Foodies, start your engines.
As Jacksonville expands and develops, so does the city’s restaurant scene, along with our palettes. Some spots are serving up cuisines you can try for the first time, while others are putting a contemporary twist on your favorites dishes. If you’re wondering where to go for dinner tonight, look no further than this list of eight new restaurants to check out in Jacksonville, Florida.
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El Jefe
When it comes to Tex-Mex, El Jefe has it figured out. Their flautas are rolled crispy tacos with creamy avocado salsa verde, sour cream, queso fresco, and lettuce. The mole grilled cheese is made with a house mole sauce. And the tortilla sundae is a cinnamon sugar tortilla bowl filled with ice cream and cinnamon chili hot fudge.
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Arepa Please
At Arepa Please, you’ll find contemporary cuisine that brings together North and South American flavors. The menu features sandwiches, salads, subs, wraps, and, of course, arepas. They also do breakfast, including burritos and omelets, and incredible meals from the grill, like gyro platters and cheeseburgers.
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Southern Grounds
Southern Grounds offers chef curated coffee, wine, and food, that is changing the restaurant game in Jacksonville. They’ve got you covered whether you’re craving a baked good, on the hunt for a good breakfast, searching for charcuterie and cheese, or in need of a salad plate, sandwich, or wrap.
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Yafa Grill
The family-owned and operated Yafa Grill is serving up Middle Eastern food using authentic and fresh ingredients. Their dinner menu is comprised of lamb chops, falafels, grilled fish, chicken and beef shawarma and kebabs, rice, hummus, garlic potatoes, and salad. Not to mention their homemade tahini sauce, it’s delicious.
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DOMU
DOMU is Japanese slang for “a dream come true”, which is the perfect description for their food. The brunch and dinner menus boast numerous types of ramen, along with delicious plates, rice bowls, new Asian buns, sweets, and drinks. The popular “Tokyo” ramen is made with a fried chicken thigh, seared garlic chives, and infused duck fat.
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Cantina Louie
Try some authentic Mexican street food and specialty cocktails at hotspot Cantina Louie. Their weekly specials include fresh fruit mojitos on Monday, tacos on Tuesday, and tamales on Sunday. Their “Grave Digger Nachos” are made with chorizo, carnitas, chicken, jalapenos, lettuce, sour cream, queso, and fresh lime pico de gallo.
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Aroi Thai
Aroi Thai is continuing the tradition of utilizing the same original ingredients and authentic recipes from Thailand at their Riverside location at Five Points. From poke bowls to soups, street specialties to salads, it’s a great place for both lunch and dinner. Don’t miss out on the sweet sticky rice available in many of the restaurant’s desserts.
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Bonchon
You need to try the Korean fried chicken at Bonchon. You can order wings, drums, strips, or a combo of them all with garlic or spicy sauce, or even half and half. Their starters include potstickers and a salmon avocado ball, they have salads and soups, and their main dishes feature the likes of bibimbap, bulgogi, and pork buns.
