Nick’s Pizza & Pub
856 Pyott Rd, Crystal Lake, IL, 60014
Nick’s Pizza & Pub Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Crystal Lake for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Crystal Lake for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Crystal Lake for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
856 Pyott Rd
Crystal Lake, IL, 60014 - Phone (815) 356-5550
- Website https://www.nickspizzapub.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :4:00 pm - 10:00pm
- Mon : 4:00 pm - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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AJ R.
Finally went to Nick's after hearing all about it from friends. I heard the story about it potentially closing, so I thought I'd do my part. Well, first off the place was crazy busy - how they're losing money, I couldn't figure out. The atmosphere was awesome and unfortunately, that's the best part of the place, in my opinion. We arrived and were told it would be 20 minutes. Sure - no problem. 50 minutes later, we were called for a table. We had been sitting in a high top near the host stand and gorging on peanuts. We were discussing how we gladly would have paid for appetizers or drinks had there been someone walking around and offering them (perhaps that might be another way to bring in money? There were hundreds of people waiting, it seemed...). Instead, we stuffed ourselves on free peanuts. By the time we sat down, we weren't that hungry any more, but we still ordered a large cheese and sausage thin crust for the three of us (me and two women - who don't eat much to begin with). I was quite disappointed with the size of the pizza that we received. It looked like a tombstone pizza from the grocery store. The flavor wasn't much better. The crust was crispy and the sausage was tasty, but there certainly wasn't enough cheese. The sauce was decent though. The three of us plowed through this pizza in about 15 minutes - which is strange considering it was a "large." We usually have leftovers from other places, but not a crumb this time - and this was on top of being stuffed from the peanuts. As far as value is concerned, it just didn't make the grade for me. However, I loved the atmosphere (but please get rid of some of the cobwebs in the antlers...). The place had a real rustic feel to it and I can see why it's popular. Maybe we had a bad pizza or maybe our server mistakenly gave us a medium pizza. In any case, the food just didn't compare to other places in my opinion. And for goodness sake, get Coke products... :)
(3)Joe K.
I'm a proud NY'er and we like our thin crust as much as Chicago like deep-pan. After working in Chicago twenty years, Nick's is the best pizza I've ever had in the Chicago area. We always have Nick's Special (which has all the basic add-ons like sausage, pepperoni, 'shrooms, peppers, onion, etc.) and they don't skimp on the ingredients - very generous toppings. I live in CL. Last week I drove to Schaumburg to pickup my bring to bring her to Nick's. She (a fellow NY'er) also felt it was the best pizza we've had outside of NYC.
(5)Deana S.
Wow I would have to say Nicks really has it together!! It was our first visit to the Nick's Pizza and Pub in Crystal Lake. After attending the yelp event at the Nick's in Elgin, we wanted to see if the Nick's in Crystal Lake was as good as the one in Elgin. It really lived up to the Nick's experience we got at the Yelp event. The pizza was good, but the dessert was to die for I'm not sure what it is called but it was a 9' cookie with chocolate drizzled on it with Moose Tracks Ice cream and whip cream. Thank you to the staff at Nick's in Crystal Lake for the fine job;)
(5)Marcus M.
Nick's Pizza has a cozy log-cabin feel to it. The atmosphere is no-nonsense: there are peanut shells all over the floor, and pizza is served with paper plates. The pizza is satisfying and inexpensive; especially on half-priced pizza Mondays. My only complaint is that there are almost always children running around the place, so it gets a little loud and chaotic sometimes. I'd recommend Nick's to anyone though.
(4)Mike R.
I have ate pizza across the country and to me Nick's has the best thin crust pizza i have ever had. It is the perfect balance between sauce, cheese, and crispiness of the crust to make the perfect pie. nicks always offers peanuts and a great atmosphere i would recommend to anyone who knows good pizza and a good time!
(5)Omar A.
Nice and fun family restaurant... food was average in both price and quality. The animals on the wall are great and the kids loved throughing peanuts on the floor. Service was more team oriented, we kept losing our waitress but others were always willing to help (not sure if this is intential, but it worked in the end). Summary... kids were hungry, had some good food, price was fair, but I am not in any big hurry to go back.
(3)Craig M.
The Nick's Special, bruschetta, peanuts and an ice cold beer = Heaven on Earth! The best thin crust pizza this planet has to offer!
(5)Beth T.
You cannot beat the tuesday night buy one get one free special. We have been enjoying that one for about 2 years now. I wish they were a little more consistant (you can tell when your pizza was cooked on a busy night) but I love that I get to support a local company and not some huge chain so I keep coming back each week.
(4)Maria M.
Great pizza and atmosphere. Love the free peanuts.
(5)Brian S.
In my opinion, the best pizza in Crystal Lake. Although, being an Ohio native, I haven't quite adapted to Chicago-style over thin crust. Cracker-thin crust, served with piping hot with plenty of fresh ingredients. Tuesday's become our favorite day of the week at work, because all carry-out pizza is half price. Yes, that means your own 9" pizza for $5 or less. The peanuts and beer make the dine-in experience worth the trip (although I still haven't made up my mind of the antler chandeliers are cool or creepy), and the bruschetta is a staple appetizer. Only negative - no delivery.
(5)Sylvia R.
Ok ok, I'm not completely heartless, and when I leave less then stellar reviews, I'm willing to redeem them if my opinion can be swayed- and that it has. I was at Nicks tonight for a family bday, and I have to say, I'm happy with the food we had. The apps were tasty (two words- MEATBALL SLIDERS. What the..). However, I will agree with another reviewer that the onion blossom was a little TOO crispy. The thin crust pizzas were very tasty, and overall, I was happy with the food we had. Nicks, you earned the extra stars- and never get rid of those meatball sliders..
(4)Jason B.
One of our favorite places in Chicagoland. Great food, friendly & well-trained staff, extensive community involvement, really cool environment/decor. Our kids love to check the place out, finding something new each time, from the fish tanks to the stuffed animals on the walls to the antiques throughout the place. Building is a restored dairy barn that is warm, inviting & just...cool.
(5)nicole h.
We went to Nick's because we read the reviews and were led to believe that they had "THE BEST" pizza. In our opinion, it was not the best pizza. But there are other things at Nick's that are worthy of compliments. At first I was totally turned off by the amount of taxidermy all over the walls, but some of the more creative pieces grew on me. For example, I really appreciated the boxing squirrels. Their service is the best we've seen in a long time. Everyone working there was on their A-game and we were seriously impressed. A great place to bring the kids. But the pizza...it was just a-ok...
(3)Paul A.
Fantastic crispy thin crust pizza. Unmatched character and decor. End of story.
(5)H F.
I have found that I like their Moose Wings better than any other wings in the area! A bit costly, but so delicious!
(4)christine s.
We recently moved the the NW suburbs from the city and a someone we met at a party suggested we try NIck's for pizza. We stopped in last night night and I am happy to say we have found a new restaurant! The wings were great, the salad was delicious with a creamy balsamic dressing. The thin crust pizza with a cracker crunch crust was fantastic. The atmosphere(restored barn) is fun and chill, it would be a good place to go with friends or the family. To top it off, the service was great. Our server, Allison, was super friendly and welcoming, we never had to track her down or ask for anything, she was on top of it;) At the end of our meal, the owner stopped by our table and chatted us up a bit which is rare and it's nice to meet an individual owner of a business instead of being at a chain restaurant. We will be back with the rest of the family!
(5)Nikki S.
Love the whole package. My family's favorite pizza hands down. I'm from CL so when I go to visit my Dad we go here for dinner or we take it to go. Never had a bad experience. Thank you Nick's for many good dining experiences.
