Ten years after Al Fresco jumpstarted Pensacola's food truck hype, The Garden is blooming

You may remember the hot grilled oysters from Shux Oyster bar, fresh fish tacos from Taco Z or balsamic soaked Hazy Goat grilled cheese from Gouda Stuff in downtown Pensacola’s original outdoor dining food court. Now, over 10 years later, the vendors may have changed, but the open-air food court is still going strong.

Al Fresco started out in 2013 as a food truck gallery on the corner of Palafox and Main but rebranded as The Garden nearly four years ago. The vision for the open-air dining experience that was Al Fresco was heavily inspired by the mobile food scene in Austin, Texas. The food park was intended to offer not only good products, but a good experience in a beautiful dining area.

The structural upgrades made during the rebrand from Al Fresco to The Garden brought popularity in new waves, thanks to the addition of a covered roof and high-powered ceiling fans. The protection from the sun while still catching a breeze made it a dining destination for the city year-round.

“Ever since we did that, the reception has been unbelievable,” Michael Carro, Pensacola commercial realtor and managing partner of The Garden, told the News Journal.

The transition to The Garden also called for much stricter criteria for the businesses such as previous business experience.

With the change came an update in vendors, now the sole vendor at The Garden who remained from Al Fresco is Tex-Mex vendor, Calavera Tacos.

Carro emphasized creating a diverse dining experience where you can find something for everyone. Right now, a lunch at The Garden will offer a variety of Mexican, Vietnamese, Asian, Peruvian, Hawaiian and Southern comfort cooking along with specialty coffees, boba teas and desserts.

Diner Isabel Miner raved about the easy access to typically hard-to-find Latin American foods done right ? such as yuca, empanadas and tamales – that remind her of her family’s Columbian heritage.

“You don’t find that enough,” Miner said. “You usually know a lady, who knows a lady, who sells out of their house.”

The smell of the street food vendors also reminds here of the street food scene in Columbia, that is filled with outdoor street food dining.

The wide variety of kiosks also make it perfect for outings with friends, especially indecisive ones.

“Here, we can get whatever we want and still be together,” said Gracia DiStefano, visiting Pensacola on a college spring break trip with friends over a Buzzed Brew coffee flight.

For business owner Paul Nguyen, who celebrated the opening of his restaurant Eurasian Bistro, The Garden was the perfect place to launch his second location. While he has perfected his menu at his original location at 10015 N. Davis Highway, he is able to reach more people during the work week with his location in the “heart of Pensacola.”

“I jumped at the opportunity,” Nguyen said. “I have been looking for years for the right fit.”

While there has been plenty of change in vendors the past few years, The Garden has served as an opportunity for businesses looking to get their start, many of which have expanded into larger businesses. The biggest example is Pearl & Horn, which has since expanded into a larger, full-scale restaurant at 1504 W. Intendencia St. after seeing success in the cozy corner of The Garden.

Carro considers situations like that a “success story” and was even able to work with owners George and Luba Lazi to find a larger space for their popular restaurant. Others have followed a similar course of expansion, like SaBai Thai on Jefferson Street who operated Esaan Thai Street Food out of the Garden, and Mr. Pollo on Ninth Avenue who operated Boca Latin Kitchen. Carro said that another popular vendor, Melt Pensacola, was “wildly successful” at The Garden, but left because they found they had enough business from the lunch rush alone and didn’t need the longer hours. Sometimes when a lease isn’t renewed, it’s because of the tenant’s success, according to Carro.

“The turnover sometimes is good,” Carro said. “It’s rarely because of a lack of sales.”

The lease arrangements vary, but kiosks will typically sign on for short-term leases, such as a 12-to-18-month arrangement. The bar and brick-and-mortar restaurant will aim for longer, such as five to 10 years.

Your guide to The Garden in 2024:

All About Boba

The bubble tea craze has spread to downtown Pensacola with new vendor- All About Boba that just debuted in February. The menu ranges in refreshing beverages, like the iced dragon fruit black tea to the rich and creamy milk teas like the taro. Customers can go crazy with customizing their perfect beverages, from the base to the toppings and popping boba pearls.

