I had heard nothing but good things about this place - so I was looking forward to trying it - but in the end it was definitely not worth the hype. The pizza was good; the rest of the experience is not. We waited over 45 minutes for 1 pizza (They recommend ordering 1 pizza per person) to be brought out. Once we had our pizza, we were continually rushed to finish and leave. From clearing my plate as I was taking my last bite to being "asked" (told) to give up our table, we were at our seats for less than 15 minutes. After this, I won't be coming back and I won't be recommending it to anyone. read more

WOW! All I can say is this place rocks. Great food and decent prices.

Hana, Hair Cuttery, Shirlington I have a grand head of thick hair. I was about to despair that I would ever find anyone in Northern Virginia who could do my hair justice. I had been traveling to Gettysburg to get a good (expensive) hair cut from a stylist I have known for some years. Then one day just to get it done I walked into the Hair Cuttery in Shirlington and met Hana. I put my $20.00 down and have lived happily ever after. Hana knows what to do without much input from me. I've never gotten a bad haircut and she seems to know how to cut hair so it will grow out gracefully and look better with age...up to a point. My only complaint is that she is not a secret and you have to make an appointment. Save that money a fancy salon charges you and go see Hana. You can use the money you saved to get a mani/pedi next door. read more

The pizza was absolutely amazing- I got the margherita and added mushrooms. If you're a mushroom fan, you MUST try theirs! They're marinated in red wine- so amazing! The best deal is buying two pizzas to get a discount on a bottle of wine. The ambiance is a little awkward but the food more than makes up for it! read more

Amazing in every sense of the word. The Pizza-- Amazing in a good way. The Service-- Amazingly bad. I have been to all the greats in NYC and can honestly say this pizza is as good as any of them. Be careful though to order the right Pizza. For example, the Pepperoni is fantastic while the Sausage and Onion is well below par. I just cant get over how many restaurants treat their customers. I had specific dealings with 4 different staff members and 2 of them actually cared about my experience. I really am getting tired of going to "respected" restaurants and having to deal with poor customer service to get a fairly good meal. i guess it doesn't matter when you have a line coming out the door around the street. Overall 3.5 but will round up do to the amazing pizza. read more

I love Pupatella. It is always busy, so you have to be prepared to wait for 10-20 minutes to be seated. But the pizza is amazing. We usually start with their appetizer sample - a selection of fried balls stuffed with sausage and cheese. I love their pizzas. The crust is very thin. They bake it in a special pizza oven. My recommendation - try their white sauce pizza with spinach and pine nuts. My absolutely favorite in the world! read more

Love Love this eatery...being pregnant I seem to crave pizza pizza and my husband found this place through word of mouth and we were not disappointed. Mushroom and extra cheese so very delish. Service was outstanding, place was clean no sticky tables or crumbs/food on the floor and noise volume not a problem but we have kids...lol. Bathrooms were clean being pregnant its an issue of having to use the bathroom more and more ;) read more

Salads are yummy. Pizza is very tasty, IF the bottom is not BURNED BLACK. Tell the person who takes your order to have the bakers pull your pizza before the bottom is scorched. (I am not kidding here.) read more

I"m not sure where i heard about this place but decided to try it...i was a bit surprised by the process...you stand in line order your food, pay, and then once you have a number you are seated. If you ordered drinks you must go to the bartender and show him your receipt and then your drinks are poured. Other then that...Everything we ordered was great! We got the eggplant Parmesan pizza and the chorizzo pizza. We ordered the sampler for an appetizer...i have never had anything like it! Would definitely come again! Parking is a bit of a pain so i would recommend coming early. We were able find parking on one of the side streets but i have a feeling people park in the Safeway Lot across the street. read more

