7895 Normandy Blvd

Jacksonville, FL

(904) 783-0987

Store Front

My first visit to Mr. Sandwich was in 2007, and the beginning of many, many breakfast stops. Even though Mr. Sandwich is open for lunch and occasionally dinner my personal history is only during breakfast. Tucked away in the corner of a Winn Dixie shopping center just west of I 295 Mr. Sandwich is a bit more than your typical sandwich shop. The location on Normandy Blvd has been the home of Mr. Sandwich for over 25 years, and has recently attempted in a name change to Corner American Grill. Understanding that tradition is going to prevail they have decided to keep the name Mr. Sandwich..

My friend and I first found Mr. Sandwich while looking for breakfast one Saturday morning after going to a weight loss meeting. Since then my breakfast of choice has almost always been the same and no, it is not weight loss friendly. The shop serves breakfast till 11:00 am and is a short menu but they are willing to be as creative you would like with the items they have. My personal favorite breakfast items are the scrambled eggs, sausage and toast, but I like to add a side of 2 cinnamon pancakes. When you place the order at the counter and take your seat beware that in just a few minutes you will need to go back to the counter to pick up your food. 

Menu

On the day that I made my last stop to Mr. Sandwich I sat there watching Rachel Ray on the HDTV set up behind the counter. The T.V. has been set up and they encourage people to stop in to watch football games on Saturdays. According to the menu they are closed on Sundays, so the NFL games would be out of the question. But when you stop by for breakfast you get to watch things like, Rachel Ray. In another corner they have a couple of video games that you can play. 

Breakfast

The gentleman behind the counter lets me know that my food is ready, I grab it and sit back down. Assuming that my pancakes were either ready or soon to be ready I decide to wait for them before I begin to eat. This was a mistake though; it took another 6-7 minutes for them to be ready. I say 6 to 7 because I knew that it was more than 5 but less than 10. By the time that they were ready my eggs were cold, maybe I am being picky but my personal preference is to have all of my food at the same time. The gentleman that took my order and prepared my food noticed that I was not totally happy and re-cooked my eggs and sausage. Thank You sir for that.

Cinnamon Pancakes

One of the best breakfast items in the city of Jacksonville is the cinnamon pancakes that are offered at Mr. Sandwich. The eggs are eggs and same with the sausage. Basically nothing special with most of the breakfast but it is worth going out of the way for just the pancakes. For the pancakes you will spend under $3.25 for two and under $4.00 for three. You can’t find an item for breakfast over five bucks, with the sandwiches as low as $2.19. If you are hungry for lunch you should know that the burgers are all under five dollars and same goes for the salads. They offer wings as well and even have beer on tap. Soon I will make stop for the lunch just so I can give you the reader a different option than just breakfast. 

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

4372 Southside Blvd

 Suites 207-208

Jacksonville, Florida 32216

(904)998-8806

www.yummysushijax.com

Yummy Sushi

The caption on the take out menu is the Yummy Sushi is the “BEST JAPANESE CUISINE IN TOWN”. Well, I might have to disagree with such a bold statement here. I know it seems like I am starting the hate game early on this review. Yummy Sushi is not bad, so don’t think that I hate this place. But to be so bold as to say that you are the best is too presumptuous to say the least. Our visit was in the middle of dinner time and the place was empty except for 2 or 3 tables being used. This particular night had a staff of 5 servers and 2 sushi makers. The wait staff was literally standing there watching us the whole time. So, if this is the best Japanese in town then no one knows about it.

Dining Room

After we sat down I had ordered a water and started to look at the menu. The first thing that I noticed is that they were quite a bit more expensive than the other sushi mills in town. Sorry if that term is obnoxious to you, but from the front steps of Yummy Sushi you can visibly see 2 other sushi places and from the back entrance you are able to see the parking for another sushi restaurant. At this rate I would have to say that these are sushi mills. The staff returned to our table twice and seemed a little over anxious to take our order; it took a third visit before we were ready. My original plan was to get a couple of pieces of sushi and maybe something from the grill. When I looked at the grill menu and saw that an item that I usually order at other places was almost $5 more here, I decided to stick with the sushi rolls, a salad, soup and a side of fried rice.

