Pele's Wood Fire - Park and King

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Is the Pele wood fired truly notable?.......Not much mention throughout the comments.

Going for a NM cryptext:  2 pizzas, 2 different results.  Both in a box.  Mentioned in both posts.  Did you read all pages?

[MusicMan]

Chris, After reading your post i can only think: "You don't know what the **** you are talking about."

I have traveled all over this counrty, dined out in every major city, and
never in my life (i'm 48) have I ever gone to urban spoon  to decide where I was going to go for dinner.

I do not know, nor do most people, who the reviewers are for the T U. I guess you do, but 99% of us don't. You describe them as though they are as familiar as Tiger Woods.

Go there this Friday or Saturday night, stand on the bar and shout to the packed crowd, "Didn't you guys check this place out on UrbanSpoon first? What the hell are you doing here?" After they all go back to having a good time, enjoying their food and beverage, you can leave, and just stay the hell away. Try Al's Pizza, right down the street. After all it's been voted Best Pizza in Jax for the past 10 years by Folio Weekly. That out to be good for something.

[ben says]

Chris, After reading your post i can only think: "You don't know what the **** you are talking about."

I have traveled all over this counrty, dined out in every major city, and
never in my life (i'm 48) have I ever gone to urban spoon  to decide where I was going to go for dinner.

I do not know, nor do most people, who the reviewers are for the T U. I guess you do, but 99% of us don't. You describe them as though they are as familiar as Tiger Woods.

Go there this Friday or Saturday night, stand on the bar and shout to the packed crowd, "Didn't you guys check this place out on UrbanSpoon first? What the hell are you doing here?" After they all go back to having a good time, enjoying their food and beverage, you can leave, and just stay the hell away. Try Al's Pizza, right down the street. After all it's been voted Best Pizza in Jax for the past 10 years by Folio Weekly. That out to be good for something.

Highly disagree with everything you've just said.

A) Only a pompous individual is going to play the "I've been to EVERY major city ALL OVER the country" so I KNOW what I'M talking about MORE than you....that statement gives you no legitimacy, whatsoever.

B) The reason urban spoon and yelp are popular are....waaaiiiittt for it....people use it!!! ding ding ding. If I'm in a new city, and I don't know anyone to ask for recommendations, I use them because they are user based reviews with pictures and recommendations. You don't have to believe them, but to call them moot is disingenuous at best.

[ben says]

On another note, went to Pele's for breakfast recently.

The espresso is very good, as it should be: it's Segafredo.

That being said, it's kinda expensive (more so than it should be).

Also, $2.50 for a pastry smaller than my palm is a little steep to.

Doughnuts were a little sweet for my taste, but most people would probably enjoy them--and they're cheap--.50 cents!

Overall, decent quality, but very expensive. Not sure how long breakfast service will last...was the only person in there for the 30 minutes I was eating.

[jaxlore]

Went for dinner two weeks back and it was ok. Granted I am vegan and I knew what i was getting into,  so my options were limited. Even without cheese though a place of there caliber should have been more up to the task, instead our pizza was super dry and flavorless and I am not big on that black burnt crust.

I will have to agree with what ben says I am always looking at urban spoon for new places to eat. Especially when I am out of town. It's nice to get recommendations from the locals. But sometimes a quick jump on urbanspoon has found me some gems.

[ben says]

Went for dinner two weeks back and it was ok. Granted I am vegan and I knew what i was getting into,  so my options were limited. Even without cheese though a place of there caliber should have been more up to the task, instead our pizza was super dry and flavorless and I am not big on that black burnt crust.

I will have to agree with what ben says I am always looking at urban spoon for new places to eat. Especially when I am out of town. It's nice to get recommendations from the locals. But sometimes a quick jump on urbanspoon has found me some gems.

Exactly...I would have never found Bowl of Pho if it weren't for me being stuck on Baymeadows with the urbanspoon app on my phone. Nor would I have found Pinegrove Deli in Riverside. Or Dreamette. These are three places I found off these websites when I first moved back to Jax, when i had nobody to ask for a recommendation, and had no idea where I was.

[ben says]

Not to mention most, if not all, of the negative Pele's responses on urbanspoon and yelp ring entirely true.. all seem well-informed.

[MusicMan]

I've eaten at least 50 of Matt's pizza's and never one that was "super dry and flavorless."

Don't need legitamacy, just stating the facts. I have traveled with several major broadway productions to every large city (most of them multiple times) in USA so I do know what is going on around the country.

I only stated that I have never used UrbanSpoon. I ask a concierge or a local. 