I have been living in the Ballston area for two years- and this is my go to place! Everything I have ever had at Pupatella is my favorite!! It has grown a lot in popularity in the past year because it has won some awards and had some articles written. Unfortunately this means that they are pretty much crowded every night- but I must say that this place deserves the business! Whenever I have relatives or friends in town, we usually spend most of our time in D.C. doing typical tourist things. However, I always save one night to take them to Pupatella. I promise that none have every been disappointed. My sister, who studied in Italy for a semester, said it was the best pizza she has had since she was there. I personally really enjoy white pizzas and they have plenty of options here. Everything is fresh and delicious. Also, you should try the sampler appetizer- it is wonderful and gives you a little taste of everything! Enjoy! read more

Genuinely the best pizza I've had in the DC area. Fresh, varied toppings and amazing dough.

Definitely one of the better hand-made pizza parlors I've visited. On a business trip to DC whilst staying at a nearby hotel I dropped in to order bruschetta and a meatball pizza to carry out. They mention on their website that they do not take phone orders during busy nights, and that was the case this Thursday evening. Parking was a bit of a challenge, but once I found a space for my compact rental. There was a line for to-go orders so I waited about 5 minutes to place my order and added an IPA (beer) to enjoy during the wait. You can watch as the makers quickly toss pie after pie down the line and into the oven while you wait to order. The beer (Slyfox) was refreshing after a long day and I barely had time to finish it before my buzzer went off indicating my food was ready (10 minutes). Back at the hotel 5 minutes later. The bruschetta was nothing special: cherry tomatoes tossed in olive oil with some garlic and basil, but hey! That's pretty much the recipe so no complaints either. The bread it was served upon was the highlight. Onto the pizza. It was very, very good. Excellent? I'm not sure I'd go that far. It's top tier, to be sure. We live very near an authentic Italian restaurant in the Tampa Bay area and I would consider theirs to be excellent and this came close, but not quite. That said, you can't go wrong with Pupatella. read more

It's the best pizza place in town. There rissoto balls are deep fried but good. When you walk in, you see a big red brick oven when you walk in read more

Most pizza in the area ranges from meh to decent, but until we tried Pupatella we hadn't found a really first rate pizza joint near us. Fortunately, Pupatella is head and shoulders above the rest. Okay, the set-up is a bit odd the first time you go: You wait in line to order pizza, apps, and beverages at the cashier, get a number placard, then wait for a table to open up (turnover is pretty quick). Once you get a seat you can go to the small bar and get the beer or wine you've paid for while the apps and mains are delivered to your table. It's usually crowded and noisy and can seem on the chaotic side, but everyone's in a good mood and the wait staff works non-stop to make your visit pleasant. Of note, the wait staff clearly knows the food they bring you is great, and their enthusiasm is infectious. And the food? The menu is small but the options are excellent, and the pizza -- the Margherita is certified DOC -- is just great. The dough alone is delicious -- thin and blistered from the intense heat of the oven, and the toppings are well thought out combinations. Pizzas are individually sized, so you will want to order one per person. On balance, we like the white pizzas a bit more than the red ones, but that's a matter of personal preference. When in doubt, don't hesitate to ask the cashier for a recommendation -- they know their product! It's a good idea to resist the temptation to add a topping to their standard combos lest the thin crust get a bit soggy with the added weight. Appetizers are also good. We love the Brussels sprouts tossed with a balsamic dressing and the Caprese made with cherry tomatoes is also a fine starter, as is the arancini with eggplant. Beer and wine selections are good -- what's not to like about Peroni on tap? If you want red wine, don't hesitate to try the Primitivo. Yes, it's noisy and almost always busy, but you won't go here for a romantic dinner, just for the best pizza in the area. read more

Pupetella has some of the best local pizza I've ever had. The crust is soft and the ingredients taste fresh. They also add a drizzle of olive oil on top, which is a nice touch. Unfortunately, the pizza I got was a bit soggy, but other than that it was very good. I can't wait to come here again! read more

