--- title: "The Best Restaurants In Jacksonville - The Infatuation" url: https://stacklist.com/card/01f27884-e3bd-44b3-9f75-2cec097637a0 source_url: "https://www.theinfatuation.com/jacksonville/guides/best-restaurants-jacksonville-florida" stack: https://stacklist.com/c/travel/stack/791fc366-7527-402a-9825-91a365e02972 summary: "Best Restaurants in Jacksonville is a dining guide featuring top food and beverage establishments across Jacksonville, Florida, including Ecuadorian street food, artisanal cafes, farmers markets, and omakase sushi. The guide highlights the city's diverse culinary scene, from traditional Southern food to multicultural cuisines and 30 breweries along the Ale Trail." tags: "restaurants, jacksonville-florida, dining-guide, food-culture, local-cuisine, craft-beer" key_entities: "Jacksonville, Florida (location), Murray Hill (location), Five Points (location), Riverside (location), Tinseltown (location), Chancho King (organization), Brew (organization), Riverside Arts Market (organization), Norikase (organization), The Infatuation (organization), Emily Bloch (person), Michael Glass (person), Ecuadorian cuisine (concept), omakase (concept)" classification: "reference" content_hash: "sha256:1ead9571b28fb6237474cea717ae1d38349812dd1c2493487bf40892dce88d26" acp_version: "0.2" token_counts_approximate: 4828 visibility: public agent_accessible: true status: "final" --- # The Best Restaurants In Jacksonville - The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Jacksonville - Jacksonville - The Infatuation Filter JAX Guide The Best Restaurants In Jacksonville Where to get great sandwiches, sushi, craft beer, and more in Jax. Save spot Save photo credit: Michael Glass Emily Bloch April 9, 2026 Jacksonville is a small town in spirit: historic districts throwing porch fests, roadside boiled peanuts and honeydrippers, beach towns with dueling overstuffed-sub shops, and surf shacks full of the freshest Mayport shrimp and dayboat scallops. But it’s often overlooked among travelers, unless they’re coming to town for a Jaguars game. A few days of eating and drinking through Duval County will show you what a mistake that is. Traditional Southern food fused with multicultural cuisines, new restaurants from out-of-state transplants, and 30 breweries along the Ale Trail are all part of what makes Jacksonville an exciting city to eat and drink in right now. THE SPOTS Chancho King Save spot 1120 Edgewood Ave S, Jacksonville, Florida 32205 $ $ $ $ Ecuadorian Murray Hill Perfect For: Brunch Casual Dinners Impressing Out Of Towners Up until 2023, Chancho King was a food truck that would park outside block parties and breweries throughout Murray Hill. Today, it’s one of the best casual lunch and dinner spots in the area with a menu full of Ecuadorian street food—a cuisine so hard to come by in Jacksonville that it’s not uncommon to see someone drive across town just to snag their pork sandwich. There’s a nice selection of natural wines at dinner, and if you’re celebrating a birthday, ask for the steak cake, which is exactly what it sounds like: a steak with candles. Because for the longest time, Chancho didn’t have an oven to bake desserts in. They also host Ceviche Sundays, a weekly a la carte seafood feast with build-your-own bowls and smaller plates like skate cheeks and charred octopus. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Brew Five Points Save spot 1024 Park St, Jacksonville, Florida 32204 $ $ $ $ Bakery/Cafe Five Points Perfect For: Breakfast Coffee & A Light Bite For a shop whose catchphrase is “not bad,” you’ll find that Brew—a cafe that’s lasted a decade on the ever-changing Park Street in Historic Five Points—is pretty special. It’s a great spot for getting some work done in a booth or people watching at the bar, and there’s no shortage of things to order, like eggs sandwiched between slices of Texas toast or inside a halved pimento cheese kolache. Those with a sweet tooth should try the viral cakes made with seasonal jams and ribbons of buttercream. In the colder months, Brew makes giant marshmallow cubes that get torched before topping hot chocolates and lattes, and on the warm days, the shop cuts its cold brew with freshly squeezed lemonade. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Riverside Arts Market Save spot 715 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, Florida 32207 $ $ $ $ Market Riverside Perfect For: Classic Establishment Dogs Kids Located under the Fuller Warren Bridge, RAM is a weekly community market that runs from 10am to 3pm on Saturdays. There are the requisite produce stalls, candle booths, and all kinds of art, but most importantly, RAM has some great food vendors, too There’s the vegan Seitanic Jax with seitan sandwiches and smashburgers, Backyard Buffalo , a small-batch Indian dairy with shrikhand and mango lassi, and Little Black Box , which sells jars of local jam. On a nice day, take your haul for a riverfront stroll or head a little further under the bridge toward Artist Walk Skate Park to watch a shred sesh. