Two local restaurants are squaring off in the Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness championship, and the contenders that made it to the final round may surprise you.  

The championship (or Round 5) begins Saturday, March 29.

Lettuce explain: This is about Delaware cheesesteak glory. Readers can vote for their favorite cheesesteak they want to see crowned as the best in the state. As you’ll soon notice, every vote is important. (Go to the poll below.) 

Final 4 recap: 1 Delaware cheesesteak match was close; the other not so much

Last week, before the championship round, we were halfway correct when we predicted the matches between the last four finalists would be close.

Casapulla & Sons in Elsmere cruised to victory against Ioannoni’s near New Castle, racking up 2,290 votes to 1,705. In our prediction, we gave the edge to Casapulla because the family business has six locations across the state, compared with Ioannoni’s one and only shop. But we didn’t expect Casapulla to win big. Ioannoni’s, however, didn’t shrink away from the fight. The restaurant went the distance and hung tough. Yet, Casapulla had too much fire power and eventually forced the stubborn Ioannoni’s to get out of the kitchen. 

Advertisement

Owner shares what makes Little Vinnie’s Pizza & Pasta’s cheesesteak the best

Michael Degnars shares why Little Vinnie’s Pizza & Pasta’s cheesesteak is the best in Delaware as it advances to the Final 4 of the Munch Madness tourney.

The nail-biter match came when Little Vinnie’s Pizza & Pasta in Wilmington faced off against Nick’s Pizza Parlor & Bar in Brandywine Hundred. It was a battle of new school versus old school, and the more seasoned restaurant had the upper hand.

Little Vinnie’s squeaked by with 1,620 votes to 1,612 votes. Close cheesesteak battles like that can be hard to swallow, especially for the fans who poured blood, sweat and cheers into the voting ballots. Munch Sadness is real, but there could be only one winner from those two juggernaut restaurants. It was a heck of a match.  

Delaware cheesesteak championship: Munch Madness winner prediction

It’s easy to assume Casapulla is going to be the favorite to win the Delaware cheesesteak Munch Madness championship because the restaurant has used its brute strength to power through the last two rounds. They’re on a roll.

Then again, it was no tiny feat for Little Vinnie’s to get past Nick’s Pizza. The spirit of the late great George Foreman has followed Little Vinnie’s into the championship, where the restaurant steps in as the underdog. 

Can Little Vinnie’s take down Casapulla? Yes, but it’ll need its fans to vote like crazy to help the restaurant win. That could be too much to ask for a smaller shop like Vinnie’s to ask for, since Casapulla has great name recognition throughout the state, along with locations in every part of Delaware, except Kent County.

All in all, we predict Casapulla is going to be too hot for Little Vinnie’s to handle. But this is March Madness; surprises are always in play. 

Thousands of nominations for best Delaware cheesesteak 

Last month, you sandwich lovers cast 1,100 votes for your favorite go-to spot for cheesesteaks around the First State that you wanted included in our Munch Madness challenge.

We sliced that thick mountain down to a chewy bracket featuring 32 shops ready to unapologetically smack you in the mouth with a fresh cheesesteak.    

How does the Delaware cheesesteak tournament work?  

Each week, readers vote and determine which restaurant/shop has the top cheesesteak in each face-off. 

And each week, cheesesteak shops are sliced in half, based on your votes. 

The bracket began with 32 shops, then 16 and then eight and then four. Now we’re down to the final two competing in the championship, and after this week, a winner will be selected and that sandwich will receive a greasy and golden crown. 

To vote, simply click below on the cheesesteak you want to win. That’s it. 

Delaware summer concert series: Billboard artists revealed in lineup

Schedule for Delaware cheesesteak March Madness 

Below is when new brackets will be announced for the tournament: 

• Round 5 with 2: Saturday, March 29 to Friday, April 4 
• Winner: Monday, April 7 

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.