The Fox

I can't tell you how many times we've tried to go to The Fox only to get the dreaded phone call with the bad news: "It's full, let's go to the other place." Now, when the other place is the ever-so-awesome Metro Diner, this is not a terrible position to be in but still disappointing nonetheless. After all, The Fox comes in at #21 on Urbanspoon's Best Jacksonville Restaurants list while the Metro Diner is down at #68.

So we were pretty happy to be the first people to show up to the Fox one cold morning. They weren't even open when we arrived so we had to mill about in the street for a bit until the door was unlocked. This, of course, prompted the consumption of copious amounts of coffee. I will not comment on the quality of diner coffee, ever. I'm an unrepentant coffee snob so this is really an area where we should not go. I will say, however, that endless refills are great when you a) need warming up and b) want to run spastically throughout the rest of the day, twitching uncontrollably all the while.

The menu is slightly different than that found at the Metro Diner. While there are still the staple "breakfast foods" at both places, the Fox has a more traditional American fare while the Metro Diner has a bit of posh, modern flair to theirs. Still, good food is good food regardless of the culinary creativity.

I had a bite or two of my wife's Philly Cheesesteak and, while I thought it was decent, it didn't quite meet her insanely high, I'm-from-the-North-and-know-a-good-Philly-Cheesesteak standards. As mentioned before, I'm the same way with coffee; we all have our particular particularities.

My turkey sandwich, on the other hand, was quite enjoyable. Toasted bread, roasted red peppers, and melted swiss cheese with succulent deli turkey all made for a flavorful sandwich.

But apart from the good food, the real appeal of a diner is often the iconic decor and ambiance, an area where the Fox delivers in full. A meal and a moment, both can be enjoyed here. But if the place happens to be full, you know where else you can go.


The Fox
3580 Saint Johns Ave
Jacksonville, FL 32205
(904) 387-2669