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

5310 Lenox Avenue Suite 1 (in the Kingdom Plaza)

Jacksonville, Florida 32205

(904)394-0860

Soul Food Bistro

A few years ago I was a member of a national program to help me lose weight. It was one of those programs that you would go to in a large meeting once a week, weigh in, share recipes, and make friends with others that were looking to lose weight. What I found most comical about the group was the topic of discussion with many in the group. Sure we shared recipes and talked about places to go, but usually these were not foods that were on our ‘plan’. We would compare the stories of which restaurant had the best fried chicken and how to make the best pecan pie. It was here that a friend of mine told me about The Soul Food Bistro. The actual name is The Potter’s House Soul Food Bistro, but since that name is so long I will refer to it as The Bistro for the rest of this review.

Located on Jacksonville’s Westside in what once was the Normandy Mall, The Bistro is a part of one of the largest churches in the city. You don’t have to be a member of the church or even a member of any church to visit. As a matter of fact you should know that other than the ownership on the sign, you would have no idea that they have a church affiliation. I only mention this for those who may shy away thinking that they are gonna be preached to while there. You won’t. But, the food is so good; I might even still go there if they did. After my first visit to The Bistro a few years ago I knew this was a place I would come back to. Ironically The Bistro is located literally feet away from a very busy gym. Both the gym and The Bistro have large windows that almost seem to have a stare off with each other on a daily basis.

When we walked in and went towards the cafeteria style line, there was a large sign telling us that the special of the day was the meatloaf. Having sampled the shrimp, chicken, and the smothered pork chops here in the past I decided to try the special. First in the line I bypassed the salads (I know I should have got something, but oh well). Next in the line were the ox tails, pork chops, tilapia, and shrimp. But there was that meatloaf that I now was wanting so badly. Ok, sorry to sound so dramatic, BUT I love meatloaf! And the fact that it was made at The Bistro would have to be a plus. With the ladies behind the counter serving the other customers in line, I waited patiently. Now it was my turn, I had it all planned out, meatloaf, yellow rice, broccoli and some of their cornbread. Almost to the end of the line I see the desserts and decided on the lemon cake as well.

Meatloaf Special

We get to the table to set everything down when a young man asks if there is anything he can get for us, we decline. We now stand in line for our drinks, of which they serve Coke products (which makes me happy). This is one area that The Bistro could improve, is to either get another machine or to add a second station for more ice and (or) tea. This area was rather congested. The dining room is split up into two separate rooms. There is one as soon as you walk in that is in plain view of the food line. Then there is another that is a little bit more secluded, that one is only open during the busiest of hours. At the time that we came to The Bistro we sat very close to the drink machines. As we sat there to eat you could see the other families there enjoying their meals as well.

As I dig in on my meatloaf, I needed to add a little bit of ketchup to suit my taste. This is not to say that the meatloaf was not good, or dry, just not enough ketchup to my liking. When it comes to my meal the only complaint that I really have is that the yellow rice was rather bland. Usually yellow rice has either a spice or saffron in it and this particular dish did not. My broccoli was steamed and perfect and the cornbread was good. The cornbread that they serve at The Bistro is moist and a little sweet. The serving size is very, very good. In a time where some restaurants are cutting back on portions The Bistro does not. The meal that I had just enjoyed was so much food that I took my lemon cake home, and oh was that good as a midnight snack.

The Bistro is a pure soul food kitchen and even offer t-shirts for sale that state “GOT SOUL?”. The staff is always kind and very helpful. For the both of us we spent just over $15. That is a deal for any family looking for a great meal at a great price. My understanding (and I might be incorrect here) is that the origin of The Bistro came from The Potter’s House offering catering at first. If they did or didn’t does not really matter to me, BUT, so you know they do offer catering now. They have chicken, pork chops, and the major sides that are on the hot bar daily, Such as collard greens, candied yams, yellow rice, mac and cheese and actually about 5 more veggies. They also offer the cakes and pies, even peach cobbler. The catering is offered at various pricing and you can call them for the details.

If you have any difficulty finding The Bistro, you should know that if you see the Winn-Dixie on Normandy near Cassat and The Kingdom Plaza is right behind that. If you see me there one afternoon be sure and say hi. Hey if you wanna go (and you have my number) then give me a call, I am always up for The Bistro. Give them a try if you haven’t already and enjoy.

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

5907 Roosevelt Boulevard

Jacksonville, FL 32244-2369

(904) 619-0406 

Tuptim Thai Store Front

In the past I have made major mistakes with Thai food. Let me explain, Chicken Pad Thai is basically all I know of when it comes to Thai food. My curiosity has me wanting to try new dishes but it seems that with Thai places I always end up with a huge bowl of broth that taste like onion and tofu. Thankfully the night that we stopped in at Tuptim Thai on US 17 near the Naval Air Station this did not happen. Tuptim Thai is the latest addition to an already busy shopping center that is full chain restaurants. Thai food is very popular in Jacksonville, Florida but can be a hit or miss depending on where you go. Some of the places are very expensive and some are just not very good. Also the location of Tuptim is the first quality Thai restaurant on the Westside of Jacksonville.

Soup

When you walk into the place there is a small sitting area as you wait for your table. When we arrived there was already a line for both dining in and for take out. As a matter of fact the whole time we were there, the phones were ringing non-stop for take out orders. The restaurant was almost completely full the entire time we were there. In one corner there was a couple on a date while in the other was a ‘girls night out’ event. The latter of the two were a bit noisy, but they did have the beer and sake flowing at their table also.

One of my concerns when we got our table was how long of a wait that we might have. In watching other customers and listening to the conversation, I thought we might be in for a wait. This was not the case at all. There was a slight language barrier with our waitress but nothing that could not be worked around. Soon after we sat she brought us iced water, and then took our regular drink order. Rhonette loves her hot tea and I decided to try the Thai tea here. I am a fan of Thai tea, but this is an item that some places can really mess up. If you have not had Thai tea, it is a mixture of an Asian tea blend served iced with a cream that floats near the top half of the glass. Both the hot tea and the Thai tea took a little while to be delivered but nothing that deserves a complaint.

Chicken Panang

The only suggestion I would make is that when there is a wait for the drinks, for the staff to go ahead and take the meal order. At very least the appetizer order. When she took our order I decided to start off with a Tom Yum soup, this is a hot and sour soup with mushrooms, lemongrass, and lime juice. Then for my meal I wanted to try something different. This is where I always screw it up… Should I stick with what I know and get the chicken pad Thai? Maybe the spicy basil fried rice with chicken? These items usually won’t make me worry for the next 10 to 15 minutes about whether or not I have made a mistake. But, thankfully there is a lady at the table next to me with a plate that is all but cleaned off. I ask her about her meal and she begins to rave on it. This is the route that I decide to take. I order the Chicken Panang that she had. This is a curry dish that is a traditional item served with rice and cooked in coconut milk. It has a little spice to it but is not too hot, by any means. The meal is designed to have the customer scoop the rice from a bowl and mix onto the large plate. I decided to do this backwards and use the bowl as my main plate by scooping the food from the main plate into the bowl. This may have become my favorite Thai dish. The next time I go to Tuptim Thai I will probably get this same item, even though Tuptim has a very extensive menu.  When we were finished I took a glance at the dessert menu and decided that I would get the mango sweet rice. Man, am I glad I did. This was a fantastic topping off for what was already a great meal. 

Mango Sweet Rice

If you decide to make a stop off to Tuptim Thai be prepared to wait just a little bit. Even though we did not have an issue, it did appear that others were bothered by it. When it comes to the cost don’t worry about going broke here. They offer 8 different appetizers and an appetizer sampler for two. In the sampler for two, you receive spring rolls, crab rangoon, dumplings and calamari. My Panang with chicken was only $7.95 and if you decide to get it with shrimp it is only a buck more. Most of the items on the menu are in the $8.00 range. There are 10 items that are under the ‘house special’ section of the menu that are in the $16 to $30 dollar range however. Also the ‘entree’ menu is also slightly higher than that of curry or noodle dishes. They also offer many items that are made with rice noodles and are gluten free if this is an issue for you or someone in your party. 

Tuptim Thai is open 7 days a week and they are closed from 3pm til 5pm daily. They open at 11am for lunch and serve dinner until 10pm.

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

850 Lane Ave South
Jacksonville, FL 32205-4705
(904) 783-9579 

Cross Creek

We were hungry for something a little different.  We were driving around and decided we wanted some steak, something grilled and meaty.  We came across Cross Creek Steakhouse.  The place doesn’t look like much from the outside.  Wooden building made to look like it was made out of barn wood with a screened in porch.  We entered the restaurant and I was surprised at the décor.  Lots of cool, old and unusual stuff to look at.  There was a corner display of scarecrows and pumpkins for fall.  We were seated way in the back of the restaurant.  This place is huge!  Like I said, it didn’t look like much from the outside, but inside…the place seemed to go on and on forever. 

