The Pier Cantina and Sandbar
412 1st St N, Jacksonville Beach, FL, 32250
The Pier Cantina and Sandbar Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Jacksonville Beach for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Jacksonville Beach for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Jacksonville Beach for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
412 1st St N
Jacksonville Beach, FL, 32250 - Phone (904) 246-6454
- Website https://thepierjax.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Good For Dancing : Yes
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Cletus ..
Went for their Taco Tuesday special. Chips and salsa on the table first, very palatable. Coming off a weekend of Taco-tours, if you will, they weren't bad for what they offered - and at the sale price ($2.50 each, $2 domestic drafts). food was great for the price (3 stars), and the view out back is fantastic (plus a star). Parking is a wretched mother of a sow, but that's not the fault of The Pier - most parking down on the beachfront is rough at best during peak hours. Planning on going back - will update as needed!
(4)Gregg K.
Great location doors were open and had a great breeze from the beach. There tacos are hit or miss Hit on the carnitas and the surf and turf tacos. Miss on the steak and chicken. There queso is really good but salsa very bland. Service was excellent and good price. Great hangout spot.
(3)Timothy G.
I like the Pier, and we are regulars here. It is not without a few flaws, though I think most of the 1 and 2 star ratings are the result of people coming in during "late night drunk teenybopper dumbass" hours and expecting good service. We are always there on Fridays or Saturdays around the 7-8pm hours. I come in with my wife and daughter and we are always treated well by servers, our service is prompt from drinks to free nachos to our entrees. The prices are rather reasonable. The burritos are quite delicious and I enjoyed my tacos as well. I have never sat at the bar - we always get table service, and twice we have been seated at the window upstairs - can't be beat for ambience! We don't care for the parking expense, but for those who understand the nature of Jax Beach, parking is very very hard to find. If they didn't have paid, monitored parking, you would NEVER be able to park anywhere near here, and the owners would have fewer customers. By charging to park and getting the cost of parking refunded on your bill, they have taken a fairly reasonable measure to ensure their actual customers get to park there. It is an inconvenient surprise the first time, to need $10 cash, but once you understand it's a fairly sensible approach. The only time I was legitimately turned off was this past Tuesday when we wanted a nice dinner to celebrate my birthday, and saw it was Taco Tuesday. This promotional idea draws a nice big crowd, of course. We went in and asked to be seated upstairs, and they said upstairs (where the nice view is) is closed on weekdays! This doesn't make any sense. They had a long list of customers on the waiting list, but if they opened up the upstairs they would be able to seat everybody and serve everybody, and presumably make more revenue. If you're going to draw a crowd with a promotion, open the upstairs guys.
(4)Elisabeth P.
Convenient parking in the adjoining lot, we got there before they starting charging $10- unsure what time that flips over. Tons of space upstairs and down for beach-side dining. The pro's: chips and salsa hit the table in record time, drinks can quickly and were nice pours, food was hot and came out fast, tacos were flavorful. We liked the pastor, gringo and ceviche. The con's: the view is king here not the food, tacos are pricey (one taco no side for about $4 depending on what you choose), twice we were brought food meant for another table (on a Friday night which was a bit weird) A really gorgeous location for relaxing drinks and maybe a taco (if some else is buying)
(3)John D.
It's a 5 star view with 1 star food and 1 star service. When I think of the flavors of Mexico, I don't think of "cajun chicken" being part of my dish. Come here to drink and watch the surf and skip the food.
(2)Randy S.
Jesus was no carpenter! He is in Jacksonville FL Beach making tacos!! I was an atheist until i ate tacos here. Experienced a god like taco only Christ could of made! Hands down the best tacos Ive ever had in my entire 44 years. Order the surf and turf taco, you will also experience heaven as well as grilled shrimp , amazing skirt steak and avocado, adorning these beautiful and biblical ocean dividing, walk on water street style tacos. Be warned! Your beliefs will be forever changed!!!
(5)Thomas B.
I can't speak for the food but the service was extremely attentive and the bar is right on the beach. We went for a drink or two and I was very impressed. I got the jalapeno margarita. It was very clear that it wasn't a mix and was carefully constructed. It wasn't really spicy but carried a lot of the actual jalapeno flavor. Really good! We have a similar bar in Nashville and was glad to find this place.
(5)Jessica B.
Great location right on the beach & incredible drinks! Our service was very attentive as well. We just went for drinks after dinner, so I didn't have the food, but it looked good. I had one of the two signature drinks, the pier pressure. It was a fruity concoction of various fruits pineapple juice and rum. One sip was all it took to make me feel like I was actually on the beach! And my $7 drink came in a souvenir cup that I got to take home! So it was a win all around! I also tried the jalepeno margarita and it was excellent! Not too much heat to it, but plenty of flavor.
(4)Nicole C.
Tonight I was completely disrespected by a bartender from this establishment and have never been made to feel so little as I was tonight. This bartender was absolutely unprofessional with his behavior and has ensured that I will never again return to this establishment. Do yourself a favor and visit one of the other awesome bars at the beaches. This one has most definitely fallen short with it's staff and the service they provide.
(1)Samantha K.
Although the Pier has some poor reviews, I have to say that I have never had any issues there and the food has always been good. But, I have only been there during the day for lunch, which may be what allows for better experiences as compared to perhaps a busy dinner service, or the late night bar scene. Maybe it's not the best Mexican around, but for the touristy location I think they do a pretty good job. 9 out of 10 times that I'm there I order the Baja Salad (lettuce, corn, black beans, pico de gallo, chicken, avocado, delicious cilantro dressing), which I think is $9-$10 and is a pretty big portion. I've had a couple of tacos there in the past, but this salad is my go to. Usually they bring free chips and salsa as well, and I have really enjoyed the salsa in the past (not sure if it's homemade or not, but if it's tasty, whatever!). Margaritas and mojitos are delicious, but a little pricey for me--I usually pay about $8 a drink because their specials at the times 've gone were not what I preferred (e.g. cans of Dos Equis). During the day, service seems to be just fine, whether at the bar or at a table. The pier is my go to spot on lazy Sundays at the beach for a quick lunch and some drinks.
(4)Mr T T.
Location is excellent , oceanfront dining ,great ambiance but food is lacking in flavor . Hit or miss too salty , too bland , missing some seasoning . Portion size is ample but flavor missing . Price is reasonable and service is excellent .
(3)Angeli D.
The place is nice especially at sunset when all the lights and different colors of the sky shine in thru their open balcony. The restaurant/bar is an indoor/outdoor venue right on Jax beach in the heart of the beach bars walking areas. I've only been here to drink on the weekends and I have never actually dined at this place, but the food looks good... Just maybe a little over priced. But I will say I have never seen in empty or dead inside. They have a bar upstairs and downstairs and this place also provides live music on the weekends. The drinks here are amazing!!! It's a great non crowded post to hit up before going bar hoping in Jax beach! Go see David in the upstairs bar and this bartender definitely knows how to whip up some good drinks! My favorite part is the upstairs dining area and overlooks Jacksonville beach. It's a beautiful view of the ocean. And the skeleton art work inside is really picturesque and give the place a modern but vintage kind of vibe. The paintings I believe are also for sale The pier is a great local post. They so card on weekends. Only thing is when it starts to get packed there's only one bartender upstairs, David, so the wait tends to get longer. But I would say best time is either dinner at sunset or 10-10:30pm before the bar hoping begins!
