Best Cannoli in Boston’s North End: A Local’s Guide
Best Cannoli in Boston’s North End: A Local’s Guide
Written by
Bobby Agrippino
Date
Jan 30, 2026
Walk down Hanover Street on any given weekend and you’ll see the same thing: tourists standing on the sidewalk, phones out, trying to figure out whether to get in the Mike’s Pastry line or the Modern Pastry line across the street.
It’s the great North End debate. And everyone’s got an opinion.
Here’s mine, as someone who grew up in this neighborhood and has probably eaten more cannoli than I should admit to: Mike’s Pastry makes the best cannoli in the North End. And it’s not even close.
But not for the reason most people think.
The Detail That Actually Matters
Here’s what most “best cannoli” guides won’t tell you, because the people writing them didn’t grow up here. They visited once, tried both, picked a favorite based on vibes, and wrote 500 words about it.
Mike’s Pastry is the only shop in the North End that makes their own shells.
That’s it. That’s the whole game.
When you bite into a Mike’s cannoli, you’re eating something that was made start to finish in that building. The shell, the filling, all of it. That’s increasingly rare, and it matters.
A fresh cannoli shell has a specific texture. It’s crispy but not brittle, it shatters when you bite it but doesn’t crumble into dust. That’s what you get when the shell was made that morning, not shipped in from somewhere else.
Presidential Endorsement (The Unofficial Kind)
In April 1993, Bill Clinton walked into Mike’s Pastry during a visit to Boston. The photo of him eating a cannoli in the shop went everywhere. Suddenly, Mike’s wasn’t just a North End institution, it was the Boston cannoli spot that even presidents couldn’t resist.
Clinton became a regular whenever he was in town. During the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, he had the Secret Service picking up dozens of cannoli for his staff and entourage. Three nights straight of presidential cannoli runs.
That Clinton moment put Mike’s on the national map in a way that no amount of advertising could. And here’s the thing: they were ready for it. Because they’d already been doing the work for nearly 50 years.
That’s the kind of endorsement you can’t buy.
Today, Mike’s hand-rolls 45,000 cannoli shells every single week. Read that again. 45,000 shells. Per week. All made in-house.
The chocolate chip cannoli is technically the best seller, probably because it looks good in photos. But I’m a purist. The original ricotta is still the best cannoli they make, and it’s the one I order every time.
The Mike’s Pastry Rundown
Mike’s has been on Hanover Street since 1946. The line out the door isn’t a tourist trap, it’s just what happens when you’ve been doing something right for almost 80 years.
What to order:
- The classic ricotta cannoli is the move. Don’t overcomplicate it.
- If you want to branch out, the chocolate chip or pistachio fillings are solid.
- They have probably 15+ filling options. You don’t need to try them all in one visit.
Insider tips:
- The line moves faster than it looks. Don’t let it scare you off.
- Go on a weekday if you can. Saturday afternoon is chaos.
- They’re cash only for orders under $20, so come prepared.
- Get a box. These aren’t meant to be eaten standing on the sidewalk, despite what you see people doing.
How to Actually Eat a Cannoli
A few ground rules:
Eat it the same day. A cannoli is not a “save it for later” dessert. The shell starts losing its crunch the minute it gets filled. By tomorrow, you’ve got a soggy tube of regret.
Don’t refrigerate it. This accelerates the sogginess problem. Room temperature, eat it fast.
Hold it by the shell, not the ends. The filling will squish out if you squeeze the ends. Grip the middle, take bites from each side to keep it balanced.
Skip the massive ones if you’re sharing. Mike’s cannoli are bigger than traditional Sicilian ones. One per person is plenty unless you’re skipping dinner.
The Bottom Line
If you’re visiting the North End and you want the best cannoli, go to Mike’s Pastry. The line is worth it, the shells are made in-house, and you’re getting the real thing.
If you’re a local and you’ve been a Modern loyalist your whole life, I respect it. But now you know about the shells.
And if you want to skip the debate entirely and just have someone walk you through the neighborhood, point out the spots worth knowing, and make sure you don’t waste your time on tourist traps, that’s literally what I do.
Book a North End Boston Food Tour and I’ll make sure you eat well.
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