Hungry for some local food on your way to a show? Want a cool “locals only” spot to visit after the finale for dessert and conversation? Check out these local hot spots recommended by Thrasher-Horne Center staff members, and let us introduce you to the best our area has to offer! With Thrasher-Horne Center Food Finds, we plan to bring you a bi-weekly spotlight that will turn your simple night at the theatre into a full-fledged event that you and your guests will remember for years to come!
In the 2012 documentary Jiro Dreams Of Sushi, we are introduced to 85-year-old Jiro Ono, who runs a modest, 10 seat sushi bar tucked away in an inauspicious corner of a metropolitan Tokyo subway station. He is soft-spoken, unassuming… and considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. Patrons clamor for a reservation to dine at his restaurant, scheduling visits months in advance to partake in a dinner that is controlled solely on the whim of Mr. Ono (for there are no menus at Jiro’s small bar). Despite his humble restaurant and its humble location, Jiro has proven one thing to the global restaurant community: that sometimes the greatest of life’s achievements can manifest themselves in the most unlikely of places.
Perhaps this is an overwrought analogy for Infield Pizzeria & Sports Bar. Or perhaps not.
How else do you explain the overwhelming popularity of a tiny pizzeria situated in an aging brick strip mall beside a gas station deep within Orange Park. And yet here it stands, serving simple and informal lunch and dinner fare in an unpretentious space with the strong support of the community that surrounds it. It’s not uncommon to see Thrasher-Horne staff dining there, as well as many of our guest artists. In fact, Melissa Etheridge, Bill Engvall, and the kids from R5 have all enjoyed Infield’s cuisine while in town!
But Infield isn’t your typical corporate pizza-in-a-box business. It is unabashedly mom-and-pop. It prides itself on it’s uniqueness and character. Instead of gimmicks and marketing schemes, Infield focuses on the customer experience and, much like Jiro, on serving up the best food possible in their humble restaurant in its humble location. And in the shadows of 295 and Blanding Bouevard, this approach to dining couldn’t be more refreshing.
Be sure to include Infield as part of your next night out with the Thrasher-Horne. They are situated a stone’s throw from the front doors of our building (earning the award for Most Convenient Local Restaurant), and they’ll be sure to treat you like a regular, and feed you like a king.
Check out our photo series below to see why we have the utmost respect for our Italian, folksy, beer loving neighbors to the south…
The Deets:
Phone
(904) 298-0890
Location
330 College Drive
Orange Park, FL 32065Hours
Sun-Thurs 11a – 10p
Fri-Sat 11a – 12a
As a special offer to readers of our blog, Infield Pizzeria would like to offer 10% off your pre- or post-theatre meal! Just flash a Thrasher-Horne show ticket or playbill to your server to take advantage of this deal!
This place is full of personality and love for the community.