(3)Nicole T.
I came here yesterday with a friend and for the price it's an okay spot. The views of the beach/ocean are great! We ordered chips, queso and salsa which were all great and tasted really fresh. The Pier Pressure drink is a must if you love sweet fruity drinks.
(3)Stephanie A.
Came for a late lunch and sat on back patio to enjoy the beach. It was def a chilly day. My waitress was super sweet and helpful. Jordan is her name. When I wasn't happy she was insistent on getting me anything to make my meal enjoyable. I want huevos rancheros. But not on the menu so she asked if the kitchen could make it for me since they have egg tacos. But no was what she was told. I settled with sunny egg tacos without the chorizo when they came one was with chorizo and one without. Scratching my head I sent them back and within a minute they came back out and I asked if they used same egg just dumped off the chorizo and of course not. So I'm not a fan of runny eggs this is my fault for not telling them to cook eggs more. So I squeezed out the runny middle to make do of my runny mess. Manager came out and was wonderful. I think his name is Quanne. I'm sure I've misspelled it but he insisted on making me the huervos I originally wanted and brought out fresh everything. Now I was one happy diner!! Thanks for making me and my daughter very happy and made us feel appreciated. Now we must walk off this food on the pier.
(3)Laura G.
Went here with a large party for a birthday. The food was decent, the service was semi good, but the view was beautiful. The breeze from the ocean was so nice. Everyone had a nice time. The server messed up several of our checks but I guess with a large group that happens sometimes. Just sucks not getting the right amount of change back. Also, you have to pay for parking and then they refund it off of your bill. That's pretty annoying when you have to go inside and spend $3 at their ATM just to pay for parking.
(3)Andrea P.
Great place to go by jax beach! Went with my boyfriend and his brother for some drinks. They did not have frozen drinks but all their other original drinks were delicious! I tried a mango mojito and their famous drink The Crush. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. Heard the food is just as good. Definitely recommended!
(5)Jess K.
Ok so was bit leery about trying this place since it only has a three star review while on vacation but thank god we did !! It was so yummy and service was great ..... Sat upstairs with a beautiful view of the ocean ..... Though they didn't serve frozen margaritas (which I normally have ) their on the rocks one was amazing !! If I ever visit again I will for sure visit this place again
(5)Nichole C.
Love this place! Never fails me! Great food, great drinks, & always great service! The price is very reasonable. After a failed try down the road, we walked in here & it definitely made up for our first try at Surfing Sombrero (That place sucks). We left here so full & satisfied!! We will definitely be coming back.
(5)Jeremiah H.
Horrible.. Was told I couldn't be put on a wait list to sit outside to sit in the shade because it would be too complicated if I moved tables that I had to wait at the bar for my table. A little upsetting but went to the bar to get an drink stood there for 5 minutes when I asked a server for a drink because the bar tender was ignoring us. The server asked the bar tender if she néw we were standing there she was like YEAH!! With all the attitude in the world really??
(1)Andrea F.
Great location with great people watching! The fajita salad is the best thing on the menu along with the queso. Service is a bit slow, but that goes along with the beach/reggae vibe that they have. Great place to walk up to from the beach and order a cerveza.
(4)Christopher G.
I hesitate to give this place more than one star because it's a 3 star GEM, and I'd rather no one else know it and go there. Taco Tuesday with the best $2.50 tacos in the state. Sunny Side Up taco was magical. Sit outside, grab a drink, and chow down. Great place.
(5)Kelsey S.
I love the Pier. Today was the first time I ate here and our server was very rude and had an attitude, probably had a bad day, whatever. We spoke to a manager and he was very appreciative of our feedback and ever gave us a few free drinks! Besides our server this time, the food, music, and drinks were great! The pier is a great time :)
(5)Ben M.
Great place. Afternoon drinking and good music close to the beach. Food isn't to bad either.
(5)Chuck M.
We had a nice server. We were 4 star until the manager came out and yelled at our server for letting our 5 year - old girl finish her hot dog, from another vendor! The servers get it. This manager doesn't. The chicken nachos were descent. The grilled Mahi tacos were just ok as well. Could have a fun atmosphere if it was more crowded. Good guacamole.
(2)Dustin T.
I didn't want to come because it only had 3 stars, but we came. The food was great. The restaurant and bathrooms were clean, and the staff was very friendly and attentive. This is a great spot for Jacksonville Beach! So I decided to leave a review to make up for some of the bad reviews from a time that was under previous management!!
(5)David K.
This place has a great location. The taco are great! The drinks are not special and because of this I give it 4 out of 5 stars however the live music and youth make it a fun place.
(4)Reese S.
Sunday Funday!!! Live music is awesome... They have drink specials that were at a great price. I had a drink that had a peach puree in it and it was great! The live music attracted everyone to this place..
(5)Caitlyn Z.
Good drink specials, great for out of town folks. Pastor taco was salty and the shrimp taco was ok.
(3)David S.
Great appetizers! Queso blanco is tasty and drinks are nice and cold. Hamburger quesadilla tastes just like it sounds and taco fries rock!
(4)Brian A.
The Pier is like the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde of jax beach. During the day, you have a great spot on the water for lunch or drinks. At night, it turns into a borderline night club, devoid of tables, chairs, and inhibition. I've had every experience possible here. I've come in on a Sunday at noon for lunch and had a great time chatting with the bartenders and watching sports. I've stumbled in here after midnight, waiting twenty minutes in the line only to not be able to get a drink because it's so packed. I've been on the front line for taco Tuesdays. One thing remains the same... I keep coming back! Even though I have had some poor experiences here, the good outweighs the bad. The drinks are cheap, the food is good, and the atmosphere is better than 75% of the other bars. I'm not really one to conform to a dress code, but it's nice to know people will actually try to look nice when they come here. They also have pretty solid live music featuring local bands like Spilt tones and Charlie Walker. Really, knowing is half the battle with this place. If you come in for lunch, expect people lounging in bathing suits and cover ups casually dining/drinking. If you come after ten, expect 21+ with loud music and colored lights flashing. If you're in that weird 8-9 dinner time demographic, don't be surprised when they start moving the tables and chairs out from under you when the bar crowd shows up.
(4)Cara H.
Great location. Few steps from the Jacksonville Beach Pier. We were able to get a table immediately and the service was great. The food was even better. I generally do not go for Mexican but didn't realize the restaurant served Mexican food until I opened the menu. I'd recommend this restaurant to Mexican food lovers. Check out my pics for our food. Everything was delicious. The food was spiced right and the presentation wasn't all too bad either. I'm still looking for my pics...hang tight lol
(5)Caitlyn F.
