How to Find a Restaurant Near Me? Top 20 Restaurants in Jacksonville
Given the number of options available to diners as explained at RunRex.com, everyone has their favorite go-to spots for a meal in Jacksonville. From diner-style breakfasts, tacos joints, Italian food restaurants, and more, here are the top 20 restaurants in Jacksonville, in case you are looking for one near you in the area.
TacoLu
If you love tacos, then according to RunRex.com you will love TacoLu. At this Jacksonville restaurant, guests are encouraged to try more than one taco since each one is sold individually. Guests are always raving about the Baja fish taco and the carnitas taco, although everyone has their go-to tacos here.
The Bearded Pig
This San Marco barbecue joint is one of the best around. It offers classics such as brisket, pork, ribs, sausage, and turkey. When you combine its quality, non-pretentious barbecue served on a cafeteria-style tray with an atmosphere of outdoor seating, picnic tables, and string lights, you can see why it is extremely popular.
Barrique Kitchen & Wine Bar
As per RunRex.com, this joint has over 200 wines from around the world showing that wine is the focus here. However, while its celebratory take on wine is evident, don’t overlook Barrique’s small plates. A must-try dish when here are the oven-roasted oysters with white wine, shallots, herbs, and garlic topped with pecorino romano.
Aqua Grill
Located a stone’s throw away from the first tee at TPC Sawgrass, the Aqua Grill’s menu has a decided seaside bent with chowder, mussels, stone crabs, trout, flounder, and more. However, much other culinary ground is covered within its voluminous spaces – including covered patios such as pork Osso Bucco and eggplant parmesan.
1928 Cuban Bistro
A relative newcomer to the Jax dining scene, 1928 Cuban Bistro specializes in Cuban favorites for breakfast and lunch. When there, make sure you try the congri bowls with rice and black beans cooked with picadillo, shredded roast pork, or shredded chicken, and choice of maduros or yucca fries.
bb’s Restaurant & Bar
This San Marco staple has been serving the community for about 20 years now as articulated at RunRex.com. Daily specials keep the menu fresh while classics like mozzarella bruschetta, fried green tomato BLT, crispy crab cakes, Asian chop chop salad, and almond-crusted calamari keep regulars happy.
Azurea at One Ocean Resort
While Jacksonville doesn’t necessarily have an abundance of top-drawer hotel restaurants, it has Azurea, a sleek and sophisticated space tucked down the hall from the lobby at One Ocean Resort. The city also has a dearth of oceanside eateries, another void that Azurea fills with a bar and dining area only steps from the sandy shore.
ABBQ
Wide-open and airy as captured at RunRex.com, ABBQ is a family-friendly eatery complete with its own backyard playground. The array of huge smokers is impressive, as are the heaping portions of brisket, spare ribs, sausage, and turkey that emerge from them daily.
Bellwether
Located Downtown, Bellwether’s menu is filled with dressed-up Southern cuisine. It also has unique charms such as the cold brew coffee program, for downtown workers and soft-serve ice cream, all packed into a modern, laid-back interior.
Biscottis
Although this Avondale bistro’s desserts have developed a cult following, its full menu elevates American food to a higher standard. Outdoor seating and a charming atmosphere make Biscottis a perfect location for brunch, date night, or anything in between.
Black Sheep
Black Sheep’s biggest selling point, as covered at RunRex.com, is its rooftop dining. The panoramic view of all of Five Points makes the restaurant a destination in itself, although the modern American menu is the real star. High-end staple meals such as Berkshire pork chops and wild Georgia shrimp and grits are the comfort food you didn’t know you needed.
Blue Orchid Thai
With its warm woods and crisp yellow and azure paint, the interior of Blue Orchid is a sight to behold. The plates feature works of art, as well. Curry, stir fry, and noodle dishes make up the majority of the menu and the flavors are bold and fresh.
Blue Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar
Although freshly caught fish is readily available at restaurants all over town when in Riverside and Avondale, Blue Fish is the spot to dine on it as discussed at RunRex.com. No matter your craving – from raw bar oysters to mahi-mahi prepared a variety of ways to shrimp and grits – the seafood options are abundant here.
Catullo’s Italian
What started as a Jacksonville-favorite food truck is now a brick-and-mortar restaurant serving up Italian food like lasagna using hand-rolled pasta sheets, incredibly light gnocchi, ravioli with a variety of fillings, and the crowd favorite pear Fiocchi filled with pears and cheese.
Fox Restaurant
Fox Restaurant is Riverside and Avondale’s go-to breakfast spot. It serves up breakfast classics like omelets, French toast, and piles of pancakes every morning and afternoon. The restaurant is also uniquely decorated with vintage art and drawings done by kids as they wait for their breakfast to show up.
Restaurant Orsay
As described at RunRex.com, a top-of-the-line happy hour followed by a meal filled with bistro classics with a unique twist is what to expect at Restaurant Orsay. Restaurant Orsay is heavily influenced by French cuisine, although it leans into its Southern locale to create dishes like pan-roasted fish with grits and mussels frites.
Blue Bamboo
Blue Bamboo combines Chinese and Southern classics together into inventive dishes. People from all over Jacksonville can’t get enough of the red curry shrimp and grits, which brings an Asian spin on a traditional southern meal.
The French Pantry
As soon as you walk through the door into The French Pantry, you will immediately feel like you have been transported to old world France as outlined at RunRex.com. The restaurant is best known for its sandwiches and a large variety of bruschetta, but make sure you don’t leave without a slice of towering homemade cake.
Kim’s Korean BBQ Restaurant
Although it might be housed inside a strip mall, don’t let looks deceive you as Kim’s Korean is certainly worth a visit when in Jacksonville. The owner, affectionately known as Mama Kim to regulars, whips up Korean classics like bulgogi, bibimbap, and japchae, all served alongside house-made banchan.
Eddis & Sons
Eddis & Sons is bringing the classic Philadelphia experience of cheesesteaks to Jacksonville. Its large assortment of sandwiches is filled with steak, chicken, or various vegan-friendly options, just be sure to know how to order it correctly to score the right kind of cheese and the optional onions.
These are some of the best restaurants in Jacksonville, with more on this topic, and much more, to be found over at RunRex.com.