Pupatella, a Local Neapolitan Pizza Chain Undergoing Expansion

[buzzy]

Friday night, my wife and I took my 18 year old daughter and her best friend down to the 9:30 Club to see one of their favorite bands (don't ask). Since this was part of my daughter's 18th birthday present we went to the original Pupatella at around 8pm (the 930 Club show was a very late one with the doors OPENING at 10pm...again...don't ask). It had been a while since we'd been there with the staff taking the orders at the table. We ordered 4 different pizzas, the Brussel sprouts appetizer and some beer & water. My daughter's best friend had never been to Pupatella and ate her white pizza complete, loving it. In my mind it was 2010 again (yes that was 12 years ago!) I am at the point in my life where I will not eat shitty pizza. I'd rather wait months and go to the handful of places I love, Pupatella Arlington or Reston being on that exclusive list. I went for my favorite, the Prosciutto Arugula and it was perfect. I wish Enzo and family and all the wonderful employees of this operation continued success with their expansion. 

[Pool Boy]

There's one near my office and I dined there in person twice later in the pandemic and even brought some pizzas home once during the 'I am only doing carry out' period of the pandemic. Still love their stuff.

[Pat]

They are making progress on the one on Capitol Hill. I saw them ripping out the inside a week or two ago.

[Kibbee Nayee]

I have mixed feelings about the Pupatella that recently opened in Springfield at 8434 Old Keene Mill Rd, in the Whole Foods Plaza (although Whole Foods will move to the Springfield Plaza down Old Keene Mill to a large renovated space formerly occupied by Giant, and Trader Joe's will move from that plaza to where the Whole Foods is now located.)

My daughter has checked it out and says it's pretty good, but we all know that it will simultaneously be not as good as the original yet still probably the best pizza in Springfield.

[Kibbee Nayee]

I was right about the Springfield location. Yes, it's the best pizza in Springfield, but that's faint praise. The Classico was pretty good, the Diavolo was very good, and the Sausage with Onion was not good -- it was limp and soggy. The Burrata was passable and the Caprese salad was just OK, but the Arancini sampler was very good. The wine list was mostly mass market swill, some of which had Pupatella labels. Overall, maybe a C+, but again, it's the best pizza in Springfield.

[Mark Dedrick]

On 10/8/2022 at 11:25 AM, Pat said:

They are making progress on the one on Capitol Hill. I saw them ripping out the inside a week or two ago.

I take the bus by here every day, and the progress has been so slow. 

[Pat]

On 10/18/2022 at 5:30 PM, Mark Dedrick said:

I take the bus by here every day, and the progress has been so slow. 

The building has been left to deteriorate for so long, I think it's going to take them a while.

It's like the old Park Cafe space has been under construction by Paccis for an extremely long time now and while I don't know exactly why it's taken so long, a big part of it has to be the incredibly degraded quality of the physical space.

[DonRocks]

I have one go-to at Pupatella, and it’s the Veggie Panino ($12.75), making sure to get it with Fresh (not smoked) Mozzarella (50-cent supplement).

This panino is *always* good (even better with a drizzle of good balsamico), and it reheats beautifully in the oven, both day-of and day-after.

Try it, and let me know what you think.

[naxos]

The price of the veggie panino is now $12.75!!

[DonRocks]

On 10/26/2022 at 6:31 AM, naxos said:

The price of the veggie panino is now $12.75!!

I got one last night - it has always been $12.75 (and worth it: It’s enough for two light lunches (or one person who’s really hungry)).

I don’t know what afflicted me when I wrote $8 up above - sorry about that (I corrected it).

One thing I like about this panino is that it’s a lot of food, but you don’t feel like a Denebian slime devil after you finish it - the same feeling you have after loading up on sushi as opposed to Five Guys.

[KeithA]

We've been spoiled with good Pizza nearby from 2 Amys and Vace but I recently got my kids to try Pupatella as our new delivery pizza option instead of boring Angelico's. The Dupont Pupatella store is good and fast with delivery up to Cleveland Park. Glad to say I've converted the family after 4 or so orders in the past couple of months. The pizza is very good and similar to 2 Amys. I still like 2 Amys topping combos better (not to mention the non-pizza side dishes which rock) but it is hard to compare as I almost always eat that fresh from the oven in the restaurant vs. Pupatella has been solely delivery so far. The kids like the plain bimbis and wife is happy with the Margherita. I've been trying different ones and I like the pesto although I think I'll leave off the walnuts next time. The eggplant combo and the calabrese with salty briny anchovies and olives was good. I customized my calabrese and added cararmelized onions for a sweet/salty combo that hit the spot last night. I also have enjoyed their fried aranchini/suppli with roasted eggplant.  Now I just need to remember to preheat the oven while waiting for the delivery instead of almost every time getting the pizza and then waiting for my oven to preheat with the pizza stone to reheat the thin pizza that does get cold during the delivery drive.