(5)Matthew S.
Fun atmosphere... great place for a pizza and a beer. Go w/ their double decker pizzas, they are amazing
(5)Rich A.
Used to go here all the time when we lived in Xtal Lake. Very good place
(4)Thom P.
If you don't live on the south side of Chicago, but are looking for great thin crust pizza Nick's is the place! With all the pizza choices in the suburbs Nick's offers a great, crispy thin crust pizza. The best part is the baskets of Peanuts and the stuffed animals on the wall.... Where else can you find a jackalope???
(4)jason c.
Usually a good pizza but not this time, i went in on one of the half price nights over there and the pizza was sub par. Looked like they were just trying to crank them out the door and not too concerned about quality. hope they do better in the future.
(2)Tracy K.
I really don't understand the popularity of this place. The only good thing going is that they offer pineapple as a topping. Overall though, I think their food is mediocre. I'm creeped out by the dead animals that cover the walls. And it seems like the majority of the servers are hired because they are pretty high school girls, not because they have any service skills. So don't be surprised if your drink goes unrefilled, etc.
(2)Andy C.
We used to go here when we lived in the area, and it was always very good. The service is always good, and the pizza is always VERY good. I am not really sure why, as it seems like your average pizza, but it is just better, for no reason i can put my finger on. We have only ever had the thin crust deluxe/supreme for what it is worth. The appetizers are standard fried items, but in the upper range for quality. The beer is not pricey, and the decor is fun, with lots of animals and a log cabin feel to it. We always had fun here, and stop by when we are in the area.
(4)Kerri B.
Very good pizza and great service. Sometimes there is a bit of a wait because it is so popular. We've been several times and have not been disappointed. Highly recommended.
(4)Dave S.
I'm usually a deep dish fan, but their thin crust really was fantastic and best I've had. I happened to be out in the burbs and had my doubts but Nick's was very impressive even compared to city slices. Would definitely go back.
(4)Marc B.
I really like Nick's. And their thin crust pizza is some of the best I've ever had. Fresh ingredients, a light crispy crust and a great sauce. My kids love looking at the animals and being able to toss your empty peanut shells on the floor is a definite plus for families. All of the servers seem very well trained and are extremely friendly.
(4)Chad J.
The environment was just weird, with all the stuffed dead animals all over the place and the food is 'alright' at best. I don't understand why people love this place so much. I was very disappointed with the Italian Beef; they used shredded beef!
(2)Scott P.
Nick's is up there in the "Hey, I found a decent Pizza!", places in McHenry county. The inside of the place is like a barn that has been converted into a large dining lodge with old agricultural paraphernalia and what could be described as a hunter or taxidermist's wet dream considering the large collection of stuffed animals adorning every nook and crevice. I actually thought I saw a specimen of an Ivory Woodpecker mounted on the deer-antler chandelier. Oh yeah, good pizza. Bring the kids!
(3)Tom Z.
Good Pizza. Great atmosphere, peanut shells on the floor. Very family friendly. Taco Pizza was very good, something try. Prices are average.
(4)Geoff B.
Good pizza, fun atmosphere, and who doesn't love to throw there peanut shells on the floor?
(4)David P.
This is a great place for thin crust pizza. The atmosphere of both locations is pretty fun as well. Good daily specials during the week. We've always had good service when we've dined in, but more often than not we carry out. Pizza's are always hot and fresh quickly and by the time they've promised.
(4)Brian B.
By far, the best pie in Crystal Lake, probably all of McHenry county. Always crowded there. If Nick's offered delivery, all the other pizza joints in town would shut down in a month. Yes, its that good.
(5)Chris W.
best thin crust pizza in the area
(5)Nicholas S.
Always quality pizza. We LOVE the peanuts, and throwing them on the ground is some of the fun. They have some of the BEST thin crust ive ever had. I'd give their thin crust 9.5 stars/ 10. Also a kid friendly place.
(5)Dana W.
Cannot beat this thin crust pizza(I do ask for extra sauce but that is only because I like my pizza saucy). And they have half price pizza Monday (dine in) and Tuesday (carry out) which is terrific for our family on a tight budget.
(4)Heather M.
This place is just plain fun. Unless you have a peanut allergy. There are shells all over the floor. But, hey the kids love it. There is a game room for them to play in while you and your spouse relax and share a pitcher. The server that we had was really nice and the pizza is thin and delicious. Perfect for a familyfriday night - bring quarters for the games!
(4)Matt M.
Pretty fun time here. Its way out in the suburbs. Its covered in wood and peanuts and presents itself like a pretty normal "this is country" type of place. Instead of a steak house it is a pizza/pub. Checking in gets your free beer nuggets. The rest of the appetizers are pretty good. The pizza is small and they overestimate how many people it feeds. The double decker is also confusing - not sure where the second deck is. I'd say if you are out this way and want some pizza you won't go wrong, but don't go out of your way.
(3)Bob U.
Come to Nicks often for the pizza. Nicks pizza is in the team picture of the best I've had IN MY LIFE! And I grew up in Chicago, and I'm real old! Never had the Italian beef because I just come for beer and PIZZA! So I finally decided to try the beef sandwich because that's all I hear about. OMFG!!!
(5)Brett W.
Unbelievable pizza. Thin crust done right. Crunchy crust, some of the best decor, free peanuts you can throw on the ground and excellence service! Not the place to be if you don't like a loud atmosphere but I love it so I feel at home. Prices are high for a pizza place but well worth it if you love quality.
(5)Mick B.
I have to get this out of the way before I get into the review itself- if you took off all of the signs, etc. at Nick's I would swear that I was at Bill's Pizza and Pub in Mundelein. As others have mentioned, both Bill's and Nick's have baskets of peanuts and patrons throw the shells on the floor. It seems to me that the decorations and theme of both restaraunts are also nearly identical. I hope that the management will take this as the complement that it is intended to be, as Bill's Pub is one of my favorite Pizza "joints" in the Chicago Burbs. That having been said! I joined a group of friends at Nick's to celebrate our friend Cindy's September birthday recently. We were given a nice semi-private room in the back (unfortunately we had several no-shows so we ended up not needing all of that space) that suited our folks just fine. Our server was attentive without being overbearing, and everyone as far as I could see had their needs/wants taken care of very efficiently indeed. It was certainly nice to have someone waiting on us that was keeping an eye when we needed drinks, etc. and was willing to hustle. Our server was also nice in volunteering to take pix of the group. Big thank you!! Several people ordered the Mexican Pizza which has Seasoned Meat, Mozzarella & Cheddar Cheese, Green Onion, Tomatoes, Black Olives, and Jalapeño Peppers (optional) to give it a try. Terri and I were quite pleased with the texture of the crust and also with the taste of the ingredients. As noted above, the Mexican Pizza can be ordered with or without Jalapeño peppers; we ordered "with" and that is how I suggest you order it unless you have a real issue with spicy food. I really wanted to try their calzones as the ones being served to a nearby table looked tasty- perhaps another time! After we had placed our order- I noticed that whole wheat crust is optional so that's another something to try during a future visit. Some of the ladies in the group tried the sangria by the glass which was rated "two thumbs up". Overall I would say that Nick's is a great place for casual dining and would recommend them to anyone who is looking for a great pizza and cold adult beverages.
(4)Doug R.
Amazing toppings for pizza, real strips of bacon, pineapple rings, not just chunks like everywhere else. Did I mention pineapple!?
(5)Jillian C.
