16 Must-Try Restaurants in Jacksonville Beach, FL
Jacksonville Beach is a small coastal city in Florida. It is situated on the northeastern coast of Florida and is part of the Jacksonville metropolitan area.
You can discover many restaurants in Jacksonville Beach, from casual restaurants to cafes and bistros. You can try diverse cuisine during your visit.
If you want seafood, Italian, Mexican, or fusion cuisine, you’ll find a restaurant that suits your preferences.
Popular places in the city include Salt Life Food Shack, known for fresh seafood and a beach atmosphere, and Eleven South Bistro, which offers local and international flavors. For spicy food lovers, there’s JaxSpice.
Every restaurant in Jacksonville Beach offers a unique dining experience and reflects the city’s warm hospitality and love for good food.
Restaurants In Jacksonville Beach
Dockside Seafood Restaurant
Dockside is a seafood restaurant on 2nd Ave N of Jacksonville Beach. It sits on the east edge of the Jacksonville Beach Boat ramp, providing stunning views and a bustling boating scene.
At Dockside, they take pride in serving top-notch seafood. They work closely with local fishermen, all-natural shellfish farms, and suppliers of the highest-quality wild-caught products.
The menu includes various coastal favorites. First, you can enjoy a chilled smoked fish dip, fried fish bites, or fried conch fritters. For the main course, they offer grilled, blackened, or fried seafood, along with sandwiches and salads.
Dockside is a must-visit if you’re a seafood enthusiast in the Jacksonville Beach area. It’s a local icon that guarantees a great casual dining experience.
Brix Taphouse
Brix Taphouse is a bar and restaurant near the Seawalk Pavilion of Jax Beach. It has draft and bottled beer, craft cocktails, and wine.
The place is open every day, with different hours each day. They have special offers like tacos on Tuesdays, burgers on Wednesdays, and wings on Thursdays.
The bar has a lively atmosphere with trivia nights and live music. Brix Taphouse hosts private events on its patio, suitable for birthdays, work parties, weddings, and other occasions.
TacoLu
TacoLu is the most popular Mexican restaurant in Jacksonville. The building that houses TacoLu was initially built as a boarding house. They’ve maintained a charming architectural style while adding Mexican-inspired decorations and murals.
They present a range of tacos, salads, quesadillas, and enchiladas. If you love tacos, the menu includes fish, beef, pork, chicken, and veggies.
The restaurant has a fully stocked bar right there on-site. They serve high-quality tequila, Mexican beers, and a range of American brews and spirits.
TacoLu also supplies catering services for weddings and other events. They don’t take reservations, so getting there early is a good idea because it gets busy.
Salt Life Food Shack
Salt Life Food Shack is an extension of the Salt Life brand. Many people who enjoy diving, surfing, fishing, and the beach lifestyle proudly embrace the Salt Life culture. They often display the words “Salt Life” on their clothing, vehicles, and boats.
This flagship restaurant is right by the ocean in Seawalk Village in Jacksonville Beach. It’s the first of many destinations where beachgoers can gather with loved ones, savor delicious food, and enjoy refreshing drinks.
The restaurant’s casual and trendy open-air space welcomes everyone, and its diverse menu caters to various tastes and preferences.
Salt Life Food Shack is also your go-to place for lunch or dinner! Come immerse yourself in “the life” by sitting at the bar. Indulge in food and drinks, and above all, embrace the Salty spirit.
Cruisers Grill
Cruisers Grill is one of the best Jacksonville Beach restaurants, serving customers for over 20 years. The restaurant’s staff ensures consistency, fosters a sense of community, and delivers mouthwatering dishes.
You can discover Cruisers Grill in Pablo Plaza shopping mall in Jacksonville Beach. It became an instant hit for locals, tourists, and families.
Cruisers Grill is family-friendly, with good music, TVs, and affordable prices. You can enjoy the relaxed ambiance and delicious menu featuring burgers, salads, chicken chunks, milkshakes, and Tex-Mex favorites.
Jax Beach Brunch Haus
Jax Beach Brunch Haus is a locally owned restaurant on 3rd Street South in Jacksonville Beach. They serve breakfast, brunch, and lunch and have a full-service bar.
The owner, Dan Altimore, is called the “singing chef” because he loves music. He sings classic rock piano covers and opera songs for his customers.
