Dave Portnoy Gives New Miami Spot Peppi's Pizza Top Rating

It's not every day Barstool Sports CEO Dave Portnoy, AKA "El Prez" or "El Presidente," stops by Miami. However, when he does, his popular pizza reviews, coined "Barstool Pizza Reviews," go absolutely viral overnight.

This was definitely the case on Thursday, January 30, when Portnoy took to his personal Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X accounts to share his opinion about Peppi's Pizza, the new pizzeria and hoagie shop that took over the former location of Old Greg's Pizza in the Miami Design District (right across the street from Midtown Miami). Portnoy started his review by expressing how shocked he was that his beloved pizzeria, Old Greg's, was no longer there. Back in 2022, Portnoy gave Old Greg's a solid 7.5 score.

However, we digress — let's get into his new review. Portnoy starts the review with an interview with Peppi's Pizza owner, chef Ryan McKeown, from the hit reality television series Below Deck Down Under. (Yes, this shop is owned by a popular reality TV star who was the self-proclaimed "villain" in the series.) "A Dave Portnoy and Ryan from Below Deck Down Under crossover was not on today's bingo card, yet here we are," amusingly commented a fan on TikTok. After Portnoy calls McKeown — and everyone from Philadelphia — a "scumbag," he gets right into his review.

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Peppi’s Pizza, a new player in the Miami food scene

♬ original sound - Dave Portnoy

"Alright, one bite, everyone knows the rules," begins Portnoy (as he famously does before taking his first bite of a slice). "It's thicker than Angelo's [his favorite shop in Philly] and looks good. One bite, everyone knows the rules. Fluffy and good! I'll go 8.1."

His only complaint about the pizza is that it's a "little floppy in the middle," but thanks to the undercarriage (the burnt crust that he enjoys), he stuck with his 8.1 rating.

An Impressive 8.1 Rating for the Pizza by El Prez, But What About the Philly Cheesesteak?

In a rare occurrence, fans of Barstool Pizza Review were treated to a double review because Portnoy enjoyed the Philly cheesesteak he had at Peppi's Pizza that much. "Maybe more importantly, these are the only true Philly cheesesteaks that you can get in Miami," says Portnoy. According to the owner, "No one's doing a fucking cheesesteak like we do in Miami. We shave our rib-eye, super sharp, and we don't import it. You can do it; we just choose not to."
"The Cooper Cheese, the Cooper Sharp, they make their own bread, that looks legit. Maybe something to be more excited about in this city," begins Portnoy. "Here's what a good cheesesteak should look like. Good, crisp, for me, being in Miami, I'd be more excited about this sandwich than the pizza. Pizza here is sneakily great, but you can't get this anywhere else."

And then, the moment our jaws dropped — he went above that high 8.1 score he had just given the shop for its pizza.

"This is an authentic Philly cheesesteak. I'll go 8.5 cheesesteak," he proudly proclaims. Portnoy was so impressed by the sandwich that he even went so far as to give news publications like New Times a tip on how to go about this story. "For me, that's the bigger deal. That's the headline story," he says. "Yes, good pizza, but an actual Philly cheesesteak has arrived in Miami. That's all you need to know."

There you had it, folks. An 8.1 for the pizza and an 8.5 for the Philly cheesesteak. Congrats, Peppi's.

Peppi's Pizza. 3620 NE Second Ave., Miami; 786-391-2624; peppispizzamia.com.