Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy takes 'One Bite' out of South Shore pizza scene

At least four bites were taken out of the South Shore pizza scene this weekend.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, a polarizing figure who started the sports media company in Massachusetts and is also known for his rapid-fire "One Bite" video reviews, gave his take on the cheese pizza at Denly Gardens in Weymouth and as many as three other restaurants in the area.

His rating for Denly's? 8.2, said Denly Gardens co-owner Mark Caruso. (It isn't posted online yet.)

Portnoy assesses the sauce, cheese, crispiness of the crust and the appearance of a cheese slice at pizza shops he encounters on his travels. Before diving in, he says his catchphrase, “one bite, you know the rules” (although he tends to nearly finish a slice before revealing his rating).

What’s the big deal? Some may love him, some may not care for him, but the "One Bite" YouTube channel has more than one million subscribers. Over 1,500 reviews are posted and each video gets anywhere between 200,000 and a few million reviews. That means immeasurable exposure for the restaurants that Portnoy rates.

And even if Portnoy gives a bomb review or you’re not a fan of his, his videos still create buzz, as was the case for Somerville’s Dragon Pizza. The owner and Portnoy traded expletives this summer before he labeled it “The Worst Pizza in America,” but loyalists came to the Davis Square shop’s defense.

Zack’s Pizza in Randolph, Damien’s in Hanson and The Venus Cafe in Whitman also confirmed that Portnoy paid a visit over the weekend.

None of the South Shore reviews were posted on YouTube as of Tuesday morning, but Denly Gardens' Caruso raved about his experience.

“I understand the gravity of it, but my father has no clue,” he said.

Portnoy was the first customer of the day Sunday and placed a pickup order for “Austin.” At first, Caruso thought the customer looked familiar. The Barstool Sports hat confirmed his suspicion.

“Are we really doing this?” Caruso recalled asking, having anticipated that Portnoy’s visit would happen eventually.

Caruso showed Portnoy around the restaurant, including the sports memorabilia behind the bar from when his father owned a baseball card shop. The restaurant was first opened in 1933 by cousins of the Caruso family.

Caruso said he hopes Portnoy's review is enough to beef up the crowd on Mondays through Wednesdays.

Portnoy posted a photo of Zack’s Pizza in Randolph on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday night with the caption “Pizza grind never ever sleeps.”

Another post showed a video of 18 pizza boxes stacked up in the back seat of a car.

“What did I do for 3 days in Boston?” Portnoy posed to his three million followers on X.

Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at hmorse@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 4 South Shore eateries visited by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy