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Armando's Pizza & Subs
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Sandwiches Pizza, Sandwiches [Edit]
163 Huron AveCambridge, MA 02138
Neighborhood: Huron Village
(617) 354-8275
- Nearest Transit:
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Concord Ave @ Huron Ave (72, 72/75, 74, 75, 78)
Huron Ave @ Concord Ave (72, 72/75)
Huron Ave @ Appleton St (72, 72/75)
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 9 am - 11 pm
Sun 4 pm - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
142 reviews for Armando's Pizza & Subs
Review Highlights
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"They've got an excellent crust/sauce/cheese ratio." In 3 reviews -
"...entire Boston/Cambridge Metro Area for New York Style pizza." In 10 reviews -
"This place has got the perfect slice." In 33 reviews
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142 reviews in English
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Review from Simon L.
Manhattan, NY
2/3/2012
Best Pizza near Harvard(don't give me no Pinocchio's)- Nothing more to say.
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Review from Kunal M.
New York, NY
4/15/2012
Armando's is by far my favorite sub/pizza place in the Cambridge/Boston area. They do a good job with their Pizza's (nothing spectacular) and subs. The service is usually pretty friendly and it's a pretty low key place to come and have a bite in the afternoon.
It also happens to be right next door to my all time favorite Hi-Rise Bakery :P -
Review from Alexa D.
Mastic Beach, NY
3/15/2012
Being a New Yorker, I rarely give 4 stars to out-of New-York pizza places. However, Armando's sicilian pizza has it really going for it. The first time I had Armandos I had the eggplant/spinach combo and it was excellent. This time I had buffalo chicken and banana peppers. Equally as good.
The place is small, but locally run. Everyone is friendly.
Not in the most convienient place, it is a bit of a walk. It's worth it! -
Review from Amanda A.
Pasadena, CA
3/14/2012
My mother-in-law lives a hop skip and jump away from here and for that, I'm eternally grateful.
"Sure dear! I'd love to go visit your mother!"
Steak and Cheese Sub my friends.
Get one. Eat it. Live it. Love it.
Sure, grab some pizza too. It's solidly in the "good" camp. However, it's the steak and cheese that has be jonesing when I'm in walking distance.
The place is small. It's not fancy. We almost always take out. But whenever we're near, it's hard to pass up the opportunity to visit Armando's! -
Review from Ardo S.
Arlington, MA
5/21/2012
This is the best pizza in the Cambridge area. That is all.
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Review from Teresa P.
12/9/2011
UGH gross. Really? I don't understand how this place has such high ratings.
While it's cheap, I've had tons of cheap chain pizza better than this.
We ordered a half eggplant, half mushroom pizza. Super disappointed the second it arrived. I still think of the soggy mushrooms and that watery half of the pizza. Why the heck was the pizza watery? No, I do not want my cheese and mushrooms to slip off my slice of pizza from how watery it is. That's just NOT right.
The eggplant half of the pizza was equally disturbing. Couldn't even tell if it was eggplant or some other random pieces of fried something-ness. Could have been pieces of puke...ok maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but it was brown little weird shaped chunks on the pizza. Tasted nothing like eggplant, and added no extra flavor to what would have otherwise been a plain cheese pizza.
Never again. Sorry, Armando's but you're not for me. I walked wayyy too far for you that day, and was utterly disappointed. -
Review from Cam S.
Midtown East, Manhattan, NY
3/30/2012
Been going here for a long time and the pizza here could easily be the best in the city. The problem is that the people who work here can be very, very rude so I no longer get food at Armando's. I had an experience where I ordered a cheeseburger sub and then waited 15 minutes for the sub and when I asked them what the status of my order was they told me I hadn't ordered even though I had! The guy even had the nerve to tell me to be more assertive and step forward. Won't be going back but the food's incredible.
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Review from Bailey Z.
