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75th Ave (E, F)
71-Continental Aves (E, F, V, G, R)
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I love this pizza! It's great "fresh brick oven" style pizza. We usually get the half white half red pie with various toppings and it always comes out great.
My one knock on the place is something all thin crust pizza lovers have to deal with. The pizza gets cold. FAST. If I'm picking up an order and taking it home instead of dining in, well, it's usually too long of a journey and the pizza is cold.
All the ingredients taste pretty fresh and the staff is always helpful. Little anecdote: a friend once ordered hot water and it spilled on the waiter as he was bringing it but he was still in good spirits despite being burned! This place is recommended for all pizza lovers. Save yourself the trip to Brooklyns Grimaldis and just stay in town.
EXCELLENT!!! Best pizza I have ever had so far...of course I am still on the beginning of my journey of trying NY pizzas, I still have a long way to go. I tried their white pizza and it was out of this world.
Service: 10, manager came to check on us
Place: 10
It's a good pie. The mozzarella was thick and soft and subtle. Everything you want in a generous dollop of mozz. Unfortunately, I am the type of guy who, unless it means the coastline of the cheese and the crust, am usually looking at the red part of the slice thinking about what is missing. I'm not a tomato sauce guy, no, I'm the crust, I'm the cheese.
It's a nice place, a nice gourmet pizza, and I'm glad to have them around. Good char on the crust, but the dough itself didn't do it for me as much as other thin crusts may. Above that, the flavors of the sauce stand out and the basil tweaks it just so to make you sit back and appreciate life. Great drink selection, even the fountain cokes were syrupy to maximize it's accompanyment. Add in gourmet sodas and Fizzy Lizzy spritzers. I get down with that.
Lovely tables, great colors, but deceptively few seating options - although wait time does not seem to be a problem. The big windows in the front nearly seamlessly invite mood to transpose from Forest Hills' serene outdoors to Nick's cool dining room while still remaining a private eating experience.
Recommended highly are the calzones. Not by me, I didn't have it. But by the staff - In a manner of "If you think this is good..." Okay, I'm in. But it's going to be a while, I have a lot of eating to do.
Nick's pizza was okay, but definitely not amazing. Nothing like Grimaldi's and Lombardi's - at all. It was overcooked to the point that my jaw hurt in the middle of the second slice, and my friend ordered some kind of meat on her half of the pizza and she couldn't eat it because the meat was so rubbery. The service was sub par, even when we came in at 4 pm on a Thursday and there was no one in there. And they have no garlic powder. Strange.
We ended up spending a little over $40 for a ceasar salad, pizza and two sodas. Not worth it.
Basically ditto'ing everyone else's favorable comments. A bright, airy lit, clean dining space. Fast service, and very short wait time for a table. Fresh and high quality ingredients used, great pizza and salads. Menu is limited in variety, but the margherita is a must if you go. The tiramisu isn't so bad. Great place for dates or group outings. It's not average pizza, so the price isn't cheap, but worth it. They're cash only.
Average neighborhood pizzeria.
Really good pizza but a bit pricy.
Nick- you'll be tickled pink to know that I liked your pizza best after doing Jeff O's Queens pizza tour. I'm not going to even mention the other places because you know what? They've already disappeared from my memory. All I know is that you make a good margherita. Not a New York style slice, noooooo. More refined. Fresh mozzarella that hugs the air as you take a bite, refusing to give up its struggle for survival outside the mouth. And the cost for a large pie was more than reasonable split eight ways. You rock!
Best pizza to be found in forest hills!
Fresh mozzerella, the sauce is amazing! Make sure to get the bottled cream soda cuz that's just off the hook!!!!! Nothing beeter than a large white pie with sausage mushrooms basil and onion and a few ice cold cream sodas!
I was in couch potatoe heaven!!!! : )
Holla! If you're in the area and you're craving some delicious pizza, this is the place to go. Order a traditional pie with fresh basil and mozzarella and you won't be sorry. The staff is on point, they have a decent selection of bottled beer, and it's moderately priced. Beware, though, those refills on the soda will add up!
