Usher poses with longtime Santarpio’s waitress Maria Melanson.
International superstar and R&B recording artist Usher was spotted at Santarpio’s Pizza in East Boston Sunday evening.
The eight-time Grammy Award winning artist showed up to the neighborhood’s famed pizza joint with a few friends unannounced and sat quietly in the back at the table near the jukebox before patrons started to recognize him.
Before his food arrived, Usher took photos with fans that were instantly uploaded on Facebook and Twitter, chatted with the staff and even listened to a few of his hit tunes that were played on the jukebox courtesy of the Santarpio’s well known wait staff.
Usher, who is number six on Billboard’s list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years, ordered Santarpio’s shrimp scampi pizza as well as a sausage pizza.
He was so taken by the taste of the pizza he exclaimed, ‘I’ve traveled all over the world and this is the best pizza I’ve ever had’.
Before he left, Usher said he wanted to meet the pizza cook, Richie Boodoosingh, and posed for pictures with him before catching a flight home from Logan Airport.
Usher was in town for Game 4 of the Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game at the Garden.
Usher, however, wasn’t there to cheer on the Celtics and is a part owner of the Cavaliers.
While he may not have been rooting for the home team Sunday he definitely came away a fan of Boston’s best pizza.