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Jacksonville Recommendations

Discussion in 'RayGator's Swamp Gas' started by nycg8r, Oct 5, 2022.

  1. nycg8r

    nycg8r VIP Member

    Aug 7, 2008
    Hi there-coming down for the LSU game a day early for the Chris Stapleton concert Thursday. Don’t know Jacksonville at all so looking for places to eat before the concert in downtown before and after the concert. Good seafood, pub food, wings etc. Thank you in advance.
    Oh and any places to stop on the way to G-ville for lunch etc would be appreciated!
    Thank you!
     
  2. tegator80

    tegator80 GC Hall of Fame

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    Downtown eats? I am not up to snuff about those things. Probably the safest bet (not any particular restaurant) is the San Marco (see San Marco/Hendricks/Atlantic on the map) area. Just across the river on the Southside. My area of "fun eats" is around the beaches, Atlantic Beach/Neptune Beach Town Center area in particular. But I can't say a generic eatery there is better than anything you can find at San Marco. If you have the time, and you want a fun and great value experience, go to the Mayport community on the River mouth area and go to Safe Harbor Seafood. Trust me, it is crazy good value. Not hoity toity, just plain good. And if you have the time, go across the street and see their seafood market. It is silly nice.

    On the way back, if you want to take the scenic route home, head south towards St Augustine but west towards the river. Just north of the SR 16 bridge on Rt 13 is Woodpeckers BBQ. It is easily the best BBQ joint in the north-central Florida area. Then you head over the bridge and to Green Cover Springs.

    Good luck.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2022
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  3. python15

    python15 Freshman

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    Safe harbor or fish company at the beach. Will be the best shrimp you have ever had. Safe harbor has the freshest seafood, that shrimp was swimming that morning. Clarke's fish camp another good one with some awesome scenery!
     
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  4. gatornation1173

    gatornation1173 Junior

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    My mother in law has lived in Jacksonville her entire life, my wife and I lived there for 12 years. We used to go downtown but not anymore. Trashy is to good of a word, homeless people are everywhere including the sidewalks. Crime is rampant if you want to eat get outside of downtown. I would suggest Mayport area or St Augustine but it’s a drive.
     
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  5. GatorTrain

    GatorTrain Junior

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    Saying crime is rampant is a bit of an overstatement. There are restaurants downtown. Bellwether on Forsyth Street is very good. There is also Cowford Chop House, which is a bit pricey, but very good. As someone stated, just across the river, there is San Marco. Taverna and Bibi's are both very popular and good. Riverside/Avondale is west of downtown on the same side of the river. There are some good options there as well. There is Biscotti's, The Brick, Iguana on Park, Orsay. If you want some good BBQ, Mojo's on St. Johns Avenue is good. And I agree with the previous post about places at the beach. You have plenty of options.
     
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  6. wingtee

    wingtee GC Hall of Fame

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    Head towards Atlantic Beach . You have everything you need . Easy ride to the concert
     
  7. murphree_hall

    murphree_hall VIP Member

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    When I lived in St. Augustine, I used to like Raintree restaurant. Haven’t been there in many years, so I don’t know if it’s still the same or as good as it was, but it was definitely a favorite.


    Raintree Restaurant
    102 San Marco Ave, St. Augustine, FL 32084
    (904) 824-7211 Raintree Restaurant - Google Search
     
  8. archigator_96

    archigator_96 GC Hall of Fame

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    On your way to Gainesville for lunch, there's a Hardee's in Starke. Right off 301.
     
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  9. allhailmeyer

    allhailmeyer Premium Member

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    Orsay is the beat restaurant in town

    Rue St Marc, Taverna, Town, BBss are great options in San Marco

    Just pick one of those
     
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  10. grant1

    grant1 GC Hall of Fame

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    Haven't been there in a while, but a variety of restaurants at the Landings
     
  11. Raintree is still awesome.....
     
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  12. insuragator

    insuragator VIP Member

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    Jax Landing is no longer there. Demolished. When we go to a concert we usually park at the fairgrounds and eat at this neat little bar across from the baseball grounds.
     
  13. Gatorhead

    Gatorhead GC Hall of Fame

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    Demolished? Holy Moly Batman...... I didn't know.........
     
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  14. MachAltus

    MachAltus GC Legend

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    Yes, they're going to replace it with an $18million sign that says 'lerp' that everybody hates....

    [​IMG]
     
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  15. gatorlaxn

    gatorlaxn Senior

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    Julington Creek Fish Camp has great seafood! Best bar food hands down is Monkeys Uncle on San Jose Blvd! They have the best wings! I’m off Baymeadows and frequent those two often!
     
  16. Gatorhead

    Gatorhead GC Hall of Fame

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    Thats disgusting...................
     
  17. murphree_hall

    murphree_hall VIP Member

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    Wasn’t there a mass shooting there a few years back? Did that play any part in why they tore it down?
     
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  18. archigator_96

    archigator_96 GC Hall of Fame

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    Oh yeah, didn't it happen at some kind of video game competition or comic con type convention?
     
  19. anstro76

    anstro76 Fluent In Nonsense Moderator

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    I was a chef at Raintree about 13 years ago word is it's not nearly as good as it once was. Apparently, the owner's husband decided he wanted to make gains at the cost of ingredient quality.
     
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  20. gatornee

    gatornee Sophomore

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