Jacksonville: breakfast place?

[meatn3]

It has been about 15 years since I spent anytime in Jacksonville. For awhile I was up at J.U. once a month, stayed with a friend on that side of town.

There was a place, perhaps on Atlantic that served fantastic breakfasts. Nothing fancy or trendy, basic southern style. The place had been there for a while, think it had a man's name (Woody's?), pretty sure it was a brown building that looked like it might have been a Ranch House or similar in the '50's/'60's...I seem to remember it being on the north side of an east-west road, could be wrong though!

Does this ring a bell???? Sorry for the vagueness - the food made more of an impression than the other details!

I hope it is still there, I'll be passing through in the morning sometime in November and would love to revisit it.

Thanks for any suggestions on the name/location!

[meatn3]

Thanks to you both...I'm feeling it has probably closed. The road that it was on was busy enough that if it was still there someone in Jax would have noticed it!

The other suggestions are appreciated and sound intriguing!

[kayakado]

Do you mean Famous Amos? There are a few of them in town. They are a brown and yellow building. They serve southern style food.

[meatn3]

Thank you!

It might be. I did a search on the name and found a photo. The wagon wheels on the sign look familiar, and the location of one branch is near J.U. - close to where I had stayed. The friend I would visit loved it & we went there for breakfast frequently.

Are they still good for breakfast?

[mezzrow]

It's possible. About 15 years ago, the restaurant housed in the old Ranch House right next to JU on University was basically a breakfast place, and was pretty good. I have no idea what the name was, though. I know it wasn't a Famous Amos.

Famous Amos was the place for breakfast and meat n three kind of eating for a long time in Jax, but most have closed, and the remainder aren't what they were. I have to throw in a story at this point. I remember Amos - I'm an old hand around these parts.

The original Famous Amos was on Powers Ave. on the Southside - it started in the late 60's. A guy named Amos was a legendarily good short order cook at the Derby House on St. Augustine Rd. - problem was, he was prone to occasionally go on a bender and disappear for weeks at a time. Other than that, a terrific guy. Some time later, he was working at another diner on the Westside, where I was a daily customer. If learned that if you ever ordered breakfast once from Amos, he would recognize you later, and whatever you had ordered the first time was "the usual." With a nod, it would be delivered in perfect order, exactly the same way, every time you returned. And that's how Amos got famous.

[meatn3]

mezzrow, you were right! I was passing through recently and spotted a Famous Amos in Orange Park.

The service was friendly and fine. My meal was cooked to order. Much of it tasted very Sysco-ish. Not the level I remember. I suspect breakfast would have been safer.

[FLnow]

Is this the same Famous Amos whose line of cookies bear that name?

[meatn3]

No. Although Wally Amos, of the cookie fame, was born in Tallahassee!

[FLnow]

Thanks for the info, meatn3!

[PDeveaux]

There used to be or still is a place called The Beach Hut in Ponte Vedra. I know this isn't Jacksonville but if you can find it, it's one of those neighborhood kinds of places where you can go as you are and the food is good. Plus, you get to go to the beach as a bonus.

[hmoney]

The Beach Hut is great, not traditional southern, but the liquor license makes up for it. I'm pretty sure it is in Jax Beach, definitely not Ponte Vedra, I'm not sure what place meatn3 is referring to, but The Fox is a great diner in Avondale. People line up outside the front door from 7 until about 12 Saturdays and Sundays. You can order breakfast or lunch all day and eat for less than $7. The Metro Diner in San Marco is another great spot.