Seeing everyone else's rave reviews, I was more than surprised that this place couldn't offer at least a halfway decent pizza experience. This place gets 1 star for customer service and for pizza. The cashier was so impatient and rude when I asked about the differences in the pizzas, it was unreal. Then when I tried to purchase a drink separately while they were making my pizza, she refused to allow me to make the purchase on my card because it was under a certain dollar amount. It wasn't until I asked her to cancel my order all together that was she willing to allow me to buy the drink. To add insult to injury, my pizza came out with a long hair in it! I assume it was just an accident, but even after they made me a new one, I was just completely over it. I ate a couple slices and left. Never again. read more

All the pizzas are one size. That's the only downside of Pupatella's because you always want more. Order the aranchini and never look back.

This is excellent Italian pizza and the back patio is much nicer than I expected. Tipping was confusing though. Ordering at a counter, I didn't realize they'd have the level of table service they provided. read more

Great pizza--lives up to all the hype. It was so good!

Visited twice already but still would love to visit again. Very authentic Italian pizza and lot of other stuff we tried. Must visit if you're in Arlington. read more

We just moved to Ballston and were told we lived near the best pizza place in the area!! They weren't lying! Pupatella's was fabulous and we will make it a regular choice for dinner!! The wood fired pizzas were perfectly done and the tiramisu dessert was out of this world! read more

We went here for Italian and were surprised that it isn't like a traditional restaurant. You walk in and place your order and find a place to sit and they bring you your food. Afterward we noticed their website does tell you it's counter service so that was on us lol. We got the frittura sampler and the margherita doc. Both were amazing and you get so much food for the price! Everything was cooked wonderfully. We were not from the area and asked one of the waitresses how to get to the subway and she was so hopeful and even drew us a map on the receipt of how to get there!!! I wish I knew her name to give her a shout out because that was the icing on the cake! This place is a gem and def recommended!! read more

If you are looking for a wonderful thin crust pizza and extremely fresh ingredients this is he place to go. However, the crowds and limited sitting can be overwhelming. read more

My favorite restaurant in Arlington. Great location just down the street from ballston mall. More than reasonable prices for the quality. The staff is incredibly friendly and knows the whole menu. They don't charge you for stupid stuff like extra sauce. They allow you to make pretty much anything you want. All of the sides pizzas and paninis are great. Just a matter of what you like. And you can always mix and match. Never disappointed when I come here. read more

Authentic Neapolitan pizza with excellent toppings. We tried pepperoni and the one with grilled corn. I was sold on the pictures of salad 1. and the Arancini. Both were excellent. The gelato is also a must. Overall a great experience dining here. read more

By far the best pizza in town. Fresh ingredients and perfect dough made fresh in their brick oven. Nothing else compares. They are always really busy but I found that phoning your order ahead of time is the best way to avoid the lines. They don't deliver because they are not that type of place. They serve gourmet pizza! read more

I'll make this short and sweet - Pupatella is the REAL deal!! I lived in Italy and can say that I've never tasted pizza this authentic in the US and it beats some of the pizza I actually had in Italy. With that being said, their QC is not completely up to par. I'd say that if you are getting take-out, it's 75/25 (in favor of it NOT being fully cooked) as to whether or not your pizza will be fully cooked. However, every time I've dined it, my pizza has been cooked perfectly. I'd also note that I'd only really come here for the pizza and maybe the gelato as well. In terms of their salad, the dressing is good and the salad itself seems fresh, but basic. Nothing wrong with that though! Anything else that I've ordered other than pizza has been pretty underwhelming. I've pretty much ended throwing out/not eating anything else I've ordered other than pizza and salad. The gelato is the best I've had in the US! It is no where near what I had in Italy, but I wasn't expecting it to be. When they have gelato made/available, I will usually order it. Just expect it to be good gelato, not Italy authentic gelato! Bottom line: Go to Pupatella! Get a pizza (they are all single size/single person pizzas), a salad, and finish up with some tasty gelato. DONE! read more