Always looking for the next great pizza fix, I had to come here after reading about Armando's in a GQ article featuring Tony Maws' guide to Cambridge. My impression of Armando's was that of a classic family-owned hole-in-the-wall Italian joint. The walls are adorned with photos of all the Little League teams that they have sponsored in the past. It's a neighborhood pizzeria that gives back to the same community that keeps it afloat. It's unfortunate that many places like this have given way to corporate pizza chains and even more modern wood-fired ovens; but, Armando's has proven that with good ingredients and pizza made right, you can succeed with a loyal customer base.
The menu consists of submarine sandwiches, pizza, and some pasta dishes like baked ziti. We ordered a large pizza, half mushroom and sausage and half eggplant for $14, which was a very reasonable price. The pizza was fantastic. I loved the perfectly baked crust, the generous amount of quality mozzarella, and the great toppings. There's nothing I appreciate more than good pizza dough and cheese. My only complaint was that the mushroom side of the pizza became quite soggy from all the excess juice from the mushrooms after they cooked. Still hungry after two slices, I also tried one of their submarine sandwiches. The steak and mushroom sandwich was like a cheesesteak without the cheese and onions. I only ate half and found that to be overseasoned and quite salty. My money could have been better spent on more pizza!Listed in: Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!
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Review from Aboud Y.
Cambridge, MA
12/28/2011
Very respectable pizza. Had two slices (one Sicilian, one thin crust) and am totally stuffed. They definitely get the crust right...but there's something I don't like about their tomato sauce (its a little bitter) and their toppings aren't that tasty either.
I will try them again when I'm in the area but won't go out of my way. -
Review from Whine Snob L.
Cambridge, MA
12/11/2011 26 Check-ins Here
I've lived next door to this for two years and only just now got around to stopping in. Now that I've had the pizza here, I wonder - why did I wait so long?
I grew up in New York, so let me be the 120th person here to tell you, this is as close to a NY slice as you can get in New England. The crust is thin, lightly crispy, and yet still has a doughy chewiness to it. The cheese melts well and has a mild saltiness which is a great match for the subtly sweet sauce. Sprinkle a little crushed red pepper on top and you're good to go.
Now that I've tasted it, I'm sure to become a regular. -
Review from Tom G.
Memphis, TN
10/25/2011
This is everything I want in a small, family-run pizza joint. The pizza was excellent, the service was very friendly and quick. If you order toppings, they are EXTREMELY generous with them, but the cheese pizza stands on its own.
I'll definitely be back to try the sandwiches.
UPDATE Dec. 2012: I've now tried several sandwiches, and they are consistently very good. Only thing I'd say is to avoid the chicken parm, which is quite dry and a little tough. Not up to their usual standards. The "steak bomb" was awesome, especially when I got them to put marinara on it.
And, of course, the service is always extremely friendly. -
Review from John D.
Cambridge, MA
Not only pizza but the ROAST BEEF here is fantastic ... It is so hard to find a good sub but Michael at Armandos put together a meal! I am so happy to have another alternative to pizza. Still love the pizza!
This is a great neighborhood gemListed in: Best Pizza
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/21/2010
Always a great lunch I should not say this but umm I checked in here 2 times today. Once around 1… Read more »
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Review from Celia Z.
8/29/2011 1 photo
I came to Armando after a friend saw it listed as one of the must-go to places in Cambridge, and took me there. It's definitely one of the hole-in-the-wall shops that usually churn out the best of the best, so that was a good sign when we arrived in the restaurant. It's quite scant--four tables--so the pizza is mostly for take-out. I was excited. Being trapped in the Harvard Bubble for so long, it's always a treat to venture out and see and live Cambridge.
The restaurant sells a variety of subs and pizzas, with the latter by the slice and as a whole. Not wanting to deal with too many choices, we decided to split a large pizza between us--please don't judge, we were really hungry--with spinach, tomatoes, onions, and pepperoni. The pizza arrived about 20 minutes later, and we excitedly digged in.
There was too much cheese on the pizza. Granted, it was good cheese--there was some kind of creamy, milky taste that I have not tasted in any other pizza--but the ratio was not at all even. That I could forgive, as I artistically removed some cheese to achieve the correct ratio. Then, the tip of each slice was quite soggy, perhaps too soggy, and we both agreed that was the case. But digging further into the slice, the crust was a perfect, crispy, somewhat charred thin crust.
As far as toppings, the spinach seemed to be sauteed beforehand, which added to the flavor of the pizza, and the tomatoes were fresh. But I was sorely disappointed at the quality of the pepperoni--it tasted not much different than the ones I buy at the supermarket.
But that is just me being extra critical--try to find ways for the pizza to become an A+ instead of an A with a tiny minus sign at its end. Really, the pizza was absolutely amazing--one of my top three pizza places in my life. Delicious delicious delicious, and no bloated after-feeling despite having a few large slices. And apparently, it is made with a lot of love, as that is something in food you do not get in commercialized, over-touristy New York pizzerias aka Grimaldis. It's some it factor you just can't describe, and cannot feel until hours after you have engulfed the pizza. Thus, the original four stars I was going to give it somehow turned into five. -
Review from Alexander C.
Cambridge, MA
8/3/2011
What a great pizza place. Best in the neighborhood and one of the best in the Boston area. Incredible sauce-cheese ratio and not too much grease. This place has got the perfect slice. Also good size portions.
Highly recommended!
P.S. They take cash only, so be prepared. -
Review from Derek B.
Cambridge, MA
6/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've been coming to this place since I was a wee lad and I'll continue for many years to come. In my opinion this is by far the best pizza in Cambridge. The fact that this place has been around since my parents were kids has to speak volumes especially given it's location.
For me I get 3 slices of cheese and the occasional sub. I've never tried other items on the menu but I've hear people rave about everything from the salads to the calzones. Give Armandos a try you won't be disappointed ! Five stars if they would take credit cards seeing as I never carry cash. -
Review from Armin F.
Cambridge, MA
9/23/2011
We read on yelp this would be the must go place if you want to have really good Pizza in Cambridge.
It looked like the classical pizza joint you would see in "The Town". The people were really nice and friendly. We ordered a steak and cheese and the Armando classic pizza (pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions)
Here is my impression:
- steak and cheese: nothing special, steak was not well seasoned
- pizza: way too many toppings and by the time we came home (10 min later), the pizza was totally soggy and not enjoyable at all - more evenly disbursed topics would have helped here.
I am big pizza fan and being on somewhat of a diet, these calories were unfortunately a complete waste.
Sorry yelp, this is the first time a review was not accurate, this place is your total Average-Joe for Pizza. -
Review from Calvin F.
Cambridge, MA
6/2/2011 1 photo
Quick, greasy, salty, (DELICIOUS), no-nonsense pizza.
This is the kind of local pizza joint that every neighborhood should be so lucky to have. You can eat-in with subs and slices, but since I live right around the corner, I never have.
After all, what's an enterprising host to do when your guests are all sauced up and out of food? Call up Armando's and walk down the street to pick up some more grub. And when you get there, the laid-back staff will be competent and straightforward. Maybe a bit brisk, but that's just because they're being efficient.
Their garlic pizza is a unique taste that's always a hit. But you really can't go wrong with any of the toppings I've had here; people always seem to comment on how good it tastes.
They only take cash, so come prepared. Or hit the Cambridge Savings Bank ATM across the street first. -
Review from Billy M.
Houston, TX
1/20/2011
I lived in Cambridge for four months at a place I found on Craigslist. The house was within five minutes to Armando's and it was easily the best decision I made, yet I had no idea at the time.
We have some NY style pizza places in TX, but they don't hold a cheese grater to Armando's. Cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, sicilian, it doesn't matter. You're going to love it and you're not going to pay much for it. Don't want pizza? Order an italian sub and you'll be grateful for the orgasm in your mouth. Pepper relish? Never heard of it until I got here (thanks Texas!) but I'm in love with it and italian subs will never be the same.