Bluefin Poke

Bluefin Poke founder Bom Barnard brings the best of the Pacific Coast to the Gulf Coast, with signature poke bowls highlighting Hawaiian cuisine. At Bluefin, the fresh ingredients speak for themselves and are packed with flavor. Items like the Cali bowl, packed with salmon, green onion, ponzu lime sauce, spicy aioli, sesame oil, orange tobiko, avocado, crab salad, watermelon radish, crispy shallot and nori, harmoniously blend to provide an explosion of flavor in one light and refreshing bowl.

Buzzed Brew Coffee

Buzzed Brew Coffee owner Crystal Millard has made a name for herself in Pensacola’s electric caffeine community for three things: white coffee, lotus energy drinks and coffee flights. Each month, Millard crafts a special menu that allows you to try four different flavored drinks. For the month of March, Buzzed Brew is offering a “Lucky Flight” containing four custom drinks: White Pistachio Latte, Nutty Irishman, Irish S’more and a Zero Lucks Given Lotus.

Calavera Tacos

Calavera Tacos, one of the original vendors of Al Fresco, brings fast-casual Mexican fare to the heart of downtown Pensacola. It features house-made guacamole made with authentic Mexican spices, burrito bowls and fresh tacos, like the C Taco, made with slow roasted pork carnitas, nachos, quesadillas and burrito bowls.

Champs Nashville Hot Chicken

Champs likes to keep dinner spicy, with a Nashville hot chicken sandwich so hot you have to sign a waiver. However, even if spice isn’t your thing, you've got plenty to choose from. The light breading, tender chicken and house Champ’s sauce set the vendor apart from its competitors. While you're there, don't forget to try a cup of macaroni and cheese on the side or a key lime pie cup for dessert.

Downtown Dessert Bar

One of the newest additions to The Garden, the Downtown Dessert Bar, is a one-stop-shop for sweet treats after a lunch or dinner at one of the other vendors. Some of the standouts include authentic Italian gelato and sorbetto, cheesecake, mochi and macarons (including gluten-free macarons.) Whether you’re looking for something refreshing and fruity or decadent and rich, the Downtown Dessert Bar is sure to have something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Eurasian Bistro

In The Garden’s sole sit-down restaurant, Eurasian Bistro not only serves Vietnamese food, but tells the story of Vietnamese culture. Led by owner Paul Nguyen, the restaurant dives into sandwiches, salads, soups, rice plates and noodle dishes, as well as specialty drinks, like dark roast Vietnamese iced coffee and pastries such as the Vietnamese baked banana cake. Not only is the food worth the trip, but so are the cat robot servers that deliver and bus plates to the tables.

Flip-n-Yaki

Flip-n-Yaki is an Asian fusion food truck with items that a tribute to owner Tony Banawa’s family’s tried and true Filipino recipes. His menu touches various Asian countries, such as Thailand, Japan and Korea, with items like his teriyaki chicken plates and Korean short ribs. Banawa created the Flip-N-Yaki as a way to gather with family and friends over hot homemade meals.

Jumping Lomo Peruvian Cuisine

Jumping Lomo founder Ronnie Gonzales is a trailblazer in bringing Peruvian cooking to downtown Pensacola.  Gonzales switched from his career in dentistry to bring homestyle Peruvian dishes to Pensacola, proving that Latino food goes beyond burritos and tacos. His stand boasts a wide variety of traditional dishes, including the chaufa (fried rice) and the namesake, the Jumping Lomo, a stir fry dish comprised of sautéed sirloin steak, onions, tomatoes, Peruvian yellow peppers and spice.

Perennial Patio Bar

Filled with vibrant shades of pink, teal and floral patterns, Perennial Patio Bar has been described as the “fun, energetic little sister to Garden & Grain,” which is the cocktail concept connected to Perfect Plain Brewing Co. While can you get beer, the stars of the show are the specialty cocktails, some of which come frozen for a hot day. Perennial recently debuted frozen flights, in which you can choose between flavored frozen margaritas or frozen lemonades.

The Pensacola Store

The Pensacola Store, The Garden’s sole retail shop focuses on local goods that capture the Pensacola experience, said owner Cheryl Galavitz. Some of the local products include DeLuna coffee, East Hill Honey, Sealey Sauce Company hot sauce and PensaCola soda. Aside from the edible options, the shop offers magnets and decorations using images from local photographers, and other home goods, such as wine glasses.

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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Al Fresco now The Garden food truck court blooms in downtown Pensacola