Highest-rated Restaurants in Jacksonville, North Carolina by Diners

Photo Illustration by Stacker // Canva

Highest-rated restaurants in Jacksonville, North Carolina by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.

Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Jacksonville, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.

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#30. Yakitori House Restaurant

- Rating: 4.0/5 (102 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 208 Brynn Marr Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese
- Read more on Yelp

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#29. Metro Diner

- Rating: 4.0/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 3010 Western Blvd. Ste 100 Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp

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#28. Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q

- Rating: 4.0/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1101 Gum Branch Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbeque, Chicken Shop, American
- Read more on Yelp

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#27. Peño Mediterranean Grill

- Rating: 4.0/5 (144 reviews)
- Address: 3494 Western Blvd. Ste 100 Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

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#26. Thig's Bbq House & Catering

- Rating: 4.0/5 (136 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1722 Catherine Lake Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbeque, Southern, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. Sake Asian Fusion

- Rating: 4.5/5 (323 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 461 Western Blvd. Unit 110 Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. The Milk Road

- Rating: 4.5/5 (163 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4240 Gum Branch Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Waffles, Coffee Roasteries
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. The Grazing Tray

- Rating: 4.5/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 720 Court St. Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Cafes, Venues & Event Spaces, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Pho 7

- Rating: 4.5/5 (151 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 423 Yopp Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. Paris Banh Mi Cafe Bakery - Jacksonville

- Rating: 4.5/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 103 Western Blvd. Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Bakeries, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Cajun Seafood

- Rating: 4.5/5 (102 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1133 Gum Branch Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Filipino Pho Cuisine

- Rating: 4.5/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 331 Western Blvd. Ste C Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Filipino, Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Plaza del Mariachi

- Rating: 4.5/5 (221 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 101 Parkwood Drive Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Bpw's Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.5/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4075 10 Gum Branch Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Mandarin Asian Bistro

- Rating: 4.5/5 (223 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4200 Western Blvd. Ste 120 Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Ramen, Chinese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Abruzzo's Pizza at Carolina Forest

- Rating: 4.5/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4200 Western Blvd. Ste 140 Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Wasabi

- Rating: 4.5/5 (386 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 472-A Western Blvd. Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Marrakesh

- Rating: 4.5/5 (584 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 409 Western Blvd. Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Turkish, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Booby's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: 1002A Henderson Drive Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Soul Food, Caribbean
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Mission BBQ

- Rating: 4.5/5 (431 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1638 Western Blvd. Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbeque, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Elsa's Place

- Rating: 4.5/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 610 Court St. Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Caribbean, Soul Food, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Sub-Sational Deli & Sub Shop

- Rating: 4.5/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1104 Henderson Drive Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Pollos Tete

- Rating: 4.5/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 222 Brynn Marr Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Peruvian
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Brewed Downtown

- Rating: 4.5/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1000 New Bridge St. Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Jeff's Burgers Dogs & Shakes

- Rating: 4.5/5 (125 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2550 Onslow Drive Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Abruzzo's Pizza

- Rating: 4.5/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 75-2 Balsam Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Muddy's

- Rating: 4.5/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2040 Wilmington Hwy Ste 2 Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Liliana's Colombian Restaurant & Bakery

- Rating: 4.5/5 (249 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4075 Gum Branch Road Ste 5 Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Colombian, Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Casa Mia Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.5/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2200 Gum Branch Road Jacksonville, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp