Garage Pizza first opened back in 2015 in an old gas station in Downtown Vero Beach on Old Dixie Highway. Chef Michael Lander along with his son and culinary grad student Dylan, opened this wood fired pizza oven concept to much fanfare. Chef Michael, still passionate about fine dining from his days at The Moorings, decided to move on and open Michael’s Table in Orchid Island Brewery, and let his son Dylan run the restaurant by himself. Dylan had an amazing opportunity present itself in Colorado Springs that he couldn’t pass up, so they decided to close the restaurant. Fast forward to late 2020 and an opportunity to bring Garage Pizza back became a reality. In the same building as Michael’s on 7th was an open retail space that would be perfect for the new location. Garage Pizza is now partnership between Chef Michael and two long time associates of his, Chef James Foerst and Jessica Smith. After completely renovating the space, they officially opened in November 2020.
Now let’s jump right in and see what this place has to offer and what I had to eat!Front EntranceDining RoomThe Wedge – It’s made with Sweet Gem Romaine Lettuce hearts, fire roasted tomatoes, Shallots, Pancetta, and topped with their housemade Green Goddess Dressing. The lettuce was very fresh and crisp, the tomatoes were really sweet, and the Green Goddess dressing was so creamy and flavorful!Wings – The wings are fried and tossed with the sauce of your choice. I had buffalo and they were quite tasty! They had a slight crunch on the outside, the inside was moist and tender.Wood Fired Meatballs Appetizer – Five meatballs are topped with their housemade tomato sauce and covered with Mozzarella cheese. It’s then baked to perfection in the wood fired oven! The meatballs were a little bit larger than a golf ball and had good flavor and texture.Go Pig or Go Mojo – A hand tossed style crust is topped with Mojo garlic sauce, Mozzarella cheese, braised pork, Housemade Pickles, Prosciutto, and topped with a Sofrito Aioli. The description on the menu instantly grabbed my attention since I LOVE all those ingredients and I just had to try it. First bite was so full of flavor, I couldn’t wait to take another one. The pork was very tender, the housemade pickles were tangy, sweet, and had just a tiny bit of heat. The Sofrito sauce swirl on top was creamy and delicious!
Thomas Miller, known as “The Treasure Coast Foodie” and “The Foodie Guy,” is a celebrated food blogger, owner, and Editor in Chief of The Treasure Coast Foodie Blog, as well as the host and producer of Holy Grail Eats, where he spotlights one-of-a-kind restaurants and exceptional “Holy Grail” dishes. With ten years of experience, he has reviewed over 300 local restaurants, and his food photography captures the appetites of tens of thousands of followers each month. As the Official Foodie Insider for Visit Indian River County, Thomas champions local dining culture, sharing his insights with a loyal following of over 125,000. His expertise has also been featured in the luxe publication Coastal Drive Magazine. A Google Maps Level 8 Local Guide, Thomas has shared more than 4,000 photos, viewed over 100 million times, and his Foodie dining events rank among the Treasure Coast’s top culinary experiences.
Thanks Thomas, another excellent review. Keep up the great work… in good taste, of course. Best regards, Bob Craig