On a recent trip to Jacksonville Beach, FL I dined at a Metro Diner for a late breakfast. It's summertime on an early Sunday afternoon and we anticipated a busy restaurant (as the parking lot had been packed every time we drove by) and we weren't disappointed. The restaurant is a pretty large space and it was at full capacity. The typical diner setting, an open area for the cooks with hot griddles going non-stop, and servers buzzing all around refilling coffee mugs and bringing stacks of pancakes to the tables of happy patrons. As with most diners, the aroma of sizzling bacon and fried eggs danced in the air and teased our tummies while we waited. I would love to say that it was a cozy relaxed place to dine, however, that just wasn't the case. It was a little loud because it was so crowded and unfortunately this made for a rushed and restless feeling.
Though the diner was hustling, we didn't wait long before sitting down at the table, about 18 minutes. Water was served immediately and coffee came shortly thereafter. The coffee was standard but it was served piping hot, which I loved, please don't serve me tepid coffee, am I right? On a side note, they do offer a few flavored coffee options.
The server could not have been more pleasant. She was overloaded but she took the time to answer all of our questions and make sure she had our order correct. My friend and I greatly appreciated this!
OK first up, I ordered the corned beef hash that came with two poached eggs, hash-browns, and a biscuit. According to the server the corned beef is made there in house and the corned beef is shaved by the cooks per order. It was good, the texture was spot on with a little crunch in the potatoes, though slightly under seasoned and unfortunately, my eggs came out overcooked. If you have ever had a real corned beef hash then you know there is nothing better than a warm egg yolk to mix in, adding a richness to the hash. Our server noticed my eggs were overcooked and she told me she would bring out fresh eggs. I thanked her. However, it took so long to get the eggs, my hash became cold and I had to just go ahead and finish eating. She finally did get the eggs out to me, but I was pretty well finished up. I will say though, the second set of eggs were cooked better. Also, with my meal came hash-browns and a biscuit, the potatoes could have been a little crisper and they were not seasoned well, nothing salt and pepper couldn't fix, but that biscuit! I asked the server if the biscuits are made fresh in house, she told me yes. The biscuit was buttery and salty with that crispy bite but fluffy crumb inside. I couldn't have been happier with it. Had I ordered only a plate of those, this review would have been only glowing.
Next, I ordered a blueberry waffle. The waffle was served cold and was a little undercooked, but the flavor was there, and the blueberries were fresh. I enjoyed the blueberries, as I am not a big fan of compote or fruit glazes, at least atop my waffle. I don't know about you, but I am not loving the idea of an undercooked waffle, it is quite unappealing. Maybe the cooks were having an off day?
After that, up for tasting was the eggs benedict. My friend ordered one of his favorite breakfasts. A classic dish with two poached eggs on Canadian bacon all resting on top of an English muffin, covered in a rich hollandaise sauce. This was the better of the meals. The eggs came out nicely poached this time. The hollandaise was that perfect yellow color, creamy, and rich. This was pretty classic, no complaints here.
After the trouble with the eggs for the hash, though no grievances were made, the manager took off the meal from the bill. It was nice of them to do it, though unnecessary.
In all, I would say this is an OK place to have breakfast, but nothing very special. The restaurant is awfully busy and because of this, I think the atmosphere suffers and the food is lackluster, though the servers are exceptional. If you are looking for a more relaxed feel and a tastier meal I think you might skip the Metro Diner. That being said, if you do decide to give it a go, for goodness sakes try the biscuits!
The Metro Diner in Jacksonville Beach, FL is located:
1534 3rd St N, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
Hours: M-Sun 6:30 am to 2:30pm
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