There are other choices with much better food such as Texas Roadhouse right down the road for peanuts. I didn't like walking on peanuts. They were hard to get out of shoe bottoms. It looks dirty and unsanitary. The peanuts left at table were reused for next customer. I was sitting near the kitchen by the peanut container. The peanuts should be tossed and replaced completely. The place is very dusty. The ledges and animals were dusty. The kitchen doesn't look clean. I was sitting close to it and happened to walk up to the kitchen trying to find my server. The temperature was unbearable coming from there. I don't know how employees cook in there. The floors looked extremely dirty. They put pizzas on metal racks that just don't seem clean. It makes me wonder if the food is safe to eat that sits in that heat. Being by the kitchen, I saw the cooks making the food didn't use gloves. They employee was making several appetizers and I saw him using hands to put cheese sticks in the basket. That is not sanitary. While at table, I saw servers using a rag to clean the pizza pans. There was a stack of maybe 25 cleaned with same rag. That doesn't seem clean. Shouldn't they go through a dishwasher after every pizza. If they aren't ever put in dishwasher, that's just disgusting. The pizza size is small and paper thin. I believe the largest is a 14". I shouldn't have to get multiple pizzas. There isn't enough cheese on the pizza. Its made very cheaply and it doesn't even go out to the edge. The prices aren't cheap either. With there being hundreds of places to chose for pizza you think they would provide a bigger pizza that didn't look like a sheet of paper and would feed a bigger family. They give styrofoam plates to eat on which is bad for the environment and I am not at a picnic. The worst part is they put leftover pizza on them with a piece of foil that just covered the plate? I wanted to order a calzone, but I was told that you couldn't put the ingredients in that you want. I was told it is "not recipe". I change items at almost every restaurant I go to and have never been told I couldn't have what I wanted. I feel like the servers have way too big of table sections. The servers were running around like chickens with the head cut off. I don't believe this allows for good service and causes problems. I saw servers taking care of multiple large parties along with smaller tables in various spots. If a server has a large party it should be only table or have more than one server. Even if people are ordering just pizzas, having to multi task and make sure everyone has full drinks, food items in a timely manner, tables being cleaned, and so forth are going to be errors. It was hot in the restaurant. I was told that its even worse in the kitchen where there is no air conditioning. That explains why it was so hot when I went over there. I don't feel like that takes good care of employees. I can't even imagine cooking or making pizzas with the hot ovens back there. My pizzas came out way before my sandwiches. We ate the pizza before they even came out. The timing needs to be better as the rest of the people were starving and had to wait. The pizzas seem like they are just thrown together to get them out quickly rather than quality. My pizza had jagged edges that the cheese slid over on and looked bad. Could it just be that everyone is so overworked there? I don't like the decor. The news just gave the guy a rough time for killing the lion, yet this place displays 100s of animals killed for no purpose. I didn't want to even eat seeing what was around me. There were two servers talking when I went to bathroom. One had Irish accent. She didn't hear me coming and was using the F word and complaining about her customers, bad tips, and stuff. I'm glad she wasn't my server because she sounded mean. When I came out of the bathroom she was bending over putting glasses in bucket, and her skirt was short to point I was uncomfortable. Is there not a dress code for this family restaurant? I went to bathroom another time and she was back there being rude to another server. She needs to be let go in my opinion. We left around 10 at night, and I saw a server walking across the street to her car. Do you realize the times we live in? That isn't safe to walk to dark area surrounded by trees with that server having cash on her. I asked her as she walked by me about it, and she said they have to park there or they get written up. My husband and I watched and made sure she got to her car okay. Is that how you treat your employees? You will be sorry when someone is attacked one day. People look for servers walking out with cash on them. Wow!! that is all I have to say! This all out of one visit about a month ago. I will not be back and I don't even want a response or free offer. No thank you! I don't know how you stay in business. I just wanted people to know what my experience was.
(1)George H.
Great pizza here, right up there with my favorite other pizza in the area, but the other place is only carry out. We had a great dinner there tonight, but unfortunately the service and/or the kitchen blew it. My wife and I split a pizza and our daughter had a burger. The pizza was brought out and our waitress said the burger would be "out in a minute." Five minutes pass, she came by and apologized the "kitchen messed up and gave her fries away" and it would be "another minute" for her burger. Five minutes pass and she finally got her food just as my wife and I were almost done eating.
(3)Ann C.
My second favorite pizza in the area. We love the knotted/braided crust and the buttery smooth sauce. I do not like pizza, however, I could eat this and Lou's every other day and be perfectly happy. We also love the laid back atmosphere and we have never had bad service. Great place to have a small party, too!
(5)Sean G.
Always a great experience. Something about throwing peanut shells on the ground is always great and they have seating for large groups. Plus the arcade games keep the kids busy! Staff is always nice as well
(5)Greg M.
I lived in Crystal Lake for close to 6 years. When I moved from Austin to Crystal Lake, I didn't really know too many people at first, and I had to find something other than the boring and disgusting Dominos and Pizza Hut... Nicks was close to the house, so I tried it out. I really enjoyed their personal pizza, sitting at the bar, ordering a few drinks, watching whatever sports were on, and the bartenders were all welcoming and amicable. It helped ease the transition to a new area of the country for me. The peanuts are a cool idea, especially if you've got kids. They've got other good menu items aside from the pizza... The sandwiches are pretty good here too.
(4)Daniel R.
I went to Nicks before me and my family saw a show at the Crystal Lake Raue Center. We had such a great time. Pizza and drinks were perfect. Our server Alex S. Was amazing. It was good to see that this Crystal Lake landmark is still going strong. I have no negatives about our experience. 10/10 atmosphere, food, and service.
(5)Sam O.
Service, atmosphere and food was awesome. Was here from 4-5PM. My waitress and trainee (Dori or Fish and Joey) were literally on point... We shall return for a night adventure and check out the night vibe.
(5)Tiffany T.
Love this place, pizza is great and atmoshpere is wonderful! Great place to take the kids or just go with friends! Would definetly reccomend them!
(5)Katherine P.
I've been here a few times and while it's not bad, I'm not going out of my way to go back. Their smoothies are really good and liked the margarita pizza. However, their other pizzas are just average. What kills it for me are the disposable plates and the peanut shells. For environmental I don't like disposable plates; I also don't like them when I'm paying enough to expect real plates! If I wanted paper plates, I'd go to a cheaper place. I get that it's part of the experience but it also feels lazy and cheap. As for the peanut shells... I don't like walking on them. While the place is clean, dropping things on the floor just makes it feel dirty to me. I get it's a personal preference thing and a lot of people (including those I've been there with) love the peanut shells on the floor. If that's your crowd, go there. If you want a nicer, casual pizza experience, go somewhere else or get carry out. I will say they are good for groups. I attended a birthday party here and they were very nice about putting us in a back room for privacy. The staff was very good and made sure that we were not forgotten about. Good staff, decent pizza, but not my kind of environment.
(3)Trixie D.
LOVE this pizza! It's by far the best thin crust in the area. Cooked in a really hot oven, the cracker thin crust is perfect while the toppings aren't overdone - there's still a bit of crunch to the green peppers! I usually get the veggie (green peppers, 'shrooms, and onion) sometimes I add tomato slices. They pile on the toppings and the crust is cooked so perfectly that it holds up. Great when you eat there, pretty good when you take it to go (two-fer Tuesday deal!) or get delivery.
(5)William F.
