Everyone has seen the Salt Life logo countless times on cars, trucks, and shirts around Jacksonville for so long that it only seems appropriate that there be a restaurant to go with it. From the moment I walked in, I knew this was the type of place that truly fits at the beach, where you can come as you are and just enjoy good food and a good time. The colors (predominantly blue, turquoise and white) are very calming, putting you in the mood to kick back and personify the meaning of ‘Salt Life’.
Seated at a high-top on a somewhat crowded Friday afternoon, I could see just about every walk of life enjoying the Salt Life Food Shack. From doctors in their scrubs to business professionals to those of us straight from the beach with sand on our toes, all were welcomed with a smile and the smell of great food. I remembered the high recommendation of the Hawaiian Shrimp Bowl from a friend who had previously had the pleasure and ordered it, even though several other menu items were jumping off the page – a good sign in my opinion! My friend ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad, and another joined me in ordering the Hawaiian Shrimp Bowl, even though I had recommended the Caliche’s Poke Bowl to them based on what I’d heard from others who had previously dined there.
I was pleasantly surprised how quickly our orders arrived, but was even more happy with the taste of my dish. A combination of squash, zucchini, onions, peppers, and pineapple sautéed in a soy-ginger glaze, with shrimp, spinach, and avocado served over sticky rice – what a treat! At times, it was a bit of a chore to eat with chopsticks, but highly worth it! My friend who ordered the same dish agreed that they had made an excellent choice in their meal, both of us were very satisfied with both the taste and the portion size – I even brought some home. Our other friend was very happy with the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad, which consisted of fresh ahi tuna, tossed with lettuce, tomato, avocado, cabbage, carrots, and toasted almonds in an Asian sesame-soy dressing. Being allergic to fish, I was not able to share, but both friends assured me that the taste was excellent and all components worked perfectly together – so I’ll just have to take their word for it!
Overall, I was very pleased with Salt Life Food Shack. Our service was great, the waitress treated us very well and our wait was considerably shorter than I’d have expected. The price-point was exactly in-line with what I’d have expected to pay at a fairly trendy spot near the beach, so I feel like I got my money’s worth out of our lunch, and was very pleased with the quality. Salt Life Food Shack is definitely the type of place I’d stop for any occasion, whether it be on a sunny afternoon coming from the beach or a Friday night before going out when I want a nice meal – Salt Life has it all! They truly epitomize the lifestyle – Eat, Drink, and Be Salty!
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