View of the Bar From the Lobby

Our waitress quickly came over and went over the specials with us and took our drink order.  She came back just as fast with our drinks and we ordered some sweet potato fries for an appetizer.  We were going over the menu and decided on what we wanted to order.  Our waitress came with a huge plate of sweet potato fries and took our dinner order.  I was having the barbecue sampler plate with chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket and ribs with a side of coleslaw and steamed broccoli.  Pie got the endless plate of grilled shrimp with a side of steamed broccoli and a baked potato.  Now that our dinner order was in, we got back to our appetizer.  Let me tell you, these sweet potato fries were amazing!  They didn’t taste greasy even though they were fried.  They were crinklecut and cooked crispy, but not hard and crunchy.  We dipped them in some honey mustard and before we knew it, they were gone.  As we were looking at the empty plate wishing for more, our dinner order came to our table.  Perfect timing! 

Sweet Potato Fries

Our waitress asked if we needed extra napkins, ketchup, more drinks and basically made sure that we had everything that we needed for our dinner.  The dinner was fabulous.  The ribs were to die for and the chicken was done to perfection.  The pork was pulled and not shredded into a pulp like many restaurants do.  I wasn’t thrilled with the brisket, but only because I am not a fan of that cut of meat…it kind of reminds me of corned beef and corned beef freaks me out.  It’s a texture thing I think.  Pie got 2 more plates of the shrimp.  Our waitress made sure that the next plate was right there when he finished the first one.  Many times when there is all you can eat shrimp, they aren’t that quick to bring you the next plate.  Not here!  He wasn’t a fan of the broccoli, it was seasoned with some spices and it just wasn’t his taste.  I put it with mine and finished it up.  When our dinner was finished, our waitress asked if we would like some dessert.  We settled on sharing a piece of cheese cake.  Great cheesecake!  I ate the top of it to avoid the crust and Pie got to eat all the crust and what was left over.  

Fall Display

We got our check with our dessert and paid our bill.  This was nice since most restaurants can’t get the timing of the check right.  They either bring it without asking about dessert making you feel like they want you out of that table; or they bring it way after you have finished your last bite and just about to slip into nap mode right at the table.  Dinner for both of us was about $35…not bad, not bad at all.  Well worth the money! 

Stuffed Lynx? with a Sucker in it's Mouth

When we were leaving, we asked for a menu to take with us.  They were coming in from the printer the next day the hostess told us.  She went out of her way and asked a couple of the staff if they knew if there were any stashed away somewhere.  They searched high and low to find one and they finally did.  They were so nice and friendly; so was our waitress.  They do have a kid’s menu although I have to admit that we didn’t look it over.  Cross Creek has a great restaurant going on Lane Avenue South.  If you are looking for great food, great service and a great price all at a place that makes you feel right at home and appreciated…go to Cross Creek (but wear some stretchy pants!).

Review by Rhonette, email:  rhonette@piesplate.com

1367 Cassat Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32205-7084
(904) 387-6866

 It sometimes seems as if there are more hole in the wall sandwich shops in Jacksonville than there are cars, or sushi places. Okay, so maybe that is an exaggeration. But with that said, there are a lot of them. Jacksonville seems to pride themselves in quick, blue-collar, mom n pops style places to grab a quick ‘grinder’ or burger. All of these shops offer your basic breakfast and lunch. Most of these places close by 4 and are not opened on the weekends. Gators Deli on the west side of Jacksonville is no exception to this rule. They offer good basic food from 7 am till 3 pm on Monday thru Friday.

 The two visits that I have made to Gators have both been during breakfast. It just so happens that the location that I get my oil changes done for my car are in walking distance of Gators. Apparently this cafe is popular with the mothers and fathers to grab something for their kids on the way to school. Its location is on a very busy road full of car dealerships, car washes and a few garages. When you sit in the Deli and ‘people watch’ you will notice a pattern of pick-up trucks, work vans and the hard workers that have made America great. You won’t see any $3,000 suits here.

 The gentleman that is the owner of Gators is also the one who will take your order. He also will tell you when the order is up and ready. This gentleman is an Asian man who introduces himself as Sam. Sam told me that he bought the business 11 yrs ago. One thing you can tell the very second you walk in is that he is a major University of Florida fan. Not just the Gators football team, but softball, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball. There are posters that literally wallpaper this establishment dating back to the 80’s. When I was at the counter ready to place my order, I noticed on the menu that breakfast is served till 10:46. Naturally I asked Sam about the odd time of 10:46. He let me know that customers would ask for one more minute…just one more minute. So, he gave them the one more minute. This little place is full of character between the Gator stuff on the wall, to Sam and to the people that stop by for their food.