Location is the name of the game for this beachside bar. The ocean is just over the dunes, and when you're out on the back patio you get a fantastic breeze mixed with the salty air. I'm at the point where I'm over crowded bars, but I'll suck it up every now and then and dive into the crowd at Pier thanks to their great drink specials and music acts - I've heard quite a few good local bands there. The drink specials are what draw me in every time - can beers for $2.50, $4 Bacardi and $4 margaritas. You're not going to trying anything new here, but they do the classics pretty well. It's a nice spot to start or end the night, though it's not my favorite spot at the Beaches. Can't say much for the food here as I've never tried it, but I hear they have good deals on taco Tuesdays. All in all a casual spot to hangout with friends.
(3)Jake R.
Stopped in on Taco Tuesday and had a surf & turf taco and a sriracha shrimp taco. Both were excellent, especially for just $2.50! Although I thought the portions could have been larger, I was satisfied with just two. The other guys with me had no problem finishing three. Good service, good margaritas, and lunch for a grand total of $10. Hard to beat that.
(5)Anna J.
I've been coming to this restaurant for a long time just for the bar and Sunday Funday (to drink, not eat). I definitely prefer to go during the day when it's nice out and you have a view of the ocean, rather than at night when the music is blaring and the place is packed. Either way, though, the location is a real win. In my opinion, it might be the best bar location in Jax Beach. You can go outside so you don't feel claustrophobic. The bartenders are nice enough and they don't kick you out for no reason like the Ritz and Brix. It can get pricy real quick if you are ordering shots or liquor drinks but it seems this place always has beer/cocktail specials going on. I finally got to eat here and I must say I was surprisingly impressed with their food. Because it's known as a "bar" to most people, I never really thought to eat here. We came on a sunny day for lunch, and got a table closest to the ocean so we were in the sun and had a great view. We ordered guac for the table and all got tacos for our meals. Everything tasted good. I got the mahi taco and the chicken taco. The mahi taco was really good. The shredded chicken taco was good enough, nothing out of this world, but enjoyable. My boyfriend ordered the ceviche and skirt steak and really liked both (plus they brought out an extra ceviche on accident but did not charge him for it even though he ate it). Prices are comparable to other places that sell tacos around town. The service isn't that great... the servers are all business but that didn't really bother us. I would come again on a nice day.
(4)Jamie T.
We sat upstairs - excellent service, strong affordable drinks- taco fried and fajita nachos are amazing- views are priceless!
(5)Chris M.
This is a great place to chill out with some drinks and really good food if the weather gets nasty while you're on the beach. We sat upstairs and had an amazing view of the beach and the pier. While we were there the place got pretty busy but you really couldn't tell because it wasn't all that loud and service kept up with the crowd. Downstairs is a dedicated bar, a stage and plenty of room to dance if you're in the mood. The best part was that if you're sitting upstairs at a window you really couldn't hear the live music below. It was a nice separation. There are several tacos to choose from and my party of 4 loved all of the ones that we tried. The only issue with the carnitas taco is that it was a little dry for my wife's taste. The chips and queso were really good and the server was happy to keep the chips coming since we managed to have queso leftover after the chips were gone. I'm not sure of many places where that happens. The ceviche taco was AMAZING!! I would order 3 more of them all by themselves if the other tacos weren't delicious as well. My wife loved their margaritas, but beware, they are big and they are strong. You may only need or be able to handle one (1).
(4)Denise G.
Before I get to the good stuff, I must note that this review is solely based on my recent dining experience. I have been to the Pier several times on the weekend nights just for drinks and live music and have always had a good time. A friend and I went for a late birthday dinner. Upon arriving, we asked to be seated outside and quickly requested to move inside since it was cold. The server gave us our choice of table and we sat down to order. The food is mediocre, there's certainly nothing stand out about it with so many other (better) taco joints nearby. The margaritas and drink specials are fantastic! The problem was that our server would ask us if we wanted another drink, and then forget to bring them. Then we were told that a reservation of 20 was coming in and were asked to move to the bar area (which we did with no complaints) but our server didn't cash us out right away, and trying to get the bartenders attention was impossible. Finally, I grabbed his attention and asked for two shots, and instead he took our tab to our server and had her ring us up and then he proceeded to make drinks for everyone else at the bar around us as we sat there with empty cups. Finally, we tried again and got our drinks. Had we not been pressed for time at this piont, we'd have left and gone somewhere else.
(2)Ashley M.
After walking around all day it was nice to sit on the patio at the Pier and relax, drink, and eat. The music was upbeat, the drinks were strong, and the food was delicious. I had the Pollo Rellena and the Miracle to drink. My friend had skirt steak fajitas. Portions are huge and once again quite tasty.
(5)Tee B.
Allow me to sort out the pro and cons. Keep in mind that these are my own opinions and please if you consider trying them, give them a chance. Pros: Gorgeous views, patio and upstairs. Free chip and salsa. Great selections of Tequila. Live music some nights. Beach front. Cons: $10 PARKING AFTER SUNDOWN??? Waahh?? Hostess dresses like she's going to a yoga ooze fest. Your divorces come here for love connections. Mediocre margaritas. Did I mention even if you're a paying customer you have to pay $10 to park after 9pm?( I was here twice for dinner and was charged both times despite saying we're here for some grub) I absolutely love the view and food but as for service and parking fees, I'll pass.
(2)Debbi C.
Parking was interesting. You pay $5 and get it off your meal- Eating upstairs was a whole new experience.... We have been downstairs and eaten off the limited menu and were disappointed. However, the steak fajitas were good. The taste was great, but there was no sizzle. The sides had no guac and were a little boring but the seasoning was great! The gringo taco was good. For inexpensive Mexican it was good. The bathrooms were clean and well stocked. The waiter was attentive. Easy night out for pretty good food.
(3)Marie F.
I'm not sure anyone here like their job. Or maybe everyone was having a bad day. Either way I got horrible service three times. The beach waves were hitting kind of hard so we left the water in search of food and decided to try this place out once again. Nice crowd but nothing crazy for a Saturday afternoon (other times were much more busy). So I take a seat at the bar with a friend thinking this will be faster then waiting on a table. I was wrong. I find a menu and tell my friend what I'll want and head to the bathroom. I return at least 10 minutes later (Bathroom was kinda cute plus I'm a chick with sand in my bathing suit). No one had even appeared to take our order?! I can't say they were understaffed because I saw people roaming the floor doing nothing. I flag someone down and place our order. Maybe another 10 minutes later, we're given our water with lemons and told it will be another 10 minutes for our food and still no appetizer has arrived?! But a minute later she reappears with some weird looking nachos. (I'm sketchy of where they came from, so I don't eat and at that time cancel my order.) ?Took 10 minutes for water and you tell us its going to be another 10 minutes for nachos and they magically appear? I assumed she had forgotten to put in our order - but I'm beating someone else walked out earlier and left those nachos! Friend cancelled her meal since she ate all those nachos alone. And surprisingly she wasn't sick afterwards. But a 45 minute lunch consisting of just nachos and water is never good. In short, my guest enjoyed her food and I was able to stick with my diet. Had food before and it was just okay so in short decent food, horrible service. But still willing to give it another try.