Pizza: Excellent. Fresh ingredients, fresh pizza, doughy-thin crust with charred undersides. Totally my thing. Slight con: I don't know if it's because it was rainy and windy today and we were seated at a booth closest to the door, but the pizza pie did get cold somewhat quickly, but I won't hold it against Nick's. Not their fault the weather wasn't the greatest.
Service: hit or miss. The waiter my friend and I had was really sweet and refilled our waters like no tomorrow. Subtle form of flirting? Possibly, but who's complaining? The manager, however, was kind of PMS-ing. 10 for the Waiter, 2 for the Manager.
Setting, Decor, Ambience: Very open, well-lit, spacious. Great for a date, catch-up with friends (like I did) and family, or just hanging out. I saw high school folks pig out, along with a couple, and three grandmothers. It feels old-school in a classic way, not in a tacky way, with its calm green paint and black-and-white photographs. You could sense the history of not just Nick's Pizza, but of Forest Hills, which was great.
I love Nick's Pizza. I have been to Grimaldi's in Brooklyn (waiting in line) and I think that Nick's is just as good. I also love the house salad they have along with their tiramisu. All in all, it is just as good as Grimaldi's but without the wait. Yes, it gets busy during dinner time, but again it is nothing compared to the camping one does in front of Grimaldi's.
Too bad it is all the way out in Forrest Hills, but then again, if it was in Manhattan, I'm sure the lines would be just as long.
The pizza itself is worth 3.5 stars. Knocked down to three for attitudinal service, high prices and no credit cards.
What is the pizza? This is a pie-only, brick oven thin-crust pizza establishment. It seems to be trying to compete with Grimaldi's or Lombardi's, but it's just not in that league; it's really more in line with Patsy's.
Crust: charred, thin and crisp (the crispness only lasts about three inches in from the outer crust, however -- you can't hold a slice without it drooping unless you fold it). Good, but not great. This crust lacks the "snap" that some of the better places have, as it's not very chewy. Also, although it's got a nice mild taste of char, the crust lacks any other subtleties in the way of flavor. This is likely attributable to the fact that the oven isn't wood-fired or coal-fired but... gas heated. Gas heat is fine, I guess, but has anybody with fully-functioning taste buds ever preferred food prepared on direct heat cooked by gas to wood or coal? Of course not. And now you know that pizza is no exception.
Sauce: This is the best part. The sauce is excellent, and they don't skimp on it.
Cheese: All they use is fresh mozzarella. I was a little disappointed in it -- there's enough of it, but it's kind of a blandish mozzarella that doesn't have much flavor.
Pizza is topped with basil shreds, which helps, considering the lack of flavor in the cheese and nothing of any complexity happening with the crust.
Toppings: This is a pizza that, like Patsy's, tastes better with a few toppings. While this may destroy its credibility as an honest-to-goodness NYC pizza joint, it does help out the pizza.
I've generally been pretty happy with the pizza that I've had here, but it is what it is -- which is a perfectly good brick-oven style pizza that nevertheless is not superlative.
The negatives are the service. Came here recently and asked for lemon wedges with our water. The server said that he could not do it, stating that lemon wedges could only be provided if we purchased bottled water. Outraged at the incredible cheapness of this policy, I offered to pay an extra $1 for two lemon wedges, but the server refused, stating that bottled water would cost more than $1, and we would need to pay for that in order to get the lemons. Needless to say, this unconscionable douchebag did not receive a 15% tip (I'd have given less than the 9% I did leave him, but that was the only cash denomination that I had on me without having to wait for change), and they'll likely never get my business again. It can be safely assumed that they're already cheating the government by underreporting their revenue (like pretty much all cash-only businesses); you'd think that they could at least provide a couple pieces of lemon on the house, like every other restaurant that ever existed.
Pretentious waiting staff, good but over-priced pizza, few choices beyond pizza, no slices (only full pies), cash only -- overall better than average, but overhyped.
