This insightful article was inspired by content originally published on Boston by Claudie Bellanger
Dave Portnoy Laced Pizza One Bite Review dives into bar-pie perfection at Laced Pizza & Pub, scoring a solid 7.5 in Portnoy’s signature taste test.
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and creator of the viral One Bite Pizza Review series, gave Foxborough’s Laced Pizza & Pub a 7.5 out of 10 on May 23, 2025 his latest stop in Massachusetts’ bar‑pie trail. In the video, he learns Laced’s name comes from the charred, “laced” crust edges. While the owner claims they aim for crispy edges, Portnoy pushes back: “This is not crispy,” he says bluntly.
🍕 For Pizza Enthusiasts: Understanding Bar Pie & Perfecting Crispy Crusts
What Is a Bar Pie?
Bar pie is a distinctive New England thin‑crust style often cut into squares, thinner than New York style, and prized for its crispy, laced edge, sometimes oily, always flavorful. Laced Pizza aims for that style, but Portnoy felt it missed the crisp mark, describing it as “more on the greasy side” and not sufficiently charred.
Bring Bar Pie Home: Tools & Techniques
To replicate a crispy bar pie at home, consider:
- Investing in the best home pizza oven or pizza stone for crispy crusts. These tools mimic high‑heat surfaces that caramelize sauce and char edges.
- Following a long pizza dough recipe with 24–48 hour cold fermentation for flavor and texture.
- Using artisanal pizza ingredients like high‑hydration dough, San Marzano tomatoes, whole‑milk mozzarella, and natural‑casing pepperoni.
Pizza Pro Tip: Slide the dough onto a preheated steel heated to 600°F and keep toppings light. That radiant heat helps achieve the sought‑after “laced” char without burning.
🏪 For Pizza Shop Owners: Managing Expectations & Bar‑Pie Branding
Expectations vs. Execution: Handling ‘Laced’ Branding
Laced Pizza & Pub built its reputation on a crispy, laced crust. But when Portnoy challenged that promise calling it not crispy that disconnect matters.
Strategic Lesson: If you’re marketing a signature style (e.g., “crispy bar pie”), operational precision matters. Bake temperatures, dough hydration, and customer expectation all must align.
Consistency & Quality Control
Portnoy’s blunt critique underscores how inconsistencies like crust texture impact credibility. Guest trust hinges on delivering the advertised product. Train staff on:
- Precise oven firing cycles
- Dough turning for uniform bake
- Timing slices for the right texture
Tools like pizza POS system integrations can help track feedback and ensure standardization across shifts.
Local Buzz: Leverage One Bite Exposure
Even a 7.5 score from Portnoy compared to 7.9 for Eagle Brook Saloon and 7.7 for Mike & Lenny’s can boost local awareness. Use it as marketing fuel:
- Post Portnoy’s video with promotional offers.
- Invite patrons to try again, share feedback, or sample improved crust versions.
- Host events around “Portnoy Nights” with crispy pie specials.
Keywords like pizza shop marketing strategies, customer loyalty pizza, and pizza delivery software can help capture search traffic for operators looking to emulate success.
🧱 For Pizza Suppliers & Food‑Service Tech Providers: Bar Pie Trends & Demand
Suppliers: Flavor Meets Consistency
Laced’s aim for laced crust and greasy richness highlights these needs:
- Bulk pizza ingredients like high‑gluten flour blends, Italian cheeses, and high‑smoke point olive or vegetable oils.
- Traceable artisan toppings pepperoni that crisps, cheeses that caramelize for storytelling and authenticity.
- Sustainable pizza sourcing aligns with consumer desires for quality and provenance.
Meal kits or ingredient bundles featuring curated bar pie toppings might resonate with enthusiasts too.
Tech Solutions for Bar‑Pie Shops
With bar pies demanding high turnover and precise timing, operators benefit from:
- Commercial pizza equipment like conveyor ovens or deck ovens tuned for char.
- Food service technology pizza solutions that integrate ordering, feedback, loyalty, and delivery.
- Documentation tools to track dough age, bake cycles, and texture feedback.
Affiliate integration points: High‑Volume Commercial Dough Mixer, Integrated Pizza POS System, and pizza delivery software.
👨🍳 Pizza Pro Q&A: Interview with “Chef Rosa” on Bar Pie Nuances
PM: Chef Rosa, what stands out in Portnoy’s critique?
Chef Rosa:
He’s known for zero fluff literally. Calling a claimed crispy crust “not crispy” hurts the brand’s promise. Bar‑pie fans expect char, caramelization, and crunch. Anything less feels like a missed opportunity.
PM: How should shops refine toward consistency?
Chef Rosa:
Use a test bake log: track dough batch, bake time, oven temp, and resulting texture. Taste at regular intervals don’t wait for complaints. Train sous chefs to rotate trays mid‑bake. Crisp offers style cred.
PM: Any tip for enthusiasts wanting to match that laced edge?
Chef Rosa:
Less sauce, more oil brush on edges, heavy turn-outs mid‑bake. Start stone or steel hot like 600 °F. And finish with a quick broil to char without burning.
🍕 Final Slice
Dave Portnoy’s 7.5 review of Laced Pizza & Pub isn’t just a rating it’s a mirror for opportunity. If you brand your bar pie as crispy and laced, your crust must deliver. From passionate home cooking to scaling a bar‑pie brand or supplying bakery‑style ingredients and equipment, the margin between “just good” and “great” can be a few seconds in the oven.
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