[dewilson58]

Kinda sad, Kinda funny.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Kinda sad, Kinda funny.

Tragi-comedy. An apt description.

The pizzas must be pre-made, frozen. They can pick the onions off for you, but they still had to buy them, so you still gotta pay for them.

To the OP, was the pizza tasty? How was the crust, other than not being crispy? I'm pretty fussy about my pies, and I don't think I'd bother ordering one there, based upon your review.

[Graspher]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

After reading the facts, I'll go out on a limb, and conclude that the OP was not exactly delighted with Sawgrass Grove.

Personally....yes, I was disappointed. Based on many many small reasons (the facts I provided along with observations I didn't detail) - that when combined it generated a significant letdown. But that's just me.

[Graspher]

Originally Posted by alwann

Please don't tell me they also had a tip jar.

They did not at Frenchy's....and I don't recall seeing any at the other retailers - but I wasn't looking that closely.

[Graspher]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

"Darlin's Sweet Shoppe will not accept cash - only cards."

"This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private" ($1 bill, U.S. currency)

Excellent point. My visit was... eye-opening.

[thelegges]

We stopped on Wednesday, at 6:30 more employees than patrons. Very quiet, with lack of people. Ordered a burger, because it’s a smash burger it only has one temp. That’s sad for us since we are rare to mid. Bun was a brioche held up well, bacon was crispy, cheddar cheese. We split and they asked if we wanted it cut in half. Came on a heavy cardboard tray with our condiments. For a well done burger, it had a nice flavor, not dry. Not a bad burger, just not great, for us due to well done. People sitting next to us had the pizza, commenting that for wood fire crust was not done to their liking.
Got a cookie at Darlings, it’s a large thick cookie, maybe 4-5oz. Not close to Gideon’s, $6 cookie, or homemade, but for those who don’t bake it’s a ok cookie for $4

[Stu from NYC]

Based on what the OP wrote think the pizza was third rate at best. Apparently they have not figured out the heating of the wood fired oven

[Graspher]

Originally Posted by Laker14

Tragi-comedy. An apt description.

The pizzas must be pre-made, frozen. They can pick the onions off for you, but they still had to buy them, so you still gotta pay for them.

To the OP, was the pizza tasty? How was the crust, other than not being crispy? I'm pretty fussy about my pies, and I don't think I'd bother ordering one there, based upon your review.

I'm going to go out on a limb - because I don't have a factual answer - but based on the taste and texture of the pizza I'm leaning towards it not being a pre-made frozen concoction.

Pizza review - here it is, my opinion. This was my first wood-fired pizza (and I've had lots from lots of different places) that had a soft bottom and the dough is more on the thin side then thick side. Same with leoparding - never had a wood-fired that didn't have a beautiful pattern of leoparding. It's very possible they pulled the pizza off the stone before it was done.

The very top of the crust had a few burn marks...way less then normal for a wood-fired pizza.

There was plenty of cheese and it seemed fresh - I base that on the string factor when separating and pulling slices out. If it strings then its fresh cheese - at least that's my belief. The cheese had a slight after taste that I've never experienced from any other pizza place. It wasn't distasteful - just odd.

The sauce had a very slight bite (as in spicy) to it. I was ok with that. Beyond that, nothing spectacular.

Cup and char pepperoni (C&C). My experience is whenever a restaurant offers C&C they also offer traditional pepperoni. I thought I heard on one of the marketing vids for sawgrass that Frenchy's was using C&C. When I ordered I asked if they have C&C. The Frenchy employee taking my order didn't know what cup and char pepperoni was.

The peps on my pizza were C&C. However, they were the thinnest thicknesses of C&C I've ever seen and they had next to no taste...possible due to their tissue paper thinness.

The sausage was mediocre....at best.

Our pizza was piping hot and cheesy and I was starving. I was satisfied with it - but there will be no Frenchy's in my future.

If I find myself in the southern area and wanted pizza - I'd go to Piesanos in Lake Deaton (10 minute car drive from sawgrass). As a qualifier - I haven't had a Piesanos pizza in over a year so I don't know the current quality.

[Skip]

Thanks for "THE FACTS", OP.
We too visited recently, not crowded but we asked dining patrons "How's the food?". Got all negative responses, so we did not order the outrageously priced meals, like the little Lobster Rolls and frozen Pizzas. Even the beers were $7 each.
Cash only and not giving change is outrageous. Even the environment was noisy in there.
I'm glad we have this forum sharing our experiences about businesses in The Villages ripping off customers.
We won't go back and glad we didn't spend a dime there.

Skip

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Graspher

I'm going to go out on a limb - because I don't have a factual answer - but based on the taste and texture of the pizza I'm leaning towards it not being a pre-made frozen concoction.

Pizza review - here it is, my opinion. This was my first wood-fired pizza (and I've had lots from lots of different places) that had a soft bottom and the dough is more on the thin side then thick side. Same with leoparding - never had a wood-fired that didn't have a beautiful pattern of leoparding. It's very possible they pulled the pizza off the stone before it was done.

The very top of the crust had a few burn marks...way less then normal for a wood-fired pizza.

There was plenty of cheese and it seemed fresh - I base that on the string factor when separating and pulling slices out. If it strings then its fresh cheese - at least that's my belief. The cheese had a slight after taste that I've never experienced from any other pizza place. It wasn't distasteful - just odd.

The sauce had a very slight bite (as in spicy) to it. I was ok with that. Beyond that, nothing spectacular.

Cup and char pepperoni (C&C). My experience is whenever a restaurant offers C&C they also offer traditional pepperoni. I thought I heard on one of the marketing vids for sawgrass that Frenchy's was using C&C. When I ordered I asked if they have C&C. The Frenchy employee taking my order didn't know what cup and char pepperoni was.

The peps on my pizza were C&C. However, they were the thinnest thicknesses of C&C I've ever seen and they had next to no taste...possible due to their tissue paper thinness.

The sausage was mediocre....at best.

Our pizza was piping hot and cheesy and I was starving. I was satisfied with it - but there will be no Frenchy's in my future.

If I find myself in the southern area and wanted pizza - I'd go to Piesanos in Lake Deaton (10 minute car drive from sawgrass). As a qualifier - I haven't had a Piesanos pizza in over a year so I don't know the current quality.

Well, you know what they say about pizza.

A pizza is like sex. Even if it's bad, it's still pretty good.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Well, you know what they say about pizza.

A pizza is like sex. Even if it's bad, it's still pretty good.

No and No.

[Laker14]

Well, I learned something today. I had never heard of "cup and char" pepperoni. I've been eating pepperoni pizzas for 60+ years, and I'd noticed that sometimes the pepperoni "cups" up, and "chars" on the edges, but I didn't know that it was by design, or that it had a name.
More embarrassing for me is to have lived in Western NY for 40+ years, and that it's credited as a Buffalo NY creation.
Now I know.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Well, you know what they say about pizza.

A pizza is like sex. Even if it's bad, it's still pretty good.

If you have had the privilege of eating good pizza you would not even think this.

[JRP2TV]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

At Palmers Country Club, it will cost you an extra 3.75 percent to use a credit card. Probably not profitable there.

I won't go to any place that up charges me for using modern payment methods.

[JRP2TV]

Originally Posted by VApeople

Yeah, we feel the same way.

We have been at Sawgrass a few times and were not impressed. Even Goldwingnut, in his recent video, commented how noisy it was, and that was when there was no singer inside.

It did not seem to be a place where we would like to stop and have a drink or a snack after riding our bikes.

Anyway, we will keep on enjoying our life in TV and see if Sawgrass improves. If not, we know a lot of other places that we enjoy.

Once they finish building and opening the entertainment square (once they get past whatever issue has stopped them from proceeding installing the rest of the awnings), Sawgrass Grove will transform into a happening place. Until then, I'm sure the businesses inside are losing a fortune.