Soup and Salad

The soup and the salad with ginger dressing came out first. Call it a quirk of mine but I prefer to eat my salad first, I had made a point to the waitress that I have an allergy. If I have cucumbers I get nauseously ill and it causes a reaction that will include but not short of vomiting. (Sorry if this is too descriptive for you but it is true). Well the very first bite of my salad had a cucumber in it, underneath the mound of ginger sauce. In this case I did not get sick, but I did not finish my salad. Actually I was now very alert and a little angry. If it had not been for the fact that I was very clear about the allergy I would allow a mistake but this was just clearly someone who does not pay attention, or does not care. The miso soup was good, tasty, and the temperature was hot.

Sushi

As the main course arrived I now was inspecting the rolls to see if by chance there was any cucumbers in these, there were not. My order was of a Dynamite Roll, Smoked Salmon, Egg, and a special roll that was on a second sheet of paper and not yet on the sushi menu. The special roll was called The Southside and consisted of smoked salmon, cream cheese, crab, then deep fried with fish egg, scallion and spicy shrimp sauce on it. This was almost my favorite roll but the Dynamite Roll was just fantastic. It had a perfect amount of spicy kick/heat to it. After I was almost completely done with my rolls was when the server brought out my fried rice. Personally I have an issue when your meal is brought out in stages. Now I understand if it is a dinner at a five star restaurant but when your neighbors consist of fast food places, you are not five star.

Front Door

Yummy Sushi may claim to be the best Japanese cuisine in town and there might actually be people who love it. Personally I did not love it, I did not hate it, but I will not go back again. If asked about Asian eats in Jacksonville, Florida I would list it as above average but that there are still many others much better than them. Remember we have so many sushi places here to choose from that you can be picky. Being picky in this economy is what I would advise, and since Yummy Sushi cost us nearly 60 bucks for the both of us (no alcohol was ordered) then you can tell that you have options.

Store Front

Any of the items from the hibachi/grill are going to run you over ten bucks just for the vegetable. If you want shrimp or chicken you should expect to be in the $15 range and for those of you who want the lobster or filet mignon you will pay between 20 to as high as 28 bucks. If looking to the sushi bar then you have the famous Love Boat for two that is near 40 dollars for the rolls. The teriyaki items are no less than $10.95 and as high as $15.95. On the plus side they do offer a lunch special before 3pm that is in the eight dollar range. The same items are available elsewhere for a couple of bucks less, but if you like Yummy Sushi then that would be the best deal for you. Take them for a try and let me know what you think, maybe I am just cheap (lol) I have been called worse.

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

Avenues Mall

Jacksonville, FL 32256

www.sees.com

It was almost 15 years ago that I was introduced to wonderful candy known as See’s Candy. See’s is a legendary candy that has almost a century of history behind them. Ok, so you may be wondering why a restaurant reviewer is doing a write up on a candy company, and honestly it is because I want everyone to know the wonder that is See’s Candy. For those of us on the east coast we do not have See’s available to us (at least not in store form) on a daily basis. But, not to fear because here in Jacksonville, Florida we have a See’s Candy store for the holidays inside of The Avenues Mall, but only till December 26.   See’s is based on the West Coast in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

In years past they have set up and also offer samples to let you know just how great their candies are. It is the holidays and everyone loves candy during the holiday season, and See’s is accommodating  to all kinds of taste.  If you cannot have sugar you must try the sugar free items at See’s. You see the sugar free peanut brittle is absolutely fantastic, as is the sugar free chocolate. If you can have sugar and are looking for a lasting taste, then you should grab a box of the Gourmet Lollypops. 

Mama See

There are other candy options in north Florida including some local places that have lines out the door. But, you should know that quite possibly the best chocolate and candies that are available are in the form of See’s Candy. If you are looking for a great candy, you should grab a box of See’s, either the Nuts and Chews, Assorted, Truffles, or even a single candy bar that is known as an Awesome Bar. For any of these items you can spend as little as ONE BUCK! And less than $20 for a box of Truffles! The Assorted Candies are less than $17 a box, so you have many options at different price points.

 If you are not able to make it to The Avenues Mall right off of Southside and US 1 before December 26th then you can order online (I would recommend that you at least log on to order a catalog from them)

1012 S. Edgewood Ave.

Jacksonville, Florida 32205

(904) 389-8054

www.edgewoodbakery.com 

Edgewood Bakery

When you walk into the Edgewood Bakery in the Murray Hill area of Jacksonville, Florida you will first notice the cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, pastries, fresh baked bread and more cakes and more cookies. I could go on. The first impression at Edgewood Bakery is that you get something sweet at the counter and then leave. Most people are overwhelmed by all the baked goods they forget to look at the sign above the (mostly) ladies working behind the counter. The sign above the counter is almost identical to the sheet of paper that you can grab from the counter giving you the breakfast items on one side, and the lunch items on the other.

