Today is National Pizza Day! And, as you probably know, Mark is a pizza junky. He’ll find amazing Pizza wherever we travel.
So, today’s post, in honor of National Pizza Day, is only slightly out of order for the St. Augustine portion of our Southern Road Trip.
We spent our first day in St. Augustine wandering through the historic district- more on that in the next blogpost, we promise. While walking, we decided to grab some pizza for lunch!
2nd Best Pizza In the United States
During our planning, we came across Pizza Time, located in downtown St. Augustine. They advertise that they are ‘ranked the 2nd Best Pizza in the United States by TripAdvisor.’
Pizza Time
124 St. George Street
St. Augustine, FL 32084
They are located in the middle of the block, in a pedestrian walkway, surrounded by souvenir shops, boutiques, and restaurants. With multiple signs reading “Have you tried America’s Best Pizza’ and ‘2nd Best Pizza in the United States,’ it’s hard to walk by.
What to Expect At Pizza Time
In doing our research, there were a few things we knew.
1. There will be a line!
2. They are Cash Only! Okay, seriously? It’s 2022, for crying out loud! In their defense, at least they have an ATM.
Surprisingly, there was no line! So we made our way into the shop. They are known as a walk-in, New York pizza by the slice place, and didn’t disappoint. Beyond the line with a dozen kinds of Pizza and the cashier, you’ll find some tables off the right in an adjoining room.
We both have one major pet peeve, restaurants without clear, visible pricing! There were tons of signs identifying the different Pizza’s toppings, dozens of signs touting the ‘2nd best’ and even their Happy Hour All Day – but no pricing!
Our Lunch
For the sake of ‘research,’ we decided to splurge and share an Italian Potato Ball. Based on the sign, it sounded like its better known Latin cousin Papa Rellena, with the addition of Mozzarella Cheese. They also offer a more traditional Italian Arancini made with Rice, Ground Beef, Cheese, and Peas – Chuck’s not a fan of Peas, so we went for the Potato Ball.
It was crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside; the meat was nicely seasoned, it was just hard to notice any addition of Mozzarella.
We each ordered two slices of Pizza. While their Brooklyn Grandma Slice seems very popular, we opted to try a few others.
Mark went with a traditional Margherita and White Pizza with Mushrooms. Chuck opted for a Genova White Pizza with Roasted Chicken, Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Garlic and a Plain slice.
The Bottom Line
Surprisingly the Pizza is excellent! It’s well cooked with a nice crispy bottom, the dough has a good texture, and the toppings were delicious with plenty of them! They were really well made, from their sauces to the seasonings on each slice.
We attempted to break down the pricing based on the receipt printout, and here’s what we could decipher.
Large Fountain Drink – $3.50
Italian Potato Ball – $4.00
Plain Pizza Slice – $4.50
Specialty Slices- $5.95
So, a simple pizza lunch with one soft drink came to $29.85 before tax – not cheap but not outrageous for delicious Pizza.
We did find out later that the Trip Advisor ranking was from 2015. It appears that a similar Trip Advisor ranking happened in 2018, where they did not make the top ten. But, with a 4.4 Google rating and nearly 2,500 reviews and a 3 ½ star rating on Yelp and almost 1,000 reviews, they must be doing something right.
Given the pretty marginal Pizza we’ve had in many places in Florida, you definitely want to check out Pizza Time when you are in St. Augustine!
