Hot Spots for Florida Tech Foodies

I have a confession to make: I’m a bona fide foodie.

If there was a support group for the food-obsessed, I’d be there making the rounds at the snack table. While everyone may spend their cash on games, clothes and event tickets, I save my money for restaurants, food trucks and fast food establishments.

Despite my love for delicious cuisine, there are many eateries I haven’t explored in Brevard County. When I lived at the northern end of the county, I rarely went south of U.S. 192. Now that I’m settled in Palm Bay, I realized I have missed out on a lot of cool places.

Florida Tech’s location is one of its best assets. It’s near downtown, the city mall, tons of awesome tech companies, the beach and best of all, the restaurants! So, in my adventures going back to college, I consulted with students on their go-to haunts and many of them said the same thing: Old School Pizza and Broken Barrel Tavern.

Old School Pizza

Old School Pizza is difficult to miss. A stone’s throw from campus off Babcock Street, this pizza parlor boasts epic Nintendo sign artwork and an enthusiastic sign twirler. Walking into the place makes me feel so nostalgic about my younger times when losing a video game was my biggest problem. The menu is filled with pizza, calzones, salads, sandwiches, pastas — you name it, they have it. The lunch special is the best deal in town: $6 for a full meal and a drink. It’s truly an FIT affair when you come to this joint, as you’ll see a professor to your left and a group of students to your right. As soon as I first walked through the doors to this place, I was hooked. Dare I say, it’s the best pizza you can get in Brevard. I think the biggest selling point is the prime location. Old School one of the few eateries within walking distance of campus, so it’s easy to grab a slice between classes or on a lunch break. Sometimes I daydream about those garlic knots…

Broken Barrel Tavern

When a girl first hears the words “Broken Barrel Tavern,” she might imagine a bar in the Wild West with clinking glasses and patron fights. Oh, that’s just me? Well, going to Broken Barrel off of Palm Bay Road was actually a treat. The building is spacious with a lot of tables, a giant bar area and pool tables for some extra fun. Food items include the regular salad, wings, sandwich combo, but what they specialize in is barbecue. Give me a pulled pork with fries (which are shaped like chips — so cool)  and jalapeno corn bread from this place, any day. The owners of Broken Barrel are Florida Tech alumni, which is great not only for college pride, but these guys are also constantly supporting the university with tavern decorations, as well as attending and supplying food at athletic events. My favorite night out here is Trivia Thursdays. Trivia is another love of mine. Food and a knowledge competition? I’m there!

So there you have it. Two fine establishments for the Florida Tech community and beyond. Hmm … what time is dinner again?