Pittsburgh-area pizza places get ratings across the board from 'One Bite' reviews by Dave Portnoy
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) -- The reviews are in for several Pittsburgh-area pizza places after Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy recently stopped by to try a slice.
Portnoy popped into more than a half-dozen places throughout the area earlier this month and we now know which of the places he liked the most.
The reviews began being posted to the One Bite page on YouTube last week and three of the places he checked received ratings of 8.2, a relatively high score for Portnoy's scores.
The scores of 8.2 are the highest that any place in the Pittsburgh area has received from Portnoy.
A Slice of New York
A Slice of New York in Murrysville was one of the three pizza places in the area that received an 8.2 rating from Portnoy.
Sean Jefairjian, who owns A Slice of New York, said before the review came out that getting a score from Dave was something his place has been trying to do since they opened, adding that if he got a score in the 6's, that he would shut down the shop to placate the 'haters.'
During the review, Portnoy noted right away that the pizza would not be in the 6's. Prior to tasting the pizza, Portnoy said how he had never seen a board for banned customers inside a place.
"In 10,000 pizza reviews, I've never seen a list of people banned from the store," Portnoy said.
While tasting the pizza, Portnoy called it 'really good' with his only criticism being how 'saucy' the pizza was in the middle of the pie. "It's a legit, great pizza," Portnoy said.
Portnoy gave the piece of pizza from A Slice of New York an 8.2 rating. Upon hearing the news of the score, Jefairjian came out from behind the counter and gave Portnoy a hug.
Rockaway Pizzeria
Another place in our area to receive an 8.2 rating was Rockaway Pizzeria in White Oak, which will soon be moving to Regent Square.
While Portnoy was at A Slice of New York in Murrysville, the owner told Portnoy he needed to go to Rockaway, saying that he was sure it too would score in the 8's.
Rockaway's owner Josh Sickels said that business has been booming ever since Portnoy shared a photo that he stopped in White Oak, long before the score was revealed.
While trying the pizza from Rockaway, Portnoy praised the slice's 'undercarriage,' a term he uses to describe the bottom of the crust.
"I gave his buddy an 8.2 earlier in this trip," Portnoy said, referencing his visit to A Slice of New York.
Portnoy debated out loud whether or not he should score one of the places higher than other to give some bragging rights, but landed on the same score of 8.2 for Rockaway.
"These two friends are gonna have to settle this like the Jets and the Sharks, because this is as good," Portnoy said.
Sickels told Portnoy that Angelo's Pizzeria in Philadelphia, which Portnoy gave a score of 9.1, is better than his, but said that Rockaway will get there.
"Now that's an honest pizza guy," Portnoy said of Sickels.
Pizza Lupo
The third local spot to receive an 8.2 rating was Lawrenceville's Pizza Lupo.
"That looks....awesome," Portnoy said after opening the box outside of the restaurant. "If we're just looking at this, this looks like it's gonna be knocking on the door of the 8's."
"Big time undercarriage," Portnoy said of the crust after taking a slice out of the box. "This looks really, really good," Portnoy added. "Shoutout Pittsburgh coming in huge with some pizza."
"Slice of New York. Rockaway. Pizza Lupo. The 8.2 crew."
"You know how you have the North Star, the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper? Right now, what we have in Pittsburgh is the 8.2 crew stars," Portnoy said.
Portnoy also got a quart of Turner's iced tea, saying that he puts it up there with the best iced tea in the country.
Pizzeria Davide
Pizzeria Davide in the Strip District didn't quite live up to the level of the three places to receive an 8.2 rating, but it was close behind, receiving a score of 7.9.
Portnoy praised the vibe of the place, describing it as 'old school,' saying how it looked much older than it was.
"I like obviously a more charcoal-looking (pizza)," Portnoy said. "But when I picked it up, good undercarriage."
Portnoy praised the pizza's texture before giving what he called a 'cold-hearted, very honest review' of a 7.4, adding that he found it a little bland.
After getting the rating of 7.4, someone from the restaurant told Portnoy was told he needed to try the Old World-style pizza instead of the New York-style.
Portnoy then ate a slice of the Old World-style and said he 'much prefers' that type of pizza, giving it a score of 8.1, but calling it an adjusted 7.9 because it was a 'rescore.'
"This is a great slice," Portnoy said. "I can't go 8.1 on a rescore. I'm going 7.9 on this."
Ianni's Pizzeria
The next spot on the list that was scored just a little bit farther down the scale was Ianni's Pizzeria in Delmont.
Wesley Harris, owner of Ianni's, said he was excited to have Portnoy eat their pizza and that it was an honor for him to go to Delmont to try it.
"This is what I expect of a Pittsburgh street," Portnoy said of Delmont.
Portnoy said the wood-fired style the pizza wasn't what he expected, noting the bigger size of the slices.
"Tangy sauce," Portnoy said. "Good crust. I like this more than I thought I would coming out of the box."
Portnoy called it a 'confusing pizza,' needed a second slice, and ultimately gave the slice from Ianni's a 7.7 rating, saying he didn't think it had a chance of being that high.
"There's something about it," Portnoy said. "Shockingly good from the looks of it."
Iron Born Pizza
The next place that Portnoy went to was Iron Born in the Strip District.
Portnoy praised the name of the place, saying it's one of the ten best names of a pizza spot he's encountered, saying it makes him think of the show Game of Thrones.
Iron Born's pizza is Detroit-style, which Portnoy referred to as a 'good-looking' type.
Portnoy noted how some Detroit-style pizzas don't have enough sauce, but said that wasn't the case with Iron Born.
"Does this look heavy and eat light?" Portnoy asked while trying a slice. "It looks heavy and eats mediocre. Not mediocre-tasting, but it has some cold weather oomph to it."
Portnoy said that the standard for a Detroit-style pizza is typically a mid-7 and Iron Born scored right there in that scale, receiving a score of 7.4.
"It's a good, good Detroit-style," Portnoy said. "If you love Detroit, you'll probably go higher."
Bella Notte Italian Eatery
The final review that Portnoy gave out while in the Pittsburgh area was at Bella Notte, which is also in the Strip District.
Before Portnoy tasted the pizza, someone working inside the shop wrote down what score he thought the slice would receive, but didn't reveal it to anyone.
Once outside with the pizza, Portnoy drank an I.C. Light beer while wearing a Yinzer Nation t-shirt.
"Doughy. That's what jumps out at me," Portnoy said after opening the box.
He said the pizza had a 'pretty good undercarriage' before saying it was very doughy, calling it 'cold weather pizza.'
Portnoy gave the slice from Bella Notte a 7.1 rating and then went inside to see what the shop thought they would receive.
Once inside, it was revealed they predicted receiving a score of 7.2.
"I was like, I know we're gonna be above seven. I know it's not the style he likes, but I know we've got a good pizza," they said.
Portnoy's previous reviews in Pittsburgh
Before this month's recent visit, Portnoy was last in the Pittsburgh area was a few years ago and he gave the following places reviews:
- Fiori's Pizzaria (Brookline) -- 7.8
- Juliano's Restaurant and Catering (McKees Rocks) -- 7.5
- Beto's Pizza (Beechview) -- 7.2
- Mineo's Pizza House (Squirrel Hill) - 7.1
- Gennaro's Pizza (South Side) -- 6.7
- Benny Fierro's (South Side) -- 6.4
In addition to the pizza reviews, Portnoy also reviewed Primanti Brothers, giving it a 9.1 rating, calling it "an outrageous sandwich."