We stumbled upon this place while visiting downtown Lenoir. It was around dinner time so we decided to go in and try it. I must say this is the best hidden gem restaurant I have ever come across. The staff were also very nice and friendly and were willing to help you with the menu selections. The restaurant is large with plenty of seating even to accommodate groups. The dining room is filled with old nostalgic Coca-Cola, Pepsi, antique gas pumps, and local state memorabilia. They even have a wood fired pizza oven in the corner of the dining room. While there on this quiet Saturday evening we tried the homemade baked lasagna and Chicago deep dish style pizza. The lasagna was 100% homemade including the homemade in-house sauce was very fresh, one of the best lasagnas I've ever had. The entree also came with a side of garlic bread and a small house salad. The Chicago pizza was cheese and we added, with mention from the owner, fresh mozzarella slices and fresh basil. This was a game changer and it totally changed the dynamic of the pizza. This may be the best deep dish Chicago style pizza outside of Chicago. This also came with fresh house made sauce and fresh sliced mozzarella cheese. We will definitely be returning on a regular basis. This is my new favorite Italian/pizza restaurant. read more

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Online menu is very hard to read. Great reviews. I'll try it, never had Chicago Style Pizza. I ask abt their Piccolo's Special.. Is it deep dish? "We can make it deep dish." He neglected to tell me that the 10 inch ​pizza then would cost $27.70 read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - BAD BUSINESS. The cashier greeted me with "oh, you like the expensive pizzas..." I mentioned the unreadable menu on the website. 10"=27.70 - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

Octavio, the owner, knows his pizza. It's authentic. Get the stuffed pizza. We get a maragherita style with Italian sausage - my mouth is watering thinking abt it! Be patient. Take in all of the antique decor - lots of Coca Cola memorabilia among other items! The deep dish is so good and worth the wait! Prepare for leftovers - Heat up leftovers in an iron skillet with a lid - even better than fresh? Maybe! Just go! read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - Stretchy deliciousness - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

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Deep dish pizza in Lenoir? I was intrigued. As I looked at their website I saw they have 2 locations in Chicago, originally opened in 1977, and one in Lenoir since 2001. Stepping into this Downtown Lenoir restaurant is like stepping back in time. Not only an old school pizza counter and booths but a collection of old gas pumps, fire trucks, kids drawings, and Chicago memorabilia. Deep dish pizza takes a while to make and it was well worth the wait. The crust was airy with a light crunch. The cheese/sauce/crust ratio was great and favorable. Like most deep dish pizzas this was way too much food to finish in one seating so I was thrilled to have a few slices to enjoy the next day. The thin crust pizza looked great and they offer a variety of combinations of toppings. That pie looks more like a traditional Chicago thin and I look forward to trying it next time I'm in Lenoir. read more

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Chicago Pizza in North Carolina? You bet! Real Chicago pizza directly from the Chicago pizza chef that has been doing it for 44 years! I grew up in Chicago and had move away in 1986, never to have that great Chicago pizza in any of my stops since. I found out about Piccolos in Lenoir, NC on Facebook. I made plans to travel the two hours there to finally get great pizza! Piccolos did not disappoint! My mouth was in heaven once again after so many years! go get you some! read more

Food is awesome service is too. Manager is a super nice and friendly guy. Pizzas are made to order and they have the best fountain drinks. read more

Top rate Chicago style pizza. The thin crust was great! Italian sausage crumbles topping was amazing. Deep dish was excellent too. Ingredients were top notch. The owner is a real gem. read more

Solid 3.5 stars. The staff make all the difference. Super friendly and welcoming people. We walked in after a day of hiking, never been there before. Someone noticed the look in our eye, and asked if we had ever been there before. When we said no, they explained everything we need to know about how the restaurant works and what to do. Basically it's counter service to order and then someone brings the meal to your table when it's ready. We shared a salad, bread, and a pizza. It was tasty. I've had better and I've also had much worse. The restaurant is full of knickknacks from Chicago, which make it fun and interesting, but it also makes it a dust trap, so that was a little unnerving, but overall the experience was great. The service made it exceptional and if I'm ever in that area again, I will definitely be a patron of this restaurant. read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - Menu - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

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Their pizzas are great, we love they are brick oven baked. The staff is friendly. There are lots of antiques that are in the restaurant

I was in town for 1 night and found this restaurant. Great pizza, the staff was awesome made me feel welcomed to there restaurant. Food was really good, huge servings at a reasonable price. If I come back into town I will definitely return. I highly recommend this place if you like pizza. read more

Food is pretty great would definitely recommend order a pasta it is most definitely recommended store is a vibe owner is awesome too great time and great food !!! read more

Best Chicago deep dish ever. Yes you have to wait a bit but it's 100% worth it. Had deep dish in Chicago and it's been a while but this place has the best in recent memory and it's not just "OK" for the area, it's top notch anywhere. Just reheated some for lunch and it's amazing. I drive almost an hour to get it and will continue to. read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - Deep dish pizza with sausage, mushrooms, olives, spinach, tomatoes and peppers - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

I am from Chicago having moved here in August. I was craving Deep Dish and this 100% took my craving away! So good! read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - Small Sausage Deep Dish - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

Great find in Lenoir. Authentic Chicago pizza served by Italian owners. This location has been open for two decades. The Deep Dish is just want we wanted and did not disappoint! House made crust and sauce are just right! We highly recommend Piccolo's. Be aware that the cost of toppings can add up quickly read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

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The best pizza and pasta! We make sure to plan trip to Lenoir around Piccolos business hours!