Dining Room

In the past I have stopped by for the breakfast. The past experience was good but not great. My thought from the past was that they are best at the baked goods. And let me tell you the pies, cookies, cakes, so on and so on are fantastic. This particular day I stopped by for lunch. The menu filled with items like Panini’s, Wraps, and your typical deli style sandwiches. They also offer a soup of the day along with the regular soup of Baked Potato. The soup of the day on this day was Chicken and Rice. Before I placed my order I decided to ask if the soup was made there. They informed me that it was all made from scratch. All the way to the point of they roast the chicken there. The day seemed like a good soup day, with the weather being overcast and the temperature outside starting to drop. They offered a deal where you order the soup for $ 2.99 and you can add a half Panini or Salad for only $2.75 more. My original thought was to get a full Panini with a Three Bean Salad for just under $8.00, BUT no this is a soup day.

Pies & Cakes

There are a few tables and chairs to the left of the counter as well as a few outside. I chose to sit indoors with the sweet smells of pastry. I grabbed a seat and decided to ‘people watch’. The place was very busy. There were kids wanting cookies and families buying bread, very now and again a customer would order a lunch to go. My wait time was a kind of long for what I had ordered but the place was very busy. As I waited and people watched I saw the consultants in a separate room planning a wedding cake for a young bride. For those who may be more impatient than me, they do offer a little shop of mugs, plate, aprons, and knick-knacks.

Soup and Panini

When my lunch arrived I could smell the soup and the Panini, and it smelled goooood. Even though you order at a counter they bring the food to your table. Now my only question about my lunch is this. With a cheese Panini, what is the difference between that and a grilled cheese sandwich? In no way am I complaining, but, are they just trying to fancy the name? Where I come from a grilled cheese is a grilled cheese. The soup was very rich with flavor and full of thick chunks of chicken, peas, rice, and onions. The broth was obviously fresh and not from a can. The grilled cheese was fantastic as well. They even topped off the meal with a sugar cookie. Including my drink I was able to get a filling lunch, a Diet Coke, and a sugar cookie for just over seven bucks.

Baked Goods

Now I will come back to Edgewood Bakery for lunch again in the future. Now for my complaint about the place. It is not the cleanliness; the place is very, very clean. Not in the variety of the food, they do a good job on offering really good food at a good price. No way is it in the sweet shoppe, they offer it all and it is all delicious. My complaint is this, the Edgewood Bakery is always, ALWAYS busy. Not all of the customers are kind and patient. They really need to either install a roped off area or a take a number system. While I was there I was jumped in front of by two separate customers. Both were little old ladies. I think they do it because they know that no one is gonna yell at them, ya know being a little old lady and all. It is almost like they plan on skipping in the line when they walk in. Very conniving they are. So if the staff at Edgewood Bakery is looking to improve, work out a better system than just a crowd at the full counter area.

Counter Area

If you don’t stop by Edgewood Bakery for breakfast or lunch, you should stop by for the sweets. Personally I will stop again for breakfast, lunch, and the pastries. Enjoy it y’all.

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

1605 County Road 220 #145

Fleming Island, Florida 32003

(904) 637-0152

Box Seats

Most people who have been in and around the northeast Florida region have at some point either has been to or at least heard of Box Seats. This is an establishment that has many years of history for the sports bar lovers in the Jacksonville area. Even my waitress on this particular day has worked for Box Seats for over a decade. The current location and definitely the best facility that Box Seats has ever had is now in Fleming Island near the Home Depot just off of county road 220. If you live in the Jacksonville, Orange Park, Green Cove, or Fleming Island area you are well aware of the commercial explosion along 220. Box Seats has made this area home and they are a good fit for Fleming Island.

