Nicola Pizza
Nicola Pizza opened in Rehoboth Beach in 1971 and is a mainstay of the beach community, with almost no local or tourist in the past 50 years not sampling a slice of walk-up pizza or a Nic-O-Boli during any visit. That is, until 2023, when Nicola Pizza abandoned its two Rehoboth Beach locations for a Rt. 1 larger spot with dedicated parking, a few miles north in Lewes. Seriously, Rehoboth Beach without Nicola Pizza? What’s next, Dolle’s and Carlton’s moving too? (Hmm, we detect a trend) It may have something to do with the Hilton Home 2 Suites Hotel that the same Nicola family owns next to the new Nicola Pizza, but no matter, 17,000 sf of new space accommodates all patrons who followed to Lewes, and that is, most. It is hard to criticize a 50+ year pizza institution, but Nicola’s pies are too fluffy and doughy for our New York-centric taste, but, perhaps, it’s the water, as pizza aficionados always tend to blame or acclaim. The famous Nic-O-Boli, essentially, finely chopped ground beef cooked into a stromboli-type dough with dipping sauce, is worth the trip alone, which dish is great sharing for a sports-themed bar-restaurant that is welcoming to families and large groups. Nicola is a beach institution, and offers among the best pizza in town, which is a low-grade compliment because Delmarva has yet to figure out good pizza, though many try (again, it must be the water). While the new location precludes walk-in patrons and omits the charm and tradition of the Rehoboth Beach original, still, Nicola is worth the schlep to Lewes at least for the Nico-O-Boli, and perhaps to catch an O’s game and a pitcher of beer or a pitcher of not-good-for-flour-yeast-cooking, water.