Came in with a group of friends, granted we were a large group but my friend never got her soup after an hour of waiting and I never got my sandwich. Why would you put one server in charge of a large party? After she came back the 3rd time she still got my order wrong and my friend never got her soup. The server brought out dessert before I ever got my sandwich and my friend her soup. They get one star because of the bartender and his service skills before we even sat down. Plus, I'm not a fan of peanut shells on the floor of an establishment ... it may be ok for some, but not for me.
(1)Djcrazy C.
Nice place, great service. Food ordered was the pizza, great taste. I will have to recommend this place to friends with children. Menu has something for everyone, will definitely be back.
(5)Sarah S.
They have a great gluten free pizza option with a gluten free beer available as well. Service is always great. Great for adult night out with friends or family night with kids.
(4)The Decide R.
Great pizza and service. Staff is always friendly as well as attentive. Food is always spot on, and if for some reason a mistake is made the staff always makes up for it.
(5)Nikki M.
I cannot rant & rave more about this place! On several occasions has this restaurant exceeded my expectations, employees are exceptionaly nice and the atmosphere works for just about any kind of outing! Pls my 2 year old daughter loves that shes able to throw peanuts on the floor.
(5)Peter G.
God bless Nick's! Took my son to Nick's to celebrate his 18th birthday and we had a great time. I'm a foodie and experienced diner but I blew it, we had more people (23) than we originally told them and they said no problem; we ordered two extra pizzas then forgot we had cake, they took the pizzas back and didn't charge us. Great food, great décor and our server was outstanding. Thanks Nick's for a great time!
(5)Jennifer L.
I LOVE NICK'S PIZZA!!! It's been a long while since I've actually eaten IN the restaurant, but occasionally if I'm out in that area, I'll swing by and pickup a pizza to-go. But the few times I'd eaten there before, we always really enjoyed it. Peanuts to eat and throw shells on the floor?!? SWEET! Who doesn't think that's fun?! And then just when you think your tongue has shrank too much to take another bite (salty peanuts), your pizza comes! Their thin-crust pizza is just heavenly!! Employees/owner have always been friendly. Service good. Great spot for groups to come whether it be family, or kids sporting events, or whatever you've got going on! It's a nice large restaurant, with lots of tables. The decor is cabin/rustic, with animals on the wall and big stone fireplaces. I highly recommend checking this place out if you haven't yet. GREAT place for the family.
(5)Alden H.
The pizza here is always top notch. The crust on the thin is some of the best I've had anywhere. It's a must have
(5)Judy W.
I booked a room to celebrate my hubby 60th birthday for a Saturday from 4:30-6:30pm. Because I ONLY had 20 guests they told me I had to spend at least $350. I said shouldn't be a problem cause we love pizza. Manger Derrick told us our room wasn't ready at 4:30 so my hubby got the surprise in the lobby with balloons and guests. 10 minutes later the room is ready with 3 tables and chairs for 20 people. We had our server Kelly, great server and took care of us. But Derrick the manager kept stalking our group and came up to me a few times and reminded me that we only had the room till 6:30 and we need to spend more money. He sent Kelly in to take more orders of food and drinks which was ok but when he passed by the room and even went up the stairs next to the room to watch us, well my guests were getting pretty fed up with his stalking. I approached him about this and told him that we got the room late and then my son took over and explained to him that he didn't know how to treat his guests and that he was being rude by stalking us. After that my guests didn't want to stay so we all left. I spent a lot of money and was treating unfair by the manager. Our server kept apologizing for his behavior which we told her that she didn't have to. We wont be back there ever again. Our server knew how upset the manager had made me and my guests so she got him to deduct off the bill. That wasn't needed cause we were there for a nice time not the harassment.
(1)Karen S.
Absolutely love Nick's pizza. The best pizza outside of Chicago! Love the atmosphere. Great service.
(5)Michele G.
I went to Nick's for the first time last night. The décor is awesome! You walk in these two huge wooden doors with massive chains on them, into this cabin looking place. It's a huge place. We went for a fundraiser and let me tell you, these people are the kindest!! We walked up to the hostess and put our name down, we were told 25-30 minute wait. It only took about 10 minutes for them to seat us. We sat down and there were peanuts on the table. My mom asked for another bowl for the shells and our server said to just throw them on the floor. It's was pretty cool. We ordered two appetizers, beer nuggets and the blooming onion. The beer nuggets were small and kind of hard, our server was very kind and took them off our bill. The blooming onion was amazing! Whatever they dip the onion in is soooo flavorful, it was delicious. We also ordered one large, thin crust, Hawaiian pizza for the table. It was plenty for the 4 of us. The pizza tasted really good, we just asked for it to be well done and it wasn't, but overall it had a good taste to it. We finished the meal off with the cookie desert. Holy cow is that good! It's a huge warm cookie with moose tracks ice cream and whipped cream. Definitely worth your while! As a first timer here, I might come back, it was a really fun environment full of friendly people doing great things for the community...however, the food could use a little work.
(3)Lauren N.
In the sea of chain restaurants that is Crystal Lake/Algonquin, Nick's Pizza is a welcome, local change from the norm. The atmosphere is like a Texas Roadhouse, and the food is not much better, but the service is outstanding. The wait staff really make this place special.
(4)David W.
This place is the best. Pizza is terrific. Employees are friendly and it has a great family atmosphere!
(5)Jerry K.
Been coming here since I was a kid and it will never get old, so long as they keep making their pizza the same! Love the endless peanuts and shells on the floor and the decor. Great spot for thin crust pizza!
(4)Jacob S.
Ordered a large, thin crust pizza for take out. The pizza itself was good, crust was crisp and the mushrooms were fresh, not canned (big difference IMHO). The employees at the pickup window were friendly. Will order from here again.
(4)Carolyn B.
Great place to take kids! Tons of peanuts for them to snack on and toss on the floor, kitschy decor everywhere and reasonably priced food. Service is usually pretty prompt and the pizza is yummy.
(4)Tina V.
Pretty cool place. Came while visiting family from out of town. Got a free order of beer nuggets and those were pretty good, then ordered the double pizza, which was also good and everyone was full after only one or two pieces. Also got to throw peanut shells on the floor which is always fun. Server was great, nice & very attentive.
(4)SAMMY D.
CONS: C'mon guys: being served on Sysco styrofoam plates. This isn't a picnic. PROS: Good pizza, good ambiance (feels like a lodge, lots of taxidermy, cozy for its size). CONCLUSION: Perhaps Nick's could limit its use of styrofoam to stuffing the animal heads bedecking the walls instead of stuffing full its trash bins. Nick's: I'd highly suggest the use of real ceramic plates for your dine-in customers. Pizza options abound in this competitive market. My family and I'd waited a long time to try you out again. Unfortunately, the styrofoam issue has sent us back away. FINE PRINT: Though, after asking, we were eventually served on small metal pizza pans substituting for plates, the thought that Nick's tosses everyone's "plates" into the trash every single day of the week made me feel like supporting a more environmentally conscious establishment next time. They can do better with regard to sustainability, and I hope they realize this. Please advise if/when styrofoam is a thing of the past.
(3)Dimi Y.
Pizza was excellent! Service was good. Stay away from being seated anywhere on the south wall. It serves as the main artery for traffic with somebody walking by every 90 seconds.
(4)Amber C.
The pizza is pretty standard, but the ambiance of the restaurant is the best thing about this place. The dining area is big enough for larger parties and the service is good too.
(3)Amanda K.
You can't beat a buy one get one special for pizza especially when they have the best gluten free crust in town! Also, I am sucker for anyplace where my toddler can make a mess on the floor and she doesn't get the side eye from the waitress. Rejected toddler food fits right in with the plethora of peanut shells on the floor. And who doesn't love the crunchy orchestra that is walking on the large piles of shells that were discarded during the meal? It is the sound of a great night out if you ask me!
