In another installment of Dave Portnoy’s Maryland pizza shop tour, the Barstool Sports founder says Rocco’s Pizza in Glen Burnie has a great slice to eat when watching football.
Initially calling the area “Glen Burn,” Portnoy described his pie from Rocco’s as “good quality American football pizza” and went on to admire the “good cheese” and “good crust.” He rated his slice a 7.8 out of 10 in a Friday social media post.
The review was one of many that Portnoy completed while in Maryland in December while traveling to the Army-Navy football game. Portnoy is the founder of the often polarizing sports and pop culture blog Barstool Sports.
“For this style, it’s almost as good as you can get. … This pizza is America,” Portnoy said.
Here’s how Rocco’s stacked up against Portnoy’s other Maryland reviews:
Frank’s Pizza and Pasta in Overlea received the highest score — 8.3 — in the area.
Portnoy also established goodwill among the local restaurants when he donated $60,000 to TinyBrickOven in Federal Hill after the pie shop had originally been slated to close.
The cash infusion should help the shop stay open for at least a year, said owner Will Fagg, as he tried to get a license from Baltimore City to sell beer and wine “to be on an even playing field” with other restaurants in South Baltimore.
In the review posted Dec. 23, TinyBrickOven merited a 7.9 rating, tied with Matthew’s Pizza in Highlandtown. Portnoy praised the restaurant’s pizza for having a “good undercarriage” and lauded Fagg’s “upbeat” spirit.
Angeli’s Pizzeria in Little Italy might have had the biggest impression on Portnoy. In the review posted Jan. 9, he was especially enamored with Marianne Campanelli, who greeted him at the restaurant.
Portnoy gave the pizza a 7.3, but it was Campanelli who stole the show as she offered to make him a custom pizza at her home, across the street from Angeli’s.
Campanelli earned a 10 rating from Portnoy.
Portnoy’s Baltimore tour included Pizza John’s, founded in 1966. He gave the shop in Essex a 7.4 out of 10 in his review posted Jan. 7 but said he would lie to owner Brett Steall that he earned a 7.7 rating … if asked.
Johnny Rad’s Pizzeria Tavern in Upper Fells Point earned a 7.1 rating out of 10.
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