Chicagoans can fall in love with a decades-old suburban institution when Nick’s Pizza & Pub brings its signature pizza concept to the city with a brand-new location opening this October. Nick’s Pizza & Pub’s Chicago opening delivers a new family-friendly addition to the evolving dining scene in Lincoln Square, marking a new chapter for the restaurant with a transition from suburban pizza staple to dynamic urban pizza mecca.
Nick’s Pizza & Pub follows the motto of “pizza on purpose,” operating a values-driven and family-focused brand built upon the framework of community. CEO and Founder Nick Sarillo supplies the communities he serves with an unforgettable place for families to relax and have fun. Nick’s Pizza & Pub’s original location in Crystal Lake has solidified the restaurant’s status as a Chicago suburban institution since opening in 1995, and upon the Elgin location opening in 2005, the brand solidified its role as a favorite Chicagoland dining destination.
“We’re thrilled to bring Nick’s Pizza & Pub and our purpose-driven culture to Chicago, and to offer a new dining option for the Lincoln Square community and beyond,” says owner Nick Sarillo. “We are certain that the Nick’s Pizza & Pub culture will translate wonderfully with the diners in the city, and we can’t wait to introduce our signature pizza and unparalleled dining experience to a new generation of life-long Nick’s Pizza & Pub fans.”
Nick’s Pizza & Pub’s award-winning thin crust pizza is at the center of the menu, featuring only fresh ingredients and sacred family recipes. With both curated and build-your-own options, all pizzas on the menu promise generous toppings that are spread out evenly over the pizza ensuring a “bit in every bite.” Thin crust pizzas come in individual (9”), medium (12”), and large (14”), and double decker pizzas are offered in medium or large. Top selling specialty pizzas include the Nick’s Special with cheese, sausage, mushrooms, onion, and green pepper; The MEAT’ZA with American bacon, pepperoni, sausage, garlic, and mozzarella cheese; and Mexican Pizza with taco sauce, seasoned ground beef, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, green onion, tomatoes, black olives, and jalapeño peppers. Accompanying the specialty pies, are an array of “munchies,” including soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and dessert.
Nick’s Pizza & Pub’s Chicago location offers guests the signature interior design that has made dining at the restaurant an unparalleled experience for decades, while also offering unique design elements singular to the Chicago location. With the goal of paying homage to the community the restaurant will serve, owner Nick Sarillo used repurposed wood and materials popular at the time of the original building’s construction to build out the restaurant’s interiors. In addition, he designed the space to emulate the industrial warehouse aesthetic of the original building and neighboring buildings of Lincoln Square when they were first constructed. Guests will also find the signature details they’ve grown to love at Nick’s Pizza & Pub including unlimited complimentary peanuts and the ability to throw the shells on the floor, peanut tables, heavy doors, a spacious fireplace, fish tanks filled with a colorful assortment of fish, and vintage phone booths.
