Dave Portnoy is back on the Pennsylvania pizza trail — and several Philadelphia-area shops earned some serious praise from the notoriously tough grader.
The Barstool Sports founder recently swept through Philadelphia and its suburbs for a new batch of his viral “One Bite Pizza Reviews,” stopping at pizzerias in Montgomery and Bucks counties along with several spots in the city.
The reviews have been rolling out online throughout August, with Portnoy handing out multiple scores approaching — or topping — the coveted 8-point mark.
His highest score of the latest Pennsylvania run went to Johnny’s Pizza in Bryn Mawr, which earned an 8.3.
The rating is believed to be the highest Portnoy has given a Montgomery County pizzeria, topping Vino’s Pizza in Lafayette Hill at 7.4, Tony & Joe’s in Conshohocken at 7.3, Campus Corner in Villanova at 6.9, and Tonelli’s in Lafayette Hill at 6.6.
Johnny’s owner John Bisceglie wasn’t even at the Bryn Mawr shop when word came that Portnoy might be headed his way.
Bisceglie was working at the restaurant’s Wayne location and coached his employees by phone, telling them to make sure Portnoy’s pizza came out fresh, crispy, and well done.
The preparation apparently paid off.
Portnoy’s other recent Pennsylvania scores include:
Johnny’s Pizza, Bryn Mawr — 8.3Liguria Pizzeria, Philadelphia — 8.2Marina’s Pizza, Philadelphia — 7.9Pizza Di Vita, Fairless Hills — 7.8Italian Delite, Trappe — 7.4
The Italian Delite stop came with perhaps the best backstory.
Owner Giuseppe Tosco had spent more than a year trying to lure Portnoy to Trappe, putting up a giant roadside sign reading “WE WANT DAVE PORTNOY” and repeatedly tagging the pizza reviewer on social media.
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Then Tosco took the sign down.
About two months later, Portnoy showed up.
“The first thing he asked was, ‘Where’s the sign?’” Tosco told The Philadelphia Inquirier.
Things got stranger from there.
Portnoy had apparently placed his order under the name “Austin,” but instead grabbed a fresh pizza workers had prepared for the restaurant’s social media team and reviewed that pie.
He ultimately gave Italian Delite a 7.4, describing it as “good traditional football pizza.”
Portnoy also stayed to try the restaurant’s signature Philly Dilly cheesesteak after Tosco arrived.
The latest scores still haven’t dethroned Portnoy’s longtime Pennsylvania favorite.
Angelo’s Pizzeria in South Philadelphia remains his highest-rated Pennsylvania pizza at 9.1, a score Portnoy handed out in 2019.
Portnoy’s reviews have become enormously influential for independent pizza shops, with a high One Bite score capable of bringing national attention — and lines of new customers — to restaurants that previously had largely local followings.
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