Pupatella Pizza Cart

Finally came back one day to get one of their white pizzas. I must say, its great!!! So surprising that it came from a little food stand too. Its honestly better than a lot of pizza restaurants in the area too (feel bad if you are one of them… ;)). I wish I carried cash on me more often, otherwise I’d be here all the time.

OMG pizza from a little red box on the street. ANd it’s not that expensive, and the guys who work there are pretty chill too.
$ 7 for ‘za with artichokes. Best price in DC hands down. IT’s not the world’s greatest pizza, but considering it came OUT OF A LITTLE RED BOX on the street, and only costs $ 7, what more could you want?!

Like everyone else said: amazing pizza from a wee cart.
I will be back. They do run out of toppings if you don’t make it early (I got there around 1:30) which is a bummer, because I really wanted to try the goat cheese/​salami pizza that was on special. They did offer to do it with proscuitto but it’s just not the same.
I was annoyed at first, it’s confusing trying to figure out how to order I guess. Nobody was at the cart’s window, but the girl told me she’d be right with me, so I backed off as people were picking up pizzas as they came out of the oven. Then she forgot about me, and though she did apologize when she finally took my order, obtaining my pizza from start to finish took nearly 30 minutes – way too time-​consuming for the average lunch hour.
Crust: good, chewy, crispy, though a bit bland. The sauce was heavenly, salty, tangy. I think for the size the amount of basil was acceptable, the mozzarella is only fantastic if you eat it right away, otherwise it goes rubbery.
P. S. I’m totally jazzed about the donuts. I’m definitely going by one morning!

I love the guy with the ipod headphone in one ear taking your order while the other guy dishes up delicious pizzas bursting with flavor and perfectly sized… and most of all AWESOME PRICES.
Hands down, one of the best car pizzas, and possibly one of the best pizzas I’ve had in a long long time (maybe ever). I love the service, love that they put out a little fire pit for you to stand by while you wait for your pizza on a cold day, and how every thing is super fresh, crispy, and tasty. We just opted for the mozarella tomato pizza, and dug in after waiting for the three people ahead of us (seriously, it doesn’t get more made to order than this). The cheese was plentiful, the sauce didnt overwhelm or droop the pizza, and the tomatoes were sweet and juicy. $ 5 bucks? I’ll eat here everyday.
Sadly, they aren’t here everyday. But when you catch it, you won’t be disappointed.
LEGIT.

oh my god!!!
SOOOOOOOOO delicious! …that they run out of toppings closer to the time they’re about to close… you know what that means… toppings are fresh, pizzas are so popular!
Tried the margherita with sausage and wow! the sausage sure had a KICK to it! I loved it! They were slowly running out of mozzarella and offered to put some goat cheese on it, but we said just give us what you have. It was still so good and they even gave us a $ 2.00 discount! The sauce is soo delicious so i didn’t even mind there wasn’t as much cheese on it!
We took it up to the apt and ate it… and ran back downstairs to try the special of the day: salmon, goatcheese, spinach pizza… by then they had ran out too (it was 215pm)
Enzo and Anaystasia are SOOO friendly and the cutest couple ever! I can’t wait for springtime to come so they are there every weekday AND they are opening a pizza shop over near george mason!
SOOO EXCITED! go try it now! bring cash! :)

So this place has been a To Try bookmark for a year now, since I am nowhere near Ballston during the work week. Waited until I had a Thursday off, checked Unilocal for their hours, and DING DING it was a perfect match. I was out the door, running.
Five stars for the pizza taste, four stars for having to wait in the cold. Their pizza is deliciously crispy, surprisingly more filling than it looks. Got one with roasted mushrooms which were salty and deliciously flavored, and one with pepperoni and prosciutto. I was worried that they might cook the prosciutto, but no, these people are professionals! It was put on after the pie comes out of the oven. The minute I heard the crust crunching as they cut through the pie before boxing it, I got so excited; I couldn’t get home fast enough.
The first bite in my mouth was soooo good, a perfect balance of flavors — san marzano tomato sauce, good quality cheese, deliciously salty but well flavored mushrooms. Handed the pizza over to my boyfriend for a bite and he said ‘are you kidding me??’ The pizza is made a thin crust that looks like a large pita but it’s totally thin and airy dough that maintains its integrity as you eat. I never eat crusts and I crunched up every bite of this one — thin, crunchy and brushed with olive oil.
Man, I wish I worked closer to ballston. They are open Thurs & Fri in the winters, and in the spring it’s Mon — Fri. I wish they could turn out pizzas faster, though I didnt’ have to wait long today, I can see how a long line might take 35 minutes to get through. Luckily I got there around 1 and parking was fine and I was outta there in 10 minutes.
Pupatella totally lived up to the hype. I am soo excited to have found this Ballston jewel that only so few know about. The price is a little steep ($ 6 for a margherita and $ 1 for each additional topping) but it’s totally worth it for this treat that I probably will only get to eat on super special occasions. Keep baking, Pupatella!

