Restaurants: What's new or coming soon to Jacksonville's Downtown, San Marco and Riverside
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 the Downtown, San Marco, Riverside and Springfield areas.
Coming soon: 25 new restaurants are in the works for Jacksonville in 2023. Here's a list.
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1937 Spirits & Eatery
1937 Spirits & Eatery featuring fresh seafood, coastal cuisine and cocktails, opened on April 5 at 1842 Kings Ave. in a renovated 86-year-old building in the heart of historic San Marco. The restaurant showcases "native Florida and East Coast seafood sourced directly from local fishermen and complemented by coastal cuisine imported from around the world." Craft cocktails, along with microbrews on tap, also are featured. Adding to its vibrant fun atmosphere is an old-fashioned-style photo booth. | Read more
Anejo Cocina Mexicana
Anejo Cocina Mexicana, a Mexican restaurant chain based in Ponte Vedra Beach, received a temporary city building permit to build out a nearly 3,600-square-foot space at 2039 Hendricks Ave. in the Publix-anchored East San Marco retail center. The estimated cost of the buildout is $450,000, the permit shows. It will be the sixth location of Anejo Cocina Mexicana in Florida. Its sister restaurants are in Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Yulee and Winter Park, according to its website. | Read more
Butt Hutt Smokehouse
Popular food truck Butt Hutt Smokehouse is now serving up its popular Florida-style barbecue at a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Located in the former Island Bar at 3210 Roosevelt Blvd. in Riverside, owner Jacob Bander debuted the new restaurant on June 6. | Read more
Chancho King
Offering big flavors on a small menu, the first Ecuadorian restaurant in Northeast Florida opened at 1120 Edgewood Ave. S. in Jacksonville's Murray Hill neighborhood. Chancho King offers authentic Ecuadorian home cooking from family recipes. The brick-and-mortar diner from veteran husband and wife chefs Chason Spencer and Maria Delia La Mota Guerra joins Chancho Kings' food truck and popup locations at Aardwolf Brewing Co. and Riverside Arts Market. | Read more
City Grille & Raw Bar
Caviar, prime steak and decadent desserts top the menu of highly anticipated fine dining destination City Grille & Raw Bar, which opened July 25 at 1314 Prudential Drive on the Southbank. Shaded by the broad, Spanish moss-draped limbs of a 300-plus-year-old oak tree, City Grille & Raw Bar replaces the landmark Wine Cellar, which closed permanently after 47 years on Oct. 16, 2021, when its owners retired. City Grille & Raw Bar showcases a sophisticated dinner, lunch and brunch menu while also promising impeccable service amid warm hospitality. The restaurant also offers unique dining spaces, a raw bar and the Velvet Room — a speakeasy-style lounge. | Read more
Clarke Bros Subs
The "Duuuval Cheesesteak," Gochujang wings and homemade tater tots are customer favorites at the new Clarke Bros Subs at 2545 Riverside Ave. at Barrs St. across from Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside medical campus. It replaces the former Poke Burri sushi restaurant. Clarke Bros focuses on freshly made-to-order subs such as The Duuval Cheesesteak, which is made with fresh never never-frozen ribeye, season, slow-cooked and sliced thin in-house. The sub and other sandwiches are customizable. | Read more
Foxtail Coffee
Foxtail Coffee Co., known for its specialty coffee, espresso drinks, freshly made breakfast sandwiches and pastries, opened April 24 at 2039 Hendricks Ave., Unit 114, in the Publix-anchored East San Marco retail center. The coffeehouse also is home to Kelley's Homemade Ice Cream. Coming soon will be Mocama Beach Beer Company with a small taproom featuring craft beer and ciders. The San Marco coffee shop is the company's third in Northeast Florida. | Read more
Gemma Fish + Oyster
The husband-and-wife team from Ember & Iron plan to open Gemma Fish + Oyster, an upscale casual oyster bar and restaurant at East San Marco, the Publix-anchored shopping center at Atlantic Boulevard and Hendricks Avenue in San Marco. The couple hopes to open Gemma in the second half of 2023. | Read more
The HUB Brooklyn
A new restaurant, a popular coffeehouse and an artisan bakery — Alder & Oak, Southern Grounds & Co. and Blueberry Bakery — are planned for The HUB Brooklyn, a new mixed-use development under construction at 400 Riverside Ave. near downtown Jacksonville. Alder & Oak will be a Mediterranean concept featuring seasonal ingredients and coastal Florida seafood. Southern Grounds & Co. offers a chef-driven menu, gourmet coffee and baked goods. Blueberry Bakery is a boutique artisan bakery. | Read more
Insomnia Cookies
Downtown Jacksonville just got a whole lot sweeter with the opening of Insomnia Cookies — a nationwide dessert shop known for its late-night delivery of warm, freshly baked cookies plus fudgy brownies and more sweet treats. The cookie shop opened at 41 W. Adams St., in the Elks Building. The bakery will deliver "to insomniacs throughout Downtown Jacksonville and surrounding neighborhoods" as well as students at Florida State College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville University, and UF College of Nursing, Insomnia Cookies officials said in a news release announcing the opening. | Read more
Jerimiah's Italian Ice
Jerimiah's Italian Ice opened its seventh Northeast Florida dessert shop on June 24 at 4434 Hendricks Ave. near San Marco. It offers more than 40 flavors of Italian Ice flavors, creamy soft ice cream and Gelati. The gelati is layers of any flavor of Italian ice with soft ice cream. The desserts are made fresh daily.
