County Line Pizza: Best pizza in Juno Beach, Florida

County Line Pizza

877 Donald Ross Rd. (La Mer Plaza, east of the bridge)

Juno Beach, (also considered North Palm Beach) FL 33408

561-626-3662

Sunday – Thursday: 4-9:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 4-10 p.m.

By Jane Feehan 

Fabulous pizza here, done the Philly way: Thin, crispy crust well-coated in cornmeal served bubbling hot.They know what makes good pizza – great cheese with just the right amount of tomato sauce. It’s not expensive; a large plain pie (my favorite) goes for $11. Pies come round but are cut in squares – the best way to eat a crispy piece.  I haven’t tried their other fare but judging by the way the dining room fills up before six on a week day in May speaks volumes.  Summer specials kick in during May – dinners go for under $10.

If you’re looking for a thicker crust pizza – the folding type found in New York City - visit Angelo’s (see review) in Jupiter. These two – County Line Pizza and Angelo’s  - serve the best pizza in the area.

Bar with wine and beer. Great service (ask for Karen), casual  and family-friendly. 

___________

Tags: best pizza in Jupiter, best pizza in Juno Beach, crispy crust pizza, Italian restaurants in Juno Beach, casual Italian restaurants in Jupiter area

Hurricane Café - a blast of good food in Juno Beach

Hurricane Café

14050 US Hwy 1 (closest cross street: Donald Ross Road)

Juno Beach, FL

877-775-2559

Breakfast – 7-11 a.m. (with early bird 8-9 a.m. for $4.75). Extended weekend breakfast hours

Lunch – 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Dinner – 4 -9 p.m. (Sunset  dinner 4-6 p.m.)

http://www.hurricanecafe.com

By Jane Feehan

For some of us in South Florida, an establishment with the word “hurricane” attached to its name may conjure up images of a rough refuge taken during a storm where food, some adult beverages and fun-loving, adventurous company serve as ingredients for a party.

A tropical storm doesn't provide locals a reason to gather at the Hurricane Café in Juno Beach – the food does.

Breakfast, served with a basket of thick slices of toast, draws a loyal following. A meal is delivered within minutes of placing an order (good for those on their way to work). They know eggs done any way with omelets their specialty. They also do a great job with waffles and pancakes. For those who need a morning jolt, the Hurricane Café offers a variety of coffees, espresso and organic teas.    

Lunch and dinner fare is a significant cut above a corner café and includes overstuffed sandwiches, vegetarian dishes and comfort foods like Yankee Pot Roast, N.Y. strip with gorgonzola and hand tossed individual pizzas. Seafood also available. There’s a good selection of wines (no hard liquor) to top off the dinner menu.

Hurricane Café’s interior is simple with a breakfast-place-look, far from elegant if one is looking for sophisticated ambiance for a special occasion or date. My advice is to take a seat on the patio, which offers a more pleasant atmosphere for dinner, weather permitting.

___________

Tags: breakfast in Juno, breakfast in Jupiter, dining in Juno Beach, dining in Jupiter, restaurants in Palm Beach County

Classico's Italian Restaurants: Nonna's kitchen in Juno Beach

Classico’s Italian Restaurants
14131 US Highway 1 at Loggerhead Plaza

Juno Beach, Florida

(561) 622-9772

www.classicositalianrestaurants.com

By Jane Feehan

“Two great restaurants, one great location,” Classico’s self-description goes.  One side is a bar and pizzeria, the other a bit more upscale dining area. Both offer the same convivial atmosphere.

A loaf of warm bread and a plate of olive oil with garlic serve as part of their welcome on the full-dining side; both are good. The menu is southern Italian – lots of cheese and sauce.  Sunday sauce, the kind one’s Italian grandmother simmers with meat on the stove for hours, joins marinara and white as “gravies” available for pasta, seafood, veal, beef and chicken It's homey eating here - not gourmet. Warning: the portions are huge. Diners may want to think about sharing, even though the charge is $6. It’s still reasonable. I had leftovers of the leftovers at home the next night. Dessert choices are presented on a tray and most are house made. I can’t imagine many getting to that part of the meal; I couldn’t.

The atmosphere has that New York City kind of feeling with photos of 1950s and 60s celebs. Cute, but not really as sophisticated as it’s trying to be. The white table clothes, pleasant lighting, and soothing acoustics make up where the photos leave off.

There aren’t many places to eat in Juno Beach, which probably accounts for patrons greeting each other when they enter; it adds to a warm, felicitous atmosphere.

One caveat: the pizza served in the other side of the restaurant is NOT good; they use inexpensive cheese and a cook up a crust that tastes over-oiled.

For good pizza at two other places see my reviews. Use search box at right to find "pizza" or see:
http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2011/05/county-line-pizza-best-pizza-in-juno.html 
or
http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2011/01/angelos-best-pizza-in-jupiter-florida.html


________________________________________________

Tags: Italian restaurants Juno Beach, dining in Juno, Italian restaurants in Jupiter area, pizzeria in Juno Beach, South Florida dining

Captain Charlie's Reef Grill - where seafood sings in Juno Beach

Captain Charlie’s Reef Grill

12846 US Hwy 1

Juno Beach, FL 33408  (near the split in the road)

Lunch: Monday- Saturday 11:30 A.M.- 3 P.M.

