Breakfast and brunch in the Jupiter and Juno Beach areas

Below are some popular breakfast spots in Hobe Sound, Tequesta, Jupiter and Juno Beach.  A few serve Sunday brunch.  Some are linked to reviews or are listed with comments. Most of these restaurants are crowded on weekends, especially during the winter season. To find reviews of additional restaurants, enter zip code in search box at right. For waterfront restaurants in Jupiter, see: http://tinyurl.com/8gagqpw.

Berry Fresh Cafe
3755 Military Trail
Jupiter
7 am - 3 pm
561-401-5693

Flamingo Cafe - 561-622-9781
2588 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens

Cathy’s Beach Connection   See review

Beach Plaza

12850 US Highway 1

Juno Beach, Florida 33408

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

561-626-2262

Center Street Nook - 561-745-7477
223 Center Street, Jupiter
7 am.- 9 pm - Hours vary - call to confirm

Corner Café and Brewery  See review

289 North US Highway One

Tequesta, Florida 33469

Breakfast seven days, 7:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

561-743-7619

www.cornercafeandbrewery.com

Gallery Grille    See review

383 Tequesta Drive

Tequesta, Florida 33469

Monday-Saturday, 7-11 a.m., Sunday brunch 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

561-427-8919

www.gallerygrille.com

Time to Eat Diner 561-744-9768
716 US Hwy 1, Tequesta
https://www.facebook.com/timetoeatflorida?rf=545752418801242

Guanabanas    See review

Jupiter, Florida 33477

Breakfast: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

561-747-8878          

www.guanabanas.com

Harry’s and the Natives    See review

US 1 and Bridge Road (west side of US 1)

Tuesday-Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.   Sunday – breakfast only: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

772-546-3061

www.harrysandthenatives.com

Hurricane Café        See review

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

Juno Beach, FL

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

Sunday brunch: 7 a.m.-1:30

www.hurricanecafe.com

877-775-2559

Jim’s Place (Standard fare, quick service, no credit cards)

901 Indiantown Road

Jupiter, Florida 33458

Monday-Friday,  6 a.m.  -  1:30 p.m.

Saturday, 6 a.m. - noon, Sunday, 7 a.m.-noon
561-746-6216

Juno Beach Café  (Huge, Paul Bunyan-sized portions, crowded on weekends, good menu)

13967 US Highway One

Juno Beach, Florida 33408

Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

www.junobeachcafe.com

561-622-1533

Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa    See review

5 North A1A

Jupiter, Florida 33477

Sinclairs Ocean Grill

7 -11 a.m. daily

Sunday brunch, 7 a.m. -12 noon

561-746-2511

866-943-0950

www.jupiterbeachresort.com

Lazy Loggerhead Café - review at: http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2012/01/dukes-lazy-loggerhead-cafe-good-food.html

401 North A1A (Carlin Park)

Jupiter, Florida 33458

Seven Days, 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

561-747-2952

Old Dixie Café

300 N. Old Dixie Highway, Suite 101

Jupiter, Florida 33458

Seven days, 4:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

561-747-1134

Royal Cafe- Diner style - no credit cards
75 E. Indiantown Rd. Jupiter 33477
Opens daily at 6:30 a.m.
royalcafejupiter.com
561-747-7426

Suzy Q's Home Town Diner - 561-822-3744
225 Chimney Corner Lane, Jupiter
561-822-3744
7 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Hours vary by day, call to confirm

Tags: Best breakfast restaurants in Jupiter, best brunch in Jupiter, best breakfast in Juno, Breakfast in Hobe Sound, best breakfast in Tequesta, restaurants in Jupiter

A Boat's Eye View of Fort Lauderdale

Though road traffic is congested in this oceanside city, the Intracoastal Waterway in Fort Lauderdale is not; it's one of the best ways to see the sights. Go by Water Taxi or inquire about Jungle Queen tours from Bahia Mar or other boat trips from downtown at the Riverwalk.