 With my belly growling for some breakfast I decide to get the 2 eggs (scrambled), bacon and the grits. When asked the kind of toast I would like I asked if I could get a bagel, Sam said sure, and called it bagel toast. I heard him call the order back to the kitchen and even then he said ‘bagel toast’. After sitting in the front of the restaurant for a few minutes I hear Sam at the counter. He yells out ‘Eggs, Bacon, Grits and Bagel Toast’ to let me know the order is ready. I grabbed my food and sat back down. The eggs, bacon and the ‘bagel toast’ were perfect nourishment for what I was needing. The flavor was good and the eggs were not over cooked. Now the grits were another story. They were watery and obviously not made by a Southerner. For those of you who are not from the South you probably would not care, but for those of us who are…we do! If grits are not your thing they do offer what they call ‘chunky hashbrowns’.

 Gators Deli offers a daily lunch special that cost $7.39. They vary from a turkey sub to an Oriental Special of fried rice and egg rolls. All lunch specials are served with fries and a drink. They serve Coke products and I would recommend that instead of the tea. At least on the day that I stopped in the tea was very bitter. 

Before I left I wanted to stop by the men’s room to wash my hands. The restroom is a one room with a toilet and a urinal. No divider walls in between either. After washing my hands I realized that actually locking the door to the bathroom was nearly impossible. Of the whole place the bathroom was the least clean of anywhere in the place.

When it comes down to it and you are looking for a good meal, you should give Sam and his Gators Deli a try. Just don’t wear a UGA or FSU shirt in there!

Review by Pie, email:  pie@piesplate.com

4495 Roosevelt Blvd

Jacksonville, FL 32210

(904) 381-1777

In another blog post I made recently I said that Jacksonville, Florida had more sandwich shops than cars. Sarcasm was the intent there. But I do think that there may very well be more sushi places in Jacksonville than cars. Okay, only kidding. But it seems there are 2 of them in every shopping center. Seriously I think there are. On US 17 (otherwise known as Roosevelt Blvd) near the Naval Air Station is the site of Fuji Sushi. Fuji has been in the same location for a few years now. Within the last year they expanded from the tiny four table and sushi bar cafe into a full fledged restaurant. They now have a full dining room as well as a private room for 10 or 12 people. They have 3 HD televisions showing CNN, ESPN and movies and an open sushi bar that is available for seating. The atmosphere is dark with a cherry wood. All tables are booths with the only chair seating at the sushi bar. 

The server sat Rhonette and me in the front dining area. Interested in a particular football game that was on (and the fact that there was no one else seated in the area we were in). I requested to have the channel changed. This became a grueling task. When I realized the challenge that the young ladies were having I told them it was really okay. But they worked diligently to get the game on. For probably another 10 minutes they slaved over the fact that I had a game to watch. Really it was not that big deal. In the long run, they gave up which was a relief to me, because just watching them was exhausting me.

The waitresses shared the servicing duties of our table. The youngest of the 2 brought us a deep fried salmon skin in cucumbers. It looked really good; however, I have an allergy to cucumbers and Rhonette has allergies to flour and dislikes fried items. The appetizer sat there and the waitress eventually grabbed it and asked it there was a problem. As we tried to explain, we could tell there was a language barrier or she just did not care. It was kind of comical actually.

One thing I must confess is that I do not love sushi. Most sushi restaurants have now become more aware that they need to offer other Asian dishes. On occasion I get adventurous and order an item I am not familiar with. This was one of those visits. On the lunch menu that offers chicken katsu, tempura, sushi and teriyaki. I decided to try the Oyako Don. This item was a bowl of rice that is topped with chicken cooked in egg and onions. If I were to guess the manner of the cooking process is almost like a poached process. The chicken seemed boiled and the egg was very soft. The onions were strong and overbearing to me. This seemed to be a very popular item to the workers of Fuji. This was not an item that would ever order again. The rice in the dish was wonderful. I must admit that Rhonette ate the ‘topping’ of my meal, while I just scooped it off to enjoy the rice.

The servers were very kind and went out of their way to make sure we were happy. Rhonette enjoyed her sushi and part of my meal. When it comes down to it, I cannot fault a restaurant for an item that I experimented with and did not like. My plans are to visit Fuji again, but to be more conservative with my order. I do give my complete approval of Fuji Sushi and look forward to my next visit. Fuji is opened 7 days a week. They do offer an extensive lunch menu with specials, but they are not available on Sundays. The hours of Fuji are M-Thr 11 am till 10:30 and on Fri and Sat 11 am till 11 pm, Sun noon till 10. They have to-go menus, business cards and oh yeah, they also offer spearmints on the way out.

Review by Pie, email:  Pie@piesplate.com