How Ya Dough'n Is An Oasis Of Creativity In Suburban Sprawl
It's also fun to say
COVID was…a special time. Normally sane people decided hazmat suits were perfectly acceptable attire for the grocery store. Grown men were doing TikTok dances. And for some reason, we all got really, really into sourdough. Now, most of us let our sourdough starters die like a neglected house plant. But for a select handful, sourdough starters changed their lives.
Such is the case with Garret Goodman, who rather than walk-shaming his neighbors decided to devote his lockdown life to sourdough. COVID brain also convinced Garret and his wife Gabby to buy a backyard pizza oven. You see where this is going? Next thing you know, they’re getting a cease and desist order from their Boca Raton HOA, because the lines of cars for their pizzas were upsetting the neighbors.
Realizing their pizza’s popularity might cost them their house, the Goodmans’ opened a little pizza shop in Boca Raton called “How Ya Dough’n,” a name I dare you to say without doing a terrible Goodfella’s impression. I happened upon their location in Coral Springs, desperately looking for something creative in a sea of generic four-story apartment complexes.
OOOH…sourdough pizza?? Next thing you’ll tell me I should drive to Coral Springs for matcha too. Why’s this place special?
Look, we wouldn’t usually call a place with four South Florida locations and a fifth in Las Vegas a “hidden gem.” But when you’re surrounded by a desert of generic suburban awfulness, this place feels like an oasis of taste. But it’s not just “good-for-a-place-in-a-hideous-mixed-use-apartment-complex” good. It could make a claim as the best pizza in Broward county not owned by a former Panthers’ goalie.
The scene: Is like a neighborhood pizza shop, if that neighborhood was built by a multi-national homebuilder. While the surrounding blocks are painfully blah, How Ya Dough’n feels neighborhood friendly, with a few bench tables surrounding a pizza counter and open kitchen. Locals sit enjoying small pizzas for lunch, while the Goodmans – or whoever is in charge that day – converse with them between taking orders. Everything inside teems with the familiar aroma of baking pizza, much like you find in gritty slice shops. Except the place is Broward County new construction clean.
What to eat and drink: Every meal must start with the dough bites, to get an idea of how good Goodman’s dough really is. They could be a meal on their own, so be careful to save room for pizza.
The pizza’s a brilliant mix of Neapolitan and Brooklyn styles that brings to mind Miami spots like Eleventh Street Pizza, or a more-approachable version of Lucali. How Ya Dough’n is also unique in that it matches its cheeses to its toppings, rather than just covering everything in mozzarella.
For example, The Savage comes with mozzarella, fontina, smooth flavors to complement pepperoni, garlic, and hot honey. The Sausage and Garlic is covered with pecorino and parmesan, whose tang is offset by heat from Calabrian chilis and spices from the sausage. For Portnoy-style purists, The OG with mozzarella, Havarti, crushed tomatoes, and basil shows How Ya Dough’n knows what its doing without any fancy toppings.
Perfect for: Casual lunch or dinner if you’re in North Broward or southern PBC.
Don’t miss: The Drunken Balls pizza. It’s like a pasta dish on a pizza, where meatballs, basil, and vodka sauce topped with ricotta.
Expect to pay: $20-$25 per person, depending how much you eat.
How’s the parking: One upside of being in a generic apartment complex is you’ll find abundant retail parking in the complex’s garage.
@howyadoughn // 3260 N. University Drive, Coral Springs