Frog's BBQ Pad: Gainesville, FL

This review is dedicated to every BBQ lover that had that one gasping, sauce dripping, fall off the bone BBQ experience they will never forget and will compare every BBQ place they visit in the future to that particular experience.
There is a small shack about 10 miles west of Gainesville in the rural town of Williston. I have now confirmed from my own experiences with food that the local shacks in every small town usually make the best comfort food and put the most care in their food. They don’t have time to make the place look pretty because they are making sure the food tastes the way its supposed to taste.

Frogs BBQ Pad is one such shack that makes mouthwatering BBQ. Don't worry, no Amphibians were harmed in the making of this BBQ. Their specialties include, ribs, pulled pork, beef plates, and classic BBQ sandwiches that set your taste buds ablaze. They have sides like fried okra, homemade baked beans and other Southern favorites. My favorite items on the menu would have to be the gigantic titanous beef ribs and the pork plate because they are cooked to absolute perfection and the portions are large. For about 10 dollars, you can get a 1/2 lb of "fall off the bone" ribby goodness or a mound of delicious pulled pork smothered in sauce in between two pieces of garlic toast. Now there is a good amount of sauce on the BBQ itself when it comes out, BUT you can always ask for more and what you get is quite a surprise. One of the employees will hand you a Styrofoam cup filled to the brim with their tangy smokey, thick BBQ sauce so you dunk and dip your BBQ in it as much as you’d like. You may become so drunkenly obsessive with this BBQ sauce that you may find yourself drinking the cup of sauce rather than your cup of Coca Cola.

The atmosphere is not much to look at from the outside. Off of Highway Route 27, you'll see this little rugged shack from the road and its dusty parking lot. When you enter, you’ll see there isn’t much room for sitting: a couple of tables and a long antique green velvet bench. When you order, you have to speak through a small window barely big enough for the employees face to fit through. This tactic makes me think that these people take their BBQ seriously, and like to keep it a secret. That is what is so magical about good BBQ; people go to great lengths to protect their recipes and keep their guest wondering.

Take a chance on this place. The food is full-bodied, and you can tell that someone behind that mysterious window put alot of time into making it. Trust me when I say that you will leave there full and belly-busted so that you can go home and pass out on the couch watching Seinfeld completely satisfied.

Nippon Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi. Jupiter, FL

This is probably my favorite restaurant in my hometown of Jupiter, FL. I’ve been a regular customer there for more than 15 years.

Nippon is a small Japanese Steakhouse settled close to the beach in the corner of a crowded plaza. Its one of those hard to find nooks in Jupiter, but every time I want it I can taste it immediately from pure memory. I think there is a little soldier in my brain who hides behind the grey matter and sets off food grenades every time I think of this place. You would not expect much from the outside, but when you’re inside you automatically feel drawn in.

*Nippon is a great place to take your family, friends or go on a date. There are several sections of the restaurant you can choose to eat in. Even in such a small from the outside, there really is a ton of space inside. Here is a list of the different sections of the restaurant*

A. The hibachi grill- for those of you who don't know, a hibachi grill is a huge sizzling iron grill that the Japanese use to cook large amounts of food on at the same time. The chef cooks the entire table's food in front of its guests and uses tricks with his knives and food to entertain the guests.
B. Regular tables- you can order anything on the menu and have it made in the kitchen or the sushi bar to have brought to you.
C. Traditional Japanese tables- authentically eaten upon in Japan, these low to the floor tables allow you to sit on the floor and order both sushi and any other menu item. No shoes allowed.This is great to try if you like something more unique. No other Japanese restaurant in Jupiter or surrounding town has this type of seating style
D. Sushi bar- watch the owner of the restaurant, a great sushi chef make the freshest pieces of raw fish you have had in a while. I still think that most of the places in Palm Beach County don't have as fresh of fish as Nippon. I recommend the spicy tuna roll, the spider roll or the Jupiter roll.