(3)Erikka N.
Great location. Come on Tuesdays, the tacos are $2.50. And they're delicious, generous portions.
(4)Amanda W.
Me and a friend were looking for tacos and good drinks along Jax beach and came across The Pier. The inside atmosphere was really nice and decorated beautifully. They were playing reggae music which was also a plus. As for the tacos, there were many different choices. I got the mahi and SOB tacos. The steak in the SOB was hard and and they both didn't have much flavor or anything special about them. The service was mediocre and could have been better. I give 3 stars mainly for the atmosphere and drinks.
(3)Marc M.
You can't go wrong with any of their tacos. Just pick two, three or four different kinds and make a meal out of them. I had the mahi taco, the surf and turf taco and the ceviche taco. Do yourself a favor and ask Savannah (the waitress) to make a habanero margarita. They're awesome!
(5)Julie M.
The Pier is easiest the worst spot in all of the beaches. Why we continue to attempt to go there is beyond ne. We have gone in the past and have received issues from fratty bouncers about clothing. First off, it is a beach bar. Expecting more than beach clothing is ridiculous. In the past, we have been told that men are not allowed to wear plain white t-shirts, regardless of the quality. It MUST have a logo. Who is paying you so much to say that customers MUST be repping some sort of brand? Just curious. So we made sure that the male of the party was wearing a colored shirt before biking 8 miles up there to see the band be easy. Little did we know that they changed the dress code again. We watched a female walk in with nothing but a bikini top on. We were stopped because the gentleman's shirt had no logo on it. This is absolutely the last time we will ever walk into this horrible establishment and urge every yelp reader to do the same. The few times we have actually gone inside, we have received the worst service ever. 75 percent of the time they have no craft beers on tap. It goes to show the type of clientele they are looking for. The times that we actually have gone, the service has been absolutely atrocious. 10 minutes to be recognized at the bar and another 10 minutes to actually get a drink. Literally, the last time we were we watched a bartender look in every direction but ours for 15 minutes. When we were finally acknowledged, we received a "I'll be with you in one minute", but it took n additional 10 minutes to be served. I could not possibly spend enough time warning guests against this place. DO NOT GO HERE. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS HORRIBLE BUSINESS.
(1)Sadi H.
This place has my favorite chips & salsa! We are a family of 7. Always get a spot to sit with a beautiful ocean view. Great food & great prices. Kids portions are big!
(5)Meg H.
This place sucks. Jacksonville food is sub-par nationally as it is, but this place really takes the cake. The margarita was the WORST I've ever had in my life...it was watered down and they use margarita MIX, not fresh lime juice. And it was weak as hell. If this were a steakhouse, okay, I'd forgive the margarita mix, but this is a MEXICAN RESTAURANT. Not to mention the hosts and hostesses are nowhere to be found when you need to be seated, but don't even THINK to seat yourself otherwise they'll come up to you and chastise you for placing yourself at a table. Bad service, bad food. Yuck all around.
(1)Olivia J.
So I went here to test it out before I decided to take my boyfriend here when he came into town, and I'm so glad I did. The place itself isn't the fanciest, it looks and feels like a beach bar on the inside but a more upscale place from the front facade. The service was great, but I must give it only 1 star because it's a restaurant and the food is horrible. I got 1 mahi taco, 1 shrimp taco, and a mojito. My friend got a mahi taco, shredded chicken taco, and surf & turf taco with a margarita. The mahi was not seasoned at all, and the pico de gallo had very little flavor. Completely pointless. The shrimp in the shrimp taco was actually seasoned very well...but was cold. My friends mahi taco was also unseasoned and bland. The shredded chicken taco was also bland, and was cold. The surf and turf taco was good according to my friend and the flank steak was very well seasoned. The margarita was decent. My mojito tasted like water, and had very little liquor..if any at all honestly. They have a great location, but besides that...the food is VERY basic. Very middle school home economics. Not worth $1...or 2 stars.
(1)Josiah P.
The reviews I read here were mixed, so we decided to give this place a try. It was Taco Tuesday and the place was less than half full. I can't comment on the food, because we never got a waiter or waitress to stop by our table. There were plenty of wait staff and bar staff, but they just kept walking right by our table and the table next to us. After 10 minutes we asked for some help. Nothing. After 20 minutes we left. I can't see why anybody would go here where there are over a dozen better places within 3 blocks. They clearly do not care about you as a customer.
(1)Kira Z.
I want to give this place zero stars due to the establishment staffing just one person who seems to be a negative force in the restaurant. My boyfriend and I went for lunch on a Sunday and a black woman (who we later learned was a manager which I find hard to believe because she was wearing g-sting shorts) greeted us at the entrance and asked where we wanted to sit. We requested to sit upstairs by the open windows and were told we could not sit directly by the windows because those tables were reserved for parties larger than two. We proceeded to watch the next three tables all parties of two sit at tables we requested by the window. We felt we were less than the other customers dining since we were blatantly lied to by this staff member. When discussing with friends who frequent The Pier, multiple stories of negative experiences at this establishment and some involving the same person we encountered surfaced. We all concluded the number of underage people present made it an undesirable destination and the unprofessionalism of the young black woman/manager is uncomfortable. Customers shouldn't hear or witness managers or employees criticizing other staff members in public. If you want to be around several underage people and a young power tripping management staff, this is the place for you. If not, don't waste your time here. My young professional friends and I will not spend a second or a dime here again.
(1)Kristine T.
My husband and I were in the mood for a stroll and lunch on the beach in Jacksonville. We just moved to Jax and have been trying to explore the local scene. So when we walked up to the Pier, in theory, it was just what we were looking for. The view of the ocean was great, and they were seats outside in the shade. After being sat by a hostess with an attitude, our server came in an appropriate amount of time. He asked us straight away if he could get us something to drink. I asked for a frozen drink, thinking, 'I'm at the beach, I want a Strawberry Daiquiri.' The server informed me that they had no blender. Okay, what kind of beach restaurant has no blender for frozen drinks?? We ordered the 'fajita nachos' with water, which came out pretty quickly. While the quantity was enough for two to share, the cheese looked like it was just thrown in the microwave. The chips were tasteless and the meat was okay. Definitely disappointing, not coming back.
(1)Tara B.
Decent food & cocktails, but even better service! Near the beach- this bar offers an incredible array of liquors & smiling bartenders. Great spot for any day at the beach!
(4)Chuck M.
I enjoyed my visit on Taco Tuesday!
(4)Vic D.
Bomb ass Mahi Mahi & Carnitas Tacos!!!! I was blown away!!! I usually hesitate on eating at so called Mexican/Spanish joints other then Cali, because I usually get disappointed and end up with a version of Taco Bell instead!!! Service was uoutstanding!!! Guacamole made to perfection, not watery or bland!!! Many props from this Southern Californian!!!!