What's With Those Girl Scout Cookies?

By Jane Feehan 

It’s cookie time for the Girl Scouts and for those who enjoy a good cookie as much as they do contributing to a good cause. Hopefully, supporters won't be disappointed.

The Girl Scouts decided to cut back on their gallery of cookies but Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils (shortbread), Samoas, Lemon Chalet Cremes, Tagalongs (a k a Peanut Butter Patties) – ones that have been around awhile - will remain.

If cutting back the variety boosts profits (the suggested reason), I have no problem with it. The problem is the changing quality and taste. Last year, Thin Mints seemed not as thin, the chocolate mint coating just so so; it was an overall less tasty product. I thought no more about it until today when I bought a box of Do-Si-Dos. These former favorites are now slipping. The peanut butter filling seems the same but the cookie changed; cracker-like it’s a short-cut, lackluster -- and disappointing -- version of the former.  

So now it seems quality is heading the same direction as variety: south. Something’s missing and  hopefully it does not affect sales, which had been slipping a few years until last year. The Girl Scouts use two bakers: ABC Bakers of Interlake Foods LLC, with them since 1937 and Little Brownie Bakers, a Kellogg Company. Is the change in taste the baker, the recipe or the budget?

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Ahhh ... those Fort Lauderdale yachts

Docked at Bahia Mar

These yachts were photographed along Fort Lauderdale's  New River and Intracoastal Waterway the end of January - just before the blizzard up north. The next best thing to being on board one of these vessels is to be on another, albeit smaller, boat taking pictures. Defrost and enjoy.
 -- Jane Feehan

Docked at Sunrise Harbor

These belong to Hooters

Non Conformist ... color it olive 

Near Las Olas 

Coral Ridge Yacht Club

Full House

Greater Fort Lauderdale

Spoto's Oyster Bar, Palm Beach Gardens: Oyster bliss

Spoto’s Oyster Bar

4560 PGA Blvd.

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418

Lunch and Dinner

561-776-9448

http://www.spotosoysterbar.com

By Jane Feehan

Shell fish lovers will find many pleasures at Spoto’s Oyster Bar: a sophisticated ambiance, great service, but above all, excellent oysters, mussels, clams, shrimp and other shelled delights.

From the cold waters of the northeastern U.S. and Canada, oysters take top billing here. Unlike their counterparts from the warm Gulf and Florida coastal waters, northern oysters tend to be less fleshy, delicate and a bit more salty. Spoto’s serves Blue Point, Well Fleet, and a variety of others as they find them.

Fellow diner and I enjoyed a sampler platter, about 20 oysters on the half shell, and what a palate pleaser. Ice cold and fresh from Long Island Sound, Cape Cod, and Canada, the oysters were served with lemon, three sauces and plenty of crackers. We couldn't decide which ones were best; they were all delicious. We then shared a meal of Panko fried scallops, also from cold waters, with rice and asparagus. This part of the meal was less exciting. The scallops, though fresh and of good texture, were unimaginatively prepared. Spice cake from the dessert tray served as the ending. Not nearly as good as it looked, the cake was heavy and short on flavor.

Other diners sitting at high top tables next to us raved about their seafood salads and chowders. A jumbo shrimp cocktail for $12.95 looked like a show stopper. My inclination would be to stick with  shellfish for the main course; that’s their specialty.

                                                                                                                  

Whether one visits Spoto’s for shellfish (how about some oyster shooters?) lobster, salads, chowders and soups (including gumbo), pasta, and land lover dishes, there’s an inviting array of options to put together a meal without denting the wallet. 

A raw bar, the Blue Point Lounge, and a patio provide plenty of seating and socializing venues. There’s a good crowd at Spoto’s during the season and if there’s a wait, it’s worth it for their oysters and other shellfish.

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Tags: oysters, oyster shooters, Palm Beach Gardens seafood restaurants, Palm Beach Gardens fine dining, clams, lobster dinners, shrimp dinners

Table for two with a view in Jupiter ... shades of Valentine's Day?

