Take a turn anywhere in Greater Boston, and you’re bound to find a pizzeria. Whether it’s an old-school slice shop with paper plates, a trendy Detroit-style spot, or a blackened wood-fired pizza joint, Boston has no shortage of options. However, unlike cities such as New York, Chicago, New Haven, or Trenton—where distinctive, well-defined pizza styles are deeply ingrained in their food identities—Boston lacks an officially recognized pizza style bearing its name.
Boston owes its vibrant pizza scene to the waves of Italian immigrants who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much like those other pizza-centric cities. Yet, the city never developed a single, dominant style that became synonymous with its name. According to Colin Caplan, a self-proclaimed pizza historian based in New Haven, Boston deserves recognition for what could have been “Old Boston-style pizza.” Caplan, who has spent years researching the evolution of pizza, notes that certain vintage Boston-area pizzerias still serve pies reminiscent of early Italian-American techniques seen in cities like New Haven and Trenton.
Among the most famous examples are Regina Pizzeria, which has been operating since 1926, and Santarpio’s, which dates back to 1903. These pizzerias utilize a mix of traditional Italian techniques, including thin-crust, hearth-baked pies that are served whole rather than by the slice—similar to the early pizza-making methods seen in New York before the city embraced its now-famous foldable slices. Notably, Santarpio’s has a distinctive “upside-down” preparation method, where cheese and toppings are layered beneath the tomato sauce. This technique closely resembles the Trenton tomato pie, another historic style.
Other pizzerias, like Casa Pizzeria in Ludlow, pay homage to these traditions with menu items such as the “Bostonian upside-down crust” and “Old Fashion pizza,” both inspired by a legendary Boston pizzeria known for placing cheese beneath the sauce.
Why Didn’t Boston-Style Pizza Become a Recognized Thing?
Unlike in New York or Chicago, where specific styles were clearly defined and marketed over time, Boston’s food scene gravitated toward other well-known local specialties—such as clam chowder, baked beans, and Boston cream pie. Additionally, the city saw the rise of competing pizza styles, making it harder for a singular “Boston-style” to emerge.
One such alternative was Greek-style pizza, introduced by Greek immigrants in the 1950s. Unlike the hearth-baked pies of Boston’s Italian-American pizzerias, Greek-style pizza is cooked in a pan, giving it a thicker, oilier crust. It also commonly features cheddar cheese rather than mozzarella. Greek-style pizza became a staple in Massachusetts and beyond, particularly in House of Pizza establishments across New England.
South of Boston, another variation took shape: South Shore bar pizza. This style, which originated in Brockton, is a 10-inch pan pizza with a thin, crispy crust, a mix of mozzarella and cheddar, and heavily caramelized, almost burnt edges. While bar pizza is highly distinct and unique to the region, it is more closely associated with the South Shore rather than Boston proper.
Scott Riebling, co-founder of Stoked Pizza, argues that if Boston were to claim any pizza style as its own, bar pizza would be the closest contender—though ironically, bar pizza isn’t widely found within Boston itself.
“South Shore bar pizza is totally unique,” Riebling explains. “There’s nothing else like it anywhere.”
Is There Still a Chance to Define ‘Boston-Style’ Pizza?
Unlike language, where words naturally evolve and take root, regional food names are often shaped by external recognition rather than self-designation. Caplan notes that the trend of naming pizza styles only gained traction in the mid-20th century. Even the now-famous term “New York-style pizza” was never coined by locals but rather by outsiders attempting to categorize it.
Despite this, evidence suggests that “Boston-style pizza” was once used in marketing. Caplan uncovered a 1952 advertisement in the Fitchburg Sentinel, where the Marconi Club invited patrons to “try our Boston-style pizza.”
Meanwhile, Canada’s Boston Pizza chain has sparked its own controversy. When Boston Market sued the company over its name, one of the legal claims was that “Boston Pizza” was not a trademarkable term because it referred to a specific regional pizza style—though no official definition of that style was provided.
Adding to the confusion, Santarpio’s Wikipedia page once claimed that the restaurant was known for “Boston-style pizza,” yet when asked, Santarpio’s owner, Joia Santarpio, dismissed the term altogether.
“I’ve never even heard of ‘Boston-style pizza,’” she said. “Could we coin the phrase and market it now?”
Similarly, Regina Pizzeria’s executive chef, Mark Murphy, expressed skepticism, saying that while Regina’s has a well-known style, he wouldn’t call it “Boston-style.”
Pizza Identity: A Story Still Being Written
Even if Boston never lays claim to a single, definitive pizza style, its pizza culture remains historically significant. The city’s pizzerias have preserved old-school, high-quality recipes distinct from other regional traditions, shaping Boston into an underrated but essential part of America’s pizza history.
“People have passed over Boston as a pizza city, but these historic pizzerias are still making quality, old-school recipes,” Caplan says. “Boston’s pizza scene developed separately from any other city.”
Perhaps the lack of a singular “Boston-style pizza” is what makes the city’s pizza landscape so unique. With influences from early Italian immigrants, Greek-style innovations, and the rise of South Shore bar pizza, Boston has a diverse and evolving pizza identity—one that continues to thrive, even without an official name.
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