5 Jacksonville-area restaurants open, 7 permanently close in August

August saw the opening of aMichelin-recognized restaurant on the Northbank of the downtown riverfront.

Meanwhile, another St. Johns Town Center restaurant closedabruptly — erasing a seafood chain's footprint in Jacksonville.

A landmark Five Points pizzeria also shut its doors suddenly. Two Jacksonville locations of a nationwide fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain also closed after a major franchisee filed for bankruptcy protection.

A unique fine dining destination paying homage to a late community humanitarian opened in historic Springfield near downtown Jacksonville.

Also opening was a new Italian dining spot at an iconic San Marco building undergoing revitalization.

Here's a recap of notable Jacksonville-area restaurant news in August.

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Asado Life

Recently named to the prestigious Michelin Guide, St. Augustine-based Asado Life brought its traditional Argentinian-inspired live-fire grilling cuisine and hospitality to downtown Jacksonville, opening a riverfront restaurant at 5 Tower Court at the Shipyards across from EverBank Stadium. Asado Life celebrates the Argentinian-inspired traditional social art of open-flame cooking, wood grilling and ember roasting. | Read more

Al's Pizza

After 23 years, Al's Pizza abruptly closed at 1620 Margaret St. in the Five Points restaurant and retail district of the Riverside neighborhood in Jacksonville. A sign in the front window on Aug. 26, 2026, announced the closure, thanked customers, and referred them to the four Al's Pizza locations still open.

Five Points lost another landmark neighborhood restaurant as Al's Pizza closed after 23 years at 1620 Margaret St. in Jacksonville's historic Riverside. No reason was given for the closure, but the restaurant thanked customers for their support in a closure announcement posted on social media. The restaurant was known for its pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salads. Remaining open are Al's Pizza locations at 14286 Beach Blvd. and 8060 Philips Highway in Jacksonville; 240 3rd St. in Neptune Beach and 635 A1A N. in Ponte Vedra Beach. | Read more

Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls

Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls announced it will close its only Jacksonville restaurant at 4668 Town Crossing Drive, Suite 105, at St. Johns Town Center on Aug. 25. The fast-casual seafood restaurant is shutting its doors about 22 months after opening at the regional shopping center on the Southside.

Known for its New England-style lobster rolls, Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls closed its restaurant at the St. Johns Town Center, roughly 22 months after opening at 4668 Town Crossing Drive, Suite 105. The closing comes nearly a year after Mason's closed a short-tenured location at The Pavilion at Durbin Park in Saint Johns. For those craving lobster rolls, though, Mason's first Northeast Florida location in Fernandina Beach remains open. | Read more

Tavola San Marco

Tavola San Marco, a family-owned Italian restaurant, opened at 1035 Hendricks Ave. in the iconic Reddi-Arts building complex that is being revitalized and redeveloped into Hendricks Place. The new restaurant from Table Mesa Restaurant Group, headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., is the group's first in Northeast Florida. Tavola focuses on fresh-from-scratch Italian cuisine and features steaks, seafood, and other fare. It's also known for its extensive weekend brunch, served family-style. | Read more

Moe's Southwest Grill

All but one sign had been taken down by Aug. 16, 2026, at the former Moe's Southwest Grill, which closed abruptly at 10478 San Jose Blvd. in Jacksonville's Mandarin neighborhood after one of the restaurant chain's major franchisees filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Moe's Southwest Grill shut its doors permanently at 10478 San Jose Blvd., Unit 1, in the Target-anchored Courtyard Shopping Center in Mandarin, and at 9301 Atlantic Blvd., in CB Square shopping center in the Regency area. The closings were among at least 14 nationwide in the wake of a Moe's major franchisee, Quality Fresca I L.L.C., headquartered in Palm Beach, filing for Chapter 11 protection Aug. 4 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. All but two of the Moe's locations closing were in Florida. | Read more

Jax Fish Fry

The sign to Jax Fish Fry is shown, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2025, in St. Johns, Fla.

Known for authentic "northern-style" fried cod, lobster rolls and fries, popular family-owned seafood restaurant Jax Fish Fry abruptly closed its last Jacksonville-area location, revealing that its co-owner is battling cancer. The restaurant at The Fountains at St. Johns center in Saint Johns had been open there for nearly three years. In addition to its freshly made-to-order seafood sandwiches and baskets, Jax Fish Fry was popular for its bakery offering cakes, New York-style cheesecakes, cookies and more sweet treats — all made in-house from scratch with family recipes. | Read more

Petronita's

Kindness, compassion and community top the menu of Petronita's, a new Jacksonville fine dining restaurant offering elevated Southern and Latin cuisine while also paying homage to an unsung humanitarian who devoted her life to helping strangers. The restaurant debuted at 1349 N. Market St. in a restored and renovated 101-year-old brick building — originally a neighborhood grocery and a cigar store — in the heart of historic Springfield. The menu will rotate regularly to ensure the freshest seasonal ingredients. Petronita's Duck Tostada, with duck confit on a hibiscus-pomegranate blue masa tortilla and served with a black bean puree and a cherry-rum glaze, is an early customer favorite. | Read more

Fore Score Golf Tavern

After four years, the original Fore Score Golf Tavern closed as its lease expired at 1407 Atlantic Blvd. on the square in Jacksonville's historic San Marco. Remaining open is Fore Score's second location at 7570 Gate Parkway, Suite 101, at The Palms at Gate Parkway restaurant and retail center on the Southside.

After four years, Fore Score Golf Tavern closed at 1407 Atlantic Blvd. in historic San Marco as its lease expired. The San Marco closure will allow owners to focus on Fore Score Golf Tavern's second location at 7570 Gate Parkway, Suite 101, at The Palms at Gate Parkway on the Southside. Among the first of its kind in Jacksonville, the golf tavern was known for its virtual golf simulators, Zombie Dodgeball and other games plus elevated pub fare. | Read more

A1A Asian Kitchen

A husband-and-wife team of veteran local restaurateurs is showcasing authentic Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine at their new restaurant, A1A Asian Kitchen at 6975 S. Florida A1A in the Crescent Beach community. Signature dishes on the A1A Asian Kitchen menu include Lobster Kao Soi Ramen, Thai BBQ Pork Ribs, Kiew Wan Curry, and Crispy Whole Snapper topped with a pineapple-infused red curry sauce. | Read more

CAVA

Steak Harissa is a customer favorite at CAVA. It features grilled steak,

Known for its Mediterranean-inspired bowls, pitas, dips, and dressings, Washington, D.C.-based CAVA opened its fifth Jacksonville restaurant at 9303 Baymeadows Road, Suite 101, in Baymeadows Park. CAVA took over and renovated the space vacated by Burger Barn, which closed last year after a three-year run. | Read more

GEN Korean BBQ House

GEN Korean BBQ House opened its first Northeast Florida restaurant at 4880 Big Island Drive Suite 06 in The Markets at Town Center at St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville on April 12, 2024. The high-end Korean barbecue chain based in Cerritos, Calif. is an all-you-can-eat, cook-it-yourself concept.

After about 2 1/2 years in Jacksonville, GEN Korean BBQ, an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue, abruptly closed its first and only Northeast Florida restaurant at 4880 Big Island Drive, Suite 6, in The Markets at Town Center. The restaurant offered a large menu of traditional Korean and Korean-American food. Customers served as their own chefs, preparing meals from a selection of meats, vegetables and seafood on embedded grills in the center of each table. | Read more

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.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 5 Jacksonville-area restaurants open, 7 permanently close in August