Satchel’s Pizza

4 of us had separate slices of pizza (large) with individual toppings along with the salad. The salad is fresh not to sweet slices of apple and chopped just right. We followed up with 3 slices of their chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting (a must) that is made in-​house and is to die for. We got one order 4 pieces of the peanut butter chocolate covered bon-​bons. Dee-​lish. Service was excellent, prompt and friendly. I highly recommend this establishment.

Satchel’s pizza is an extremely cool place. The atmosphere is very eclectic and artsy. The food is somewhat overpriced. The salads are very good. The pizza is pretty good. It’s a heavier thicker crust than other places however it does taste good. The service is usually very good. It can get extremely busy certain week nights and especially on the weekends. You can plan on waiting an hour for a table on the weekends. They do have a cool place in the back that serves drinks and sometimes has live music. They only take cash but they have an ATM machine on the property. Satchels isn’t the best pizza in town but it’s a truly unique experience that everyone should try.

The pizza and draft beer here is really good! I was also very impressed with the setup of the place. There’s live music and a souvenir shop where you can buy novelty toys. The only drawback is you have to purchase everything with cash.

Fun atmosphere and great pizza!

I only order the salad and boy is it worth it! A most delicious salad and the dressing is just perfect every time. I always get the large and finish it by the days end. I recommend the salad to anyone who loves a slightly different salad.

I can’t ever go wrong here. I always get The Major pizza, which has a good amount of meat and veggies. The salad is very good also. You shouldn’t eat a pizza without their salad. Some places drench their salads with dressing, but I love how the salad has a little bit of dressing. Their service is really good and their servers are always on top of it! If you can, try to eat in the van at least once. It’s a different kind of experience.

What a cool place!
We came here after seeing Satchel’s listed as one of 14 restaurants you must visit in the State of Florida. It did not disappoint!
Your first impression — this place is dripping with atmosphere. It is kind of a groovy, hipster feel with lots of outdoor seating that is wonderful on a nice day. One table is actually inside an old hippy van. Very cool. There is inside steating too, but it is somewhat limited.
Atmosphere isn’t everything though, and Satchel’s had the food to back it up. The house salad was awesome – maybe 10 different ingredients, plus a secret house dressing. The pizza was amazing too, clearly being some of the best we have had.
The dessert menu is presented on an old fashioned VueMaster 3-​D viewer, which is a briliant idea. The $ 1 chocolate/​peanut-​butter bon bons are to die for…
If you are waiting for a table, you can walk around because the host stand will text you when your table is ready. There is even a gift shop in the back, with all kinds of unusual Florida souveniers.
Be warned — this is CASH ONLY, although there is an ATM on premises. Also, parking can be very tight.
You definitely need to try Satchel’s Pizza.

Thumbs Up on this place!!! Was visiting a friend in Gainesville and he took me to the most awesome and eclectic pizza spot that I believe I’ve ever been to. Not only did I like the look of the place… the salad and pizza i had was beyond deliciouses. I so wish i had a spot like this back home. When visiting Gainesville again… Satchel’s will definitely be first on my list for pizza!

The deep dish pizza is so disappointing. It’s basically a lot of bread with a thinnnn coating of the tasty red sauce and just as thin layer of cheese. Too thin. The menu says it already included extra cheese but it shouldn’t. It has barely enough cheese.
Aside from that huge disappointment, their regular pizzas are done really well and I LOVE the real sodas and that they offer a flight of 6 flavors of the sodas.
The cannoli are okay. Edible. I’d rather go to publix and get that $ 3 cone filled with almond flavored cream cheese magic first though.
The salad is amazing. Absolutely love the size, the ingredients, the everything. We always get a salad even if it’s excessive because we look forward to eating it later (how many salads get such praise?).
Is it worth putting a bumper sticker on my car, writing home about or anything? Not really. It’s still just pizza. But the fresh ginger soda and root beer? Yes. Worth inviting people over for to sip while sharing the salad (served family style).
Oh, and I really appreciate the toddler friendliness of the play kitchen corner, swings, lights and all. Tag teaming parents (one eats, one supervises) will find it unnecessary to bring toys or distractions.

I have been to Stachels several times now. My favorite thing about the place is the van outside and the fun atmosphere surrounding the place.
When it comes to food and drinks: The pizza is good, but I think receives a bit too much praise here on Unilocal.There are much better places around town like Blaze, BigLou’s and DoughReligion. There is a lot of crust and the cheese is not very tasty. Unfortunately, they also do not have chicken as a topping. I’ve never tried their salads.
The home-​made sodas are amazing, but you wouldn’t like them if you don’t have a sweet tooth, since they are more sweet than e.g. a coca cola.
Another problem is that they do not accept credit card (cash only) and the ATM in the restaurant charges something like $ 5 to make a withdrawal. There is no other ATM close by. The wait-​staff should make an announcement before people order, so customers can be prepared. Or maybe offer other payment options that are free (like venmo?). While I can understand the concept behind not offering credit cards, it is very selfish and not customer friendly. As I mentioned, there are SEVERAL options out there to offer at least debit card payments for free.
The service is sometimes hit/​miss. I’ve had amazing service, but at other times, the service is rude and doesn’t have any time.

