By T. Jensen Lacey

If you live in or around Fairhope and want to enjoy a pizza without buying a whole pie, and maybe fit in a great salad or soup, you’re in luck! On the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Bancroft Street, Nini Squares (named after owners Chris and Rachel Cullen’s daughter, Nina) has offerings to satisfy the pickiest eater. 

When they first opened their doors in 2023, the Cullens did so in what used to be an old house and turned it into a restaurant. Chris said, “I wanted it to have a cozy, intimate feel.” In the beginning, they started with a somewhat basic menu. Now, their expanded menu includes a variety of soups and salads, and they have specials on occasion. 

Their kids’ menu offers a slice (square) of cheese or pepperoni pizza and three different noodle dishes, dishes as well as a cookie. The day we went, they offered a yummy cream of cauliflower soup—perfect for a drizzly and gray lunchtime. 

Their salads are satisfying and generous—one is a chopped salad with a creamy Parmesan dressing, and the other is a spring mix salad with their amazing, made-in-house balsamic vinaigrette.

Besides the great offerings of a variety of five different types of pizza which you can order by the slice (square), salads, and at least one soup offering daily, they now have burgers on their menu. Rachel added, “We also offer whole pizzas now.”

The ambiance of Nini Squares is, as Chris intended, warm and inviting. You have your choice of sitting outdoors, inside, or on a covered porch (my favorite spot). And the staff—besides the great food, they are what keep us coming back! They’re all friendly and seem happy to be of service—something not all restaurants can lay claim to these days. If they’re not serving diners or taking orders, they’re checking to make sure their customers are happy, and then they turn to cleaning the tables when the dining crowd lessens. 

Besides their non-alcoholic drink options (sodas and teas), they offer handcrafted libations. One to try is their jalapeño margarita, which was surprisingly delicious refreshing, and not spicy.

They also now offer boxed pizzas for take-out orders and have also expanded their open days to include Mondays, so their open days are Monday through Saturday, 11-8. Check out their Facebook page (Nini Squares) and their website, www.ninisfairhope.com.