking to Boston’s “Little Italy” in the North End for a taste of Regina’s famous brick-oven, thin-crust pizzas. At this local staple, known as “Boston’s original pizzeria,” diners wait in line for the spicy sauce, salty cheese and fresh, local ingredients.

2. Bleecker Street Pizza– New York City, New York

Located in the West Village of Manhattan, “BSP” has been serving up its mouthwatering homemade sauce and classic New York foldable, triangle slices for 14 years. This tiny, authentic Tuscan-style pizza joint has recently expanded to offer additional seating for 35-40 pizza lovers.

3. Modern Apizza– New Haven, Connecticut

Founded in 1934, Modern is known for its coal-fired brick oven that serves New Haven-style thin-crust pizza. It’s also famous for piling on the toppings, which makes the “Italian Bomb” its most popular pie.

4. Home Slice Pizza– Austin, Texas

With more than 20 toppings to choose from, this casual pizzeria has been serving homemade New York-style slices since 2006. Guest can dine-in or grab-and-go from the take-out window and eat in the outdoor seating area.

5. Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria– Anchorage, Alaska

Founded in 1996, Moose’s Tooth serves creative gourmet hand-tossed, stone-baked pizza. The restaurant also has a brewery onsite featuring Broken Tooth Brewing beer and even a theater section.

6. Juliana’s Pizza– Brooklyn, New York

Patsy and Carol Grimaldi sold their famous namesake restaurant under the Brooklyn Bridge years ago, and now they’re back with Juliana’s, named after Patsy’s mother. This Neapolitan-style pizzeria makes pies in a coal-fired oven, producing a crisp and airy crust.

7. Five Points Pizza– Nashville, Tennessee

This East Nashville location makes large, New York-style dough, made from scratch daily, aged in-house, hand-tossed, and topped with hand-crushed plum tomato sauce and house-shredded mozzarella. Pizzas are baked to order on two-inch bricks in old-school, gas-fired deck ovens.

8. Joey’s House of Pizza– Nashville, Tennessee

Joey’s is an authentic family-owned and operated New York-style pizzeria founded in 1999. With Brooklyn roots and Italian heritage, the staff makes hand-tossed pizza by the slice, from scratch, with fresh ingredients and Sicilian or double stuffed slices.

9. Andolini’s Pizzeria– Tulsa, Oklahoma

The Andolini family began near Naples, Italy, before landing in Oklahoma, where they perfected “Tulsa-style” pizza in a Roto-Flex oven. Guests can enjoy New York-inspired pizzas with imported toppings, house-made mozzarella and a sprawling beer menu.

10. Duetto Pizza and Gelato – Key West, Florida 

This small eatery in the heart of Key West serves thin-crust pizzas in more than 20 varieties at great prices. Guest who want the full taste of Italy can also try 15 homemade gelato flavors.

Top 10 U.S. Pizza Cities (And Where to Go for the Perfect Slice), via the TripAdvisor website:

1.New York City, New York

2.Chicago, Illinois

3.Las Vegas, Nevada

4.San Francisco, California

5.Orlando, Florida

6.Seattle, Washington

7.Boston, Massachusetts

8.San Diego, California

9.Atlanta, Georgia

10.Washington, D.C.

I guess as a Bostonian, a W is a W, but I wouldn’t be insulted if the rest of the country puts an asterisk next to this victory.

 

Matt Keohan Avatar
Matt’s love of writing was born during a sixth grade assembly when it was announced that his essay titled “Why Drugs Are Bad” had taken first prize in D.A.R.E.’s grade-wide contest. The anti-drug people gave him a $50 savings bond for his brave contribution to crime-fighting, and upon the bond’s maturity 10 years later, he used it to buy his very first bag of marijuana.