3rd Street (A1A) & 9th Street South

Jacksonville Beach, Florida

(904)270-0080

www.thirdstreetdiner.com

3rd Street Diner

OPA! OPA! OPA!  Yeah! Sorry, I had just got into the Greek spirit. The 3rd Street Diner is a Greek influenced restaurant in the beaches area of Jacksonville, Florida. For years there has been a restaurant in this location either a Chinese place or as in the last few years the 3rd Street Diner. When these guys opened, they were a 24 hour diner, but now they are known as a late night diner. Now instead of around the clock they are opened till 2 am. They also offer a large menu of both American and Greek food, either for dine in or delivery.

Dining Room

On the day that we stopped in, neither one of us had been to the 3rd Street Diner before. This would be a new experience for the both of us. As we were seated we noticed the table was extremely uneven and would wobble back and forth to the point that drinks would spill. Rhonette had to take a small stack of napkins to wipe the old food off of her chair, and we needed the server to wipe down the table that had dried food on it. So the beginning of this visit is taking its toll and we are on very edge of getting up to leave and go to get tacos down the street. We really wanted to give another place a try and so we allowed this beginning flaw to slide for now.

After looking at this menu of 5 full pages and watching other’s food come out we are still at a bit of a loss of what to order. When our server comes we both just go with the first thing that we see on the menu at that time and hope for the best. My order was for the Chicken Rueben but instead of the French fries I asked if they would substitute the roasted Greek potato wedges, to which they were glad to accommodate. Our server took off to put in our order and we were still talking about the place in a manner of negativity. This will always happen to either someone who is writing a review or anyone who has an opinion. Notice it for yourself, the next time that you are with friends at a restaurant, if you start off with a bad experience you will look for every negative aspect of the rest of the time that you are at that place. 

Chicken Rueben

With this in mind we are hoping that we have not made a mistake by not going to the taco place down the street. We are glad we stayed; the 3rd Street Diner hit a home run with our meals. Typically I only talk about my meals in these reviews, but in this case I will mention that both my meal and the potato salad that Rhonette ordered was great. Let me start with the Chicken Ruben, the server gave me a small dish with the Russian dressing to put on the sandwich. This dressing was amazing, so amazing that I asked the waitress to tell me about the recipe that is a specialty of the chef on duty. It was the must have on the Chicken Ruben, and the flavor was so full and not overbearing. The roasted potatoes were in the Greek style, drenched in olive oil and spices on top. These potatoes are not listed on the main menu but on the Greek section near the back. Not having had the French fries at 3rd Street Diner I cannot tell you that you must get the roasted potatoes, but I will tell you that the next time that I am there that I will get the roasted potatoes. 

Rhonette's Potato Salad

If the Chicken Ruben for $8.95 is not your style then you can get a hot dog for $3.95, a club sandwich for under 9 bucks, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, salads, or if you want a seafood dinner they have the option of fried seafood dishes in the $15 range or even broiled selections for just a bit more. For those of you that have little ones, the 3rd Street Diner has several items on the kids menu including pancakes, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti with meatball and more. All the kids’ items include a soda or iced tea and they are willing to substitute fresh veggies for the French fries all for under five dollars.

Desserts

I will let you know that on the way out of the 3rd Street Diner I looked at the desserts that are almost all made on location. The items that are not made there are ordered directly from a bakery in New York. Also, I got a cannoli, typically I do not like a cannoli, however this one was calling my name and boy was it good. 

If you find yourself at the beaches of Jacksonville and are hungry I highly recommend 3rd Street Diner, it is worth the wait and the dirty tables.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

2429 3rd Street South
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250-4024
(904) 246-0002

Yucatan Taco Stand

There has been a buzz around Jacksonville, Florida of a new place that has opened in the beaches area. The Yucatan Taco Stand on South 3rd Street is the latest addition to Mexican restaurants to the area. This is not to be mistaken for JUST another Mexican restaurant though. There are a couple of local ‘chains’ of Mexican places scattered throughout the city. When you go to the Yucatan Taco Stand you don’t have to order by a number or by a cute stereotypical Mexican name. These guys bring the options of a gourmet meal at a recession friendly price. 

Courtyard

When we first walked into the courtyard on this Sunday afternoon we instantly wanted to sit near the fountain. But as it turned out there was a wait to sit in the courtyard and not one for the indoor dining area. Also, selfishly there was a football game on the televisions inside that I wanted to see. So we sat in the bar/dining room area underneath one TV. and in site of 3 others. The dining area was dark and busy with other patrons there to enjoy the brunch available. This particular week was only the second week that brunch has been offered by Yucatan. With the brunch being new they are still tweaking the menu, but the lunch menu has been a standard. 

