Charis Cafe and Bakery is a hidden gem tucked away inside a strip mall on Normandy Blvd. They are…read moreconnected to the City Rescue Mission Thrift Shop and all proceeds from Charis go directly to CRM. The dining room is open, inviting and spacious enough for groups. They serve assorted pastries, sandwiches, coffees, teas along with various breakfast and lunch items. I was in a rush due to an appointment but I did have time to pick up one of their tempting fudge brownies to take on the road (yes, it was fudgy and delicious, should've grabbed another). The 2 ladies at the counter were very gracious, informative and passionate about CRM, so a big thank you to them! If you're in the area, stop in and give Charis Cafe some love, it's for a great cause! Till next time, my fellow Yeeps, SUPPORT your local eats and businesses, and as always...SYOY!

We had dinner at ClarkeBros over in Riverside this evening. They're at 2545 Riverside Avenue, right…read moreacross from St Vincent with parking available at the side of their entrance. This is one of those places that we love but haven't been to in far too long. We both tried things that were new to each of us tonight as well, which was cool. I ordered The Ole Smokie, with everything on it and choose cheddar cheese. My first thought when it was brought to the table was "oh, I'll probably have to go at this with a fork & knife" but I decided to give it a shot as intended. I'm glad I did because the bread held up surprisingly well! As far as ingredients go, the brisket was good and smokey. There was a good mix of everything else and more than enough cheddar. My wife ordered the Chicken Cheesesteak. She also had a choice of cheese and she picked whizz. The thing that separates this from what people might expect is that it's chunks of chicken, not shredded chicken. She said that's not a bad thing at all, just a change from what some might exoect. She thought it was a welcome change. She liked their cheese whizz a lot and liked the roll as always, so she was glad she tried it. It's worth noting that both sandwiches were big enough that we both took half of each home. I didn't get the name of the two people that were working there this evening, but I'd still like to give then a shout out. They were both incredibly patient with the customers ahead of us and they didn't make us feel rushed even though we were there fairly close to the time they close on Friday evenings. Another good visit to Clarke Bros. Here's hoping it doesn't take us so long to get back here again for the next visit!

Rode up here this afternoon after the lunch rush. Not many folks inside, open seating, easy to take…read morea look at the menu and the specials without feeling rushed. Ordered at the front counter and was greeted by a friendly young lady... good start. I went in planning to get the muffaleta off the specials board. They checked on it, but no luck... they were out of the cuts needed. I was pointed toward the Italian, but my buddy already grabbed that and I felt like being different. Noticed another special on the wall, a smoked brisket sandwich. Can't remember the exact name, but that's what I went with. Instead of chips or their homemade tots, I grabbed the balsamic roasted brussel sprouts as an appetizer. Tables weren't the cleanest and were a little wobbly, but nothing deal-breaking... we made it work. Food came out pretty quick and looked solid. Flavor-wise... a little mixed. The brussel sprouts were very flaky and leafy, almost crumbled apart. You really had to work your fork to get a bite. I was picturing larger roasted halves. Sauce was fine, nothing bad, nothing special. I'd give those a 3 out of 5. The brisket sandwich was interesting. The meat was very fatty and kind of tough to chew through. Not sure if that's just the cut or the prep. I ate about three-quarters of it. It wasn't bad, just didn't hit the way I hoped. Probably still thinking about that muffaleta. Another 3 out of 5. I'd come back, no doubt... but next time I'm sticking with what they're known for. Those cheesesteaks always look great, and that's probably the move. Today was about trying something different, and I'm glad I did... even if it didn't knock my socks off.

I've gone my entire teenaged and adult life ordering maybe 3 burgers over a couple of decades, now…read moreI wake up thinking about the texture, taste, thickness, seasoning and freshness of the beef at Pinegrove Market and Deli! My go-to is the Hoss burger, because I love the onion rings and special sauce, but their steaks (ribeye and tenderloin) are also perfectly aged and fresh off the butcher block. This is a small deli with seating tucked away on a neighborhood street where you're guaranteed to be greeted with a friendly smile by someone willing to answer any questions you may have. It's an older building but they're serving up bistro quality food. The menu is written on the wall to the right of the register, but they also have a printout. If you're prone to decision overwhelm and don't want to order 14 things, you can also look at the menu on their website! If I lived in walking distance, I'd come here twice a week. They also sell beer, wine, salads, sandwiches, and chicken tenders and fried fish! Can you tell I'm obsessed with this place?!