[DonRocks]

24 minutes ago, KeithA said:

We've been spoiled with good Pizza nearby from 2 Amys and Vace but I recently got my kids to try Pupatella as our new delivery pizza option instead of boring Angelico's. The Dupont Pupatella store is good and fast with delivery up to Cleveland Park. Glad to say I've converted the family after 4 or so orders in the past couple of months. The pizza is very good and similar to 2 Amys. I still like 2 Amys topping combos better (not to mention the non-pizza side dishes which rock) but it is hard to compare as I almost always eat that fresh from the oven in the restaurant vs. Pupatella has been solely delivery so far. The kids like the plain bimbis and wife is happy with the Margherita. I've been trying different ones and I like the pesto although I think I'll leave off the walnuts next time. The eggplant combo and the calabrese with salty briny anchovies and olives was good. I customized my calabrese and added cararmelized onions for a sweet/salty combo that hit the spot last night. I also have enjoyed their fried aranchini/suppli with roasted eggplant.  Now I just need to remember to preheat the oven while waiting for the delivery instead of almost every time getting the pizza and then waiting for my oven to preheat with the pizza stone to reheat the thin pizza that does get cold during the delivery drive.

As someone who’s had carryout from Pupatella more times than I can remember, I’ve learned from experience:

Always specify “Please cook well-done” on your online order, then when it arrives, have the oven, along with your best All-Clad baking sheet, preheated to 500, and then heat it for 8 minutes (depending on your oven - mine is pretty lame). It comes out about as good as it can be every time.

My build-your-own is fresh (not smoked) mozzarella, caramelized onion, sausage, and either pepperoni or sautéed mushrooms depending on preference - the pepperoni is small, crispy when reheated, and pretty mild.

Their Veggie Panini is good, keeps nicely overnight, reheats the same way (wrap it in foil), and *greatly* benefits from a drizzle of your best balsamico. I usually get fresh (not smoked) mozzarella on this also, but once I forgot, and noticed that their smoked mozzarella is nowhere near as aggressively (I would say inedibly) smoked as it was a few years back, so this is also a preference thing.

Don’t sleep on their Panzarotti either. They retain their heat during delivery, and will instantly silence young, hungry stomachs while the rest is reheating.

[Pat]

The one that's supposed to be opening at Mass and 3rd NE keeps showing progress but is not yet open. Just thought I'd toss that out there.

[Josh Radigan]

Had Pupatella two weeks ago- not good at all. Dough was undercooked- pizza was as bland as they come. Looks like a new Pupatella is coming to slaters lane and GW parkway where a dry cleaner was housed.

[DonRocks]

On 2/22/2024 at 10:26 AM, Josh Radigan said:

Had Pupatella two weeks ago- not good at all. Dough was undercooked- pizza was as bland as they come. Looks like a new Pupatella is coming to slaters lane and GW parkway where a dry cleaner was housed.

I had it last night, and it was the wettest, soggiest pizza I’ve ever had (from anywhere, if memory serves me). The panzarotti, however, are consistently good.

[noamb]

Can everyone start mentioning specific locations? I’ve been happy with the south Arlington  location, and I’d be interested to know if these problems are location specific or not.

[DonRocks]

6 hours ago, noamb said:

Can everyone start mentioning specific locations? I’ve been happy with the south Arlington  location, and I’d be interested to know if these problems are location specific or not.

This is an important point (FWIW, every Pupatella post I’ve written in the past couple of years would have been from South Arlington).

[Pat]

Capitol Hill Location at 3rd and Mass, NE, has a "Now Open" sign.

[Pool Boy]

I still work in Arlington (Ballston) and so, with RTO I am in the office twice a week. We get lunch delivered in so I often don't get down to the Pupatella there in person. But, sometimes if there are 6 or less in the office, we'll order Pupatella delivered. Not the same thing but still very tasty.

[Bart]

On 6/22/2024 at 6:29 PM, Pat said:

Capitol Hill Location at 3rd and Mass, NE, has a "Now Open" sign.

This location is open.  I got a couple of pizzas a couple weeks ago and they were pretty good, but not rave worthy, but that  was probably my fault.  I did a "make your own" pizza that I was trying to duplicate an artichoke heart and  roasted red pepper pizza that they used to have at Facia Luna and it came close but not close enough to the original.  The other was a special pizza - figs and something else.  

I probably should have ordered a simple pepperoni as a control, but I'll do that next time. 

[Pat]

I got a meatball panino here last week, and it was very good. I only ate half at the restaurant. The other half reheated well in the oven, wrapped in foil, the next day. I'll definitely order that again.

It was $15 and came with a side salad. They have 3 other panini at the same price.

[DonRocks]

There is a “Coming Soon” sign for another Pupatella (they still have plenty of work to do), at 700 Slaters Lane in North-North Old Town Alexandria, literally a stone’s throw away from the GW Memorial Parkway.

I miss Enzo at the oven at their original location, but I also understand financial reality. There appears to be (at least in Virginia) a strategy of buying up lesser real estate in what turns out to be prime locations. If you build it, they will come, and so far, people certainly have.

[noamb]

That sign’s been up for months, with no sign of progress as far as I’ve seen or heard. If anyone has an informed update, I’d love to know, although the south Arlington location’s close enough for me regardless 

[DonRocks]

6 hours ago, noamb said:

That sign’s been up for months, with no sign of progress as far as I’ve seen or heard. If anyone has an informed update, I’d love to know, although the south Arlington location’s close enough for me regardless 

Ah, I didn't know this - I just happened to drive by yesterday. Based on a passing glance, it looks just like Sam's Custom Cleaners used to look like, except with a Pupatella sign draped over it. 

FWIW, a Blueberry-Lemon Scone (glazed on top) at Buzz Bakery was perfectly decent; I was also famished. 🙂