The Block Jax (Review)

Today was the grand opening for The Block Jax so we decided to take the boys with us to do an in-depth review. Everyone has been patiently waiting for The Block, Jacksonville’s newest family-friendly outdoor food hall, music venue and entertainment space, to open its doors to the public.

Mena and I tried to get there before they opened their doors at 11 a.m. because we knew it would get packed. I was a bit nervous because I had not seen any photos of the parking lot but upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised at just how many parking spaces were available. Keep in mind that we arrived at 10:45 a.m. on grand opening day (Friday), so the parking availability might be a different story on the weekends when more people are able to visit The Block Jax. (Just keep in mind that it is going to be unusually busy during its grand opening weekend so be patient.)

Once we got into The Block Jax we immediately went over to Kids on The Block to find a place to sit where we could watch Ollie play – of course we also looked for a spot in the shade because we live in Florida and it’s hot out. Now that we found our homebase, it was time to explore and let me tell you, the place is huge!

Mena stayed with Enzo and Ollie while I went around and checked out all of the food stalls available. Let’s just dive right into our review of The Block Jax which we have broken down by each food stall and then the different areas available within The Block. 

Food at The Block Jax

First up will be the food, we tried to order one dish from every single vendor just to give them all a try. There are a ton of different types of food being served and almost every stall has small bites as well as full-fledged meals – there truly is something for everyone!

The Bearded Piglet

The bearded piglet is a spin-off of the popular Jacksonville BBQ spot, The Bearded Pig. Unfortunately after we got the initial photo of the food stall, we did not order anything from them because when I placed the order for all the food I used the QR code that lets you order food from every stall at once. For some reason The Bearded Piglet was not on there yet and once I realized we missed ordering food from them it was too late (the kids were ready to leave).

We will definitely go back again and I’m assuming that since it was the grand opening today that they just overlooked not being on the QR code menu for every food stall in The Block Jax.

Chancho King

• Food Ordered: Pork Sandwich with Chips
• Description: Pork, hot pepper aji, mild tomato aji, lime pickled red onions, pork crackling.
• Price: $8.50

We’ve had Chancho King before when their food truck was at Aardwolf Brewing Company so we knew their pork sandwich would be one of our favorites of the day. I ordered the pork sandwich with chips which is excellent – the pickled onions and pork crackling on top of the pork is top-notch.

I 100% recommend ordering from Chancho King while you are at The Block Jax – you will not be disappointed!

Chancho King Menu

Dairy Joy

• Food Ordered: Mini Ice Cream Cup
• Description: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream + Gummy Bears
• Price: $2.99

I’m not much of a sweets person but I ordered a mini cup of chocolate chip ice cream with gummy bears for Mena and Ollie. They thoroughly enjoyed it and said the ice cream was some of the best they’ve had locally. Not to mention the people running the ice cream stall were super friendly despite being absolutely slammed during the grand opening.

Dairy Joy Menu

Dark Side Tacos

• Food Ordered: Adobo Chicken Taco
• Description: Adobo chicken topped with roasted red pepper mild salsa, dark side aioli, and Hawaiian salsa.
• Price: $6

I mean tacos are the perfect food for this type of venue and Dark Side Tacos is serving up some delicious food. I ordered the Adobo Chicken Taco and while it was too spicy for Mena, I thought it was excellent. I’m excited to try more of their food the next time we visit.

Dark Side Tacos Menu

The Hungry Owl Jax

• Food Ordered: Fried Veggie Spring Rolls
• Description: 5 fried veggie spring rolls.
• Price: $7

Hungry Owl was another food vendor that we decided to pick up an appetizer at and their fried spring rolls were great. I saw them post some of their other Asian dishes on Instagram and plan on having lunch there the next time we visit The Block Jax.

Hungry Owl Menu

Just Kitchen Jax

• Food Ordered: Cilantro Falafel
• Description: Cilantro falafel bites served with lemon tahini dipping sauce.
• Price: $8

I ordered the Cilantro Falafel appetizer from Just Kitchen and they were really good. I know that we will definitely be going back to try some of their main courses based on how good their falafel bites were.

Just Kitchen Menu

Slingin’ Wieners Jax

• Food Ordered: Chicago Dog
• Description: Hot dog on a fresh poppy seed bun with mustard, onions, relish, pickle spear, tomato, sport peppers, and celery salt.
• Price: $9

I promise you that you should not overlook this “hot dog” stall when you visit The Block Jax. Slingin’ Wieners is serving up some of the most delicious hot dogs I’ve ever had. I ordered the Chicago Dog and it was superb – it rivals the one I had in Chicago at the popular hot dog spot, Portillo’s.

Slingin’ Wieners Menu

Stack’d Burgers

• Food Ordered: America Burger
• Description: Two patties, pickles, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, american cheese, and stack’d sauce.
• Price: $13

Stack’d Burgers was our first and only hiccup of our day at The Block Jax. Honestly this is what I expected to happen at all of the vendors being that it was the grand opening today. I ordered our burger with all of the other food from every vendor and it took around 30-40 minutes for it to be ready. I do believe they were backed up with orders and ended up turning the QR code orders off which was 100% the right thing to do so that they could catch up.

