Massachusetts: 6 Boston Area Pizza Restaurants Named In Yelp’s Top 100 Of 2024

It's certainly not surprising that New Englanders love a great pizzeria. Yelp recently published their top 100 pizza restaurants of 2024 and six establishments in the greater Boston area made the list. What is surprising is some of the names among the six.

You may be expecting to see the standard establishments like Pizzeria Regina in the North End. However, Yelp tapped into their greater community to dig deeper and identify some places making great pizza that residents need to know about.

Here's what else you need to know about this list. Yelp cast a wide pizza net. Meaning, toppings are considered as well as styles. You will find traditional, deep dish, square pie, Detroit style, and everything else possible named here.

Overall, New York and California were the pizza champions of the country. Collectively, these two states take up 20% of the list. However, Pequod's in Chicago took home the number one ranking. Another fun fact is that pepperoni is the most popular topping. In addition, numerous square-style pies have been on the rise. "Other square-pan pizzas, like thick, chewy Sicilian or grandma-style—which is thicker than Neapolitan or New York-style pizza, but thinner than Sicilian or Detroit-style—are quickly gaining nationwide popularity, too," Yelp explained.

To summarize the Yelp Boston pizza love, Santarpio's is likely the most commonly known name and establishment. The Russell House, which was the highest-ranked Massachusetts joint to appear, has an extensive menu that also includes a raw bar.

The best news here may be that each of the Massachusetts pizza establishments named here are within a short distance from each other. So if you are feeling ambitious, you can hit them all on a one-day pizza tour.

I'm a guy who moved from New Jersey to Boston; growing up, Sicilian pizza was pretty easily available. I incorrectly assumed that all Americans enjoyed this kind of pizza selection. However, when I moved to Boston, I realized that it's much harder to find that delicacy here. But there are also a few unique places that are cooking up Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts.

As an expert on Sicilian, I will tell you that it has to be prepared properly in order for it to be worth the calories. Here, I will detail three establishments where you can find great Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts. Sure, you may have to travel a bit, but these places are worth your time.

Before we cut into this delicious style of pie, let’s define our terms. Traditional Sicilian pizza is cut into square or rectangular-shaped slices. The crust is thicker and crunchy. Though this pizza is obviously heavier, it still can be topped with your favorite pizza add-ons. A sprinkle of oregano is a subtle but often important finishing.

Though strip pizza in Rhode Island is similar, one significant difference with Sicilian is that it is not baked on a focaccia style dough. In fact, Palermo Pizza NJ defines what distinguishes Sicilian Pizza and what makes it different from regular pizza. “The dough rises differently with this kind of crust because more oil is used in the recipe as opposed to a regular pizza crust recipe,” they said, when describing how this is made in a rectangular pan.

In Massachusetts, the three locations that are serving up great Sicilian Pizza are quite different from each other, but have this menu item in common. One of them happens to be a favorite of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Tucked into a quaint New England, Harvard Square street, Pinocchio's is where you need to go if you want Sicilian pizza of all varieties. It's also where you will see Mark Zuckerberg's photo all over the wall. This was the go-to spot for Zuck while he was attending Harvard. In fact, it's a place he still makes sure to stop into when in town. As for the pizza, there are 20 different toppings you can find atop the hot Sicilian pies. These pies come in a 9-slice or 15-slice size option. The 15-slice pie comes in two boxes and can feed up to nine people. During the school months, Pinocchio's stays open until 2 am on weekends.

At 289 Hanover Street in the North End of Boston, Umberto's can be easy to miss. However, once you recognize their old-school sign, you know you are in for a treat. They are old-school: it is a cash-only establishment where the large trays of piping hot Sicilian pies are continuously served. Typically, it's cheese only, but you will not be disappointed as no other flavor is needed. The single line usually reaches the door, but it moves quickly. It also gives you time to decide which arancini (their famous rice ball) you'd like to add to your order.

Leone's Pizza and Sub has been family-owned and operated since 1954. They are located right on Broadway and open seven days per week, from 8 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Their Sicilian pizza is the standard menu option here. It is available by the slice, in a half tray or full tray. The whole tray also comes in two boxes (16 slice) and costs $40. Their Sicilian pies also come in a tomato basil option and a spinach and garlic. Leone's sub menu contains over 30 options. This includes a fried meatball sub.

Right in the heart of Cleveland Circle, Pino's is a fan-favorite of Boston College students. Though the crust is a perfect combination of pillow and crunch, the secret here is actually in the sauce. Pino's describes it as "delicious, garlicky tomato sauce with in-house seasoning, cooked on a pan." $20 gets you nine Sicilian slices at Pino's. If you want to add variety to your order, they also have alfredo pies, white pies, and buffalo chicken. Like Pinocchio's, Pino's stays open until the early morning hours on the weekend to help accommodate the college crowd.