Kick Back at Shrimp Shack

Shrimp! I love them, any style, anywhere. There are many places that have tried seafood in my time in Jacksonville, Florida. When it comes to seafood there are usually two main types of restaurants. Tiny hole-in-the-wall/ mom and pop stores, or a fast food chain such as Joe’s Crab shack or Red Lobster. Honestly I am always down to try a smaller place closer to the beach side for some fresh seafood. Going to the larger chain restaurants I usually find myself getting “just ok” seafood for the same price that I could be getting it at a small shop. One day I noticed a new restaurant pop up on Beach Boulevard hosting a larger cartoon shrimp. The restaurant was called Shrimp Shack. So one day I decided to take a look and see what it was all about. They have a variety of seafood such as oysters, clam strips, flounder, and of course shrimp! Most of the food there was caught locally and prepared freshly in the restaurant. The prices of the dishes were pretty reasonable as well. They have certain special on different days of the week. For example, one of my favorite specials that they have at Shrimp Shack would be the Tuesday 30-piece fried-shrimp with two sides for $10.99! That is one of the best deals around! The Battering of the shrimp is so light and flaky. I got double fries as my side because I absolutely love french fries. It was also packed on Tuesday at around 3 O' clock which I was not expecting. If you really enjoy some good seafood at a good price without the pressure of going to a fancy restaurant and with the convenience of being part fast food chain, Shrimp Shack might be a place you want to visit!

Joyful Jollibee!

I am a huge fan of all kinds of fried chicken. I have tried most fast food restaurants and have never really complained about any of them. Recently a new contender in the fried chicken world has entered the Jacksonville area and Florida for the first time ever. Jollibee has arrived from the Philippines. I remember driving by the store as it was being built wondering what kind of restaurant it would be hoping to try something new. Finding out it was primarily a chicken joint I wasn’t overly excited. When I told my Filipino friend that I saw some place called Jollibee he immediately started looking up the information to see when it would open. He was so happy that we were getting one close by. I asked him what was so different about it. The main thing I got out of his excitement is that “It’s like the Filipino McDonalds but for chicken”! Naturally I was curious. 

I went during the opening week and the wait was around an hour! I had never seen anything like this before at a fast food restaurant. I met a family that had been staying in a hotel for a whole week from South Carolina, that’s dedication. People were eating Jollibee for breakfast lunch and dinner they said. I went back the other week and was reminded why this place has so many fans. I got their two piece spicy fried chicken with two sides, crispy fries and rice with gravy. The flakiness of the chicken skin is amazing and it is oh so juicy. The spices that they season the spicy chicken are honestly the main reason I would come back again and again. They also have other interesting dishes that would be comfort food for some fans such as boba teas, chicken palabok and fried chicken with spaghetti! If you want to have some exotic fried check experience then come check this place out!

Sushi Rocks(and Rolls)!

Have you heard of the old saying “Give it the old college try”? Usually this phrase is said in a “what could go wrong” situation. College students everywhere try new things all the time. My freshman year I gave sushi a college try thanks to my friend Julie. Ever since that first piece I have been hooked on this amazing fish dish since! There is never an instance where I wouldn’t want to eat sushi or go and get some. It’s safe to say that I love sushi, but there is one downside. Sushi, as amazing as it is, has a pretty hefty price tag to each roll. On average most rolls cost about eight or nine dollars a roll. A growing boy like me can eat around three rolls if I am moderately hungry bringing my total bill to almost thirty dollars! Not a very cost effective meal. Well sushi lovers rejoice because Fuji Sushi can keep the sushi rolling as long as you heart desires. Monday through Friday Fuji Sushi has an Express Lunch Buffet from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. serving all-you-can-eat sushi, hibachi items and soup and salad for $11.99. They have a wide variety of sushi including shrimp tempura, California roll, JB roll, different raw rolls, hand rolls and even deep fried rolls. I am obsessed with their pacific roll which is a shrimp tempura roll (tempura fried shrimp, cucumber and rice with seaweed wrap) covered in spicy krabmeat. I order around 4 of these rolls. By the time I go to check out I order around 12 rolls, a couple of hibachi salmon pieces, and at least one spicy krabmeat soup. The sushi isn’t like the most amazing quality I’ve ever had but for the price and the quantity there is nothing better. If you plan on going and have a big group you better call ahead because since I’ve been going, there has always been a wait for larger groups. Fuji sushi is one of those restaurants that I really enjoy going to for the purpose of eating one of my favorite foods in bulk. Each visit is a new challenge where I do my best to out eat my expectations!

(Angie's) GROM dot com!

Most UNF students love going to Jacksonville Beach. There are many different restaurants around this coastal area but some of the most popular would be the Angie’s franchise. Angie’s Subs and Angie’s Grom are staples in the Jax Beach community. For anyone looking to get an amazing sub for a good price, Angie’s Subs is THE spot to visit. Its unique dining area includes tables and chairs that don’t match, random Christmas decorations and who could forget the lost sock that is on display. But the best reason is for their amazing Peruvian sauce (which you can purchase separately)! For the four years that I have been in Jacksonville I have always gone to Angie’s Subs. I recently decided to change things up and visit Angie’s Grom after watching a sunrise one morning at the beach. Located within two minutes of the Jax Beach pier, Angie’s Grom is more oriented towards a breakfast to lunch feel while Angie’s Subs focuses on lunch to dinner. The menu had many interesting items combining traditional breakfast foods with a local beachy twist, but the breakfast tacos sounded like the best fit for me. Two tortillas filled with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and your choice of meat ( I got bacon on one and sausage on the other). Then the tacos are topped with their “ho-made” salsa and creamy sweet jalapeno dressing which gave these tacos a savory kick. They also give you a side of fresh fruit or home fries. I choose the home fries of course and I am glad I did because they were some of the flakiest and crispiest home fries I have ever had. Each bite was a potato paradise of greasy goodness. I will definitely be visiting the Grom more often to try their lunch and other breakfast creations.