Restaurants: What's new or coming soon to Jacksonville's Westside, Northside
In 2023, Jacksonville's restaurant scene continues to grow, with new restaurants opening or planning to open in the coming months. Here's a look at what's new or coming soon to Jacksonville's Northside, Westside and northern Clay County areas.
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Arble Baking Company
Featuring freshly baked cookies such as oatmeal nut, chocolate chip and chocolate-dipped peanut butter, Arble Baking Company celebrated its grand opening May 20 at 6765 Dunn Ave. No. 327 in Dunn Village shopping center in North Jacksonville. Four siblings founded the bakery in honor of their parents, Willis "The Cookie Man" Anderson and Veronica Anderson, the baking matriarch of their family. The small-batch bakery also features cupcakes and pies. | Read more
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its newest Jacksonville-area restaurant on Sept. 29 at 876 Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park. The restaurant features the chain's signature "Chipotlelane" drive-thru. The menu features the return of Carne Asada for a limited time.
First Coast Cookies
First Coast Cookies opened its second location Feb. 14 at 4610 San Juan Ave., the former Williard's Bar-B-Q Junction in Lakeshore. Like its original location at Regency Square Mall, the sweet shop features Chocolate Chip and other cookies such as Chocolate Chip Pecan, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Confetti, Snickerdoodle and its "famous White Chocolate Strawberry." All are baked fresh daily in-house. | Read more
Flying Fish Taphouse
Upscale casual restaurant and microbrewery Flying Fish Taphouse opened Feb. 27 at 1341 Airport Road near Jacksonville International Airport, offering travelers and others a new dining option in growing North Jacksonville. Its two 20-tap brewery cooling systems will offer a rotating selection of house-brewed, local and national beers and its menu showcases fresh seafood, fish and an elk burger among others. It replaces the former Millhouse Steakhouse, which closed more than two years ago.
Grace Note Brewing
A new microbrewery from two members of a popular Jacksonville punk rock band launched Oct. 13 at 4591 Lakeside Drive Suite 108 in Windward Sadler Point Marina on the banks of the Ortega River. Grace Note Brewing offers a "playlist' of artisan craft beers on tap plus a bass line of refined pub grub. The microbrewery from Inspection 12 bass player Jeremy Baker and guitarist James Trimble celebrates the artistry as well as the symmetry and commonalities of craft beer-making and music, be it classical or punk-influenced rock. | Read more
Grumpy's Restaurant
Popular Grumpy's Restaurant based in Orange Park opened its fifth restaurant in Yulee at 76030-6 William Burgess Blvd. in the Publix-anchored Crossings at Wildlight shopping center. Grumpy's is known for its made-from-scratch Southern breakfast, brunch and lunch comfort food, as well as ample, plate-filling portions, family-friendly prices and genuine hospitality. Grumpy's also offers daily specials, soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers and desserts. | Read more
Hwy55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries
Hwy55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries, a North Carolina-based restaurant chain known for its fresh, never-frozen burgers plus shakes, fries and frozen custards, is coming to Jacksonville and neighboring North Florida communities. The retro diner-style chain plans the first of potentially up to 10 restaurants at 6707 Commonwealth Ave. off Interstate 295 on the Westside of Jacksonville. Others are earmarked for Yulee and Live Oak. | Read more
Junior's Seafood Restaurant and Grill
Fifteen months after a catastrophic fire, Junior's Seafood and Grille reopened on April 19 at 9349 N. Main St. where the family-owned restaurant has been a longtime North Jacksonville landmark. A Jan. 13, 2022, two-alarm, fire gutted the seafood restaurant and damaged neighboring Junior's Famous Sandwiches. The two restaurants have been owned by the same family for 46 years. The sandwich shop reopened in June 2022 but the seafood restaurant took longer because the damage was so severe. | Read more
Mocama Beer Company
Mocama Beer Company based in Fernandina Beach opened a satellite taproom in Wildlight Oct. 14 at the former StoryCenter at 123 Tinker St. in Yulee. Founded by four friends, Mocama offers a variety of beers including lagers, stouts and "not your average IPAs." Among the 11 beers listed on tap are Cosmico India Pale Ale, Prosím Pilsner, Rare Cargo and Burial at Sea. | Read more
Mr. Potato Spread
Specializing in jumbo, overstuffed baked white and sweet potatoes, Mr. Potato Spread opened its newest restaurant on Feb. 11 at River City Marketplace at 840 Nautica Drive No. 117. The gourmet baked potato restaurant is the third for Jacksonville entrepreneurs Lakita and Aaron Spann who launched the concept in 2014, first as a catering service from their home, before rolling it out as a popular food truck and later setting down roots in area mall food courts and two restaurants. | Read more
Old Soul Donut Co.