(5)Cohlrox P.
Showed up around 7pm for dinner on Sunday evening with my woman from the boardwalk side of the establishment and we were intercepted by some bouncer looking fellows asking us for ID and giving us the "are you dressed for this?" up and down. After a moment he judged us for diners instead of clubbers and told us to talk to the hostess at the front of the establishment. We made our way though the bottom floor which is basically a nightclub in the evening. The hostess at the front seated us upstairs which serves as more like the restaurant part of this place. If you can get a window seat the view of the beach is nice. I ordered the pepper and steak. The beef skirts were tasty and tender but I only got 2 pieces and was a little irritated at the quantity of this tasty meat that I was served on my plate considering the price that I was paying. The waitress was attentive and checked on us regularly. Initially we were not seated near the windows but we asked to be moved when a table got up and left a window seat open. They did not have a problem with this and we got a window seat after they quickly cleared it off for us. It looks like this place is more of a eating place during the day and transforms into a loud night club at night. I stayed in a nearby hotel and the music was blaring from this place well into the night. Judging by the number of people there, fairly popular with the local kids.
(3)Liz W.
The only reason this place gets as many stars as it does is because it has a very cool vibe and the upstairs is like an open window loft. VERY pretty view!! The food is good. Their queso is unique compared to other white queso dips, their quac was delicious and I liked the mahi taco a lot! Their service is TERRIBLE. Seriously, the waiters practically threw the food on the table when they delivered it. The waiter didn't ask if we had questions and when we did ask he gave one word answers and laughed as if we were being ridiculous and this was a joke to him. He gave us weird looks and handed a small group of us our checks back in a stack instead of individually. I was a waitress for a year and a half, I know how it is. I've NEVER had service this bad. Who knows if it's everyone, but the couple of waiters/food runners that served us were terrible.
(2)Rob S.
Stopped in for some lunch.. best thing was sitting outside with a nice breeze enjoying the weather.. The food was very good not ming blowing but definatly not horrible... service was good but nothing to right home about.. I will definitely go back again for a nice lunch on the beach
(4)Michael M.
Taco Tuesday The location is worth the drive. The beach, the pier, I recommend it. The tacos were acceptable for the special. The next time I plan on a visit I will try an entree in order to give an adequate appraisal of the kitchen. Beer specials on Tuesday were a plus.
(3)Chris G.
Good atmosphere and thats it, horrible service - really bad. Food probably sucks worse. Drinks are weak. If you go just get beer. Really sad, this place could be awsome.
(1)Ryan H.
The location is really the big winner here for this place. If you want to drink almost right on the beach then this is it. Service is alright and not terrible, but certainly needs improvement. I don't think I've had the food here yet, but judging from the other reviewers i'm not missing much. This wouldn't be my first spot to pick unless I wanted to look at the beach and feel the sea breeze while drinking. Not much to say about the place. Neither good or bad.
(3)cindy m.
Awesome view of the ocean from the second floor. Chips and salsa were run of the mill but good. Ordered their Guacamole, Baja salad, and Cantina salad. It was the blandest restaurant food I've ever had. Serious. A pity really. Slow service. Would rate the food and service a 2, respectively; the view a 5. I would come back for drinks and location, maybe.
(3)Jon B.
It was Tuesday lunch. They weren't all that busy. Probably half or more patrons were local kids getting their Monday afternoon drink on. I waited quite a while for someone to pay attention to me, then waited a while longer for an iced tea and menu. The I waited and waited for someone to take my order. I was literally seconds from walking out when the waiter swung by, and against my better judgment, since I was starving, went ahead and ordered two tacos and guacamole appetizer. Taco Bell is good too and cheaper. I'd say it was a waste of time, except that I saw some nice bikinis go by. So two stars because of the nice location.
(2)Kelsey M.
The Pier has it's positives such as live music and food but for the most part it's NOT where you want to be at night if you enjoy getting drinks in a timely manner. It's common for a bartender to make eye contact with you multiple times only to go have a conversation or help someone else. Other negatives include at night during the summer it can get really got downstairs with the doors open but that's the nature of FL summers. I've tried to give the Pier many many chances but I guess I'm too spoiled by the courteous bartenders of the Brix to be happy with the service at the Pier.
(1)Jainny P.
First time here for some drinks and apps w friends and I was NOT impressed. Food and drinks were weak. One star because of the view!
(1)Rohil S.
On a beach weather day, we thought to go watch some waves crash while enjoying some tex-mex fare. The chips, salsa, guacamole and bloody Mary's were mediocre but the corn tortilla tacos were fantastic. We had 4 different ones with carnitas being my favorite. While the location is great the service really stands out as lacking.
(3)Brett S.
Great scene on Friday nights with a live band. If here for a meal, the tacos are solid, but I always get the Baja Salad: tasty and big enough that you'll have leftovers for lunch the next day!
(4)Kelsey S.
The food is surprisingly delicious and fresh. Tuesdays are the best! Ceviche and surf and turf taco are my favorites!
(5)Michael Hosto H.
Bad food last time I went . I sent it back to kitchen but next meal was equaly disappointing. who knows.... Everyone has off nights. Good location.
(1)Thais A.
Margaritas are ridiculously salty!! Food is mediocre, at best. I don't even remember what I ordered because I spent about a week trying to forget that I even came here. The service was good and so was the atmosphere. However, the food was just awful. I was really upset because this placed looked like it was going to be decent. The downstairs areas seemed well kept and the hostesses were friendly. Are there any good places to eat at the Beach?!
(1)Jordan L.
This place is okay. The tacos are good, although a bit on the pricey side when you think about Mexican. I know it is on the beach, which is why it costs more. We drank the beer they had on special and sat on the patio, although the sand nats that kept eat at us on the patio really put a damper on our time.
(3)Zack H.
Me and my girlfriend go here all the time. Their food is so good, you get what you pay for, and they have always had excellent service whether it was upstairs or downstairs! Definitely a favorite place.
(5)Mac T.
Holy shnikies I think their surf and turf tacos changed my life. I will no longer shun the creatures of the sea when it comes to my meals. Stopped here for lunch after walking down the beach, great service, great music, great view of the beach. ORDER the surf and turf tacos!
(5)Mitchell L.
Lots of food for the price and the quality is there. Jalapeño margaritas were awesome. I had the chile rellenos and the wife had a salad. Both were excellent.
(4)M M.
We had an AWESOME time last night. The Pier sponsored Flip Your Wig to raise money for The Donna Foundation. The entire upstairs was blocked off and a photo booth was sponsored by subject one photography. Everyone loved the queso and salsa. The $2.50 tacos were out of this world! I had a chicken and a shrimp taco. My husband had tacos pastor and the drink specials were great. $3 Corona Light was my drink of choice. Be Easy played and they were great! Wigged out on the dance floor and raised money for a great cause. Thank you Pier Cantina and Sandbar. You're a class act!
