"We visited Carmines Pizza House for lunch while traveling through Jacksonville. We arrived at 11:30 and although the parking in front of the restaurant was full, we had no problem getting a booth to eat at. But by noon the place was full. We were greeted by a pleasant gentleman who invited us to sit any place we chose. He then left menus with us and we perused the specialty pizza section looking for something safe and something interesting. The safe choice was the Home on the Range pizza; basically a meat lover 's pizza. The interesting choice was Da Bomb. It 's a pizza with blue cheese, chicken, and jalapenos with a drizzle of hot sauce. Both pizzas were really good. The crust was not soggy and had a nice crunch when biting into it. The Home on the Range was meaty deliciousness on a tasty tomato sauce and Da Bomb was aptly named for its spice. I shared both pizzas with my granddaughter and she picked off the jalapenos because of the heat, but otherwise loved the pizza. The taste of the blue cheese is quite pronounced, so if you like the funky taste of blue cheese mixed with the heat of jalapenos, you will enjoy this pizza. My wife played it much safer, ordering the lunch special: two slices of pizza with a drink. She ordered pepperoni and black olives, which are her favorite pizza toppings. The lunch special is a good deal and the pizza slices are pretty big! The atmosphere of Carmines Pie House is cool. There are lots of things hanging from the ceiling or tacked to the wall, quirky things you might find in an antique shop or on the side of the road. The peculiar decor makes dining here fun. Our food server was very friendly and attentive. She checked on our table several times after bringing our pizza to see if we needed anything. My impression is that the people at Carmines Pie House are hard working and enjoy what they are doing. We all were glad that we stopped by Carmine Pie Shop for lunch. It 's always a risk trying something new, but this time is paid off."