I left Boston about 15 lbs heavier then when I got there and I have Armando's to thank!
P.S. They only take cash. The first time I went I tried to pay with a credit card and looked like a fool. Fortunately my roommate was there to bail me out. BE PREPARED!
P.S.S. Order a pizza to pick up and on the way, stop in to Sarah's across the street for some double stuft Oreo's and a gallon of milk. Best dinner ever! Wonder how I gained 15 lbs?! -
Review from Lisa W.
Cambridge, MA
2/4/2011 3 photos
I work across the street, and one of my co-workers brought in these gigantic slices of pizza that smelled like heaven and I had to investigate. I'll try to post a picture later, but the sicilian slice is GIGANTIC (2.75 for pepperoni). I think it expanded in my stomach because I could not eat anything for many hours afterwards.
It was delicious and well worth the 2.75, I will be back often!
nota bene: CASH ONLY! -
Review from Anthony D.
Cambridge, MA
7/17/2011
Great simple pizza. I love their pie, but it can depend on the who is making it. They are all good but some don't put enough sauce.
The guy who runs the place with his mom makes the best, forgot his name. This place reminds of a simple neighborhood pizzeria I worked in as a kid growing up in NY. -
Review from Steven L.
Cambridge, MA
12/16/2011
I absolutely love a slice and am always looking for the best slice.
This wasn't it.
It was fair.
Crust, sauce, cheese for all ok.
I have had better.
Service was good and the employees were very nice but I won't come back. -
Review from JJ G.
Cambridge, MA
10/17/2010 1 photo
This is the pizza of my childhood, which means I will forever think it is perfect and that all pizza should taste just like it.
The Sicilian is the great find, if pizza is what you are after, but the other thing I have loved since I was little is their Italian sub. Everything, lots of hots, perfecto. Mmmmm... gotta love those composite mystery meats! -
Review from Stacy A.
Somerville, MA
9/26/2011
The locals tell me the Sicilian pizza's the way to go here. I'd have to agree. The regular pizza is pretty standard fare.
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Review from Rebecca S.
Cambridge, MA
8/19/2011
Pizza was amazing. Just moved here from Seattle and they don't have anything half as good as this pizza. Can't wait to eat some more!
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Review from Jolene S.
Updated - 12/6/2010
Previously I said "At $2.50 for a one-topping slice, this place is not "that" cheap. The place was clean and the counter staff were nice enough. It's okay, but the slices are really greasy. In the future, I think I'll walk to Village Kitchen for a more healthy slice or to Upper Crust for my pizza fix."
I still like The Village Kitchen but Armando's is a pretty cheap, convenient option--I was wrong. Single slices, $2; Sicilian slice, $2.25; 1-topping, $2.50.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/10/2009
While I'm still not raving about the pizza here, the late hours (open til 11pm) and proximity (two… Read more »
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Review from Esther Y.
Updated - 11/14/2010
Yeah, so you know how I love the pizza?
I kind of may love the Sicilian pizza more, and may now be in love with their sammies.
Great for Armando's not so great for my expanding waistline.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/10/2010
One of my favorite finds. This place is great. I'm completely enamored with family owned… Read more »
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Review from Graham C.
4/24/2007 ROTD 11/20/2007
I'd give this place 6 stars if I could. How to start....
I'm originally from New York City, where the best pizza place was always the pizzeria on the corner. And there was always one on the corner. Then I moved up here and I realized this place had no decent pizza and no good bagels.
When I say no good pizza, I don't mean Figs or Pizzeria Regina or any other brick oven junk. I mean a nice big slice you fold in half and eat with a Coke while you're driving to your next meeting, kind of pizza. And here is where Armando's excels. It is just like my old pizzeria on the corner. I've been looking all over for a place like this.