From the moment me and my wife walked in the owner was so excited and happy to see us even though he has never met us. He was very kind and welcoming to newcomers. We ordered our food and then went to sit down. He even walked us to the stone oven to make our own pizza since it was our first time. The stone oven pizza was done in no time. We got a deep dish, stone over pizza, and cheese bread. Everything was so good! We will definitely be back!! read more

For all of those looking for real Chicago style pizza, today we found a hidden gem in Lenoir NC. The pizza was amazing, the restaurant full of interesting antiques and the owner an absolute delight! We had a great time and by far the best Chicago style pizza I've ever had. Can't wait to go back to Piccolo's Pizza!!! read more

Excellent pies. Super nice family run business. Piccolo's offers a Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza. Fresh, tasty, great experience.

Super friendly owner, authentic Italian gentleman who owned this NC location as well as his restaurant in Chicago for 24 years. Lots of Chicago and antique items all over the place. Pizza was terrific. You can special order Chicago Italian Beef also for home preparation. read more

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Service was great and the food was amazing! We got a Chicago style pizza and it was crazy good. You have to try it.

Over priced and stingy on amount since Covid. Haven't been there now 2 years and will stay that way. They over charged me/ double charged actually. Argued about it with owner, corrected him menu versus receipt. He knew I was right and just hung up on me. Food is from a pre made freezer bag. Sad how something so good went so downhill in just a few yrs. Hope they get their act together and fix their issues or they'll be next on closing in Lenoir read more

the food was wonderfu, the staff was friendly and especially the owner. He was very outgoing and engaging with me and my family, my kind of guy. i got the impression that it would be a great place when I stepped inside because it didn't LOOK like a traditional, cut and paste Italian restaurant. it looked like you stepped into an antique shop that serves pizza which was pretty cool to see. Then you had the food. I tried their mergherita pizza and I had baked ravioli alfredo, they were both wonderfu. I couldn't let the sauce go to waste, so I used it for dipping my garlic bread after the ravioli was gone. Overall, 10/10! I cannot recommend this place enough. read more

The owner is amazing as is the food. I truly enjoy supporting this small business. I highly recommend their pasta dishes.

Driving thru western North Carolina and come across Lenoir - and you're hungry, stop at Piccolo's to get a handmade pizza on a thin crust. I love the Margherita style with roasted garlic and olive oil. The basil popped with flavor with each bite. The dough and sauce are made in store each day to ensure the freshest taste and integrity of the process. Octavia is incredibly friendly and personal with his customers as he walks around the dining hall talking with them, asking how the food and service is, and simply just to get to know them. I absolutely love the oldies theme with the antiques. Dining has booths and tables with plenty of room to relax and enjoy. read more

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Amazing reminded me of home excellent service I had the Chicago style pizza , def will visit again.

Piccolo's is an eclectic pizza place in downtown Lenoir. I learned about it from a Facebook group I'm in for Foodies who recommended it for the Chicago Style Pizza. The interior is unique. They have lots of paraphernalia from the Chicago Bulls hanging around and for Chicago in general. I also spotted some Duke Blue Devils memorabilia. A fun place to look around while waiting for your food. You order and pay at the front, then sit down with your number at a table of your choice. You also get your own drinks. They bring your food to you when it is ready. The wait staff was kind and efficient. The pizza was good, not great. My deep dish Chicago style would have been awesome, but I didn't enjoy the sauce on top. It tasted like tomato paste with very little flavor, and I felt it got too brown and tasted too tangy. The thin crust pizza was better, the sauce hadn't gotten too brown perhaps? The pizza was good...but we drove 45 minutes to get it. I don't know if it is worth that. If you live in Lenoir or close by, give it a go. read more

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The place is really dirty. I don't see any worker sanitation. The pizza's are not fire cooked, at least I've never seen one prepared that way. And the food is ify at best. read more

I lived in Chicago in the late '70s as a college student, ate many a fine slice of deep dish there, and recently moved to Lenoir. The mayor recommended Piccolo's as a great place to eat, so my husband and I gave it a try on a Sunday night. We walked over from our house near downtown. We ordered at the counter and enjoyed drinking in the atmosphere from a comfy booth as we waited for our pizza to arrive. Piccolo's has a wood-fired oven in the dining room, along with lots of memorabilia anyone who has lived in Chicago will recognize (a CTA bus stop sign for the 62 Archer route, an Archer Avenue street sign, Chicago Police leather jacket, etc.). Our lovely deep dish, the star of the evening, arrived at our both and we dug in: high, crispy-yet-chewy crust from their freshly made dough that was just the right amount of thickness, a generous layer of savory mozzarella, a thick, zesty homemade tomato sauce. Wow! This pizza really took me back. The owner was sitting by the door and visited with us on our way out. He had a philosophical approach to the art of the deep dish: "Some people love it, some people hate it." Fools, the lot of them. We'll be back, Piccolo's! read more

