Dining Notes: Closed for 6 months, 'Shark Tank'-winning seafood restaurant reopens in Neptune Beach

It’s not often that a restaurant closes and then reopens six months later.

So there was cause for celebration Monday when Cousins Maine Lobster welcomed diners back to its Neptune Beach restaurant.

“We are so glad to be back and we can’t wait to see you,” the restaurant said in a social media post on Monday.

Customers replied, sharing compliments and photos of their meals: “Our table all ordered different menu items and everything was amazing! Will be back soon!”

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Others commented that they planned to visit soon.

The locally-owned restaurant reopened this week at its former home at 630 Atlantic Blvd. in the Publix-anchored Seminole Shoppes, nearly six months to the day after abruptly closing.

It’s one of just seven locations for the chain, which was featured in 2021 on a segment of the ABC television program "Shark Tank." Cousins Maine Lobster also operates dozens of food trucks across 20 states, including Florida.

On the menu you’ll find plenty of lobster, including lobster rolls ($23), lobster tacos ($18), lobster bisque ($8), lobster BLT ($18), lobster grilled cheese ($18), lobster mac & cheese ($16), lobster quesadilla ($18) and lobster tots ($18), tater tots served with warm Maine lobster, cilantro lime sauce and pico de gallo.

But there’s also fish & chips ($16), fish tacos ($14), a haddock fish sandwich ($16), New England clam chowder ($8) and Maine fried clams ($18). There’s even a chicken sandwich ($13) for the non-seafood lover in you.

Cousins Maine Lobster is open daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Oh sugar, sugar: Signs of progress at Town Center restaurant

And nearly a year after Sugar Factory American Brasserie first announced plans to open at Jacksonville’s Market at Town Center, shoppers and diners at the Town Center should soon see signs that the restaurant is making progress to an eventual opening.

That’s because the city this week issued permits for two signs to go up on the building at 4910 Big Island Drive, the former home of Brio Tuscan Grille which closed in early 2020.

Billing itself as "the sweetest place on earth," the restaurant is unlike any other and promises guests a unique experience, Larry Rudolph, Sugar Factory partner, said in an email to the Times-Union last November.

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The upscale confectionery and restaurant made popular by celebrities and social media influencers is known for its $25, celebrity-endorsed couture pops and its decadent desserts, including $20 milkshakes, $17 sundaes and its $99 “World Famous Sugar Factory King Kong Sundae” featuring 24 scoops of ice cream.

In addition to its sweet treats, Sugar Factory offers a lineup of “Monster Burgers” ($18-25) and other entrees, including chicken and waffles ($28), pan-roasted salmon ($35), roasted lobster tail frites ($45) and a Black Angus filet and Lobster surf and turf ($78). The menu also includes pasta, salads and soups.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 'Shark Tank'-winning Cousins Maine Lobster reopens in Neptune Beach