If you like sicilian, as I do, you will love it here. Get a middle slice. Trust me. If Armando's there when you're in, you're guaranteed to laugh. Why go to Hi-rise and pay high prices for snooty service, when you can sink your teeth into real pizza at a place where the owner gives the kids who come in free cookies?
It makes me want to light a sparkler and hum the "Battle Hymn of the Republic."Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Tom E.
8/2/2007
You know... I was desperate to hate this place. But instead I loved the slice here. Real american pizza slice - cheesy, floppy, a little salty but very good. I'l climb down from my usual italian vs american pizza stuff and just say that this place is somewhere you should make a trip to for a good slice of NY/NE-style pizzzzzza. You know it's good when all the cops are here. Plenty of toppings options as well - oh my, how I love my anchovies.
Now a word about the decor...
Armando's is very close to Harvard's astronomy area. In fact it's about 0.00000000334229067 Astronomical Units away. So the local boffins with their eyes in the skies are a hardcore of the regular clientele and seem to have donated various posters and gizmos to Armando's. I know no other pizza joint with a map of the solar system on display.Listed in: Just a slice or two
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Review from ELLIS D.
Petaluma, CA
"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie thats Armando's."
. I luvs me sum eggplant sub and hamburgersub and sum pizza pie. oh me oh my! -
Review from Orly M.
Somerville, MA
2/16/2008
Ohhhh Arrrrmando
I went here yesterday because i had a job interview right around the corner and the interviewer instructed me to go. I was hungry and couldn't resist. Excellent cheese slice, perfect crust to sauce to cheese ratio, a nice thin but not too thin crust, and not too greasy so i didnt splatter orange oil all over my nice suit. It was crazy crowded in there so that's a good sign and i was happy with my slice. I don't eat pizza much but if i'm gonna, it's either going to be from here or Pini's in Somerville.Listed in: Hidden Gems
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Review from Mike D.
Brighton, MA
7/19/2007
I keep rewriting this stupid review because I'm hung up on the NY/Boston comparisons, and because Armando's makes a better pizza than any I ever had in the five years I lived in NYC. And I ate a lot of pizza when I lived there. Probably too much.
I'm the first to admit that most of the pizza you get around here sucks. I think that a good part of the reason for this is that there's so much Greek pizza around here (sorry guys--love the souvlaki, gyros, salads, grape leaves, various things you do with filo dough, etc., but what the hell is up with the pizza?). Then there's all the college students around here who come from places like Iowa, and are satisfied ordering from Papa John's or from local places that don't strive to be any better.
But the majority of the pizza I had in New York sucked too. And what the hell is "New York Pizza" anyhow? I feel like people who worship this concept have been manipulated by some sort of subliminal signals Domino's embedded in those stupid Donald Trump commercials. Is it just big, flat pizza? Dude, I probably ate pizza made by fifty different places that claimed to be run by guys named Ray when I lived there and was never any more impressed than I was with the average neighborhood spot around here. Some good, some bad. But the three best pizzas I had in New York didn't look anything like what Trump used to hawk--two did the smaller, Neopolitan style, and the third was Two Boots (not really sure how to describe theirs).
I guess this review is more about me than Armando's, but when I read all these reviews taking points away from Armando's because his pizza wasn't "real New York Pizza" or saying it's just good for the area I had to speak out. Again. -
Review from Michael C.
Cambridge, MA
2/12/2012
A reliable, tasty pizza. Reasonably priced also.
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Review from Laura N.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/31/2011
The haters are nuts, this place is good. The pizza crust was absolutely perfect. The meatball sub was the bomb. Really friendly service too.
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Review from Jonathan H.
Somerville, MA
9/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Growing up in Long Island, I'm pretty picky when it comes to pizza and Armando's has one of the best cheese slices to satiate that craving for the pizza of yesteryear. I've tried the subs and they weren't too shabby, but really, when my wife and I come here, its for our 2 cheese slices and a shared Greek salad. A little hard to get to from the T, but its a can't miss if you're even remotely close by.
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Review from Jocelyn C.
