Brewer's Pizza ~ Orange Park FL

  The first time that I saw Brewer's Pizza a jug shaped neon hanging in the front window caught my attention. One may know the jug of which I speak; it is an Andy Griffith type of jug. It is a Beverly Hillbillies type of jug. The "Craft Beer To Go" message inside this jug forced me to turn the truck steering wheel, pull in, and park. There was no way that I was not going to check out Brewer's Pizza.

  This message of to-go beer confused me since I just moved to Florida from Georgia. In Georgia, one does not see restaurants displaying signs about to-go-beer delivered in "Andy Griffith" jugs. Maybe, if there had been neon signs like this in Georgia, I would not have left!  I have also noticed signs at barber shops and salons offering a beer or a glass of wine for those enjoying a haircut. I am not so sure about that. Drinking beer while getting a hair cut may result in one coughing up a hairball afterward. What in the heck is going on with the beverage laws in Florida? Wait, scratch that question. The great leadership of Florida allows restaurants to sell beer to-go in a Hillbilly jug. I am OK with that.

Brewer's Pizza

  The joint is not all that big, but it seats about sixty or so patrons comfortably. Booths line the walls except for the space where Brewer's has a table top "Shuffle Board" game. A Juke Box churns out "regular tunes" at non-annoying decibel levels which actually gives the space warmth. This is a good thing as the decorations are at a minimum (The neon was expensive.). A petite bar is squished into a corner, and a window on the back wall reveals the brewing area. I would usually explain in considerable detail this brewing area, but I did not investigate due to the distraction created by the excellent taste of the beer which I had ordered. Besides that, I was dog-tired from moving.

  The list of the beers offered is a hearty two pages long. I decided on Pinglehead Red (which on the menu was the fourth beer from the top). This is an excellent beer. Evidently, it is Brewer's Pizza's best selling beer. It has a nice finish, but it is hoppy enough for my liking. One is plenty happy after consuming just a few of these Pinglehead Red beers (7.8 % alcohol).

   I wondered what the quality of the pizza was going to be the first time that I ordered it at Brewer's Pizza. Only because, it has been my experience before, that "beer-heads" do beer well and do food poorly (or vice-versa). I am here to report that the pizza is off the hook. The food delivery is slowish; however, the food quality surpassed my expectations both times I have dined at Brewer's Pizza. I wonder if they drag their feet intentionally, until after I order a second beer. Yes, it is the clever "slow-food-service" sales tactic.

  As aforementioned, the last time I dined at Brewer's Pizza was the night after my move to the great state of Florida. We were rather tired from the move, and the place was jammed! I discovered that a home-brewers club was meeting that night. I kept overhearing wisps of words like "hoppiness", "bite", "smooth", "after-bite", and such. After a while, I just could not stand it any longer. I bugged a gentleman (I instantly forgot his name, gah!) who was kind enough to explain what their club was all about. He also gave me a sip of his Habanero Pepper home-brew. It tasted remarkably smooth and had a slight bite. I inquired how one would become a home-brewer, and he directed me to Just Brew It. I also met David Rigdon a sales manager for Champion Brands Inc. The entire CASK club was mingling and having a fabulous time. A beer club is a genius idea. I should have joined one years ago.

  I will be back to try other varieties of Brewer's Pizza's beer, as well as other varieties of their pizza. This could take quite a bit of time. Hey, someone has to do the hard work. I will report back to my readers the results of my research in about ten pounds.

Thanks for reading,

gf