When you walk in you hear the chimes ring on the door announcing your arrival to a totally different country. If you are lucky you will be welcomed by the owner's wife who is a family friend of ours and is as sweet as could ever be. She makes such an effort to make sure her guests are at home and on special nights she will even wear an authentic Japanese kimono. The entire staff is well known for remembering their customers and their menu favorites when they return.

*The main menu besides the amazing sushi consists of hibachi meat dishes such as hibachi steak and chicken, scallops, shrimp, Filet Mignon, etc.
*Each hibachi meal comes with a starter of clear onion soup or crisp ginger salad. The homemade ginger dressing for the salad, is good enough to drink. Of course I always attract stares from the customers as I literally pour the remainder of the dressing at the bottom of my salad bowl down my gullet.
*Along with your starter, you receive a giant pile of delicious fried rice and vegetables cooked right in front of you. The portion sizes of rice are big enough to make 50 pigeons explode after a wedding.
* The meats come next and are always tender and fresh. Especially the shrimps and filet mignon. The combination of terryiaki sauce, soy oil, butter, lemon, and the leftover flavors from the charred grill when the rice and vegetables were made...makes these items extraordinary.
* Its always a treat to see the hibachi tricks the chef does for the audience of the table as well, making a starter fire which will almost singe your eyebrows off and a volcano made of onions. *
*May I recommend as well, if your dip happy like me ...to dip all your foods in the ginger and seafood sauce that they provide you with. Although called seafood sauce, I put this creamy, garlicky sauce over everything on my plate. and i mean EVERYTHING.


One of the things you can count on with Nippon is that they never run out of Sake, and the sake they use is so incredibly smooth. It is very easy to drink down a few bottles and find yourself face planting the concrete as soon as you say goodbye to the waitress.

Its a cozy place that you can always come back to and expect a good meal. The food never fails, which is why for me the 15 years has passed by so quickly. As for price, the sushi is reasonably priced ranging from 5-14 dollars just about. And the dinners from about 12-30. ALL IS WORTH IT and ALL IS AUTHENTIC. SAYONARA.

Satchel's Pizza. Gainesville, FL

Owned by the same people who run Leonardo’s pizza in Gainesville, this place really extends the word strange to a different level. Satchels can be spotted from the street with its jolly Christmas lights lit all year round. It’s usually a crowded place so while your waiting you can admire the decore from the outside and inside. Take a gander at their junk store called Lightning Salvage. There you can buy a beer or a soda in the glass bottle and shop for a few of the hundreds of little fun trinkets they sell that date back to your childhood. Tops, bouncy balls, horns, tiny action figures, flip books, fake mustaches for every day of the week, puzzle boxes, and dashboard Jesus's (the list goes on). Enjoy a live folk band playing every week in the bar next to the shop.

When you can finally sit down to eat, you have a choice of eating outside on a patio (including inside a hollowed out legendary Hippie bus) or inside the restaurant. If you prefer inside like me, its a really cozy space. Decorated with countless pieces artwork on the walls and mobiles hanging from the ceiling, your eyes eventually wander to the menu. The pizzas range in size from a slice to THE MAJOR ( 4 toppings) and you can order from 30 different toppings. I would definitely recommend the spicy sausage or steak n’ onions on your pizza and make sure you sample the crust of the pizza because it has a distinct garlic and olive oil taste with a moist center. Try the salad as well; its famous at Satchels and smothered in a homemade balsamic dressing. You can buy the dressing in bulk at Lightning Salvage if you drool over it like I do. But don't try to ask for the recipe, the dressing is top secret and locked in a safe somewhere underground with a polar bear carrying a chainsaw guarding it. A small salad is big enough for 2-4 people to ravage over. Like Leonardo’s, they don't skimp on portions; a great way to keep their customers coming back.

Now the thing to remember about Satchels, in my opinion, is that it’s the atmosphere that makes the good time for its visitors. The pizza is great but its what’s around you that makes it memorable. On your way out pick up a free bumper sticker to promote the restaurant and express your undying goofy teenage love for the place. They are all a little different. Mine reads " ATCHELSAY IZZAPAY"…that’s pig Latin for Satchel’s Pizza.