Box Seats Store Front

My server was quick to seat me; actually she let me pick my own seat as to the fact that it was a slow lunch crowd on this day. She gave me the typical sports bar menu and told me her name was Brenda as she went to get my Diet Coke. On my way in I saw the lunch specials that were written on the folding board that was set in front of the door. Included on the board was a double cheeseburger special, 5 wings fries and a drink, even a fried and smothered steak with mashed potatoes. Each of the specials was available for under eight bucks. My interest was to get an appetizer of either the broccoli bites, corn nuggets, or the battered mushrooms, but the biggest drawback was that all of these items were over $7. Either they were overpriced compared to other places or they give you a heaping pile on the starters.  So I decided not to get an appetizer, maybe a salad but again the cost was in the way. Of all the salads that I saw they were all eight dollars or more. The Pecan Cranberry Chicken Salad looked great but it was almost $10.00. So I decided to go with one of the ‘Packer Sandwiches’, my decision was for the Philly Cheese Steak with chicken instead of beef. This item was $7.99 and served with fries.

Meal at Box Seats

After I placed my order Brenda stood at my table and talked for a little while giving me the history of Box Seats. Slowly as customers came in Brenda went to tend the bar and knew many of the customers by name. This is a place that really has a ‘regulars’ feel but allows you to come in without feeling out of place. The inside has (my guesstimation of) 25 televisions some large and some average size but there is definitely a TV in site of every seat. If you are in need of a cigarette with your meal then you should know that there is outdoor seating available too. But do not worry, there are televisions outside as well.

 Not having to wait too long my chicken Philly was ready. This sandwich came as a recommendation from Brenda. The sandwich was very good, my disappointment was in the size. For paying almost eight bucks I would have expected a larger sandwich, or at least a more filled sandwich. Seeming like that was a complaint, I did enjoy the food and I did not leave hungry. My plans are to come back to Box Seats and I think the next time I go will be during a game or at least with some friends. This particular day was just a lunch time stop but I can see where this can be a fun place to go with a group.

Box Seats Patio

Brenda is one of the bartenders and waits on the tables in the bar area. The bar does have full liquor as well as the beer and wine. The menu has a good variety and all the items are in the same price range except for the shrimp or steak. These items will run you in the $15 to $16 range. In one corner they have a few arcade style games, dart boards and in another corner they have a stage for local bands. If they have any trivia tournaments, dart competitions, or live music there were no signs to let you know.

Specials Board

I do look forward to being back at Box Seats in the future. If there is a special event coming there be sure and let me know, I am always looking for a reason to go out.

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

Bamboo Creek

Allow me to give you (the reader) a look to the past of Jacksonville Florida’s nightlife and bar/restaurant scene. On any given Friday or Saturday night in the late 80’s through most of the 90’s there was a ’strip’ that was popular for bar hopping as well as a place to grab some food. Usually a young single would start at Bombay Bicycle Club on Baymeadows Road. Then they might go down the road to Rio Bravo for some warm flour tortillas that were being made at the front door as you entered. Before you would go to the beach for a night at H20 or maybe Einstein’s. If not a trip to the beach, you might would go down Phillips Highway to the Crazy Horse. But what was often a stop for people before the nightlife got started was Bennigan’s on Baymeadows. Unfortunately, those days are now only a memory and so are those establishments.

Bamboo Creek Store Front

The reason for that walk down memory lane is that the location of the old Bennigan’s is now the home of the Bamboo Creek Asian Bistro. Everything inside is pretty much the same as Bennigan’s was over its last years, including the lack of customers. The former tenant took everything off the walls, and nothing has been replaced. Bare walls, no music, and no customers make for a lonely place. The signs on the sidewalk tell the passerby that they have dim sum specials that start at $2.60. Even this does not seem to pull the customers in. And once you are in the restaurant you can see the old bar area that is also empty except for a few servers milling about. Their are no TVs left in the bar area, and very few bottles of any kind behind the bar (no liquor). Another thing that you notice as soon as you sit down is the absence of chopsticks…ANNNND the presence of knives. Knives are not to ever be in an Asian restaurant, except in the kitchen. If you think about it, the food in all Asian places whether it is a take out or a restaurant is already in bite size.

Rhonette's Hot Tea

After sitting there for a few minutes a server toke our drink order, Rhonette went for the hot tea, while I got an ice water. The server smiled and left to get our drinks. Apparently they did not have cold water available, so I had to wait for my ice water a few minutes longer than expected. When she returned, we were still not quite ready to place our order. Even though we had 3 separate menus to choose from, there was nothing that looked that good. We decided to get some appetizers in the form of edamame, pot stickers and the vegetable spring rolls. A few minutes later she arrived with our appetizers and to take our order. The edamame was a large plate filled in a mound. The spring rolls were very greasy and dripping on the plate. Lastly, the pot stickers were also greasy and only four of them, FOUR small, greasy pot stickers. Mind you the pot stickers were only $3.50, but they were just not that good.

