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Back at the Broadway
Sarasota’s famous dive bar gets a facelift—but is the legendary pizza as good as ever?
By Judi Gallagher
Diners don’t like change. Witness the Broadway Bar. Like many other eating and beer- consuming joints that started out as a bit of a dive and then expanded and quite nicely cleaned up, The Broadway Bar rose from humble beginnings to become an icon to Sarasota. The wealthy and not-so-many- pennies-in-their-pockets gathered for pizza, cocktails and to discuss everything from the humidity level to the concerns of downtown expansion.
One common thread among all the regulars was the pizza. I don’t know how many times people e-mailed or called me about the pizza at the Broadway when I began writing about food. When the Broadway shut for what became two long years, people waited in anticipation for the new building. At last it opened, and for some, the boo hoo of no longer being a dive is too much. There has been much hoo ha about whether the Broadway is the same and will ever be again.
A dive no more.
Here’s what I found:
The pizza is great. The sausage sandwich was pretty good but could have used more peppers and onions, and the antipasta salad was worth ordering again. Did I mention the pizza was great? You have to understand, it is not New York pie, nor is it a pizza that you would find in Naples, Italy. But, it is Broadway’s staple and I will certainly be back for more of the salty cheese topping and crisp crust. Mixed reviews on service, so best not to go on a busy Friday or Saturday night. One more things about change: It happens. We need to accept that eating at the Broadway bar is now cleaner and prettier- you want dive quality go to The Packinghouse and get a burger and a bottle of Bud.
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