Pinegrove Market in the Jacksonville, FL

Pinegrove Market

1511 Pine Grove Avenue

Jacksonville, FL 32205-8919

 If you look up the Pinegrove Market online, you will find rave reviews for this little cafe/meat market. Some people claim that Pinegrove offers the best salad and sandwiches that they (the online reviewers) have ever had. The market is tucked away in the older, charming Jacksonville neighborhood of Riverside. As a matter of fact if you are not looking for the Pinegrove Market it is very easy to pass.

 My first visit to the PGM was with a friend of mine to pick up some fresh steaks for a cookout. This is a true neighborhood market that features the finest steaks, grocery items, limited beverage options, and you can also get either a breakfast or lunch at the walk up counter. PGM is located on Pinegrove near the college campus. If PGM is busy (which it often is) you may need to plan on sitting outdoors on one of the benches they have provided. This is where I had to sit due to the 3 indoor tables all being full.

 When I first walked in I was not exactly sure what I was going to order. From my history of eating here I do remember that they have a great Cuban sandwich available. In the past I have also had a really thick ham sandwich. For lunch the items consist of either a salad, a sandwich or a wrap. Since I tend to shy away from salads and enjoy bread (more than I should) I decided to get a sandwich. Upon looking at the menu I saw the chicken salad and thought to myself that I could enjoy a good chicken salad sandwich on white bread. My question to the guy behind the counter was if I could sample the chicken salad. If I get a taste for chicken salad in a restaurant I will always ask for a sample first. Even if I have had the chicken salad at that place before I will still ask for a sample. The reason for this is that depending on how many chefs or cooks that they have, the chicken salad may vary from person to person. My tastes for a chicken salad are very particular. Not too much on the celery, very light on the onion (if any at all), not a fan of the mustard (unless it is done just right)…As you can see I am picky, but since I am buying it and eating it then I can be. There are some places that will not give you a sample of the chicken or the tuna salad. They use the excuse of pre-measured meals. This I think is bunk. Your restaurant should be able to offer a sample of such items, in my personal opinion.

 After my sample of the salad I was impressed with the smooth and wonderful flavor. So I placed my order at the little counter in the back, grabbed a can of Diet Coke, and a small bag of Sea Salt & Vinegar potato chips. Since the inside literally had no seats available I told the staff I would be outside the front door on the bench. In Florida you have maybe a couple of dozen days of the year you can sit outside. It is either too hot, too wet or for a couple of days of the year too cold. This day was just fine. I sat there nibbling on my chips and watching the cars pass by on nearby Park St. After almost 5 minutes or so they brought me my lunch. It was just what I was looking for. The taste, the atmosphere and day was wonderful.

 After I was finished with my meal I sat to enjoy the day for just a little while. Then I decided to ‘bus’ my bench (if you will). Taking my garbage inside to the nearest trash can, as I looked around, there were still no tables available. Standing at the cash register waiting for the cashier to come and take my money, I could see that they offer local bread for sale. The cashier came and asked me of my meal, was it good and was I happy. To both my answer was yes. Then he rang me up, and now I had a bit of ’sticker shock’. Although the meal was really good, I did not expect to be charged almost $10 for a chicken salad sandwich, a small bag of potato chips, and a regular can on Diet Coke. Doing the quick math on this I figure the Coke is a buck and the chips (I hope) were not more than a dollar and so that would mean this sandwich was over seven dollars. Yes it was good, but few (basic) sandwiches are worth that much.

 Overall I was happy with my visit. I will go back. But on my next stop I will be more aware of the cost of what I order. In the past having had breakfast at The Pinegrove Market, I may have to stop back in just for that.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com