When Satchel’s Pizza placed sixth in Kristin Chirico’s BuzzFeed article, “18 Pizza Joints You Must Try Before You Die,” it wasn’t a surprise to Gainesville residents.
Satchel’s, which has been tossing out slices of its now BuzzFeed-famous pizza for 11 years, has been considered a “Gainesville institution” since its doors first opened.
Satchel Raye, founder of Satchel’s Pizza, said he first heard about the BuzzFeed article through a casual text message conversation with a manager.
The pizza aficionado said Satchel’s stands out from the crowd because of its visually stimulating atmosphere.
The restaurant is decorated with quirky pieces of art and a vintage Volkswagen van that seats customers.
“I feel like all the other stuff is what makes us different,” he said. “The pizza is what people love.”
Jordan Borstelmann, a bartender at Satchel’s, said the best pizza he’s ever had has been at the restaurant.
He said the style and the attitude of the employees creates a great environment for customers to enjoy.
“People really feel comfortable,” he said. “They feel like they’re at home when they come here.”
Niko Cousins, a 20-year-old business management junior at St. Leo University, brought his girlfriend, 18-year-old St. Leo University marketing freshman Alyssa Mercadante, to Satchel’s for her first time on Wednesday.
“It’s something that people don’t really find everywhere, and I think that’s what people are looking for, something different,” Mercadante said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 7/24/2014 under the headline "Gainesville-famous pizza joint ranked ‘Try before you die’"]
Henry and Kim Hines went to Satchel’s Pizza for their first time Wednesday afternoon. The couple said they weren’t surprised at the restaurant’s high ranking on the list.
