From looking at past reviews, I could see that Al's Pizza has a bit of a checkered history. But not on this day! Today it was excellent! This Neptune Beach pizza outlet has a great location and some neat things you learn later that you didn't expect. My honey had eaten here in the past but now it was my turn to check it out. Though I once managed a Domino's Pizza shop years ago, I still love pizza and I try to not be too picky but do appreciate the uniqueness of each individual ma and pa pizza shop or brand name. Al's has a few stores in town. However, this is the only one that has a wood-fired stone oven - and it makes a HUGE difference in the taste and quality of the pizza. We got the deluxe, which has all the basics you'd expect, like pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, onions, etc. The marinara sauce underneath and the cheese were supreme! However, the crust was the star of the show. It was the best (by far) in-shop crust I've ever tasted. It was baked perfectly and had a beautiful crispness underneath the topping that really enhanced this pie! I could eat it again and again for sure! The lasagna was a single order split in two so we each could have our own serving. It was a tomatoey marinara sauce (and lots of it) with the lasagna - cheese lovers will appreciate it too. A great compliment to the pizza itself. Also, the salad that came with the pizza was balanced, filled with fresh and colorful lettuce, tomatoes, and other usual toppings. The balsamic vinaigrette dressing was very good as well. It wasn't very busy during our visit, but people were filtering in and out picking up carry out orders. The shop is clean, well-organized, with a nice variety of seating. I love the outdoor patio and plan to eat out there next time I go when the weather is cooler. It has a nice canopy and just seems to be an enjoyable spot to sit for a meal. Our server, Sommer, was courteous and took good care of us during the visit. I appreciate the general manager, Brittany, for sharing some details about Al's Pizza, especially about the lumbered wall! No! The lumber in this wall is not saved to burn up in the wood-fired oven! It's actually wood from fallen trees that fell during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Matthew was the worst storm of the season that year and created a significant amount of damage in JAX before doing its worst damage in the Carolinas. She also said that for a period of time this wood harbored bees that would show themselves around the shop, but that's not the case anymore. Well, funny thing I forgot to tell her is, that while I was outside shooting pictures of the building, a bee suddenly showed up and began to pester me!! So, I would tell Brittany, they appear to be around still! Well, in the end it was a very satisfying first visit to this restaurant. Yes, it is one I greatly look forward to doing again!
Recommend: HIGH read more