(5)TanGirl S.
Best dinner beach view available. Never had a bad meal. Must have the guacamole and try any of the tacos. This place has something for everyone with live music and outdoor seating downstairs and panoramic beach views upstairs. Love it!
(4)Julia R.
Great food and great service! I had the shredded chicken tacos (delicious), and my boyfriend had the shrimp fajitas. The fajitas were so good, we asked how they made them and the spices they used so we could try it at home! And the view was definitely a plus. Our waiter was extremely friendly and helpful too. I will definitely come back to Pier next time I come to JAX beach!
(5)Faith L. S.
I like si señor better! The waiter at the pier wasn't attentive and didn't get my food right.
(1)Cyrelle D.
Came by here last Sunday for lunch before a walk on the beach with a couple of friends..it was my first time. Lol. Okay, but good atmosphere--so much eye candy, I could easily drop the food! ;)
(3)Mona E.
Awesome tacos! Awesome service! Looking for something to do during a visit to Jacksonville, my hubby and I went to the beach then stopped here for drinks. Our very nice server Alexa brought some chips and salsa to the table and the salsa was so yummy we decided to come back the next day for lunch. So happy we did! We ordered the carnitas tacos, surf & turf tacos & side of guacamole. No skimping on the filling.. They were huge! And delicious! We were smart and asked for our wonderful server Alexa again. She is sweet and attentive. Really a nice day on the patio looking out toward the beach. Perfect weather. Perfect lunch. So sad we live so far away.
(5)Christie C.
The one that moves the chairs at the end of the night was rude and had no respect for the customer needs. We asked him for our waiter and he said i dont know who your waiter is. Instead of let me find him. The guy working the back said he couldnt leave the back but moved chairs and tables all night. On another note, the server was wonderful and ghe food was too. We had a wide variety of food and it was all wonderful. Ask for Steven.
(3)Katie C.
If I was rating The Pier as a dinner locale, I'd probably give two stars. But to tell you the truth, I haven't eaten a meal here since they changed their concept from upscale casual to run of the mill Mexican food. Not sure what prompted the change because it was pretty good before, but it, as they say, is what it is. I will say that this is a really fun summertime beach bar though, especially on Sundays! All the barstools and tables are cleared out, live music is bumpin, and shots are being slammed every where you look. The best part is definitely the patio though. I'm so glad they gave up on the couch/lounge areas and just lined up a few rows of lime green high tops to congregate at. If you've ever wanted to post up and watch the Jax Beach foot traffic go by, this is the place. Granted it does get a little crowded with your typical "beach bros" and midriff-baring, obnoxious girls, but I still have a good time here. I foresee a lot more check-ins at The Pier now that the summer is upon us!
(3)Kelsey S.
Horrible service, left before I even ordered, as we had sat for 30 minutes before a server came up and asked "what do u want". Will not go back.
(1)Joes L.
Handle being in the dog house like a cool cucumber and treat your lady to a romantic dinner at The Pier. A few paces to a pristine, undeveloped cut of the beach The Pier Cantina is one of the best Date Night venues I've seen since I've been here. The layout is functional, dimly lit, perfectly comfortable, and the seats deliberately face the beachfront. There are flat screens at the bar so you can keep tabs on your favorite games. In terms of food, they offer casual eating that fills the gap between the seriously priced offerings of places like Roy's Hawaiian Fusion and the cheap but not always cheery sometimes dingy JAX beach pubs. On a Friday night they were very accommodating to our table of 9. We devoured our meals, choosing from a selection of local fish and Mexican/American contemporary items, which were tasty and nicely presented. Service is super-efficient, prices are very reasonable.
(4)Maisha R.
About 14 of us visited this place last week for dinner and it was pretty good. Although the restaurant was very empty and the seating was strangely sparse, we had a nice time. There was nothing too special about the typical chips and dip with salsa and queso that we munched on until our main dishes arrived. I was surprised however by the flavorful meat! I had the cantina tacos - one carne asada and one pastor - which were quite good. The refried beans and rice both lacked seasoning and the rice was overcooked. Needless to say, this is a cute place for a weeknight gathering. The staff was attentive and the food was prepared in a rather timely manner.
(3)P B.
Stopped in off the beach for a drink. Margarita's were terrible. My glass had lipstick on it. I showed the waitress and she came back with a "clean" glass that they just poured my old drink in with the dead lime. Thx. Just pour the contaminated drink into a new glass. How about a fresh drink seeing how you gave me an unwashed glass the first time. I only had a sip before I saw the lipstik. Tables were dirty and there were enough bouncers there to make u nervous. Bouncers were jerks, pulling chairs from people and eyeballing everyone like they were trouble. Service was friendly. Not their fault the place is a dump. This was on a Sunday afternoon, not a Friday night so what's up with the muscleheads? Walk on by.
(1)Jeff J.
Another quick update, went there 12/3 for a quick bite and it was Taco Tuesday (all tacos $2.50 and half price Marqueritas (if I recall right). Sat at the bar, good service, I had a Negra Modelo and a Pomegranate Marquerita, wife had a Patron. Good +. We ate light, I had one Gringo Skirt steak taco which was awesome--their marinated steak here is very tasty. Wife had a decent chicken taco. We go here a lot 'cause its close, but its a good option for us.
(4)Kimberly V.
Upstairs is wonderful service and delicious food, wonderful view of the ocean! .......Downstairs though, Is a different story. We stayed to watch the Tigers vs Yankees game and enjoying every minute, until the bouncer came to TAKE OUR STOOLS FROM US!!! I'm sorry, but it seemed a little awkward to ask a customer to get up to take the stool their sitting on because of the anticipated " RUSH". We were told that maybe we should of stayed upstairs where they don't move the chairs. WHAT?!?! As once a bartender myself, I would feel embarrassed to ask my customers to get up from their seat to be left to stand! (Correct me if I'm out of line) Seemed a little ridiculous...I feel they could of waited til the game was over and we left.
(2)Esther L.
My husband and I had our reception party here. We rented the whole upstairs for a few hours, and it was an awesome time for us & our guests. My husband & I had an intimate wedding with our immediate family. However, we wanted to have a casual reception for all the friends we didn't get to invite. It was exactly what we were looking for. Easy going, great food, awesome bartenders, awesome view... it was such a good time for all of us! The staff was super friendly & accommodating! Thanks again The Pier for allowing us to have great memories that we'll be able to cherish for a lifetime :)
(5)Amanda C.