(One more thing to remember, BRING CASH, this is a cash only joint but they do have an atm inside if you happen to forget. Its a great place for a date or a big dinner with all your buddies). Parking spots can be difficult to find on the weekends so carpool on Friday and Saturday if you can. Enjoy!

Leonardo's Pizza. Gainesville, FL

Id like to start here because it was the first place I went to eat when I was a starving freshman at the University of Florida, just dying to gain those expected 15 lbs for every entering student. Leonardo's is known in Gainesville for its pizza, soft doughy rolls with garlic sauce, and its Indie feel.

This little joint has more than just your average mafia pizza place with the 3 basic toppings of pepperoni, sausage, and cheese. It lacks the crabby Italian waiter staring your table down from the kitchen. This place offers an odd and different experience. Using 2 large scalding pizza ovens, the topping varieties skyscraper to such selections as: The spin tom ( tomatoes, basil, and white cheese), the Greek, the Florentine ( my personal favorite: a mix of spinach, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, mozarella cheese, and fresh tomatoes). They even have pizzas for those that are vegetarian or vegan...although no offense to the proud vegans, but I can't imagine a pizza without real cheese. And of course for the classic pizza diner, they have excellent Pepperoni, sausage, and cheese toppings. Other than pizza, Leonardos offers a variety of pastas and salads with homemade dressing. And may I recommend the organic salad served with raspberry vinaigrette or just the basic garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Absolutely delicious and again its fresh tasting and the dressings are made right in the restaurant.

I would have to say though, that my favorite item at Leonardo's..are the rolls. Made fresh daily, these pizza dough rolls are crispy on the outside and hot, moist and doughy on the inside. You can literally tear the roll apart leaving moist strings of dough in the middle. Just like a Pillsbury commercial, where you are ripping apart one of the doughboy's cousins. And the garlic sauce is great to dip the rolls in or even pour on your pizza.
***Warning: garlic sauce is so good that you may find yourself drinking it in shots***

What really makes this place unique is something that is found throughout Gainesville. Gainesville is almost a refuge, at least the downtown area, for those who follow the Indie culture. This can include people who cover themselves in tattoos, wear tight pants, cut their hair purposefully uneven, and listen to that music that you can't exactly put your finger on. But somehow, despite the love for the extreme, these young people have an amazing knack for cooking. Leonardos is one such place that exhibits this in its customers and employees. I like it because when you walk in, you are welcomed by real cooks, not a chain gang of uniforms with chicken hats. You get real people taking your order, and you sit with real people. There is nothing artificial about this place, and what you see is what you get.

With the good, there is always the bad. One of Leonardos best characteristics is its LOCATION. On the corner of 13th street and University Avenue,this location is possibly one of the most crowded intersections and therefore it draws alot attention and drooling customers. Its also less than 100 ft. from campus, so you have the constant waves of undergraduates dragging their feet in and causing a chaotic experience at the ordering counter. I have been known to get hot -headed about the ordering situation because there is no specific organization for a set "line". Generally during the week however, its a pleasant atmosphere. The bottom line, however, is that no matter how long you wait, the food is the pacifier.

As far as price? Just be ready to spend no more than 10 or 15 dollars on everything. By everything I mean a slice of pizza, a drink, 2 rolls (or more), and a salad. A really reasonable price which gives you A LOT of food for A LITTLE cash.

One of the things I always look for in restaurants is the amount of food you get with the price. Are their any sides? Does it come with anything? IF it doesn’t, it had better be pretty damn good by itself! Luckily most of the items on the menu allow you to sample some of the garlic rolls free of charge. If it doesn't however, a couple of rolls don't cost more than 3 dollars.


An adventure in itself when you open the door, Leonardos will leave you crawling back for more. How do they make their rolls so moist, and their dressings lip-smacking and their pizza toppings so fresh? It’s a mystery, and one of the best mysteries I have encountered in Gainesville, FL.