Take a step back in time by dining in this quaint fishing village, where shrimp is king, and boats fish daily for this local prize. Mayport is located on the St. Johns river in greater Jacksonville, Florida, one-half mile from the Mayport Naval Station. In Mayport, you can purchase seafood right off the boat or sit down in one of the seafood restaurants and have the day's catch prepared. Some restaurants will allow you to bring your off-the-boat purchase and cook it for you.
Singleton's Seafood Shack is Mayport's main dining attraction, and has been featured on the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," with Guy Fieri. It is a self-proclaimed "dive," according to owner Dean Singleton. Singleton's offers a full seafood menu and each dish comes with their signature hush puppies. The dining room is large and the decor is best described as a collection of bric-a-brac found at a shipwreck. Besides the seafood menu, burgers, barbecue and hot dogs are also offered. Everything is served with a southern flair, and the most popular items are shrimp, oysters and deviled crab. Everything at Singleton's is served on styrofoam plates with plastic utensils.
Singleton's Seafood Shack
4728 Ocean St.
Mayport, Florida 32233
904-246-4442
You pass through the market on your way to the dining room. Safe Harbor is the place to be if picking your own seafood and having the chef prepare it for you sounds appealing. You can buy fresh seafood in the market or from one of the boats, the kitchen will clean and cook it for you at a nominal price per pound. The style of preparations are: grilled, blackened or fried, and the chef will suggest which of the three is the best choice for that type of seafood. Safe Harbor has a full menu, and crab cakes is one of its specialties.
Safe Harbor Seafood Market and Restaurant
4378 Ocean St. Unit 3
Mayport, Florida 32233
904-246-4911
safeharborseafood.com
There are a few restaurants left within walking distance in Mayport. Mayport is so small, everything is within a four block area. Uncertainty over the town's future and possible development has closed some restaurants, but places like Singleton's and Safe Harbor are still open. There is nothing fancy in Mayport; the restaurants are very casual, and serving fresh seafood is just one of the things they do. Some places don't list themselves as a restaurant - they double as bait shops, or are tied in with the fisherman. Most will cook anything they catch for you, which usually works out to be a good deal, and a great way to experience this fishing village.