You can try various menu options at the restaurant, including vegan and gluten-free choices. Popular dishes include Crab Cake, Texas Smoked Bacon, and Veggie Wrap.
If you have any event or catering needs, you can contact them. Jax Beach Brunch Haus will respond quickly.
JaxSpice
If you are looking for Indian food in Jacksonville Beach, visit JaxSpice. At JaxSpice, they specialize in North Indian cuisine. The restaurant’s food ranges from vegetarian dishes to exotic ones with rich textures and flavors.
Popular ingredients in Nepali and Indian cuisine include chilies, gram flour, mustard seeds, coconut, and yogurt. They use ghee, a toasty-tasting clarified butter, for cooking. Saffron adds flavor and color to rice dishes.
JaxSpice caters to your preferences, offering mild, spicy, or hot dishes. The menu includes Masala Chai, fish curry, Dal, Vindaloo, samosas, and puffed rice with yogurt and tamarind. The restaurant’s experienced Head Chef and kitchen team prepare everything fresh.
Enjoy unique flavors from India and Nepal with your friends, family, co-workers, or significant other!
Refinery Jax Beach
Refinery Jax Beach is a restaurant and bar at 831 First Street North in Jacksonville Beach.
It has four areas: Refined Dining, a fancy restaurant on the second floor with ocean views; First Street Pub, a casual eatery and a bar on the first floor; the Ocean Bar, serving refreshments to beachgoers.
Also, Marketplace & Lounge offers convenient and tasty chef-inspired options for open seating or grab-and-go, focusing on healthy choices.
You can enjoy American cuisines like soups, salads, burgers, pub favorites, desserts, cocktails, mocktails, and wine. Reservations can be made online or by phone.
On Fridays and Saturdays, there is live music. Actually, Refinery Jax Beach is more than just a restaurant – it’s a great experience!
Eleven South Bistro
As one of the best restaurants in Jacksonville Beach, Eleven South is located in South Jax Beach. It boasts a warm and elegant ambiance. The restaurant serves seasonally inspired world cuisine prepared by an award-winning team.
It perfectly balances a casual environment, friendly service, and exceptional menu offerings. The prices are reasonable for the food served.
Their standout dishes include the burger and shrimp appetizers. Take advantage of the delicious grilled octopus, highly recommended by patrons.
Indulge in their craft cocktails and wine by the bottle. Eleven South maintains a comfortable and inviting atmosphere where fine dining becomes enjoyable. It’s no surprise that many customers are repeat visitors.
Beachside Seafood Restaurant & Market
Beachside used to be a Shell gas station. It changed into a seafood restaurant and market in 1989. Today, Beachside has become a hot spot for lunch and dinner among locals and visitors.
They serve fresh seafood and provide excellent service. At Beachside, you can enjoy a lovely meal on their open-air deck.
Their menu offers seafood dishes, like grouper, crab cakes, and fish taco wraps. Also, you can buy local fish, crab, shrimp, and Florida lobster at their seafood market.
The seafood is filleted and sold on the same day, ensuring quality and freshness. While eating, you can watch the boats passing by and have a cold beer. The Beachside is the perfect place for any celebration or special occasion.
Beach Hut Cafe
Beach Hut Cafe is a famous breakfast and lunch spot at South Beach Plaza in Jacksonville Beach. It is a cute and affordable beach-style brunch cafe.
The beach murals cover the walls, and surfboards separate the restaurant sections at Beach Hut Cafe. You can choose from various seating options, like big picnic-style tables or seats at the bar.
The menu offers southern-style breakfast dishes, sandwiches, salads, waffles, pancakes, and hot dogs. Overall, Beach Hut Cafe is a must-try place for a traditional breakfast cafe with a beach atmosphere.
Mojo Kitchen, BBQ Pit & Blues Bar
Mojo Kitchen is one of the highest-rated barbecue restaurants in Jacksonville Beach. It was founded in 2003 and has eight North and Central Florida locations. The name “Mojo” comes from the Blues, and the restaurant has live blues music.
The menu at Mojo Kitchen has barbecue dishes like brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and smoked chicken wings. They also serve appetizers like rib tips, onion rings, and Frito pie, and sides like mac and cheese, collard greens, and baked beans.