2 of the 4 Pot Stickers

Edamame

We now waited for the main course. Some may think it boring, but I decided to go with the chicken fried rice. This was the highlight of my meal. First off the serving size was huge, I mean HUGE. It was only $7.50 and had a great taste except… They used iceberg lettuce in the rice. They actually cooked iceberg lettuce! If you have not tried this it does a couple of things: first it gives a limp and wilted texture, second it has a very pour quality of flavor. There are options of other kinds of lettuce or greens that can be cooked that would be a much better option. Now the quality of the main course was very good except for the iceberg lettuce.

Fried Rice

This is a place that seems to not know their identity when it comes to the menu. Teriyaki, spicy Korean, dim sum, Kung Pao and coconut curry all find its place on one of each of the three different menus you can choose from. Not even offering chopsticks to the customers seems a bit awkward. My guess is that Bamboo Creek on Baymeadows will not last till the end of 2010. This place needs to go with what works and not try to do experiment with ideas that are not tested. The prices are almost the same from lunch to dinner (even though they list lunch specials), with tofu or vegetable items at the $6.50 range to the shrimp or beef at $8.50.

General Tsao's Chicken

You will probably never find me back at Bamboo Creek Asian Bistro on Baymeadows under its current conditions. If you decide you want to give them a try then swing by. You can give them a call if you like at (904) 733-1188.

Review by Pie, email: pie@piesplate.com

Monroe’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Q

4838 Highway Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32254

Monroe's

Many restaurants are the product of a successful catering business. This is the case with Monroe’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Q & Catering on the Westside of Jacksonville. Keith (the owner of Monroe’s) has run a catering business in North Florida for several years. When the timing was right he decided to open a full restaurant. Keith can be found at the restaurant location on any day that they are open, unless they are on location for a catering event. Monroe’s catering has been a reliable and a favorite for many of the large corporations in metro Jacksonville area. Right on the take out menu they tell you they will cater from 50 to 10,000 for delivery or full service. 

On this visit I got to meet up with some friends of mine for lunch. It was just after noon when we got there. As always if you stop by between 11:45 am and 12:30 pm or so, you will need to be prepared to wait in a line to place your order. When you enter Monroe’s from one of the 3 entrances you need to make your way to the middle of the building to where you place your order. At the counter you will place your order and pay at the same time. Then you will get your cup to fill your soda or tea, as it is self serve. They will give you a number and you grab your seat. Not to worry, because there is never a long wait for your food. 

Keith

With Monroe’s being a Bar-B-Q place I usually order a pork sandwich or some of the best chicken wings that you will find in the south. On this particular day I decided to go with one of the lunch specials, which was the meatloaf. Keith informed me that it was a secret recipe from his grandmother. This meatloaf has some of the best flavor of any meatloaf that I have ever had. For my sides I went with the collard greens and the mac n cheese. The mac n cheese is really good but the greens are fan-flippin-tastic. As in every Bar-B-Q place my meal was served with Texas toast. The food is always wonderful at Monroe’s, and this day was no exception. Now this wasn’t all that I had ordered on this day… They did have banana pudding available, so of course I had to order me some of that. The banana pudding was really good. It was not my mama’s but it was dern good and I would order it again. Keith did offer me a slice of their own banana split pie. In the past I have tried this pie and once again the guys at Monroe’s have created a wonderful new item. If I recall the pie does have pineapple in it. I personally do not like pineapple, but this pie is wonderful nonetheless. 

Dining Room

The dining area is filled with the blue and white collar workers of the area. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with everything from Indian artifacts, Gone With The Wind pictures, classic album covers, and even photos from a fire that occurred in Jacksonville years ago. There are a lot of great stories on the walls there, and Keith will be more than happy to let you know what those stories are. Even though the place stays busy, the staff makes sure that the tables are clean. We have never had to wait for a table to be bussed or wiped down before we can grab a seat.

Pie's Meal

Visiting Monroe’s for lunch has been a favorite of mine for over a year now. They always offer a great lunch specials from bar-b-q to fried chicken. You can even get a veggie platter if you like. Recently they have started offering a family style dinner menu on Thursday and Friday evenings. This menu is available after 5:00 pm and features the best of their Bar-B-Q items. Before I left I grabbed a menu of the family style offerings. Monroe’s serves this in parties of 2 or more at $8.50 per person for one main course or $8.95 for 2 main courses per person up to4 at the cost of $11.95 per person. The main course offerings are from pork chops, fried steak, the delicious meatloaf I have just mentioned, pulled pork, turkey, and really about 4 or 5 more items for the main course. The veggies or sides that are available consist of the mac n cheese, collard greens, fries, beans, and potatoes. The meal is served with a basket of cornbread as well. If I were to guess, this offering will soon become a great tradition in Jacksonville. 

