Don’t be fooled by the narrow entrance; this unique 2-in-1 Italian restaurant has plenty of space.
Pizza Alley’s is an Italian restaurant catering to the tourists of St. Augustine like none other. Nestled in between St. George Street and Charlotte Street in the historic district of St. Augustine, Florida, this two-sided restaurant offers casual booth seating on the St. George side for those looking for pizza and soft drinks, or you can opt for a more serious selection of Italian specialties in Pizza Alley’s Chianti Room on the Charlotte Street end. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.
We decided to drop in from St. George Street after a long day of checking out all the walk-up shops St. Augustine has to offer. There’s always a member of Pizza Alley’s friendly staff standing outside the front door on St. George, holding a warm pan of their freshest pizza cut into small samples and giving them out to passersby. Be warned that if you partake in these samples, you’ll be tempted to step inside.
Once in the main dining room of Pizza Alley’s west end, you’re given the option to either take an available seat in one of the booths along the walls of the restaurant, or make your way towards the east side of the building where the Chianti Room is located. We opted for door number two, choosing to squeeze down a long hallway marked with arrows painted on the walls toward the east end, the hallway so narrow that we had to hug the wall on the left to allow other pizza patrons to pass on the right. We finally arrived at the interior door of the restaurant, a small little adventure thanks the elongated floor plan of the building.
Once we made it to the hostess we were immediately seated, taking a table in the main dining area. The Chianti Room’s menu was more upscale than its St. George side counterpart, with most appetizers like the crab cakes or calamari starting at $7.99, although their breadsticks were a bargain 5 for $3 – worth every penny. Soups and salads start at $4.99, with the Soup du Jour (That’s the soup of the day, sounds good, you should have that) priced daily. Drinks vary in price, with the Chianti Room offering a choice of various soft drinks, beers, wines, and a full bar available for connoisseurs of fine (and unrefined) spirits.
The entrees available were the primary reason we came to Pizza Alley’s; we were told from several locals that for a place with pizza in the name it had a lot more to offer than your local pizza hut. They weren’t kidding, and with entrees starting at $12.99, the meals here are well worth the money spent. I decided on the Shrimp Scampi, made with fresh shrimp coated in a creamy lemon butter and white wine sauce, while my wife chose the Shrimp fra Diablo, blackened shrimp covered in a spicy marinara sauce.
All in all, the service was irreproachable. We were seated quickly and promptly served, with our salads coming out just shy of ten minutes after being seated, with the entrees under twenty. The staff was incredibly friendly, with everyone visible from the cooks in the kitchen to the waitresses working tables both inside and out moving hastily to get their customers served.
I almost hate that this place was so good, considering this is the second time I’ve profiled a restaurant on here, as well as the second time I’ve had to praise a business for being so customer-oriented. But I have to, because I honestly couldn’t find a thing wrong with Pizza Alley’s. I guess if it boiled down to it, I could probably critique the smiling pizza server out front. What’s that guy smiling about all the time, anyway? You’re at work, dude: stop being that guy that actually likes his job. That’s just weird.
In reality, this place has everything I love about a restaurant: prompt service, Italian food, a bar, reasonable prices . . . what more could anyone ask for? Maybe two bars?
– Heading to St. Augustine this weekend? Check out Pizza Alley’s: 60 Charlotte Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 telephone: (904) 825 – 4100