"If any restaurant deserves a 40 something it's this one."
Dude that is just BS. Every one of my friends/customers who have been enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.   
They went with an open  mind and had a great time.

In fact, I just met a guy from Pinellas Park who moved here for a new job. I was showing him a home in Murray Hill when he mentioned Pele's Fire. He said he really liked it, especially the beer choices.  He never mentioned UrbanSpoon. He drove by and went in. He's an older guy, single, who wants something  a cut above Al's Pizza/Carmines. I imagine he'll keep going.

Breakfast is mostly a convenience, since I'm sure you noticed the sous chefs preparing everything that will be served later  in the day ( they start at 6 30 am).  I agree the coffee/espresso was very good: bottomless cup , too. Hot doughnuts anyone?
At .50 cents they are the best treat in the district. One could easily sit in a booth with the WiFi clicking while spreading out with enough room to actually look at contracts or whatever paperwork you might use in your line of work. It has potential if they sell it right.

[acme54321]

You must be dilusional.  Tons of people use urban spoon.  We use it all the time.  100% the best way to get the lowdown on the best restuarants, and find out what their best dishes are.  You ask a local or a concierge?  Urban spoon is like asking 100 locals all at once.  A 50% rating is pretty comical, but it does seem that they are getting a little better! 

[Garden guy]

We went the other night..sad pasta    in a childs portion and cold ..yuck..my partner the steak..instead of a small steak and a large steak..they justcooked a large steak and cut it in half...lol...we wont be back for a while..maybe when carmines takes them over.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

FWIW, MM, just like UrbanSpoon & Yelp, we are reviewing it here and just like UrbanSpoon & Yelp, the reviews are mixed.  I've personally been twice and have been disappointed both times.  I've been in the SI and I'm currently married to the SI, so while I may not be an 'expert', I knew what I was looking for and they missed the mark on so many counts, it was a little depressing.

After re-reading the yelp reviews, I noticed one poster that originally enjoyed the meal while there for the soft opening and has since been extremely disappointed.  I can assure you that her boyfriend will read this on here and was/is one of the more adamant supporters of the restaurant, long before it was Pele's on Park.

I'm really happy that evertime you go in, and everyone you talk to has had an incredible time with great food & good service because maybe that 40% will keep the restaurant going long enough for them to get their act together for the other 60%. 

Fact of the matter is that there's a pizza being served 3 blocks down King that is heads above what I've gotten at Pele's.  There used to be a pizza another 3-4 blocks up King that was served out of a mobile oven in front of Intuition that's been heads above what's being served at Pele's.  (I know, I know.)

What I've been saying all along - maybe he needs to go back to what he knows - awesome pizza - and focus on that until the rest catches up.  Quit trying to do too much too soon.  Whether you think it matters or not, the 1 time reviewers on Yelp / UrbanSpoon took the time to sign in and leave 1 message - they're not coming back.

[cline]

Went back on Monday to try dinner.  Was with a group of about 8 people.  We got 4 different pizzas for everyone to share- all of which were quite good.  Tried the meatball app which had some sort of fondue cheese over it- very good.  Once again did not have any problems with the service or food.  Prices were obviously higher than lunch but I expected that.  Also pretty packed for a Monday.  Tried a new Cigar City brew I had not had before.

[tufsu1]

Overall Yelp reviews = 3.5 starts out of 5...so clearly this is not a terrible place!

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Went back on Monday to try dinner.  Was with a group of about 8 people.  We got 4 different pizzas for everyone to share- all of which were quite good.  Tried the meatball app which had some sort of fondue cheese over it- very good.  Once again did not have any problems with the service or food.  Prices were obviously higher than lunch but I expected that.  Also pretty packed for a Monday.  Tried a new Cigar City brew I had not had before.

This is supposed to be the norm.  I haven't given up hope.

Overall Yelp reviews = 3.5 starts out of 5...so clearly this is not a terrible place!

Not terrible, but terribly inconsistent.

[ben says]

Went back on Monday to try dinner.  Was with a group of about 8 people.  We got 4 different pizzas for everyone to share- all of which were quite good.  Tried the meatball app which had some sort of fondue cheese over it- very good.  Once again did not have any problems with the service or food.  Prices were obviously higher than lunch but I expected that.  Also pretty packed for a Monday.  Tried a new Cigar City brew I had not had before.

This is supposed to be the norm.  I haven't given up hope.

Overall Yelp reviews = 3.5 starts out of 5...so clearly this is not a terrible place!

Not terrible, but terribly inconsistent.

Agree on both accounts.