The few folks I talked to that were waiting on their burgers understood that it’s the grand opening and a few things will need to be worked out. I really hope they do because the burger we bought was incredible – for the price it is a huge smash burger!

Stack’d Burgers Menu

Southern Swells Brewing Co.

We were just at the anniversary of Southern Swells at their main tap room in Jacksonville so I was excited to see how their new spot at The Block Jax turned out. I love that they are brewing their beer on-site so it will always be fresh and hopefully nothing will run out. 

They have two different sides that you can order from and offer their flagship IPA, Karate in the Garage, as well as a nice variety of other Southern Swells beers and a few guest taps. It’s also perfect that they are one of the first vendors you see when you walk into The Block Jax – parents, grab your beer or hard seltzer and go let the kids loose!

Mezzanine Bar

If you are just wanting a cocktail or simply want to get away from all of the kids running around, the mezzanine bar is your spot. The upstairs bar area is 21+ so it is a nice little escape if you are working from “home” at The Block Jax or just want to eat your food away from the crowd. There are plenty of tables and open seats available and you also have a clear view of the stage and projector.

If I’m being completely honest here, the food was actually really good at every stall we ordered from. I think our favorites were the Chicago Dog from Slingin’ Wieners and then the Pork Sandwich from Chancho King. We were not disappointed in anything we ordered and I must say, aside from Stack’d Burgers, who still need to work out a few kinks, the food was prepared quickly.

Let’s now move on from all of the food and beverages to the entertainment available at The Block Jax.

Entertainment at The Block Jax

When it comes to entertainment for kids, adults, and dogs, there is no shortage of it at The Block Jax. Let’s take a quick look at all of the different spots you can hang out while you enjoy the food/drinks you ordered from the vendors mentioned above. 

Stage (Live Music + Movie / TV Projector)

The stage area for live music and movie nights or sporting events is absolutely huge! While it was a little warm today, it was cool under the covered area where Joe Nash was performing a live acoustic set. In my opinion the level of the music being played was perfect – it was loud enough to enjoy it while still being able to hold a conversation and not have to yell at one another.

I’ve already seen complaints about the noise pollution and honestly after what I heard today I have no clue how anyone could say it was too loud. I know it was an acoustic set but the volume level was definitely not too loud and we were pretty close with my 3-year-old and 6-month old. We are looking forward to movie nights and big sporting events on the big projector!

Kids On The Block

Ollie was ecstatic when he saw the outdoor play area at The Block Jax and immediately began climbing up the little hills. I have to say that I am super impressed with how nice the “Kids on The Block” by Jax Mom area is even if it was a little chaotic with all the different ages of kids running around. Ollie is 3 so the bigger kids just kind of push him out of the way which I guess is par for the course when it is a huge play space with kids – he still enjoyed every minute of it.

Parents should note that when you enter the play area there is a QR code on the main gate that is a waiver you have to sign for every kid that will be entering. One thing I do recommend fixing is the fact that the kids can just leave the play area whenever they want – I think it should be a little more difficult for small kids to leave. We were watching Ollie so it was not an issue but we saw several young kids just leave and wander around while we were there.

All-in-all we will definitely be adding Kids On The Block to our park rotation for Ollie because he had a blast running around all of the obstacles and climbing up the “mountains”.

Kanine Social Dog Park

Mena and I saw the entrance for the dog park which is located behind the kid’s play area but we did not go inside. We don’t have a dog and I think you have to sign a waiver for your dog too so we just left that part unexplored as we will not be using it. We didn’t see too many dogs while we were there and the dog park is away from all the food vendors so it shouldn’t be an issue at all if you are not a dog person.

Now it’s time to go over our final thoughts about our experience today with a 3-year-old and 6-month-old. Will we be going back to The Block Jax in the future? Absolutely! For the grand opening, everything was organized and did not seem chaotic at all. There is tons of seating all throughout the complex so I don’t think that will ever be an issue for anyone. I can see parking being a little tough this weekend for the grand opening but after a week or so I feel like it will be easy to find a spot.

About The Block Jax

“Welcome to The Block! Come see what living is all about. Pet-friendly, kid-approved, it’s wholesome fun for the entire family. Enjoy live music, special events, or relax and grab a bite to eat while the little (or furry) ones play!”

The Block Jax Logo

The Block Jax Map

Website: The Block Jax

Mailing Address:

The Block Jax
7520 Quarter Mill Dr
Jacksonville, FL 32256

Email: [email protected]

Have you been to The Block Jax? Comment below with how your experience was when you visited!

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The Block Jax FAQ

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Is The Block Jax family-friendly?

Absolutely! There is a huge outdoor playground for kids to run around and play and there are lawn games as well as a huge life-size checkers/chess set.

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Is The Block Jax dog-friendly?

Yes! They have the Kanine Social Dog Park so that your furry friends can have some fun at The Block too.

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How is the parking situation at The Block Jax?

We arrived early on grand opening day and did not have any issues. The parking lot is pretty massive and while it may get full during peak hours, I feel like it can accommodate a lot of people pretty easily.

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How do I order food and/or drinks at The Block Jax?

Simply scan the QR code that is plastered throughout the venue to order food or drinks and then when it is ready you can pick it up at the vendor’s stall.

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