A year after a single pizza review changed everything, Frank’s Pizza & Pasta is taking a moment to reflect and say thank you. This week, the Baltimore staple shared an emotional post on social media, crediting Dave Portnoy and his “One Bite” pizza review for transforming the future of the family-owned restaurant.
“A year ago yesterday, our lives changed forever,” the post read. “One visit. One bite. One review. Frank’s legacy grew, and Baltimore was put on the map. Forever grateful.” The gratitude is directed at Portnoy, Barstool Sports, and the One Bite Pizza Fest, following what many now view as a defining moment for the longtime Belair Road pizzeria.
A year ago, Portnoy stopped by Frank’s Pizza & Pasta, located at 6620 Belair Rd. in Baltimore, as part of his nationally followed pizza review series. What followed was immediate and dramatic. After the video dropped, customers began lining up down the block before opening, eager to try what Portnoy had just rated among the best in the state.
Using his signature 1-10 scale, Portnoy gave Frank’s New York-style cheese pizza an 8.3, the highest pizza score in Maryland and one of the top 73 ratings out of more than 1,000 reviews nationwide. He followed that up with an even higher 9.0 rating for the cheesesteak, a score that instantly put Frank’s on the national food map. For comparison, the average “One Bite” score sits around 6.8.
When we visited after the review, we sampled both the cheese and pepperoni slices, finding the pizza lighter and crispier, and earning positive reviews from our team. The cheesesteak stood out just as much, earning rave reviews from each of our team members.
Frank’s Pizza & Pasta has been a Baltimore institution since 1985 and was named Baltimore’s Best Pizza in both 2023 and 2024 by Baltimore Magazine and The Baltimore Sun. During the pandemic, brothers Gerry and Daniel took over the business from their parents and began putting their own stamp on the menu while preserving the family legacy.
Today, Frank’s offers New York and Detroit-style pizzas, pastas, calzones, stromboli, and subs. Their cheesesteaks are available “Philly style” with hand-sliced ribeye and Cooper Sharp American cheese or “Baltimore style” with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and additional toppings.
