While being responsible members of society and wearing masks in public, as well as following social distancing guidelines as often as possible, my friends and I went on an adventure in a global pandemic. Wow, that’s even weirder to say now that I’ve written it on paper. Or typed.
Also, just to put my two cents in on the matter—masks are cool. WEAR THEM. PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS. That is all—now back to my regularly scheduled mindless gibbering.
Rachel, Ariel, Anna Grace and I hadn’t seen each other for four months. FOUR MONTHS. (Yes, I am aware that Anna Grace is my sister and we live together, bUt ThAt’S nOt ThE pOiNt.) Regardless of that fact, do you understand how long of a time that is without your best friends? I can’t say in confidence that we were planning for a global pandemic to interfere in our schedules but, ya know……. Here we are……. Living through history.
After weeks and months and however many freaking days (we lost count) of being in a “quarantined state of emergency,” along with the increasingly growing fear of stepping outside of our homes without a hazmat suit, the four of us decided to break the hiatus of self-loathing and mental distress and plan a girls’ trip down to Ariel’s house in Jacksonville, FL. Because the unspoken golden rule is: When you have a college bestie who lives at the beach, you find a way to go to the beach.
Our highly qualified 20-something year-old minds thought that it was better to be quarantined with friends rather than quarantined alone in our houses, where we were permanently stir crazy and losing our minds—it turned out to be the best idea we’ve had since COVID-19 announced its domination of the world. LOL. Personally, I was sick and tired of talking to myself more than real human beings, and I’m sure the majority of you guys can relate.
My ultimate goal for this trip, and well, every trip honestly, was to find new coffee shops that could make my wallet cry. And boy did I do that—please tell me why I spent $5 on a small coffee that tasted like flavored water, and then proceeded to try and redeem Jacksonville’s caffeine reputation by walking down the street and buying another $5 coffee. I truly cannot explain myself.
I did find some AWESOME ones though, even if they were on the pricier side, that I genuinely enjoyed and would revisit. So, that’s why I’m here—I wanted to share them with you! Along with some other cool spots we found.
Disclaimer: Sadly, there weren’t any aesthetically pleasing coffee cups so there are no pictures of those. I know, I’m devastated, too. ~I love a good boujee coffee cup.~
Start Your Morning With a Cup of Joe
Urban Bean Coffee Café was my number one while I stayed in Jacksonville, for sure. My go-to coffee order is always an iced caramel macchiato and ordering at smaller, hole-in-the-wall shops sometimes makes me a little ~nervy~ because they make their menu items different every time. But, oomph, Urban Bean hit the spot. The coffee tasted fresh and flavorful, and you literally cannot ask for more when it comes to your java.
Some food items I highly recommend are the scrambled grits bowl and chicken salad croissant.
Crucial Coffee Café is the literal smallest coffee shop I have ever been to, but probably the cutest. It was a one room, wooden shack that had outdoor seating, and I honestly could’ve stayed there all day with the way the sunshine was beaming through the open windows. Once again, I bought an iced caramel macchiato, and it tasted delicious, plus I gave it extra stars for such a unique and beautiful spot in Saint Augustine.
They also had different lemonades, teas and pastries that I would have LOVED to try, but my poor college bank account wasn’t having it that day.
The Flamingo was actually a coffee bar! Like coffee, beer and wine—the works, man. It had the coolest atmosphere, and some really awesome coffee, too. You guys would be proud to hear that I didn’t get my "usual," but actually tried a recommendation from the bartender/barista. I was feeling a little on the wild side, what can I say? I ordered an iced black and white tuxedo latte with oat milk (only my fellow lactose intolerant friends will understand). What made it “black and white” was actually white and dark chocolate syrup, which I was pleasantly surprised to find out was not too sweet or bitter. A perfect combo, if I do say so myself.
A Lil Something to Curb Your Hunger
Maple Street Biscuit Company blew me away in every aspect. It was bustling, but it was also a very private setting. (Private in the sense that everyone just did their own thing and didn’t bother you. Does that make sense?) The food was… WOW. Every plate I walked by to get to our table made my mouth water—for proof (you’ve just got to trust me here), Rachel, Ariel, Anna Grace and I each got different items and all of us basically licked our plates clean.
I got the Sunshine in the Garden Bowl, which is a tomato-based sauce with shallots and green peppers, topped with feta cheese, basil, two sunny-side-up eggs and a biscuit, and when I tell you I could eat that for breakfast for the rest of my life... I mean it. I truly have never had anything like it.
Pictured above is Rachel’s Chicken Club with the B2 Jam Lemonade and my Sunshine in the Garden Bowl.
Carmines Pie House *cue mouth drool* I literally have no idea if this is authentic Italian food, but honestly, who really cares? Because if the calzones taste and look like authentic Italian food (which they most definitely do), then that’s all that matters to me. I don’t even know what to say. This is a must try.
Viola’s Pizza, Pasta & Seafood is not a restaurant that you should necessarily walk in right after a beach day while being sunburnt, sandy and clothed in your bathing suit, even though we did. Oops. (We didn’t know it was a nice restaurant, okay? Cut us some slack.) Food in Florida is typically more expensive in my experience, and this place wasn’t cheap, but it was worth the extra buck or two. I got the Bang Shrimp Tacos—just a preface, I could’ve eaten 10 of them—and the girls each got something different, which included a cheese calzone (again), fettuccine alfredo and the Hot Italian sandwich.
Whit’s Frozen Custard is different than ice cream. (But it’s all the same when you’re lactose intolerant because, ya know….. dairy. I sacrificed my well-being to try it though and it was worth every trip to the bathroom. Sorry, TMI.) Any who, I will now explain to you why you need to hit up your closest Whit’s. Yes, I said need. The taste of this custard was something very different. Sure, I’ve been in the drive-thru at Culver’s, but it’s not the same. At Whit’s, you watch them scoop it out of the containers and douse your custard with whipped cream (and whatever else makes your heart content.) It gives me hand sweats and heart palpitations. And although there are so many options to choose from (I changed my order like, six times before I even got up to the register, and THEN changed it again—sue me), I guarantee that you will love whatever the heck they throw in that magical cup.
Treasure Hunting, But On A Budget
I love thrifting—my boyfriend actually got me into it, and when we go together, it is end game for whatever else we have planned for the day (and for our bank accounts, LOL). I’m an old soul, so finding thrift stores and vintage shops makes me feel weirdly nostalgic. If I could afford it, these would be the only places I would ever shop, but because I am on a poor college student’s budget, I tend to stick with Goodwill so I won’t break the bank quite as much, while finding cool stuff at the same time. If you’re a thrifter too, there’s this specific smell when you step over the threshold of a Goodwill—YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. However, with being in a new place, I decided to treat myself to the more boujee side of things— hence why I visited 5 Points Vintage in Jacksonville. Let’s just say they had a little bit of everything—and I absolutely loved it.
Here's a small photo dump of pictures that you didn't ask for. Enjoy. Hehehe.
If you find yourself by any of these places, I highly recommend trying them. I promise that you won't regret it—and if you do, well, you're wrong.
I'm just kidding. Kinda.
Good luck, my fellow foodies—feel free to let me know your thoughts!
Much love,
Abby