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Norikase Save spot 9734 Deer Lake Ct, Jacksonville, Florida 32246 $ $ $ $ Sushi Tinseltown Perfect For: Date Nights Fine Dining Jacksonville isn’t exactly an omakase town. But this spot inside an unassuming Tinseltown strip mall is as good as any bigger city spot. Diners at the 10-seat bar chit-chat casually with each other for the two-hour-long experience, occasionally asking: “Wait, are we still in Duval?” And while the ingredients include high-end cuts of hamachi toro and fatty tuna shipped from Japan, the kitchen doesn’t take itself too seriously. An oopsie order of too many Granny Smith apples turned into apple kimchi that topped a smoked yellowtail on the fall menu. And just to confirm that we are, in fact, still in Duval, there are still some uniquely Jacksonville touches, like a hybrid take on sinigang and miso soup that nods to the state’s large Filipino population. READ THE REVIEW RESERVE A TABLE Community Loaves Save spot 1116 Edgewood Ave S, Jacksonville, Florida 32205 $ $ $ $ Bakery/Cafe Murray Hill Perfect For: Breakfast Coffee & A Light Bite Sitting Outside Stepping inside Community Loaves feels like visiting your baker best friend who gave you the spare key to their apartment, down to the creaky hardwood floors and scents of sourdough wafting through the space. Community Loaves is a staple of the Murray Hill community, and a great place to take out-of-towners to show that this city can actually be charming. There’s limited seating inside, but plenty of tables in the garden where you can admire the neighborhood cats. And if you order the egg sandwich, add honey mustard and pickles. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Sushiko Save spot 3620 Saint Johns Ave, Jacksonville, Florida 32205 $ $ $ $ Sushi Avondale Perfect For: Casual Dinners Walk-Ins Vegans This casual Japanese spot is ideal for a weeknight dinner without a reservation. There are two menus: one with everything, and one that’s 100% vegan. You’ll find a huge list of vegan appetizers and entrees with mock meats on the latter, as well as rolls filled with spicy tofu, vegan cream cheese, and buffalo tempeh—no lazy avocado rolls in sight. Whether you’re real fish, meat, or plant-based, there’s a ton to try, so plan on coming back. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass 13 Gypsies Save spot 887 Stockton St, Jacksonville, Florida 32204 $ $ $ $ Spanish Riverside Perfect For: Date Nights Classic Establishment Night On The Town Birthdays Dark, moody, and with fewer than 10 tables total, 13 Gypsies is perfect for special dates and celebrations. It’s a tapas spot, so be prepared to order a table’s worth of small plates, plus a pitcher of sangria. Save room, though, for the daily risotto—one day it’s pea, goat cheese, and haddock, and the next it’s carrots and parmesan. Most importantly, don’t skip the tres leches for dessert. Reservations are strongly recommended, though 13 Gypsies is extremely offline (their website hasn’t been updated in years), which means you’re going to have to pick up the phone for last-minute requests. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Falafel x Bar Save spot 4162 Herschel St, Jacksonville, Florida 32210 $ $ $ $ Seafood Avondale Perfect For: Casual Dinners Sitting Outside Drinking Great Wine With shelves of natural wine, bowls of sumac-dusted fries, and a large patio space, Falafel x Bar is extremely conducive to day drinking. This Levantine spot doubles as a wine shop, and is perfect for groups of friends who prefer snacky plates over structured entrees. Swinging by for lunch and grabbing a falafel pita to-go is a solid midday idea, but we recommend it most for dinner in the garden, where you can graze over a tinned fish board of spicy sardines, chickpea salad, pickled veggies, and a bottle of Spanish red. Bonus: dining in gives you access to the loaded toppings bar. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Sub Cultured Save spot 10 Donner Rd, Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233 $ $ $ $ Sandwiches Atlantic Beach Perfect For: Lunch Sitting Outside The Jacksonville area and its neighboring beach towns have plenty of sub shops. Angie’s, Lubi’s, Sun Deli, and Surfwiches are all local favorites, and everyone has their own allegiance. Ours is to Sub Cultured, a walk-up window in Atlantic Beach that’s a cut above the rest. Fan-favorites include the Fuego Philly—their take on a cheesesteak with jalapenos and hot peppers—and the pressed cuban with mojo pork shoulder. Whichever you choose, make sure your meal includes an order of crinkle-cut fries. We like the ones smothered with grilled onions, cheese whiz, and animal sauce, a play on In-N-Out. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Mesa Save spot 4260 Herschel St, Jacksonville, Florida 32210 $ $ $ $ Indian Avondale Perfect For: Impressing Out Of Towners Big Groups Date Nights At Mesa, the chef still goes out of her way to greet every table five years after opening. Marigolds fill the space, which is made up of a cozy living-room style dining room, a bar, and a spacious patio with string lights. The seasonal menu blends South Indian food with Southern comfort: think shrimp and basmati grits served with masala-dusted fries, sticky wings, and “naanchos.” The cocktail menu is hard spirit-free, but relies on aged and infused ports, sakes, vermouths, and wines in a way that feels intentional (and not like a band-aid for not having a liquor license). Their take on a Manhattan swaps whiskey for brown butter-washed tawny port and adds saffron and jaggery. It might be better than the real thing. READ THE REVIEW RESERVE A TABLE Matt Valdres Pause Unmute Noura Cafe Save spot 1533 University Blvd W, Jacksonville, Florida 32217 $ $ $ $ Lebanese Lakewood Perfect For: Lunch Serious Takeout Operation Jacksonville has a concentrated Syrian and Palestinian population, so you’ll spot a lot of desert rider sandwiches—cold-cuts stuffed inside a pita—all over the city. They’re said to have started at The Sheik, an over-50-year-old chain in Jacksonville, but our preferred place to pick one up for lunch or dinner is Noura Cafe. That’s because in addition to riders, they also make the best kibbeh, shawarma platters, and Egyptian stews in town. There’s also a small grocery section where you can pick up imported tahini, lupini beans, olive oil, and tea alongside neighborhood moms scooping up spinach pies after work. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Sweet Theory Baking Co. Save spot 1243 King St, Jacksonville, Florida 32204 $ $ $ $ Bakery/Cafe Riverside Perfect For: Gluten-Free Options Vegans Coffee & A Light Bite There are plenty of spots throughout Jacksonville that have a good vegan option or two on their menus. But Sweet Theory is a completely vegan bakery, even if they don’t explicitly advertise themselves as such. The 13-year-old business is best known for its small-batch, guaranteed-to-sell-out donuts that come in flavors like salted tahini pumpkin and lavender blood orange. Their flaky biscuits are the headliner on a short menu of sandwiches, like the Throwdown: a biscuit with white bean sausage, coconut bacon, and vegan cheese. On weekends and cold-weather months, there’s also biscuits and gravy. This is a tiny spot with only one or two tables, so it’s best to grab-and-go. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Foo Dog Curry Traders Save spot 869 Stockton St, Jacksonville, Florida 32204 $ $ $ $ International Riverside Perfect For: Vegans Serious Takeout Operation Dining Solo Foo Dog is king for quick hearty lunches and takeout meals. The premise is simple: choose a curry, a starch, and a protein. The Cambodian lime curry over rice noodles is a best seller, and The Canada, a take on poutine with a tomato-based buttery curry sauce over fries, is a perfect hangover meal. Their vegan popcorn chicken bites, fried and dusted in a secret spice blend, taste even better inside their autumn rolls (rice paper wraps with basil, pickled green apple, and fries). This is primarily a takeout spot, but there are plenty of tables if you’re in the neighborhood digging through crates at the nearby Tiger Records or grabbing a latte at Bold Bean and want to sit for a few. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Hovan Save spot 2005 Park St, Jacksonville, Florida 32204 $ $ $ $ Mediterranean Five Points Perfect For: Lunch Sitting Outside Vegans Five Points has changed a lot over the years, heaps of restaurants have come in and out. But Hovan, a casual Mediterranean spot, has stayed the course. On any given weekday, a line of hungry employees from neighboring areas flows through the blue and white interior for lunch. It’s a casual, inexpensive, reliable spot, the kind where if you become a regular, the owners will start making your order the second they see you in line. The traditional gyro is top tier, but when the owners noticed an uptick in vegan orders, they learned to make seitan from scratch and started offering a solid vegan gyro, too. Entrees come with two sides, which is likely the hardest decision you’ll make (our pick: the red pepper hummus and grape leaves). Hovan also does catering platters that we’ve spotted at just about every kind of event, from Jaguars watch parties to funeral services. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute O-Ku Sushi Save spot 502 First St N, Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32250 $ $ $ $ Sushi Jacksonville Beach Perfect For: Special Occasions Corporate Cards Date Nights When O-Ku, the high-end Japanese izakaya with locations in Atlanta , Charleston, and Nashville , announced a new location in Jacksonville Beach, it was met with celebration. The strip of First Street it landed on is peppered with bars, snacks, and fried stuff. But fancy sushi—the kind you put on real shoes for—on this side of the bridge is new. Bring a date you want to impress, even if it’s just to prove you can think bigger than a California roll. Every O-Ku menu nationwide has some recurring dishes, but this location’s