For dessert, they have homemade banana pudding ice cream. Additionally, the restaurant’s liquor menu includes a whiskey and bourbon selection.
Mojo Kitchen hosts live music events with different genres. It can hold 210 people and is famous for concerts and other events. If you want a great BBQ experience with music in Jax Beach, visit Mojo Kitchen.
Graffiti Junktion
Graffiti Junktion is a burger restaurant and bar in Surfside Village. They serve 100% Angus beef burgers with various toppings. The menu includes nachos, wraps, wings, salads, and zucchini fries.
The restaurant has hand-painted graffiti by local artists on the walls and tables. They have a casual setting and a full-service bar. The friendly staff and high-definition TVs showing sports games create a welcoming atmosphere.
The restaurant has also won many awards. In addition to the Jacksonville Beach location, Graffiti Junktion has three locations throughout Florida.
Graffiti Junktion is open for lunch and dinner, offering daily specials and events. You can dine inside or on the patio, and even allow dogs.
V Pizza & Flask & Cannon
V Pizza and Flask & Cannon is a pizza spot and bar near Jacksonville Beach Pier.
V Pizza uses fresh ingredients and has a family-friendly atmosphere. As one of the best pizza restaurants in Jacksonville Beach, they serve authentic Italian brick oven pizza, wings, and gluten-free options. They also have a whiskey bar.
Flask & Cannon is a craft cocktail bar with a tiki bar menu. They bring back the historic Tiki Bar vibe and offer over 150 rum varieties. They serve cocktails with a tiki flair, like flowers and drinks in coconuts and pineapples.
Both places are in the same building, so it’s easy to grab a bite and a drink in a relaxed setting.
SoNapa Grille
SoNapa Grille is an upscale restaurant inspired by California wine country. They give contemporary American food with a focus on wine. The restaurant has three locations in Florida: Jacksonville Beach, Ormond Beach, and New Smyrna Beach. The Jax location can find at 2400 3rd Street South.
SoNapa Grille combines the flavors of Sonoma County and Napa Valley, two renowned wine regions. The restaurant has a rustic yet casual atmosphere that centers around wine. The staff supplies caring and knowledgeable service.
You can choose from different appetizers such as Three Cheese Asiago Bread, Baked Brie, Cotija Cauliflower, Lamb Lollipops, Korean BBQ Ribs, Napa Nachos, and Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops.
SoNapa Grille also offers brick-oven flatbreads, sandwiches, salads, and entrees like Grilled Filet Mignon, Atlantic Salmon, and many more.
Gusto Italian Restaurant
Gusto is a casual eatery in Jacksonville Beach. It offers classic Rome flavors. Walter Bianchi and Tonino DiBella own the restaurant. They love traditional Italian cuisine and use fresh ingredients. They aim to capture “a taste of Rome” in every dish.
Chef DiBella has cooked Italian food in many restaurants since 1986. Gusto makes all its pasta, pizzas, salads, and starters by hand. They use fresh, local ingredients and authentic Italian family recipes.
Try the flavors of Margherita pizza, crafted with ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil, and garlic.
Gusto has received positive reviews. People love the delicious food, great atmosphere, quick service, clean environment, and friendly staff.
FAQs
What types of cuisine can I find in Jacksonville Beach?
Jacksonville Beach has a variety of cuisines to satisfy all palates. From seafood, American, Italian, Mexican, Asian, Mediterranean, and more, you’ll find a diverse selection of flavors. The local food scene caters to different tastes, ensuring everyone can discover something they enjoy.
Can I find vegan or vegetarian meals at Jacksonville Beach restaurants?
Jacksonville Beach has several vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants. Some notable options include JaxSpice, Jax Beach Brunch Haus, and V Pizza, which offers a variety of vegetarian and vegan pizza options.
Are there any restaurants in Jacksonville Beach that offer outdoor seating?
Several establishments provide outdoor seating choices. Whether it’s a patio or a beachfront area, you can enjoy meals while immersing yourself in the lovely coastal atmosphere. Examples of such places include Salt Life Food Shack and Dockside Seafood Restaurant.
Do I need to make reservations at restaurants in Jacksonville Beach?
Making reservations is always good, especially during peak times or for famous restaurants. While walk-ins are possible, reservations can help ensure a table is available at your preferred time.