Awesome place! The risotto balls were amazing as well as the prosciutto arugula pizza. Nice small environment and the food came out quick

Pro: Awesome food. Quite possibly the best pizza place in the DMV. (It definitely beats Two Amys!) Cons: The atmosphere is less than ideal. The noise level is generally always super LOUD. Parking is a nightmare. Good to know: I've had friendly servers and servers who were apparently having a bad day. read more

We ate there last night and we were very disappointed. We both had pizza and the bottom was burned but the dough and cheese were undercooked. We've eaten there a few years ago and it was very good. It's unfortunate that the quality has suffered. read more

What is left to be said? Having lived in Italy, this is the closest thing I've ever found stateside to authentic pizza from The Boot (which admittedly might not be everyone's slice of pizza...sorry for the bad pun...I couldn't resist). It's not always easy for medium to large sized groups to find a seat at first, but don't let that deter you. The food is well worth the wait. If it's nice outside, enjoy the back patio with a glass bottle Coke. Whatever you do, at least give it a try! Andiamo! read more

Having heard the epic tales of how crowded it gets, my husband and I decided to check it out at 4pm on a Saturday, right after they finished cleaning their ovens. Well, that worked like a charm because we basically had the place to ourselves. My husband got a meatball pizza and I made my own with pepperoni, ricotta, and eggplant. Both were really tasty but the ricotta was so wet that my pizza was pretty soupy and the dough was too thin to hold it. I know ricotta is a softer cheese but I've had it on other pizza and it doesn't cause those structural issues. Anyway, I definitely see the appeal but I wouldn't battle huge crowds to get it. read more

This is one of the best restaurants in the area! I have been to Italy on several occasions and I can say without a doubt in my mind that the pizzas at this restaurant are as good as any pizza in Italy. Whether you are visiting or a resident, trying this restaurant is a must. read more

Best pizza in Arlington. Not a fan of the loud, busy atmosphere inside, but the pizza makes it all worth it.

If you love Authentic Italian pizza, this is the place to go. Very simple and well executed, fresh ingredients. Not fancy of a place but great pizza read more

After reading good reviews, we were very disappointed with the service. At 8:15pm on a Thursday, we were told it would be a 30 minute wait for our pizza. It took over an hour until we finally got our food. The dining room is noisy and they told us they were "swamped with phone orders." I guess phone customers are their priority over people dining in. Not worth eating here unless you have an evening to spend. read more

Pizza is absolutely disgusting. The mozzarella on my pizza was chewy and tasted awful. Consistency and taste made me want to vomit, reminded me of mushrooms (which is also hate). The bottom of the crust on both my pizza, and my boyfriend's pizza was burnt and charcoaly tasting. Worst pizza eating experience ever. Don't waste your money here. read more

My mom was highly recommended by her friends to come her. We went as a family, desperate to eat, only to find out that they switched the process of how a regular restaurant goes. I didn't like that you had to order first and then be seated. We were forced to tip and it just felt inefficient. Seating was not good either. I had my fair share of screaming kids at work and I thought I would escape from that. However, I have discovered that the chaos is stronger here. My pizza and my mom's food was fine but the rest of he family got the short end of the stick. My Dad ordered a salad. Apparently that salad only included two slices of bread, a mozzarella blob, and a pile of sliced tomatoes. How is that even a salad?! There's no lettuce! My sister pizza seemed alright but I agree that the meatballs scarred the taste buds. Overall, I give it three stars because the pizza was good, it's just the way the restaurant is set up is uncomfortable. read more

Best wood oven pizza! Delicious food, great vibe, excellent service. A family favorite!

Awesome pizza! I ordered the burrata, so many pizzas that looked/sounded amazing. I liked the casual, few frills style of this place. Prices were good for both pizza and beverages. A more impressive dine-in experience than a lot of pay first at the counter places provide. read more