Salt Life Food Shack — Restaurant in Jacksonville Beach

Reviewed following my visit Sunday afternoon:

Average rating for an average restaurant...I'm not downing the place; in fact, it made #4 on my top seafood restaurants around here. Let's get into why... I liked the fact that there was more of spices (added flavor) than seasonings (salt/sodium) in the dishes. However, for around 19.80$ I only got one, smaller cluster of crab legs. However, there was corn, shrimp & sausage in the "boil" also! I just would've preferred more crab legs.

The strawberry frozen margarita was TASTELESS!!! Without the double layer of sugar, around the rim, I wouldn't have tasted anything! The bartenders were all smiley and kind, but when she took the drink back, she opted to "fix" the flavor by adding more strawberry mix and all that did was WATER IT DOWN. #ugh I was not about to waste TWELVE DOLLARS on a bland alcoholic beverage. I swapped it for a pop.

Onto the CALAMARI, it must've been FAKE/imitation or even GMO bc I've neverrrr seen RINGS that thick!!!! I'll give it to them though, the seasoning in the batter was ON POINT! I just couldn't "get out of my head" being health conscious.

The SHRIMP NACHOS were good,neither great flavor, just wish there was more cheese!🙊🤐 Lots of meat...just not enough "umph" to make them a heavy hitter.

The AVOCADO FRIES were a hit for the table..I'm not a fan though. I can't dig the consistency. But hey if you're into it....

The wings were delicious...gotta love the dry rub type of flavor. They were cooked to perfection. I'd order them again.

Overall, if I just wanted some seafood for under 20$ I might go back. Other than that, I'm going to keep exploring seafood spots in the area. After all, I like the atmosphere there and friendly staff, but I'm not spending money for just that. I'm an honest foodie 🤓. I only ate there because Beachside, tbh was closed this past Sunday. Glad I got to...

The atmosphere inside and outside of this restaurant is second to none in the area. That said, I think it is also the most overrated in terms of food and service. My husband enjoyed his oysters, but that was the highlight of the dining experience. I personally was most disappointed by the lack of vegetarian friendly menu options considering how many items on their menu should technically be vegetarian. Yes, I know this is primarily a seafood restaurant, but most restaurants will at least have SOMETHING on the menu a vegetarian can eat. Maybe a pasta that you can remove the chicken from? Something? But It is like this establishment is determined to make it impossible for a vegetarian to eat there. Black beans? They gotta cook them with bacon here apparently. Alfredo sauce? Bacon. Sundried tomato pasta sauce? Bacon. It is unavoidable: if you aren’t eating seafood here, you are eating bacon, and there is nothing you can do about it. I did order a daiquiri thinking I could at least enjoy a drink and the atmosphere, but it was the worst daiquiri I’ve ever had. It was basically just jagged chunks of ice because they didn’t blend it enough, so it was impossible to drink with a straw. And there was just no flavor. It honestly tasted like ice water with a hint of fruit juice. It was just such a frustrating and disappointing experience overall. Other than the obvious beach vibes and the familiar name, this spot just doesn’t have much going for it, and it is overpriced for the quality of...

Came here tonight for the first time. Called ahead to make sure they were open since another seafood place down the road wasn't. It was phenomenal. I haven't had good seafood with flavor in a long time. Came in and there were four staff at the front door. No host stand, so it was slightly confusing. We sat at the front. The chairs and booth seats were comfortable. I loved the atmosphere and the decor. There was a giant fish tank in the middle of the restaurant too. I looked at the menu before going so I knew exactly what I wanted. I ordered the seafood boil with water. It had one rack of crab, lots of shrimp and sausage, potatoes and corn. There was so much food I couldn't finish it. My daughter had the kids fried shrimp and french fries with sprite. My friend had the pan seared chicken pasta. It was very enjoyable. The food came out super fast, especially with how many people were there. I filled out the comment card they had in the bucket on the table, which was super convenient since I already do reviews anyway. I gave it to the manager and he had me fill out the back to get meal discounts too since I would like to come back and get the $6.99 sushi on Tuesdays. The restroom was clean when I went to wash my hands also. Definitely going to be my go to spot to eat when I'm in the...