What is it with the wait staff? I've been going there on and off for years, and each time I have the same experience. Are they overworked, underpaid? Do they get frustrated that patrons ruminate over toppings (way too expensive: $2.50 each)? Or is it that when done, customers usually feel unsatisfied given the hype and prices, then express their dissatisfaction in the form of smaller tips. Maybe its a combination of all three.
Also, I've been trying to figure it out for years, but the atmosphere is missing something. It has nostalgic pictures on the wall of Queens in the early 20th century, but otherwise the space is stark. And with one full floor to ceiling wall of glass on the storefront, you begin to feel like you are in someone's aquarium -- the kind that has a few fish, and one little plastic plant, and that's it.
Sorry to appear to be venting, but why I don't learn my lesson and go down the road to Dee's Brick Oven Pizza on Metropolitan Avenue, I don't know.
Again, better than average pizza, but the high prices are incongruent.
You know pizza appreciation crosses all cultures, when one of the most successful practitioners of the art in New York City itself, is Greek. Nick Angelis, owner of Nick's pizza and also involved in two highly successful pizza ventures: Angelo's (Midtown) and Adrienne's (Financial District) is a Greek American and has a respectable and growing pizza empire. I've eaten in all his pizza restaurants, and liked them all. But Nick's was the one I've visited last, given its Forest Hills location and my, until now, limited foodie travels outside the island of Manhattan.
The sit down restaurant itself doesn't draw any attention to itself. Absent are the long lines and waits that are common in other famed pizzerias of the city. Even at 7:30 pm on a Friday evening, it takes 15 minutes or less to get a seat! However, what IS noticeable is the fact that this is perhaps the cleanest, brightly lit, open, and airy pizza restaurant in the city with extremely comfortable dining booths. All others, fail on at least one of the criteria listed above.
Nick has shunned the popular coal and wood fired brick ovens, and instead uses a gas oven to heat up thin crust pies with excellent quality fresh mozzarella, ample tomato sauce and torn basil. Nick's certainly serves the best and most consistent pizzas in Queens, none of the greasy and much too cheesy options found in popular neighborhood pizzerias. I love their quite tangy tomato sauce and its balance with the cheese.
But, the highlight of the pizza here is the crust. The gas oven reaches a temperature that is much higher than that achieved by others and allows for the crust to be evenly charred. The crust is somewhere between the thin Grimaldi pizza and a 'slightly' thicker Lombardi pizza. What's absolutely amazing is that it is crisp and yet quite pliant. Nick's pizza is one of the most consistent options in the city, but you have to pay close attention to the crust to appreciate its many virtues.
Interestingly, I was not blown away the first time I came here. I realized soon my mistake: I had made the error of asking for Mushrooms as a topping. This pizza is meant to be enjoyed the way purists eat: Margherita is the best possible choice. By avoiding any toppings, one is able to appreciate the tomato sauce for its tanginess, not to mention that toppings diminish the virtues of the crust by adding sogginess.
Even though I've heard good things about the cannoli, I've only tried the Tiramisu at Nick's. It is an excellent way to end the meal, along with what has to be one of the better coffee options in the neighborhood. (Yup, I'm thumbing my nose at you Starbucks!)
One can burn off the calories by enjoying the architecture of the (LIRR) Station Square in Forest Hills. The Tudor architecture is completely incongruous, an unexpected but delighting experience given the fact that it is only a few hundreds yards away from Queens Boulevard, and similarly from the hustle bustle of the neighborhood shops. This is one of the most beautiful spots of the city, and well worth the visit on its own.
Yeah right, as if any of you Manhattanites will make that trip....
I love this place!!! Take-out pie only takes 5 to 15 mins!
Well since living for the past few months in the mid-west, coming back to NY and eating real pizza is a treat beyond measure....but I wont take away from the review of this place.
This is the second time coming here for lunch and we were lucky to get a parking spot close by. We just got a large pie which is more than enough for two people and my bf wanted to try some hot peppers on half of it, but the other half was just plain since I am a bit of a pizza purist.
