ATLANTIC BEACH | A new upscale steakhouse with a rooftop lounge is under construction to replace Ragtime Tavern, the legendary dining landmark that closed abruptly last year after 42 years.
Grafton & Fleck's is targeting a Summer 2027 opening at 299 Atlantic Blvd. on a historic corner at First Street and Ocean Boulevard in Beaches Town Center.
The new steakhouse comes from River Restaurant Group, headquartered in Jacksonville, which also operates popular River & Post in Jacksonville, as well as River & Fort and SAINT, both in St. Augustine.
Restaurant group founders Jeffrey Grafton McCusker and Robert Fleckenstein, joined by team members, led a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, Sept. 30, as a construction crew worked to prepare the 99-year-old
building for its new tenant.
"We are just grateful to be here. This is an iconic corner, and we just feel nothing more than blessed and grateful to be here. We're going to do everything we can to make you guys and Atlantic Beach proud. We're going to work really hard," McCusker said during the ceremony.
Focusing on "what matters" — the food, service and atmosphere — the restaurant group intends to honor the legacy and history of the storied location.
"Generations of people have gathered here, and we want to respect that history while creating a destination that reflects the character of Atlantic Beach. Our goal is to build a place where people can celebrate special occasions, enjoy a great meal, and make new memories," he said.
Classic steakhouse downstairs, casual beach-friendly bar upstairs
The steakhouse will be on the ground floor, while the lounge will be upstairs.
McCusker told the Times-Union that Grafton & Fleck's will be a classic steakhouse with a chef-driven menu. It will feature wood-fired cooking.
Among the offerings will be USDA Prime beef, Wagyu beef and fresh seafood. There will be à la carte steaks, shareable sides, along with dishes like salmon or pork chops.
"It will be its own completely unique restaurant. It's going to be a classic traditional steakhouse," said McCusker, noting the menu will be different from River & Post, River & Fort and SAINT.
The steakhouse will also have private dining rooms as well as a full-service bar for an intimate diningexperience.
In keeping with its elevated ambiance and offerings, the downstairs steakhouse will have some restrictions on attire. Reservations will be recommended but not required for it, he said.
The rooftop lounge will be more casual: "walk up, no reservation" so people can come hang out there, he said.
"We want to be some place for everyone. So the rooftop will be a good place to segue folks who just want to have a more casual experience," he said.
There will be full-service bars upstairs and downstairs. They will be offering a wine locker program with 20 spaces, too.
Grafton and Fleck's is prioritizing sound reduction throughout the building so guests will be able to hear each other without raising their voices to talk to each other. The goal is to create "a truly intimate dining experience."
Rising two stories, Grafton & Fleck's will seat about 260 guests and encompass at least 8,000 square feet.
McCusker said they've been working on the restaurant's engineering and architecture for about two years. In honor of Ragtime, they tried to keep the facade as well as everything else they could of the building, he said.
"We're trying to keep as much of the interior brick walls and some of the flow and the feel. It will be a new restaurant and a new identity, but we're doing everything we can to pay homage to the place that made so many memories," he said.
The steakhouse is designed by Cronk Duch Architects, with interiors by Rebecca Davisson Interior Design. The contractor is RLH Construction LLC, according to a news release announcing the groundbreaking.
A July 15 Atlantic Beach building permit posted on a window listed a $3 million value of renovations to the building.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest dining coverage.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Upscale steakhouse coming to former Ragtime Tavern in Atlantic Beach
