Serving since
1903
123 years in Boston
Santarpio's Pizza
- Go here for
- Cheese pizza · Grilled lamb skewers · Homemade sausage
- Why go
- Thin-crust pizza and grilled lamb from an East Boston family business that has been going since 1903.
- Local character
- Locals + visitors. A fixture of national "best pizza" lists, but on a residential East Boston block, off the tourist circuit.
Founded as a bakery in 1903. The business became a bar and restaurant in 1933; pizza followed later.
Why it matters
The Santarpio family started out as a bread bakery in 1903. After Prohibition ended in 1933 the business became a bar and restaurant, and pizza became its specialty after that. The family still runs it, with the fourth generation owning it and the fifth working there.
Santarpio's is known for a thin crust with the toppings under the cheese. Its grilled lamb skewers and homemade sausage are as well known as the pizza. A second location opened in Peabody in 2010. The East Boston original is the one listed here.
The story
Notes on the record
- Sources differ on exactly when pizza was added. Some say 1933 and others the 1940s.
Details
- Address
- 111 Chelsea Street, Boston, MA 02128
- Neighborhood
- East Boston
- Current concept
- Since 1933
- Ownership
- Family-owned
- Status
- Open · verified Sep 2026
OldScore
A secondary, editorial measure. The founding year above is the fact that matters most. How it works.
| Age | 34 | / 35 |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity | 10 | / 20 |
| Local significance | 10 | / 20 |
| Local food culture | 15 | / 15 |
| Independence | 10 | / 10 |
| OldScore | 79 | / 100 |
Local character: Locals + visitors. A fixture of national "best pizza" lists, but on a residential East Boston block, off the tourist circuit. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.
More like this
Sources
- Santarpio's Pizza (official site) Address, What to order, Current status
- Boston Preservation Alliance, Boston's Legacy Businesses: Restaurants & Cafes Founding year, History, What to order
- Pizza Hall of Fame, "Santarpio's Pizza" Founding year, History, Ownership, What to order
- History of Boston and Beyond blog, Jorge Calderon (May 10, 2017) Founding year, History
- Wikipedia, "Santarpio's Pizza" Founding year, History · cross-check only