Pele's Wood Fire Pizza

Metro Jacksonville · November 22, 2012, 09:42:15 AM

Pele's Wood Fire Pizza

MetroJacksonville's gypsy restaurant cataloger, Janice Price reports on the centerpiece restaurant of King Street. Pele's is certainly no stranger to the readers of metrojacksonville, as there were literally hundreds glued to the screen watching comments and counter responses after the restaurant opened, but now we have the dispassionate details just for you after the Jump!

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-nov-peles-wood-fire-pizza

AntigoneStarr · November 29, 2012, 05:48:25 PM

I'm starting to get really annoyed with Pele's... every time I go in there, I get the worst seating (even after requesting a different table, seems they are capable of seating me directly behind the hostess stand and directly under the air vents or at the table right by the toilets/kitchen). Plenty of available tables when this happens. And the food has started to go a little downwards... pizza is still good. One pasta entree I had recently tasted... well, more like wet dog food than food meant for human consumption?

The first time I went, I had a great experience, loved it, everything was great. Now I no longer get decent service. The food is getting to be where I don't even want to pay for it because some of it tastes downright gross. I eat out a lot. I tip incredibly well. I don't look like a homeless person. So what's up with this? Any thoughts?

ben says · November 29, 2012, 05:54:55 PM

^ Bingo.

Personally, I don't like the new place. Gorgeous restaurant, great concept....but the food is mediocre and the prices are sky high. The pizza is decent, but it pales in comparison to what they make at RAM. The pastas are...well...gross. As for service, I've had the same thing happen to me. More than once. It's annoying. No idea why it happens, don't know if it's management, or the staff, or what....

MEGATRON · November 29, 2012, 06:20:20 PM

Quote from: ben says on November 29, 2012, 05:54:55 PM
^ Bingo.

Personally, I don't like the new place. Gorgeous restaurant, great concept....but the food is mediocre and the prices are sky high. The pizza is decent, but it pales in comparison to what they make at RAM. The pastas are...well...gross. As for service, I've had the same thing happen to me. More than once. It's annoying. No idea why it happens, don't know if it's management, or the staff, or what....

Same here. Discussed this same thing one someone else recently. The service just seems off. The front bar area is freezing cold because they did not separate the restaurant into two separate zones. As a result, they keep the whole restaurant freezing because of the ovens. Regardless, the food is too costly for the quality.

MusicMan · November 29, 2012, 08:29:57 PM

I am saddened and suprised, becaus I am a regular and still very much enjoy going. Went Wednesday. Had the Avondale Pizza. Yummy. Also the artichoke appetizer and a ceasar salad. It was all excellent. Our two friends had the pork sliders, a ceasar and the special cheese plate. They said it was all excellent.

The comments on pricing is strange: go on Monday (Happy Night!) or Wednesday (Ladies Night), when there are great deals all night. I don't think you can get much better than the $5 pizza and $3 local pints (Monday's), plus an extended Happy Hour with great drink prices on all types of drinks.

Whenever I've gone in they ask me where I want to sit. If a table is open they let me pick it, never been "steered" into a table or placed where I did not want to be. The AC is cold at times, blows onto the 4-top tables nearest the ovens. Probably won't mind that next summer. I am glad it is in our neighborhood and will keep on going 'cause I keep enjoying the place.

coredumped · November 29, 2012, 08:41:33 PM

there's a long thread on this place somewhere. basically the reviews aren't so good http://www.urbanspoon.com/m/r/44/1642765

tufsu1 · November 29, 2012, 09:59:34 PM

and yet it made Florida Trend's Golden Spoon list

fieldafm · November 30, 2012, 06:47:35 AM

I go to Pele's almost every Monday ($5 cheese pizette, $3 slider and $3 Dukes is the best deal in town). In fact, I've gone three times this week. I've had one bad meal there, and they comped it and brought me a new dish that was prepared correctly with no questions asked.

It sucks to hear so many negative experiences about the place b/c I have not had anywhere close to the same experience there. In fact, I brought out of town family there last Wednesday and everyone had a phenomenal meal.

I will agree wholeheartedly though about the air conditioning. It really is a pain to deal with.

tufsu1 · November 30, 2012, 07:53:23 AM

+1 field

jaxeeyore · November 30, 2012, 09:08:44 AM

I think Carmine's Pie House, just up the street from Pele's, has much better food and service for a lower price.

Tacachale · November 30, 2012, 09:12:31 AM

I've only been to Pele's once so far; the food was really good as was the service. And of course it's a beautiful restaurant.

fieldafm · November 30, 2012, 09:20:18 AM

Two other notes while I'm thinking about it. I took my dad and the lady friend up there for Father's Day. We all ordered a pizza each (the smaller one) along with some appetizers. My pizza came out with crust that was a little darker than the other two pizzas. I didn't mind it, but the waitress immediately gave me a new pizza without any signs of charred crust without even asking.

A few weeks ago, I was at Pele's on a Monday. On Monday's they let you order one of those pork sliders for $3. They usually are served 3 on a plate for $9. I asked the server for bread, my cheese pizette, some wings and a slider. She gave me the three slider dish. I kindly said 'pardon me, I actually ordered just the one slider for $3 as your happy hour special'. She said without hesitation, 'ok, no problem I'll only charge you $3'. Since I like those sliders so much, I ate and paid for the whole thing.

Like I said, I've had one bad meal... it was replaced immediately. I've had two instances where something was done 95% right that didn't even move my needle of dissatisfaction... and it was replaced immediately. That's just not my defination of bad service, so it's odd to hear different experiences.

MEGATRON · November 30, 2012, 09:26:52 AM

Wow, some of y'alls experiences have been very different than mine and I am pretty easy to please as a diner. Last time we went, my wife and I pretty much wrote Pele's off because it took so long to get drinks (which has happened every single time we've been there) and her sandwich came out looking like a disheveled mess. I would love to sit up in the bar area but it always too cold for her.

cline · November 30, 2012, 09:55:01 AM

I always sit at the bar and get my drinks promptly. Never had any issues. The food I've ordered has been good as well. If I was at any restaurant and my food came out looking like a "dishelved mess" I would ask to speak to a manager.

AntigoneStarr · November 30, 2012, 10:20:21 AM

It just seems so strange to me that each time I've been back, the food and service has declined significantly from when I first went.

Perhaps I'll try sitting at the bar.

Do they make their own pasta, fresh? Could explain why it's so soft and chewy... impossible to get that type al dente.