Jacksonville - things to do
 

Hey everyone,
I'm looking for recommendations for things to do and cheap to moderately priced places to eat and drink (burgers, steaks, Italian) during a three-day trip. I'm staying at Jacksonville beach. Are there other places I should go. Is St. Augustine worth a visit and is it worth it to go in the evening if I can't get there during the day?
I'm 35 and single, traveling alone. Thanks.

"Is St. Augustine worth a visit and is it worth it to go in the evening if I can't get there during the day?"

Are you kidding? Of course it is!

What would you like to know?

Boy did Orlando Vic head the nail on the head!

You might even want to check out some hotel prices in St. Augustine vs. JAX Beach. There's more to do and see...better places to eat...just as good a beach (if not better) and pretty decent night life for a 'small town'.

Just don't eat at the Mi Casa Cafe on the restored street...had a very bad experience there. Have visited there a number of times and ate at places all over, and that's the ONLY place we ever had a problem.

Any specific restaurants I should go to in the region? I have a reservation at a hotel on the beach in Jax and will keep it. If I go to St. Augustine, am I better off going during the day or at night?

From a previous post of mine:

Here are my restaurant recommendations, based solely on my personal preferences... and 17 years of enjoying their cuisine:

Old City House http://www.oldcityhouse.com/
Outstanding breakfasts and dinners. Located just steps away from the Casa Monica.

The Raintree http://www.raintreerestaurant.com/

The Reef <http://www.thereefstaugustine.com/index.html?
The food is very good, and the ocean views are even better. Be sure to arrive before sunset (or for Sunday brunch) for best views. Request a window table when making your reservation.

Saltwater Cowboys
(My personal favorite for ambiance and value combined)
<http://www.saltwatercowboys.com/>

Gypsy Cab Co. <http://www.gypsycab.com/>

Creekside Dinery http://www.creeksidedinery.com/rest.html

Le Pavillion <http://www.lepav.com/>

Honorable mention

O'Steens
(Perhaps the best shrimp in town. ZERO ambiance, no reservations, reasonable prices)

http://tinyurl.com/2qtxgd

Barnacle Bill's
(Very good shrimp, reasonable prices, family atmosphere)
http://www.barnaclebillsonline.com/

You'll notice that I did not mention the Columbia restaurant. IMO, their food is good, but not as good as any of the other restaurants I have mentioned.

Also, it is somewhat of a tourist trap and one of about 6-8 other Columbia's around the state. This may qualify them as a chain restaurant. I know a lot of people eat there, but the other restaurants I have given you are all better.

For Lunch: Café Alcazar (25 Granada St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084-4387) is a true hidden gem…and is definitely off the main tourist path. It is a small restaurant located in what was once the deep end of the world's largest indoor swimming pool, now the Lightener Museum building. The food is quite good (I love their curried chicken salad.) and the atmosphere is absolutely unique and very conducive to conversation. They don't take reservations and only serve lunch. If you have trouble finding them, you can phone them at 904-824-7813. Check out their Trip Advisor reviews: <http://tinyurl.com/5qlvrq>.

After you finish your meal, be sure to walk across the street and visit Old St. Augustine Village <http://www.old-staug-village.com/>.

It would be much better to come during the day. You'll definitely want to see "The Old Fort" (Castillo de San Marcos). A good way to get an overview of the entire historic area is by sightseeing train or trolley <http://www.redtrains.com/> or <http://tinyurl.com/yhb57v> which offer a number of packages with some admissions included and all-day reboarding privileges. You can see a lot in one day this way. You'll probably want to take a lot of photos. This is much more difficult at night. Also, I'm not sure when the sightseeing trams stop running and the Castillo de San Marcos closes. It would be a shame to miss any of this.

Hey Vic, I've been meaning to ask you this: do you know of a better Cuban restaurant in St. Augustine than Columbia? We're always looking for good Cuban food. Any recs?

andrews98682, definitely go during the day for all the reasons OrlandoVic notes above.

Thanks for all the help, everyone.

321-
You don't mind if I call you by your first name, do you?

There is one other Cuban Restaurant in St. Augustine that I know of - Habana Village Cafe. They are located at 1 King Street # 108, phone: 904-827-1700.

I have not tried them, so I hope some other Fodorite will do so and give us all a good report. You can read the Tripadvisor reviews here <http://tinyurl.com/6h9vjk>.

Yes, I think we're on a first-name basis. :D

Maybe DH and I will try out Habana Village the next time we're up there - if so, I'll review it.

Just happened to try the Habana Village Cafe today. It's nothing to rave about. If I were a restaurant critic, I'd give them a B-/C+. Prices were higher than I am used to, but that may be due, in part, to their prime location in the heart of the historic district and probably higher rents.

321go, you may feel differently. I think we have much better Cuban restaurants in the greater Orlando area. See what you think.

I also learned, with some disappointment, that Cafe Alcazar is closed on Sundays and Mondays. That would have been our first choice for lunch today.

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. I actually did not make it down to St. Augustine. I was only there for three days and wound up spending most of my time by the pool and beach (and the Springsteen concert).

Orland Vic
Thanks for all the recommendations. We will be in St Augustine around the 1st of March. I printed out Salt Water Cowboys for a resturant and the Red Train for sightseeing and the Old
City House Inn to stay probably for two nights, their weekly rate is around $100.00 and I wanted to stay inside the walls. How are my choices?

cd-
Your choices look great. You will love the food at Old City House, and their superb location. If you are using the Red Train for sightseeing, they have some printable discount coupons here <http://www.redtrains.com/coupons.php>. If you go to Saltwater Cowboys, remember that they do not take reservations and Saturday nights are hugely popular. It is not unreasonable to try to arrive by 5:30 P.M. if you don't want to wait. Have a great time!

Thanks Orlando Vic, I printed it. Is this better then the Old Town Trolley?

I really can't say which is better. They have very similar, but not identical routes. I suspect you can't go wrong with either. All things being equal, go for any discount you can get.

what is the best way to commute from JAX airport to St.Augustine. And how far it would be?thanks

We used Old Town Trolley last year and really liked the three days of on-off privileges. I wish the trolleys ran later but understand that they do Ghost Trains in the evenings. I don't know how Old Town compares to the other except that they will bundle attraction tickets for you. Their website has discounted tickets and print-at-home.

You'd best rent a car, JAX is actually north of Jacksonville proper. You're probably a good hour from St.A.

I'd go to Amelia Island rather than St. A., if I had to choose.

mikes81-

I agree with SAnParis2. It is a good hour away and a rental car is your best bet. You can bypass downtown JAX and save time by taking I-95 south to SR-9A and then get back on I-95 at Southside.