Newtowne Grille
American restaurant · Pinehurst ·
Classic American grub, craft beer, happy hour, late-night menu
Classic American grub, craft beer, happy hour, late-night menu
"After more than half a century the lovable Porter Square dive Newtowne Grille made its exit on March 19, 2022; the bar had largely remained the same since the 1960s prior to pandemic‑era renovations, and building owner Eric Boyer cited Covid‑related challenges as a reason for the closure." - Stephanie Carter
"A Porter Square landmark that closed in March 2022 after 56 years, Newtowne Grille was a longtime neighborhood staple known for affordable, crowd-pleasing New York-ish pizza with a bubbly thin crust — where you could spend about $12 on a large cheese pizza and a pitcher of beer — and for its friendly dive-bar vibes: watching sports, trivia nights, bartenders who knew regulars' names, and a welcoming atmosphere even under a rough exterior. Adjacent to the bar was a small, bustling takeout counter where callers were greeted by a gruff “Newtowne” on the phone; the Toulopoulos family (Michael Toulopoulos, whose grandfather and uncle owned the business before him) invested in pandemic-era modernization such as POS upgrades and a new chef to pivot toward takeout and delivery, but various COVID challenges and false reports of permanent closure ultimately forced the business to shut its doors. Regulars described it as the sort of bar every neighborhood should have — a place to gather, debate, go on first or last dates, and share a pitcher and a pizza with old or new friends." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal
"A neighborhood pizza staple that has elected to close operations for the time being, joining other local restaurants in prioritizing employee and patron safety over providing takeout service during the pandemic." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal
"My household has fierce allegiances to several regional pizza styles. (Our kittens are named Sally and Pepe, which reveals one of the styles, but don’t tell Pepe that we’re Team Sally’s.) When it comes to cheap, reliable, excellent New York-style pizza, we have two local picks, both in Cambridge: Newtowne Grille and Armando’s (see below for the latter.) Newtowne is great for dining in, especially if you love dive-y old sports bars or want to take advantage of the super-cheap pitcher-of-beer-and-pizza deal. But takeout’s great, too; head to the door on the far right. Pepperoni’s the way to go. —RLB" - Terrence Doyle
"For the better part of the last decade I’ve relied on Newtowne Grille as my dependable pizza takeout joint." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal