Pushcart Caffe
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Charlestown, North End117 Salem St
(between Baldwin Pl & Cooper St)
Boston, MA 02113 (617) 523-8123
- Nearest Transit:
Haymarket (Orange)
North Station (Orange, Green)
Aquarium (Blue)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
13 Reviews for Pushcart Caffe
Pushcart is the best pizza in the North End. Don't argue. Pizza Regina is overrated.
No pretensions besides the sports crowd thing. Mix of beer and testosterone. Arguments about teams and lots of baseball hat wearing Patriots junkies.
Free pizza on Mondays. I'm there.
I love me some simple, good pizza. Unfortunately, I haven't had the pizza here, but usually get the calazone.
The calazone here is outstanding. large, filling and taste great. they put the red sauce on the side, so one can add it to their calazone while eating. the crust is thin, but nice and crunchy.
the place is a understated, off the beaten path great place. they have beer and wine and TV up the yang. place has about 30 or so places to sit, so it's not the largest of the eateries... though many of the places in the area are fairly small.
service can be slow, but who cares. life is too short, sit relax and have a beer and enjoy some good food.
This is my first place to eat when I fly to the Boston area.
I had been to this place once before and thought their pizza was good, so four of us headed over and sat at the bar for a drink. The guy at the bar (who I believe was the owner) asked if we would be eating and we explained we would like to put our name in for a table. After a while, we had changed our minds, so next time the guy came by, I said "when you have a chance, we'd like to order some food". This guy actually said "So the world stops for you when you want to order?" and walked away - My wife and I were floored, we were in disbelief. He ignored us for another 15 minutes and then said what can I get ya - My wife said something to the effect of "Are you sure you have time now?" and he walked away again.
We left some cash on the bar and got out of there, avoid this place at all costs.
How can the owner treat customers this way and turn away business??
Summary:
- Owner has a bad attitude
- Avoid this place, there is better pizza in the north end anyhow.
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I'll let you in on a secret.... Pushcart is the dark horse for the "best pizza in Boston" award. It's not fancy and it's not particularly Italian, however I stopped going to Regina's after I had my first Pushcart pizza.
Recommendations:
- The sausage is wonderful
- They have hot peppers (not crushed red peppers) that are unbelievable if you like spicy
- The mix green, red and yellow bell peppers into one mix if you want them on your pizza... again, excellent.
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Oh big, big fan of this place. The atmosphere is terrific with a bar and the pizza is very good as well. A real nice place to watch a game and it's just a casual, easygoing place. It's not that expensive either which is great. It's just a terrific treasure to find in the North End that I'd want to go to all the time if I could.
I love the Pushcart. The pizza is good, the atmosphere is laid-back and the staff is friendly and attentive. I live right down the street, so whether it's picking up a pie on my way home, hanging out on a Sunday for some beers during a game, or free slices on Monday night, it's the perfect place.
Definitely check out free slice night! Starting at 7pm on Mondays, the owner/server starts passing out free slices to anyone with a drink. And they just keep coming. Great deal.
They are closed on Tuesdays.
I think this a great casual place for pizzas and beer. I have always had a positive experience and people that I have brought have gone back since that first visit. in the summer, it is a great place as the front window (more like a garage door) is open and people watching can be great. The pizza is great, the red sauce has good kick to it. I love to order a cheese pizza with red sauce, garlice, and basil. To me, it doesn't get much better than that. I have never drank wine there, to me it's a beer drinking establishment. Definitely can't bring a big group as it is not a gigantic establishment.
Sssssssucks!
My friend was in town and he wanted to try some north-end pizza. I tried to get us over to Ernestos (godlike) but a north-end'er wanted us to check out Pushcart. We walked in and tried to move two smaller tables together for our group of 6, out of the shadows the owner/chef popped out and made a huge scene "LET ME DO THAT" (Keiko: I FEEL YOU). After some akward silence, when it came to ordering he actually walked away while someone was mid sentence. I guess he heard it, but what an ass!
As for the pizza I did think it was good, but was so hungry by the time it arrived the owner could have punched me in the face with cheese on his hand and I would have been happy. Steer clear!
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I can't beleive I never noticed this place before! It is tiny, so if you have a big group you'd be better off somewhere else.
It definitely has a neighborhood restaurant feel, if you know what I mean. The game was on, locals dropped in for drinks and it was a very casual environment. Which was pretty cool.
The menu is limited--only pizzas, calzones and salads, so if you don't want any of those, your out of luck. It was a busy night, but the waitress made sure to check in on us often. Not overbearing or rude.
The pizza was pretty good, and it was large enough for sharing (plus relatively cheap for 6 people).
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The pizza here is good but the best reason to go to Pushcart is for the fantastic staff and ambiance. The free pizza on Mondays when you buy a drink also adds to why this place is great. Pushcart is on Salem Street in the North End and is a definite must-go for a relaxed bar scene and some snacks. It doesn't compare to the other great eateries when it comes to food but that really isn't the point of Pushcart. Go here with friends to relax, enjoy a few drinks, and order some Italian appetizers. You will be pleased with the evening as well as the bill!
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It's too bad that I had such a bad experience here because I really want to be enthusiastic about the free-pizza-with-a-drink Monday special. Basically the pizza cook (maybe he is the owner as well?) chastized me for eating the left over crust of my boyfriend's pizza (he was drinking a beer, I was having only water, so therefore was not allowed to touch the free pizza). I guess I'm at fault for not understanding "the rules", but the way he treated me made us both so uncomfortable that we couldn't wait to pay the tab and get the hell out of there! The most embarrassing part was that at first I thought he was joking (because would someone really be that rude to a customer?) and tried to joke back...until I realized he was very, very serious. I have to say, though, that the woman behind the bar was nice and look genuinely embarrassed by him.
So, bottom line, lots of TVs, expensive beer, mediocre pizza and a great deal on Monday nights, but don't you dare touch that left over crust or pizza man will lay the smack down.
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BEWARE: If you were sent to Pushcart while waiting for your table at Al Dente (next door) YOU WILL GET RIPPED OFF! I spent a hefty $36 for two beers and two small glasses of their cheapest Chardonnay! I think the beers are $5 and wine is $12 a glass. (there must have been little diamonds and specks of gold in their wine)
And don't try to sit down if all you ordered were drinks. You will be asked to leave if you sit at a table without ordering food. (I guess I should have ordered three pizzas instead of drinks for four!)
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Pushcart quickly became my favorite pizza joint/cafe. The pizza isn't quite thin crust, but it's remarkably crispy. The toppings are always delicious and prefectly proportioned ( I recomend the sausage and pepper). The salads are fresh and clean, topped with a home-made vinegarette. This is also one of the few places that has Peroni on tap.
On Monday's they have FREE pizza when you order a drink (yes, you can order a diet coke and it still applies). I've heard people complain that you can't get whole pizzas during the free-pizza special, rather they provide them by the slice. I've also heard people complain that it's not as fresh as when you order your own pie. Please keep in mind, its FREE.
It does get busy, especially on weekend nights, but sevice is usually decent. The owner is around a lot, and seems to work hard. Not the nicest guy, which is probably why in the few years I've been going I have never seen the same staff twice.
Pizza is great, its off the beaten path, Peroni on tap, free on Mondays...seems like a good mix to me.
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