Best Pizza in the DC Metro Area!!!
They also have other excellent items at affordable prices.
They are open every Thursday and Friday.

When it emerges, it is transformed into a piping hot, fragrant pie. The scent of basil warms the crisp autumn air. Atop a browned and blackened thin crust, sits creamy, melted buffalo mozzarella. The subtle tomato sauce is like a veil, letting the prosciutto shine…”

Pretty enjoyable for a street cart – this is good, thin crust, crispy pizza made by some friendly young folks. I went for lunch today a bit before noon, and there was a small line and another half dozen or so waiting for their orders to come out. Took me only a couple minutes to place my order, and about 15 – 20 minute wait for it to come out.
$ 6 for the basic margherita pizza; it’s 10″ by my guess, so one hungry person could tackle it themselves, or two could share it for a light lunch. Most additional toppings are $ 1 each, though I recommend adding the excellent grilled sausage for $ 2 more. The pizza is light on sauce and cheese, which is actually nice for lunch.
A few things to know
— only open Thu/​Fri
— pay in cash
— located in Welburn Square (at 9^th & Stuart) near Ballston Metro

Had a bacon smoked mozzarella pizza yesterday. As with every pizza I’ve had from here it was absolutely spot on.
I too have had some issues tracking down the exact time & days the Pupatella cart is around, but when I do, it’s always fantastic.

Pupatella is getting –1 star for only being open Thursdays and Fridays now, otherwise I’d give it 5. It used to be open 5 days a week, and I’m hoping they are not cutting back due to lack of business. This place is such a gem, I would make specific trips to Ballston just to go here. Last time I was over there, I walked all around the block thinking maybe they had moved the cart closer to the mall or the metro — but then checked the website. On the plus side of this, rice balls only used to be available on Fridays, so now they’ve doubled their availability, although I still haven’t been able to try them.
The pizza is the best I’ve had in the area, including the Italian Store. I’ve had the margherita and some of the gourmet options that change (or used to) daily. I suppose the size of the pizza is big enough to share, but you could definitely eat the whole thing yourself and only be in slight food coma. Prices are definitely reasonable for what you’re getting. I have to get myself back there for the rice balls!

I heart this place! The sauce is absolutely delicious (like candy!), the dough/​crust is reminiscent of the best pizza taglio I had on a recent visit to Rome. I wish this place was closer to me, and as others have mentioned, open more often than just Thurs-​Fri! And you cannot beat the deal, $ 6! Nice staff too! I can’t wait to go back!

Five stars and definitely a big fan.
Let me first say I am a pizza snob. I make it at home every weekend… I’ve modified my oven to reach 700+ degrees… I make my own dough using starters and let it ferment for days… I continually tweak and re-​tweak my recipe to get it just right (I can taste how much salt is in the dough down to the gram). After trying their pie… I can say that this is one of the best in the area.
After arriving here later Thursday afternoon and waiting about ten minutes for a Margherita, I took the box over and sat down to feast on my pie. It was a fairly thin pie, had a little bit of charring on one side and was cooked fairly well. My one objection (and this is just personal taste) is I believe they used dry mozz vs. fresh mozz. I thought the cheese was good, but on a traditional Marg… I prefer fresh mozz. Now they did offer fresh buffalo mozz for $ 3 more… but I opted for the standard. I think if I went again, I might try the buffalo mozz.
So, back to the eating. It was really good. Why was it good… well, it’s pretty basic, but they seem to get it. «Get What» you ask. They get pizza… especially this style of pizza. IT’s not hunkered down with cheese or sugary tomato sauce… it’s really simple. The crust is the star of the show, accented by the tomato sauce, co-​starring the cheese, and a supporting role with fresh basil. The most basic ingredients… but they get it! The proportions are right… the preparation is great… and best of all, these guys seems to have the heart. They are running this tiny little food cart that they can barely fit into and making a product that is light years ahead of some of the chain pizzerias. The people that work there are super friendly and it was great to support their business.
So, if I am in the area I would definitely stop here… and I would probably go out of my way too… main drawback, not open on the weekends.

