Barstool's Dave Portnoy Praises Bella Amici Pizza in Boca Raton

The popular pizza reviewer gives the local restaurant a strong rating during his South Florida tour.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 9:53am

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Dave Portnoy, the host of the Barstool Pizza Review, recently visited Bella Amici, a family-owned pizza restaurant in Boca Raton, Florida. During his stop, Portnoy praised the pizza, describing it as a 'nice dry clean pizza' with a good crust and overall balance, and assigned the shop a 7.6 rating, placing it in what he considers a 'strong tier' on his current scale.

Why it matters

The Barstool Pizza Review has built a large national following, and appearances on the show often translate into increased attention and business for featured restaurants, particularly in the days immediately following publication. For Bella Amici, the positive review from Portnoy brings visibility to the local restaurant and validates its quality within the competitive Boca Raton pizza market.

The details

During his visit, Portnoy interacted briefly with one of the restaurant's owners, Lisa, who expressed excitement about his arrival. After taking a bite, Portnoy noted the pizza's good crust and overall balance, placing it in the 76-79 range on his rating scale, which he described as a 'strong tier' of scores that he does not hand out casually. The stop was part of a larger South Florida pizza tour that Portnoy was conducting that day.

  • On March 28, 2026, Portnoy visited Bella Amici as part of his ongoing Barstool Pizza Review series.

The players

Dave Portnoy

The host of the popular Barstool Pizza Review series, which features Portnoy visiting and reviewing pizza restaurants across the country.

Bella Amici

A family-owned pizza restaurant in Boca Raton, Florida, that was recently visited and reviewed by Dave Portnoy.

Lisa

One of the owners of Bella Amici, who enthusiastically greeted Portnoy during his visit to the restaurant.

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What they’re saying

“We've been dying for you to stop in.”

— Lisa, Co-owner, Bella Amici

“76 to 79 is all really good scores. I don't hand those out casually.”

— Dave Portnoy

What’s next

The positive review from Portnoy is expected to bring increased attention and business to Bella Amici in the coming days and weeks, as the Barstool Pizza Review has a large national following.

The takeaway

This review highlights the power of influential food critics like Dave Portnoy to drive awareness and interest in local restaurants, even in a competitive market like Boca Raton. For Bella Amici, the strong rating from Portnoy validates their quality and could lead to a boost in customers and revenue.