Cafe Porto Bello Takes the Pizza Crown

We asked, you answered. The top vote-getter in South Boston Online’s Best Pizza in South Boston poll is … Cafe Porto Bello!

What makes the pizza so good? Donna Palermo, who works at the restaurant on East Broadway, breaks it down:

The finest Italian ingredients

Fresh secret recipe dough

And, of course, it’s made with love

Eslin Hill, a pizza creator, added, “I’m the guy who puts the magic on it.”

Then there’s the side of amazing homemade sweet Vidalia onion dressing that people dunk their slices in.

Cafe Porto Bello owner Steven Costa has been making pizza since he was 13 years old and has created the restaurant’s recipes. He estimates they make 700 pizzas a week, with Thursday through Saturday generating at least 400.

The hot and sweet pizza, which is made with hot cherry peppers and sweet Italian sausage, is among the most popular pies at Cafe Porto Bello. And Steven said other popular choices are the shrimp scampi pizza and the ricotta and fried eggplant pizza. He himself doesn’t have a favorite.

“I like them all,” he said.

Steven was shocked that the South Boston Online poll had his restaurant at the top. “I’m shocked,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone noticed. That’s amazing.”

Coming in second place was Land of Pizza.