It’s pretty hard to reinvent the pizza wheel, but the new Riko’s in Jupiter has managed to roll out something new.
Riko’s Thin Crust Pizza is a beloved, New England-based pizzeria renowned for its crispy, thin-crust pizza, oven-baked wings, salads, and especially their Hot Oil Pizza. They have opened a new location in Jupiter/Tequesta on US 1, open for lunch and dinner.
We love a good thin crust, solid enough to hold its own but with a good crunch. Doughy pizza is so old school, bland, and often overwhelms the toppings and flavors. Riko’s has nailed the thin crust with a perfect balance of texture and taste.
They have upped the pizza ante with a pizza drizzled with their spicy homemade hot oil soaked with stinger peppers for its Hot Oil Pizza. This is a whole new taste sensation that starts with the first bite and ends with the last. Just enough heat in this burnt orange-colored oil, it never tastes too hot or too oily and gives a rich, layered taste to the pizza as a whole.
They drizzle the fiery sensation in the center after baking with cheese, sauce, and whatever other toppings you choose to add, and the oil spreads out to the edges.
We piled on mushrooms and red peppers to create a veggie delight. You can also add different kinds of cheese and meats. You can also choose from 17 toppings including some we had never seen before on a pizza menu – like breaded eggplant and stinger peppers.
Rich and delish, we devoured a whole pie, as well as an order of Oven Baked Wings with Riko’s signature sweet, spicy, and zesty Wing Sauce. Oven baked brings the grease factor way down and the taste way up. Sides of carrot and celery sticks with blue cheese dressing make for a satisfying starter or meal.
Pizza flavors rack up with Hawaiian, White, Chicken, Clam (!) with bacon and basil, and Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza that keeps it real with Hot Chicken, onions, pickles, and Ranch dressing.
Another new menu item is the Hot Honey for Pizza and Wings, which is made by tossing hot oil with honey for a spicy sweet flavor. Wing flavors include BBQ, Teriyaki, Buffalo, and plain.
There is also a range of Salad Pizzas, where any number of fresh salads are plopped atop Riko’s baked pizza crusts. You can get a chopped salad with ham, chicken, garden salad, gorgonzola, mozzarella, Caesar, or buffalo chicken.
Desserts top it all off with NY Style Cheesecake, Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie, and the yummy Lemon Mascarpone Cake.
New franchise owners were immediately sold.
“Once we tried Riko’s unique style of thin-crust pizzas, we were hooked,” said Amanda Folsom, the local franchisee, who, along with partner Mike Christie, will own and operate Riko’s Jupiter restaurant. “We’re looking forward to bringing to Jupiter the one-of-a-kind flavors that have made the brand a household name across the northeast.”
Opening week in the buzzy corner mall location found a helpful, knowledgeable staff ready to answer questions and make suggestions. The décor is lots of stone and glass with banks of TV screens. There are high-top seats, tables, and a stylish L-shaped bar.
We enjoyed Margaritas and local beer, specialty cocktails such as a JZB Cherry Bomb, Cuba Libre, Knob Creek Mule, and a house-made Sangria with red wine and triple sec.
They have a rewards program that adds up to money off and other perks for members.
A convenient location, imaginative food, and a fun, lively atmosphere make Riko’s a new favorite destination in Jupiter, which is fast becoming a hot new restaurant hub.
Riko’s is at 560 US 1 North, Jupiter
Rikospizza.com