This place is too good! Ugh, Gainesville, you are so lucky. I wanna wrap up Satchel’s to go, take them home with me, and transplant them somewhere in Kentucky.
I got the opportunity to visit this place for my birthday dinner and it was awesome. The total vibe of this place is such a positive one, no wonder they have die hard regulars, who frequent often.
They offer eating your chosen pizza in the main house restaurant, VW bus, tree house, or bar area. Deep down my heart was set on that treehouse or bus, but I settled for first available.
While waiting, you’re allowed to check out the area. Live music is always playing in the evenings. They also have an exceptional souvenir shop, filled with nostalgic childhood toys (spin tops, whoopee cushions, puzzles, whistles, silly putty, erasers, and so on).
The quirkiness, overall ambiance, and of course delicious pizza definitely deserves all five stars. You guys gotta check this place out next time you’re in the area. It is a must!

I really like Satchel’s! The hipster vibe is present but it is not too overwhelming. The servers are very friendly and take their time to explain the menu to you. Remember that it is cash only, but it has never really been a problem.

We visited during lunch time. We were seated right away. We had the lemonade which was ok. For homemade I expected something different. The wine and beer selection is not to bad. We ordered the calzone and two pizza slices. The food was delicious and fresh. The food held up to the satchels name and reputation.
The service on the other hand from our waiter specifically was disappointing. He seemed as if he did not want to be at work today. After being served by another staff member whom was friendly our original waiter never came back to check up on our drinks or if the food was to our liking. He seemed disconnected and uninterested in the satisfaction of the patrons.

Satchel’s is magic. It represents a big part of Gainesville’s culture yet somehow has options for everyone. Prices are reasonable, but make sure you bring cash as they do not accept cards. (There are ATMs but they require a fee).
There are options for everyone here– vegetarians, carnivores, gluten free, you name it. The owner, Satchel (surprise surprise!) is the real deal.
Come to Satchel’s for a slice of insight into Gainesville’s rich culture and culinary prowess.

Having been to Satchel’s several times now, I can’t say I enjoy the food as much as the ambience.
The décor in a way resembles a restaurant having been set up in the aftermath of some global apocalypse, with random car hub caps adorning the fence around the property, and various kitsch and cobbled-​together art from reclaimed construction materials and a VW van. Occasionally they’ll have live music, dancers, and other entertainment. Their selection of beers is great.
Their pizza isn’t nearly as great as I’ve been led to believe by the popularity of Satchel’s various bumper stickers. Piesano’s makes for a far, FAR better pizza experience. Honestly I can’t say what their other food is like because I tried the pizza alone anytime I’ve been there and was very unimpressed.
Based on my experience, Satchel’s is a nice place to dine with friends or coworkers, but go for the drink, not the pizza.

Went back to Satchel’s with a friend about two months ago and had a MUCH better experience. Ordered a pizza with a bunch of toppings and it tasted great. Also ordered their homemade soda — refills are free so we were able to try them all (the ginger ale was my favorite by far, and is made with real ginger)!
Service was excellent. I showed the waitress a picture of the bad pizza I had the first time around and she was SHOCKED the kitchen even sent something like that out! She said there must have been some mistake. I still don’t know why I never thought to question it… nor did the person I ate with. Luckily, the pizza on this second visit was how I had originally expected it to be. Eating in the main room also meant that servers were more easily accessible, and our waitress checked up on us throughout our meal!
My advice: Don’t ever get plain cheese pizza here (don’t ask how I got roped into doing that), and do try the soda. Also, be wary about eating in the «secret» back area — it’s cute, but you’ll be forced to order your pizza takeout-​style, so you’ll have to go back to the main area if you ever need anything. The main room provided a much better experience (the famous van is just outside and is treated like part of the main room, too).
5/​5, would happily do this again. I’m glad I gave it a second chance!

Yes Satchels YES! This will probably be one of the oddest restaurants you can go to in Gainesville. Just entering the parking lot, you will see odd art everywhere! And while you wait to be seated, there is a cute store that sells the weirdest nicknacks ever. After you get seated (either outside, inside, by the live band, or in the inside of a hippie van) you get to order THE BEST pizza in Gainesville. They even have vegan cheese for you vegans out there. And I am not too much into salads, but my goodness they somehow make it addicting!
This is definitely a place you want to check out!

