I saw a recent review from a fellow foodie who raved about this place. We made it a date night, and upon arrival, we faced a few challenges. First, parking: almost everywhere you look, there are tow-zone signs. We chose to park about a block away in the neighborhood. Walking in, we encountered a very long line to order. The indoor seating is very limited; there are only two small tables outside on the sidewalk. After reading all the reviews, I found it odd that, while waiting in line and looking at the plates around us, many people were throwing their fries away. That suggests they aren't good, or everything else was so good that they were full. As I looked around, I felt as though I might have been in this store before, when it was a donut shop; things looked quite familiar. The staff was definitely keeping up with the crowd, as this place was packed. We ordered the Hardpressed and the Patty Melts, a side of loaded French fries, an order of onion rings, and finally, a vanilla shake. The chocolate and strawberry flavors were sold out. It was very loud inside, but luckily, an outside table became available. Shortly after grabbing the outside table, our vanilla shake arrived, and it was surprisingly very good. Well, that got my attention and set the stage for what was to come. Some time passed, and our ordered items began to arrive sporadically. The loaded fries looked good, as did both burgers, but we were still missing the onion rings. My wife overheard the table next to us that the onion rings had recently sold out, so the question was, did we get in on time with our order? We dove into the loaded fries and found that the fries appeared freshly cut but didn't hold up well to the toppings; they were quite soggy, nearly mushy. Flavor was OK, and the jalapenos seemed freshly cut. Minor setback, all is still well. As my wife went in on her patty melt, I saw her expression, and she was quite pleased. Up next was their signature Hard Pressed Burger. I went in and was instantly greeted by the crispy texture of those grilled, smashed bits and the grilled bun, followed by the pickle and the remaining condiments. It was a very good first bite. My wife and I traded burgers, and wow, was that patty melt delightful. That crispy, grilled, flavor-filled rye bread stood out and introduced itself again, followed by the crispy tidbits of smashed beef, and that thousand island dressing brought it all together. Once again, another very good first bite. Our onion rings finally arrived and looked amazing. The crisp on the onion rings reminded me of the same texture seen on the fish & chips at Arthur Treacher's or even Long John Silver's. When paired with their Garlic Aioli, you instantly know someone in the kitchen knows their stuff. THAT GARLIC AIOLI!! Salute! At the conclusion of our meals, we were maxed out and needed to walk off our fullness. We headed into the square and concluded our night with some geocaching. Thanks for the great experience, and thanks to all of us foodies out there who bring these hidden gems to light! read more

Hard Pressed - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I wanted to like this place because there are definitely a lot of positives. The bacon jalapeño burger was really good, and we enjoyed the fries as well. Unfortunately, the patty melt we received was extremely burnt. At first, I actually thought the dark exterior might have been intentional and just part of how they prepared it. After looking at photos of their patty melt on their social media page, though, I realized ours definitely wasn't supposed to look like this. I'm not usually the type of person to complain, but I wanted to share this because I genuinely want to see this business succeed. They clearly have some great food, which made it even more disappointing that something this burnt made it out of the kitchen. Mistakes happen, but I would have expected someone to catch this before serving it, especially when the item costs around $15. I'm including photos of the burnt patty melt for reference. Based on how good the other items were, I'm hoping this was just an isolated mistake. There's a lot of potential here, and I'd still be willing to give them another try--I'd just like to see a little more attention to quality control. read more

Hard Pressed - Burnt melt - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I've been eating Hard Pressed burgers since they were at Sip & Stroll, and they were honestly the biggest reason I'd go. Every burger was made fresh to order, and they never disappointed. This was my first time visiting the brick-and-mortar location. It was nice to finally see them in a permanent space. The restaurant itself is pretty simple, but the staff was friendly and welcoming. The wait was definitely longer than I expected. Since everything is cooked fresh, I can understand why, but it's something to keep in mind if you're in a hurry. The burger was just as good as I remembered. Crispy edges, juicy, flavorful, and exactly what I was craving. I also tried the loaded fries. They were good, but if I went back, I'd probably skip them and just get the burger. It easily stands on its own. This isn't a place I eat all the time, and I think that's part of the appeal. After a while, you start craving one, and when you finally go back, it hits the spot. I'll definitely be back. read more

Hard Pressed - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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My wife and I have been wanting to come here for a while now. We had an opportunity tonight with our daughter and son-in-law. I ordered the double cheeseburger patty and a side order of fries. I thought it was very good and great flavor. Just for me I felt it was a little too salty. My wife and I don't use salt even when cooking... Just thought I would add that info.... We both thought the fries were good; but again had a little too much salt. * Not sure if it's possible but I think the next time we come here we are going to ask for no salt on the burger and fries.... read more

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If I lived within walking distance of Hard Pressed in San Marco, I would be 300lbs. In my opinion, these burgers are the best in town. I know other burger spots in town are great but they do don't have the lace that these burgers have. The fries are awesome and they have a nice selection of local beer. This is hands down my burger spot. read more

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Great food amazing staff, just get the burger the way it comes double if you can it's amazing, low grease but still very juicy.