Monroe's Store Front

To find Monroe’s you should know it is just off of Highway Avenue. If you are like me, you have never heard of Highway Avenue. It is easy to find and is very close to I-10 when you exit off of I-10 head north. Ok, for those of you with a bad sense of direction. If exiting from I-10 going towards Jax (heading east) you will turn left on Cassat then right on Highway Ave less than a quarter mile ahead. Or if you are going west on I-10 (away from Jax) then you will just turn right on Cassat and then left on Highway Avenue. Monroe’s is on the right almost right after you make the exit. The hours of Monroe’s are M-W and Sat 11 am until 3:30 pm on Thur and Fri they are open from 11 am until 9 pm. You can have the daily specials faxed to you or your office. If you want to call Monroe’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Q you can do so at 904-389-5551. And one of my favorite things is this. You can reach them on the World Wide Web at www.monroessmokehousebbq.com 

Enjoy and tell Keith Moonpie sent you by.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

1511 Pine Grove Avenue

Jacksonville, FL 32205-8919

 If you look up the Pinegrove Market online, you will find rave reviews for this little cafe/meat market. Some people claim that Pinegrove offers the best salad and sandwiches that they (the online reviewers) have ever had. The market is tucked away in the older, charming Jacksonville neighborhood of Riverside. As a matter of fact if you are not looking for the Pinegrove Market it is very easy to pass.

 My first visit to the PGM was with a friend of mine to pick up some fresh steaks for a cookout. This is a true neighborhood market that features the finest steaks, grocery items, limited beverage options, and you can also get either a breakfast or lunch at the walk up counter. PGM is located on Pinegrove near the college campus. If PGM is busy (which it often is) you may need to plan on sitting outdoors on one of the benches they have provided. This is where I had to sit due to the 3 indoor tables all being full.

 When I first walked in I was not exactly sure what I was going to order. From my history of eating here I do remember that they have a great Cuban sandwich available. In the past I have also had a really thick ham sandwich. For lunch the items consist of either a salad, a sandwich or a wrap. Since I tend to shy away from salads and enjoy bread (more than I should) I decided to get a sandwich. Upon looking at the menu I saw the chicken salad and thought to myself that I could enjoy a good chicken salad sandwich on white bread. My question to the guy behind the counter was if I could sample the chicken salad. If I get a taste for chicken salad in a restaurant I will always ask for a sample first. Even if I have had the chicken salad at that place before I will still ask for a sample. The reason for this is that depending on how many chefs or cooks that they have, the chicken salad may vary from person to person. My tastes for a chicken salad are very particular. Not too much on the celery, very light on the onion (if any at all), not a fan of the mustard (unless it is done just right)…As you can see I am picky, but since I am buying it and eating it then I can be. There are some places that will not give you a sample of the chicken or the tuna salad. They use the excuse of pre-measured meals. This I think is bunk. Your restaurant should be able to offer a sample of such items, in my personal opinion.

 After my sample of the salad I was impressed with the smooth and wonderful flavor. So I placed my order at the little counter in the back, grabbed a can of Diet Coke, and a small bag of Sea Salt & Vinegar potato chips. Since the inside literally had no seats available I told the staff I would be outside the front door on the bench. In Florida you have maybe a couple of dozen days of the year you can sit outside. It is either too hot, too wet or for a couple of days of the year too cold. This day was just fine. I sat there nibbling on my chips and watching the cars pass by on nearby Park St. After almost 5 minutes or so they brought me my lunch. It was just what I was looking for. The taste, the atmosphere and day was wonderful.

 After I was finished with my meal I sat to enjoy the day for just a little while. Then I decided to ‘bus’ my bench (if you will). Taking my garbage inside to the nearest trash can, as I looked around, there were still no tables available. Standing at the cash register waiting for the cashier to come and take my money, I could see that they offer local bread for sale. The cashier came and asked me of my meal, was it good and was I happy. To both my answer was yes. Then he rang me up, and now I had a bit of ’sticker shock’. Although the meal was really good, I did not expect to be charged almost $10 for a chicken salad sandwich, a small bag of potato chips, and a regular can on Diet Coke. Doing the quick math on this I figure the Coke is a buck and the chips (I hope) were not more than a dollar and so that would mean this sandwich was over seven dollars. Yes it was good, but few (basic) sandwiches are worth that much.