The crust is pretty thin and the pizza came out amazingly fast (we did beat the lunch crowd though). There was clumps of fresh mozarella dotting the pie and basil and enough sauce for it not to be dry but also not mushy. I do agree though that unless you are speed eating the pie will get cold relatively fast which detracts a bit from the eating experience and it is a bit on the pricier side, but this isnt a just a regular corner pizza spot pizza so I think it's worth the few extra bucks.
All in all I would recommend going here and trying the pizza out because its a great little local gem.
THIS IS NOT NEW YORK PIZZA !
it is however very good italian naples style pizza... thin crust... perfectly simple and delicious .
I love this place. Granted I've only been there twice so far but both times were great dining experiences. The place is clean, nice but casual. I didn't have to wait long either times for a table. Their pizza is amazing. The crust, the sauce, the toppings and the cheese are all perfectly combined to produce a pizza that keeps me dreaming about it days later. Not only is their pizza good, but they have the best SALADS I've ever tasted! You never really expect much from salads in pizza places but really, you have to try one of theirs. They heap their fresh veggies up high and drizzle it with a light vinaigrette dressing. You won't be disappointed. They don't sell slices, only pies. One pie, one salad and two beers for two people cost a little over $30. We left full and very happy. I definitely rate Nick's high above other places that supposedly have the "best pizza in NYC" but end up having long waits, cramped tables and mediocre pizza.
I've been coming here since I was little, so this place has a comforting affect. I've never had a better calzone! Everything is fresh; the mozz, sauce, pepperoni, sausage. The pepperoni is especially delicious in a calzone. It's even meatier and spicier than standard pepperonis. Of course, the pizza is out of this world. I like it better than Grimaldi's. They keep it simple. I haven't seen the menu change in the 1 1/2 decades I've been coming here. They found their niche and are sticking to what they do best. I hate when places have tooo much on the menu!! The amount they offer is just right. Fast and friendly service. An authentic gem of Queens.
There's only one word that describes Nick's Pizza: YUM! I use to live in Forest Hills in my past life and would come here all the time. It's Forest Hills's jewel! The pizzas are made fresh upon your order and the wait for your food to arrive is not too long. The salads are fresh which very shortly your pizzas will arrive before you finish your salads. The pizza are served on metal risers to give space for yourselves at your table. New York style thin crust pizza is how Nick's Pizza prepare it which the sauce is very flavorable. After your meal you can certainly enjoy a stroll on Austin Street for shops and it's charm.
The decor is extremely dated to a 1970's kitchen with sea green ceramic tiles.
I rate it four stars rather than five because this restaurant is CASH only. They do NOT accept any form of credit or debit cards. They open late for patrons who work the closing shift. Parking is on the street which is a nightmare to find any space available.
This is THEE best pizza! Just the thought makes me salivate. The salads are also to die for. The cannolis and cappuccino are a must. Basically just have everything! It's DE-LISH.
Delicious pizzas!!!
We ordered the large, half white half red pizza. It's 2 slices too much for two people but this is a great option if you want to try a little of everything.
The crust is very thin and very crispy but it also somehow still manages to have a touch of chewiness that totally satisfies the carb fiend in me.
The white pizza is surprisingly light considering all the cheese it comes with. I think it's the ricotta they use. It's very delicious.
For the red pizza, my only complaint is that I think the sauce is a little bit on the salty side. But otherwise, it is my favorite of the two. I had sausage, prosciutto and mushroom. A great combination!
Would definitely definitely come back again. It gets pretty crowded but it's worth the wait!
Service is not friendly but the pizza is good if you like the very thin crusted kind.
Menu selection is basically just appetizers and pizza, wine, beer and soda. So it won't cater to anyone who doesn't like pizza.
Cash only!
This is one of my favorite pizza joints in New York. Thin crust, super-fresh ingredients, perfect char, sauce that is neither too acidic nor too sweet, fresh herbs, fresh mozzarella, spicy pepperoni. There are tons of opportunities for almost pornographic pizza upskirt shots, if you like to blog about your pizza.
