By Charlie Pogacar
Vincent Sebastian has always loved pizza, and he has always loved music. His pizzeria, Burn Wood Fired Pizza in Berlin, Maryland, serves as a testament to that.
The shop resides about 10 miles inland from Ocean City, Maryland—a beach destination—but invites year-round foot traffic by doubling as an intimate live music venue, complete with a house PA system. The pizzeria also hosts open mics, trivia nights, local collaborations and other events that have helped take it from a small DELCO operation and turn it into a community hub.
“I play music, just as an amateur,” Sebastian told PMQ. “It’s very rare you see me get up on the stage, but I’ve just always been a fan of supporting music and arts….Just like pizza, it’s an art.”
Sebastian opened Burn Wood Fired Pizza in 2016, but his roots in the industry go back much further than that. While Sebastian grew up in Salisbury, Maryland—very close to Berlin—his uncles owned pizza shops on the Jersey Shore. During summers, he folded pizza boxes for his uncles, earning a penny per box.
After spending years in Colorado and Hawaii, Sebastian made his way back to Maryland. “I clicked my heels and said there was no place like home, and came back, moved back to the beach,” Sebastian said.
He had been introduced to wood-fired pizza during his travels and wanted to bring something like that to the Maryland coast. Using his uncles’ New York-style pizzas as a guide, Sebastian developed a traditional pizza menu that would be a bit unique in Berlin. “A lot of places here around Ocean City use that white Wisconsin cheddar cheese,” Sebastian said. “That would be a sin to my uncles. It is a bit of a different world down here.”
The shop is built around a Forno Bravo wood-fired oven that had to be assembled onsite due to its size. There’s no traditional hood system, and most of the menu is handled by the oven itself. “Everything is cooked and burned in that oven—our wings, meatballs, pizza—but it’s a very simple menu,” Sebastian said. “Our main focus is pizza.”
Beyond the food, Sebastian believes it’s the live events that have helped set Burn apart from other area pizza joints. “I look at it as a marketing tool,” Sebastian said. “It’s a way to connect with people and kind of bring like-minded people together…and it’s also another way to reach out to people and bring new people in who might not have made the trip to come out and visit us.”
Some shows pack the house—Sebastian specifically mentioned one headlined by the Lower Case Blues as a big draw—but he said other nights are hit-or-miss. That’s not really the point, though, he added. “If I get even one new customer from a band playing and they come back and they tell somebody else about the pizza, that’s the win in my book,” Sebastian said. “Some nights it can be a bit of a break-even thing, but I think it ultimately drives sales.”
Sebastian’s passion isn’t limited to the stage. He is deeply involved in every aspect of his restaurant, working up to seven days a week and cultivating a team-oriented kitchen culture that’s rare in the high-turnover world of restaurants. “I try to create the most comfortable environment possible,” Sebastian said. “[If a band isn’t playing], we’ll put some music on in the back and…I have extra air conditioning in the kitchen so that we’re working in the best environment possible.”
Ultimately, the experience of it all—whether it’s for team members or patrons—is what Sebastian is after.
“Burn Wood Fired Pizza is more than just wood-fired pizza, it’s a vibe,” Sebastian added. “We’re not just tossing dough—we’re creating a space where music, community and incredible flavor come together. Every live performance at our restaurant transforms an ordinary night out into something unforgettable. Whether it’s a local indie band or a soulful acoustic set…the energy is always high. I always say, ‘Come for the pizza. Stay for the music. Leave with a story.’”
