Arun K.
Yelp
Doing a weekend getaway in Gainesville and heard a lot of hype and great reviews of Satchels. I saw various pictures of the atmosphere and it looked fun, so I waited to try it out myself as well. It was about a ten minute drive from my hotel near the university, and when I arrived, the main parking area was full. Luckily, there was another parking area with spaces, so I parked over there. When I arrived, I was quoted a 20 minute wait, which I didn't mind since I can explore the area. Saw the store, the playground, bar, and entertainment area, then came back to the waiting area 10 minutes later. They had a seat for me so I didn't have to wait too long. I was seated inside the main restaurant, which didn't have a live singer, but it still has a nice vibe without being too loud. For my drink, I went with the secret menu that had grape soda (that my hotel suggested to try... It was 3 dollars). It was homemade with real cane sugar. The grape flavor wasn't too intense and it wasn't too sweet either. My server recommended two slices, so I did both slices with meatballs, ham, bacon, and anchovies (6.50 each slice). It came at a reasonable time, and was a bit bigger than I expected. The toppings were generous, but I found the anchovies a bit salty and meatballs lacking flavor. The sauce of the pizza tasted basic, but nothing bad. The bacon and ham were fine. Even though the pizza wasn't extraordinary, it was still decent, especially for the price paid. The server packed the other slice for me to take back to my hotel. I also ordered a chocolate chip cookie togo, and for 2.50, it was a great size and tasty as well. Just the right amount of chips too.
The service was friendly and did a great job packing my food to go. They followed up quite a bit, making sure I enjoyed the food and atmosphere. A generous amount of napkins were provided when I asked for them. However, it seems the hype is from the funky and fun atmosphere. The indoor portion has various artwork, which some you can buy. There is another area that has a toy store and bar, as well as live music. The outdoors area is more fun, with a Volkswagen van you can eat inside, a playground area with various equipment, an airplane that you can explore, and even hammocks to relax in. There is plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors, and it is pretty entertaining no matter where you sit. Once you are done eating, you pay at the counter. Previously, it used to be cash only, but now they do take credit cards as well as Google and Apple pay.
I am glad I tried to place out. While the pizza was nothing special, it was still decent enough to enjoy the fun atmosphere. The prices are reasonable and the service was great. This is definitely a place to take the kids as they can have fun in the playground and climb in the van or airplane. The adults can enjoy the great vibe too as well as live entertainment when available. Parking and waiting can sometimes be a bit difficult, so best to go in the less busy season and weekdays. But it is definitely worth visiting at least once for the great vibe and decent pizza.