Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports and renowned pizza enthusiast, recently made his way to Taunton, Massachusetts, for his latest One Bite Pizza Review. His stop? Smitty’s Pub & Pizza, a cozy dive bar known for its South Shore-style bar pizza. On October 6th, around lunchtime, Portnoy visited the local gem, and after just one bite of their bar pie, he scored it a respectable 7.8.

Smitty’s pizza features a fluffy bar pizza crust, and Portnoy was quick to note that it had a distinct tangy flavor—a twist he wasn’t expecting, but appreciated nonetheless. Despite having to wait 45 minutes for the pizza, his patience paid off when he sank his teeth into the hot slice. Though he felt it lacked a certain nostalgic taste he seeks in bar pizza (something to do with the oven), he still enjoyed it, praising the style and flavor.

During the review, Portnoy couldn’t help but mention his love for bar pizza in general, and he was pleased with the friendly Boston-like atmosphere at Smitty’s. He also gave a special shoutout to Brittany Poissant, the co-owner, for her welcoming demeanor.

True to his community spirit, Portnoy shared the remainder of his pizza with neighbors Jeff Morales and his family, longtime fans of Smitty’s who have enjoyed the restaurant over the years.

This visit was one of several recent stops by Portnoy across the SouthCoast, which also included The Dipper Cafe and Ray’s Pizza in New Bedford, as well as Central Cafe in Middleborough.

Unfortunately, the owners of Smitty's were unavailable for comment as they closed their doors for the night just prior to this article.

The Best of South Shore Bar Pizza

There's pizza, and then there's South Shore Bar Pizza. Birthed in Brockton (and to this writer, perfected in Randolph – Lynwood Café is the true G.O.A.T.), it must meet certain qualifications to be considered "SSBP," which include: it's a 10-inch pie; it has a thin, cracker-like crust with minimal "flop;" the cheese is a blend that features more cheddar than mozzarella; and bonus points if you take it home between two carboard-type plates wrapped in flat brown paper bag. They also usually come with "laced" or "burnt" edges (terminology depends on where you are ordering), which is when the sauce and cheese are extended all the way to the edge of the pan, creating a crispy, flavorful coating to the crust. We reached out to the hugely popular South Shore Bar Pizza Social Club Facebook group to ask the experts to share the best of the best (in no particular order).

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg

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Taunton Couple Has The "Goat" of Pizza

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