These days a lot of meals are eaten on the run, fast-food chains have long made it easy to grab something on the go, and recently even finer restaurants have gotten in on the action. I love it when a local company is able to capture the same efficiency as a national chain and provide a quality product. Townies Pizzeria in Fernandina Beach is doing just that, combining digital technology, fresh ingredients, and a sense of community.
Dance classes and play rehearsals with the kids, as well as various professional obligations, keep me on the move most of the time. It seems that time runs through my fingers faster and faster every day. I am grateful for restaurants like Townies for taking some of the fuss out of feeding the troops.
My family and I have loved going to Townies since the early days when we would pound on bongos while we waited for our pizza. Having the app on our phones makes placing our order anywhere simple, and we can receive notifications when our order is ready for pick up, just like the big guys. Whether it’s on the net, over the phone, or in person, the service is always friendly.
At heart, I am an analog man in a digital world; when I want to order pizza, I still call it in. On this sunny but cold afternoon, I was headed home from a doctor’s appointment, so pizza pickup was the call. My phone had conveniently “un-downloaded” the app to save space, so after a quick digital search, I touched the call tab and moments later I was greeted by a real person who took my order in seconds. My pizza would be ready for pickup in fifteen to twenty minutes. Townies is a unique pizzeria in the area because they have a drive-thru window, which makes picking up orders a breeze.
Finally home with our food and after a long afternoon of Jacksonville traffic, I was happy to not have to worry about preparing dinner. This time I tried something new, the Dirty Dina Pizza. For background on where this pizza’s name originates, I’ll only guide you to Urban Dictionary, but suffice to say it is delicious despite its dubious name. Fresh homemade dough is tossed out and spread with Sriracha sauce, topped with meatball, bleu cheese crumbles, sausage, and onions, with an extra sprinkle of mozzarella on top. I also got a Greek salad and an order of garlic knots to split between us, not a bad way to feed four people.
Townies Pizzeria has become a part of the Fernandina Beach community over the years and is dedicated to supporting a wide variety of local charitable organizations, worthy causes, and events, especially those involving the arts, education, athletics, environmental needs, and supporting the military and emergency service providers.
Whether you are looking for lunch, dinner, or a late night snack, take-out or delivery, Townies has what you need. Located at 819 TJ Courson Road between 8th and 14th Streets, Townies is open Tuesday through Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. during the week, staying open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.