If you're looking for real Chicago pizza, this is the place. The owner has had this location for over 20 years with 2 other locations in Chicago. He's been making pizza for 40 years and it shows in the quality and taste of the pizza. I've been looking for real deep dish pizza around here for a while and it was well worth our 55 minute drive. The restaurant is very nostalgic with tons of old coca-cola collectibles, gas pumps, pedal cars, etc. We will definitely be back! read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - Deep dish Hawaiian pizza - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

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As good if not better than Lou Malnati's. If you don't know Lous then you don't know great pizza. Piccolos deep dish and thin is as good as any pizza I have had in Chicago the last 20 years. The owner Octavio is charming and has 2 locations still on the south side of Chi so that explains why the sauce and ingredients are so good. I live in CLT now but will be driving back frequently for this amazing pizza and place. read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - Deep dish margherita with sausage and roasted garlic. Amazing. - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

This is based off the Regular Deep Dish Pizza. It really knocked my socks off!!! I was NEVER a fan of deep dish until now.... It was cooked to perfection, the sauces was so flavorful and fresh, the crust was so buttery and crispy/crunchy, and the cheese was sooo melted gooey and delicious!!!! Only thing I'm mad about is, that I live 2 hours from here, I will be back one day... read more

good food., They do it old style with a brick oven. Decent sized portions. Friendly staff, very attentive,

Great little italian joint! People were fantastic and friendly, food was pretty damn good. Ive had Lous before and this was right up there. The thin crust was very good as well. The restaurant tiself is filled with antiquities and Chicago paraphernalia and keeps you busy while you wait for your delicious meal. They deliver so Ill be eating more of their pretty large menu in the future. Our waitress told us how much she enjoys working there. They treat her like family and she loves her job. Looks like everyone there loves their jobs, and it shows. The only down side id say is the cost of extra toppings. Sliced meatball and a few others were 6$ extra charge. The sausage and olive were 2$ each extra. So a 10$ pizza can end up costing 18 and up depending on what/how many toppings you choose. The Calzone was average sized, but it looked pretty stuffed, and my friend said it was delicious. read more

The owner is a treat, always effervescent and friendly. Pizzas are good if on the pricier side

We had Chicago style pizza! It was delicious . Let the owner . He was a supper nice guy!!! Unique place to eat. Lots of antiques in restaurant. I would visit this establishment again. read more

Piccolo's Italian Restaurant - Chicago style pizza! - Italian Near Me - Lenoir, North Carolina

out getting essential relief and soaking up some sun in the hill country with MLB and suddenly evening and hunger were upon us. heard a blurb about a pizza joint in Lenoir serving up Chicago's not-so-secret secret pizza so here we are! called from the parkway near blowing rock and our food was about ready when we got to town so we had a look around the deconstructed dining room (plague y' know) and made plans to get back with the return to normalcy. no dining inside so we went to the square and sat on a low sun-warmed flat-top brick wall to enjoy dinner: bonus 2-litre Coke with a big pizza to go! warm soft cheesey garlicky breads dipped in marinara w/ parmesan crumbs signaled good times ahead... pepperoni, sausage, and onion on a thin crispy crust that defies folding so it's square-cut like all good pizza should be :-) toppings are of good quality, flavorful, and abundant: smooth red sauce under lightly browned cheese holding bright oniony onions and pepperoni that is starting to curl without sweating grease, the sausage is not so spicy as I had hoped but if that's my only complaint then I have no complaints... cheesecake is lighter and creamier (read: better) than the usual east coast fare so that's a yea! this whole meal would be welcome in any neighborhood tavern in Pizza Town USA. read more

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We are from Las Vegas and went to Piccolos for dinner. I had the baked spaghetti and my son had a buffalo chicken pizza. They were both excellent. The staff is amazing and the owner is so friendly and funny!! we had a wonderful experience!! read more

I have always loved getting pizza here. I even order it when I'm at work but today I was basically scammed. Got a 13 dollar delivery charge for 4 miles down the road or 10 mins driving. Watch out for the charges... read more

Website states that Piccolo's delivers anywhere in the county. This is false. I called the other day just to verify that they would deliver to my address, which is in Caldwell County, and was told yes, they would. Today I called to actually order a delivery and was told that I'm way outside the delivery area. So, Piccolo's, get your story straight, stop making false claims on your website, and try to ensure that all your staff will answer the question the same way. Sheesh. Amateurs. read more

Great baked spaghetti! Yummy garlic toast. I love their pizzas too! They deliver to Gamewell.