The weekend is here and we've put together a curated guide full of places to explore, eat, play, adventure, and discover. Have a suggestion for next week's guide - Please email [email protected].
Think these are volcanic lava rocks in Hawaii? Think again, it’s less than a 30 minute drive from downtown JAX! Pictured is Black Rock Beach on Big Talbot Island! The beach is tucked away down a half mile trail and is a rare, geologic anomaly!
Tide Views Preserve is 8 acers of pure paradise featuring panoramic views of the marsh and the perfect spot to watch the sunset. At the preserve there is 2,500 feet of trail and boardwalk, scenic overlook, fishing area, and a kayak launch.
Their award winning food truck that travels around North Florida serving up some of the areas best bbq! Founded in 2011 & known for their delicious & mouthwatering bbq, Butt Hutt Smokehouse has been featured on the Cooking Channel and in numerous other publications! Their OG technique of wood, fire, and meat and incorporating flavors from all over the world is what makes their food so special. We highly recommend checking them out next time they’re in your hood!
Here’s their locations for the next 2 weeks:
08/22 (5-8pm) Fernandina Beach @ 85200 Amaryllis Ct
08/25 (11a-2pm) Downtown Jax @ 17 S. Hogan St
08/25 (5-8pm) Westside Jax @ 6933 Plum Lake Ln E
08/26 (5-8p) St John’s County @ 20 Lunetta Ct
08/27 (5-8p) Coastal Oaks Community Park @ Bluewater Dr
08/28 (10:30-2:15pm) The Mayo Clinic @ 4500 San Pablo Rd
08/28 (6:30-8:30pm) Nocatee @ 400 Nocatee Center Way
08/29 (Noon-5pm) Memorial Park @ 2008 Riverside Ave
Located just over an hour from Jacksonville, Jekyll Island is a destination you must visit this year. The island features 10 miles of pristine beaches, 20+ miles of bike paths, four golf courses, Summer Waves Water Park, museums, historical sites, a fishing pier, horseback trails, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and so much more!
Bestbet is Jacksonville’s premier spot for Poker, Simulcast and Racing. With two great locations in Jacksonville and Orange Park, you’re always near hot tables, fast greyhounds and huge jackpots. It’s Vegas style wagering with Jacksonville style hospitality.
You’ve got to check out The Blue Fish Restaurant & Oyster Bar located in Riverside’s historic Avondale neighborhood! They’re known for having some of the freshest seafood in JAX plus delicious oysters, steaks, a delicious brunch and a great Happy Hour! They’re open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and Happy Hour is everyday from 3-6:30 pm at their downstairs bar. They have a beautiful courtyard with shaded seating and a fountain + private dining rooms for parties.
Their address is 3551 St. Johns Avenue. For reservations and more info, call (904) 387-0700
Have you ever wondered where that one mural is that you saw on a post? Well we’ve made it easy and compiled some of our favorites! Check out Volume One of our Guide to Jacksonville’s Best Murals, live now on our website!
Located in an old ice house, Aardworlf Brewing is a beautiful building which fits right in with the charm of Historic San Marco. The brewery and tap room typically has over 20 brews to offer but they're famous for their bourbon aged beer. Guests can enjoy a laid back atmosphere were conversation flourishes (there are no flat screens in sight), and featured food trucks on the weekends.
Vagabond is located at 934 Edgewood Ave S in the heart of Murray Hill, Vagabond Coffee and this past weekend, they celebrated their 5th birthday! They started as a vintage camper serving coffee to the Jacksonville community and has grown into a brick-and-mortar coffeehouse.
You can’t go wrong with a latte, cold brew, or pretty much any coffee drink from Vagabond, who also offers pastries, quiches, homemade pop-tarts and more! It’s so good that they are about to open their second location in downtown Jax. You can also find their roasted in-house coffee at the ever-so-popular donut spot, Good Dough, and occasionally you’ll find Good Dough’s delicacies at Vagabond!
This weeks featured brunch spot is Chatsworth Pub located at 10 Marine St in St Augustine! On our visit, we tried their sugar glazed waffle with homemade egg & cheese soufflé with smoked applewood bacon & fresh topped fruit. They also offer bottomless mimosas for $12 with any main entree purchase!
The Chatsworth is St. Augustine’s newest Craft Cocktail bar in a cosy (England’s way of saying”cozy”) English Pub setting, located right on the bay front. With Craft Liquors (Small Batch and local distilleries), popular liquors and 70 handles, pouring some of the best selections of craft beer in town they offer 21 craft beers from Florida, 1 nitro, 1 gluten free and the rest are from around the world. Brunch and lunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays. For more info, call (904) 615-1815
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You’ve got to check out The Edge Rock Gym in Jacksonville! The Edge is a state of the art indoor rock climbing facility + gym located at 3563 Philips Hwy. Suite 702! Their facility consist of over 15,000 square feet of bouldering, rope/lead climbing walls with a variety of climbs for beginners to experts! Never climbed before - no worries! They have experts on the floor to make sure you have a fun & safe experience! Their hours are 7 days a week from noon-8pm and the facility is abiding by safe & clean CDC guidelines, limited capacity & more! For more info or to make a reservation, call (904) 683-2512
Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi is offering 20% OFF poke bowls this weekend 8/22 to 8/23! (Signature or Build-A-Poke)
Bento has two locations in JAX:
- Town Center: 4860 Big Island Dr (904) 564-9494
- Tinseltown: 9734 Deer Lake Court (904) 503-3238
To order online, use promo code “WELCOMEBACK”. Visit their website
Located at the Town Center, check out iFLY - North Florida’s only indoor skydiving facility! There's no plane, no jumping, no parachute, just you and a smooth cushion of air. Flying at iFLY is available for all ages. We highly recommend calling and setting up a reservation as their facility is adhering to strict social distancing guidelines. For more info and reservations, call (904) 712-3388
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Photo credit: @Selftuphoto
Photo credit: @904stormchaser
Located in Queens Harbour this 5,016 sqft beauty presented by Stephani Barnes is one of this months featured luxury homes for sale. The home is listed at 1.3 million and includes amazing views of the golf course, marsh & Memorial Bridge as well as 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a movie theatre, game room, and beautiful kitchen.
Are you looking for your next apartment in the 904? Do you want to enjoy upscale living with tons of amenities in a prime area of town? Jacksonville offers a vast urban landscape for young professionals to live, work, study, and play in. Our new 904 Apartment Guide will help narrow your search with the best options in Downtown Jacksonville, San Marco, Riverside, Town Center, Neptune Beach and surrounding areas.
