Dave's Pizza Garage — Restaurant in Tallahassee

Bottom line: Very good Buffalo-style pizza, which is distinctly different from what you may be accustomed to.

Back during Q1 2013, we came to a brand spankin' new Dave's Pizza Garage. It was the first week and I met Dave who was enthusiastic about his new venture. I remember a conversation with him concerning the high quality of his mozzarella. That conversation stuck with me, because I knew that he was purposeful and deliberate in creating the pizza precisely as he expected it to be.

Here's my take on the style: Thicker than NY, thinner than Sicilian. Airy crust, (I suspect high gluten flour), Heavy on the cheese, cooked at a lower temperature for longer (I suspect around 450).

Here's what we ordered:

small sundried tomatoes, feta, mushroom, red onion. large cheese 4 meat calzone Hot Cappy calzone (side of anchovies) one order of Nubbies.

Regarding the calzones - I think they presented very attractively. It looks like there might be an egg-white wash on the top, given the sheen (opinion, not fact). Regardless, the calzones are certainly the most attractive calzones I've seen plated in TLH.

The service was outstanding. The young lady who took our order at the counter was truly delightful. Friendly, she asked several times how everything was. I could tell she took pride in being on Dave's team. In fact, when I had initially told her we hadn't been since opening week, she said "Oh! - you must have met Dave then! you just missed him" It's very obvious there's a cohesive team environment here.

The decor is great. I like the feel of the place. I really do. Having a Ms. Pacman arcade game is pretty cool as well.

So... Come to Dave's. Enjoy his buffalo-style pizza.

Service was good, Ambiance was good, and the Food was good. Ultimately, I think we generally prefer the pizza styles we grew up with.

I appreciate Dave's Pizza Garage, and his dedication to his hometown's Pizza. Way to...

The food, the staff, the owner, the restaurant - to sum it up? Every meal I've had has been savory & flavorful, but not bogged down with too much breading or too soggy, too salty or too garlicky (etc). Each dish has combined the necessary elements for the perfect balance to make it luscious & appetizing, but not leave me rolling out of the restaurant or off of my couch like a giant bloated ball after eating because that "heaviness" caught up with me like some over-breaded foods do at other restaurants. I usually swing in for takeout, so I get to be a gluttonous foodie at home in pure bliss, but during my visits in the Garage and the other few occasions I've dined in with my family, I've really loved the charming ambiance of the entire design throughout the restaurant. The cute little stations and setups Dave has laid out for any family's with kids that, both, come in to order or dine in at tables, so they have a spot to read Dr Seuss books or have their fill at coloring as they please, is just so sweet in my opinion. My teenagers both though that setup was a great touch as well - shows such a family-oriented commitment to the entire service provided, not just to a profit margin. And as for the staff and Dave himself? Couldn't ask for a better group of people. You feel right at ease the minute you walk up to the Order counter like you're actually out having a meal WITH them, not from them, haha. Hands down, best Poutine I've ever had, and I've had food trucks serve it from San Fran, Bloomington, MN and Dallas TX. The Lugnuts are to die for. And yes, I suggest getting the Sharable size and then not...

First, I don't know Dave, but I'm from Buffalo NY just like Dave is. I heard Dave's story about bringing Buffalo pizza to little ol Tally, so I stopped in the other night with the Mrs, ordered a pizza and had a beer. Here's my review: The Good: 1. the cheese and the pepperoni on the pizza was very good. Dave uses fresh tasting mozzarella, and those little crispy pepperonis, they're great. 2. The beer prices are good. The prices are fair. The Bad: 1. The wait staff isn't so good, I ordered red sauce on the side, never got it. 2. The pizza dough doesn't taste fresh, tastes like it came from a bag or something, has a weird texture. 3. The pizza was underdone, the bottom crust wasn't brown, or crispy. We took home the leftovers and warmed them in the oven the next day- cooking the pizza until crispy improved it. 4. The pizza is bready and doughy-- this is not the NY style thin crust, it's practically deep dish, there's lots of not-so-good bread. 5. It took a long time for them to cook our pizza. We sat next to a group of 6 who waited over 30 mins to get their 2 pizzas, they kept looking around like 'whats going on here?' 6. Overall the pizza just wasn't very good, I cant say the pizza they're making represents 'Buffalo pizza' very well, I blame the crust. That's unfortunate, I really wanted to love this place, but I didn't. I didn't try the wings. I wish Dave well, but I wont be back soon, maybe my comments...