Your Neighborhood Neapolitan
We serve Neapolitan pizza in your neighborhood, exactly as it has been prepared for generations in neighborhoods throughout Naples.
Our Beginning
The founder of Pupatella, Enzo Algarme, moved from Naples, Italy to the United States in pursuit of a medical degree. Like most students, Algarme had a craving for pizza… the authentic Neapolitan-style of his hometown. He would venture from one “Neapolitan pizzeria” to the next in search of the perfect pie, with no luck. Frustrated that he couldn’t find authentic Neapolitan pizza, Enzo traded in medicine for pizza, swapped out his textbooks for an apron, and Pupatella was born.
In 2007, Pupatella launched as a food cart in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, quickly garnering a cult-like following in the community. With high demand and long lines, Algarme decided to move the pizzeria from a food cart to a restaurant space and the rest is history. Now, over 15 years later, Pupatella is a household name for Neapolitan pizza throughout the Washington, DC region.
Internationally Certified Authentic
Pupatella is proud to be awarded the Verace Pizza Association certification, which definies true Neapolitan pizza from the Assozione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN).
This legal Italian entity defines what true Neapolitan Pizza is, and ensure that each certified pizzeria observes strict traditional Neapolitan pizza making rules.