Food A++ I had the Jalapeño Smash Burger and the Garlic Parm Fries both super delicious! service was decent the guy at the register was very informative and handled my indecisiveness like a pro! The layout of the restaurant could have better table arrangements but hey it was just perfect for the order to table ratio! Good food. Great service will come back with friends next time I'm in town! read more

Hard Pressed - Bar area - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Burgers were great! Came out hot and fresh and very tasty. The fries are definitely enough to share between two people and we didn't even finish them. I ate every last bite of my smashburger though! Will definitely come back. The service was nice and prompt. Great location and right next to a little wine store. Very walkable. A bit on the pricier side but worth it to support a local restaurant! read more

Hard Pressed - Hard pressed burger, garlic parm fries with garlic aioli. - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I recently visited this place and asked for a refund. However, they informed me that they couldn't provide a receipt to confirm my request. The burger I ordered was not the best I've had in Jacksonville, and I left feeling unsatisfied and doubtful about the refund. My entire party ended up eating their food because they didn't want to leave hungry. As a result, I won't be returning to this establishment. No ambiance read more

Hard Pressed - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Hands down, best burger I've ever had!! Great, fast service and amazing food. We will be back! read more

Hard Pressed - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Burgers are pretty solid. Not the best, but solid. Fries are also good but not great. Service is bare minimum. Just one guy working. Atmosphere is just okay, not great. It was clean but not immaculate. Prices are fair for what you get. The one in Jax Beach seems to be of higher quality. read more

Hard Pressed - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Great burger, hot and fresh, very friendly staff, always clean and enjoy the atmosphere.

This was the best smash burger that i've experienced here in Jacksonville, FL. I definitely see why they are #1 recommended. I enjoyed the service and setting and will be back very soon. read more

Hard Pressed - Hard Press Burger #1 - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

When brick and mortars open after having successful trucks sometimes the quality is different but not here they are just as good with just as much care. They do have more options than the trucks but for literally 1 day open all was good and pretty quick. Line was long and now you can get wine or beer with your burger which is fantastic. !!! They have a great assortment and the wine store next door provides it. We had the double cheese and the blue cheese fries. Fresh hit and yummy. Love the blue cheese fondue and how it paired with the fries we did get it on the side and the fires were super hot and crispy. All was delish and the owner was there making sure the food came out right. So happy for these guys and love that is closer to home now!! Awesome and can't wait to go all the time!! Congrats and the old good dough space looks great with their touches. read more

It was just okay, I got the Hard Pressed burger, my bf got the Jalapeño Bacon, it was fine. I'd rate it a 6.8/10. I thought the burger was good. The edges were crispy and the patty was super thin which was great, but it was greasy. The garlic aioli was just mayo and I didn't get any flavor of garlic. The hotdog was just a normal hotdog. I will say I appreciate how they use potato buns! Though I preferred the burgers at Carolina Jax more than here. read more

Hard Pressed - Bacon Jalapeño, Hard pressed, and hotdog. - Burgers Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

First time here and was definitely pleased. Pretty good smash burger & their sauces are very good! Garlic parm fries would definitely recommend, and are definitely a shareable portion. Definitely sad they don't offer lettuce and tomato...because that's a necessity on a burger for me personally. But great service, didn't wait long at all & fun atmosphere for a burger spot read more

Disgusting. Came here with my husband. Flies everywhere not sure how they don't have health code violations. The tables are sticky and greasy. The burger itself was raw in the middle and the fries are frozen. read more

Great burger. My wife and I really enjoyed the burgers. Wine options also great. Plus, you can bring bottles from the wine shop next door. Milkshakes also great. read more

I get it. Busy hours can be difficult. But there is absolutely no reason a burger with fries (nothing special about it) should take the entirety of my 45 minute lunch break. I didn't even get the food because I had to be back at work, I had to get a refund. The staff was nice enough and refunded me with no issue but this left me extremely frustrated and questioning if I'll be back. read more

The food was excellent as usual and my daughter loved it (she's a picky eater so that's saying something). Was able to order quickly and my food was out faster than expected. I want to call out one employee specifically though for going above and beyond. I didn't catch her name but she helped an elderly man cut up his food after it became obvious he needed help, and she was extremely attentive to his needs while he was there. 10/10 would recommend read more

parking is a lil tight but that's expected in San Marco, let's talk about the vibe, the playlist and the tvs. we were vibin before the food arrived, burgers hit the spot, my fav was the bacon jalapeño with the sauce on the side. read more

Best burger in the world, best staff in the world, the owners are very good people! No burger in jax compares to hard pressed. 12/10 a true jacksonville staple read more

Great smash burgers and great friendly service. Big fan. So happy that we finally have a great burger spot in San Marco now. I've already been twice and see many more visits in my future. read more

I've met both owners: Jason & Ed; very friendly. They've been in the food truck business for a while ... now they have a bricks & mortar location. By the way, they have parking and an entrance around the back. I had the classic HardPressed Burger. Double (smashed patties), cheese, pickles, garlic aioli & onions. It's a little sloppy. Excellent. As one guest sitting at the bar mentioned: "It's hard to approach but, well worth it!" The Hot Dog (at $5) is a meal ... get it loaded and it's still under $10! Great service at the bar from Presley and her co-worker (who, I'm embarrassed to say, I can't recall her name). Their personalities made lunch fun. Setting is very casual. Just Do It! read more

Service is slow, but the food is good. Parking is difficult would like to find a more convenient time to visit

Ordered the jalapeño burger and some chicken nuggets for my 1 year old. The nuggets and my burger came and the nuggets were RAW! Totally ruined the whole experience being that this was my first time and figured I'd give the place a go. Needless to say I won't be coming back read more