Wareham Pizzeria Earns High Marks from Celebrity Dave Portnoy

Boy, this Barstool Sports guy gets around.

First New Bedford, Middleboro and Taunton, and now Dave Portnoy's taking over East Wareham’s Charlie's Place, which welcomed Portnoy with open arms as he sampled the restaurant’s signature South Shore bar pie.

Known for his rigorous scoring system, Portnoy awarded Charlie’s a 7.9 – a high score that puts this pie near the top of his favorites for the day.

The review began with a conversation about the origins of Charlie’s bar pie. The restaurant owner shared a bit of family history, explaining that his father, Nick Nicolau, partnered with Cape Cod Cafe’s Jimmy Jamoulis in the 1940s to craft a unique take on the South Shore classic.

While the two Greek restaurateurs didn’t invent the bar pie itself, they helped shape what would become a local icon.

Nicolau, who originally served the recipe at Cape Cod Cafe in Brockton, brought his signature tweaks to Charlie’s Place in 1973, creating a pie that the family still calls the “original South Shore bar pie.”

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Portnoy was quick to appreciate the story behind Charlie’s pie, and more importantly, the taste. He noted the bar pie’s quality and praised its flavor and texture, making it one of the top contenders in his day-long pizza quest.

Though he’s known for his tough scoring system, Portnoy’s 7.9 shows Charlie’s Place left a lasting impression.

He wrapped up his visit with a nod to the pie’s authenticity, enjoying every bite and leaving Charlie’s Place with a review that gives this East Wareham spot a major shout-out for keeping a South Shore tradition alive.

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