Pizza Dynamo — Restaurant in Jacksonville

As a Jax native who loves the idea of a thriving downtown, I was really excited to try this place, especially since my wife and I only have a few pizza places in town that pass the test.

Service - people were very nice. It’s the South, though, and that’s a baseline expectation. Only downside is that this place isn’t built for families. They didn’t even have high chairs which I’ve never seen for a place with that much seating.

Atmosphere - probably a cool vibe for gamedays and going out with the friends. The place was loud and felt chaotic. Hey, if you’re looking to emulate NY culture along with the pizza, though, then the goal was achieved. Nothing wrong with that.

Food - oh boy, where to start. Massive letdown. It’s greasy bar pizza that is well overpriced unfortunately. It’s $25 for a basic pepperoni whereas you’d receive a much more refined pie for 20% less at V Pizza, for example. The sauce was of high quality and it was cooked with a nice char on the crust, but that’s where the positives end. The actual dough itself was heavy/dense rather than light/airy. The salty grease oozed off the pizza and it was just too tough to stomach more than 1 piece. The garlic knots weren’t event knots. They were braids and the dough also was way too heavy/dense. They could have been assault weapons. We ate a few bites of the garlic knots and enough pizza to not go to bed hungry.

Bottom line: the target demographic for this place, as it stands today, is the demographic that’s at Pour House with alcohol compromised taste buds. Unless there’s massive improvement in the pizza itself, there’s no need to go out of your way for a slice here.

Edit: revising down to a 1 based on the owner’s overly defensive response and passive aggressive closing remark. I understand passion, but I didn’t need an education on pizza. Your customers aren’t ignorant just because they don’t like your pizza or have a different perspective. I never said V was NY style. I used V’s a comparison on price only - and their pizza, again, is a more involved pizza. As for how NY style should be cooked, yes, you are right, and I’m well aware having eaten some of the best slices in NY. However, I can tell you the dough was definitely not made with the right ratio. Not only was it present with the pizza, but the knots were brick...

Update 6/17/25: I was invited back by the owner for a re-do and was blown away by his service and attention to my group. He had the pizza set up and waiting for us when we arrived. This is especially helpful since we are visiting during our lunch hour at work. The pizza was delicious and I appreciate the owner making sure we had a vastly improved experience this time. We did! We tried the Arthur Ave and the Fig Jam and Bacon pizzas. They were delicious. As someone who grew up in NY, it's hard to find authentic NY pizza. While many get close, they might actually be making the real deal. Much, much improved and we will be back!

Went in for the soft opening today, which starts your expectations low, but even with low expectations, it still managed to be a train wreck. Over an hour wait after ordering for slices of pizza, orders completely wrong, and people coming in after people had been waiting forever getting their order much faster. Do they have a lot to learn? Without question-customer service, pizza cooking time-not burnt or undercooked. How to address the customers when things go wrong? 100%. Rather than make any effort to apologize for the massive delays and mixups and try to entice people to return again, we were told we just need to expect delays because they use fresh ingredients. Further, they said they were surprised by such a large crowd, but one of their employees was proudly and loudly discussing her social media efforts to advertise their opening. Not sure how you are surprised when you made efforts to advertise you were open. Nevertheless, what a missed opportunity to turn this complete failure into a customer service win. Invite everyone to have a free drink or slice next time to get them back and prove you can do better. Don't blame customers wanting food for your delays. I had high hopes for the first new downtown lunch option in awhile. Something they easily could have excelled at, customer service, they completely dropped the ball. Hope they learn and make significant improvements, but given all the ways today went wrong, not sure how likely that will...

To Our Valued Customers in Downtown Jacksonville,

As the proud owner of this pizzeria, I want to take a moment to share what goes into crafting the experience we offer every day. This place isn’t just a business to me—it’s an extension of who I am, born and raised in New York, where pizza is not just food; it’s a way of life.

My partners and I have journeyed through the streets of NYC, tasting countless styles of pizza to bring the very best to Jacksonville. We source our flour directly from Italy, ensuring that each bite is packed with authentic flavor. It’s a labor of love, and my team and I have spent countless hours honing our craft to ensure that every pizza we serve is a taste of the passion and tradition we cherish.

I understand that not every meal may meet your expectations. After all, we’re still in the early stages of this exciting venture and learning every day. Any new business faces growing pains, and we are no exception. We've hit the ground running, and your enthusiasm has been the fuel that keeps us going! Yet, I sometimes find it disheartening when individuals are quick to judge or tear us down for imperfections.

Constructive criticism is valuable and welcomed, but I urge you to consider that this restaurant, like any living, breathing thing, is a reflection of our/your community. We are striving to create not just great pizza but a sense of belonging and connection in this wonderful town of Jacksonville.

It’s easy to forget that behind every pie is a team working tirelessly to serve you better. We want to create an environment where people gather, share stories, and enjoy great food. If you experience a delay or someone misses a beat on service, I ask you to remember that we are all human, just like the vibrant community we aim to serve.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we navigate this journey together. We’re committed to improving, and I am excited for the many delicious moments to come.

With gratitude,

Jeremy Owner, Pizza Dynamo

P.S. Apologies (not really) if I get snarky. It...