by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Forget super snobby French foods and dressing up for dinner. Sometimes you just crave a diner experience, even if you do pay the price for it later with a raging case of heart burn. In a cookie cutter world of commercialism it’s refreshing to find a place like the 3rd Street Diner and Bakery.
Items you will want to sample are anything Greek (the place is run by a Greek family) and any of the desserts. Many places that are known for their desserts simply buy them from a bakery or someone who specializes in cooking sweet confections. Such is not the case at the 3rd Street Diner, much to the joy of their patrons.
Also, for a late night bite in the South Jacksonville Beach area, 3rd Street can’t be beat. They used to be open 24 hours a day, but they’ve since changed things. They are still open till 2AM and they open their doors at 6AM, 7 days a week. Another interesting feature that you wouldn’t expect from a diner establishment is the full bar.
Getting to the diner is easy, plus the neon sign is difficult to miss once the sun goes down on the A-1-A/3rd Street drag. Inside the place, it’s pure diner décor, in green and purple, with bright neon accents. The only real difference is the diner counter, which seems like any other diner counter until you take a closer look and realize that there’s a full bar back there. I can’t imagine too many people knocking back more than one drink in the place because it’s so bright.
You can expect diner service, that is to say, it will depend greatly on the type of mood your server is in. Most of the servers, even if they aren’t slammed with customers, are happy to help you navigate the menu.
Most casual foods you’d find in a diner are on 3rd Street’s fairly extensive menu. It’s likely that you’ll be able to find something on the menu you’re in the mood for. The surprises on the menu mostly come from the Greek selections and choices that you’re more likely to find at a Middle Eastern style restaurant, like the hummus under the appetizers.
Steak is one of the choices on the menu, though I’ve heard that sometimes the kitchen isn’t too accurate about cooking the meat to your specs (medium well can come out more pink than it should be). Also despite the Southern-homestyle feel of the place, most people will want to skip the fried chicken.
I have heard very good things about their breakfast choices, especially their 3-egg omelets. They’ve got all kinds of omelet options including something they call a Greek omelet, which includes feta and tomatoes. Bacon, bagels, pancakes, French toast and Belgian waffles round out their breakfast selection. Pancakes are on the sweeter side and they have a good variety, besides standards like blueberry and buttermilk pancakes. They also have banana nut, chocolate chip, apple cinnamon and strawberry and whipped cream.
One Fridays and Saturdays you’ll want to try the fried seafood specials. They’ve got a decent crab patty, fried shrimp and oysters. The crab patty is large, but tends have bits of shell in it, something that made the crab cake experience less than stellar. I do recommend the New England clam chowder, it’s got a superb texture and the clams are tender rather than over cooked and too tough as they often are in many clam chowders. Do go Greek when you can. The Gyro sandwich, which is the most savory in the South Jax Beach area, comes with a creamy tzatziki sauce.
While I can’t imagine going to a diner with the intention of dieting, there are, surprisingly diet selections. A fresh fruit platter, stuffed tomato and turkey burger (served with a scoop of cottage cheese) are among that section. What is surprising is that there is a selection called “The Jumbo Char-Broiled Burger.” It doesn’t come with fries, you get cottage cheese and a peach half, which cuts out a considerable amount of calories and fat.
When it’s time for dessert, pay no attention to the dessert selections on the back of the menu. They’re hardly ever accurate as the available desserts change daily, depending on what they’ve baked. Your best bet is to scurry back to the entrance where the desserts are and just take a look at the cases. They’re almost guaranteed to have baklava, some of the best I’ve had in the Jacksonville area (next to the Hala Café, which specializes in a variety of baklavas). Their baklava was both flaky and substantial, a balancing act that most baklavas don’t come close to achieving.
Some of the food can be inconsistent in quality, but you can always, always count on the desserts. Because desserts are such a specialty at 3rd Street, I couldn’t bear to try just one. I also snagged their homemade tiramisu. It was excellent, though a little too laden with powdered chocolate. Getting tiramisu that wasn’t shipped from up North is a feat in and of itself, so I was just grateful to be eating it.
3rd Street doesn’t do everything on their menu well, but their prices are low enough that you shouldn’t be afraid to try things. However, if you’re looking for a sure thing, just get something Greek or off of the breakfast menu, and save room for dessert!
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