 Overall I was happy with my visit. I will go back. But on my next stop I will be more aware of the cost of what I order. In the past having had breakfast at The Pinegrove Market, I may have to stop back in just for that.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

1921 Lane Avenue South
Jacksonville, FL 32210-2741
(904) 783-8237

Tad's Store Front

If you have been in Florida for more than 20 years you might remember a chain of restaurants known as The Clock Restaurant. You can still see the distinctive look around the state but very few of The Clock’s are still around. You will notice the style and see them in Palatka (now as a porn shop) and in south Florida as various pawn shops. But in Jacksonville the old Clock Restaurant is now Tad’s. 

Tad’s has a tradition in Jacksonville and is a favorite for those on the Westside of town. As a matter of fact right there on the menu is a drawing of the original Tad’s dating back generations. On the menu they have listed the long time motto of  “A Place to Meet and Eat” . The original location of Tad’s was close to Park and Forrest Streets. Much of their pride comes from the tradition of home-style and country cooking. That pride is displayed on the front of the take out menu by saying “We will never knowingly serve any item that is less than fresh and of top quality”. 

The time of day that I visited Tad’s was in the early afternoon on a weekday. It was a little later than the lunch rush, so the restaurant was less than half full of customers. Looking at the customers I could easily tell that I was the youngest patron in the place by close to 20 years. There were older businessmen signing papers and elderly couples talking about the weather. The wait staff was very attentive and quite different. To say they are different sounds odd and I do not want to take away from them and their quality as a staff. But they looked a bit rough for a family restaurant. There is no dress code for the staff whatsoever. All the servers were in regular old t-shirts, shorts, and sneakers. My server appeared to be in her early 40’s and was well covered in tattoos. Let me stress again that she was very sweet and that I acknowledge tattoos or ragged clothes do not make a person any less of a person. It is just that Tad’s does not have a high standard for anything remotely formal. 

My server greeted me as I came in and was at my table as soon as I sat down. I let her know I would like to get an unsweet tea and a water. As she left I looked at the menu and was wishing that I had stopped by on a Monday. Because Monday’s special is Meatloaf, and that was what I was craving. I decided not to go with the special of Wednesday (which was Beef Tips, Pot Roast, or Spaghetti and your choice of veggies). I instead decided to be a little healthy (in theory) and get a vegetable plate. The four vegetables I went with were cottage cheese, green beans, squash and macaroni and cheese. Okay so mac n cheese and cottage cheese are not really veggies…I know. The plate was served with corn muffins as well. These muffins were wonderful. Now I must be honest with you the reader. I said I would be a little bit healthy. Yes I did eat both muffins and yes I did include butter on them. Also, yes I did use salt on the mac n cheese. Also the squash was not fried, I know you are surprised. It feels good to be honest with you and to let you know exactly what I did. And, it was delicious. The green beans were fresh and I might even say that they were snapped by a grandmother on a front porch somewhere. That is how they tasted, just that fresh. The squash was equally as good. The cottage cheese was good also. My guess is that it was 4 % meaning full of fat. 

After waiting for just a little bit longer for a refill on my water than I would have liked, I was offered a home baked dessert, either strawberry shortcake or a Coca Cola Cake. That’s right y’all, a Coca Cola Cake with chocolate icing. Now remember I am trying to eat healthy. With this in mind I decided not to get a dessert. That is not saying that I did not want it, but apparently they offer these dishes regularly. One of these days soon I will stop by to indulge in a Coca Cola Cake with some ice cream. 

Side of Tad's Building

Sitting there in this little diner with great history I did not feel like I was in a metropolitan city. Instead I felt like there should be a farm in sight of the parking lot. The food is very good. It is also home-style. They also offer sandwiches such as a tuna melt, egg salad, fish, hamburgers and BLT’s. Everyday they offer a variety of different daily specials. When you stop by you do need to try some of the very fresh vegetables. You can also get breakfast at Tad’s. The breakfast menu includes pork chops, hot cakes, ham steak, and even an USDA strip steak. The sodas they offer are of the Coke family and the tea is from China Mist.

 Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com