LUNCH: We have been coming here for almost a year, the daytime food is great! We hit the beach and walk over to sit on the patio for lunch and a beer. Taco Tuesdays are our favorite, the gringo taco is all I get! They do have daily drink specials. The daytime waitstaff are very helpful, great attitudes and on their toes. Now for the Night Life... HORRIBLE! I've been in the industry for 13 years, bartending, management, etc and this is by far the worst I've seen. My boyfriend and I order the exact same thing everywhere we go at night, for fast and easy service and we always go to the same bartender throughout the night (vodka/sodas or Michelob ultra/Miller lite beer). One Saturday night we met up with friends who were already out at The Pier, started a tab with a female bartender on the side near the restrooms. we stayed for maybe an hour, asked for our receipt...I looked at it and we were charged THREE different prices for our 3 well vodka/sodas. I confronted her about it and she had the nerve to argue saying that we ordered doubles and did not order well vodka. I watched her the entire time when I ordered the drinks, she poured well vodka and the drinks were weak and were not a correct pour. I was very disturbed by this and told other industry friends about our experience...shockingly they said it has happened to them also...being charged different prices for the same drink in one night. Since this happened we only order beer, but we try to avoid this place all together at night but it is kinda hard when your friends are already there...now there's another complaint, the bartenders are very rude (like permanent PMSing, I hate the world attitude), it takes forever to get a drink which doesn't make any sense with the amount of bartenders they have behind the bar. The only great thing about this place at night is the live music...the only reason ppl even show up. Oh and this is the place to go for minors with fakes...
(2)A. J.
WEAK "patron" margaritas! Chips and salsa were burned and bland respectively. Only redeeming quality (meriting star two) is the gringo tacos for $2.50 on Tuesdays.
(2)Isaac A.
Tuesday's are $2.50 taco nights with discounted drinks, nice location, what more could you ask for.
(4)Steve S.
I was excited to visit the Pier as I heard they had good food and an awesome view. It's a nice place and it does indeed have an awesome view. I'd recommend sitting on the second level. It's dimly lit and would make a nice place for a date night. The waiter started off good, but seemed to lose interest in our table and kept forgetting things. The menu offers the normal Mexican dishes with higher than normal prices. The food was decent, but not better than any other regular and cheaper Mexican restaurant. I thought it was overpriced for the quality although they do give huge servings. Overall, I was disappointed in my visit. The service was below average and the food was just average at a higher price. The main reason to go here is for the view and the atmosphere.
(2)Ron E.
Finally there is a place with a real oceanfront view in Jax Beach. The upstairs is more "upscale" with both the menu and the view of the beach. You have an open view of the beach and the Jacksonville Beach Pier. Downstairs is more casual and they offer a lesser menu. They also have a small outdoor patio area where you can enjoy the ocean breeze while sipping on your cocktail of choice. I have been to this establishment twice now and have sampled a few of the menu items. Apps: Gulf Coast Scallop Ceviche- fresh scallops served with fresh vegetables over some crisp ciabatta bread. I had never had scallops this way before and was very surprised at how mild the flavor was considering that it wasn't "cooked" per se. Very full of distinct flavors. I would get this again. Tuna Carpaccio- The presentation on this dish is amazing. The tuna is sliced ultra thin with arugula and pea sprouts strategically placed on top. A miso vinegarette is drizzled over the tuna. The vinegarette was a perfect match for the tuna. I am not a fan of arugula but it was still very good. Havarti Fondue- A homemade soft pretzel with cheese fondue dipping sauce. This was just an expensive fancy pretzel with cheese. I'll pass next time. Grilled Jumbo Asparagus- another dish with a great presentation. Tender asparagus grilled to perfection then wrapped in prosciutto, topped with sauteed mushrooms, and a cream sauce. The best way to eat asparagus. Entrees: Shrimp and Grits- Fresh mayport shrimp with tails intact. Smoothest grits I have ever had. One of the owners stated that they cook the grits real slow to make them smooth but he wouldnt share anything else. Fried green tomatoes are paired with the dish. The best shrimp and grits I've had..sorry Lady & Sons.. Macadamia nut crusted grouper- just like the name sitting on a bed of sauteed spinach and basmati rice. I could seriously eat two of these. That good. New York strip- this is where we hit a bump in the road. The presentation was nice. The steak was just ok. It was a little on the tough side. The mashed potatoes on the side were not hot at all.. A little bit of a disappointment here. Not worth the $29.95. Dessert: Key Lime Pie- didn't like it. the filling tasted like lime rinds and the crust was just average. I'll take a pass. Drinks: water tastes like crap. get a beer or a cocktail. they have a full bar both upstairs and downstairs. I would definitely come back to try it again. The view can't be beat. They have only been open less than two weeks and I'm sure they will work some of the kinks out. Make reservations if you want to sit upstairs because it gets crowded.
(4)Amanda G.
Great set up, amazing views, mediocre food. The Pier has been on my list of places to try for a while. Last night I finally took the plunge and went. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful! I know it was a more upscale restaurant before they changed the menu to Mexican cuisine, and it showed. We sat upstairs where there were enormous windows with ocean views, and most seats upstairs have a great view. When we began looking at the menu, that is where the disappointment set in. The food listed was very typical, not creative, and (in my opinion) slightly over priced for sub par Mexican. The margarita list was underwhelming as well. The house margarita is $5.99 and most of the others are close to $10. We ordered one of the specialty margaritas. The server did not ask if we wanted salt, and it was not on the glass. It was also quite sugary and not very good. I would visit The Pier again, but only to enjoy the views and atmosphere.
(2)Charlene H.
I really, really wanted this place to be good since we had a surprise birthday party for my husband in the VIP room. The venue is gorgeous. The view is gorgeous. I suppose you can say the staff is gorgeous. But the food and service is something else entirely. Now, I went in knowing there were some bad reviews on Yelp but I figured that it was possibly just a new restaurant ironing out the kinks. Unfortunately, they seem to still be working on their issues. The party was booked weeks in advance and the final number communicated a week in advance and reconfirmed days in advance. You would think that a restaurant would be able to handle a party of 14 (which actually turned out to be about 11) with ample prior notice. I was warned that if we did not order off of the large party menu at $29.99/person (not including drinks, tax and gratuity) that it would probably take longer. Fine. But service shouldn't have taken longer. We shouldn't have been sitting with empty glasses. We shouldn't have been served cold food. They should have staffed the place appropriately. They have, unfortunately, just turned away 11 potential customers, 2 of whom have now written poor reviews. Several members of our party had to send food back. Our one server was unapologetic, for the most part. One of our friends alerted her that the food was cold. She looked confused and them touched the container to see if it was warm! Really? Then it came back with extra salt and a fishy taste to it. My advice would be to go for drinks upstairs, enjoy the view, and then go pretty much anywhere else for food.
(2)Dianne W.
Horrible experience. We were enjoying the afternoon outside on the patio. The restaurant has a policy to pick up the tables and chairs at a certain time. Unfortunately this included tables that were occupied. This policy is not customer friendly and created a poor experience. We understand that the employees are doing their job however they were very threatening and disrespectful to us.we will never go back.
(1)Leah Jean C.
Such a great place. I love to sit upstairs, there is a beautiful view of the beach. They have great tacos and super cheap. I love the carnitas and shrimp tacos. They have an awesome margarita as well.
(5)Dean M.
