'Such an honor for us': Fort Myers pizza place named one of best in Florida for its NY pies
When The Washington Post released a region-by-region compilation of the best pizzas in the country last week, a familiar name was on the list.
Uncle Rico’s Pizza in Fort Myers earned the honor of being third in the state in the New York pizza-style category.
“It’s such a huge honor,” said Enrico Aguila, aka Uncle Rico. “We didn’t even know at first. A customer tagged us. I went on the site and saw it was legit. It’s such an honor for us.”
Eddie & Sam’s NY Pizza in Tampa and Bella Amici Pizzeria & Restaurante in Boca Raton were first and second, respectively, in the category defined on the website as “thin in the center with a risen lip on the edge, dresses in sauce with cheese atop.” Pizza joints in Saint Johns County, Longwood and Jacksonville round out the category.
Grappino in Naples took third in Roman style — “rectangular slices with a thicker airy crust.”
The Washington Post came up with a formula to find the best regional pizza styles in each state after looking at 7.5 million Yelp crowd-sourced reviews. The results were spun, twirled and tossed into a handy-dandy, easy-to-use map on its website. Simply enter the state you want to search and the style of pizza you’re looking for and voila ― the top six are listed for each of the nine styles.
Those styles include Chicago, Detroit, Neapolitan-ish, New Haven, New York, Roman, Sicilian, St. Louis and Tavern. Go to washingtonpost.com for results.
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This isn’t the first time this year Uncle Rico’s has been acknowledged statewide. In March, it landed at No. 57 on Yelp’s list of top 100 Florida restaurants.
“We are such a small place, not fancy at all,” said Aguila, who opened Uncle Ric’s near the intersection of Hanson Street and Cleveland Avenue on March 22, 2022. “I always say it’s not what the box looks like. It’s what’s inside.”
Among his specialty pies, the Angry Uncle — a square pizza with mozzarella, Ezzo pepperoni and basil, drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey — is the most popular.
“When we first opened and I started putting honey on the pizza, a lot of people were angry,” said Aguila. “Then they tried it and jumped right on in.”
Aguila, whose wife Cira and kids help with the front of the restaurant, makes it a point to step out of the kitchen too.
“It’s important for me to interact with the customers,” he said. “Even if I’m busy and just acknowledge them with a wave. I want them to feel like they’re coming to my house to eat.”
Uncle Rico’s Pizza, 2960 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; (239) 362-0083; unclericospizza239.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Robyn George is a food and dining writer for The Fort Myers News-Press. Send news to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Uncle Rico's NY pizza named among best in Florida
