Restaurants: What's new or coming soon to Ponte Vedra Beach, Saint Johns, Durbin

Gary T. Mills and Teresa Stepzinski, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
Updated ·5 min read

Even though we’ve seen some notable restaurant closings already this year, plenty of new restaurants have opened across Jacksonville – and even more are on the way.

From burger, taco and pizza joints to Italian and Mexican restaurants to breakfast, brunch and buffet spots, the area’s dining scene is growing, from downtown to the Beaches to the Southside, Westside, St. Johns and more, not just the St. Johns Town Center, which has served as the destination for many restaurant chains entering the market over the last two decades.

For the latest dining news, subscribe to our free Dining Notes newsletter, delivered to your inbox each Wednesday at 11 a.m. It’s packed with our latest restaurant openings, closings, trends and more.

Here's a look at what's new in 2024 or coming soon to northern St. Johns County, including the Durbin Park area and Ponte Vedra Beach. (And be sure to bookmark this story for regular updates.)

The Boathouse

The Boathouse offering fresh seafood and fish with a raw bar and sushi bar recently opened at 240 Florida A1A N. in Ponte Vedra Beach.
The Boathouse offering fresh seafood and fish with a raw bar and sushi bar recently opened at 240 Florida A1A N. in Ponte Vedra Beach.

240 N. Florida A1A, Ponte Vedra Beach

King salmon and Bluefin tuna reign supreme on the menu of a newly opened Ponte Vedra Beach restaurant offering high-end fresh seafood and fish amid a casual setting. The Boathouse, at 240 N. Florida A1A in Merchants Plaza shopping center, features an elevated sushi bar and raw bar, and familiar classics such as fried, grilled or blackened seafood and fish. The seafood restaurant replaces the former Zoe's Kitchen, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant chain acquired by Cava in 2018 then subsequently closed. | Read more

Dirty Dough

The Dirty Circus, which is a chocolate cookie stuffed with marshmallow filling, sprinkles and frosted animal cookie chunks is among the rotating selection of customer favorites offered at Dirty Dough, a nationwide gourmet cookie shop preparing to debut at 90 Durbin Pavilion Drive Suite C-103 in The Pavilion at Durbin Park shopping center in Saint Johns.

90 Durbin Pavilion Drive, Suite C-103, Saint Johns

Known for its freshly baked, multi-layer stuffed cookies, Dirty Dough is the newest addition to The Pavilion at Durbin Park in Saint Johns. Located at 90 Durbin Pavilion Drive, Suite C-103, the "grab-and-go-style" gourmet dessert shop that opened in June is the first in Northeast Florida from Dirty Dough, founded in 2018 in Tempe, Ariz. Dirty Dough also offers custom specialty sodas, ice cream, and ultimately some edible cookie dough. Other shops in the state are planned for Orlando, Pensacola and Sarasota, according to the company's website. | Read more

Dutch Bros Coffee

Dutch Bros Coffee recently opened its inaugural Northeast Florida drive-thru coffee shop Aug. 9, 2024 at 50 McCoy Way in St. Augustine. It is the first of as many as a half-dozen shops already in the works for Duval and St. Johns counties for the Grants Pass, Ore.-based chain that has more than 900 locations across 18 states.
Dutch Bros Coffee recently opened its inaugural Northeast Florida drive-thru coffee shop Aug. 9, 2024 at 50 McCoy Way in St. Augustine. It is the first of as many as a half-dozen shops already in the works for Duval and St. Johns counties for the Grants Pass, Ore.-based chain that has more than 900 locations across 18 states.

50 McCoy Way, St. Augustine

Drive-thru coffee chain Dutch Brothers Coffee debuted its first Northeast Florida location Aug. 9 at 50 McCoy Way in St. Augustine. It's the first of as many as a half-dozen shops already in the works for Duval and St. Johns counties for the Grants Pass, Ore.-based chain that has more than 900 locations across 18 states. Founded in 1992, Dutch Bros is known for its iced and hot coffee drinks, like classics mocha, latte, Americano and more, plus its specialty drinks. | Read more

Jersey Mike’s Subs

Exterior of the new Jersey Mike's Subs located at 255 Rivertown Shops Drive in Saint Johns Wednesday, May 15, 2024. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
Exterior of the new Jersey Mike's Subs located at 255 Rivertown Shops Drive in Saint Johns Wednesday, May 15, 2024. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]

255 Rivertown Shops Drive, Saint Johns

Jersey Mike’s Subs opened its newest Jacksonville-area sandwich shop at 255 Rivertown Shops Drive in The Shoppes at Rivertown in Saint Johns. Four more will be coming soon: two in Jacksonville, and one each in St. Augustine and Fleming Island. Founded in 1956, the sandwich shop chain is known for its fresh sliced, fresh sliced made-to-order, handcrafted sub sandwiches that range in size from mini to regular or giant. The subs can be served "Mike's Way" with onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, olive oil blend, oregano and salt or guests can customize the toppings. | Read more

Kinya Ramen-Yakitori

Newly opened Kinya Ramen-Yakitori restaurant -- adjacent to Mochinut -- at 415 Durbin Pavilion Drive, No. 103 in The Pavilion at Durbin Park in Saint Johns. It is the first Kinya Ramen-Yakitori fast-casual, Japanese-style restaurant in the Jacksonville area.
Newly opened Kinya Ramen-Yakitori restaurant -- adjacent to Mochinut -- at 415 Durbin Pavilion Drive, No. 103 in The Pavilion at Durbin Park in Saint Johns. It is the first Kinya Ramen-Yakitori fast-casual, Japanese-style restaurant in the Jacksonville area.

