Go Al Fresco – Outdoor Dining in Jacksonville
Two of the greatest things about Jacksonville? Our weather and our food.
I’m about to tell you how to get the best of both. These are the places to go for al fresco dining, places you can grab a bite while still getting to sit out in the Florida sunshine (we can’t even keep it out of our photos):
Charlie’s Café in James Weldon Johnson Park
Right in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville is James Weldon Johnson Park, formerly Hemming Park. A great place to take a stroll, read a book and now, to grab a bite. The recently opened Charlie’s Café is Hemming Park’s rotating offering of food trucks and outdoor dining setup. Open on weekdays for lunch, you can sample one of Jacksonville’s variety of exciting food truck offerings and listen to live music on the stage just feet away. Don’t miss out on a game of giant chess or checkers, and be sure to swing by the blue and white teardrop trailer where you will find local coffee favorite Vagabond Coffee Company offering up a fresh brew.
The Food Truck Food Court
If you like the idea of the food trucks at Charlie’s Café, but can’t commit yourself to just one food truck, you’re next stop is the Food Truck Food Court. Self-described as “a mini food truck rally every day,” more than 25 of Jacksonville’s local food trucks have signed up to be part of the rotation of 3 food trucks, 1 dessert truck and 1 drink truck that will be serving up lunch daily. You can find indoor and outdoor seating, but why waste time inside when you’ve got Florida sunshine to soak up. I even went on a cooler day (in my experience under 60 degrees is “cold” in Florida), but the shrimp poutine from 5 Loaves 2 Fish was more than enough to warm me right up again, not to mention it being divinely delicious.
Can you name all seven bridges in Jacksonville?
