The first permanent structure on the spot Hickory occupies today was a wooden tavern built at the end of the 18th century. As with many such places during that time, the tavern attracted a few other pioneers and gradually a community grew around it. By the early 1900s, a rail line had been laid nearby connecting Hickory to Morganton in the west, Charlottesville in the south, and Statesville in the east which proved to be a vital form of goods transportation for the factories that were later opened in the town. The textile and furniture manufacturing plants in Hickory employed a large number of people and even during WW2, they were kept busy by producing goods for the army. The stable employment attracted migrants of many nationalities including Italians and it was the descendants of those relocated families that opened the first pizzerias in Hickory.

Hickory in North Carolina is known for old world pizza

Thick crust is one of the long-standing traditional Italian bakes that's been around for centuries. The first Italian migrants to arrive in the US brought their family recipes with them, hence the name ‘old world’. A basic thick crust pizza consists of nothing more than flattened out bread dough, tomato sauce, and cheese. But while Hickory may be known for old-world thick crust pizza, it's not the only type of pizza the pizzerias in Hickory bake. Old world-style thick crust is the most common though and it's frequently baked in the traditional way too which is in a wood-fired oven. If thick crust isn't your favorite, don't worry, as there are plenty of the Hickory pizzerias offering thin crust, New York-style, and even tortilla bread pizzas for those on low-carb diets.

Best delivery pizza in Hickory, North Carolina

If you're having trouble deciding how and from where to get the best delivery pizza in Hickory, here's a nudge in the right direction. You'll get the best delivery pizza in Hickory if you order from Tony's Pizza on Catawba Valley Boulevard Southeast. At Tony's they go all out to bake and deliver a quality pizza from their premises in the Hickory Ridge shopping complex. It's a relatively smart pizza joint with a kitchen that's been built to do the job in hand no matter what size of pizza you want and believe it, at Tony's they can bake big pies. They don't go in for inventing fussy combinations, but prefer to leave the choice of topping ingredients up to you, though that said, their Five Boroughs is definitely worth a try.

Best takeout pizza in Hickory, North Carolina

If you've been enjoying a spell of outdoor recreation in the Glen Hilton Memorial Park and have worked up an appetite, a take-out pizza or a burger may well be the first thing that crosses your mind. Forget the burger as you're just a couple of minutes away from where you can pick up the best take-out pizza in Hickory. Head down North Center Street A and you'll encounter Wood – Pizza, Pasta and Sandwiches which is where you need to be. You'll pat yourself on the back when you walk through the doors of this classy pizza joint and say amen that you didn't go for that patty of ground beef after all. Wood's premises have been decorated with thought and care, and while being pretty contemporary, are still comfortable. At Wood they put the same care and thought into preparing their gourmet wood-fired pizzas so you're in for a take-out treat.

Best Pizza near Hickory, North Carolina

Statesville

Statesville is a thirty-mile drive east from Hickory and the ideal place to head for when you want a family day out. It might be history, but even the kids will enjoy exploring the Fort Dobbs State Historic Site with its replica 18th-century fort. They'll love the Zootastic Park too and all the exotic animals it houses. To get in some exercise try the Lake Norman State Park where there's a swim beach and some super shoreline hiking trails. Before you start to make the trip back to Hickory, drop by Marco's Pizza on East Front Street for a big slice of pie.

Morganton

When you want to get away from the city vibe of Hickory to somewhere more peaceful with great outdoor recreation amenities, you could do worse than drive the twenty-odd miles west to Morganton. One of the quietest spots for a hike is the protected terrains of the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina. Pick up a map first as there are quite a few different trails and the map will show you the access points to each. If you want to include a little history in your visit to Morganton then the History Museum of Burke County makes for an interesting stop-off point before going for a pizza at Buck's Pizza on East Union Street.

Gastonia

Gastonia is around a forty-minute drive south from Hickory and a North Carolina city with a surplus of things to do. Of interest for both adults and kids is the Schiele Museum of Natural Science where there's a planetarium as well as dinosaur skeletons and lots of old fossils. For a great leg stretch,hit the paved Highland Rail Trail which is a one and a half mile long out-and-back walk from Downtown Gastonia to the Sims Legion Park. By the time you've done the three miles you'll be ready for a sit-down and a pizza at Marco's Pizza on West Garrison Boulevard.