Best fresh tacos around! Awesome specials during the day like half off drinks and cevieche. Love it as it's right on the beach too.
(5)Cynthia V.
Two years ago, I wrote a review about the Pier. I was not a fan of the upstairs area. They have changed it. It is now a Mexican restaurant (just like the downstairs). The upstairs is better for families or a more intimate setting. The downstairs has outdoor dining and is more of a bar scene. I like the food and drinks. The service is a little slow, but that is not the staff's fault. It usually appears to be somewhat understaffed. This is one of my favorite places to go on the beach with a large group of friends.
(4)Lindsay L.
Oddly enough, I found myself at The Pier one week after my previous "meal". I was hoping for a better experience. I ordered a $10 fish taco lunch plate - which turned out to be shrimp tacos. It would've been fine if the shrimp was fresh, but they were clearly frozen. Very reminiscent of the shrimp from my favorite bad Chinese takeout restaurant. They came with a bizarre, dry rice and a flavorless mango salsa. Blehhhh. I tasted my dining companion's shrimp and grits. It was pretty good because it came with - prepare yourself for this - fresh shrimp. Crazy concept, but it worked. I don't get the atmosphere here either. They have three menus that I have seen: lunch, dinner, and "casual" dinner. The dinner and lunch menus were very pricey, but the servers were wearing shorts and tank-tops. They really need to establish what they want to be - beach shack or fine dining. If the plan was to marry those ideas...they might need to find a good divorce lawyer. And supposedly the upstairs is supposed to be "classier" - what's that? The mistress??? I think that your best bet is to come here for some drinks and enjoy the outdoor dining space. I would've waste your time eating.
(1)Valarie G.
To be fair - the waitress was really sweet and the manager came out and apologized for our experience but really, there is no excuse for cold soup, burned sandwiches, and an extremely long wait for it all when the place is mostly empty for lunch. Good service - terrible kitchen staff.
(2)Jay L.
Hmm...it's not a fair review since I only went to the bar downstairs. But here's what I saw... Nice, new modern feel with a beach feel. Some surfboards set up and pics of old Jax beach. The bar is done in this clear acrylic over ground up shells and starfish. Makes it feel like you are on the beach. Drink pours were strong and the bartender was pretty cool. Didn't catch his name. Hooked up a blended margarita with a Cointreau float. I prefer Grand Marnier, but it was a nice gesture. Only 5 bucks and strong. They have a nice outside patio along the boardwalk as well. They have free valet which is nice at the beach. I didn't partake of the food, but I did wander upstairs to take a look. They have a nice bar up there and giant floor to ceiling windows to take advantage of the ocean view, which is expansive, impressive and romantic. Nice date spot for sure. They set up most tables so that diners can really appreciate the view. Finally a nice spot to go to at Jax beach, which in the past has been solely the domain of college bars and shitholes (which are fun). I hope they can keep a good level of service up and keep the food quality steady to maintain a good clientele.
(4)Tina P.
Yummy Mexican! Love the guacamole and the skirt steak fajitas! Same awesome atmosphere.
(5)Gizelle A.
I just went to the bar area. Nice decor, no service. My husband and I sat at a table (there were several available) outside. Waiters we running around, going to tables, even carrying out conversations. Nobody came to ours. We waited 15 minutes. No water, no drinks, no acknowledgment (and yes, we were directed to that table). So we left. Not going back.
(1)Jesse S.
Avoid this place. Bad experience! We had arrangements to have passed appetizers in the VIP room, they did not provide them to us. Our server was terrible. She'd disappear for long periods of time and take forever to refill our drinks. They were out of a lot of menu items. Waited for what seemed like an eternity to get our order. The server may as well rub her armpit in my face because she doesn't know how to serve a plate. Just leaned over us and plopped it on the table with no regard to etiquette. The food was absolutely not worth the wait. The Crab Bisque was cold and tasted terrible. Smoked Fish Dip was more like tartar sauce, fail. Mega skimp on the fried green beans. God awful beach music blasting on the overhead speakers. What we hoped would be a nice dinner gathering turned into a patience killing experience. We will not be returning, evaarr.
(1)Melanie H.
Service was terrible. Waited an eternity for our drinks, we actually had to walk to the bar to see what the hold up was. The food was gross. I left feeling queasy after the shrimp enchiladas. I am not a picky eater at all and am just usually happy to get out without kids. I felt like it was money wasted. I would never go back.
(2)Corey D.
My wife and I went here for our anniversary. Our waiter disappeared for about ten minutes after delivering our drinks and we were ready to order. When we did order, we ordered one vegetarian dish and asked to have the meat replaced with black beans in another. At no point did the waiter warn us that the rice that comes with both of these dishes was not vegetarian. Someone else delivered our order and promptly left before we could ask if the rice and refried beans were vegetarian. Our waiter was missing in action again and the other server on the floor passes us several times without stopping before we could finally stop her and ask. She told us the rice was not vegetarian but by that point we had already finished most of our main entree and my wife had already starting eating the rice. Who puts non-vegetarian sides on a dish labeled "vegetarian." So in addition to horrendous service this place is lying to a segment of its clientele just to get their dollars. Definitely will not be returning!
(1)Maris R.
Just love this place, and the view is amazing. It is a great place for date night and prices are pretty reasonable.
(5)Laura V.
I hate giving a bad review, but this was a miss. We wanted to check out a beach front lunch spot, and this place looked inviting enough. We were wonderfully surprised to see the boardwalk, pier, ocean and sand dunes as we approached, and opted to sit outside. The hostess was pleasant and sat us down quickly. The place was about half full, and we were sitting within a few feet from the doorway used by patrons and staff. There were about 3 different waiters serving the 5-6 tables around us. We waited about 15 minutes for one of them to come by, make eye contact, tell us they would be with us in a couple of minutes, but it was like we were completely invisible. The only person who acknowledged us was the hostess. I guess with an amazing location, service may be lacking, but this was just awful.
(1)Andy L.
I'm really debating between 2 or 3 stars, which is probably not a good start. Let me hit the good parts first. The view is legit. I hear it all the time that the beaches area have no good restaurants with great views. Well, this place has a pretty nice view. Also the staff was extremely nice. The food...... very average. And it seemed overpriced. The thing I enjoyed the most was my bottled water.
(3)Virginia M.
i'm giving 3 stars because i liked my meal and the service was good ( i had oysters and the veggie slider) but i would not rush back to this place. the ambiance was 2 stars, however if you have a large group of people, they have a nice room off of the main dining room.
(3)Chris N.
Service has never been good here, food is only so-so. Great for the upstairs view, and drinks from the bar (though, I'd rather just order my drink at the bar, than wait for the servers).
(2)Ron B.
Went during happy hour in the rain... Cheap drafts and friendly staff. Had the crab cake appetizer and it was delicious.
(3)R M.
Upstairs GREAT view....we had a party of 9 they timed appatizers and dinner Great were not rushed. Had fried green tomatoes very good. Every dish was great everyone agreed that we would go back based on service and food.
(5)