After a morning of book shopping I was famished and wanted a hardy lunch. So I used Yelp to find me…read morea place near by that would do the trick. I went to Pinegrove Deli with very little idea of what to expect and was happy with my choice. After intensely studying the menu I finally decided on the Ortega. I love chicken salad so jazz it up with some tabouli and put it in a pita and I'm sold! I also ordered a side of onion rings which were also good. There was a pretty long wait to order, I'm not sure if the kitchen was backed up or they were short staffed but it was drastic enough that some people left before ordering and regulars were mentioning the wait time was getting worse. I have nothing to compare it to but it was 12:30 on a Saturday so it might have also just been a rush.

My husband and I got food here thinking it would be a delicious hole in the wall since it's always…read morebusy in the morning. WRONG. I got the Philly cheesesteak. Hubby got an Italian sub. So wrong on so many levels. The Italian sub was not flavorful. It literally tastes like they put cheap Italian dressing on some cheap meat and American cheese and called it a day. The Philly was horrible. The meat, fine. The toppings??? BANANA PEPPERS????? American sliced cheese with shredded beef and canned mushrooms. CANNED. I got food poisoning later on from it all. I will say if you go make sure you look at reviews first on what's popular. Giving the benefit of the doubt we didn't get something good... BUT.. If you are a restaurant you shouldn't be serving crap food anyway.

I swung through this drive thru during lunch one day based off proximity, price, and prior ratings…read more They were not wrong, y'all. I drove straight up to the speaker, told her I hadn't been there before. She suggested the Steak in a Sack and I went for it. It comes w grilled onions, and I added mayo, cheese, lettuce and tomato. Next time I'll skip those (chz was ok, basically American, the L&T were messy and didn't add much IMHO). The pita was super fresh, the fries (I got mine seasoned) were piping hot. It was delicious. My only beef was that the drink that came with (I got 1/2&1/2 tea, tasty) was maybe 20oz and a bit small, I thought. Overall, great lunch spot n

Tasty and service was quick. Great order/grab to go place…read more People were pleasant. Have been back since our first visit

this place is amazing from the moment I walked in the ambience of a hole in the wall. I wasn't sure…read morewhat to get, but there's a customer that frequently goes there that was able to give me a great recommendation. There's a strong set of community of locals that frequent there one being a math teacher in a group of older gentleman that offered me their hot sauce. The food was amazing.

This is a nice little place in an industrial area, the food was good and prepared to order, the…read morecouple whom i believe are the owners were very friendly and worked seamlessly to get your order out.

Stan's is situated in the industrial district along Lane Avenue, and is frequented by the many…read morehungry workers needing a good, hearty breakfast or lunch. They're open Monday through Friday, 6a.m. to 3p.m., and between customers standing in line and pick up orders, it rarely slows down. There's a dining room if you opt to eat in, but I often call ahead and take my order to go since I live nearby. Their daily lunch and combo specials are the way to go if you're a baller on a budget. The Hot Pastrami Sandwich Combo with Fries and a medium drink is only $7.99 (try it on a sub roll instead of regular bread), made to order, and always delicious. On Tuesdays, their lunch special is Country Fried Steak with White Gravy, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans, and a Biscuit for only $7.59. Their specials vary from day to day, so check out the menu pictures before making the trip! The owners are an Asian couple and always friendly when I'm there, even though they're constantly busy taking and filling orders. Whether you're there for breakfast or lunch, everything on the menu is fresh, tasty, and affordable, so stop in and show Stan's Sandwich Shop some love!

Little hole in The wall sandwich shop. They have an amazing Rueben sandwich. It was perfect the…read morefirst time as I came in a 15 minutes before they had it ready to serve but the next 2 visits it meat wasn't as tender the first time.

Fantastic. Super local, fast, and high quality. The fries were fresh and the sandwiches are…read moredelicious. The veggies and meat had just the right amount of oil and seasoning on it. If I were forced to choose between this one and Edgewood Sandwich shop......you know what, I like them both.

We've been going here since the 70's... Love seeing the same owners for all these years. They have…read morethe best french fries in town It's definitely a westside favorite, I uually just call my order in and get it to go... Always consistent and never a disappointment

Always great food! Always fresh they make their own pizza dough. Over the years I have eaten…read moreeverything on their menu board at least 3 to 5 times. Never been disappointed like anyone else, I have my favorite!!!! I've never in the entire city of Jacksonville found another onion mushroom cheese steak made as great as the ones they make!!! Prices have only changed like maybe four times in the last 20 years!!!!! Amazing story in that restaurant!!!!!