Jamaica Plain, MA
10/16/2007
Just to quickly add my two cents to all of these reviews: Armando's is seriously the BEST pizza I've had in New England.
That might not seem to mean much, being that this area isn't known for (good?) pizza, and I really hate to be one of those people that compares Boston to New York... BUT, this is the kind of pizza that I thought only existed in NYC. So glad to know I don't have to travel for 4 hours on a stinky bus to get to the good stuff anymore! -
Review from Alexander M.
Cambridge, MA
8/10/2009
For our sunday dinner my ladyfriend and I ordered a large pizza and 2 ziti dishes (one plain and one with Chicken Parm). After a 20 minute wait we picked up our order and brought it home (only 2 min away from the restaurant). The pizza was cold and soggy and pretty much inedible. I think they may have even forgot to put sauce on the pizza, it was nonexistent.
After reading so many positive YELP reviews, i am baffled as to why people go "goo goo ga-ga-" for this pizza.
Honestly, i would prefer a week old slice of Upper Crust (even if i had to brush off some lint off the top). Even a Ellio's frozen pizza has better flavor.
So, after i put down the pizza I decided to give the chicken parm the benefit of the doubt. Bad idea. The chicken had a cardboard esque texture and tasted like it had been sitting around for 3-4 weeks.
We ended up just tossing the food in the trash and making ice cream sundaes instead.
Maybe i just went on an off night. I dunno.
I have a great amount of respect for family businesses but I was let down by this place. -
Review from Kristina B.
Somerville, MA
8/30/2008 1 Check-in Here
Take another pizza my heart now baby...
I went here for the first time after a long ultimate frisbee tournament and am ever so thankful that one of my passengers said "why don't we go to Armando's?" as we zoomed down Concord Ave toward Chipotle. Luckily, the other two cars agreed to forgo the burrito onslaught for delicious thin-crust pizza, baked ziti, and chicken parm.
I had a slice of pepperoni and a slice of anchovy. The crust to cheese ratio, crust chewability, and cheese melting factor all pwned Pinocchio's hands-down. The slices were fairly sizable too--after playing three games in a row with no subs, I'd thought I could handle another slice, but the two left me perfectly satiated. -
Review from H C.
Bay Area
5/5/2007
Meh. Certainly not five or four stars worthy, in my humble opinion. I came here based on the sheer number of high reviews but my experience was a downer.
The pizza slice certainly is wide enough to necessitate folding but to call it *good* NY pizza is an insult to NY pizza! Also, it's kinda short and stout when it comes to a pizza slice. I'm used to NY slices being much longer. I appreciate the non-greasy factor though (but isn't that also a non-NY pizza then?). -
Review from JEM C.
Malden, MA
4/1/2007
Do you know where I can find floppy cheesy pizza? That has been my question for years...I now know the answer.
ARMANDOS!
LOVE IT! Great prices, too! -
Review from Amanda A.
3/30/2010
A friend of ours found out where we'd moved to and immediately told us we had to get to Armando's. Man, he was right. This is hands-down the best pizza I have found in Boston or Cambridge. I am VERY picky about my pizza. This is solid Italian pizza. Hard to find in Boston! This is big, flat delicious pizza. The sauce-cheese ratio is just right and really really tasty.
The important thing to know about Armando's is this: they make sicilian pies. A gem outside of the North End! You can order a half-tray for home if you want more than a slice or two. It takes a long time (maybe anywhere from 30-60 minutes depending on the time of day), but it is SO worth the wait.
I've gotten a sandwich once or twice- meh. The gold is in the pies, folks. The pies!!
Armando's does not deliver and it's cash only. They also prefer smaller bills. The dudes working there are super nice (never seen any chicks). One time I came in to pick up our take out order and an older gentlemen behind the counter asks my name. I said "Amanda." His mouth cracks into a huge smile and he throws his arms out wide while gesturing to himself and saying "Amanda? Armando!" Awesome.