Upgraded to 4 stars.
[EDIT] Duh, I am dumb… this place is only open Thursday and Friday.
I’ve had two experiences here and both were very good. I had ordered the margherita pizza and for $ 6, the quality is comparable to Ella’s Pizza (same thin crunchy crust) but for half the cost. My only gripe is that there’s only 4 basil leaves on the pie and I felt like there could be more. I mean, when you remove the basil, it’s only a cheese pizza, you know? I brought some to work and my manager couldn’t believe it came from a food cart. I reheated it later that night and while it was still good, it was better fresh from the cart.
Last week I bought breakfast here. They sell doughnuts for $ 2, or 2 for $ 3. I got a plain one and a Nutella one. The doughnuts are freshly fried and then for the ones with filling, they slice in half and spread the filling, so it’s more like a fried dough sandwich. These doughnuts are winners. So warm, chewy but not cakey, and best of all, not greasy. The plain doughnuts have sugar coating.
I can see how this cart has a cult following. People really want them to succeed. When I ordered my breakfast a man ahead of me had received his order of 4 doughnuts, totaling $ 6. He paid with a $ 10 bill and told the girl to keep the change! The staff is very friendly and their customers don’t seem to mind the wait times for food. I’ve never had a long wait – usually it’s 1 – 3 people ahead of me.
The little red cart is only here Thursdays and Fridays. However, the Afghan kebob cart is there, rain or shine, so I might give them a try soon.

All the rave reviews made me excited to try this place so I went on their website to check out their menu for the day. It was too late to try their donuts so I decided on the sausage sandwich with grilled onions and peppers and muenster cheese. I was quoted 10 minutes waiting time but probably waited more like 15. The guy doing the grilling was nice and apologetic about how long it took though, so I didn’t mind. It cost $ 6 for the sandwich.
At first bite, the sandwich is juicy, tender and salty but delicious. I rarely ask for spice on my food, but some mild heat would have made it extra tasty. As I kept chomping down, I noticed how soggy the bread roll had gotten, but the entire sandwich was gone within 10 minutes so it didn’t matter. The muenster cheese, although almost hidden by the pile of grilled onions, held its own. The taste was sharp and the texture was smooth. See for yourself:
I was lucky they didn’t run out of my ingredients, but I suggest you come here early as I overheard customers changing their orders because their original choice was sold out for the day.

Vonetta’s gchat status message, «Life done been changed by this pizza,» led to the following gchat conversation with A.
——
A: DO TELL!
me: There’s this pizza cart around the corner from the Ballston metro
Oh my God
I have no words
A: a pizza cart…
me: yes
A: meaning that it travels?
me: but it’s neopolitan pizza, so the crust is superthin, and there’s not a lot sauce,
no
It’s stationary
Well, I guess it could travel
It does have wheels
A: lol
me: Anyhoo
A: interesting
me: Sooooo good
Fresh mozzerella
A: life-​changing, eh?
me: YES
It tastes like Italy
Actually, have you been to 2 Amys?
It tastes kinda like that
A: oh yea? haven’t been, only heard about it
me: OH MY GOD
A: i guess I have to make a visit out to Ballston
me: YES
Ugh
So good
with basil
and olive oil
and you can get buffalo mozzerella for $ 3 more
and a cute pregnant chick was making the pizzas, so I tipped her extra ’cause I felt bad
It must be hot in there
But Good Lord, she made a good pizza
—–
Trust the Unilocalers when they say that this is some darn good pizza. I’ll definitely be back again and again and again!

Highest four possible. Maybe even a five if I can manage repeat visits.
Since the cart is just open on weekdays during work hours in Ballston, I had never managed to stop by in person and only had leftovers after it has been sitting in a box, put in the fridge, and then warmed in the toaster oven or the microwave.
The pizza is really good, even cold. The crust and the sauce are very flavorful. If it was this good reheated and little soggy, I could only image how great it would be to get one crispy and piping hot, fresh from the oven.
The only time the stars magically aligned and I was in Ballston for a meeting, my boss announced that before heading back to the office we should eat lunch something «better than from a street cart» and go somewhere nice like Cheesecake Factory. Or P.F. Chang’s. T_​_​_​T
Thanks to the holiday, I got out a little early and made a mad dash to Ballston in hopes of catching them before they packed up. It was pretty late in the afternoon and there was no line.
The person in the cart was very friendly. She said I had just made it since she was planning to pack things up soon. Since it was the day before Thanksgiving she only had a small selection available. I chose the white pizza with caramelized onions, potatoes, arugula, and parmesan cheese.
It was kind of cool to watch her prep the pizza, and in less than 10 minutes it was piping hot and ready. She cut it into smaller than normal slices for me so I could have a taste right away and pack the rest for home.
Whoa. The pizza was even better fresh! The crust was deliciously thin and crispy without being too hard, and the toppings all worked really well together. I had to resist eating all of it in the park, or on the Metro, or the bus ride home. It smelled amazing.
All this deliciousness for only $ 8 including tax. Well, more if you include Metro fare if Ballston isn’t part of the normal route, but still a ridiculous bargain for truly delicious pizza.
Ballston residents, you owe it to yourself to leave home a little late and try their breakfast items — toasted croissants, crepes — or leave work a little early and try the pizza or one of the non-​pizza daily specials.
Ballston workers, you owe it to yourself to try Pupatella. Eat here often. They’re looking for investors to expand or open a storefront or something and they need your support. You get delicious pizza and I hopefully get the chance to one day experience fresh Pupatella more than once a year. Win-​win for everybody, right?