Kravegan
A Jacksonville plant-based restaurant founded by a self-taught chef who propelled her homemade vegan Southern soul food from her home kitchen to a food truck then a shopping mall food court is now a brick-and-mortar bistro. Kravegan opened at 1520 Hendricks Ave. in San Marco. Kravegan is known for its signature beefless KravyBack Ribz, fried Chik'n, KraPhilly Cheesesteak and more. Kravegan smokes its plant-based meats. No artificial additives or preservatives are used. | Read more
Malachi's Ice Cream Bar
A Jacksonville mom recently opened Malachi's Ice Cream Bar featuring a "boozy twist." The shop opened April 8 at 1661 Riverside Ave., Suite 128, at Margaret Street in Five Points. It features 16 unique and classic flavors of ice cream and sorbet. The business also is licensed to serve beer, wine and champagne. Signature ice cream offerings include Hurricane Charlie, their "everything but the kitchen sink" flavor, made with chocolate-covered peanuts, chocolate-covered pretzels, M&Ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter cups and Oreo pieces. | Read more
Milkster Nitrogen Creamery
Known for its artisan ice cream custom-made using liquid nitrogen, Milkster Nitrogen Creamery debuted at 3853 Hendricks Ave. near Emerson Street. The Detroit-based artisan ice cream and specialty coffee shop is the first in Northeast Florida. Guests customize their flavors, mix-ins and toppings of ice cream which are crafted by shop employees using -321-degree liquid nitrogen. Popular ice cream recipes include Oreos Cookies ‘N Cream, Ferrero Rocher, Home-Cooked Salted Caramel, Biscoff Voyage, Cookie Dough and others. Milkster locations also offer specialty coffee drinks. | Read more
Mixed Fillings Pie Shop
Known for its artisan sweet and savory freshly made-from-scratch pies, Mixed Fillings Pie shop reopened April 29 in its new home,1049 Park St., in the heart of the city's eclectic Five Points restaurant and retail district. Chef Natasha Burton has expanded the pie menu in conjunction with the larger storefront, which is roughly a half-mile from its original, speakeasy-style location at 2251 Oak St. Coming to the menu will be an Orange Blossom pie among others. Burton opened Mixed Fillings in May 2020 as COVID-19 tightened its grip on Northeast Florida. Since then, customers routinely have lined up to get some of its pies, homemade pop-tarts and quiche. | Read more
Plenti
Plenti, a new restaurant by a 28-year-old Jacksonville entrepreneur looks to bowl over guests with its offerings of "coastal fare" such as poké, seafood, bowls, salads, acai, smoothies, juices, wine and beer. The restaurant opened March 24 at 200 Riverside Ave., Unit 1 in Brooklyn Vista. Plenti is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant also offers patio seating. | Read more
Taverna Oceana
Fresh seafood towers, caviar, a selection of oysters and a champagne bar are centerstage at Taverna Oceana, the destination oyster bar and seafood restaurant that opened April 25 at historic San Marco Square. A concept from husband-and-wife restaurateurs Chef Sam Efron and Kiley Wynne Efron, the restaurant at 1988 San Marco Blvd. joins their original restaurant, Taverna, next door. Taverna Oceana offers an inspired menu of appetizers and entrees that resonate with Asian and Latin flavors. | Read more
Tulua Bistro
Known for bountiful breakfast boards, decadent dessert crepes and humongous, meal-unto-itself, signature Bloody Marys, Tulua Bistro of Jacksonville Beach plans to expand to historic Springfield near downtown Jacksonville. The all-day breakfast and brunch restaurant expects to open its new restaurant at 1703 N. Main St. this year, co-owners Joey Brown and Lacey Ellard said. | Read more
Waffle Cone
A Jacksonville husband and wife opened an old-fashioned style, family-oriented ice cream parlor — Waffle Cone — serving up 36 flavors, including Jag Claw, Raspberry Haze and Squirrel Bait, at 822 Post St. in the Five Points neighborhood of Jacksonville. The traditional or soft-serve ice cream is served in homemade waffle bowls and cones including cones dipped in chocolate made fresh daily. Milkshakes and sundaes round out the menu. | Read more
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More restaurant news: What's new or coming soon to St. Johns County neighborhoods
This listing 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 in Downtown, San Marco in 2023