(5)Sprine D.
I like Nick's Pizza a lot. They have good pizza.
(4)Nyoka C.
Great place. The best pizza ever..love the the double decker too (once in awhile) Love that Nick is so involved in the community.
(5)Jared W.
I want to say nice things about Nick's, but my first experience was so underwhelming that I have no desire at all to ever go back. It's not bad, by any means, but nothing I'm ever going to want to go back for. The appeal is definitely the layout and decor of the place. It's pretty cool inside. As for the "they let you throw peanuts on the floor" thing, that lost it's appeal after the first place I went to the first time that let me do that. Kind of over it. Really, in Chicagoland of all places, you can get WAY better pizza.
(2)jan l.
Our favorite pizza, delicious. But only for dining in. Delivery isn't their strong point, the pizza arrives cold 90% of the time.
(3)Mark M.
Nicks is a nice place for a family pizza night. The pizza is good, the drink specials are reasonable, the decor is fun and my kids love the mini arcade. It's a good value.
(4)Debbie T.
Always one of my favorite go to pizza places! Friendly service the min we walked in the door. Server was fantastic too! Peanuts at the table, shells you throw on the floor. It was my sons birthday, and they made his evening super special!
(4)Suzanne V.
This is a pizza joint-stick with what they do best ! Italian beef was tasteless with no flavor at all- limp french fries! Chicken wing appetizer excellent!
(3)Ken K.
Just OK - (believe it or not - like the Nick's frozen Pizzas from Joseph's better than the real thing) - vegtables in too big of pieces - and sort of above the cheese.....also....peanuts on the floor thing - not a germaphobe...but how is that sanitary? 1 step above letting people with chewing tobacco spit on the floor.... Georgio's much better...
(3)Richard T.
Oh, yeahhh! Another great pizza place & pub. For those of you in Lake and McHenry Counties, this is almost a carbon copy of Bill's Pizza & Pub in Mundelein. Exterior is like an old dairy barn, similar Northwoods lodge interior motif, really good crispy cracker crust specialty pizzas, throw your peanut shells on the floor, purchase frozen pizza for take home, mounted taxidermy specimens on display, family friendly for the kids with a fish tank and games. If you're not a thin crust pizza fan, they do have other items on the menu. Servers and bartenders are awesome, a good bar area with a few specialty beers, usually a wait during lunch and dinner time.
(4)Marc A.
The pizza is good not great. The wait staff was excellent on this trip and I love the atmosphere. You get to throw peanut shells on the floor. Also a pretty good list of two brothers beers on tap.
(3)John M.
This place has decent food, but it's not the best. Definitely overpriced though. Over the last 10 years this place has reduced the portion sizes and increased prices. You can definitely get more bang for your buck at Georgios downtown, Moretties on Randall road, or Lou Malnaties.
(2)Jackie F.
Great atmosphere, good pizza, just like my husband makes with no work and no messy kitchen at home!
(5)Jim S.
Good pizza, friendly service. Busy on the weekends and there's a wait to get a table and to get your food.
(4)Ruth Ann M.
Nick's Pizza is very consistent with their quality of service and food. You also can't beat the value. The ingredients are fresh, and they offer some fun pizza toppings like bruschetta (yum)! The restaurant is housed in an old dairy barn that has so much character. It's warm, welcoming, casual and comfortable. It is very family-friendly. I love going to Nick's for lunch, dinner, or even beers and appetizers. They have a few craft beers on tap, and they rotate a few handles for seasonal brews. If you have the Yelp app on your phone, you can check-in to get a free appetizer!
(4)Lisa G.
My daughter and husband absolutely love the pizza! The Tuesday pizza special is great and we eat Nicks almost every Tuesday. They even have Gluten free pizza.
(4)Jim F.
Love this place. No Yelp review that I can write will express how much I enjoy going here. If you like the outdoors then you will love Nick's! An old barn turned restaurant with ton's of taxidermy animals through out and a pair of awesome antler chandeliers makes this one of my favorite places to go. Oh ya and the pizza is awesome! Be sure to check in on Yelp from the restraunt for a free appatizer too!!!
(5)Carolyn L.
Went here last Friday after a little school performance in the area. The place was great at accomodating all of the middle schoolers and had enough service to be very helpful all night, even with the youngin's running around like crazy. I loved the $3 well margarita deal and, although a bit sour, was good and cheap! I then had a pint of Two Brothers beer but I can't remember which one! Fail. We tried the meatloaf sliders (not my fave) and the awesome blossoming onion. That's always a crowd pleaser. Maybe my biggest disappointment were the beer nuggets. That just sounds so promising! But they were just bread balls and not very flavorful at that. Good thing I wasn't too hungry. I would have been very disappointed. The pizza we ordered was quite good though. A veggie topped thin crust pie that fed about 3 people. It was hot and fresh and the veggies were still crispy. Very nice. I don't get out to Algonquin much but I can tell why Nick's is a local fave. The decor was crazy! All taxidermy and creepy animal heads. And look out for the peanut shells on the floor!
(3)Ron J.
There are a number of good pizzas around the Chicagoland area and Nick's is definitely one of them. If you enjoy thin crust pizza then this if definitely the place for you. I suggest the Nick's Special which is a great blend of sausage, green pepper, onions, and mushrooms. Nothing fancy but definitely well-balanced and flavorful. This is not an upscale restaurant but a real old-fashion pizza place with a lodge-like feel and definitely plenty of seating. However, they are really busy on Friday and Saturday evenings so there may be a little wait.
(4)Matthew W.
Family Favorite!!!!!! Great place to take the kids, throw some peanut shells on the floor, drink some beers and eat really good pizza. We were actually here on Election Night 2012 and it was super quiet - maybe 10 tables full - but the SERVICE was EXCEPTIONAL as usual (thanks Tmelda!!!). And for a 7 year old boy there is plenty to distract him (fish tank, games, old fashion telephone booth, peanuts - and you can throw them on the floor) while everyone else takes their time and enjoys each other. We absolutely love the pizza, but this time someone ordered DESSERT - and the Colossal Cookie (with ice cream) was Love everything about this place! 2 Hacker Pschorr 23 oz 12.50 (Its ok, i was recovering from the election) 3 De Loach Pinot Noir 21.00 2 Rocca Pinot Grigio 13.00 Kids Chicken fing 4.95 14" sausage Hacker Pshorr Pint 5.25 (bigger is better value) Nick's colossal Cookie 6.95 Total = $94.74
(5)Caroline P.
In my gluten eating days, this was my favorite local pizza place. The thin crust pizza is so freakin good! Add some Hacker-Pschorr or a Blue Moon and you've got a successful pizza night! I've had the double decker on several occasions, but its just too much for me...it's delicious though! I saw on their site that they offer gluten free pizza in the 10" size now. Awesome! I'll have to check it out next time I'm in town. Some gluten free beer would be a bonus!
(5)Nathan S.
Great pizza and great people. The people and atmosphere are the reason to stop in here. Simon the bartender is great!
(5)Becky C.
I have been to Nick's before and had a positive experience but that wasn't the case this evening. We ordered a lrg. Nick's Special which includes sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers for $21. We asked to have the peppers placed on one side because our children would just pick them off. When we got the bill we were charged for a sausage mushroom pizza at $19, plus onions for $2, plus peppers for $2. Our server tried to give us this insanity about how they have to add extra cheese blah, blah, blah. Yes I know it is only a two dollar difference but that was the worse explanation ever for PADDING the ticket!!!!
