JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Pinegrove Deli is family owned and operated. “Pinegrove has been entrenched in Avondale and Riverside for many years,” owner Nader Bajalia said.
But, this go-to lunch spot wasn’t always a restaurant. “We were established as a butcher shop and small grocery store,” Bajalia said.
The business was started more than 60 years ago by Nader’s father, and decades later, they still hold on to their roots.
“We are butchers, we make our own steak that goes into that, and we grind our own hamburger everyday -- those are very popular items here,” Bajalia said.
It’s a place where neighbors, families and friends gather for lunch as regulars.
Trevor Villal works at Pinegrove Deli. “Working other places you don’t see the same people often, but working here you see the same people 3, 4, 5 times a month that come in or on a weekly basis or daily basis.”
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When people come in, they’re not patrons, they’re family. Nader and his family remember people by name, what they eat, what they drink, and it gives that very special feel of a true staple in the community.
“We have second and third generation families eating with us that are from this community,” Bajalia said. “They grew up here, they’ve left and come back, they’ve stayed here.”
People who come in years after being gone -- Nader says the expression on their face -- the happiness and disbelief that the restaurant still exists is unmatched. Their website reads: From the moment you step into the door, you’re taken away to a deli and butcher shop with an “old world” charm.
And those ties and traditions make this First Coast Gem more than just a restaurant, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience.