Food and Drink at NE Florida Surf Shops

 
NALU’S TROPICAL TAKE OUT & SURF STATION
1020 Anastasia Boulevard, St. Augustine
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Jerry Morgan owns and operates Nalu’s Tropical Take Out, the vibrant red food truck permanently located in the Surf Station parking lot on Anastasia Boulevard in St. Augustine. Morgan, a North Florida native, once worked at the Surf Station back when it still sold gas along with boards and leashes. After a stint in Hawaii, he returned and pitched the idea of Nalu’s to shop owner Tory Strange, and 20 years later, Nalu’s is still serving fresh fish tacos.

“I came back to St. Augustine and wanted to bring that island vibe to my barrier island hometown,” Morgan says. “I love being close to like-minded beach lovers, like the team at Surf Station, and it makes great sense to be here next to them. You can grab a bite and board with ease here.”

Try the Hanalei Bay Bomb Burrito or the Poke Plate to keep your beach day going.

 
STIR IT UP & THE PIT SURF SHOP
18 A Street, St. Augustine Beach
Open every day 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Chef Cynthia Michael’s customers typically have sand between their toes when they walk up to the window at Stir It Up, a landmark St. Augustine Beach restaurant located on the porch of a converted single-family home. Steps away from the shore, the restaurant shares the space with the equally legendary The Pit Surf Shop. Customers are so used to seeing the two side by side that they cannot imagine one without thinking of the other. Stir It Up employees are usually up to date on upcoming sales at The Pit and are quick to share them with customers. “Check out The Pit as they have socks right now BOGO 50% off today,” Michael shares as an example.

Michael bought the restaurant back in 2016 and says that she kept many of the dishes created by the original owner, Rachel Hynes. “We definitely consider the beach, the weather and the customers when creating anything new. Our newest smoothie is the Florida Dream, and it’s a hit with orange juice, almond milk, peaches, bananas, vanilla protein, orange Emergen-C and carrots.” When pressed about popular dishes, Michael says, “The Pita Tosh is and always has been the most popular sandwich, due to the delicious homemade dressing it comes with. Dip each bite in the dressing and it’s hard to beat! Some customers have told us they want to drink it!”

Try the Pita Tosh or Cynthia’s Spicy Chicken Burrito before you paddle back out.

 
JAX SURF & PADDLE & BODEGA BAR + COFFEE
241 Atlantic Blvd #103, Neptune Beach
Open every day at 7 a.m.

Jax Surf & Paddle in Neptune Beach was looking for a way to add the familiar tropical flavors of surf trips to their storefront and school. Shop owner Tiffany Layton Oliser knows that nothing enhances the experience of catching a wave more than a pre-surf coffee or a post-surf beer, so she decided to add Bodega Bar + Coffee to the retail space. Whether heading to the water or drying off after a lesson, Bodega Bar + Coffee offers a chance to take a pause and share some stories.

“Our inspiration was the cool bodega surf shops you see in Latin America,” Oliser says. Nestled in the bright corner of the Jax Surf & Paddle retail shop, Bodega Bar + Coffee is a laid back beach lover’s dream. Customers cruise in to discover that the surf shop sells coffee or that the bar sells surf gear. Either way, the one-stop shop is quickly forging long-term friendships with customers.

“People stay longer and seem to appreciate the effort to expand our offerings,” Oliser says. “We will continue to expand our menu soon with healthy wrapped sandwiches and pastries. All locally made, of course. We have a partnership developing with an amazing local chef who is going to provide a healthy bag lunch for our youth surf camp as well as packaged wraps and sandwiches at the Bodega.”

Early risers should grab a coffee. The late comers can sip on a Toña, a Nicaraguan beer known to just about every traveling surfer.