(1)Gary P.
Nick's pizza is a mixed bag for me... the owner is great and really supports the community, the actual facilities are nice and very comfortable. It can be very loud since they do seem to be very popular with families with younger children and while the pizza is OK, it is certainly nothing I would go out of my way for. The staff is very friendly and helpful too. If you really want great pizza go elsewhere but if you have young children and want to support a great local business that has good pizza come on down to Nick's!
(3)Kate C.
I have mixed experiences at both Nick's locations, but the last one this weekend will pretty much ensure my husband and I never return. We went when it was slow and everyone was very friendly. However the service was bad. We waited quite a few minutes to order which was fine, but we often went without refills. The part of the evening that deserves a one star was when they brought our pizza. Our waitress had the wrong toppings on our pizza. Not a huge deal it happens....the problem was with the way they "fixed" it. She left the pizza (which had a lot of onions it ruined the entire thing because I hate onions on my pizza). She offered to fix it by bringing what I thought was a "small size pizza", but it was a personal pizza with the right ingredients. It was gross and undercooked- also there is no way it made up for the fact that our original pizza was loaded with onions. We left hungry and annoyed.
(1)Stu T.
I had a Groupon and figured I'd give Nick's a second shot. After my original post the owner offered to try and make good but I passed figuring objectivity is more important than a free pizza. Unfortunately, with the results were much the same although we selected different menu options. This time I went with the Italian sub with cheese and the wife chose an Italian beef salad. The meat on the sub was plentiful but dry and didn't have much flavor, especially compared to Crystal Lake's better known neighbor for Italian beef. More expensive, too. The salad? My wife said, "I feel like I'm eating at Wendy's," mainly because of the throw-away plastic bowl it came in, but she was completely disappointed in the portion (not much bigger than a side salad) and the taste. The service, while still very polite, took a slight dip. Yes, it's waitress-dependent. She was quite nice but hard to find and forgot to deliver our appetizer. Probably just as well. I'm puzzled by the 5-star ratings many give this place. Maybe they're blinded by the cool atmosphere and the free peanuts. The bottom line is that the food is overpriced and the quality is subpar for that price. It turns out, friends share this view. While considered a Crystal Lake institution by some, it's one place I will leave an open table for so those with lower expectations can get seated earlier. Original post on 3/24/12: Wow, what a disappointment. While the service was terrific and the atmosphere is cool, the pizza was a bust--and served with flimsy throw-away plates. It was hardly better than frozen flatbread pizza from the grocer. In fact, that's what my teenage daughter likened it to. And the prices aren't justifiable based on the quality. Crystal Lake has many better pizzerias.
(2)Renato P.
I give this place points for atmosphere, right down to the peanut shells littering the ground. The food is solid, starting with the onion blossom, not as good as the "famous" fried onion dish but still very good. The pizza here is very good as well, one of the better pizzas I tried in the area.
(4)Franklin D.
The building is very cool (restored dairy barn). The giant fish tanks are cool (salt water I think? Beautiful fish!) The atmosphere is great and the staff couldn't be nicer. I go here about once a week because my kids love it and have fun playing in the arcade. But... the food.... ugh. We got a "onion blossom" where they dunk the onion in batter and fry the whole thing. Horrible. The outside was charred black and the inside parts were full of raw batter. Now I'm no chef, no food expert... but seriously, folks. Didn't it dawn on anyone to TURN THE HEAT DOWN on the fryer so the damn thing will cook evenly? The waitress put it on the table, took a couple steps back, and then started apologizing and saying she would bring another one if we wanted. What the hell for? Also tried the "chicken calzone" which had some chicken cubes, pepperoni, diced tomato and a couple other ingrdedients. It looked great when it showed up. But, the flavor was just wrong... seriously a bad taste. I dunno man, they're still getting my money but I think I'm going to stop off for a sandwich before the next time I go here.
(2)Taylor M.
Everything was amazing! We started withe the blooming onion with homemade ranch dressing. It was sooooo good. The breading was not as greasy as I am accustomed to... which is a good thing. It tasted like it was actually made properly with bread crumbs and flash fried. For the entrees we split a calzone with chicken, pepperoni, cheese and bruchetta. We also had an individual Mexican pizza. Both were fantastic. A perfect amount of food. As I mentioned in my post on the Nick's Elgin location. The decor is adorable. A very comfortable place to enjoy a delicious meal. The Christmas decor is very fitting for for the wooden cabin-like restaurant. Nick's a a kid friendly restaurant with an arcade. They also allow you to throw peanut shells on the floor (one of my favorite memories of restaurants as a kid). The staff is fantastic. Everyone checked in on us to make sure we were enjoying our meal... even servers that were not assigned to us. I love Nick's and even though it is a bit of a hike for me... I will definitely return soon!
(5)Rebecca C.
Great pizza and fried mushrooms!! I really enjoy the "camping lodge" atmosphere and the service was good too! I would go back again for sure.
(4)Priscilla M.
I'd just like to say that you have no business here unless you order their famous double decker pizza. That is what I get every single time I go to Nick's and I am never disappointed. The best way I can describe the pizza is HEAVEN. The sauce, the dough, the entire pizza is perfection. I have no complaints and don't order anything outside of the double decker so I cannot speak about other menu items. The staff is always wonderful and attentive. The atmosphere is great especially while we wait for our pizza (double decker takes about 35 min.). My boy loves the ambiance and he loves throwing the peanut shells on the floor. All in all it's a wonderful family establishment with wonderful double decker pizza.
(5)Jax V.
Best pizza in McHenry county in my opinion. We had our rehersal dinner here and they did a nice job. And how can you not love a place where you can throw peanut shells on the floor?
(5)Marjorie F.
Born and raised in Chicago, I am naturally very picky about my pizza. Nick's has awesome pizza! I love the thin crust, sauce (this is key), plus just enough mozzarella to cover the other toppings. I've had the Italian beef and Italian sausage - those are good too. But my favorite by far is the pizza. Although I don't have kids of my own, this seems like a very family friendly place. It would be easy to take my nephew here. Between the outdoorsy decor, peanuts on the floor, and friendly staff - there's enough to keep him preoccupied. I will definitely be back...
(5)Brad E.
This is one of the most tremendous dining rooms I have been in. It feels like an old time saloon and there is a huge stone fireplace, literally 50-60 feet high, with an enormous, mounted moose head. There are free peanuts and you can toss the shells on the ground. They have pizzas and other pub favorites, such as burgers and sandwiches. They have a nice selection of draft beer, too. The bruschetta was absolutely some of the best ever. I worry that the pizza is just not good enough for the Chicagoland area. That said, the Nick's Special and the Margherita pizza were very good. I really enjoyed the diverse selection of gelato. The apple cinnamon was delicious and I had never heard of that flavor before. The waitstaff was extremely nice and attentive.
(3)Bill S.
The family and myself have been coming here for years , we love the place, usually get the pizza its probably the best thin crust around, Service and food is always great and easy on the pocket book, now that the kids are college age when they come home they always want to eat at Nicks , I love the decorating it warm and comfortable I highly recommend to anyone .
(5)Katie M.
We love this place! I went here with my parents, my husband and three boys and we all had a blast. The place is a restored dairy barn and it is filled with the typical moose heads and mounted fish, but it also has a lot of really cool retro items like an old phone booth that you can take pictures in. The kids had a blast throwing the peanut shells on the floor and we walked around and looked at all of the things that there was to see while we waited for our food. The waitress was nice and the fried mushroom appetizers were delicious. We ordered two pizzas and both of them were very good. We ordered one Margherita pizza and one Nicks Special which is sausage, mushroom, onion and green peppers. Both pizzas were amazing. After dinner, the kids wanted to go over to the small arcade area that they have, so we went over there and let them play a couple games before we left. We all kept saying that we can't wait to go back again. We love Nick's and I can't think of a better family friendly place to bring small kids in the area!
