Delaware pizza giant falls in Munch Madness. 8 contestants left

An unexpected Delaware pizza shop crashed the Sweet 16 party in Munch Madness and melted a pizzeria powerhouse favored to win it all. 

As the great philosopher Terry “Cheeseburger Eddy” Crews once said, “It ain’t easy being cheesy.” 

True indeed, but that hasn’t stopped the Elite 8 contenders from climbing their way toward the top of the food pyramid for a seat on the coveted Iron‑Crusted Throne. 

Voting for Round 4 of Munch Madness (aka the Elite 8 round) begins March 28. 

Here's some deep-dish insight into this pizza bracket that's now at wood-fired temperatures and has only gotten hotter.   

'Miracle on Slice': Underdog took down pizza giant in Round 3

Dom's New York Style Pizzeria in Newport (pictured) will have a food fight against Nicola Pizza in Lewes in Round 4 (Elite 8) of the Delaware pizza Munch Madness contest, which voting starting from March 28 to April 2 at 5 p.m.

In Round 3, there was less Munch and more Madness, with all but three matchups decided by wins of 60% or more. The craziest food fight of Round 3 is when Dom's NY Style Pizzeria in Newport did the unthinkable and brought down the juggernaut Nick's Pizza Parlor & Bar in Round 3 (winning with 56% of the votes). 

Since the start of this tournament, Delaware Online/The News Journal predicted Nick's Pizza was a favorite to win it all, thanks to their pie-loving army of loyal soldiers, and the amount of hype the shop has generated over the last year. For the first two rounds, Nick's didn't struggle at all with opponents, winning over at least 70% of the votes in each matchup.

It looked like the biggest threat to this Goliath was Cafe Napoli, the reigning Munch Madness pizza champion from 2023. But lurking quietly in the background, Dom’s NY Style Pizzeria was ready for its cheesy destiny. Armed with five fresh pieces of sausage and a trusty slingshot, the Newport shop charged into battle, delivering a critical tummy shot straight to Nick's breadbasket. This "Miracle on Slice" is arguably the greatest upset in Munch Madness pizza history. 

Round 3 recap: Big wins, narrow escapes in Munch Madness

The three runaway victories from the Sweet 16 (Round 3) featured Cafe Napoli (defeating Grotto Pizza with 66% of the votes), Nicola Pizza (defeating Sal's Pizza with 73% of votes) and Charlie's Pizza Claymont (defeating Amalfi Pizza with 73% of votes). 

Other battles were much closer, including a tight fight between Tony & Dominick's Pizza defeating Little Vinnie's Pizza and Pasta with 51% of votes) and Pizza By Elizabeths (defeating La Pizzeria Metro with 52% votes). 

That's why every vote counts. Best believe more battles are likely to go down to the wire in Round 4. 

Cafe Napoli vs Tony & Dominick's Pizza in Round 4 preview

You can vote for your favorite Elite 8 Delaware pizza spots in Round 4 of the Munch Madness tournament, which runs March 28 until April 2 at 5 p.m.

Thus far, Cafe Napoli in Milltown has won each battle of this tournament handedly, reminding folks that they're still the Big Cheese on campus in this dicey School of Hard Knocks. They slayed Grotto Pizza last round, which has been their toughest battle, and now face their most shredded foe: Tony & Dominick's Pizza at Prices Corner.

T&D is a bread-tested warrior that joined Cafe Napoli in the Final 4 of the last Munch Madness pizza tournament from 2023, the same one Cafe Napoli won. Since then, Tony & Dominick's has had to wait three long years for another chance to sit on the Iron Crusted Throne of greatness. Both shops are hungry for victory, but we give the edge to Cafe Napoli, since they're currently the king of Delaware pizza, until someone can rip their gooey crown off them. 

Pizza By Elizabeths vs DiMeo's Pizza in Round 4 preview

DiMeo's Pizza (pictured) in Wilmington on N. Market St. offers both American and Neapolitan pizzas. The shop will battle Pizza By Elizabeths in Round 4 (Elite 8) of the pizza Munch Madness tournament, with voting starting from March 28 to April 2 at 5 p.m.

The only other remaining carryover from the Final 4 in the 2023 Munch Madness is Pizza By Elizabeths in Greenville. That means their opponent, DiMeo's Pizza in Wilmington, should have their hands full in Round 4. Then again, DiMeo's didn't make it this far by accident, and they're not about to bow down to Queen Elizabeth without a fight. Pizza By Elizabeths' Munch Madness experience gives them the advantage in this battle.   

Nicola Pizza vs Dom's NY Style Pizzeria in Round 4 preview

Nicola Pizza (pictured) has been in operation since 1971. The Lewes pizzeria will battle Dom's NY Style Pizzeria in Round 4 (Elite 8) of Munch Madness, with voting starting from March 28 until April 2 at 5 p.m.

Who knew that Dom's NY Style Pizzeria packed a strong-enough pepperoni punch to take out Nick's Pizza in Round 3? They're using that momentum as they step up to Nicola Pizza, a mighty contender in Lewes who is looking to make a big splash with red waves of marinara sauce. We're giving the edge in this battle to Dom's as they just took down Nick's, a pizzeria that was favored to win it all. 

Charlie's Pizza vs Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza in Round 4 preview

This pizza tournament has been full of delicious shops, and two of the most underrated are Charlie's Pizza Claymont and Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza in Brandywine Hundred. Both have low-key made noise in this competition, rolling through each round like a well-sharpened pizza cutter. This may be a close one, but we're giving the advantage to Charlie's Pizza since they seem to have a feistier fanbase. 

How does the Munch Madness best pizza in Delaware tournament work? 

Voting in our Munch Madness Pizza Challenge runs every Saturday through Thursday, with voting closing Thursdays at 5 p.m.

Voting for Round 4 begins March 28 and ends April 2 at 5 p.m.

Each week, pizza shops will be cut in half, based on reader votes. The bracket will look like this:

• Round 1 (64 contestants)
• Round 2 (32)
• Round 3 (Sweet 16)
• Round 4 (Elite 8)
• Round 5 (Final 4)
• Round 6 (Top 2)
• Round 7 (The winner)

How do I vote for my favorite Delaware pizza? 

To vote, simply click below on the pizza you want to win. That's it. May the best pie win!

(Our week-by-week rollout has been updated to include Top 2, always part of the Munch Madness Challenge as teams are cut in half each week, but accidently left off our week-by-week list.)