Jacksonville-area restaurant roundup: 13 opened or closed in May
In May, Jacksonville saw the opening of several new restaurants, including an Atlanta-based restaurant-microbrewery, the city's newest Whataburger and the latest from the family behind multiple Mexican restaurant concepts in Northeast Florida.
Also in Jacksonville, four siblings opened a bakeshop carrying on the legacy of their father — known throughout Jacksonville as 'The Cookie Man' and their mother, the family baking matriarch — on Dunn Avenue in North Jacksonville. And a Texas-based, Hawaiian-style poke-centric restaurant chain opened its first two Northeast Florida restaurants in Jacksonville and Orange Park.
Closings included a Five Points restaurant with rooftop dining, a popular Arlington seafood spot, a Southside gastropub and a Mandarin sports bar.
Here's a recap of Jacksonville-area restaurant news in May.
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Jekyll Brewing
The Metro Atlanta restaurant/microbrewery known for its 24 craft beers on tap debuted Memorial Day weekend in Jacksonville Beach at Jax Beach Town Center, 131 1st Ave. N. Known for its innovative pub grub, Jekyll Brewing boasts a renovated Airstream travel trailer as a bar on the second floor. The Jacksonville Beach location is the first in Florida for the Alpharetta, Ga.-based brewpub.
Cielo Azul Mexican Kitchen & Seafood
New at The Avenues, is Cielo Azul Mexican Kitchen & Seafood, a family-owned Mexican restaurant specializing in fresh seafood and fish prepared from scratch with authentic recipes. The restaurant from the same family that operates a number of other Mexican concepts in Northeast Florida opened May 24 at the mall, 10300 Southside Blvd. No. 242, in the former Ruby Tuesday spot on the upper level. Offering signature dishes such as Chapuson Del Mar featuring octopus, shrimp and oysters, and Huachinango Zarandeado, which is grilled whole snapper prepared with special seasonings, the restaurant also offers tacos, burritos, enchiladas and other classic Mexican dishes. | Read more
Black Sheep
Known for its innovative menu, Black Sheep closed May 27 after more than a decade in historic Five Points. Launched in October 2012 in a modern, three-story triangular-shaped building at 1534 Oak St., Black Sheep represented the start of a new era of dining in the historic neighborhood. Its rooftop bar, one of the first in the area, offered sweeping views of the downtown skyline and the rooftops of neighboring century-old homes. The restaurant was known for a menu that owner Jonathan Insetta, a chef and veteran restaurateur, described as "American Regional with a Southern influence." | Read more
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
Spliff's Gastropub
Known for its made-from-scratch comfort food, Spliff's Gastropub signed a lease for its second location — a 4,100-square-foot space at The Reef, a new luxury rental apartment and mixed-use complex that recently opened in Atlantic Beach. The new Spliff’s will be similar to its original location at 100 E. Forsyth St. in downtown Jacksonville, which features signature mac and cheese and puff pastries. The Atlantic Beach location also will feature an outdoor patio area, an expanded dining area and a full bar with premium cocktails and craft beer on tap. | Read more
Treylor Park
A Savannah-based restaurant known for its unique twist on Southern comfort fare such as PB&J chicken wings, cheesesteak egg rolls and a grilled apple pie with chicken sandwiches is just weeks away from opening its second Northeast Florida restaurant in St. Johns County. Treylor Park hopes to open by early June at 61 Spanish St. — between Spanish and St. George streets in downtown St. Augustine. The new restaurant comes roughly five years after Treylor Park debuted at 158 Marketside Ave., Unit 10, in Nocatee Town Center. | Read more
Time Out Sports Grill
Time Out Sports Grill in Mandarin closed abruptly but expects to reopen under new ownership as Players Grille, the second location for the popular neighborhood sports bar that has been a fixture in Miramar since 1999. The Mandarin location was one of two under the Time Out Sports Grill name. The original restaurant, which opened in 2007 at 13799 Beach Blvd., Suite 5, remains open. | 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
Pink Salt Restaurant + Wine Bar
Weary of flooded streets and wanting a larger location for expansion, Chef Richard Robinson is relocating his Pink Salt Restaurant + Wine Bar from San Marco to higher ground in nearby Lakewood. Pink Salt, along with his new concept Veveta's Rum Bar +Tapas, will be at 1571 University Blvd. W., the former home of Gene's Seafood Restaurant and Blue Marlin Bar, which closed in September 2017 after 22 years in business. Pink Salt is known for its locally sourced menu featuring inspired interpretations of classic Caribbean fare such as oxtail stew, curry goat, whole red snapper and roasted duck plus multiple plant-based dishes including jerk tofu steak and chickpea curry. | Read more
World of Beer Bar & Kitchen
Open about a year, World of Beer & Kitchen closed abruptly at 5106 J. Turner Butler Blvd. in the Southpoint area of Jacksonville. Franchisee Seth Githens said, "While this franchise location has experienced great success since its opening, the franchise ownership has experienced organizational challenges that were insurmountable for continued operations." A second location featuring a rooftop patio planned for 1198 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville Beach never opened. | Read more
Whataburger
Much anticipated, Whataburger opened May 15 at 11559 Atlantic Blvd. near Kernan Blvd. in the Atlantic North shopping center in East Arlington after months of delays. Based in San Antonio, Texas, the nationwide fast-food restaurant chain specializes in burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries and milkshakes.
Main Squeeze Juice Co.
Main Squeeze Juice Co., a fast-casual natural juice and smoothie bar with a motto and mission of "Making Healthy Easier" opened its second Jacksonville-area location May 20 at 13546 Beach Blvd., Unit 1A, in Jacksonville. It joins the area's first at 544 Marsh Landing Parkway in Jacksonville Beach. Both are owned by Spencer Turner and are the New Orleans-based chain's first locations in Florida. Main Squeeze offers cold-pressed fresh and raw juices made daily with two-to-four pounds of whole fruits and vegetables in each bottle. In addition, Main Squeeze offers acai bowls made with organic and wild-harvested acai berries from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. | Read more
Argyle
Argyle, a new upscale restaurant offering contemporary American cuisine plus a curated wine and cocktail list, hopes to open at the end of June or early July at 254 Alta Mar Drive in Sawgrass at The Yards in Ponte Vedra Beach. Argyle is the first Northeast Florida restaurant from Chef Jonathan "Jon" Blackford and his wife, Kristi, the founders of Fire and Vine Restaurant Group. Blackford said the emphasis will be on "fresh local Florida ingredients" with a menu featuring a rotating selection of seasonal-based dishes as well as year-round classics served amid a casual California coastal-style decor and ambiance. | Read more
Times-Union writer Alexandria Mansfield contributed to this report
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: Black Sheep closes, Jekyll Brewing, opens