(5)Dave C.
The pricing for a split pizza was a bit deceiving as they charged us for individual ingredients which bumped the price up several dollars.
(2)Stef M.
The thin crust pizza is excellent. They also have a larger variety of toppings than most places. I really like to add fresh garlic or artichoke hearts on pizza, and not all places offer this. That said, I there are few toppings I won't eat on a pizza, but I like variety. Love the peanuts! Like pepsi products, so an additional star for this! What else? Half price pizza Mondays, an english telephone booth and and arcade for kids to play with. Although this is a kid friendly atmosphere, they give the kids activities to monitor their energy and it is not unruly as some other kid friendly joints.
(5)John R.
A regular customer, and now using up a few groupons. I made a mistake for the second time, by trying something besides pizza. I ordered the Calzone, but should have known by the description it was nothing like a traditional Calzone. It also came to the table warm ( not hot) with ice cold sauce on the side. They were nice enough to quickly warm it up. Still, it was real light on cheese and sauce and the crust was far to thin for Calzone. The "grilled" chicken was a bit hard and overcooked. The wife's margarita pizza was pretty good. Service was good as always, but a good amount of the (free) peanuts were over roasted-burnt. We will be back, I am sure (have one more groupon) and I will stick to the pizza! (an older review I found in draft mode from Feb. - I still have not been back)
(3)Ralph F.
Nick's makes good pizza. Thin crust, generous toppings, friendly & accommodating waitstaff. Ambiance inside is great if you're into deer heads and stuffed waterfowl, and throwing peanut shells on the floor is fun no matter your age. My problem is that a) they don't deliver and b) they aren't open for lunch. For a independent business that's made recent appeals to their customer base warning that they're about to go out of business, it makes zero sense to me why they continue to refuse to expand hours or offer delivery. Wake up Nick! Your customers want more than what you're offering. You're allowing people who'd love to give you the money you need to stay open to look elsewhere for lunch and delivery. If they do end up going out of business I'll buy the place and do exactly that.
(4)Mike B.
had nicks for the first time, not my kind of pizza. crust was paper thin and tasted like cardboard and had no flavor.
(1)Don J.
Stopped in for dinner tonight. Will be stopping back again. And again. And again. And I don't even live in Crystal Lake. Good hand-tossed pizza is a joy to find. I know how these are made; I got a tour of the kitchen at the Elgin Nick's. Freshly-made dough, proprietary sauce, good ingredients. Very professional staff. I like black olive pizza. Yeah, yeah. It's a little weird. Mainly, because its one of those pizza combinations that's a disaster waiting to happen. If the olives are weird or tinny, it'll drag down the rest. If the sauce is wrong, the toppings won't help cover it up. If the crust isn't good, then the pizza has no texture.. and don't get me started about weird cheese. A perilous thing is a black olive pizza... But not here. Everything was perfectly balanced... the delicate fullness of the olives, the full tomato taste of the sauce... with that almost buttery note of good cheese interacting with the acid of the sauce. My partner noted that he loves the corn meal on the bottom; the little bits that keep the thin crust dough from sticking. Such a simple thing. Sometimes, its the "simple things" that can be tricky. When you nail them, you nail them. The service was good; playful but very busy. The ambience is really great; I love the barn/lodge feel of the place and the holiday lights are so cheery during this dark time of year. The massive doors and scale of the place shift your mind into readiness for a good experience, IMHO. We finished with a cookie. An great big chocolate chip cookie, with two scoops of moose-track ice cream, a mound of whip cream and chocolate syrup on top. It took three of us to finish it. The fourth stayed out of it: he'd started with a moose mousse shake of some kind that he said was incredible and worth every penny. So, Nick's knows dessert, too. Just don't ask for coffee. They don't have it. Really. But who really cares? They have Sprecher root beer by the bottle; that beats restaurant coffee in my book.
(5)Corin W.
Dude--I just love this place. We ate at the Nick's in Elgin a couple weeks ago and since we had such a good time we decided tonight to try the one in Crystal Lake since we were in the neighborhood. There's something they do to the sauce--I just don't know what it is. It's like the sauce I used to get at my favorite pizza joint in Little Italy growing up. It's like tomato paste-butter-sauce-oregano; man, I don't know but it's really good. the sausage was hearty and filling. I LOVE the thin crust with cornmeal on the bottom. We had the huge-mama-jamma-big-booty-warm-cookie-with-huge-Âdouble-D-mounds-of-whipped-cream-and-ice-cream-Âthing for desert. Dude--it fed three of us! I love the ambiance in this place. I'm a log cabin kind of guy (Yes, I know, I may beThe Gravestomper, always filming in graveyards but I have a warm and cozy side too...) And like I said in my Cracker Barrel review: I LOVE eating by a fireplace. I might choose it as a drawing point over any other feature in a restaurant... So, why did I give it only four stars? One word: coffee. No coffee. More than anything I wanted a cup of coffee with lots of cream tonight. I was a bit tired and we'd just come out of the freezing cold and I wanted the pick-me and warm up. When the waitress told me there was no coffee I thought she was yankin' my chain. But she wasn't. They stopped serving coffee because no one wanted it, she said. But a couple of weeks ago we were drinking it in the Elgin location. Man--if nothing else, keep a one cup, pod brewer around for the times someone does want it. You don't want to have a bar that serves liquor without a coffee option. The coffee would have really made the huge-mama-jamma-big-booty-warm-cookie-with-huge-Âdouble-D-mounds-of-whipped cream-and-ice-cream-thing... It just wasn't the same with cold, lemony iced-t. All-and-all though, I had a great time.
(4)Lauren W.
I went here about a month ago with my boyfriend and my parents. I remember it was a Sunday for dinner, which a lot of people don't really eat out on Sunday nights (under my assumption). It was not too busy, and we were seated immediately. It's nice to have some peanuts to munch on while you're waiting for your food to come. The waitress we had did not check up on us a lot...something that I would have preferred since I did not once get a refill on my drink (and I needed it since I was putting Tabasco sauce on my pizza). We ordered the fried mushrooms, and they were very good, although a bit expensive. We also got a large sausage thin-crust pizza. It was tasty, but for about 16-18$ for a pie... it didn't really leave us with a feeling of fullness among 4 people. I felt bad that my dad's dollar didn't stretch to feed us.
(3)Jesus H.
Best thin crust in Chicagoland! Very simple recipe that is cooked to perfection. I have been here multiple times for well over a decade and never had a bad experience.
(5)Katy W.
I was in Crystal Lake for work and needed a lunch spot. This place is hard to pass up, it is a huge old dairy farmhouse. Inside, it has a bar, restaurant area and game room (extra points!). There is definitely plenty to look at as you enjoy you're meal. I went with the lunch special of a chicken ceaser wrap +onion rings and a $2 pint. The whole $2 thing made me very excited. The chicken ceaser wrap was DELICIOUS! I was pleasantly surprised. And their onion rings are the BEST I've ever had...at some point after drink two I was seriously considering getting an order to go. I wouldn't mind having another work obligation here....................
(4)Alex K.
Nick's pizza is pretty good. Their pizza is delicious and I believe this was the restaurant I ate at where you throw your peanut shells on the floor. It's a little weird walking on peanut shells and they don't clean them up a lot but maybe that's the whole thing about Nick's. their prices are a little on the high side, and it takes a ilttle while for them to actually bring out the food .