signature rolls, like the Blazing Saddles with wagyu and tempura shrimp, are worth prioritizing. It’s like the sushi manifestation of Jacksonville’s surf n’ turf mentality. READ THE REVIEW RESERVE A TABLE WITH 2 Guests today 7:00 PM Michael Glass Pause Unmute 1748 Bakehouse Save spot 1748 N Main St, Jacksonville, Florida 32206 $ $ $ $ Bakery/Cafe Springfield Perfect For: Breakfast Coffee & A Light Bite Lunch If you live near historic Springfield’s Main Street, 1748 Bakehouse is likely the neighborhood cafe you walk to in the morning for breakfast. The pastry case overflows with rotating galettes and hand pies, and there are great soup-and-sandwich combos for lunch. But if you’re hoping to snag a specific danish you spotted on their Instagram, get here before noon, because specials sell out quickly. Whenever you do stop by, bring the kids. There's always a line of strollers parked outside, and highchairs are dotted throughout the cafe. READ THE REVIEW 1748 Bakehouse Pause Unmute Dockside Seafood Restaurant Save spot 2510 Second Ave N, Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32250 $ $ $ $ Seafood Jacksonville Beach Perfect For: Sitting Outside Lunch Dockside Seafood is a longstanding spot on the edge of the Jax Beach boat ramp where locals grab extra fresh catches and cheap bottles of beer. It’s a plastic fork-and-counter service type of spot, with all the usual suspects cooked to perfection (there are only a handful of raw options, like oysters and some rotating specials). Grab a combo basket and choose from shrimp, scallops, and crab cakes, blackened, grilled, or fried. Try and grab a seat under the screened-in patio so you can get all the views without unwanted flyovers from overconfident birds. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Orsay Save spot 3630 Park St, Jacksonville, Florida 32205 $ $ $ $ French Avondale Perfect For: Special Occasions Drinking Great Wine Classic Establishment Orsay has been around for almost 20 years, and barely anything, including the menu, has changed since it opened. The Avondale restaurant is one of a handful of spots across the city where servers will still fold your napkin when you leave your seat. The menu is a mix of French entrees and Southern specialties, like bouillabaisse or foie gras squared off against chicken and dumplings. If your heart’s set on celebrating a special occasion with boeuf wellington, make sure you call 24 hours in advance. Beyond beef, Orsay also has a thoughtful vegan menu, and was one of the first in the city to do fancy vegan food—an impressive feat, considering French and Southern foods are famously full of butter. READ THE REVIEW RESERVE A TABLE Taqueria Cinco Save spot 809 Lomax St, Jacksonville, Florida 32204 $ $ $ $ Mexican Five Points Perfect For: Happy Hours Impressing Out Of Towners Jacksonville has a million spots for mid tacos—it’s a running joke among locals that whenever a restaurant closes, it’s replaced with more tacos. But Taqueria Cinco is not a punchline. It’s the place you bring friends who live in cities with great Mexican food to experience more great Mexican food. The nopales tacos with squash and cotija cheese, as well as the pulpo tostadas with tender charred octopus, are both must-orders. Come during happy hour and hang out on the big patio. Just make sure you don’t accidentally walk into the wrong taco spot when you’re looking for it (there are several). READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass Pause Unmute Mixed Fillings Pie Shop Save spot 440 W Adams St, Jacksonville, Florida 32202 $ $ $ $ Dessert Downtown Jacksonville Perfect For: Something Sweet Every native Floridian has a favorite key lime pie, though none of them do what Mixed Fillings is doing with their Blurred Limes pie. It swaps the traditional graham cracker crust for a salty-sweet pretzel and brown sugar one. No pie slice is bad—Peanut Butter & Jealous has a peanut butter mousse and chocolate ganache over an Oreo crust—and there’s savory quiche slices, too. But the best thing about Mixed Filling is that they offer flights of four or six slices to-go. Aside from making delicious pies, the owner has built a reputation for her work in the social justice space, and uses the pie shop’s platform to talk about local activism efforts. READ THE REVIEW Natasha Burton Sliders Save spot 218 1st St, Neptune Beach, Florida 32266 $ $ $ $ Seafood Neptune Beach Perfect For: Sitting Outside Sliders is a beach shack staple that dates back to the ‘80s. It’s perfect for a bucket of High Noons with friends after work and playing putt-putt on the patio’s turf. Raw oysters (plain or topped with wasabi dressing) are the way to go, along with the blackened Mayport shrimp. Their rotating happy hour deals include $3 house wines and $1 oysters depending on the day, and nearly every fried basket comes with hushpuppies, a North Florida classic, on the side. And the seafood-forward weekend brunch is one of the best in Neptune Beach, with Bloody Marys topped with colossal fried shrimp. READ THE REVIEW Michael Glass