Beachside eats: Where to find good food near the sand

By Joe Scheerer | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Warm weather, clear sunny skies and spring mean one thing: beach season.  St. Augustine Beach has a handful of delicious restaurants that are quick and easy to grab a bite after a long beach day. Stir It Up, Café Eleven, Taco Shop and Coquina Beach Surf Club are local gems.

Stir It Up
Stir It Up is the perfect substitution for that greasy beach bar food. Located on A Street, this outdoor window-style restaurant will definitely satisfy your taste buds. Serving fresh organic ingredients, Stir It Up keeps it healthy while still delivering all the flavors you could ask for.

Stir it up specializes in healthy lunch cuisine right by the beach. The menu is not too large, but offers something for everyone, serving sandwiches, wraps, burritos, quesadillas and delicious smoothies.

Being a small window-operated restaurant can have its down sides. Stir It Up only offers several small tables and picnic-type seating. Another problem I have found here is that the food can take a while to get. What I have learned though is that good food takes time, and this is definitely worth the time. So if you’re in a rush just call ahead so they can have it waiting at there little pick up window. If you are not in a rush, it’s a great place to vibe out in the sun and jam the reggae music they play. Local Tron Berry says, “Great vibes, good food and bold flavors always has me coming back.”

All in all Stir It Up is great local spot that should not be missed.

Surf Club

Coquina Beach Surf Club is one of my favorite places beachside, offering a cool unique feel like no other restaurant on this side of the island. Coquina truly is a surf club with surf decor all over and several flat screens playing classic surf films.

Do not let the whole surf vibe throw you. Coquina has amazing food that will satisfy anyone’s taste buds. I tend to find myself here a lot and the food has never let me down. I have tried many things here, but I am a sucker for several of their items, in particular their braised beef sliders and tangy barbeque wings.

Coquina Beach Surf Club offers a great happy hour as well every day from 4 to 7 p.m. Their patio is the perfect place to sit back and relax and have a good time with friends. Don’t be shy and ride the wave over to this hot spot.

Beachside Tacos

The A1A Burrito Works Taco Shop is a great local taco shop that should not be overlooked. This small locally owned taco shop does not serve your average taco. They offer a unique flavorful taco that will leave your taste buds wanting to come back for more.

This taco joint offers two different styles of tacos each just as good as the other: The Works — cheese, sour cream, cilantro, lettuce, onion, salsa and lime; or Baja Style — onion, cilantro, lime, cabbage, and spicy white sauce. At the shop you can add these delicious styles to tacos, burritos, nachos and their town-famous UFO. They offer chicken, beef, pork, grilled mahi-mahi and shrimp to all of these succulent flavorful items.

The Taco Shop offers casual dinning on a small-enclosed patio or a larger outdoor patio with picnic benches. This place is the perfect spot for after the beach all wet and sandy, a quick dinner with the family or friends, a casual date, or take out for a short walk up to the beach. Flagler student Alex Holmes says, “It’s my favorite taco place at the beach, fresh food, and friendly service.”

With a focus on all-natural, hormone-free meats, fresh local produce and Baja Mexican flavors that come together to rock your taste buds, this taco shop truly won’t let you down.

Café Eleven
Looking for a hip spot with good vibes and great food? Look no further than Cafe Eleven. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, this place has been jamming out sense 2001 offering not just great food, but great music as a small music venue as well.

Cafe Eleven has a great breakfast served Monday to Friday from 7 to 11:30 a.m. Offering breakfast sandwiches, eggs, omelets and my personal favorite the breakfast burrito.

Not a morning person, but love breakfast? Cafe Eleven offers an amazing brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for only $9.95. This brunch has it all. Made to order pancakes and omelets, French toast, scrambled eggs, fruit and of course mimosas to go with it all.

The lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday. Offering tasty salads like the Classic Caesar or their Pear and Berry that has mixed greens, pears, Granny smith apples, dried cranberries, walnuts, feta and balsamic vinaigrette. Looking for a sandwich, try the Buffalo Chicken Panini or the signature Cafe 11 Club.

The dinner is not something you want to miss either with their Southern comfort dishes. Try the Pesto Spinach Lasagna or the Meatloaf served with garlic mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day. Don’t tell mom though this meatloaf will probably put her’s to shame.

Cafe Eleven doesn’t just serve amazing food, but offers great live music with a variety of bands every month. This small music venue won’t let you down. With a bundle of good draft beers and wines this is the perfect spot to grab a drink and jam out to live music.