This is quite honestly the best pizza restaurant in the state of Florida. It’s not because the food is phenomenal (which it is), but because everything about this place is unique, thrifty, and artistic. From their craft beer selection, homemade sodas, repurposed art, and cash only policy with ATMs that donate the service charge to charity, this place is one of a kind.
The satchels salad is a must. I’m mildly allergic to almonds but I still find myself cramming bite after bite into my face. The pizza, although a tad expensive, is delicious and can be customized with a huge selection of toppings. They have a great lunch special too! I’ve only had the cannolis for dessert (yes I left the gun), and they were prepared very well with a flaky crust.
The most impressive thing about my last meal: my girlfriend and I split a pizza and they literally split the toppings so precise it was amazing.
Goto satchels for and experience… Not just pizza.

Whether your eyes catch my writeup first or not, it should be said that reviews for Satchel’s Pizza (SP) are very turbulent. Satch is a guy who invests a ton of time into atmosphere, entertainment, eats, knick-​knacks, and a few other areas, the end result of which is, to be perfectly clear, an excellent experience worthy of praise. That said, I believe I can help make it clearer.
The Space
SP is pretty far Northeast on 23^rd Ave, just before the state road that’d take you to the airport. Parking can require some finesse in the main lot, as the room to maneuver is razor thin, but additional lots are available west of SP/​across the street for overflow though. The business is divided into two buildings: the one touching road is SP and the further back place is called Lightnin’ Salvage.
Even though they get busy, there’s a fair amount of seating for small and large parties. You may have to wait, but with ample room in Lightnin’ Salvage to hang out it won’t put a damper on your time here.
Reason #1 for why the recommend reviews yo-​yo so much: a large part of coming here, like anywhere, is the business as a whole. With SP, you’ve got the gutted 70’s mini «Wagon» with a table in it, the quirky and eclectic use of salvaged materials as décor, all the nostalgic knick-​knacks and goodies found in their shop, the heavy support of live, local performances out back, and a couple of other things I know I left out. For some it’s a «Wow so much to love!» type of place and for some it’s a «Wow…so much going on all at once» situation.
The Service
This’ll be an easy one: the service is excellent before being seated and if you happen to grab a beverage pre-​meal out back. The hostess stand is in front of the entrance to SP to stop any crowding on the inside, and they’ll give you a clear estimate on any wait time. After getting seated, their servers strike that just right balance of attention. On top of the aforementioned, even the process of ordering itself is easy because servers use smart devices to input orders. No errors, no confusion, no forgetting: love it.
The Food
Before anything else, I’ll cover my bases: living in Gainesville means dining here more than once. I like to explore the options so I have tried pretty much everything but the desserts (odd, too, because me and sweets are BFFs). All ingredients are mega-​fresh and the options are enough to suit anyone, ranging from the traditional, savory proteins to more veggie-​friendly items like local tempeh and vegan cheeses. They have a small selection of draft beers, some local, and it is noteworthy that they do make, from-​scratch, their own sodas (including one stevia-​only cola).
Here’s the skinny on my handful of trips:
— Satch Salad (B+): A garden of produce, including sweet apples and savory slices of nuts, bathed in a clean, vibrant house dressing. Add feta = yes.
— Calzones (A-​): Big, buttery, beauties stuffed with hot, melting cheeses. Generous portion of sauce on the side and you’re either rolling home with leftovers or literally being rolled home.
— Traditional ‘Za (B): Single slices are generous in portion, but a dense crust and thin amounts of cheese stop me short of best in show.
— Deep Dish ‘Za: (A+): Get it. Please get it? Pretty please? The already-​awesome ingredients are put on a pedestal that strikes the balance of fluffy and crispy: each bite delivers that savory crunch you crave, especially the buttery crust, while keeping the softness.
Now back to business: did you guess Reason #2 would be hiding here? Well it definitely is. Some take the name of this biz as an expectation that it is first and foremost a pizza place, so the pizza must be superb. Others (myself included) drop the name and pick up the menu. What I’ve noticed is that people throw hype at the food and, for some reason, what sticks for most is the salad (?). I’ll admit it: if the one and only time I came to SP I was laser-​focused on a traditional pizza slice and the «Satch Salad» I may very well be a little let down, but the standard pie is good (and an excellent salad is still… just a salad).
What you just learned from my personal notes above, though, is that everything else is even better. Those calzones keep with the generosity, but come correct with the portion of cheese and sauce. And, as if it weren’t clear, this is the absolute best deep dish pizza I have had in recent memory. The problem for a first-​timer is that you either have to
a) Not get literal «pizza» at a pizza place to choose their incredible calzones
b) Have to both hope they have, not be flying solo, AND convince 3 others to trust that the dynamo deep dish is the right decision (and yes, this includes the added cost)
Final Thoughts
It all boils down to how you weight the many pieces of this experience, and your own expectations versus the hype. Cut through the noise and trust your gut (read: tummy).

WHAT SORCERY IS THIS? How this place has only four stars is beyond me.
The whole building is art. You’ll see.
There is a bus that serves as a dining area for a large family or group.
There is a viewfinder for a dessert menu.
And yes, the food is a true experience.