'New Bedford Bar Pizza' Debuts at Pour Farm, Dipper Cafe

Move over, South Shore Bar Pizza. New Bedford Bar Pizza is ready for its spotlight.

Two Whaling City restaurants have debuted their own version of the beloved pizza style originally made famous in the Brockton-Stoughton-Randolph area at spots like Cape Cod Cafe, Town Spa and Lynwood Cafe.

What makes South Shore Bar Pizza unique is its thin, cracker-like crust and a cheese blend that is more cheddar than it is mozzarella. Every SSBP spot also crafts its own unique sauce recipe as well.

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South Shore Bar Pizza and the SouthCoast actually do seem like a perfect fit, especially since linguica was once named as the favorite topping for SSBP.

Courtesy the Dipper Cafe

Both the Dipper Cafe and the Pour Farm Tavern & Grille will now offer their own takes on the South Shore Bar Pizza format, and both establishments put in the time, energy and research to get its recipe just right.

And yes, both the Dipper and the Pour Farm offer the signature "laced" style of bar pizza, where the sauce and cheese is brought all the way to the edge of the pan, creating the crispy, blackened edge that true SSBP fans know is the only way to have it.

The Pour Farm Tavern Launches New Bedford Bar Pizza

This past Tuesday, The Pour Farm Tavern & Grille officially released its own New Bedford Bar Pizza – officially named that on the menu – as part of its “Test Kitchen Tuesday” promotion. It officially launches on the Pour Farm’s new permanent menu next week.

“We wanted to add bar pizza because pizza and beer go together like peanut butter and jelly,” owner Jen Cardoza, who purchased the establishment in 2022, told WBSM. “We have been focused for the last year on our craft beer selections and it’s time to bring pizza to the table, too.”

The Pour Farm Tavern & Grille via Facebook

It was something the Pour Farm wanted to get just right before bringing it to the people.

“Our chef grew up in Randolph on South Shore Bar Pizza and has been working on mastering our Pour Farm Tavern house recipe over the past few months,” Cardoza said. “We are excited to bring this delicious bar pizza to New Bedford and the SouthCoast!”

Brockton Burger Brings SSBP to Next Level

New Bedford Bar Pizza Is Now on the Menu at the Dipper Cafe

Just about a mile down the road, the Dipper Cafe officially opened its kitchen this past Friday night, a little less than a year after Josh Gagne and his business partner Ryan Packer purchased the bar from Gagne’s father Wayne.

When they first bought the bar, Gagne and Packer made it known that they planned to offer South Shore Bar Pizza once the kitchen got going.

Courtesy the Dipper Cafe

“We’re fans of the genre, and couldn’t find any down here,” Gagne said. “When me and my partner bought the bar from my father and his business partner, we planned on doing bar pizza as soon as we could get the kitchen running – so here we are!”

The Dipper Cafe touts its bar pizza as “completely handmade,” which is important to SSBP fans as some spots actually purchase frozen, pre-made dough. The Dipper also created its own sauce recipe and cheddar-mozzarella cheese blend.

Courtesy the Dipper Cafe

“We developed the sauce by doing a lot of online research,” Gagne said. “We consulted with a chef, and did our own R&D playing with the recipe at home. Same with the cheese blend.”

In addition to the many toppings offered, the Dipper will also offer vegan pizza as well, which Gagne said has already “been a hit with vegan friends and patrons.”

Courtesy the Dipper Cafe

All of its bar pizzas are available for dine in or takeout. The kitchen is open until midnight, which means New Bedford residents can have bar pizza as a late-night snack, something not even the South Shore establishments can boast.

Gagne thinks the pizza will be a big hit on the SouthCoast.

“I mean, it’s not too far off from the thin pizza that’s big in New Bedford, so I think people will dig it,” he said.

No Debate, Just Support for New Bedford Bar Pizza

South Shore Bar Pizza fans have long debated who has the best pizza among those who offer this specific style. They are so passionate about their favorite that it’s an argument that could end relationships and tear families apart (or at least make it difficult to decide where to go for dinner).

Hopefully with these two options for New Bedford Bar Pizza, SouthCoast bar pizza fans will just support both and leave the arguments to the South Shore.

The Best of South Shore Bar Pizza

There's pizza, and then there's South Shore Bar Pizza. Birthed in Brockton (and to this writer, perfected in Randolph – Lynwood Café is the true G.O.A.T.), it must meet certain qualifications to be considered "SSBP," which include: it's a 10-inch pie; it has a thin, cracker-like crust with minimal "flop;" the cheese is a blend that features more cheddar than mozzarella; and bonus points if you take it home between two carboard-type plates wrapped in flat brown paper bag. They also usually come with "laced" or "burnt" edges (terminology depends on where you are ordering), which is when the sauce and cheese are extended all the way to the edge of the pan, creating a crispy, flavorful coating to the crust. We reached out to the hugely popular South Shore Bar Pizza Social Club Facebook group to ask the experts to share the best of the best (in no particular order).

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg

25 of the Best Pizza Spots on the SouthCoast

Not all pizza is created equal, but the SouthCoast has plenty of options for a high-quality slice. Choose from any of these 25 spots to fully take advantage of National Pizza Day.

Gallery Credit: Maddie Levine