-- Boston's Hidden Restaurants --

Galleria Umberto

289 Hanover Street, Boston, MA 02113
(617) 227-5709 Find location!
--- Winner, Best Pizza Place in Boston Area, 2006 ---

Photo of Galleria Umberto, Boston, MA Hidden among the bustling trattorias, trendy ristorantes, and old-fashioned cafes and bakeries of the North End of Boston, Galleria Umberto represents what the North End of old was like. Housed in what can only be described as a cross between a cafeteria and a dining hall, Galleria Umberto is a lunch-only, bare-bones, humble little storefront that serves some of the best pizza in the Boston area.

The lines at Galleria Umberto are sometimes long, as businesspeople, locals, and the handful of tourists who have read up on the North End wait their turn for thick, square pieces of Sicilian pizza. People sit on hard chairs at the basic tables scattered about the place and eat slice after slice of pizza as the somewhat ominous hum of an old freezer or refrigerator reverberates throughout the place. If the atmosphere at Galleria Umberto sounds like a bit of a turn-off, the incredibly delicious squares of pizza, which by the way, are only a buck a slice, more than make up for the shortcomings of this North End pizza joint. And the people behind the counter are friendly, funny, and entertaining, and obviously love what they are doing, which is rather uncommon these days.

While restaurant guides, Web sites, and radio shows commonly rave (and rightly so) about such great Boston pizza places as Pizzeria Regina, which is also in the North End, Santarpio's Pizza in East Boston, and Emma's in Cambridge, Galleria Umberto is often left behind. Perhaps it is because Galleria Umberto serves Sicilian pizza, which is much different from the Neapolitan pizza served at the other places. Or maybe it is the fact that Galleria Umberto is only open for lunch (and closing time is based on when the pizza runs out). Or it could be that many don't even know the place exists, as the storefront looks like a union hall or a private business. But Galleria Umberto deserves its place among the best Boston pizza places, as the gooey squares served here are little slices of heaven that bring loyal customers back to this North End pizza joint again and again.