Two photography students set up this table and chairs on the beach in Jupiter earlier this month. I'm sure the photos they took of this were far better than mine. Now if we could only get that piano on the sand bar, then we'd really have something. Valentine's Day, anyone?

Dockside Sea Grille: a little oomph in North Palm Beach

Dockside Sea Grille

766 Northlake Blvd.

Lake Park, Florida (North Palm Beach)

561-842-2180

Monday-Thursday: 11:30 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: 11:30 a.m.- 10 p.m.

Sunday: 12-9 p.m.

http://www.docksideseagrille.com/

By Jane Feehan

It's easy to miss Dockside Sea Grille driving along Northlake Boulevard. Don’t; it’s a pearl of a place.

Yes, it’s not unlike many casual outdoor dining spots serving seafood but here they put a little extra oomph into their biz.

It shows in the way they plate their food. Whether a lobster roll or hamburger, it comes with lots of color: pineapple, escarole, strawberry and shredded carrot garnish. That extra oomph also glows in the pride the chef took in showing us his special for the day, Grouper Napoleon (fish layered in vegetables) and how he was preparing his popular ratatouille.

Locals gather here for raw bar selections that include Blue Point oysters, steamed PEI mussels, peel and eat shrimp, clams, and rock shrimp. Crab cakes earn an above average rating as do their fresh fish sandwiches. Other choices include soft shell crabs ($22) pan sautéed or served with lemon butter, Snapper Picatta (about $24) Chicken Picatta ($17.95) and N.Y Strip ($23).

Dockside is also a great place to stop for Happy Hour, 4 -7 p.m. daily when there's “2-4-1 appetizers,” Martinis for $4 and, for casual dining, an ample selection of wines.

Owner Liz Turner has my vote and that of locals for her place. Dockside Sea Grille is known as a local spot but tourists would do well to find it. It’s on a small body of water that flows from the Intracoastal but there’s no dockage. No matter, there are plenty of other reasons to dine at this pearl of a place.

Tags: North Palm Beach raw bar, waterside dining in North Palm Beach, seafood restaurants in Palm Beach County.

Downtowner Saloon: a view of the New River, a slice of old Fort Lauderdale

Downtowner Saloon

10 S. New River Drive East

South of New River, east of the Andrews Ave. Bridge, behind the Courthouse (see their site for directions - tough to find)
Free parking in a lot approaching the restaurant.

954-463-9800

Monday-Thursday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday Brunch

Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. 12 Midnight

www.downtownersaloon.com

Also home to the Maxwell Room – for weddings, receptions and other group events (954-463-6630)

By Jane Feehan

Sitting on the New River in a building nearly 90-years-old – historic in these parts – the Downtowner Saloon attracts locals who come from the nearby courthouse during the day, or those who want to soak up the sights of the river and its traffic while listening to live music at night. It’s also party central for the annual Riverwalk Blues and Music Festival, the Super Bowl and other sporting events.

                                                                                                             

Food is standard fare for a saloon: lots of beef, burgers, sandwiches and shellfish - but it’s consistent and passable for the price. They try hard to please an array of picky palates with a raw bar, Monday steak nights (for $12.99), Thursday surf and turf (for $14.99), Sunday all you can eat crab night, two for one appetizer specials during certain hours - and more. There’s always something going on midst a motley collection of Fort Lauderdale characters and boaters who live along the New River.

I’ve never had a bad, if not memorable, meal here and have even enjoyed some holiday brunches. Outdoor seating is limited and fills up fast. The view from one of the indoor bars includes the river. Free parking available at the side of the saloon or take the Water Taxi and get off at stop number 10. Save taxi receipt for a drink discount. Service: good.  

Tags: Dining downtown Fort Lauderdale, live music downtown Fort Lauderdale, Riverwalk Blues and Music Festival, Fort Lauderdale sports bar, Fort Lauderdale Super Bowl party