Dining Room

Shortly after sitting down our waiter (Josh) stopped by to get our drink order. Josh actually remembered me from a wing place that he used to work at. With this, he automatically brought me a diet Coke from memory. That impressed the heck out of me. Rhonette, decided to go with the mimosa special of one dollar each. This is to be a standard brunch special for the drinks: one dollar mimosas, poinsettias, Bloody Mary’s, Bloody Maria’s AND one dollar Mango or Peach Bellini’s.  With the first order we automatically assumed at that price it would be a little tiny version on the drink, Wrong! They were in the decent sized champagne glasses that Yucatan uses.

$1 Mimosas

We got the chance to look at the menu and soak in the atmosphere. When Josh returned to get our order he brought out a plate of chips and homemade salsa. Side note for you here, the homemade salsa was fantastic. It had a little bit of kick, smooth texture, and great flavor. Looking at the menu I was really torn between the blackened shrimp with stone ground grits, the ‘Loco’ stuffed French toast, and the huevos motulenos. After Josh informed me that they no longer had the blackened shrimp and grits, I went with the huevos motulenos. This item consisted of two grilled tortillas topped with black beans, two fried eggs, salsa, a three cheese blend AND bacon. It was served with potatoes, fried plantains and fresh fruit. It sounds like a lot of food, and it is! Even though I had the chips and salsa and this large order on the way I had to order a specialty taco that is on the lunch menu. I went with the mushroom taco for only $2.75. This is a good size taco made with four different mushrooms, diced tomatoes, spinach, guacamole, and cotija cheese. 

Mushroom Taco

Now we wait. If it had not been posted on the menu that all items are made from scratch and are made to order and to be patient, I would have been frustrated with the wait. BUT, everything is so fresh and has such great flavor to it, that it is very much so worth the wait. This being said, you should be aware that if you are in a rush then Yucatan is not a good idea, however if you are looking for a wonderful brunch or lunch experience then this place is for you. The owners have brought in top notch chefs that have resumes that should place them in a 5 star resort somewhere. These chefs are able to create meals that make your mouth water and your taste buds dance. 

Huevos Motulenos

After the wait we receive our food. It is obvious that those who created the meals take great pride in them, just by the presentation. As a matter of fact I was so anxious to dig in that I almost forgot that we needed to get pictures. My huevos motulenos was literally a heavy plate full of food and I had my side order of the mushroom taco. My decision was to eat the taco first. Until recently I have not been a fan of guacamole, mainly due to the fact that I would not try it. The guacamole that was on this taco was so creamy and had a refreshing flavor to it. If you are a mushroom fan you will love this taco. However you should be aware that if you at all do not like mushrooms, do not experiment with this. It lives up to its name and does not hide the mushroom flavor, at all. Not only have I been more open to items like guacamole, but also other food items or combinations. In the past I would have never try the fried eggs with salsa, black beans, and the tortillas. Man, am I glad I did…this was a wonderful delight. The bacon was the topping of this dish and was a great topping I must say. The fresh fruit that was on the side of the plate was several thinly sliced pieces of pineapple, amongst the fried plantains and potatoes. Overall the meal was just great, and worth the drive from where ever you might be in the Jacksonville area.

Earlier in this review I mentioned the fact that Yucatan offers a gourmet meal at a recession friendly price. To give you an idea about this, there was not an item on the brunch menu over $8.50 and only one item at that cost. With the menu being adjusted to find the right mix, I don’t want to give you the whole menu breakdown at this time. On this day Yucatan Taco Stand offered 7 different brunch items. They also brought us a lunch menu that features all of the various tacos that are also reasonably priced at $2.75 for most and $6.00 for the ‘Lunch Of The Moment’ that includes two tacos of your choice, served with black beans and rice. Not to forget the before mentioned drink specials. On our way out Corina the hostess asked us is all was well with our meal. She then suggested having us visit in the evening to see the fire pit/fountain in use in the courtyard.

So, when you are looking for a great and refreshing new place to try in Jacksonville, you must give Yucatan Taco Stand a try. In speaking with Benny (the proprietor) the future plans of the restaurant include getting involved with local charities. Benny has ideas that really will get his establishment involved with the community. Let alone that he has a wonderful product and fantastic atmosphere. This is going to be a regular place for me, I can guarantee you that.

 Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com