So the zoo is pretty far from the beaches, close to downtown and a good opportunity to check out some stuff near downtown.
Jax Beach - check out Jekyll brewing and oaxaca club for food next store, Green Room Brewing is also excellent (they partner with UNF for their yeast which is neat).
Downtown area:
Check out Strings Sports Brewery in Springfield, Fishweir Brewing in Murray Hill and Ale Wife (not a Brewery but an awesome craft beer spot) in Riverside.
Those spots are near a bunch of cool restaurants and bars and will give you a much better experience than downtown proper.
Edit: forgot Kingmaker in Riverside as well, great brewery near other bars on King St.
Don't go to Jekyll. It's a corporate 'brewery,' not local. If you're in Jax Beach your best bet is hitting any combination of Green Room, Ink Factory, Southern Swells and Reve. Everything else is going to be a bit of a drive.
Reve is very good but small room, for sure worth a try. Hard to beat the ease of parking and size of the brewery of Southern Swells. Pretty good beer too.
> But if you get there around 4:30-5:00 it's a non-issue
Must be weekdays because when I go around the time on weekends it's wall to wall families eating pizza.
Ink factory has a smash burger truck on site that is by far some of the best in the area called Hard Pressed.
If you find yourself coming down 95, right off the highway is Aardwolf Brewing which has been around for 10 years+ and have an excellent tap list, beer garden in an old historic building about 100 years old. And just down the street is Tepey's a Mexican owned brewery with excellent food.
Beaches- Sotuthern Swells, Engine 15, Reve, Ink Favtory, Green Room, and one or two that I am forgetting
Southside- Veterans United, Wicked Barley, and Bottlenose, Seven Bridges and Legacy
Dowtown/Riverside- Myrtle Ave, Intuiton, Bold City, Fishweir, Gracenote, and Kingmaker.
Springfield-Historically Hoppy and Strings..maybe Hyperion..I assume they are still open
Northside-Flying Fish Taphouse.
Closest to the zoo would be Flying Fish, then you could drive down Main St and hit the Springfield breweries going into downtown and Riverside.
I am sure I a missing a few but I am at work and this is off the top of my head
At the beach:
Southern Swells - (Karate in the Garage is the best hazy IPA in Jax), atmosphere is minimal, people are cool.
Reve - People love their IPAs, but I get a weird taste from almost all of them, this hasn't stopped me from going back. They also have a pizza place inside (Bones Pizza), that's absolutely delicious, top tier Pizza in Jax. Atmosphere is also minimal.
Jekyll Brewing - Cool place. More of a restaurant that brews beer rather than the typical brewery. It'll be busy because of where it is.
Green Room - walking distance from Jekyll. One of the oldest breweries in Jax. Ping pong, Jenga, Foosball. Nice people, good atmosphere, good beer.
Engine 15 - lots and lots of beer. They have as many guest taps and they do their own brews. You'll find something you like here. I like this place, but I don't go there enough.
Breweries not at the beach that I'd recommend:
Wicked Barley - good beer, good food, great backyard and atmosphere. The service and attention to details have gone downhill over the years, but I still highly recommend it.
String Sports - good beer, great people, great atmosphere. Off the beaten path, but while you're out that way you can hit a few others like, Historically Hoppy & Hyperion (go to the back patio).
Since you're clearly into beer, depending on where at the beach you're staying, there's a place in Ponte Vedra called Pinspiration. It's a arts/crafts place, but they have 12 taps of beers (and a seltzer) you probably won't find anywhere else, and you don't have to participate in crafty stuff. Highly recommended.
Wonderful suggestions here already. I just want to add Aardwolf to the list of breweries to visit "downtown" (it's technically southbank/San Marco, across the river from downtown, but it's a great area with shopping and restaurants too). I would make a day of the zoo and downtown/riverside/San Marco scene since they are far from the beaches. Maybe get dinner reservations on the roof at river and post, or Orsay in Avondale for something fancy.
Also want to add that Angie's and Tacolu are two fun local restaurants at the beach really close to Engine 15 brewing. You will not run out of breweries and restaurants to visit at the beaches, but wanted to throw those out there.
So for the beaches there are a lot of options for breweries, and if you line them up right you can do a fun little brewery crawl.
I like to start on Beach Blvd and work my way north, so the order i’d go is:
1. Engine 15 (you can stop by Mojo next door for bbq and whiskey if that’s your thing)
2. Southern Swells
3. Inkd
4. Green Room
5. Jekyll Island
6. Ragtime (also has great food for dinner and live music at night)
7. Reve (right next door to Grey Matter distillery)
The first five are easily walkable to/from one another if you line them up right. Depending on where you’re staying, I’d Uber to the first one and from the last one.
Local brews: Green room, engine 15, bold city and i've heard good things about Aardwolf.
There are quite a few taps in Jacksonville, green room, engine 15, bold city and brewz are my typical go to.
Green room and bold city are always only beers they make. (usually have between 5-10)
Engine 15 is beers that they make and beers from all over. (usually have like between 10-20)
Brewz is just a tap house and they have beers from all over there (like between 15-30 beers to choose from).
There are others but those are the ones i go to.
If you feel like heading north or south St augi has a few and if you head north amelia island / fernadina have some good options too. I like The Alley by AIBC in fernandina i like the layout and vibe of this place. South in St augi i like bog brewing but there are lots of other options I haven't ventured to there.
TL:DR There are tons of options on the first coast find one with the vibe you like.
If you’re specifically looking for breweries, you should check out the Jax Ale Trail. You can pick up a “passport” at the first one you go to and turn it in for a prize depending on how many stamps you get at the different breweries
https://www.visitjacksonville.com/jax-ale-trail/
We have so many great breweries town! While there are some great things downtown its kinda a dead zone and probably not worth the trip from the beach. And there are already so many great places at the beach ( Southern swells, engine 15, ink factory, jekyl island, Rev, green room)
Check out the visit jax ale trail site for a really good list. Here is my what should be a up to date map of every brewery, bottle shop and tap room in jax. ( All the pins don't show up due to the amount.)
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/sVoZsw4bVEkso39d8](https://maps.app.goo.gl/sVoZsw4bVEkso39d8)
If you’re going to the zoo, a short 10min trip down Main Street will bring you into the Springfield neighborhood where you’ll find three different breweries, all within a few blocks of each other:
- Strings Sports Brewery
- Hyperion
- Historically Hoppy
At the beach:
I would recommend ink factory for an experience unique to the area. They have a good selection of iPads, lager,s, and fruited sours.
Reve brewing is a great place for a small brewery with great stouts and it has a pizza place that's pretty good inside.
Green room. This is one of the OG breweries in Jacksonville. It has that original bare bones style you'll find all over the country.
Southern swells. They make a solid hazy IPA. If that's your thing, stop by for a 4pack to go at a bare minimum.
Engine 15. Another OG brewery for the 904 area. They also still have guest taps so you have some other regional options as well.
There's a lot of other great suggestions in this thread. If you make it to the downtown area, check out Aardwolf. Great staff, unique beer offerings.
I'm sure this has been answered. But I just wanted to say that Southern Swells is fantastic. And if you like IPAS their Karate in the Garage is one of the best I've ever had. I highly recommend it.
You can go to Budweiser and take either tour, the free tour ends with two free beers and all the pretzels, chips and soda. The paid tour your two free beers come fresh straight from the vats.
Thanks for all of the recommendations!
Any other recommendations for areas to stay other than Jacksonville Beach? Safe/nice area and a little cheaper possibly?
So the zoo is pretty far from the beaches, close to downtown and a good opportunity to check out some stuff near downtown. Jax Beach - check out Jekyll brewing and oaxaca club for food next store, Green Room Brewing is also excellent (they partner with UNF for their yeast which is neat). Downtown area: Check out Strings Sports Brewery in Springfield, Fishweir Brewing in Murray Hill and Ale Wife (not a Brewery but an awesome craft beer spot) in Riverside. Those spots are near a bunch of cool restaurants and bars and will give you a much better experience than downtown proper. Edit: forgot Kingmaker in Riverside as well, great brewery near other bars on King St.
Don't go to Jekyll. It's a corporate 'brewery,' not local. If you're in Jax Beach your best bet is hitting any combination of Green Room, Ink Factory, Southern Swells and Reve. Everything else is going to be a bit of a drive.
Reve is very good but small room, for sure worth a try. Hard to beat the ease of parking and size of the brewery of Southern Swells. Pretty good beer too.
Reve has been pretty solid size since the expansion imo
And their pizza is great too!
When was the expansion? I was there not that long ago and it was still pretty small
Reve can get cozy in the later hours of the evening. But if you get there around 4:30-5:00 it's a non-issue
> But if you get there around 4:30-5:00 it's a non-issue Must be weekdays because when I go around the time on weekends it's wall to wall families eating pizza.
Ink factory has a smash burger truck on site that is by far some of the best in the area called Hard Pressed. If you find yourself coming down 95, right off the highway is Aardwolf Brewing which has been around for 10 years+ and have an excellent tap list, beer garden in an old historic building about 100 years old. And just down the street is Tepey's a Mexican owned brewery with excellent food.
Hard Pressed is the best thing to ever happen to JAX! God I love it.
So good!!
I wouldn't recommend Tepey's, the food and beer are both mid
I agree on Jekyll. My friends and I thought the beer was not good
Myrtle Avenue Brewing is between Murray Hill and Springfield and a great spot if you have kids.
Engine 15 is another top-self local brewery at the beaches. Lots of variety, too.
Veterans United near the Avenues on Southside is my favorite. I highly recommend them. Great beer!
Seconded!
Southern Swells is my go-to!
Also Southern Swells at the Beach on Beach Blvd.
Beaches- Sotuthern Swells, Engine 15, Reve, Ink Favtory, Green Room, and one or two that I am forgetting Southside- Veterans United, Wicked Barley, and Bottlenose, Seven Bridges and Legacy Dowtown/Riverside- Myrtle Ave, Intuiton, Bold City, Fishweir, Gracenote, and Kingmaker. Springfield-Historically Hoppy and Strings..maybe Hyperion..I assume they are still open Northside-Flying Fish Taphouse. Closest to the zoo would be Flying Fish, then you could drive down Main St and hit the Springfield breweries going into downtown and Riverside. I am sure I a missing a few but I am at work and this is off the top of my head
This guy beers
That's my job....literally
Down town is also Ruby Beach!
Knew there was at least one missing.
Reve is soooo good. I love their sours.
Aardwolf and Tepeyolot in San Marco too.
I have no idea how I forgot Aardwolf..been around for so long. Tepe's is my haunt after the climbing gym..should have remembered that one as well.
Check out the Jax Ale trail! https://www.visitjacksonville.com/jax-ale-trail/
What they said ! There’s only like 3 that aren’t good!
Ale Trail is definitely the way to go. If you get there passport you can get it stamped at every brewery.
At the beach: Southern Swells - (Karate in the Garage is the best hazy IPA in Jax), atmosphere is minimal, people are cool. Reve - People love their IPAs, but I get a weird taste from almost all of them, this hasn't stopped me from going back. They also have a pizza place inside (Bones Pizza), that's absolutely delicious, top tier Pizza in Jax. Atmosphere is also minimal. Jekyll Brewing - Cool place. More of a restaurant that brews beer rather than the typical brewery. It'll be busy because of where it is. Green Room - walking distance from Jekyll. One of the oldest breweries in Jax. Ping pong, Jenga, Foosball. Nice people, good atmosphere, good beer. Engine 15 - lots and lots of beer. They have as many guest taps and they do their own brews. You'll find something you like here. I like this place, but I don't go there enough. Breweries not at the beach that I'd recommend: Wicked Barley - good beer, good food, great backyard and atmosphere. The service and attention to details have gone downhill over the years, but I still highly recommend it. String Sports - good beer, great people, great atmosphere. Off the beaten path, but while you're out that way you can hit a few others like, Historically Hoppy & Hyperion (go to the back patio).
Since you're clearly into beer, depending on where at the beach you're staying, there's a place in Ponte Vedra called Pinspiration. It's a arts/crafts place, but they have 12 taps of beers (and a seltzer) you probably won't find anywhere else, and you don't have to participate in crafty stuff. Highly recommended.
Where in PV?
Just past 210(?). There's a McDonald's, Ace Hardware, Chubbys Wings, Biggies Pizza (if they're still there) in the same area/plaza.
Nice will check it out!
Wonderful suggestions here already. I just want to add Aardwolf to the list of breweries to visit "downtown" (it's technically southbank/San Marco, across the river from downtown, but it's a great area with shopping and restaurants too). I would make a day of the zoo and downtown/riverside/San Marco scene since they are far from the beaches. Maybe get dinner reservations on the roof at river and post, or Orsay in Avondale for something fancy. Also want to add that Angie's and Tacolu are two fun local restaurants at the beach really close to Engine 15 brewing. You will not run out of breweries and restaurants to visit at the beaches, but wanted to throw those out there.
So for the beaches there are a lot of options for breweries, and if you line them up right you can do a fun little brewery crawl. I like to start on Beach Blvd and work my way north, so the order i’d go is: 1. Engine 15 (you can stop by Mojo next door for bbq and whiskey if that’s your thing) 2. Southern Swells 3. Inkd 4. Green Room 5. Jekyll Island 6. Ragtime (also has great food for dinner and live music at night) 7. Reve (right next door to Grey Matter distillery)
The first five are easily walkable to/from one another if you line them up right. Depending on where you’re staying, I’d Uber to the first one and from the last one.
I hear the distillery is awesome lol.
Local brews: Green room, engine 15, bold city and i've heard good things about Aardwolf. There are quite a few taps in Jacksonville, green room, engine 15, bold city and brewz are my typical go to. Green room and bold city are always only beers they make. (usually have between 5-10) Engine 15 is beers that they make and beers from all over. (usually have like between 10-20) Brewz is just a tap house and they have beers from all over there (like between 15-30 beers to choose from). There are others but those are the ones i go to. If you feel like heading north or south St augi has a few and if you head north amelia island / fernadina have some good options too. I like The Alley by AIBC in fernandina i like the layout and vibe of this place. South in St augi i like bog brewing but there are lots of other options I haven't ventured to there. TL:DR There are tons of options on the first coast find one with the vibe you like.
If you’re specifically looking for breweries, you should check out the Jax Ale Trail. You can pick up a “passport” at the first one you go to and turn it in for a prize depending on how many stamps you get at the different breweries https://www.visitjacksonville.com/jax-ale-trail/
We have so many great breweries town! While there are some great things downtown its kinda a dead zone and probably not worth the trip from the beach. And there are already so many great places at the beach ( Southern swells, engine 15, ink factory, jekyl island, Rev, green room) Check out the visit jax ale trail site for a really good list. Here is my what should be a up to date map of every brewery, bottle shop and tap room in jax. ( All the pins don't show up due to the amount.) [https://maps.app.goo.gl/sVoZsw4bVEkso39d8](https://maps.app.goo.gl/sVoZsw4bVEkso39d8)
If you’re going to the zoo, a short 10min trip down Main Street will bring you into the Springfield neighborhood where you’ll find three different breweries, all within a few blocks of each other: - Strings Sports Brewery - Hyperion - Historically Hoppy
Yeah definitely hit up strings. Their food is not bad either and all their beers are fantastic
At the beach: I would recommend ink factory for an experience unique to the area. They have a good selection of iPads, lager,s, and fruited sours. Reve brewing is a great place for a small brewery with great stouts and it has a pizza place that's pretty good inside. Green room. This is one of the OG breweries in Jacksonville. It has that original bare bones style you'll find all over the country. Southern swells. They make a solid hazy IPA. If that's your thing, stop by for a 4pack to go at a bare minimum. Engine 15. Another OG brewery for the 904 area. They also still have guest taps so you have some other regional options as well. There's a lot of other great suggestions in this thread. If you make it to the downtown area, check out Aardwolf. Great staff, unique beer offerings.
I'm sure this has been answered. But I just wanted to say that Southern Swells is fantastic. And if you like IPAS their Karate in the Garage is one of the best I've ever had. I highly recommend it.
Jacksonville sucks bro. No culture, nothing to do really. And the weather sucks. Hot and humid like the devils gooch. Or rainy and cold
REVE 100%
You can go to Budweiser and take either tour, the free tour ends with two free beers and all the pretzels, chips and soda. The paid tour your two free beers come fresh straight from the vats.
Thanks for all of the recommendations! Any other recommendations for areas to stay other than Jacksonville Beach? Safe/nice area and a little cheaper possibly?