SFG Neighborhood Guide

Jacksonville Beaches Dive Bar Guide

Jacksonville, Florida

Tacos & Dives East of Jacksonville

Jacksonville proper sits along St. Johns River, giving it the water so closely associated with the city but separating the heart of the city from the Atlantic Ocean and its string of closely bundled beaches. A 20-minute drive due east opens up an array of options, stretching from an area perceptively named The Beaches just south of Atlantic Beach down to Jacksonville Beach a bit further down the coast. Though these beach towns don’t rival nearby Daytona in name recognition, flying just a little further under the radar is welcome as it comes with reduced crowds populated more frequently by locals.

Of course, no string of beaches is safe from tourist traps and overpriced steakhouses that live on Midwesterners fleeing freezing temperatures, but living outside of the limelight stolen by Dayton, Destin, Miami and any number of other destinations deeper into Florida does have its perks. Along this well-connected stretch, diners, brunch spots, breweries and dive bars have mixed well with the surf shops and trendy seafood joints that are to be expected in an area like this.

And if all of that doesn’t sell this itinerary well enough, just know that it features a dive bar haunted by the mermaid show burlesque dancer that used to own the joint. Eyes on a swivel.

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Jacksonville Beaches Dive Bars

Jacksonville Beaches Breweries & Non-Dives

Jacksonville Beaches Divey Food

Reviewed Jacksonville Beaches Dive Bars

SFG Rating

9

Jacksonville Beaches

Pete’s Bar

Neptune Beach, Florida

Three rooms of 1933 glory amid fading murals of fish.

SFG Rating

8

Jacksonville Beaches

Ginger’s Place

Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Because the fun kind of mermaid is a ghost mermaid.

SFG Rating

7

Jacksonville Beaches

Harbor Tavern

Atlantic Beach, Florida

Where the shadow of the overpass touches the neighborhood bar.

Other Recommended Jacksonville Beaches Bars & Breweries

Not every drink has to be a divey one, we suppose. Other great bar and brewery options are listed below to round out your travels in slightly more sophisticated surroundings.

Engine 15 Brewing

1500 Beach Blvd #217

(904) 249-2337

engine15.com

There are some benefits to keeping it classy to start an afternoon of drinking and Engine 15’s sparkling interior ranks as one of those perks. 50 tap lines flow through Engine 15 feature a mix of core & rotating beers from the namesake brewery as well as a selection of other local options. Now the name may play a role, but the brewery’s Nut Sack Double Brown Ale ranks as one of its most popular offerings. What better way to start a crawl than with a frosty cold Nut Sack, I wonder.

Fly's Tie Irish Pub

177 Sailfish Dr E

(904) 246-4293

Nothing says Florida like an Irish pub, right? As the tour turns westward toward Jacksonville, Fly’s Tie combines the Irish pub feel with the dark windowless coziness that the Florida sun and the day’s waning hours demand. The pitched roof and vertical wood paneling serves to really stoke the appetite for a freshly poured Guineess along the weathered and classic wooden bar. The bar’s interior is almost surpassed by its extensive porch lined with artwork amid fencing tall enough and dense enough to completely block out all suggestion of the property’s surrounding area.

Jacksonville Beaches Hole-In-The-Wall Food Ideas

A nice evening wandering neighborhood streets is best fueled by at least a little something in one's stomach. These area options fit our divey vibe and will fit into any neighborhood bar crawl.

Angie's Grom

204 3rd Ave S

(904) 241-3663

gromjaxbeach.com

The Grom carries with it the quintessential feel of a beach-adjacent diner, down to the early closing hours and all-day Sunday brunch. Prolific taxidermy lines the walls, along with enough surf boards to be clear about your immediate surroundings. Sandwiches, sliders, burritos, even non-judgmental chicken tender baskets for adults can be found here, though any time biscuits & gravy can be had, its hard to pass up the opportunity to lay that kind of substantial foundation for a day of drinking.

Jalapeno Express

1415 3rd St N

(904) 575-6029

jalapenoexpressfoodtruck.com

The stretch between Jacksonville Beach and our destinations within Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach can feel sparse, but if you’ve worked up a hunger already, Mexican food truck Jalapeno Express is the perfect halfway stop for a quick taco. Burritos, tacos, huraches and tortas can all be had, but don’t sleep on the esquite & elote street corn offerings on the side. Though you may be tempted to go mayo free on an early afternoon cup of esquite, please remember you only live once and the combination of mayo, molten butter and grilled corn is hard to beat. Water breaks aside, a nice non-alcoholic break from the day’s proceedings can also be found here in the form of a delicious horchata.

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What did we miss? Where should we go? We'd love to hear your ideas, your favorite spots, your profound disappointments and anything in between.


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