Pennsauken’s Double Nickel Brewery has opened their new kitchen featuring a large domed pizza oven as the centerpiece offering premium ingredient artisan pizzas.
With the addition of a full New Jersey liquor license they are effectively a brew pub, and will soon offer a selection of wines and craft cocktails.
And while the bar menu will be expanded, and the kitchen was outfitted with a pizza oven, grill and fryer…
… clearly the focus will remain on the freshly brewed Double Nickel craft beers, and the amazing artisan pizzas.
Back in August last year 42Freeway was the first to report that the Double Nickel Brewery had acquired a full “33” retail consumption liquor license and had plans to add a full kitchen to the brewery!
In the State of New Jersey the standard brewery license does not allow the sale of food (a restaurant). A small number of breweries have acquired full liquor “plenary” licenses which make them a brewpub.
Double Nickel is a large 20,000 sq ft facility in the Twinbridge Center. They have a unique driveway access point, which is from the Route 73 South exit ramp which leads to Route 130 South.
Double Nickel Brewery “The Dime” Pizzas
I stopped in yesterday at Double Nickel to try an amazing Classic pizza, a few delicious Double Nickel beers… and a quick chat with several members of the staff.2
With a play on “Double Nickel” the new kitchen offering is called “The Dime”
The first pizza was sold just last Friday, starting initially with a smaller menu offering artisan Neapolitan pizza, which is cooked in a distinctive domed wood-burning oven
The sauce is made from Jersey farm tomatoes, the mozzarella is Grande brand, and the Pecorino Romano is Locatelli… all are premium ingredients which make a foundation for a delicious artisan pizza!
The menu for my visit featured seven varieties of pizzas from the traditional tomato pie at $11.00, the classic with Grande mozzarella is $13… and other options offering pepperoni, mild Italian sausage, roasted mushrooms and more.
Factoring in the premium ingredients and preparation, I think they’ve set a fair price. A couple on a date could share a pie… and I was able to move through mine alone for my late lunch, which kept me full enough to skip dinner.
But this is just the start for The Dime kitchen at Double Nickel Brewery. The chefs will be expanding their pizza menu, and also delving into other paths of culinary offerings utilizing the already installed full grill and fryer.
But the team is starting off slow with a focused pizza menu and will expand over the summer.
The chefs behind The Dime are Dylan Sweeney and Dylan Sambalino.
Dylan Sambalino was previously the chef at Collingswood’s well received Hearthside restaurant. He was featured in a 2020 article at the Courier-Post.
Dylan Sweeney was the chef at Talula’s Table in Kennett Square, the famed restaurant that is a gourmet market by day and at night a very limited seating dinner offering where reservations are made one year in advance! PA Eats featured Sweeney and Talula’s in 2018.
Their culinary travels and shared work experiences made the two Dylan’s close friends who are now together at the helm of the The Dime at Double Nickel brewery.
The Dime is located in what was previously an entrance into the brewery (the main entrance is now on the side patio).
If you’re sitting at the bar you can place your order directly with your beer tender, but I chose to walk over to The Dime area and order directly with the Dylans.
I was so tempted to go with a mushroom or Italian sausage pizza… But I stuck with a very traditional Classic pie featuring Grande mozzarella, Jersey fresh tomato sauce, and Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese. Any choice is a good choice.
I paid for my pizza directly at the The Dime counter and was handed a playing card table marker.
About 10 minutes later when my pizza was ready it was brought over to my seat at the bar.. Fresh and piping hot.
While I did not ask for details of the dough process and ingredients, it formed a perfect base for the delicious mixture of ingredients.
The Dime pizza style offers a large airy crust around the outer edge of the pie, with a very thin crust in the main pizza center where all of the ingredients are placed.
The first bite showed it to be a deliciously crafted bite with the perfect blend of sauce and cheeses. The was a second round of flavor as the sweetness of the cheese moved out of the way for a tangy bonus burst of flavor from the sauce.
I paired my pizza with a Sun Surfer beer which is a refreshing summertime beer… offering a hint of Valencia oranges.
My home base is in Gloucester County so heading out to Pennsauken is a little bit more of a time commitment for me… but honestly the combination of the Double Nickel delicious craft brewed beers and this new pizza offering definitely is going to make my visits up to Route 73 and Route 130 much more frequent!
Links and Location
Double Nickel Brewery (Soon, a Brewpub)
1585 Route 73
Pennsauken, NJ 08110