Jacksonville's newest old-fashioned donut shop, Old Soul Donut Co. opened at 11230 New Berlin Road, bringing apple fritters as big as your hand, plate-sized cinnamon rolls and Texas-style kolaches — as well as classic cake and yeast doughnuts — to North Jacksonville. Owners Matt and Courtney Joseph say they hope to open as many as five of the shops in the Jacksonville area. | Read more
Pandan Leaves
Indonesian stir fry noodles, Korean bulgogi, Japanese sushi and Thai curry are just a few of the signature menu offerings showcased at Pandan Leaves Asian Bistro, which opened in September at 725 Skymarks Drive, Unit 6 at River City Marketplace near Jacksonville International Airport in North Jacksonville. The restaurant pledges to be "storytellers of Asian cuisine." | Read more
Parlor Doughnuts
After debuting in Northeast Florida a little over a year ago in Fruit Cove, Parlor Doughnuts opened its fourth area shop July 14 in Fleming Island at 1524 County Road 220, No. 4 in the Publix- and Target-anchored Fleming Island shopping center. Parlor doughnuts are layered doughnuts, made with layers of buttery dough fried to be crisp on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. The doughnuts are made-to-order in small batches and customized with a variety of toppings, yielding more than two dozen doughnut flavors. | Read more
Pokemoto
A pair of Hawaiian-style poke-centric restaurants recently debuted in Northeast Florida offering bowls, wraps, salads and milk teas with boba. Pokemoto opened fast-casual restaurants at 8080 Philips Highway in Jacksonville's Baymeadows neighborhood and at 700 Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park. Pokémoto is known for offering modern interpretations of the classic Hawaiian poke bowl with customers having an opportunity to customize their bowls, salads and wraps with proteins Ahi tuna, salmon, shrimp, chicken, tofu or lobster seafood salad. | Read more
Rush Bowls
Rush Bowls plans to open its first Northeast Florida restaurant at 1330 Blanding Blvd. in Middleburg, the Colorado-based restaurant chain announced in August. No opening date has been set. The health food restaurant is known for its fresh and healthy meals-in-a-bowl. It offers customizable blends of all-natural fruits and veggies topped with organic granola, a drizzle of honey, plus a choice of fresh fruits and toppers.
Scooter's Coffee
Scooter’s Coffee announced on Oct. 19 that it plans to open a drive-thru coffee shop at 12400 Yellow Bluff Road in North Jacksonville next year. Franchise co-owners Jennifer Redcloud and Dorie Robinson, doing business as RedRobin Enterprises LLC, hope to open the franchise in May. Scooter's specializes in artisan espresso drinks, fruit smoothies, and baked-from-scratch pastries and features its signature drink, the Caramelicious.
Shut 'Em Down Authentic Southern Restaurant
Shut 'Em Down Authentic Southern Restaurant, a Jacksonville soul food favorite famous for crispy fried chicken, opened its second restaurant at 5002 Kerle St. in Murray Hill. The family-owned hometown restaurant is known as a “go-to destination” for fried-to-order chicken, ox tails, smothered pork chops, meatloaf, fish and grits, curry chicken and ribs. | Read more
Southern Grounds
Southern Grounds, a popular Jacksonville-based restaurant known for its inspired chef-driven menu focused on fresh and sustainable ingredients celebrated the grand opening of its second location at Jacksonville International Airport. The 49-seat restaurant is located before the TSA security checkpoint — making it available to ticketed passengers and visitors. It follows the opening of a 23-seat Southern Grounds cafe post-security at Concourse A early last year. | Read more
Strings Sports Brewery
Known for its craft beers on tap, street fare menu and family-friendly hospitality, historic Springfield microbrewery Strings Sports Brewery announced plans to open a second location at 1618 Penman Road in Jacksonville Beach next year. Scott "String" Adeeb and his close-knit family have purchased the former longtime Terry's Country Store location. The expansion to Jacksonville Beach marks a return to the Beaches, which is where the family lives and where Strings was founded. | Read more
The Human Bean
Oregon-based The Human Bean is proposing its first Northeast Florida coffee drive-thru, at Normandy Square, 7900 Normandy Blvd. the Winn-Dixie-anchored retail center. The Human Bean offers freshly brewed coffee as well as a variety of espresso drinks, smoothies, Steven Smith iced teas, cold brews, cold foams, Matcha, Chai, Americano, Steven Smith hot teas and more. | Read more
Zaxby's
Known for its chicken tenders, wings, sandwiches and salads, Zaxby's opened its newest restaurant Oct. 23 at 3175 New Berlin Road off of Yellow Bluff Road in the Publix-anchored Northpoint Village Shopping Center. The opening coincides with the restaurant chain's introduction of its limited-time Fried Chicken Philly sandwich.
More restaurant news: What's new or coming soon to Jacksonville's Downtown, San Marco and Riverside
More restaurant news: What's new or coming soon to Jacksonville's Beaches, Intracoastal area
More restaurant news: What's new or coming soon to Jacksonville's Town Center, Southside
More restaurant news: What's new or coming soon to St. Johns County neighborhoods
This list will be updated monthly.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville restaurants: What's new at Westside, Northside in 2023