It's not inexpensive, and because it's so good, the restaurant is always packed. You will probably have to wait for a table, and even though the staff are always hustling, you'll need to be patient. But it's well worth the price and the wait. Depending on the table you get, it can be a nice place for a date. The decor is cute. Their desserts look amazing, but I've never had room for them.
Would pizza again.
Nick's Pizza is pretty delicious. I can go here and know I won't have to wait a long time to be seated, served, and on my way. It's not that they rush you, it's just that they're quick. The menu is simple, so you don't have to waste time trying to decide on what you want, and given that it's out in Forest Hills and not super-hyped like other places, I usually get a table as soon as I enter.
As for the pies themselves, they're great. The sauce is tangy and the cheese is perfectly melted. The thin crust does get burned sometimes and in certain areas of the pizza, but I still enjoy it. Try it with the meatballs - they're seasoned just right.
One con is that they don't take credit cards.
So I actually went to Nick's pizza because both on yelp and various other websites it was dubbed the "best pizza in Forest Hills." I, however, beg to differ. It was grossly overpriced and not worth it.
A small pizza will run you about $15. One thing that actually confused me was the fact that each topping costs $2.50 whether it is put on a small or large pizza. Does that make sense? Nope not at all.
To further add to my complaints--they only take cash! I'm a credit card type of gal who rarely carries cash, so this was a huge inconvenience to me. Especially when they don't sell by the slice and charge so much for a whole pie!
Get with the times and get a credit card machine!
another win for forest hills! this neighborhood has great food. and the pizza at nick's is most definitely included.
crust is so the determining factor with pizza. i can't stand charred black crust. call me crazy! call me crazy that i don't like eating black soot and calling it pizza!
however, the pizza bottom, cheese, and sauce was on point. now if only the crust were good. i'd come back, but only if you were payin'.
PIZZA TOUR 09 CONTINUES.....
I was really hungry and didn't know where to order from. Having eaten at Nick's in Manhattan, it was an easy choice...
But not so easy to get...they don't deliver!!! Nice to know they're doing well enough they don't have to...but my tummy was very sad.
the pie is amazing. first of all the sauce is just how i like it, not dry, chunky and full of flavor. it doesn't overwhelm the cheese, which is fresh mozzerella and very tasty. the crust is black in spots, which to me personally is as good as it gets, but it's still soft and not chewy or hard. i never get toppings on the pizza though, i think that's over doing it and the pizza is great enough alone. the decor is really cute too, and the waiters and staff are all very polite and attentative. it's a little pricy, but if you're looking to eat some gourmet-ish pizza in a great atomosphere this is the place. good calzones too :)
Certainly, taste is subjective, but I'll never understand why this pizzeria is so ridiculously overrated. It's not even the best food on the block, much less the neighborhood or the city.
The thin crust pizza tastes not unlike a supermarket frozen pizza to me, and the oily calzones will haunt your stomach for days.
I find their staff and their cash-only policy obnoxious.
A must-to-avoid.
We ordered half a white ricotta and mozzarella topped with mushrooms and other half red with onions. It was delicious, and we finished the entire pie. Wines are cheap - $5 a glass. The service is on point, and it is located about a 5-7 min walk away from the 71st Street stop off the E, F, V, G, and R train. The restaurant is homey and definitely a good place for Sunday dinner or something mid-week!
FYI: Does not take credit cards :(
When I'm in Queens and I'm craving a pizza, this is the place to go. It definitely can be hard to find parking in this area, but I'd say it's worth the wait. Nick's is clean, which is definitely a plus in my book.
The menu definitely has limited choices, but what more are you looking for when you're there for good pizza? Splitting a nice salad and small pie with K is all I need to satisfy my craving.
There are 3 criteria in measuring the worth of a restaurant.
