Health & Fitness
Restaurant Review: Westboro House of Pizza
Driving past every night, the pizza place was always packed. And, frankly, we noticed the police dropped in to pick up dinner. Hmmm, busy and the police like it; we have to try it.
- 36 East Main St.
- (508) 366-1500
As my first review of a Westborough restaurant, it’s appropriate to cover the first restaurant we frequented in Westborough. You see, there used to be a couple triple deckers on East Main Street, just past Erikson Automotive. When we first moved to town, the one on the left looked like it was going to fall down, and the one on the right had a pizza place in it.
Driving past every night, the pizza place was always packed. And, frankly, we noticed the police dropped in to pick up dinner. Hmmm, busy and the police like it; we have to try it.
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The place didn’t look much better inside. But there was this guy Fred who seemed happy, another guy Spyro who was also happy, and another guy Juan who was always cooking with a big grin on a grill right by a big window. They made me feel welcome. And guess what? The food was great. That was my first experience with the .
They tore the old place down six and a half years ago when they built a new building, and Fred, Spyro, Juan (and now a bunch more) still serve up great food in a welcoming atmosphere.
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Over time, I’ve learned Fred and Spyro are brothers and owners, and the House of Pizza was started in 1970 by their parents, Paul and Lillian Economou. Fred is the one with the beard, and Spyro is the good looking single one (self-described). Juan has been working with them forever, and now Fred’s son (Paul) is taking on an active role as he completes a restaurant management program at Quinsigamond. It’s nice Fred’s kids are also Paul and Lillian, in honor of the grandparents; it gives a sense of the value of family to the Economou family. Family has always been a part of the Westboro House of Pizza, it is not uncommon on a Friday to see the whole family working there. Three generations in a business…..wow. Paul quietly boasts, “I’ve been working around here since I was six.”
The Economous are generous in their sense of family. Two months after my daughter graduated college and had moved out of the house and into an apartment in Brighton, she returned home for some fatherly advice on budget. The hard reality of the real world was hitting her, and she was a little scared. We went to the Westboro House of Pizza and ordered dinner, then sat at a table waiting for our food. Turning a paper placemat over, we began serious work on her numbers (with a couple tears…the real world is a hard place!). A few minutes later, Spyro came over to see what we were doing. He then called Fred over, they pulled up two chairs, and the Brother’s Economou held court for 45 minutes…helping with the budget, bringing humor to the situation, and sharing stories with my daughter that let her leave with a smile, a budget, and a sense of direction.
Spyro commented, “Fred and I are becoming like our parents. People coming here for years as children are getting married, having kids, and bringing them in!”
So the astute observer might argue this review is a testament to the Economou family and not a restaurant review. It is. You will go to the Westboro House of Pizza (WHoP) for something to eat, and will soon find yourself greeted by name. They nourish our stomach and your soul (OK, maybe that’s over the top, but you get the right sense.)
And the food is great.
They JUST won a Reader’s Choice Award for the best REGIONAL pizza. Personally, I like pizza cold, and if I ask them enough for it maybe one day they’ll sell cold pizza. (I work on the theory of Iced Coffee being popular as a precursor to cold pizza sales.)
The Chicken-Broccoli Alfredo is one of my favorites, and one of the popular entrees on the menu. For $11.49, you get a salad with garlic bread, with fresh tender chicken and broccoli served with the WHoP creamy Alfredo sauce.
The $10.49 Steak Tips are another winner, served with rice and green beans.
Friday nights only WHoP also serves what we consider the best haddock in Westborough. Others come close, but the whole haddock filet lightly breaded and served with fries are delightful.
When nobody is looking, I will order a fried chicken meal. Lightly breaded, cooked to perfection, with fries and slaw is fabulous under $10 for four pieces.
And did I mention subs? The list goes on forever.
One thing we particularly have appreciated over our 17 years is the consistency of the food. Thinking about it, we’ve dined at WHoP hundreds of times over 17 years, and the food doesn’t vary.
The restaurant occupies a good chunk of the first floor of the 4800 square foot floor plate, with seating for 68. An outdoor patio brings another 40 seats.
Beer and wine are served daily, and there is now a portable bar offering a wider range of adult beverages on weekends. The boys are adding a lounge targeted to seat 50 and opening in the fall.
There are three ways to place an order:
- Call – 508 366 1500
- Click - http://westboropizza.com/
- Stop by – One thing about ordering, you order and pay first, then sit down. It is a style from England called “half serve.”
When I am in a rush, I call ahead and just pick up.
In the end, the Westboro House of Pizza has great food, served up in a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere. Ultimately it is a House of Pizza, and nobody would say ‘fine dining.’ The family is fine people, and we’ll take ‘fine people/fabulous food’ over ‘fine dining’ alone every day.
Westboro House of Pizza gets an enthusiastic
Green Light – Go and enjoy
About the RAG scale:
Green Light – Go and enjoy
Amber Light – Use caution
Red Light – Save your time and money
The Author
Gary Kelley has lived in Westborough since 1994. His reviews are what he would tell friends, and are not an academic analysis.
