Jacksonville Diners: Metro versus Beach

There are two Diners spots in Jacksonville where the locals like to go. One is Metro Diner and the other, Beach Diner. Since they were very well spoken of and well known we decided to compare the two and tell the foodies which diner we thought was best.

Contender #1: Metro Diner

This Diner was visited by the Travel Channels “Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives” in 2010. Since then it has be visited by both locals and tourists. The diner is only open from 6:30 am to 2:30 pm for breakfast and lunch. If you go here, breakfast is the best. We went with a group of eight to the diner and the people who had ordered breakfast were far more satisfied with their meal compared to those who ordered lunch. However, two of the orders were wrong and as it was near to closing, the kitchen staff did not seem happy about having to correct the mistake and took a while for it to be fixed, but it was eventually. The lunch meal was nothing special. The Roast Beef and Bleu was severely lacking any inkling of blue cheese. However, the fries were pretty tasty. The portions of breakfast and lunch were both large and were acceptable for the price. Although the waitress was attentive, she seemed to only pay attention to those paying the bill.

http://metrodiner.com/

Contender #2: Beach Diner

The same group of eight went here for an early breakfast. Luckily we beat the crowd, but as soon as we were seated the people started rolling in. We saw this as a good sign and we assumed the food was going to be great. The menu was quite large and it was quite hard to pick just one thing. The food came out at normal pace and looked delicious. The sizes were average to large, but it made sense because the prices were average to pricey. Some of the orders were: Chocolate Chip Pancakes with bacon, Breakfast Burrito with grits and home fries and the Healthy Morning with fruit. The Pancakes were nothing special, but the Breakfast Burrito was pretty good as was the Healthy Morning (as long as you are into eating incredibly healthy).

http://www.beachdiner.com/

The Winner: a slight lead by Beach Diner

Unfortunately, the group wasn’t impressed with both diners. They weren’t worth the hype or the wait. If it’s empty and you are just looking for a meal to hold you over, then these places are great, but I recommend trying Beach Diner out first. Maybe all the publicity and the adding of multiple locations changed Metro Diner?  The Beach Diner for me at least offered more of a variety of menu options and better service.

Blind Rabbit Burger & Whiskey Bar: Burgers, Beers, Empty Wallets, Oh My!

During a Christmas holiday trip to Jacksonville/St. Augustine, Florida with my boyfriend and his family, we went to dinner at Blind Rabbit: Burger & Whiskey Bar. The place was packed with people at all the tables and along the bar with live music playing the background. Luckily, we had a reservation and were quickly seated at a high-top table. The group ordered an array of beers and ciders that all had a happy hour price of $4-$5. Blind Rabbit had an extensive specialty drink menu in addition to their beers/ciders. Although we didn’t try any of these drinks, they had some such as the Bacon & Bourbon (Bacon Infused Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Vanilla Tincture, and Candide Applewood Smoked Bacon) and the Montgomery Mule (Old Smoky Blackberry Moonshine, Cointreau Noir, Baritts, Ginger Beer and Fresh Blackberries).

There were many delectable sounding options on the menu and we tried to sample as much as we could by splitting two meals; the Southern Burger with a side of Hand Cut Fries for $12 and the BBQ Bacon Burger with a side of Bourbon Whipped Sweet Potatoes for $11.50.

As for the two burgers, the Southern Burger consisted of; a Fried Green Tomato, Creole Pimento Cheese, Peach Habanero Hot Sauce, Arugula, Georgia Cane Syrup, and Pickled Okra on a Brioche Bun. The burger was huge, juicy and spilling with toppings. As good as the burger was, it was hard to taste absolutely everything that was in it. Considering how damn hot the Peach Habanero Hot Sauce was on its own, it was nonexistent on the burger. Nor was the Pickled Okra. The fries however, were salty and delicious. As filling as the burger was, the fries couldn’t help but be eaten.

The taste winner of the two burgers would definitely have to be the BBQ Bacon Burger. This burger had Applewood Bacon, Provolone Cheese, Sweet BBQ Sauce, Crispy Tobacco Onions and Bourbon Spiked Creole Mustard on a Brioche Bun. Unlike the first burger, you could taste everything this one had to offer. The BBQ Sauce dripped off the burger and covered the onions, the bacon was right mix between crispy and chewy and the meat was a perfect shade of pink.

The prices for these burgers are higher than normal, but they are more than worth it in size and come with a side (or as they call it a root) and a sauce. Other menu items range from $11-$26 depending on the type of dish. The ‘Sharing Plates’ aka appetizers are from $7-$9, but from the looks of them, are not enough to share for more than two people.

All in all, Blind Rabbit has a great atmosphere to enjoy live music while eating burgers and drinking beers and specialty cocktails. Perhaps try one of their specialty milkshakes that are infused with moonshine?

Address: 901 King Street Jacksonville, FL 32204

Phone: 904-337-0146

Hour: Sunday – Saturday 11:30 am – 2:00 am

http://theblindrabbitwhiskeybar.com/

Southern Burger & BBQ Bacon Burger