South shore bar pizza is increasingly popular. There is a popular Facebook Group and even an upcoming documentary in honor of this regional favorite!
So what IS a bar pizza? Essentially, it’s a small, round personal pizza featuring mostly cheddar cheese (the balance is usually 80/20 cheddar/mozzarella). It has thin crust that does NOT bubble or rise. In fact, you can barely see the crust because the sauce and cheese go all the way to the pan–and therein lies what makes this pizza special: the famous “burnt” or “laced” edges. The sauce and cheese against the hot metal pan cause the edges to blacken, leading to a wonderful flavor. You can order bar pizza without any specific instructions (“I’d like a cheese pizza, please”), “crispy” (well-done crust, but not necessarily with burnt edges), or with “burnt” or “laced” edges. Keep in mind if you don’t provide any special cooking instructions, you’ll get a pizza that might have a small burnt edge section, but it won’t be on purpose. You need to ask for the laced edge if you want the whole crust like that.
Our first experience with bar pizza was long ago. We grew up in Bridgewater, where Anthony’s Charcoal Pit reigned supreme. Friday nights, while watching the Friday night TV line-up in the 90’s, we’d enjoy a pizza from “the pit.” Christo’s in Brockton was another favorite place for this special pizza. (The restaurant, once a legend, is no longer there. However, there is a Christo’s To-Go location in Whitman.) At Christo’s, our bar pizza was always accompanied by their famous Greek salad and the tacky ambiance of “The Gold Room.” Ahhhhh…We have such good childhood memories attached to this food!!
These days there seem to be endless places that offer their take on South Shore Bar Pizza. Everyone seems to have their loyalties, and you might unwittingly find yourself in the middle of a heated debate over which restaurant has the best bar pizza!
We’ll taste and sort through all the best options here! 🙂 Our favorite bar pizza these days, however, is Sister’s. She makes it at home with increasingly well-seasoned pizza pans, freshly shredded cheddar and mozzarella, and the blackest edges she can manage! Bar pizza: our multi-generational Friday night family tradition for over 30 years!