In a place as big as Jacksonville, restaurants come and go like the tides. If you find a favorite, it’s probably best to go there as often as you can, because it probably won’t be around forever.
But there are also some places that just keep carrying on, decade after decade. A restaurant doesn’t stay in operation for that long by accident, of course — it’s almost certainly because the food is really good.
We asked around, dug through old Times-Union stories and online menus, and came up with 10 Jacksonville restaurants that have stood for decades. The baby of the bunch started in 1992, but others date back to the ’30s and ’40s.
Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q (1949)
18 locations in the Jacksonville area, bonosbarbq.com
They’ve been smokin’ butts at Bono’s since the original opened on Beach Boulevard in 1949, and it shows in some of the best barbecue you’ll find in Florida (“If you don’t see a pit, it ain’t legit” is the company’s unofficial slogan). And, with 18 locations in Jacksonville and St. Augustine, you won’t have to go far (just follow your nose). Pulled pork, smoked turkey and beef brisket are, of course, at the top of the menu, and you can order your picks to go by the pound so you’ll always have leftovers.
Chart House (1982)
1501 Riverplace Blvd., (904) 398-3353, chart-house.com
It used to be that finding a downtown waterfront restaurant wasn’t difficult, but then they tore down River City Brewing and the Jacksonville Landing, so riverfront restaurants have gotten kind of scarce.
Built in 1982 on the Southbank, Chart House is one of the city’s most iconic buildings, boasting a design by San Diego-based architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, who is recognized as one of the founders of the modern organic architecture movement.
On the menu, expect a solid lineup of steaks and seafood, ranging from Filet Mignon to NY Strip to Key West Spiced Grouper to Wild Caught King Crab and more. Couple that with the dolphins cavorting in the St. Johns River and you have a genuine classic.
Clara’s Tidbits (1985)
1076 Hendricks Ave.; 12276 San Jose Blvd. No. 709; 8535 Baymeadows Road; 2349 Village Square Pkwy. Suite 125, Fleming Island; clarastidbits.com
Live long enough in Jacksonville and sooner or later someone will take you to Tidbits for lunch, making you question why they’ve been hiding it all this time. Tidbits has expanded from its original Southbank location, which has long been a lunchtime favorite for the downtown and San Marco crowd, and is now spread throughout the city.
They’re big on pita sandwiches at Tidbits, but you can find salads, soups, reubens and gumbo on the menu. The potato salad is something special, so good, in fact, that you can buy a quart, a half-gallon or a full gallon to take home with you.
Each Tidbits location maintains different hours and the Hendricks location doesn’t open at all on Saturdays, so check the restaurant’s website before heading out.
Holley’s Bar B Q (1937)
3604 Moncrief Road, (904) 768-5698, facebook.com
If you’re looking for authentic, look no further than Holley’s, which has been serving up ribs and wings for decades and is regarded as Jacksonville’s oldest barbecue restaurant.
There’s nothing fancy about Holley’s. There are no seats at all, just a walk-up window where you place your order and wait for them to call your name. The parking lot has room for a handful of cars, and your meal is served in a foam container with plastic utensils and not nearly enough napkins. But Holley’s isn’t a place you go for the atmosphere, you go for the fried wings, the ribs and barbecued chicken dripping with sauce — and the curly fries (legend has it that they were invented right there). Be sure to grab a lemonade and a slice of red or blue cake before you go.
Joseph’s Pizza (1956)
7316 N. Main St., (904) 765-0335; 30 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, (904) 270-1122; josephspizza.com
Joseph’s Main Street location has been around since 1956, rising from the ashes after a 2015 fire nearly wiped the place out. Italian is the focus, and they offer four specialty pizzas in five sizes, up to the enormous 16-by-16-inch Sicilian.
If pizza isn’t your thing, you can create your own pasta dish, choosing between spaghetti, fettuccine and ziti, then selecting between five sauces and seven toppings. The portions are famously huge, so be sure to come hungry, but save room for dessert — the tiramisu and cannoli are something special.
The Loop (1981)
10 locations in the Jacksonville area. thelooprestaurant.com
Fast-casual dining places are everywhere you turn these days, but that wasn’t the case in 1981 when the Loop Pizza Grill first opened in San Marco. Now they have 10 restaurants in the Jacksonville area and have expanded into North Carolina.
Pizza is still on the menu, but the Loop has become better known for its burgers and sandwiches, and they serve some of the biggest steak fries you’ve ever seen. For dessert, try one of the Charis Chocolates, which are made at Jacksonville’s City Rescue Mission and raise money for those struggling with homelessness and addiction.
Lubi’s Hot Subs (1969)
11633 Beach Blvd., (904) 642-3800, lubis.com
The basic Lubi sandwich (named for founders Lula and Bill Wallace) is possibly the most Jacksonville of all sandwiches: ground sirloin and Kraft American cheese and onions, steamed on a sub roll. You can get a chili version, or a stroganoff or mozarella or fiesta Lubi, but they’re just fancy versions of the classic, and there is no shame in eating one with a knife and fork, with a cherry limeade to wash it down.
There used to be as many as five Lubi locations around town, but they’re down to just one these days, cranking out Lubis, camel riders, meatball subs and jumbo dogs every day of the week.
Metro Diner (1992)
Eight locations in the Jacksonville area, metrodiner.com
Metro Diner can trace its roots in San Marco to either 1938 or 1992, depending on how you look at it. The building that houses the original location has been around since the ‘30s, but Metro Diner didn’t move in until the ‘90s.
Now there are more than 60 of them in 12 states, but the original, near Hendricks Avenue Elementary School, has a special charm. That’s the one where “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” host Guy Fieri fell in love with the Iron City Meatloaf. Chicken and Waffles sounds like a terrible combination, but not at Metro Diner, where it’s one of the most popular dishes. Breakfast is a big deal at Metro, with pancakes, waffles and omelets on the menu. But you’ll also find wings, salads, and burgers. And meatloaf, of course.
Some locations are open for dinner, others close mid-afternoon, so be sure to check the hours before heading out.
The Sheik Sandwiches and Subs (1972)
2953 Phillips Hwy.; 7361 103rd St.; 9720 Atlantic Blvd.; 5172 Normandy Blvd.; 2708 N. Main St.; 1994 Kingsley Ave., Orange Park; 422 S. Orange Ave., Green Cove Springs; 542233 U.S. Hwy 1, Callahan. sheiksandwiches.com
If Jacksonville has a signature sandwich, surely it must be the camel rider: pita bread stuffed with ham, salami, bologna, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo onions and a magic dressing that ties it all together.
Nobody does it better than the Sheik, which has been serving up camel riders, steaks in a sack and cherry limeades since first opening in Springfield in 1972. The New York Times featured The Sheik in 2012 feature on camel riders.
Singleton’s Seafood Shack (1967)
4728 Ocean St., Mayport, singletonsseafood.com
Generations of Jacksonvillians have eaten shrimp and hushpuppies in the shack along the St. Johns River, which first opened in 1967. You’re not going to find a fresher shrimp po’boy anywhere — the trawlers unload their daily catch right there on the Mayport docks. It’s also one of the few places in town where you can catch your own fish, bring it in and they’ll cook it for you (as long as you clean it first).
It’s not the prettiest restaurant in town, but you can’t beat the location. There’s a great view of the river and a killer sunset from the over-water deck, the largest in Jacksonville.
Remember these classic restaurants of Jacksonville’s past?
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 10 classic Jacksonville restaurants worth your time and money
Reporting by Tom Szaroleta, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
