Massachusetts: How A Great Barstool Review Impacted A South Shore Pizza Spot
Last Friday, I pulled up to a restaurant I frequent to pick up my typical pizza takeout order. But something was different. Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports had recently published a one bite review of Denly Gardens in Weymouth, and the impact was incredible.
It had been a month since the last time I visited this family-owned restaurant. Driving through the residential neighborhood where the corner establishment resides, I could see cars parked up and down the street. Their dedicated lot was completely full. After a few back-and-forth attempts, I finally snagged a spot.
As I walked up the steps, I heard the familiar squeak of the door flinging open, and then the sounds of a packed house. Patrons wrapped around the small bar where they kept ordering drinks simply because they, too, were waiting for their order. So, what was going on here?
Barstool Rated Denly Gardens a 8.1
On Portnoy’s scale, that’s a high score. The owner gave the crew a tour, explaining the family history of this old-fashioned pub-like establishment. That type of sentimental value typically resonates with Portnoy. However, the rest certainly revolves around the pizza. Denly’s, as we locals call it, is a thinner crust style pizza that uses a homemade tomato sauce and fresh cut mozzarella. Regardless of the topping you get, it’s full of flavor.
As I found my spot against the wall of the restaurant I overhead a gentlemen discussing how “Portnoy was here.” He explained to his friend, who he brought in from Canton, that he had been coming to Denly’s since he was in high school, And, he pointed out, “[Now,] everybody knows about it.”
The takeout crowd ran so deep that some folks had to wait adjacent to the booth tables that were completely filled with guests dining in. Wait times for just pizzas ran up to two hours. The staff may have still been adjusting to this rush of new customers, as some call-in orders (including myself) were told to pick up in an hour. Two hours, and two beers later, we paid our cash and were ready to go. Upon first bite, you quickly realize it was worth the wait.
This may sound like a complaint or a negative experience, but really, it was the opposite. It was great and inspiring to see this local place get such love and interest. I don’t believe they “needed” the boost to keep going, but certainly the Barstool impact was real and palpable. As you may recall, their Barstool Fund, started over the pandemic, has now raised over $41,000,000. It has helped 443 small businesses.
As I left, I approached my car and placed my four pizza boxes on the front seat of my car. The couple in the car next to me were talking about how much they loved their pizza. The female eluded to the male that she was with that they may have to switch their Friday night spot to Denly Gardens instead of their local place in Stoughton (about 30 minutes away).