When thinking of the cuisine of Charleston, South Carolina, a few iconic dishes come to mind: hush puppies, boiled peanuts, and famous fish sandwiches at local institutions. But the Holy City, known for its blend of Southern and European charm, offers its fair share of tasty pizza options, ranging from New York to Neapolitan to deep dish styles, and one of its best hole-in-the-wall pizzerias has been serving up hand-tossed pies in Cannonborough/Elliotborough since 2006. Philadelphia natives and brothers Ben and Nick D’Allesandro opened their pizzeria D’Allesandro’s (known by locals as “D’Als”) after Ben moved to Charleston for college in 1998 and got a job at Gilroy’s Pizza Pub.
According to Ben, he learned how to make pizza and run a small business from Gilroy’s owner, which inspired him to open his own place in Charleston with his younger brother. Using a combination of leftover college funds from their grandmother and credit cards, the brothers opened the doors of D’Als in 2006 and became the go-to pizza joint for folks looking for a casual vibe, good prices, and great classic and specialty pizzas. As the Charleston City Paper wrote when D’Als first opened, “This is no fancy joint with big dollars and corporate executives — these guys are for real [and] they know their way around pizzas and calzones,” praising the brothers for creating the “perfect college pizza joint.”
Community-focused events like bingo, karaoke, and cheap beer nights further solidified D’Als as a favorite local hot spot for college students, although the demographic has since expanded as the neighborhood has gentrified. With its tasty pies cooked with local ingredients, it’s no wonder that Eater named the family-owned D’Als one of the best pizzerias in Charleston and Chowhound rated it the best hole-in-the-wall pizzeria in South Carolina.
Visiting D’Allessandro’s
Luckily for pizza lovers, D’Allesandro’s currently has three locations, all of which have a casual atmosphere: Cannonborough/Elliotborough, Nexton Square, and Greenville. The Cannonborough/Elliotborough D’Allesandro’s currently has a 4.6 rating on Google, with reviewers praising its service, vibes, affordable prices, and of course, pizza. As VC3 puts it succinctly, it’s a “very cool spot with laid back atmosphere and excellent pizza.” Charleston is filled with amazing hole-in-the-wall spots like this quaint diner featured by Guy Fieri, and D’Allessandro’s could join that list of the city’s best low-key restaurants…