Buontempo Bros Pizza in Baltimore: Thick-Crust Pies and Family History on Mulberry Street

A family-run pizzeria operating since 1944, Buontempo Bros makes thick-crust Sicilian-style pies and sandwiches in a narrow storefront on West Mulberry Street in West Baltimore. The operation has remained in the same location across three generations, and the kitchen still relies on hand-tossed dough and traditional preparation methods rather than conveyor ovens or streamlined shortcuts.

What Buontempo Bros actually is

Buontempo Bros is a neighborhood pizza counter without table seating. Order at the register, wait for your pie or sandwich, and eat standing or take it elsewhere. The space is compact and no-frills, with worn counters and a cash-first operation (though card payment is accepted). This is corner-store pizza in the oldest sense: a place where regulars have ordered the same thing on the same day of the week for decades.

Signature pies and pricing

The house pizza is a rectangular Sicilian pie with a substantial but not heavy crust, sold by the slice or as a whole pie. A whole pie costs $16 to $20 depending on toppings; individual slices run $2.50 to $4. The most ordered configuration is the standard cheese and pepperoni, which comes with a noticeably thick tomato sauce and a crisp bottom edge from the pan. Vegetarian slices (usually cheese or sauce with a vegetable topping) are available daily. Specialty pies rotate but typically include sausage, meatball, and onion combinations tied to Italian-American standards rather than modern "build-your-own" menus. Whole pies need roughly 30 minutes' notice but same-day slices are ready in under 10 minutes.

Buontempo Bros also sells Italian subs and meatball sandwiches on roll bread baked in-house; these range from $7 to $9 and are often paired with pizza by customers taking a meal home. Coffee and soft drinks are available. The menu has not expanded significantly in 80 years and does not advertise dietary accommodations or specialty diets.

How it compares to other Baltimore pizza

Buontempo Bros occupies a different tier from newer pizzerias like Woodberry Kitchen (wood-fired, sourced ingredients, $20+ per pie) or One-Off Hospitality concepts that emphasize designer toppings and minimal crust. It is closer in spirit and price to Iggies in Fells Point, which also sells thick-crust slices and whole pies and has been family-run for decades, though Iggies has expanded to multiple locations and a broader menu. Both favor hand-tossed dough and tomato-forward toppings. Buontempo Bros skews older in clientele and has made fewer concessions to trend; there are no seasonal specials, no Instagram aesthetic, no waitlist. If you want a Sicilian slice that tastes identical to what your neighbor ordered in 1975, Buontempo Bros is the match. If you want an Instagram-friendly crust or exotic toppings, Woodberry or newer wood-fired operations serve that purpose better.

Who it suits and who it does not

Buontempo Bros suits people who value consistency, neighborhood history, and straightforward food over novelty. It works well for quick lunch, kids who eat plain cheese pizza, and anyone seeking to understand what Baltimore pizza tasted like for most of the 20th century. It does not suit diners seeking a full table-service meal, those needing vegetable-forward or health-conscious options, or anyone uncomfortable ordering and eating standing up. It also does not cater to late-night crowds; closing time is typically 7 or 8 p.m., well before the bar-district rush.

What a first visit involves

Walk in, scan the menu board above the counter, and order by pointing or naming. A whole pie takes 30 minutes if you order ahead by phone; slices are ready immediately or within 5 to 10 minutes depending on current traffic. Expect to stand at a narrow ledge or take your order with you. No reservation system exists. Peak hours are lunch (11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and early evening (5 to 6:30 p.m.). A first-time visitor should order a plain slice and a sausage or pepperoni slice to understand the house standard.

Hours, location, and logistics

Buontempo Bros is located at 1029 West Mulberry Street, a block north of Pennsylvania Avenue in a dense residential area. Hours are typically Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and closed Sunday (confirm by phone at the storefront, as hours shift seasonally and occasionally for family reasons). Street parking is available on Mulberry and nearby residential blocks; there is no dedicated lot. The nearest public transit is the Number 3 bus on Pennsylvania Avenue. For current hours or to order ahead, a phone call is more reliable than online sources.

Buontempo Bros has earned its place in Baltimore not through marketing or expansion but through reliable repetition: the same recipe, the same location, the same customers across generations. That constancy is rare enough in contemporary food culture to be worth seeking out.