Dinner: Sunday – 5-9:30 p.m.

Dinner: Monday-Friday 5-10 p.m.

561-624-9924

By Jane Feehan

Captain Charlie’s Reef Grill – known to most as “the Reef” - tops many lists for best seafood in the area. The focus is on fresh food, great wines and a convivial atmosphere generated by owner Ross Mathison.

Reef Grill

Ross knows fish. His menu features lobster, clams, shrimp, and fresh fish every day that’s grilled, blackened, sautéed, broiled or fried. The Reef also serves up grouper cheeks, the most coveted part of that fish - excellent. Panko fried scallops rank as some of the best I’ve eaten. Throw in a few of Ross’s creative touches such as mixed vegetable garlic cream, citrus vinaigrette, spicy marinara, or blueberry teriyaki and - presto – the seafood almost sings. And about that housemade ice cream: it's unmatched in South Florida. 

His wine inventory may also be unmatched. Ross Mathison ranks second among purveyors of wine in Palm Beach County, just behind the Breakers Hotel.

Sit at the bar to watch cooks in the open kitchen and, if Ross is there, engage in some lively conversation that may include food prep secrets, wine histories and his world travels. Or, rub elbows with sports greats or some very interesting locals. No cell phone zombies here. One thing is certain, no one is rushed from their seat at the bar – and that’s a good thing. Casual, unpretentious atmosphere. Service: good. Expect a wait after 6 p.m. Copyright © 2019. Jane Feehan. All rights reserved.

Tags: Seafood restaurants Juno Beach, grouper cheeks, Jupiter, Florida, casual dining, best seafood Juno Beach, Reef Grill Juno 

Bring on the smiles at Cathy's Beach Connection - Juno Beach, Florida

                                            

Cathy’s Beach Connection

Beach Plaza

12850 US Highway 1

Juno Beach, Florida 33408

561-626-2262

Breakfast – Monday-Saturday: 8-11 a.m.; Sunday:  8-11:30 a.m.

Lunch and dinner – Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m. 9 p.m.; Sunday: 11:30-4 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

A visit to Cathy’s Beach Connection is like finding a beautiful little seashell encrusted in sand while taking a walk along the gentle surf. It’s a small, unassuming little place but step up to its misted deck with ample outdoor seating or into the café and the mood is set for smiling.

Color abounds and care is taken to craft a beachside atmosphere. This is a very casual eatery but they take more than a casual approach to the food they serve.  I dined on a mozzarella, tomato and lettuce  drizzled in balsamic vinaigrette and encased in a perfectly toasted roll. The fresh, crispy romaine lettuce and juicy tomato provided a perfect counter to tasty slabs of cheese. The meal came with a choice of sides for $10.95. Companion diner sampled a Juno Wrap - about $10 – of blackened grouper and was similarly impressed.

Come in shorts, bathing suit – anything casual - and expect to be pleased with both food and atmosphere. Cathy’s is close to the beautiful Juno Beach Pier.  Beer, including tap for a buck, and wine served.  Service: excellent.  ©2010 Jane Feehan. All rights reserved.

Juno Beach Fish House a Florida seafood treat

Juno Beach Fish House

13980 US 1

Juno Beach, Florida 33408

Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m. – 2:30

Dinner:  5 P.M.

Sunset Menu:  5-6 p.m.

561-626-2636

www.junobeachfishhouse.com

By Jane Feehan

After dining for more than a year in New Orleans and along the Mississippi Coast where seafood reigns supreme, I entered the Juno Beach Fish House in South Florida a bit of a skeptic about its quality, creativity and taste.

That skepticism unraveled plate by plate.

House made bread served with seasoned olive oil proved to be a great intro to what was to come. A Juno Fish house salad adorned with fresh chopped tomatoes and cucumber and topped with blue cheese and white vinegrette was excellent. And then the main course: Grouper Piccata (about $20) set atop bow tie pasta dressed with lemon and capers.  The fish was fresh, the portion oversized and it was sautéed perfectly. Maryland Crab Cakes (about $18.00) ordered by a fellow diner were not the star my meal was; they were on the gummy side. But the two sides, whipped sweet potatoes and a fresh (not frozen) vegetable medley were outstanding. To end the meal, we split a crème brulee prepared just right - a browned sugar topping over a room temperature custard.

Hats off to Chef/Owner Glenn Cockburn, once a student at the Culinary Institute at Hyde Park. He takes pride in his menu that includes lobster (half pound for about $20), salads, fresh catch of the day and an array of items for meat eaters.  Juno Beach Fish House, located at the site of a former Denny’s and Howard Johnson’s restaurant, is uncommonly good – and relatively inexpensive. ©2010 Jane Feehan. All rights reserved.