1. Service - you can have decent food, but if the service is superb, it can definitely accelerate its rating. Nick's service was beyond discourteous, it's amazing how so many people still patronize this place. Simple questions, being a first time to Nick's were scowled upon by the wait-staff. We asked if they used frozen or fresh spinach on their pizza, only to be told in a condescending fashion that they used non-frozen spinach. When asked for a glass of ice water with lemon, to be told that Nick's doesn't serve lemon wedges with its tap water is just incomprehensible. Also, the waiters seem to be more concerned with chatting amongst themselves rather than making sure that the patrons have enough water or beverages. I really think that the Service should really be looked sternly into, as I think it is hold Nick's back.
2. Food - The pizza has pretty good flavor with a subtle salty crust and a good balance between sauce and cheese. We had the Spinach/SunDried Tomato which was tasty. I would recommend added a dash of EVOO and Basil prior to serving.
3. Location - Although Ascan Ave can be pretty parking friendly, it doesn't make sense to trek out to this location, when I know other locations where the car parking would be easier.
Nick's, remember customers come first! Answer your patrons questions with respect and attend to their needs to ensure your success! Reading your excerpt from NY Mag and speaking with other patrons, I had high expectations, but they fell very short.
Very good brick oven pizza in FH.
Good crust, sauce, and gourmet toppings.
It's a little pricey for Queens but it's up to Manhattan quality so be prepared to pay similar prices.
Why go all the way to Manhattan's Lombardi's or Bklyn Grimaldi's or Wait and eternity for a pie at Di Fara's when you can get delicious thin crust pizza here in Queens!!! Fresh!Fresh!Fresh! Ingredients used here. It ain't on the cheap side but it well worth the $ for quality pie.
Absolutely delicious pizza, albeit not your typical NY-style pie. The menu is rather limited, but that's not really an issue for me. The prices are reasonable and the service is good.
I have no imagination whatsoever and always get a plain cheese pizza, and it's always perfect. The cheese isn't manufactured muck, the sauce is delicious, and the crust is crispy and tastes like it's come out of a brick oven. Every once in awhile, when I'm feeling frisky, I'll add capers.
We had a small pie with fresh garlic and meatballs for supper on Sunday. After hearing so many good things about this place I had to try it. With all the anticipation and hype, Nick's did not disappoint.
The small pie is perfect for 2 people, and there were a large selection of wine & bottle beers to choose from that was under $5. Pizza is piping hot when it arrives at the table, the crust is thin and tasty.
Nick's Pizza is comparable to Lombardi's, Grimaldi's, and John St... I am glad I live so close to Nicks :-D Will be back again soon.
Ate my first Nick's pizza last night and it was one of the best I've ever eaten. Like others I'm a bit of a pizza snob and although in NY for 10 years still have memories of NY & Philly pies that in the main beat much of what I've eaten growing up in NJ. (Yeah, yeah... I know. Go back where ya' came from! (-; ) But last night's chef's choice pie was delicious. The cheese, homemade sausage and
oh my... Also one review talks about the chewy crust in the negative. I loved it! And the slightly charred taste that came through at times was absolutely wonderful. I plan on going back & trying some of the other dishes on the menu not to mention different pizzas. I did however think that there weren't enough wine-by-the-glass choices and they seemed a bit pricey. How about a couple of $5.00 house wines (or did I miss 'em?) for those of us who want a glass or two with our pie but don't need this or that cab or zin of the moment? I do sometimes want a $7.50 or $10.00 glass but not last night. Still I even phoned my friend Joel from my car to tell he and his wife that I'd just eaten one of the best pizzas I ever had.
Great pizza, some places you need to be able to award more than 5 stars. Brick oven, crust perfect. A bit pricy but it is NYC and it tastes great. No credit cards
My friend was back home from Nola for winter break, and we decided to go on a pizza adventure. Where's this Nick's pizza? Ascan Avenue? As in, Ass-can? All right. Why not?
We park, we sit down, we get half regular, half prosciutto. It's aight. A little watery on top for some reason. Not oily. Watery. I'm still not sure how that happened. The service is good. The place itself is cozy and nice. This is no Luzzo's, and it's quite a trip from my house. If it were closer, I would go back there from time to time. Other than that, tried it, checked it off on my list. Next!
Neighborhood: Forest Hills
Category: Pizza
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