Things To Do

• Parking for beach access is available at many locations along First Street in Jacksonville Beach.

• Shopping is available at St. Johns Town Center, an outdoor walking mall with many shops and dining options.

• Lovely hikes can be had at Hanna State Park (in Atlantic Beach) and Guana River State Park (10 minutes south of Ponte Vedra).

• Historic St. Augustine is just an hour’s drive away, with shopping, art galleries, tourist attractions, and the world-famous Alligator Farm.

• Historic architecture, antique and vintage stores, and hipsters galore can be found in Riverside/Five Points.

• The Jacksonville Landing is about half an hour inland on the banks of the St. Johns River. Food, shopping, and nightlife.

Beaches Restaurants

Here’s a list of some of our favorite restaurants. Locations are in order from north to south — earlier places are closer to Neptune Beach hotels; later locations are closer to the couple (about a 12-minute drive apart).

View all restaurant recommendations on an interactive map.

Neptune Beach Town Center

Sun Dog Cafe
(904) 241-8221
sundogjax.com (awful Flash site)
Excellent burgers, hot dogs, quesadillas, and other bar-style options. Jameson gets the Basket of Shrimp almost every time.

Al’s Pizza
(904) 249-0002
alspizza.com
Delicious pizza of many varieties, plus calzones and pasta. Don’t miss the zeppolis for dessert!

Mezza Luna Restaurant
(904) 249-5573
mezzalunaneptunebeach.com
Upscale and romantic Italian spot with some standbys and some more adventuresome options.

Beach Blvd. Area (Halfway from our house to the wedding.)

Tento
(904) 246-1580
tentochurrascaria.com
Churrascaria – a traditional Brazilian steak house. If you know what that is, you’re in for a treat. If not, fasting ahead of time is recommended.

Five Guys
(904) 694-0374
fiveguys.com
Simply incredible burgers.

Beachside Seafood
(904) 444-TUNA (444-8862)
beachsideseafood.info
Great no-frills seafood place with a second-story deck for nice ocean views.

TacoLu
(904) 249-TACO (249-8226)
tacolu.com
A variety of surprising and interesting taco options.

South Jax Beach

Cruisers Grill
(904) 270-0356
cruisersgrill.com
Great burgers, marinated chicken chunks, and other options.

Casa Maria
(904) 372-9000
Haven’t sampled this one yet, but we hear great things about the margaritas and Mexican food.

Ponte Vedra/Sawgrass

Caffe Andiamo
(904) 280-2299
andiamotrattoria.com
Upscale Italian cuisine with some exciting flourishes. The site of Jameson & MaryBeth’s first date!