Nico's Pizza — Restaurant in Provo

This isn't your run-of-the-mill pizza joint. You can tell they take pride in their craft, yet they maintains a simple, unpretentious vibe. The walls are decorated with a smorgasbord of iconic local pictures, awards, and custom artwork. The custom artwork shows some of the personality of the restaurant.

Service here is counter-style, it’s casual, but that doesn’t mean careless. The staff at Nico's are as polite and helpful as they come, ready to assist with a smile. Ordering was a breeze.

We ordered some salads, split an order of wings, and each got a slice. The garden and Greek salads had crisp, fresh veggies. My Greek Salad was dressed in a house-made dressing—something like I had never tried. It’s creamy and bursting with flavor. It's so good, in fact, that it found its way not only onto my salad but also as a dip for my pizza slice.

I’ve lived in New York City and near Buffalo, I have a pretty high standard for wings and have eaten some great pizza. Nico's passed the test with flying colors.

The wings here are best-in-class. I ordered the dry rub version. Flavorful, but not really spicy. I could have enjoyed some more spice, but in no way lacking flavor. I had mine with ranch, but I sampled the house dressing with these two—both were great.

The real star of the show is, undoubtedly, the pizza. The slice of Nico's Special I had could easily hold its own against the best of New York. The method of baking the pizza then reheating the slice upon order results in a crust that's the perfect balance of crispy and tender, slightly blistered and lightly charred from its time on the stone. My friend opted for the Italian Stallion, a bold, sauceless creation featuring steak, pepperoni, spinach, and a delightful punch of garlic. After just one bite, I knew what I'd be ordering on my next visit.

In sum, Nico's Pizza is a gem. With its 5-star quality food, friendly service, and unique atmosphere; I will definitely be back. This is easily the best...

EDIT AFTER OWNERSHIP CHANGE: I'm changing my review since we haven't been back since Nic sold the place. We just kept hearing how things weren't what they used to be - especially how the quality dropped and they skimped on toppings and sauce. We just haven't really had a reason to make the trip when the pizzas still cost more but people aren't feeling like they're getting the same value. I'd rather move on with good memories than risk a bad experience to spoil them.

OLD 5 STAR REVIEW: Hands down the best pizza I've ever had! And I love my pizza. I may be biased because I also grew up in Beantown and I could go just to hear Nic's accent. But seriously, I've never had more flavorful, satisfying pizza. While I haven't had a bad pizza here (and I've tried almost every one), my personal favorites are the Strada di Roma and the Meatza Chiena - both with thick crust. This is essential - for just a bit more, it basically doubles the amount of pizza and one Xlarge can fill 4 or more, making it just as cheap as $5 hot and ready pizza but incomparable in flavor and quality. The whole place reminds me of my childhood - everything from the pictures of Fenway and Boston's skyline to the Patriot's cheerleaders and the hand drawn customer art. And it's totally authentic. Nic's parents immigrated to Boston from Italy and he learned his pizza-making skills in their restaurant growing up.

The only downside? He makes each pizza custom once you order it. So you might have to wait a bit - but what better excuse for a date or night out with friends - you'll actually get to catch up. Because once the pizza is ready, everyone's mouths will be too...

First things first: GET the house dressing. It’s amazing as a dipping sauce. It’s like a cross between, (disclaimer: not a big salad guy) maybe, ranch and Caesars plus some sort of sugar or maybe even hard drugs that has a major wow factor. Breadsticks make for a great combo as do most of the main dishes.

Second: sorry to commit blasphemy at a pizza joint, but this is a calzone review. I haven’t yet tried the pizza or the slices. Shame on me I know.

For those of us who have tried to cook calzones at home, you may know it to be surprisingly difficult to get the middle cooked well, filled the right amount, and not burn it. Nicos has definitely figured it out and the whole thing is very evenly cooked and well put together. Like the breadsticks, and unlike some other styles of pizza, the dough is chewy. Some may not enjoy this. I on the other hand find it just as incredibly delicious as other styles of pizza. I enjoy the variety!

I got whatever the meat lovers one is and also the Villanova which is a steak and onion kind of deal. The former was a solid entry and very enjoyable. The second tasted like a kind of cheesesteak, pretty good, until dipped into the Alfredo sauce, which took it to an incredible level. Great find!

As a side note, the online ordering for ins tire pickup appears at first glance to have like at least four different order methods (two branded, one Yelp, one through their website) which is a bit confusing. Also, their own site (still named after its previous iteration, “Nicoitalia”), although better in my eyes, doesn’t actually email you an ETA, so you might have to call for specifics. Service has been very...