Max Gonzalez, founder and owner of Garden Street Bistro,
has been working in the food industry since he was 15 years
old. He started the same way many of the greats do… bussing
tables, washing dishes and doing prep work for the kitchen.
From the first restaurant where he worked—an Italian one—
he went on to become a pizza chef. As he followed his dreams
of opening his own pizza place, he was led to the Island.
He found a great location and started planning the buildout
needed to serve pizza. As the plan developed, the timeframe
for completing construction kept getting longer and longer.
While he was gutting the kitchen and revamping the courtyard, customers kept piling in
asking for pancakes, and he soon realized he had a real opportunity on hand… so he quickly
built a breakfast kitchen. Within a month he was open for business at what we now know
as Garden Street Bistro!
Starting with pancakes and eggs in January of 2020, patrons now enjoy all sorts of delicious
breakfast, lunch and brunch foods at Garden Street Bistro. The kitchen is famous for their
french toast (crafted from brioche made by Max himself), Southern inspired biscuits and
gravy, and fresh takes on omelettes, like ones with Hawaiian and Caprese flair. When you
go, you’ll enjoy the beachy, relaxed atmosphere, located in Historic Fernandina with charm
galore and flowers everywhere. Max and his team look forward to having you there!