(3)Paul M.
Ok, I was impressed with Nick's in Elgin, so when I was at a meeting in Crystal Lake, I figured, why not see if they can do it again. It's rare to find a restaurant that has it this together. The food is excellent, the prices reasonable and the service is stellar. I'm going to let you in on a secret ... There is an ice-cream/shake style goodie they have on their menu called a Moose Madness. It is $4.95 as of this review date and I'll tell you it's worth the trip just to try it. Of course the pizza is very good, but it is all of the other details that Nick's ensures are covered that make his restaurants a destination that can't be missed. Tell me what you think!
(5)Linda M.
Terrible food...so bland. We had a veggie pizza and a pepperoni pizza, both tasted like cheap frozen grocery pizza. The blooming onion, was under seasoned but not the worst. The cole slaw tasted like it was made a week ago, nothing but mayo and soggy lettuce. The kids menu Mac and cheese looked and tasted like an off brand boxed dinner made yesterday and reheated. Pretty gross. Only saving grace is the family fun ambiance, and peanuts. Do NOT go for the food. Service was fine, but we were there at a pretty slow time. We will not go again.
(2)Doug M.
What can I say, probably one of my favorite restaurants to go to. Good pizza at a decent price, but what I love the mostly is the decor, which reminds one of being "up north" ; lots of mounted animals and fish adorn the walls while lights made from antlers illuminate from above. The wait staff is always friendly, and always on top of things. I personally know many of the folks working here so I'll try and remain objective here. The pizza: the best thin crust I've found in McHenry County, period. The only gripe I have is their large is only 14". So besides that minor issue, the pizza rocks! Their burgers taste good but can be a little dry, the Italian beef is ok. Chicken tenders are great and their ranch dressing is fantastic. They offer fast takeout, with most every order ready in fifteen minutes. Call ahead and you will not have to wait at all. The staff is super friendly and several of them will greet you as soon as you walk in the door and you will always be asked if you have been helped yet, I cannot complement the staff or managment enough about this. Fantastic service, great food, very family friendly atmosphere. Been going here 10 years now and will keep doing so.
(5)Shannon T.
Not from the area and wanted some sit down pizzeria style pizza and after deciding on what appeared to be a nice place, Nick's did not disappoint! The peanuts on the floor atmosphere along with the GREAT mushroom pizza satisfied my (& the families) hunger, can't wait to go back.....
(5)Ken L.
Love this place! Great food... Great atomsphere...
(5)Dan N.
Great Local fun place. Great place for family's and kids. Pizza is excellent, I urge everyone in the area to go if you have never been, the economy has hurt them and its up in the air how much longer they have. It would be a great loss if something happened.
(4)Marie B.
I'm giving Nick's 4 *s for the atmosphere and gluten free pizza. THANK YOU for the g-free za and beer! Their regular pizza is ok.. Bruschetta is fabulous! Proud of this small business for making a humble comeback.
(4)Karen B.
While the pizza here is ok, we don't come here just for the pizza. We love the atmosphere and the service, which is their secret sauce (pun intended). Pizza is your typical pizza and is equal to or slightly better than some of the area pizza places. but who doesn't love entering pulling open the huge, heavy door and being immersed into the lovely log cabin/lodge environment. In addition, the staff is above and beyond. Usually people compare themselves to Disney when discussing a superior customer service. However, I think Disney can learn a thing or two from Nicks!
(4)Kelly H.
Great family owned pizza joint that has great decor, nuts on the floor, and good food too! Great for families!
(5)Dawn M.
This place is amazing! The food, the atmosphere and the employees! We lived in the area years ago and discovered this place and have since moved about 25 miles away, but still come back at least once a month as there is no place in the Northwest Burbs that compares! Nick needs to open one in the Palatine area because it would do amazing out here!! It is truly the best pizza I've had (and I'm an East-coast girl and believe me, I've had some of the best pizza around!!) and the atmosphere is just phenomenal. I've never had a bad meal or bad experience at this place. There is often a wait, but it's worth it and goes quickly. This place works like a well oiled machine and it's no frills approach to serving fresh, delicious food is top notch!!
(5)Andrew M.
This is a great place if you have kids - or a party for kids. The service is great and the decor is really neat as well. However anyone who says this is the best pizza around really must not get out much. As another poster mentioned the ingredients taste like they just were unfrozen - nothing fresh. The cheese is floured down and there is not much of it. It seems that the object is to kick out fast pizzas (which is in fact the policy) over QUALITY pizza. And this thin crust I keep hearning about... Try Fox Hole in McHenry for the best thin crust around! GREAT FOR KIDS WASTE OF TIME FOR ADULTS LOOKING FOR A GOOD PIE
(2)Don R.
This is not my first review on Nick's but this needs to be said and said quickly. Nick's is by far the best pizza I have ever had in my life and this place is in danger of closing. This week owner, Nick Sarillo sent out and email explaining his dire situation. The bad economy, overbuilding and over spending has devastated his business. The banks appear to have given him weeks to come up with some cash and the only way he can do that is to generate business quickly. If you have been here you know the quality of this pizza. If you have not, you must find out NOW. Nick's thin curst, topped with a wonderful sauce and just the right amount of cheese is the base on this pie. I have had pizza throughtout Chicago. I have travelled to NY and hit all the famous spots. I have been to Naples and Rome and sampled their high quailty products. NOWHERE has topped Nick's in my book. So come on Yelp Nation, get your mate, your kids, your mother and father, your extended family, your friends and even some people you don't like and get to Nicks soon. It is worth the drive where ever you live. We cannot lose this gem. Two locations Elgin & Crystal Lake
(5)Kelly M.
Love this place! Great service, great pizza, great atmosphere. Always come here on Fridays with my husband and always had a wonderful time. Make sure to check in on four square and you can get a free appetizer (breaded mushrooms are the best). Definitely my fav. pizza place in the area. Tuesday is buy one pizza get one free. Definitely a steal! :)
(5)Fernando M.
This is a great pizza pub. Their pizza is on my best list on the suburbs.
(4)Jason G.
This place is a staple for my family when are getting together with all the kids. The interior is huuuge and has tons of stuffed animals all over to make you feel like you are in some mountain trapper's basement. The owners must be the same as JJ Twiggs in LZ, cause they both have the same decor and give you peanuts to munch on throw the shells at each other or on the floor. The pizza is good, not great. We always order pizza, so I can't say much about the other items. Great for large groups that all want to order pizza, but if that isn't the case then you have better options around town.
(3)Tracy K.
we absolutely love the thin crust pizza here. Its the only place around that we can get a thin & perfectly crispy crust. LOVE IT!!!
(5)Dodd V.
I have mixed opinions about this place. The Pizza if you like thin crust is fantastic. One of the best thin crust pizza's I have ever had and I would most certainly go back to have it again. The rest of the food from my experience is pretty average. Clam chowder tastes like it came out of a can (which it probably did), beef sandwich has no taste and the burgers are just ok. It is a fun atmosphere, particularly for kids and they have lots of different dining areas and rooms for special events and such. Go for the pizza, skip the rest of the menu.
(3)Chris U.
This is hands down the coolest pizza place I've ever been to - and the pizza is great! I'm a stuffed/Chicago style pizza fan myself, but the family likes thin crust pizza and this place knows how to do thin crust - delicious! Not a place to bring someone w a nut allergy though - peanut shells litter the floor - literally!!! It's fun though if you don't have an allergy!
(5)