*****2 ½ stars******
We went because Potbelly’s was packed and we needed to get lunch. They had a long line. Seemed like everyone was ordering pizza. I wanted a sausage sandwich. Once I placed my order I watched the guy fixing other peoples foods & the girl inside fixing pizza. Never did I see anyone working on our sandwiches. Being who I am, I gave them the benefit of the doubt hoping that they didn’t forget my order. Once I realized it had been about 10 minutes & countless folks had gotten their food. I went and complained. She was very apologetic and offered us a drink on the house (cart). And the guy quickly went & fixed our sandwiches. Within 2 – 3 minutes our food was done. I was a bit too upset to really enjoy it. But I have to say it was good. The service was just poor in my book.

Pupatella food cart has blown my mind. Amidst the rows and rows of office buildings, competing with the chains and the street vendors, Pupatella stands alone fighting the gourmet fight. And it’s winning.
You would never know, walking out of the Ballston metro stop, that such a delicious place was half a block away. Situated directly across from 901 Stuart (the Immigration Court building), this tiny little cart rolls into town around 8 or 8:30 every morning and stays for breakfast and lunch. There are three rules at Pupatella: no hotdogs, no change, and no harrasment. In that order. Those are the only rules, and really anything goes with Pupatella.
The lipstick red cart is unquestionably known for its Neopolitan pizza with an ultra thin crust. And who better to make it than a guy from Naples? The base is mozzarella, fresh basil, and San Marzano tomatoes, for only $ 6. For $ 3 more they’ll use Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, a true naples delight made from Water Buffalo’s milk with a creamier, fresher taste. The pizza is more than enough for one for lunch, but if it’s not good enough for you, there are toppings. Go more Mediterranean and add sundried tomatoes and prosciutto. Or make it American with peppery salami and mushrooms. All the toppings are $ 1 more (except the grilled sausage, that’s $ 2).
Lest you think that Pupatella is only pizzas, well, I told you all rules were off with this place. Deep fried risotto balls, grilled sausage and steak sandwiches, goat cheese salads — the menu tends to read like a list of «what we wanted to make today.» Specials of the pizza and non-​pizza variety show up on Pupatella’s website daily (recently featured was a smoked salmon, capers, and goat cheese pizza). And don’t forget, they do breakfast too. Fresh donuts, simply sugar-​dusted or stuffed with your choice of chocolates or fruits, have just been added to the menu. Savory and sweet crepes are available depending on your mood. You really never know what to expect (unless you check the website. Then, well, you have a pretty good idea?).
Despite my praise, and your assumption that I now believe Pupatella is the second coming, allow me to provide some words of caution:
— Pupatella is two people in a tiny cart with the equivalent of a George Forman grill. Do not expect your food quickly. While there are a few kids plastic chairs for waiting, odds are you’ll be standing for at least 15 minutes if not longer in DC weather (which is never «pleasant») before you eat.
— None of the food is neat. The pizza slices are huge and the sandwiches actually drip rainbows and happiness. There are plastic utensils that exist more or less to mock you. Suit and tie crowd, be aware: this food is messy.
— Cash only, people.
If you live in Ballston, if you work in Ballston, if you pass through Ballston, if you’ve ever been on an orange line train, you must go to Pupatella.

Everything that I’ve had here is delicious! The quality of the food is amazing, you would never expect this type of food or quality from a cart.
The pizzas are freshly prepared and cooked in small ovens. They’re pretty light and not greasy at all with excellent sauce, not loaded with cheese. Look at the pic that I uploaded or the pic on their web site to see what I mean. You can get pizzas every day with a variety of ingredients. My personal favorite topping is the prosciutto, they actually put several pretty big slices on the pizza. If you’re thinking about going to Vapiano for a pizza, go to Pupatella instead! They’re much better than Vapiano’s pizzas. The only downside of the pizzas is that if you’re starving, you probably want to get more than just the pizza (like rice balls or a dessert). They’re really light so they won’t completely fill you up if you’re really hungry. But for lunch a pizza is usually more than enough.
In addition to the pizzas, they usually have grilled sausage sandwiches that are grilled outside of the cart, and a few other things, sometimes salads, sometimes soup, and sometimes other things. The menu changes every day, but they actually post every day on their web site what the specials will be for the day. You wouldn’t expect that kind of up to date info from most sit-​down restaurants, let alone a food cart.
Oh, and they also do for breakfast starting when they open at 8:30. The crepes are great, and really cheap too! Where else in the area can you get a nutella crêpe with fresh fruit? They also have made to order doughnuts but I haven’t tried one yet.