On National Burger Day May 28, here are some places to go in the Jacksonville area
May 28 in National Hamburger Day, so we've rounded up 14 places to get a great burger in the Jacksonville area. But don't get too carried away when ordering; National Double Cheeseburger Day isn't celebrated until September.
Bread & Burger
In the VyStar breezeway, 100 W. Bay St., breadandburgerjax.com
A great burger served from a former shipping container tucked into a downtown alleyway between an office building and a parking garage? Sure, why not? Bread & Burger is in the VyStar breezeway behind the VyStar building at Bay and Laura streets and offers a simple lunch menu of burgers, dogs and fries. You know it's good because it's always busy.
Gotta try: You can build your own burger ($8-$12), but the Breezeway Burger is the way to go. Served in "happily single" or "double trouble" size and in all-natural beef, turkey and Beyond Burger forms, it comes topped with pineapple chutney, ham, herbed goat cheese and aioli.
Burger Barn Grill
475 Durbin Pavilion Drive, Suite 103, Saint Johns, (904) 209-5993; 9303 Baymeadows Road, (904) 503-1134, burgerbarngrill.com
Nothing but the best goes between the buns at Burger Barn. All burgers are made with certified Angus beef (except the vegetarian-friendly Beyond Burger) and you can add avocado, fried egg, mushrooms or grilled pineapple to any burger. A new Tallahassee location opened last year.
Gotta try: The Hangover (topped with bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, hot sauce and your choice of American, Swiss, pepper jack, cheddar or blue cheese) is just the thing to set you right after a rough night. But we're really intrigued by the Waboo, with bacon, pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, tortilla straws, wasabi mayo and bourbon sauce.
Carolina Jax
2548 Oak St., (904) 240-1980, carolinajax.com
It all started with a food truck called Cackalacky's back in '16 and evolved into a sit-down Carolina Jax restaurant in Riverside, a block or two from Ascension St. Vincent's Medical Center. The truck is gone, but Carolina Jax has found a following for its made-to-order smash burgers.
Gotta try: When in Riverside, order the Riverside Burger, topped with goat cheese, bacon, Key lime-datil aioli, orange marmalade, baby spinach and a drizzle of datil sauce.
Cruisers Grill
319 23rd Ave. S., Jacksonville Beach, cruisersgrill.com
Cruisers has been a staple at the Beaches since 1996, with a casual vibe but real plates and silverware. The bike rack out front is always busy and regulars know to order the house-made ranch dressing with everything.
Gotta try: Boy, the ingredients in Le Big Mac sure sound familiar: Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
Epik Burger
12740 Atlantic Blvd., (904) 374-7326, epikeats.com
A chef with training at the New England Culinary Institute and experience working in Las Vegas cooking burgers seems like a bit of overkill, but it sure does result in some killer burgers. Epik Burger has more than 40 on its menu, including beef, bison, salmon, chicken, veggie and gluten-free options.
Gotta try: Add the blackberry demi-glace to the PB & Burger to make the PB&J Burger, complete with creamy peanut butter, mild cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato and onion.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar
4906 Town Center Blvd., (904) 562-2828, hopdoddy.com
Hopdoddy is all over Texas but new to the Florida market, with locations in Tallahassee and Jacksonville. They offer three kinds of buns (all baked in-house) and serve grass-fed "regenerative" beef and bison.
Gotta try: The Buffalo Bill is a bison patty topped with blue cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, buffalo sauce & house mayo.
Jumpin’ Jax House of Food
4887 Belfort Road, (904) 683-1341; jumpinjaxhof.com
Jumpin' Jax has closed its downtown location but still offers chicken, salads, pizza, malts and shakes at its Belfort Road location. Burgers in Da House" remain the focus.
Gotta try: The Duval, with two patties, two cheeses, pickle chips, lettuce, tomato, onion and their signature JAX Sauce.
Lola's Burrito & Burger Joint
1522 King St., (904) 738-7181, lolasburritojoint.com
Probably not a place to go if you're in a big hurry. "Fast is good but good is not fast" is Lola's motto, and all burgers are cooked to order. They have 50 beers on tap and there's a motorcycle hanging from the ceiling, so it's not like you'll be bored waiting for your order.
Gotta try: The Los, an absolutely gigantic burger made up of two half-pound Angus burgers, yucca fries, cheese sauce and grilled onions, served between a pair of garlic grilled cheese sandwiches. Vegetarians should love Jesy's Bean Patty, smothered in mushrooms and pepper jack cheese.
The Loop
2014 San Marco Blvd., thelooprestaurant.com
With locations all over Northeast Florida and five more in North Carolina, The Loop is one of the most successful Jacksonville-based dining chains. The company also has a mission to battle drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness and hunger.
Gotta try: The BBQ Bacon Cheddar Burger is a classic, with applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion.
Other area locations include: 4591 Lakeside Drive, 14035 Beach Blvd., 8221 Southside Blvd., 9965 San Jose Blvd., 450 Florida 13, 869 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach; 1960 East West Parkway, Fleming Island; 101 Marketside Ave., Ponte Vedra Beach; 150 Village Commons Drive, World Golf Village.
M Shack
641 Crosswater Parkway, Ponte Vedra Beach, (904) 395-3575, mshackburgers.com
Matthew and David Medure were better known for fine dining when they chose to open a burger place, and it shows on their menu, which includes a bunless gluten-free Crossfit Burger and a made-in-house veggie burger. The original location at St. Johns Town Center has closed, but they're still serving burgers in Nocatee.
Gotta try: Triple Mmm Burger, made with three patties topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and Shack Sauce.
Pinegrove Market Deli
1511 Pine Grove Ave., (904) 389-8655, pinegrovemarket.com
You want fresh? Pinegrove, which has been around Jacksonville for more than 60 years, has a butcher shop right on the premises.
Gotta try: The Greek, which isn't a beef burger at all. It's a lamb burger, seasoned with tabouli and feta cheese on a grilled brioche bun.
Poe’s Tavern
363 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, (904) 241-7637, poestavern.com
Poe's also has locations in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, but it feels like Atlantic Beach all the way, just a few blocks from the beach. They offer half-pound, ground-in-house beef burgers and handmade veggie burgers.
Gotta try: The Beef Tell Tale Heart is topped with fried egg, applewood bacon and cheddar cheese.
Relish Big Tasty Burgers
14866 Old St. Augustine Road, (904) 503-8274; 500 3rd St. N., Jacksonville Beach, relishusa.com
Relish got its start in Gainesville in 2009 and now has eight locations, including a new one in Jax Beach. They say "the vibe is chill, the music is playing, the surf is sliding off the beach, the people are fun, and your burger always meets your exact specifications." Hard to go wrong there.
Gotta try: Relish is a build-your-own-burger kind of place. Start with a beef, turkey, black bean, chicken or salmon patty and add from the dozens of toppings and sauces to meet your exact specifications.
Spliff's Gastropub
100 E. Forsyth St., (904) 844-5000; 14985 Old St. Augustine Road, (904) 379-0636, spliffsgastropub.com
Spliff's has long been a downtown favorite, just down the street from the Florida Theatre, but now they've added a second location, in Bayard, to spread the joy. Their burgers are no joke, each made with two third-pound patties.
Gotta try: The Patty Melt My Face is at least as good as its name, topped with cheddar and Swiss cheese, grilled onions, garlic dill aioli on a toasted kaiser roll.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Great places to eat in Jacksonville for National Hamburger Day
