Pizzeria Dante - A hidden gem you need to discover

[SLL1065]

Pizzeria Dante is a place you could walk by hundreds of times and not take notice, but in doing so, you’d be missing out on a great dining experience at this hidden gem.

To date, I’ve had the pizza, arancini (stuffed rice balls), and the chicken parm. The pizza has a very tasty sauce and crust (the crust was an equal combination of crisp/chewy) and they were generous with the cheese. The chicken parm came as a generous helping and the sauce had a unique flavor that punctuated every bite. The arancini was flavorful and was dusted with large shavings of cheese and came with a sauce for dipping.

Dave, the owner, knows what exceptional customer service is about. After my second visit, I felt like I was a regular for many years because Dave remembered my name when I came back a week later for my second visit. And when I went back last week after not having been in for a month or so, he STILL remembered my name as well as a conversation we had during my last visit.

I have nothing but praise for Pizzeria Dante. It has become my local "go to" place for pizza and other Italian fare.

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Pizzeria Dante
1398 Beacon St 02446, Brookline, MA

[C. Hamster]

I loved their pizza the first time I had it but have been very disappointed since. Sorry to say, because its a likeable enough place.

[hungryone]

this is a tough one for me because i'm kind of neutral on the place even though I really want to like it. prior to pizza dante it was pizza republic and i think they did a better job with the same menu. i agree that the folks working there are always very nice so i will go back but i wish it was better. it's not bad by any means but it could be so much more.

[BackBayGirl]

One of my true tests of a place is that if they can make something as good or better than I can at home and of course the other stuff is good (e.g. customer service, etc), I'll be back. If I can make it better at home and save the $, then I'll do that. Unfortunately for Pizzeria Dante, I can make a much better pie and pasta dishes at home so I'll do that instead of going to them. It is a shame because they are really nice people, but I'd rather save that money and spend it on something I will enjoy.

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Pizzeria Dante
1398 Beacon St 02446, Brookline, MA

[BackBayGirl]

I have to say I totally disagree w/ you. I've given the place multiple chances and each time I go, it's just "eh." I think the owners/workers are very nice which is why I've gone back a few times hoping it would be better, but each time I come away disappointed, so I've stopped trying. Last time, I got ziti w/ sauce. Thought it was nothing special, kind of bland. I decided to save the leftovers and they were worse the next day so I ended up tossing them. I have found the pizza to be bland as well. I wasn't impressed by the dough or the sauce. I just resort to making my own at home now. I've tried the arancini and again, I've had much better elsewhere. It's a shame as they're only a few doors down from my house and again, the owner/workers are super nice, but I won't be going back, unfortunately.

[cmd]

Not to talk you out of making your own, but have you tried Mangia? It's my new go-to. I used to be an Upper Crust defender (one of the last holdouts), but we tried it again this weekend (craving their spinach leaf with ricotta) and it was awful--had the taste and texture of cardboard. The margherita pizza at Mangia has been great several times in a row, though the sauce might be a little sweet for some people.

On the original topic, I tried the pizza at Pizzeria Dante after reading about it on here, and it was...fine. I wouldn't mind having it again, but I don't know that I'd bother.

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Pizzeria Dante
1398 Beacon St 02446, Brookline, MA

Mangia
655 Washington St, Canton, MA 02021

[BackBayGirl]

Yeah, I usually just make my own because Dante and Upper Crust are closest and I don't like either one. Where is Mangia? Sometimes, I'll trek to Regina's and bring a pie home w/ me, but if I don't feel like it, I'll make it at home.

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Mangia
655 Washington St, Canton, MA 02021

[cmd]

It's on Cypress St. in Brookline Village (across from the CVS). They deliver to Coolidge Corner pretty quickly.