Nick's Pizza and Restaurant

Name: Nick's Pizza and Restaurant
Location: 117 E Main St., Endicott, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 785-2900
Cuisine: Italian/Pizza
Price: Around $10 per person

Review:
In my mind, there's not much out there as good as a great slice of pizza, and Binghamton is lucky to have several places capable of satisfying that craving. I've highlighted a couple of those places already to this point. Grande's on Upper Front St. is, to me at least, the gold standard of New York style pizza in this area. Brozzetti's in Johnson City might seem a little odd at first, but its addicting sweet crust, sloppy sauce, and interesting mix of cheeses have sprung a legion of followers, including this guy.

Nick's is another fine place to snag a slice. Located on Main St. in Endicott near the corner of Main and Nanticoke, Nick's serves up traditional Italian fare and New York style pizza at low prices in a casual environment. I have heard good things about the entrees at Nick's, but Megan and I have stuck with pizza on both occasions that we've been there. It is quite good, but in my mind it falls a bit short of Grande's. I certainly recommend it if you're in that area of Endicott and want a traditional slice of pizza.

On our most recent encounter with Nick's, I ordered a large half-cheese/half-sausage for pickup. Service was good; the pizza was ready to go when I got there 15 minutes after placing the order. $12 later, I was out the door.


I've gotta say, I was not too impressed with the distribution of toppings on this pie. The sausage was not uniformly distributed, while the cheese was much thicker in some parts than in others. Additionally, the crust was pretty obviously burnt in a few spots. That really doesn't bother me too much; I like a little taste of char on my pizza crust. From an aesthetic standpoint though, I guess I didn't think this pizza was too attractive.

As for the taste, I liked this pizza quite a lot. The sauce is what really drives this pizza. It's a thinner-than-average tomato sauce with a nice sweetness, the thinness making for relatively sloppy slices. The cheese and sausage were both typical, exactly what you'd expect. The crust was fairly thin throughout but thick and chewy on the edges. Similar to Grande's in that regard. Pretty good.

I am interested in trying Nick's for something other than pizza. My understanding is that Nick is the brother of Tony, who owns Tony's Italian Grill a couple miles up the road in Endwell. Tony's is a place Megan and I have been to numerous times over the years and we have enjoyed, but not loved, the food. In fact, I'll write about Tony's sometime soon. Most folks around the area seem to concur that Nick's is the superior of the two restaurants from a food standpoint, while Tony's offers a nicer, more upscale atmosphere. I'll post again regarding Nick's if and when I do get a chance to sample his other offerings; for now, I am able to give a solid, if not spectacular, recommendation to his pizza.

Grade: B