415 Durbin Pavilion Drive, No. 103, Saint Johns

With 24-karat edible gold flake as a garnish on its signature entree, Kinya Ramen-Yakitori opened March 11 at 415 Durbin Pavilion Drive, No. 103, in The Pavilion at Durbin Park shopping center in Saint Johns. The Durbin Park location is the Japanese restaurant chain's first in the Jacksonville area. Kinya means "gold." The restaurant bills itself as the "home of the Golden Ramen." It focuses on making the guest experience as well as the food "as good as gold," according to its website. | Read more

La Nouvelle

The exterior of La Nouvelle, which opened Feb. 13, 2024 in the historic Jefferson House at 102 Bridge St. in the Lincolnville neighborhood of St. Augustine. The bistro is the third from well-known St. Augustine Chef Michael Lugo.
The exterior of La Nouvelle, which opened Feb. 13, 2024 in the historic Jefferson House at 102 Bridge St. in the Lincolnville neighborhood of St. Augustine. The bistro is the third from well-known St. Augustine Chef Michael Lugo.

102 Bridge St., St. Augustine

Inspired French cuisine classics such as Filet Aux Poivres, duck confit and mustard-crusted pork loin top the menu of La Nouvelle, a French bistro opened in February at 102 Bridge St. in St. Augustine by well-known chef Michael Lugo. The bistro is the third fine-dining restaurant from Lugo, founder and owner of Pesca Vilano, 117 Vilano Road in Vilano Beach, and flagship restaurant Michael's at 25 Cuna St. in St. Augustine's historic Calle Cuna neighborhood. | Read more

Outback Crab Shack

8155 County Road 13 N., St. Augustine

Bigger and better, Outback Crab Shack reopened Aug. 10 at 8155 County Road 13 N. on Sixmile Creek off the St. Johns River in St. Augustine after three years of construction. The rebuilt restaurant offers a fresh-caught menu focusing on fish and seafood cooked to order. Established in 1984, the original Outback Crab Shack was severely damaged by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017, leading to its closure and demolition. The restaurant ― featuring a half-mile-long dock on Sixmile Creek ― is the latest concept from local husband-and-wife restaurateurs Nathan Stuart and Margo Klar, who own and operate multiple restaurants from Tallahassee to St. Augustine. | Read more

Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

To help beat the summer heat Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard will hold the grand opening of its 7th Jacksonville-area dessert shop, 840 A1A North in Ponte Vedra Beach on June 7, 2024.
To help beat the summer heat Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard will hold the grand opening of its 7th Jacksonville-area dessert shop, 840 A1A North in Ponte Vedra Beach on June 7, 2024.

840 A1A N., Ponte Vedra Beach

A Pennsylvania-based frozen dessert chain has opened its seventh Jacksonville-area Italian ice and frozen custard shop in June at 840 A1A N. in The Fresh Market-anchored Corridors at Ponte Vedra shopping center. Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is known for freshly made Italian ice, frozen custard, gelati, Blendini, concretes, milkshakes and more. Made with real fruit, Rita’s signature Italian Ice is made fresh daily on-site and available in a rotating daily selection from over 80 flavors. | Read more

Vincenzo's Cucina

Vincenzo's Cucina, an Italian restaurant from a St. Johns County husband and wife is preparing to open at 3787 Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra Beach. Vincenzo and Elaine Grande hope to open the restaurant by February 2024.
Vincenzo's Cucina, an Italian restaurant from a St. Johns County husband and wife is preparing to open at 3787 Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra Beach. Vincenzo and Elaine Grande hope to open the restaurant by February 2024.

3787 Palm Valley Road, Ponte Vedra Beach

Hand-stretched pizzas, house-made sauces and Italian family favorites top the menu of Vincenzo's Cucina, which opened in February at 3787 Palm Valley Road in the Publix-anchored Shoppes of Palm Valley retail center at Ponte Vedra Beach. The restaurant offers a variety of 12- and 18-inch New York-style pizzas as well as both thin and thick-crust Square Pies. Pasta, along with 12-inch sub sandwiches, strombolis, calzones, salads, garlic knots and desserts. | Read more

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New restaurants in St. Johns in 2024 at Ponte Vedra, Durbin Park

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